CH 62.1

Mingxi walked in and saw an old man in a vest and jacket, sitting cross-legged as he blew on the cup of tea in front of him intently. He looked like the old man who taught the Turtle Style in a Japanese manga.

Hearing footsteps, he raised his head and glanced at Mingxi.

That look was quite unfathomable.

“Zhao Mingxi? Come, take a seat.”

There was a sense of an old man's majesty in his voice.

Mingxi hurriedly cheered herself up, walked over to sit down and carefully approached him. "Hello, Grandfather."

"Who’s your grandfather?" The old man took a glance at her and sneered.

The wrinkles and ravines on his face were filled with dissatisfaction.

Mingxi: “...”

To be honest, it was really scary.

The mental preparation that Mingxi did before coming here suddenly collapsed.

Although this old man was dressed casually, he had the aura of a superior person which gave people a very strong sense of oppression. When he was staring at her, her shoulders felt as if 1000 kilos were stacked on them. A young girl such as Mingxi appeared really tender in front of him.

Mingxi lowered her head and thought to herself, oh no, is he going to dump money next?

How should I deal with it? Should I cry and say that I would rather die or take the money first, and then talk to Fu Yangxi when I get back?

Then she heard the old man say, “You can only call me Grandfather after you get married. Now you can only call me Grandpa Fu. You and Fu Yangxi are both ignorant of common etiquette!”

“...”

Mingxi: ??? Wait a minute? Get married?

—Who’s getting married?

Married to who?

Isn’t this progressing a little too fast?

The old man said again, “I haven't seen you before, but I have always been curious about you. When you came back from Tongcheng, Fu Yangxi climbed up the fake boulder and said that he liked you. He also said that if I dared to touch you, he would immediately jump off a building."

Mingxi couldn't help raising the corners of her lips. Turns out that at that time Fu Yangxi had already...

Before she had time to think about it, she heard the old man say a lot again, “I thought there was a hole in his head at the time that he got into an unrequited love. He simply didn't deserve to be part of the Fu family! I was so mad! Fortunately, he finally locked you down, otherwise where will my pride go?! Hey, I think I didn't lose to him back then. If I tried to pursue someone, the whole city would fall for me—"

As the old man spoke, he looked at the window and began to reminisce on his style in the past with a bit of pride between his eyebrows.

Mingxi: “...”

Wait, is there something wrong with the brain circuits of people with the surname Fu?

What about money? Is he not going to toss me a sum of cash?

The 90 million I imagined went to waste?

Half an hour later.

Mingxi was still listening to the old man's chatter with a blank face. She only hoped that Fu Yangxi would come to rescue her sooner.

Finally, the old man was a little thirsty and asked someone to change his tea. Taking advantage of his break, Mingxi hurriedly said, "I thought you came to drive me away from Fu Yangxi."

The old man took a sip of tea and thought it was too hot, so he hissed and looked at her with a confused expression. “You young people have watched too many dramas. We Fus are involved in business, we’re not a mafia. Did you think that I was going to give you a few million to leave my grandson? A few million is hard to earn, okay? Why should I give it to you for free, little girl?"

Mingxi: “...”

She thought too much. She thought there would be at least 90 million, but it turned out that the old man didn't plan to even spend several million.

He is indeed a prudent businessman.

I’m impressed.

The old man's mental abacus rattled. “If I force you to break up with Fu Yangxi, the kid will definitely make a fuss again. If that happens, I don't know how many millions will be lost, and I will still have to give you several millions. In the end, when I round them all up, I will lose a granddaughter-in-law and about a hundred million. It's a loss-making business! Besides, he acts like there’s a hole in his brain all day long, who would want him?"

Mingxi: “...”

"However, if you marry him, with your intelligence, you should be able to create more wealth for the Fu family. I’ll be earning then!" The old man continued to ponder. “I have seen your results. It was really bad at first, but since you are now the 35th in the province, it means that your brain is still good, at least better than that brat Fu Yangxi — How about this, if you can win the gold medal in the national competition after the final, I will send you overseas to study. I will pay for all the tuition and living expenses!"

Mingxi: “...Overseas?”

Oh no, he’s finally reaching the main point. Which developing country am I going to be sent off to?

"Yes, you can go with Fu Yangxi. You can also study at a university in China. I think it's better for you to study in China for two years and then study abroad for two years."

Mingxi: “...”

You're thinking too far ahead!

After the old man finished his mental calculation, he stared at Mingxi's face carefully.

His stare sent shivers all over Mingxi. “Wh-What's wrong?"

The old man said, "When you came in with your shoes on just now, you were 1.7 meters in height. That's enough for a girl. Your facial features are also pretty good, and your genes are acceptable— you haven't had plastic surgery, have you?"

Mingxi: “...”

Mingxi felt as if she didn't come to see an elder today. Instead, she was the fish on a chopping board, evaluated in an all-round way by old man Fu's X-ray-like businessman's eyes.

Mingxi couldn't help but ask, "Won't the Fu family need a marriage alliance or something?"

Isn't that what it's all about on TV?

At this point, it's about time for a fiancée to pop out to adjust the plot.

The old man sneered and said, "Do you think that with the Fu's position today we would still need a marriage alliance?"

The old man seemed to think that Mingxi looked down on their Fu family's huge foundation, so he began to give Mingxi a general knowledge of the Fu family's industries and the assets could not be finished spending in dozens of lifetimes.

Mingxi was now a little suspicious that the old man didn’t have someone to chat with him often, so he really went all out when he caught her.

"It's not impossible to arrange a marriage, but my grandson broke his leg after hearing your confession. If he breaks up with you, he will definitely jump off a building. If he jumps off the building, the stock price will collapse. I asked someone to calculate the property damage, and it was better not to have a marriage alliance. The value you can bring is actually not much less than an arranged marriage."

Mingxi: “...”

I’m done confirming. He really has a great sense of imagination.

Mingxi was forced to stay by the old man and they talked for two hours.

Japanese food was eaten and three or four pots of tea were drunk.

Seeing that there was no sign of it ever ending, Mingxi was about to collapse in exhaustion.

But she couldn't show it in front of the old man. She changed her position from sitting to kneeling and quietly beat her calf with her fist, trying to relax.

Fu Yangxi rushed in against the cold wind with a pale face, and this was what he saw.

The old man looked aggressive. He didn't know what he was talking about.

And Little Mask knelt in front of him with a pale face.

The special assistant said that Little Mask had been in there for two hours.

The old man forced her to kneel for two hours??

F*ck!

What's the difference between this and Wet-Nurse Rong's* needle?!

*Wet-Nurse Rong is a character in the famous TV series ‘My Fair Princess’ who is renowned for the scene where the she tortured the princess with a needle.

Fu Yangxi's face changed, his expression frosty. He immediately rushed over and carried Zhao Mingxi away. “How are you? Are you okay?”

The old man: ?

Mingxi: ?

Fu Yangxi made Zhao Mingxi stand still and touched her face. After confirming that there were no pinholes in her body, he pulled her behind him to protect her. He turned his head to stare at the old man and said angrily, “Come at me if you dare. What's the point of playing tricks behind my back? Didn’t I say that if you dare to touch her, I will—”

"You will jump off the building?" Mingxi smiled behind him.

"How did you know? Little Mask, don't be afraid." Fu Yangxi continued to confront the old man and gritted his teeth. "This is the first and last time. I hope you don't appear in front of Zhao Mingxi again in the future."

The old man was so angry that his blood pressure skyrocketed. He slammed the table and stood up. "Are you threatening me? Huh? Do you want to see if I am threatened by you? I’ll beat you to death today, little bastard!!"

As he said that, the old man went everywhere to find guys who could beat him up.

Mingxi was stunned. Is he really going to hit him?

She quickly stopped him and said to Fu Yangxi, "I’m really alright."

Fu Yangxi's eyes were flushed red with anger. “He made you kneel for two hours and yet you say you’re alright? Come with me.”

As he said that, Fu Yangxi took Mingxi, turned around and left.

The scene was chaotic.

Behind them, the old man threw a cup.

Mingxi was dizzy as she got pulled out of the Japanese restaurant by Fu Yangxi. She didn't forget to explain, “I’m fine, really. Your grandfather did nothing to me. I just sat till my legs were sore and got up on my knees to rest for a while. You can check the surveillance cameras if you don’t believe me.”

Fu Yangxi didn't quite believe her. “I know how my grandfather is. He’s always either scolding or hitting me, so how can he not bully you? What else was he trying to do if not force you to break up with me?”

Mingxi said with a strange expression, “He asked me if I had plastic surgery. I think he was predicting the genes of our children."

Fu Yangxi: “...”

After a long round of convincing, Fu Yangxi finally believed that the old man did nothing to Mingxi. Under Mingxi's advice, he went back to apologize to the old man with a sullen face, but the old man had already shivered with anger and went back in his car to drive to the highway.

Mingxi has now seen what kind of person Fu Yangxi's grandfather is.

...This is not someone who can be summed up in a few words at all.

The two came out of the Japanese restaurant and walked down the street.

Mingxi asked, "You said just now that the old man would always either scold you or hit you, why?"

Only then did Fu Yangxi realize that he had accidentally revealed a secret. He looked visibly uncomfortable as he said, "It's nothing, it’s just how it is when you’re a boy. I'm a little more mischievous, so I'll inevitably receive a scolding from my grandpa."

His mentality towards the old man was very complicated.

He could say that the old man was good to him, but sometimes the way he looked at him was as if he was really gnashing his teeth. Also, when he saw that he did something wrong, he would beat him to death.

But he couldn’t bring himself to say that he hated him. At the age of 13, the old man wanted to send him out of the country at first. To a certain extent, he was protected. In this case, he would not have to face the mess that remained.

And he was also certain that the old man had never thought about Fu Zhiyi. He was always sure that he would be the heir.

The only reason why he mentioned the old man to Little Mask was because after the age of 13, he grew up beside the old man, so he was only familiar with the old man.

Mingxi asked again, "Your leg is completely healed?"

"Yes, it's completely healed. Isn't it quick?" Fu Yangxi stretched out his arms, held Mingxi up and took two steps forward.

All the passers-by turned to look at them. Mingxi's cheeks were hot. She gave him a light punch.

Only then did he put Mingxi down and said proudly, "What is this called again? Oh yes, a hero's medal, showing proof of physical strength and courage."

Mingxi: "...Thanks but these words really don’t match you."

With the face of a beautiful young man, all he thinks about is the rough man who marches and fights.

Is this what it means to be a boy?

It's been a long time since they've seen each other, so the two of them couldn't hide how much they missed each other.

But after being separated for a while, they were a little shy.

Fu Yangxi took Mingxi's hand, brought her to the place where he parked his car and opened the trunk to show her what he brought her.

"These are several pieces of clothes I brought from home. I also bought new wool socks and snow boots. These are two woolen hats. It's been too cold recently. Take care of yourself and don't catch a cold, my Little Mask."

As Fu Yangxi spoke, he violently pulled the label, threw it into the trunk and put the wool cap on Zhao Mingxi's head.

He held her head with both hands and pulled down, wrapping her delicate ears.

It feels right.

He smiled. “It seems that my estimation of your head circumference is accurate.”

Mingxi felt a burst of warmth in her heart, but when she heard the word "head circumference", she couldn't help but angrily say, “What do you mean? Do you think my head is big?”

Fu Yangxi rubbed the top of Zhao Mingxi's head. With a "hmm", he said proudly, "It’s not really small."

Mingxi kicked him.

Fu Yangxi pulled out more things from the car. "And there’s warming patches, brown sugar—"

He couldn't go on after that. The roots of his ears turned red with a "swoosh".

Mingxi's cheeks were hot. “Fu Yangxi, you must be counting my menstruation cycle on the calendar, or else how would you know when my period is coming?”

Fu Yangxi said angrily, "You think I want to know that? Didn't you soil the sheets yourself, then sneak up to wash it the next morning?!"

It made Fu Yangxi blush for a long time.

Before he came, he warned himself a hundred times to be cool, cold and handsome,, but he still couldn't control himself and said angrily, "I didn't mean to spy on you!"

Mingxi was about to laugh to death. “I thought you were a cool boyfriend, yet why do you feel like a father now? I also remember that you gave me two big quilts and underwear not long after we knew each other. They fell into the library the moment I opened it. Those who didn't know would have thought you liked to cross-”

Before Mingxi could finish speaking, Fu Yangxi's palm gently covered her mouth.

Time suddenly stopped.

Fu Yangxi abruptly pulled her into his arms.

He lowered his head, resting his chin on her neck, and hugged her tightly.

He put one hand on the back of her head, as if he wanted to rub her into his bones.

His voice was a little hoarse in the cold wind.

“Little Mask, I really missed you.”

As Fu Yangxi's down jacket was open, Mingxi's cheek was pressed against his black sweater. She could feel the itch of the sweater, and at the same time, the madly beating heart of this young man.

A rush of warmth.

The overwhelming joy.

It was dusk and there was a lot of traffic. Mingxi's face was buried in Fu Yangxi's collarbone. She couldn't see any of the twilight. The only thing she saw was his blood flowing down his veins toward his heart.

"Me too. I missed you."

“Very, very much.”

Mingxi closed her eyes and hugged him back.

*

After returning the things to the hotel, the two were hungry.

Mingxi didn't like to eat Japanese food, and the old man had too strong of a presence which put too much pressure on her, so she didn't eat at all in the Japanese restaurant.

It just so happened that Fu Yangxi had not eaten anything while driving all the way.

The two searched on Dianping and found a noodle restaurant to have their meal.

As soon as they sat down, a little boy came to force the two of them to give way. He wrapped himself around Mingxi's legs and refused to let go.

Fu Yangxi's fist was hard. He didn’t care about age or gender.

His face suddenly fell and his dark eyebrows were raised in warning. “What are you doing, little brat? There are so many places next to you yet you have to come and snatch our table?"

"Your seats are by the window!" the child yelled. "I want to sit by the window!"

Fu Yangxi's face was indifferent. He continued to scare the kid with the look of a school bully. “That’s too bad. We’re the ones who came first."

A fat middle-aged man walked beside him and said angrily, "What's the matter with you high school students? I have a child, so why can’t you give way to us?"

"Only your family has a child?" Fu Yangxi snorted coldly. He stood up and raised his chin at Zhao Mingxi who was opposite him. "Let me introduce you to my child."

Mingxi: “...”

The middle-aged man: “...”

He is so shameless.

The middle-aged man saw that Fu Yangxi had long legs and stood out from the crowd. When he saw that he could fight, his aura weakened a bit and he muttered a few words, “Come, let’s go to another seat."

The little boy burst into tears and was carried away by the middle-aged man.

Fu Yangxi continued to rinse the chopsticks when Mingxi suddenly thought of something. She and Fu Yangxi hadn't taken a photo together. Thus, she turned around and said, "Look up."

Fu Yangxi looked up blankly.

Mingxi raised her phone, captured the moment, and photographed the two of them in the same frame.

She originally thought that Fu Yangxi would mind being photographed so casually.

Unexpectedly, Fu Yangxi's ears could not be restrained from reddening. He was even a little smug. “Don't take pictures secretly, I allow you to take pictures publicly.”

Mingxi: "..." I was taking the photo publicly, okay?!

I refuse the imagination of an arrogant brain.

ray's note: author is smart to have this chapter be so light-hearted because i'm telling you, the next chapter... T.T