Chapter 286: So You’re A Monkey

This was the first time Guan Yue saw such a thick-skinned and shameless person. Her good upbringing made her hold back her displeasure. She just replied, “Mr. Su, you should talk to Xixi. I can’t make this decision.”

Xixi had clearly told Guan Yue and her teacher to ignore the Su family if they met them. They did not need to pay any attention to them or change their attitude towards them because of her.

Su Yi smiled a little awkwardly and nodded. He feigned confidence as he said, “Okay, I’ll talk to Xixi.”

If he could talk that girl into having dinner with them, would he still need to beg Guan Yue like this?

‘This snob didn’t even give me face? Wait till Xixi comes back to us and we’ll see if you still dared to be so condescending to me!’

‘When that happened, Shu Baiyu still had to go through me first if she wanted to take Xixi in as her apprentice. Then, I would definitely give them a hard time crushing their pride.’

Su Ruowan just wanted to disappear. She especially could not stand seeing Su Yi’s kiss-*ss face. In the past, Su Yi was not even so attentive to her. His attitude towards Shen Xi now was so desperate like a lapdog.

Shen Xi ignored Su Yi, but he still desperately chased after her, wagging his tail and begging for her acceptance, which was such a disgrace to the Su family.

Su Muxuan’s heart was also sour and indignant. He could not stand his father’s behavior, but he dared not raise any objections.

He had always respected his father until Shen Xi’s identity was revealed. After seeing his father’s attitude towards Shen Xi, Su Muxuan became resentful, angry, and frustrated, which finally turned into disappointment and hatred.

No matter what Shen Xi did, Su Yi would be tolerant of her and would persist in getting her back. Su Yi even humbled himself to beg her and wanted to take her home at all costs.

What about them? No matter how much they did, they were nothing to their father.

Especially after Su Yi decided to take Shen Xi back, every time he opened his mouth was about Xixi. He would defend her and even forbade them to say a word against her. It was as if Shen Xi would come back with him if they did all that.

Shen Xi’s performance was the highlight of the show.

There was another dance after her, but it was tasteless compared to “Flower Fairy”.

The audience was still shaken by “Flower Fairy” and did not even pay attention to the last dance. It was not until the dancer left the stage that the audience returned to their senses and noticed that the show ended.

“Hey, wait!” Su Ruowan called out to Fu Qingxuan when he got up.

Fu Qingxuan only thought about Shen Xi at this moment. He just wanted to go home and wait for her. Anyhow, he could not be seen here because Shen Xi would just mock him to no end.

Su Ruowan watched the teenager leave and chased after him, but he just disappeared in front of her. Since there were too many people, she could no longer find him. She clenched her fists and consoled herself.

She had a strong feeling that they were destined to meet again.

Li Jingran looked at Su Ruowan as if her soul had been taken away and went to her side. She asked, “Who is he?”

Su Ruowan lied, “I don’t know.”

She would never reveal his identity before she succeeded. After she successfully got a hold of him, then she would reveal his identity so that her family would be impressed with her.

“Jingran,” Su Yi came over. “Why don’t you guys come with me backstage to look for Xixi? We haven’t eaten together as a family in a long time. Since it’s almost the New Year, we can bring her home for reunion dinner[1].”

Li Jingran’s expression changed slightly. Even though she was reluctant, she nodded and said, “Okay.”

If she knew this would happen, she would not have come. Li Jingran originally wanted to see Shu Baiyu make a fool of herself. Instead of getting a good show, she only felt exasperated.

‘Shen Xi, this brat, must have been my enemy in our past lives! Out of all people, this brat picked on me and provoked me!’

“I’m not going. You guys can go ahead,” Su Muxuan threw a tantrum and grunted before he walked away.

Su Ruowan pulled him back. “Big brother, don’t do this. Come with us to look for Lil Sis. Dad’s right, the family should be complete for the New Year.”

“If you don’t go today, then don’t bother coming home again.” Su Yi looked at Su Muxuan and gave him an ultimatum.

In the end, Su Muxuan did not have the guts to leave and followed along bitterly to look for Shen Xi.

In the theater, the audience filed out in order.

Fu Qingxuan had just stepped foot out of the hall when he was tugged by his clothes. He turned around and saw the barefaced girl looking at him sardonically.

Shen Xi smiled and said, “You came after all!”

Fu Qingxuan was convinced and even deceived himself that she would not recognize him, so he calmly lowered his voice and replied, “Miss, I think you got the wrong person.”

Shen Xi’s lips hooked up slightly as she lifted her hand to remove his sunglasses. She even trailed her voice. “Is that so?”

Not far away.

The man in the wheelchair looked at Fu Qingxuan with cold and sharp eyes. Gloom overshadowed his originally clear and affectionate gaze, which made him look extremely dangerous and aloof.

Kun Lun pushed the wheelchair and could feel the pressure from the hell rising. He felt suffocated and broke out in cold sweat as he turned to look at the couple who were monkeying around not far from them.

In the crowd, the young man was dressed too strangely and the girl was too vibrant and beautiful. When the two of them were together, they were very eye-catching.

The girl pulled the boy’s arm and was unwilling to let go of him. She clung to him and wanted to jump on him to mess with him, but the boy pushed her away.

Just as the girl was about to fall, the guy got nervous and quickly went forward to grab her slender waist.

The girl then swiftly removed his sunglasses, which revealed the guy’s beautiful androgynous face.

This scene was extremely beautiful and harmonious. The girl’s cheeky and soulful smile and the boy’s helpless and doting eyes were like a perfect painting that came to life.

The wheelchair-bound man’s eyes just became darker and colder. They were like a cold, gloomy night that completely swallowed everything. His sickly pale hand covered his heart as he suppressed a light cough.

Not far away, the couple just looked at each other with contempt.

“Fu Qingxuan,” Shen Xi giggled and pinched his face. “You still wanna fool me? Don’t you know that I have fiery-eyes golden-gaze[2]?”

Fu Qingxuan let go of her in disgust and grabbed her pigtail. “Oh, so you’re a monkey.”

Shen Xi was so happy and eager for praise that her eyes shone like stars. “How was my dance?”

Fu Qingxuan did not want to stroke her ego, so he said, “It’s average.”

“You…” Shen Xi only managed to say one word when a familiar figure suddenly swept past the corner of her eye. She turned around in a panic and looked for that person as she muttered, “Brother.”

[1] A Chinese tradition whereby the whole family would gather for a meal during Chinese New Year Eve to signify family cohesiveness

[2] referring to the Monkey King in Chinese folklore, where fiery-eyes golden-gaze allowed him to identify evil no matter what form it takes

Chapter 287: Stabbed In The Heart

Fu Qingxuan did not know what got to Shen Xi and watched as she turned around several times frantically as if she was looking for something. When he heard her mutter “Brother”, Fu Qingxuan egoistically replied, “Your brother’s right here!”

Shen Xi did not seem to hear him. She just felt her heart aching and suffocating. With tears in her eyes, she pushed through the crowd to look for the man, but she could not see him anywhere and only saw strangers.

‘It was not him.’

‘He was not here.

It was like that glimpse was just her illusion.

‘But…’

Shen Xi covered her heart.

‘It hurts here.’

In that instance, it hurt so much that she stopped breathing.

Fu Qingxuan pulled her back, “What are you looking for?”

Shen Xi broke away from him, ran a few steps, and stopped, then let out a panicked and anxious scream. “Brother!”

‘I don’t know.’

She did not know what she was looking for either.

Before going on stage, Shen Xi had sent Brother a message, but he said he was busy.

However, she just saw it clearly. She could not be mistaken. It was him! She could feel that he was swallowed by despair and darkness, which made her heart tremble.

Fu Qingxuan watched as Shen Xi kneeled on the floor with tears streaming down her face. She cried like an abandoned, hopeless child. At that moment, he felt like he was stabbed in the heart and knelt next to her to wipe away her tears.

‘What was going on?’

‘What did she see?’

‘And who was she looking for?’

Shen Xi was still on her knees as she sent a text message with her trembling hands. After a while, she finally managed to send the message. “Brother, my show just ended.”

Fu Qingxuan inadvertently swept a glance only to see who she was sending the message to.

‘Brother?’

‘Brother who?’

‘Which brother?’

‘Was it Second Brother?’

Shen Xi held her phone and waited anxiously for his reply.

A few moments later, her phone vibrated.

His reply, “Great.”

Shen Xi’s hands were still shaking as she typed, “Where are you?”

He replied, “Busy.”

Shen Xi’s heart ached whenever she thought about how he looked just now. She replied, “Alright then.”

‘I was mistaken!’

There was no way he would be here.

‘I just missed him so much that I was hallucinating.’

Fu Qingxuan pulled her up and wanted to ask her what was wrong, but it was clear that she would not tell him even if he asked, so he simply shut up. His heart was still aching when he asked her, “Are you leaving?”

Shen Xi nodded, “Let’s go.”

The square.

The audience had dispersed.

Shen Xi still did not find him anywhere.

Not far away in an RV.

Kun Lun looked at the man in the wheelchair. “Boss, do you want me to call Ms. Shen?”

Li Yuan looked at her departing with loneliness and desolation deep in his eyes. After a long while, he finally said, “No need.”

Fu Qingxuan was closer to her in age.

When she was with Fu Qingxuan, she finally acted like a seventeen-year-old girl.

‘It’s time for me to let go.’

‘I should let go now.’

However, there was a voice in his heart that frantically took over every inch of him. It destroyed his sanity and told him, “No! She’s yours and she can only be yours in this lifetime!”

In the end, Li Yuan still could not resist and took out his phone to send her a message. “What are your plans after the show?”

Kun Lun stood aside. His body was tensed and he dared not speak. He did not even dare to breathe.

His boss was emitting such a chill and was shrouded in extreme darkness that the air around him seemed frozen.

The man’s eyes were lowered and his body was tensed as his long, slender fingers clutched the phone nervously and expectantly.

Shen Xi saw his message. Only then did she come out of her despair. She typed, “Having dinner with Ms. Shu and Guan Yue.”

After sending the message, Shen Xi glanced at Fu Qingxuan and added, “Fu Qingxuan too. He came over to watch my performance.”

Li Yuan looked at the name “Fu Qingxuan” with dagger eyes. He still had a dangerous and icy aura about him as his long fingers typed three words. “You like him?”

He looked at this sentence with his dark eyes for a long time, then deleted it. He retyped, “Are you that happy?”

His sickly pale finger, which was almost translucent, hit the send button.

Shen Xi thought about it for a while. “Nah, he’s an idiot. He said he wasn’t coming, but he showed up anyway.”

After sending the message, Shen Xi still felt that Brother’s message was a little off. His words seemed a little harsh. Fearing that he would misunderstand her, she quickly replied, “Brother, you don’t know how childish he is! I just treat him like a younger brother. No, he’s not qualified to be my younger brother. He’s just a little brat!”

Li Yuan saw her long series of replies. The loneliness and chill in his eyes finally dissolved little by little. He read them over and over again until his tightly pursed lips slowly relaxed and the corners of his lips hooked up into a pleasant arc.

Kun Lun did not know what his boss was looking at, but he could feel that a warm light was shining on that man’s body, leading him out from the abyss of despair and desolation from the darkest depths of hell.

He finally breathed a sigh of relief and could finally breathe normally again.

In this world, only Ms. Shen had this powerful energy to change the Boss with a single word.

Li Yuan looked at the message for a long time. He was satisfied with the words, “younger brother”, so much so that his pale fingers seemed to be a little pinkish along with his change in mood. “When are you going home?”

Shen Xi smiled and typed, “I’m heading home tomorrow. Brother, are you at home now?”

Could she still see him again before the New Year so that she could wish him a Happy New Year?

This would be her first New Year with him. For the many years to come until the rest of her days, she wanted to wish him a Happy New Year every year.

Li Yuan looked out the window, at the girl’s back. His narrow eyes that were filled with warmth had some bitterness, avoidance, and struggle before he finally replied to her. “No.”

He also wanted to see her and wished her a happy New Year in person on New Year’s Day.

However, his physical condition hindered him from appearing in front of her. “Wait till I get better.”

Shen Xi felt disappointed, “Okay.”

Old Shen was waiting for her at home. She would have to go back to their hometown with Old Shen on the morning of New Year’s Eve, so she would not be able to see him.

Fu Qingxuan did not know who she was talking to, but when she finally returned to her usual self, he breathed a sigh of relief and his heart did not ache so much.

“Shen Xi.”

Su Yi’s voice suddenly came from behind them.

Shen Xi just said goodbye to Li Yuan and was about to call Guan Yue to ask where they were. When she heard her name, she turned around and saw the man she did not want to see. Her eyes turned cold and pretended not to have heard him. She asked Fu Qingxuan, “Where’s your car?”

Fu Qingxuan pulled her forward.

Su Yi thought she did not hear him and ran towards her as he shouted, “Xixi, wait! Xixi! Wait up!”

He took his family backstage to look for Xixi but did not see her. Shu Baiyu said that Xixi had left a long time ago. He initially thought that Shu Baiyu was lying to him and did not expect to find Xixi outside.

Chapter 288: Run Him Over!

Li Jingran was infuriated and snorted, “Birds of a feather flock together. Look at what kind of people this brat is hanging out with! That uncultured brat can only mix around with other uncivilized people.”

“Mom, that man was the one who took her away that night! She’s now living with that man,” Su Muxuan mocked and sneered. Nothing good ever came from his mouth. “What else can a single man and woman do?”

When Su Ruowan heard this, her expression changed to instance jealousy and resentment. Hatred took over her senses as she stared resentfully at Shen Xi and Fu Qingxuan’s backs.

‘Living together? Both of them?’

She knew that Shen Xi, this little b*tch, was relying on her lecherous body to seduce men and keep them!

When exactly did Shen Xi meet Fu Qingxuan, and when did she get together with him?

Li Jingran was so angry that she gritted her teeth. Did she really sleep with that man? What a shameless brat! How could the Su family ever accept such a shameless sl*t like her?

‘What kind of sins did Li Jingran commit in her past life to give birth to such a brat that only brought disgrace to her?’

Su Muxuan said with hatred in his voice, “I saw it with my own eyes, how can it be fake? Mom, when she returns to the Su family, you must discipline her properly. Otherwise, what will outsiders think of our family?”

Su Ruowan only felt her brain buzzing. Hatred was like a tidal wave that kept surging in her. She just wanted to turn a deaf ear to everything, especially those related to Shen Xi and Fu Qingxuan.

She only knew that she was interested in this man. Who was Shen Xi to take away whatever she wanted?

Fu Qingxuan had already dragged Shen Xi to the car.

Su Yi ran quickly as he was afraid that Shen Xi would slip away, then he would not know when was the next time he would see her again. He knocked on the car window with a pleading and anxious face. “Xixi, it’s Father! Come down and talk to your Father!”

Shen Xi’s side profile was facing Su Yi. Her cold face was expressionless and she did not even want to glance at him. She just said, “Young Master, drive.”

“Don’t call me Young Master!” Fu Qingxuan yelled at her, but he still obediently started the engine.

Su Yi’s eyes turned red from anxiety and directly stood in front of the car. With a cold face, he tried to show the authority of a father and rebuked her. “Shen Xi, get out of the car at once! Father wants to talk to you.”

“This brat didn’t even respect me in front of outsiders!” Su Yi was infuriated.

Fu Qingxuan raised his eyebrows slightly and asked Shen Xi, “What should we do?”

Shen Xi’s thin lips parted slightly and spat out those cold words, “Run him over!”

Fu Qingxuan looked at the man in front of the car with a dangerous and mocking gaze. Without any hesitation, he floored the pedal.

Su Yi watched as the car was about to crash into him and was so terrified that he quickly rolled over to the side. He tripped over the curb and fell flat on his face. He was ashamed and exasperated, so he shouted in a stern voice, “Shen Xi! Do you know what you’re doing? I’m your father!!”

‘This brat wanted to murder her own father?’

‘Who the hell is that uncivilized punk? How dare he try to kill someone in broad daylight?’

If Su Yi had not dodged quickly, he would have been knocked off his feet.

“Father! Are you alright?” Su Ruowan went over to help him up. Through the car window, she saw Shen Xi turning her head to look at her mockingly with a smirk on her face. Su Ruowan was so mad that she gritted her teeth. This damned b*tch!

“Dad, this is too much! How can she do this to you?” Su Muxuan let out a frustrated roar. His eyes were spitting fire. “You wanted to talk to her properly, but did she even give us a chance to talk?”

“What an outlaw!” Li Jingran was fuming and felt the blood rushing to her head. She questioned Su Yi angrily. “Look at your beloved daughter that you want to take back so badly! You treat her like a princess, but what did she do? Does she even respect you?”

Su Yi was already annoyed. Listening to them adding fuel to the fire, he got even more exasperated. “Shut up! If you were nicer to her at the beginning, things wouldn’t even have come to this!”

Su Ruowan looked at them meekly. “Mother, Father, don’t argue… It’s all my fault! I’ll find Lil’ Sis and get her back, even if I have to trade my life, I’ll do it willingly.”

As she said this, Su Ruowan cried and chased after the car.

Su Muxuan pulled her back and was heartbroken. “Wanwan, it’s not your fault.”

‘Shen Xi, that brat! It was Shen Xi’s fault that the relationship between their family had become so tensed. Father was so stubborn. Mother and Wanwan are hurting. It’s all because of her! Why could she not just die?’

“Brother, it’s my fault. If it wasn’t for me, Lil’ Sis wouldn’t have left the Su family, and our family wouldn’t turn out to be like this.” Su Ruowan cried with sadness and despair. Her tears were like broken beads as the crystal clear tears dropped bead by bead. It ached their hearts.

Li Jingran was also heartbroken at the sight of her daughter crying that her eyes turned red as well. She pointed at Su Yi. “What the hell do you want? Must you wreck our home for that brat?”

Su Yi was already crazy, so he did not hear a word anyone said. He just looked at them fiercely and warned them. “She is my daughter! From now on, I won’t tolerate whoever bullies her again.”

Shen Xi was his daughter.

It was only right for him to take his daughter home.

**

Shu Baiyu booked a private restaurant. The chef was Chinese and made good fusion food, so she brought them there to try it.

She heard Yueyue mention that Xixi had a boyfriend who came to pick her up every night. Xixi also stayed at his house when she was here. He was the youngest son of the Fu family, Fu Qingye’s brother, Fu Qingxuan.

However, Shu Baiyu never had the chance to meet him and did not expect that before Xixi left, she would bring him over.

When Shu Baiyu saw Fu Qingxuan, he was truly a rare beauty. His androgynous handsome features blurred gender boundaries, and his noble aura was truly extraordinary.

Shen Xi initially wanted to ask Fu Qingxuan to send her over and ask him to go home, but she felt that it was quite pitiful for him to eat all alone at home, so she brought him over out of kindness.

Fu Qingxuan had already changed his outfit. His long black coat covered his slim figure and made his handsome face seemed more mature and calm. He nodded slightly like a gentleman. “Hello, Ms. Shu, Ms. Guan.”

Shen Xi swept him a disdainful glance. On the way to the restaurant, Fu Qingxuan was dead set on going to the mall to buy some clothes because he knew that the large and bulky black down jacket he wore was inappropriate for whatever the occasion.

“Hello,” Guan Yue smiled. No matter how many times she saw him, she still could not help but admire his astounding beauty.

Chapter 289: Like Twins

Guan Yue heard that each of the three Fu brothers had their distinct traits. Fu Qingye was mature and handsome, while the temperament and androgynous face of this young man in front of her were enough to beat those beautiful men and women in the entertainment industry.

“Have a seat and make yourself comfortable,” Shu Baiyu smiled lovingly as she looked at Fu Qingxuan and Xixi.

Yueyue said that the two of them were a good-looking couple. This was true, but Shu Baiyu thought that they did not look like a romantic couple.

Fu Qingxuan pulled out a chair for Shen Xi and watched her sit before he bent slightly and elegantly laid out the napkin on her lap like a gentleman. Then, he pulled out a chair for himself and took a seat.

This was the first time Shen Xi enjoyed his attentive service. She was not used to it and thought to herself, “What a good actor! He’s truly worthy of being the brother of the great Film Emperor. It’s a pity that Fu Qingxuan didn’t enter showbiz, otherwise, he would’ve won an Oscar.”

Fu Qingxuan seemed to have sensed Shen Xi’s thoughts and turned to smile at her charmingly.

Shen Xi was speechless.

The food was served soon after.

Everyone had an appreciation for beauty. Guan Yue was no exception. Sitting opposite the stunning couple, she was in a great mood and felt that the food tasted better than usual.

Shen Xi did not like to eat cilantro, but she loved Sichuan-style hot and sour fish with pickled mustard greens, which happened to be loaded with cilantro. Since it was impolite to pick at her food at the table, she decided not to touch it, but as a foodie, it was torture not getting to eat her favorite food.

That fish on the table looked extremely tempting. Its pickled aroma awakened her taste buds.

In the end, Shen Xi still could not help but take a slice of the hot and sour fish.

When Fu Qingxuan saw Shen Xi getting one slice, he followed suit.

Shu Baiyu looked at the two people across the table as they calmly picked away the cilantro leaves stuck to their pieces of fish with focus. Their actions and expressions were indescribably similar, so she laughed and jokingly said, “You kids are really like twins!”

“Who wants to be twins with him?!”

“Who wants to be twins with her?!”

Fu Qingxuan and Shen Xi said simultaneously, then turned to look at each other with disgust.

Shu Baiyu could not help but laughed out loud and asked, “Yueyue, what do you think?”

She was waking up the dreamer with her question.

Guan Yue was a little shaken and nodded her head in agreement. “Yeah, so similar.”

She had always felt that Xixi and Fu Qingxuan were very much alike, with the same temperament, little movements, and expressions. She mistook the similarities for the tacit understanding between a young couple, but she always felt that something was off about it although she could not pinpoint exactly what it was.

When her teacher said so, Guan Yue suddenly realized that she was looking in the wrong direction from the beginning. Rather than a couple, these two were more like twins, but no one knew which one of them was the older one.

“How are we similar?” Shen Xi muttered and threw a sidelong glance at Fu Qingxuan.

‘How ridiculous!’

‘I’m nothing like this childish brat!’

“We’re not similar,” Fu Qingxuan denied it vehemently. He took a bite of the fish and could not help but quietly glanced at Shen Xi.

‘Ridiculous!’

‘Why would I look like Li Jingran’s daughter?’

Shu Baiyu looked at both of them. Even when they looked at each other with contempt, they were surprisingly alike. She laughed noncommittally and did not continue on this topic. “Eat more.”

‘Are they not alike?’

‘I think they’re similar enough.’

It was not just their little expressions and actions, even their preferences were the same.

Xixi did not like lemonade.

Although Fu Qingxuan did not say it, he never touched his lemonade.

They both like to eat spicy and sweet dishes.

They did not eat the purple cabbage in the salad, nor did they eat the carrot inside the stew.

Neither of them touched the garlic eggplant dish on the table.

After dinner, it was already 9:00 pm.

By the time they arrived at Fu Qingxuan’s house, it was already 10:00 pm.

After Shen Xi took a shower, she knocked on the door to the study. “Fu Qingxuan, I’m leaving tomorrow.”

When Fu Qingxuan heard that she was leaving, his heart suddenly felt empty and his nose felt a little sore. However, he said indifferently, “You don’t have to report your whereabouts to me.”

Shen Xi grunted. She felt strangely upset and did not know what was going on. She had just met this person less than a week ago and already had this kind of damned attachment to him.

Fu Qingxuan’s eyes were swollen and his narrow eyes were glistening in the light.

‘Meanie.’

‘Just leave.’

‘Why did you have to tell me?’

‘Now you make me so sad.’

It was quiet outside, so Fu Qingxuan thought that she had left.

Unexpectedly, his door was knocked on again. Shen Xi asked, “Fu Qingxuan, does your family put up Spring Festival couplets[1] for the New Year?”

Fu Qingxuan retorted, “Who doesn’t put up Spring Festival couplets at home?”

Shen Xi replied, “So when are you going home?”

Fu Qingxuan thought that he would never see her again and was so upset that he threw a tantrum. “None of your business!”

Shen Xi had an indescribably good temper probably because she was leaving soon. “Then let’s write some couplets and put them up before I leave.”

Fu Qingxuan refused, “No!”

Shen Xi said, “Then do you have red paper and ink at home?”

Fu Qingxuan was even more aggressive this time, “I don’t know!”

Shen Xi ignored him, grunted, and kicked his door. She then turned around and called Fu Qingye. Under Fu Qingye’s guidance and description, she soon found red paper, an artisan knife, a ruler, brush, and ink. She was ready to write the Spring Festival couplets.

Since Shen Xi and Fu Qingxuan would be gone, no one would be at home, so pasting a Spring Festival couplet at the front door would make the house look more festive.

If she was in her hometown at this moment, friends and families would already be visiting each other. Children would set off firecrackers and fireworks. At night, there would be Dragon Dance and Lion Dance[2] performances along the street. It would be extremely lively.

In this foreign country, let alone these activities, Shen Xi did not even see a red lantern[3].

Fu Qingxuan lost interest in reading and never flipped a page of the book he was holding. He tried to listen to the movements outside, but the soundproof in the room was too good, so he could not hear anything.

When he pushed the door open, he saw the girl kneeling to lay out the red paper on the floor of the empty area of the living room. She looked serious as she wrote the Spring Festival couplets. Shen Xi noticed him and stopped writing, then turned to him and smiled brightly. “Young Master, would you like to write one?”

Fu Qingxuan watched as the girl rubbed her hand on her face. A drop of ink had smeared onto her face somehow. He laughed at her, “You look like a clown!”

Shen Xi was stunned for a moment. She then lifted her hand and rubbed her face, this time, smearing more ink on her face.

Fu Qingxuan pointed at her and mocked her. “Are you writing couplets or are you writing on your face? Are you gonna stick your face to my front door?”

Shen Xi looked at his smug face and got annoyed. She directly pressed her inky hands on his face, imprinting four fingerprints on his handsome face. She dragged her hands from the left to the right of his face, making it look like a cat clawed his face.

“Young Master, now we’re the same!” Shen Xi laughed smugly and made a face at him. “Clown!”

[1] Chinese New Year tradition in which lines of poetry were handwritten in black or gold ink on red paper and were pasted on both sides of the front door, with a four-character idiom on red paper pasted horizontally above the door frame. These couplets served as festive decorations and wishes for a better year to come

[2] Traditional Chinese dances in which a team of performers would put on dragon or lion costumes, typically performed during Chinese New Year or other religious or cultural festivals for good luck and fortune

[3] Chinese New Year decoration representing wealth and prosperity
Chapter 290: I’m Very Happy

Fu Qingxuan touched his face and saw ink on his hand. He grunted at her angrily, “You brat!”

After saying that, he dipped both hands in the ink until it was dripping, then rushed towards Shen Xi to get back at her.

Shen Xi screamed and fled. “Fu Qingxuan! Don’t you dare come over! I’m leaving tomorrow, so can’t you just let me win once?”

Fu Qingxuan pointed at her angrily. “Don’t run away! If you have the guts to do bad things, don’t hide!”

Shen Xi pretended to be pitiful and cried, “You’re older than me, so you should be the bigger person!”

Fu Qingxuan was amused by her and snorted. He did not fall for her act. “Don’t pretend to be pitiful in front of me. When you told others that I’m your younger brother, why didn’t you think that I’m older than you?”

Shen Xi continued to play the innocent little girl. “I’m a girl and you’re a guy.”

Fu Qingxuan smiled devilishly and approached her step by step. “It’s all about gender equality now.”

Shen Xi pointed at him and made a move to protect herself. “I’ll tell Second Brother that you bullied me!”

“He’s so far away now, so I’m not afraid of him.” The moment Shen Xi stopped, Fu Qingxuan took advantage of this gap to rush towards her.

Shen Xi’s reflexes were quick and dodged him while smearing more ink on his face. Half of his face was black with ink, so she laughed. “Young Master, all’s fair in love and war. I think you’re still quite good-looking if you’re black.”

Fu Qingxuan knew that she was just teasing him and subconsciously touched his face, only to remember that his hands were also inked. Seeing the girl looking at him with that smug smile, he let out an angry roar, “Just you wait!”

Shen Xi ran away while Fu Qingxuan chased her.

In the end, the two of them ran to the courtyard and kept running around in circles.

Shen Xi got tired of running and surrendered with both hands up and her eyes closed. She looked defeated and at his mercy. “Okay, I concede. Do whatever you want.”

Fu Qingxuan looked at the girl with an ink-smeared face. When she closed her eyes, her long lashes fluttered slightly. Her face looked so gentle and soft, so he reached out his index finger to touch it gently. This warm and soft touch made his heart shudder, so much so that he retracted his hand like he was electrocuted.

‘How can meanie’s face be so soft that it melted my heart?’

‘If this meanie removed her facade, she would be so soft like cotton candy. At a glance, she must be so sweet and gentle.’

“Young Master, why are you taking so long?” Shen Xi got a little impatient. She stood there for him to take revenge, so why was he not making a move?

“Don’t open your eyes.” Facing such a cute girl, Fu Qingxuan felt sympathetic and no longer wanted to smear her face. He pulled her hand and led her to the faucet, then said in a deep voice, “Squat here.”

Shen Xi obediently squatted down and heard the sound of running water. After a while, she felt him pulling her hands under the tap. The water was warm and it felt comfortable as it flowed into her hand.

Fu Qingxuan watched as the ink on her hands washed away, revealing her slender and fair fingers. Her hands were very beautiful with well-defined phalanges. In the starlight, they seemed to emit a warm jade-like glow.

“I’ll wash by myself,” Shen Xi opened her eyes and glared at him with disdain, then withdrew her hands.

Fu Qingxuan’s gaze was gentle as he watched her as she washed her hands and face. His heart was whole again. He thought to himself that his Lil’ Sis would probably be just as playful, cute, and gentle as her!

After messing around, the two of them went back to clean up the mess they made in the living room. They mopped and cleaned the place, then put up the spring couplets at the doors to the living room and the courtyard.

Finally, they were so tired that they sat at the door and leaned on the door frame. They flanked both sides of the door like bouncers.

Shen Xi looked at the beautiful starry sky. She could also see the bright Milky Way. It was so beautiful, like a dream. She could not move her eyes and let out a sigh. “Young Master, it’s really beautiful here.”

Fu Qingxuan looked at her seriously, “If you think it’s beautiful, I can allow you to come here often in the future.”

Shen Xi smiled and shook her head, “You hate me so much. I don’t wanna come over.”

Fu Qingxuan almost said that he did not hate her, but he swallowed it and said, “At least you still have some self-awareness!”

Shen Xi did not say anything and just hooked her lips. Her hands made a framing gesture as she looked at the starry sky seriously. Her eyes were overflowing with brightness like those stars. After a long time, she said, “Thanks for taking care of me these few days. If you ever come to China one day, I’ll also take care of you.”

Fu Qingxuan snorted and said indifferently, “I don’t need you to take care of me.”

Shen Xi kept the starry sky and happiness she felt here deeply in her heart. After a breath of relief, she stood up and casually turned around while she said, “I’m very happy about this trip.”

Fu Qingxuan only felt the tip of his nose getting sore. He looked at her relaxed back with red and watery eyes.

‘Meanie.’

‘She’s leaving.’

‘She was even sentimental with me.’

Fu Qingxuan was never afraid of goodbyes, but the thought of her leaving made him feel reluctant to let her go.

***

The next day.

7:30 am.

On a flight from Vienna back to the Capital in China.

The Su family also went back to China today.

Su Yi’s face was glum. He made this trip and wasted nearly a week trying to settle some problems, but none of them were solved. He did not win over the Huo family and even failed to bring Shen Xi back.

Su Muxuan sat next to his father, took a magazine, and flipped through it. He did not dare to speak for fear of making Su Yi angry again.

Last night, his father asked him to check which flight Shen Xi was on, but he did not manage to find out and was scolded by his father. Su Yi pointed at him and said that he was a useless and incompetent brat. Since then, he was in a bad mood.

Li Jingran and Su Ruowan sat together.

Su Ruowan showed the latest entertainment news to Li Jingran. Her voice was very low as she said, “Mom, it’s all over the news that Lil’ Sis is Ms. Shu’s apprentice. Look, those tabloid accounts all say that. Didn’t Ms. Guan say that Lil’ Sis wasn’t their student?”

‘This damned Shen Xi! Hasn’t she been rejecting Shu Baiyu? How did she suddenly become her apprentice? Now the entire entertainment industry knew that Shen Xi had found another good teacher.’

Li Jingran looked at the viral news. Her eyes turned dark as she said, “She knows better than anyone that having Shu Baiyu as a teacher will only benefit her. She’s so smart, so it’s not that she refused to be Shu Baiyu’s student, it’s just not the right time.”

It was indeed not the best time at this moment. This brat who only cared about her own benefits truly planned it all so well. She replaced Shu Baiyu on stage and was shot to fame with one dance.

Shen Xi and her “Flower Fairy” dance already stole the headlines of many mainstream media in various countries. Many of them said that she was the next rising Oriental Pearl after Shu Baiyu.

World-class dancers had also been posting videos of Shen Xi’s performance on their social media. They all praised her talent, grace, and beauty.

This time, Shen Xi had maximized her benefits and made her name in the world. Overnight, she became the most promising newcomer in the international dance scene and was watched by billions of people.

“Mom, Lil’ Sis is not like that,” Su Ruowan tried to speak for Shen Xi and sounded happy for her. “Lil’ Sis achieved such good results, so I’m really happy for her. I wanna congratulate her in person.”

Li Jingran sighed in anger, “You’re just too simple-minded. I don’t think she even needs our wishes.”

‘Shen Xi, that scheming brat! She planned it step by step. First Jiang Yin, then Shu Baiyu. Who will fall into her trap next?’

“Mom…” Su Ruowan still wanted to say good things that went against her heart, but before she finished her sentence, she inadvertently glanced at a young man who came in.

Li Jingran’s eyes also lit up as she sized up the young man in front of them.

The young man was about the same age as Su Mushi. Even though he wore sunglasses, it still could not hide his handsome face. Not to mention his noble bearings and reserved temperament. One glance was enough to tell that he was unmistakably the son of a prestigious family.