Chapter 1

“Sis… brother-in-law, why did you come back at a time like this?!” Lu Xi walked out wearing her pajamas. The moment she saw her brother-in-law, she flinched in surprise, her delicate face instantly turning red. Her right hand quickly grabbed her left arm as she instinctively hunched her shoulders. Although her pajamas had built-in padding, she wasn't wearing a bra underneath. Her brother-in-law had been working on an urgent project and had been pulling several consecutive late nights. Since he wasn't home, Lu Xi had relaxed a little. Who would have thought that the one day she decided not to wear a bra would be the very day he came back? Che Nan smiled helplessly. “Your sister said Guoguo has a fever, so I took some time off. I couldn't possibly leave your sister to take care of Guoguo alone, could I?” Lu Xi nodded. “Guoguo has mycoplasma pneumonia. She's been in the hospital for five days now. I stay with her during the day, and my sister stays with her at night.” “Thanks for helping out, Xixi.” Che Nan loosened his tie. The moment Lu Xi saw the movement, her whole body tensed. She immediately abandoned the idea of getting him some water. “No, it's nothing. I only helped a little. My sister is the one who's really tired. Brother-in-law, I'm going to bed first.” Lu Xi was about to return to her room when Che Nan walked over. “Xixi, wait.” “Brother-in-law?” Lu Xi forced a stiff smile. Suddenly, Che Nan put his hands around her waist and lifted her up as though he were playing with a child. “Brother-in-law!” Lu Xi sucked in a sharp breath, and her scalp tingled. Che Nan set her down and sighed with an amused, helpless smile. “I knew you'd lost weight. Kids need to eat more. If you're too skinny, you won't grow properly.” Lu Xi's mind had completely gone blank. That disgusting sensation still lingered around her waist. Che Nan reached out and pinched her cheek. “All right. I need to hurry to the hospital. Your sister must be exhausted handling everything by herself.” With that, he went into the room, quickly packed a few things, and left, as though nothing had happened. Lu Xi hurried back to her room and locked the door. Her heart was still pounding. She messaged her best friend and told her what had just happened. “Xixi, why do I feel like your brother-in-law is interested in you?” Zhuang Yi asked. Lu Xi's eyes widened. Then she nodded vigorously. “I feel the same way, but he hasn't actually done anything inappropriate.” “Holy crap! He literally grabbed you around the waist and picked you up, and you still don't think that's inappropriate?! That kind of gesture is way too intimate. Normally, only couples would do something like that. “You're already twenty-two, not some teenage girl. What brother-in-law gets that physically close to his sister-in-law? “And honestly, girls mature early. By thirteen or fourteen, they're already quite sensitive about these things. Grown men should know to keep their distance.” Lu Xi pursed her lips. Her sister and brother-in-law had been married for twelve years, and Lu Xi had lived with her sister's family since she was ten. Her brother-in-law was a kind and easygoing man. He also liked teasing her and would occasionally say, “Xixi, come here and let your brother-in-law give you a hug.” Even back then, Lu Xi wasn't completely oblivious to such things. She had mentioned it to her sister before. But her sister had said that her husband loved her too much, and because he loved her, he naturally cared for Lu Xi as well, treating her like his own daughter. After Lu Xi reached puberty, her brother-in-law stopped letting her sit on his lap. He would only occasionally pinch her cheek or pat her head, and sometimes, like tonight, he would lift her by the waist as if weighing her. Lu Xi always felt that it was a little too much. She had told her sister several times, but since her brother-in-law never did anything else, her sister hadn't thought much of it. “Xixi, why don't you try dating someone? There's an older guy who lives near me. He's really handsome and has never been in a relationship. Want to give him a chance? Maybe once you have a boyfriend, your brother-in-law will realize that you've grown up and start treating you differently?” Lu Xi thought about it. She was already this old and had never dated anyone. Maybe giving it a try wouldn't hurt. “Okay. I'll give it a try.” Zhuang Yi helped arrange everything, and they set a time to meet the very next day at Starbucks. Lu Xi dressed up a little. She wore a water-blue dress and tied her hair into a high ponytail. She looked just like a clean and fresh-faced college student. From a distance, Lu Xi spotted a man sitting by the window with a fountain pen tucked into his shirt pocket. She walked over. “Hello. Are you here because Zhuang Yi introduced us?” Lu Xi asked. Fu Nanzhou raised his dark eyes. “You know Zhuang Yi?” Lu Xi nodded. “I'm Yiyi's best friend. My name is Lu Xi. She asked me to come here. May I sit down?” Fu Nanzhou nodded, though his brows drew together slightly. Did Yiyi know that he was returning home for an arranged marriage and deliberately introduce one of her classmates to him? Lu Xi sat down, placing her hands awkwardly on her lap as she secretly studied the man sitting across from her. He wasn't anything like what Yiyi had described. He wasn't sunny or scholarly. Instead, he looked somewhat intimidating, and he even seemed a little… old. But he was genuinely handsome. His looks were almost ridiculously good. Fu Nanzhou could tell that the young woman across from him was secretly sizing him up. She bit her lip, seemingly less than satisfied with what she saw. He couldn't help raising an eyebrow. Fu Nanzhou had actually been rejected? That didn't make sense. “Lu Xi?” Fu Nanzhou asked indifferently. Lu Xi quickly snapped back to reality and nodded. “Mm.” For some reason, she felt an inexplicable sense of pressure coming from him. “How old are you?” Lu Xi answered obediently, “Twenty-two.” “You just graduated from college?” Lu Xi nodded. “I just passed the interview for the Fu Group.” A flicker passed through Fu Nanzhou's eyes. “The Fu Group?” Lu Xi nodded. Fu Nanzhou lowered his long lashes and idly toyed with the silver ring on his index finger. “The Fu Group isn't easy to get into. Looks like you're one of the outstanding graduates among this year's newcomers.” Having received his approval, Lu Xi couldn't help lifting her chin slightly. A confident gleam appeared in her eyes, and she was clearly pleased. Still, she modestly replied, “Thank you for the compliment.” Fu Nanzhou smiled faintly. His phone vibrated. It was a call from his grandfather. He frowned and declined it. The phone rang again, and Fu Nanzhou declined it once more. Lu Xi noticed and quickly said, “If you have something to take care of, you can go ahead.” Fu Nanzhou looked up, his dark gaze settling on Lu Xi's delicate face. She had a very pure appearance, with delicate features and a spotless, innocent beauty. And somehow, this young woman looked a little like her. To Fu Nanzhou, marriage was nothing more than a way to satisfy his elders. It didn't matter who he married. So the woman sitting in front of him would do just as well. With that thought, Fu Nanzhou spoke. “Lu Xi, what kind of impression do I make on you?” Lu Xi's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't expected him to be so direct. Perhaps people really did become more straightforward as they got older. Her fair, pretty face flushed slightly, and she nodded. “You seem like a good person.” He was handsome, well-spoken, and polite, with the demeanor of a gentleman. She didn't have the courage to say those things out loud. Fu Nanzhou nodded. “My family is pressuring me to get married. If you're willing, we can register our marriage.” Boom! Lu Xi stared at the man in shock. “M-Marriage?! But we just… just met. Isn't that a little too fast?” The corners of Fu Nanzhou's lips curved faintly upward. “Dating, marriage, having children. We're simply skipping the first step. “I'm in a hurry. If you're willing, call this number.” After speaking, Fu Nanzhou took out his fountain pen and wrote a string of numbers on a napkin. His handwriting was strong and elegant, clearly the result of years of practice. Then he raised his hand and called over a server. After paying the bill, he left. Lu Xi was still completely stunned. After a long while, she carefully folded the napkin and put it away before riding her electric scooter back to her sister's house. As soon as she opened the door, she saw Che Nan walking out of the bathroom, wearing nothing but a pair of briefs. “Ah…” Lu Xi let out a scream and quickly covered her eyes as she turned around. Che Nan was startled as well and immediately went back into the bathroom. However, he didn't fully close the door. As he got dressed, he laughed awkwardly. “Sorry, Xixi. I didn't expect you to come back.” “Brother-in-law, it's my fault.” Lu Xi quickly apologized and ran back to her room. A short while later, someone knocked on her door. Lu Xi's heartbeat still hadn't returned to normal. She cautiously asked, “Brother-in-law, is something wrong?” Che Nan smiled. “I passed a milk tea shop today and bought you a cup of jasmine milk tea.” “Brother-in-law, I don't want it.” “Xixi, I already bought it, and I don't even like this stuff. You and your sister are the ones who like it. Come on, be good and open the door.” “Brother-in-law, just leave it on the table. I'll drink it later.” “Xixi, it'll get cold soon, and milk tea doesn't taste good if you leave it sitting around for too long. Be good and open the door.” His voice sounded as though he were coaxing a child. Lu Xi had no choice but to steel herself and open the door. But the moment she pulled it open, Che Nan suddenly grabbed her and pulled her into his arms, his breathing somewhat heavy. “Xixi, Xixi… Your brother-in-law really likes you so much.”