Chapter 8: Sister Mianmian, are you blushing?

The sound of rushing water reached her ears, and her footsteps faltered; she was certain Fu Yanchi was inside.

She scanned the room. The layout was simple and sparse—there was nowhere to hide. Where had he been hiding just moments ago?

As she pondered this, the bathroom door opened, and Fu Yanchi appeared.

He stepped out wrapped only in a bath towel. Droplets of water clung to his short hair, rolling down his defined pectoral and abdominal muscles before vanishing into the provocative V-line of his hips.

The visual impact was overwhelming. Luo Yunmian swallowed hard, instinctively averting her gaze in a panic.

The man’s tall, lean frame closed the distance step by step. Flustered, Luo Yunmian retreated until her heels struck the edge of the bed; she lost her balance and tumbled awkwardly onto the mattress.

Fu Yanchi’s playful laughter echoed above her.

"Are you shy, Mianmian?"

Luo Yunmian’s face flushed red, but she retorted stubbornly, "I am not. It’s not like I haven't seen it before, just yesterday."

"Is that so?"

He leaned down, one arm wrapping around her waist to pull her closer, forcing her to face him, while his other hand gently lifted her chin.

"Then why are your face and ears so red, Mianmian?"

"Because you scared me! Just tell me, where were you hiding?" Luo Yunmian avoided his gaze, trying to change the subject.

"Did he kiss you?" Fu Yanchi pressed on, forcing her to meet his eyes.

Luo Yunmian remained silent, though she could clearly see the flicker of anger in his eyes. Just as his lips were about to touch hers, she whispered, "No."

Satisfied, Fu Yanchi finally released her. "My brother is filthy. He’s trying to play both sides."

Luo Yunmian rolled her eyes, seizing the chance to scramble away. She stood up, grabbed his clothes from the bathroom, and tossed them at him. "Put these on."

As Fu Yanchi’s hands moved to the towel at his waist, his playful expression made her heart skip a beat, and she quickly turned away. She heard a soft chuckle, followed by the rustling of fabric behind her. The air around her seemed to grow stiflingly hot, and against her will, the intimate memories of yesterday flooded her mind.

This must be a "side effect" from yesterday, she thought, shaking her head to force the thoughts away.

"Tell me, Mianmian, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"About yesterday... I don't regret it, but..."

"So, you’re still going to marry my brother?" Fu Yanchi asked, feigning nonchalance. But his fingers, gripping the towel, were curled tightly, betraying his desperate restraint.

Luo Yunmian was silent.

Fu Yanchi stared at her, his eyes rimmed with red. After a long moment, he stood up, grabbed his jacket, and walked out. The door slammed shut with a thunderous bang.

Luo Yunmian didn't chase after him; she felt it was unnecessary. He was a twenty-three-year-old adult; he could take care of himself. She looked at the box on the table—a pair of size 36 shoes—and offered a bitter smile.

***

The next day, Luo Yunmian accompanied Fu Tingshen and the others to the tea house for their meeting with the business partners.

Once everyone was seated, Shen Xin'er volunteered to present the design blueprints she had meticulously prepared. The partner across the table took the documents, flipped through them carefully, and his brow began to furrow.

Seeing this, Fu Tingshen asked, "Is something wrong? Is there an issue?"

The partner shook his head slightly and replied after a moment of thought, "I just feel that these blueprints for the resort are missing something."

Luo Yunmian’s heart skipped a beat. She had seen Shen Xin'er’s drawings on the computer the night before. While the designs were exquisite and the layout logical, they lacked warmth—a sense of human connection that made the resort feel cold rather than like the inviting destination they had envisioned.

Seeing the partner’s grim, dissatisfied expression, she leaned in and whispered a few words to Fu Tingshen. He considered her suggestion for a moment and then nodded.

Luo Yunmian then calmly pulled a second set of blueprints from her bag and offered an apologetic smile. "Mr. Huo, this is our Plan B. It’s something Mr. Fu and I drafted together. Please, take a look."

Mr. Huo took the drawings and opened them. His furrowed brows gradually relaxed as he pointed to various sections. "This tropical rainforest theme and the marine ecology concept... this is exactly the sense of intimacy we need for our overseas project. Please, wait a moment."

With that, Mr. Huo stood up and walked behind a screen. Luo Yunmian realized then that there were others sitting behind it—likely the masterminds behind the resort project. For a fleeting second, she felt as if a gaze from behind the screen was fixed upon her, but she shook her head, dismissing it as her imagination.

Not long after, Mr. Huo returned with a beaming smile and extended his hand to Fu Tingshen. "Mr. Fu, we’ve decided to increase your profit share by two points. It’s a pleasure doing business with you."

Fu Tingshen quickly rose to shake his hand. "A pleasure indeed."

The contracts were finalized shortly after. An assistant entered carrying a bag, which Mr. Huo took and handed to Luo Yunmian. "This is a gown. I hope you enjoy the reception this evening, Miss Luo."

Luo Yunmian was confused by the sudden gift, but out of politeness, she stood up, took the bag, and thanked him with a smile. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Shen Xin'er’s face turning pale and then red with frustration.

As they left the tea house, Shen Xin'er blamed herself while speaking to Fu Tingshen. "Tingshen, I’m so sorry."

"Don't blame yourself; it’s not your fault," he replied.

The assistant, Xiao Liu, stepped forward to offer his own take. "I heard the mastermind behind this project is very young but has a ruthless eye for talent. Many have tried to partner with them and were rejected."

"It’s a good thing Assistant Luo had a backup plan," the assistant added, looking at her with admiration.

"Miss Luo, I didn't realize you were so well-versed in design blueprints," Shen Xin'er remarked, her tone dripping with sarcasm. Luo Yunmian simply smiled, not bothering to explain herself.

Fu Tingshen glanced at the bag in her hand and instructed, "Since Mr. Huo gave it to you, wear that one tonight." Luo Yunmian nodded; she knew Fu Tingshen well enough to know he wanted her to play along and cater to their taste.

Back in the tea house:

"Yanchi, I’m just curious. Isn't Mr. Fu your brother? Why go through all this secrecy?"

Indeed, the person in the tea house was Fu Yanchi. No one had expected the mastermind behind the famous "Cloud" Group in Country F to be only twenty-three years old.

"If it weren't for Mianmian, what would it matter who I worked with?" The young man drank his tea nonchalantly, as if he weren't the same person who had stormed out in a fit of rage the day before.

"Are you truly going to steal your brother’s woman?"

Fu Yanchi’s thin lips pressed together. A dark, chilling aura emanated from him—the powerful presence of a young man in command, one that made even Huo Zhou shudder.