Fu Tingyu walked out of the bedroom. As he got to the living room, Fu Songlan had already returned with Fu Tingyan. He called Housekeeper Shi over and instructed him to replace the glass table in the living room with a rosewood one. Also, he asked Housekeeper Shi to hire someone to grind and polish all sharp stone edges. Even the tiniest sharp-edged pebbles had to be removed and replaced with smoother ones.

  Housekeeper Shi was a little confused when he received the set of instructions, but he did not ask any questions and he followed through. Why the change all of a sudden? He thought. Could it be that they are planning for a new baby?

  Housekeeper Shi was walking light-footed, thinking that that was the reason for the remodeling of Bright Garden. He was to appoint the renovation team as soon as possible. He met Wang Ma on his way, and he broke the good news, “Wang Ma, I have received an order from Lord Fu to make preparations for the renovation of Bright Garden.”


  “Oh, alright, but what is this all about?” Wang Ma was puzzled.

  “Of course it is for the arrival of the new young master.”


  “Is that true? Why have I not heard about it?”


  “What else could have been the reason for the remodeling? Lord Fu even had the glass table replaced—it must be to prevent the young master from bumping into the corners.”


  “Well, you could be right.”


  As Ning Meng passed them by, she faintly heard their conversation. She was seemingly confused about how she was unaware of Madam Fu’s pregnancy.

  ***

  At the same time, the Shen family had all been in over their heads with Shen Yaohui. They were trying to bail him out using money and relations. Though it had only been a few days since Shen Yaohui was locked up in jail, his family had bribed the guards so that he would live comfortably during his time in prison.

  Despite that, he would still receive certain ‘special treatment’—apart from not having enough to eat, Shen Yaohui had been interrogated every day by the police. Guilty or not, he had to suffer. In just a few days, he had lost almost 10 pounds. He was all skin and bones.

  To rescue their only son, the Shen family had taken out 30% of their company shares and mortgaged a few of their properties. They had almost emptied their assets before they had finally managed to get Shen Yaohui out. As per his release, his family had taken him to the hospital for a mental evaluation.

  It was during dinner when Qin Shu received the news. She believed that someone must have been the brains behind this—Shen Yaohui had suffered immensely during his time in prison even when his family had spent an enormous amount to help him out.

  It was not Mu Lan. The Qin family did not have that kind of network. Just then, someone flashed through her mind—it was only a matter of words for that man. Since the Shen family had only one son, it was common for them to pay this much money to bail him out. The real question was whether he was worth that sum of money.

  ***

  There was a family meeting, and the Fu family had summoned Fu Tingyu. Knowing he would not be home for dinner, Qin Shu finished her meal and went up to the bedroom on the second floor. Then, she entered the study room.

  During the class, Qin Shu was a little absent-minded—she remembered that in her previous life, after Fu Tingyu’s family meeting, he had gone to Xijin.

  She had not known what his business there was. Xijin was different. The security there was awful, and whoever had power was in charge. Who knew why he had gone there? Neither the Fu family nor Fu Tingyu had any business relations there.

  As she spaced out, she barely caught what the professor was saying. Fortunately, the professor would mark and highlight the significant points before sending his notes over. Though the professor was reserved, his diligence had surpassed every other teacher.

  [Professor: There is still a week before the start of the semester. Would you want to stay in the dormitory or rent a room outside?]

  [Qin Shu: I am planning to stay in the dormitory. It will be more convenient for me to attend classes.]

  [Professor: The dormitory in Imperial College has the best environment in this country.]

  [Qin Shu: Sir, you do know a lot about the Imperial College. Were you an alumnus?]

  [Professor: No.]

  Qin Shu was only asking. It did not matter where he graduated. She liked his teaching methods, and that mattered. She had never favored any teachers she had ever since she was young, except for the mentor who had taught her hacking.

  Before ending the class, the professor sent his highlighted notes to Qin Shu. She went through it again in detail, and after understanding it, she stretched and got up, then left the study room.

  Fu Tingyu had told her beforehand that he would be late that night. She took a shower, climbed into bed, and played games on her phone. When it was 11 o’clock, she put her phone away and turned off the lights, but she left a light on Fu Tingyu’s side of the bed.

  ***

  Late at night, Shi Yan drove Fu Tingyu back to Bright Garden from the Fu residence. As the car stopped, Fu Tingyu pushed the door open and got out of the vehicle. Then he walked inside with steady steps. Meanwhile, Shi Yan parked the car in the garage.

  Fu Tingyu walked upstairs. When he reached the bedroom door, he tried to be as gentle as possible as he turned the doorknob, pushed the door open, and walked in. He had noticed the faint light emitting from his bedside lamp. He gave Qin Shu a look before he opened the closet, took his clothes, and went in the shower.

  ***

  Half an hour later, he came out of the shower wearing a silver-gray bathrobe. A knot was casually tied, circling his waist. His face was blushing a little after the hot shower. He had dried his hair using his towel, but it was still wet and uncombed—it looked somewhat messy, but it was still esthetic.

  He reached his side of the bed and looked at Qin Shu. Her shiny black hair was scattered, with part of her face covered underneath. In the dark, she had her eyes shut, and her breath was slow—she was sound asleep. She had her light blue thin quilt under her arm, but her stomach was left uncovered. With the air-conditioner running, she was likely to catch a cold in this sleeping posture.

  He bent down, reached out to pull the quilt behind her, and covered it around her body. In doing that, he wanted to take a look at her injured leg. His long, slender fingers grabbed the corner of the quilt and lifted it. It was the same medical gauze she had from this morning, which Gu Yan had dressed.

  He put down the blanket and turned around. As he reached the cabinet, he retrieved the first aid kit and returned to the bedside. He brought two low stools, which he sat on one of them, and placed the first aid kit on the other. He opened the first aid kit and tore off the gauze from Qin Shu’s leg bit by bit.

  His movements were tender—he was afraid of hurting her, which was completely different from his usual violent self. After removing the gauze, he took out a cotton swab and dipped it in the disinfectant. He bent over Qin Shu’s leg and began to sterilize the wound.

  Gu Yan had used a red disinfectant that he had brought along, while Fu Tingyu had a clear one. As the cotton swab gently wiped across the wound, the red around it gradually faded, revealing its original appearance. The wound was red in the morning, and it was not too distinguishable for Fu Tingyu. Right at that moment, as the red disappeared, he could see it now.

  The wound was thumb-sized, and there were scabs on it. There was also a torn open part, which Qin Shu had accidentally caused earlier. Yet, the more Fu Tingyu looked at the wound, the more it looked like a bullet injury.