"Exchange of benefits?" The man repeated his words, then suddenly smiled, a faint wrinkle appearing at the corner of his eye.
“Yes,” Fu Shuyu emphasized, “as long as it’s not something too outrageous.”
What exactly do you mean by "excessive standards"?
"Do not break the law or commit crimes, and do not damage the family's honor."
"that's all?"
Fu Shuyu nodded.
The man's dark eyes stared at him, like a deep, unfathomable sea, making Fu Shuyu instinctively tremble with fear. Just when he thought his uncle was about to refuse, the latter nodded.
"Can."
Fu Shuyu breathed a sigh of relief and asked him, "So what are your conditions?"
“It’s simple,” the man said casually, holding his wine glass, “as long as you agree to be my person.”
To be his man?
For a moment, Fu Shuyu thought he had misheard. He opened his eyes wide and asked blankly, "What did you say?"
Fu Da glanced down at him, then stroked Fu Shuyu's profile with his large palm—the skin on her profile was white and delicate, as exquisite as a porcelain doll.
Then he looked into Fu Shuyu's beautiful blue eyes and said, word by word, "I want you to be mine."
Despite it being the sweltering summer day, the man's palms were chillingly cold.
The moment he touched her, it was as if a venomous tongue had bitten her throat. Fu Shuyu's body stiffened instantly, her eyelashes trembled uneasily in his palm, and her body trembled slightly as well.
When did Fu Da develop such filthy thoughts about him?
Although they are not related by blood and are not on the same household registration, but...
But how could he...?
"Impossible!" Fu Shuyu finally came to his senses. He pushed Fu Da's hand away and said incredulously, "What nonsense are you talking about? We... this is simply!"
Fu Da remained unmoved, simply stroking his lips with his right thumb and saying slowly, "I'll give you three days to think about whether you want to agree."
"You're dreaming!" Fu Shuyu glared at him fiercely. "I'd rather die than agree to that!"
Before he finished speaking, he raised his hand and shoved Fu Da hard, but the man stood firmly in place, and even with all his strength, the man's strong body did not budge.
The man's tall body loomed over him, making him unable to budge an inch.
In that instant, Fu Shuyu suddenly felt an unprecedented fear.
He had made many choices in his life, but none of them made him regret it so much—he shouldn't have believed his mother and asked Fu Da to cooperate.
The man lifted his chin with his large hand, forcing Fu Shuyu to tilt his head back. His beautiful blue eyes were filled with fear, like a doll about to be torn apart.
Immediately afterwards, the indifferent man slowly lowered his head.
In an instant, the sandalwood scent in his nostrils intensified, forcefully and domineeringly invading his senses.
"Fu Da, you...you don't mean to..." Fu Shuyu's eyes widened, and she could barely breathe.
Your hair is messy.
A gentle voice rang out, and the next moment, someone gently brushed aside the bangs on his forehead.
When Fu Shuyu looked up again, Fu Da had already withdrawn his hand and returned to the banquet hall without even glancing at him.
Fu Shuyu was left alone in the shadows, helplessly hugging his arms and curling his body up little by little. He forced himself to pull himself together, but the shadow left by Fu Da was too powerful, leaving only brokenness in his azure eyes.
Mom, you're wrong.
You've been gone so long, Fu Da has changed a lot.
He is not a trustworthy person at all, but a demon who would not hesitate to turn against his own kind.
...
"You're exaggerating!" On the other side of the banquet hall, Xu Yi had been waiting for a long time before Yan Shenyu finally dealt with the people who were trying to flirt with him, giving her a chance to go over. "That Frenchman actually confessed his feelings to you in public?"
"You believe the praise from the French?" Yan Shenyu glanced at him sideways and said indifferently, "In their mouths, such flattery is as simple as eating and drinking."
"He even said he was willing to settle down in Beijing for you."
“He already settled in Beijing,” Yan Shenyu shook his head, “otherwise why would he come to the equestrian club?”
Xu Yi clicked her tongue and exclaimed, "You're really cunning. But with so many people trying to chat you up, you didn't give out a single contact information." Xu Yi nudged his shoulder, unable to contain her curiosity, "What kind of person do you actually like?"
Xie Siyan, who had rushed over anxiously, happened to hear this and paused in his tracks. Before his brain could give the order, he had already secretly hidden behind a nearby pillar.
Yan Shenyu thought for a moment and said, "The handsome ones."
"Isn't that obvious?" Xu Yi rolled her eyes. "Anything else?"
Beside him, Xie Siyan silently recalled the impressions people around him had of him: He seemed to be alright looking?
"Positive values."
Are you selecting Young Pioneers here?
Xie Siyan nodded in agreement. In the past 30 years, he had been honest and kind, and had never done anything illegal or unethical.
"Is there anything else?" Xu Yi asked again.
Yan Shenyu thought for a moment and added, "It's best if you're smart; I can't stand idiots."
Xie Siyan quickly went through his resume in his mind: he finished primary school in 4 years, middle school in 3 years, graduated from university in 2 years, then went abroad to study at a world-renowned university, founded Wildfire Technology in his early 20s, and now it has become a large international company... By worldly standards, he should be quite smart?
This means that Yan Shenyu's criteria for choosing a partner perfectly match his persona.
Xie Siyan suddenly looked up, incredulous, and said, "Could it be that Yan Shenyu likes him?"
My heart skipped a beat. Yan Shenyu's words instantly dispelled the pent-up frustration in my chest, replacing it with a feeling of colorful bubbles—dreamy, light, and joyful enough to make me feel like I could fly.
This joy prompted him to walk towards Yan Shenyu, eager to share his elation with him.
Xie Siyan walked briskly toward Yan Shenyu, who looked up in surprise.
Is this what they call telepathy?
Xie Siyan quickened his pace, and just before he was about to hug Yan Shenyu, Yan Shenyu suddenly shoved her phone screen in front of him angrily.
"Xie Siyan," Yan Shenyu's voice suddenly rose, filled with anger, "Look at the mess your Heiyun has made!"
Dark clouds?
Xie Siyan glanced down, and when he saw the scene on his phone screen, the dizziness of happiness vanished instantly, replaced by a strong sense of envy—Black Cloud had actually squeezed into Little White's stable! It was forcibly pressing its warm body against Little White's!
"Ahem," Xie Siyan looked away, trying hard to control his expression, "When did this happen?"
“Xiaobai’s keeper just sent it to me,” Yan Shenyu said with exasperation, looking at the thirsty Black Cloud. “The keeper said he hadn’t opened the fence, which means Black Cloud actually jumped over two fences and squeezed into Xiaobai’s stable? Even an Olympic champion can’t jump as fast as it. Is it that thirsty?”
Is he really that thirsty?
Xie Siyan was immediately at a loss, feeling that he was the one being scolded.
"It...it just likes it too much," Xie Siyan tried to explain.
"Just because you like someone doesn't mean you can barge into their house. Look at how badly Xiaobai has been bullied!" Yan Shenyu said irritably. "I knew Heiyun had no good intentions from the very first time we met. If I had known it would do something like this, I would have kept them in two different horse farms."
Feudal elders want to break up couples? They even go so far as to send their children abroad to separate them?
“It’s not that bad,” Xie Siyan said, trying to salvage the situation, “Heiyun’s courtship methods were just a bit too intense, and Xiaobai didn’t seem to resist.”
"You're saying he didn't resist?" Yan Shenyu's eyes widened. "Xiao Bai was scared, that's why he couldn't run anymore. No, I have to go check on him."
Yan Shenyu's father, in a fit of temper, quickly put down his wine glass and muttered, "The horse's time was so short. If I had dragged it out any longer, Xiaobai might have already been defiled by him."
Xie Siyan: "..."
My time is not short!
The stable keeper was already waiting by the stable. When Yan Shenyu rushed over, he immediately took her over.
As the young zookeeper walked, he recounted the incident to Yan Shenyu in astonishment: "This is truly the first time I've ever seen such a bizarre scene. How could he have jumped over such a high fence? I took a look from afar, and Hei Yun didn't even get hurt. No wonder he's a descendant of an Olympic champion!"
Yan Shenyu glared at him, her face full of murderous intent, and asked, "Where is Hei Yun now?"
"Still in the little white horse stable." The stableman shrank back, no longer daring to praise Black Cloud.
Yan Shenyu was furious. He thought his little white dog must have been bullied terribly. After all, the little white dog was smaller than the black cloud, had a weaker bloodline, and was a lazy bum... How could it possibly be a match for a scoundrel like the black cloud?
When he arrived at the white horse stable and saw what was happening inside, he froze in shock.
At some point, the black cloud had been tamed and was no longer as violent as before.
It stood a meter away from Xiaobai, its nose flaring out hot air, looking like it was saying, "I'm about to suffocate, but my wife is really fierce, so I really don't dare to go over there." It stubbornly refused to cross the line.
Little White stood lazily to the side, slowly chewing on hay, not even bothering to glance at Black Cloud. Occasionally, it would steal a look at Black Cloud, which would then become incredibly excited, circling around it incessantly.
Xie Siyan, who also witnessed this scene: "..."
Can't you have some backbone?
"Cough..." Yan Shenyu realized that he had misunderstood Hei Yun; his own was clearly more terrifying.
Somewhat embarrassed, he looked away and said to the zookeeper, "Take Black Cloud back."
...
After dealing with the accident, Yan Shenyu and Xie Siyan returned to the hotel banquet hall.
By this time, it was completely dark. The suburban sky was free of light pollution, and one could see a sky full of stars just by looking up.
The banquet hall was still far away, and the noisy conversations could not be heard, only the chirping of crickets and the soft breathing of each other.
A cool breeze blew in her face, and Yan Shenyu raised her hand to tuck the stray hairs that had been blown into her ear.
It was at this moment that he noticed Xie Siyan looking at him.
Yan Shenyu lowered her hand and asked, "What's wrong?"
He had vented his anger on Xie Siyan tonight, only to find that Xiaobai was more domineering. This made him feel a little embarrassed and guilty as he glanced at Xie Siyan.
Yan Shenyu had intended to be friendly, but he hadn't expected Xie Siyan to instantly avoid his gaze. He turned his face away, his taut jawline leaving a strong outline in the night.
Yan Shenyu was somewhat puzzled, wondering if Xie Siyan was angry.
Just as he was about to say something to ease the tension, Xie Siyan, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up.
"If Black Cloud and Little White have a foal, I don't want to sell it; I want to keep it and raise it myself."