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“Xu Yueyao, I will find out the truth about this. If I discover that you lied to me, do you believe I won’t hesitate to kill you?”
Xu Yueyao rolled her eyes internally. What’s with this brat trying to act cool? So childish. She much preferred someone like Zhan Rongxuan—calm and collected. Though ruthless, at least he was reasonable, unlike this guy, who was just a hot-headed, immature fool.
“Fine, go ahead and investigate. But in the meantime, you’re not allowed to cause me any trouble.” Xu Yueyao raised a hand to her neck, mimicking a self-protective gesture.
Fu Xiaosi took a drag of his cigarette and asked, “How did you find out about this?”
“Since I now own 10% of the Fu family’s shares, I thought I should do some digging.” Xu Yueyao glanced up at him, noticing his skepticism. So, she decided to be ruthless and pulled out her trump card, lowering her voice as she said, “You know, the Zhan family has a hidden intelligence network.”
Fu Xiaosi’s brows furrowed deeply. He hadn’t expected Xu Yueyao to have access to such a crucial resource. It seemed Zhan Shao truly valued her.
He studied her carefully. She was wearing a black short-sleeved dress, with a square neckline revealing her delicate collarbones. A few strands of hair rested on her skin. The cinched waist of the dress accentuated her slim figure, and below, her long, slender legs stretched elegantly. She had a subtle charm—pure yet alluring. The sunlight illuminated her fair complexion, adding a faint pink hue to her cheeks, making her look both innocent and enchanting.
Xu Yueyao noticed Fu Xiaosi staring at her and instinctively crossed her arms in front of her chest, taking a defensive posture. Why is this guy suddenly looking at me like that?
Fu Xiaosi caught onto her wariness and suddenly had the urge to tease her. He leaned in closer, so near that she could hear his heartbeat. Xu Yueyao pressed herself against the wall, trying to put some distance between them.
“Fu Xiaosi, back off!” She reached out to push him away, but he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her toward him.
“Xu Yueyao, why don’t we be together? I don’t need any official title.”
The moment he said that, Xu Yueyao stomped on his foot with all her strength, grinding her heel against it. She regretted not wearing high heels today—her flat platform shoes weren’t enough to do real damage.
“Xu Yueyao, are you crazy?” Fu Xiaosi let her go, bending down to inspect his now-injured foot.
“Fu Xiaosi, have I been too nice to you?” Xu Yueyao sneered, her eyes cold and sharp. “Let me make something very clear—if you dare to lay a hand on me again, I’ll make sure you never function as a man again.”
Fu Xiaosi was momentarily stunned. He looked at Xu Yueyao—her lips curved into a mocking smile, her gaze filled with contempt. She exuded an air of dominance, as if he were nothing more than an ant beneath her feet. Is this the real Xu Yueyao? He was shaken. So, this is why Zhan Shao likes her?
“You’ve gone to great lengths to get close to me. What exactly do you want?” Fu Xiaosi asked, his usual playful demeanor gone.
Xu Yueyao thought for a moment before answering, “I already told you. My position by Zhan Rongxuan’s side is precarious—I need friends.” This was the truth. She needed allies, people she could trust.
“If you agree to be my friend, I’ll help you. I’ll make sure your mother becomes the true Madam Fu. You won’t have to be the forgotten second son of the Fu family anymore.” Her voice was calm, her presence exuding quiet authority.
Fu Xiaosi let out a cold laugh. “You think just because my mother wasn’t the one who ruined my father’s marriage, she can stand her ground in the Fu family? Xu Yueyao, you underestimate the Fu family.”
Xu Yueyao merely smiled and leaned in closer, whispering in his ear, “But what if I told you I know where your long-lost aunt is?”
Fu Xiaosi’s head snapped up, eyes filled with disbelief.
The Fu family’s matriarch had given birth to a beloved daughter at the age of 40. But when the girl was five, she was kidnapped and never seen again. The Fu family had spent every resource at their disposal trying to find her, but to no avail. This was one of the main reasons why the Fu family had never been able to secure a top-ranking position among the noble families in the imperial capital.
The story wasn’t a secret, but did Xu Yueyao actually know the whereabouts of his aunt?
“You… you really know where she is?” Fu Xiaosi’s voice trembled.
Xu Yueyao placed a finger to her lips and whispered, “Shh… I think you should focus on securing your mother’s rightful place first. We can take our time with the rest.” She smiled playfully, but there was an underlying sharpness in her tone.
This was the very thing An Zhiyi had relied on to solidify her position as the lady of the Fu family. Xu Yueyao intended to use it to her advantage. Even without this leverage, An Zhiyi would have become the Fu family matriarch—because she’s the protagonist of the story.
“What do you want me to do?” Fu Xiaosi asked, his mind filled with questions.
“I already told you,” Xu Yueyao replied. “As Zhan Shao’s woman, I have enough enemies. I need true, loyal friends. And in the entire imperial capital, there’s no one more suited for that role than you, Fu Xiaosi.” She had once again switched back to her playful, charming demeanor.
Fu Xiaosi scoffed. “The Fu family isn’t even ranked among the top noble families. What could I possibly do to help you?”
Xu Yueyao laughed. “I don’t need you to do anything. Just be there to pull me out of trouble when I need it. And besides, I have an eye for these things—mark my words, the Fu family will one day become the wealthiest family in the capital.”
She extended her right hand toward him. “Fu Xiaosi, do you want to be my friend?”
Fu Xiaosi looked at her for a long moment before finally grasping her hand.
“Xu Yueyao, from now on, I’ve got your back.”
Everyone had assumed that after Fu Xiaosi was punished for giving Xu Yueyao 10% of the Fu family’s shares, he would seek revenge on her. Instead, to everyone’s shock, she became a part of his elite friend group. They were often seen together at the senior cafeteria, on the rooftop, and at the basketball court.
Meanwhile, as Xu Yueyao was preparing for an upcoming banquet, trying on various gowns, others were making their own preparations.
At the villa of Third Master Zhan, Zhan Yunye’s wife’s niece, Li Mo, had been in her cousin Zhan Rongjun’s study for nearly two hours.
Her delicate hands clenched into fists, and her heart pounded wildly. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself.
Zhan Rongxuan sat at his desk, flipping through Xu Yueyao’s files, waiting for Li Mo to make her decision.
Finally, after a long silence, Li Mo raised her head and said, “Rongjun, I’ll do it.”
Her expression was firm, her fists tightened. She refused to back down. She knew this might be her only chance to get close to him.
Zhan Rongxuan studied his cousin. She was graceful, elegant, and refined—not just in appearance, but in demeanor. Their grandmother adored her and had carefully nurtured her. Recently, their grandmother had considered a match for her with Duan Jingyi from the Duan family, but Li Mo had refused outright—because she had fallen for Zhan Rongxuan at first sight.
Initially, Zhan Rongxuan hadn’t wanted to involve Li Mo, but no matter how many women he had sent Zhan Rongxuan’s way, his older brother remained unmoved. Then, just as he was about to give up and suspect his brother’s preferences, Zhan Rongxuan suddenly became obsessed with an unremarkable woman.
And that woman… was Xu Yueyao.