Atlas Studios

  Atlas Studios

  She recalled that night with the heavy downpour. Lin Nuan, Fu Huai’an, and Tuan Tuan were having dinner together under the warm lighting in the room.

  And she… was in a sorry state, crying out in the heavy rain.

  The elevator door opened, and Fu Huai’an’s tall and broad figure exited with a shopping bag in hand.

  Lu Qili turned around upon hearing the sound and saw that it was Fu Huai’an. Her tears seemed to harden on her face as she called out, “Huai’an…”


  She spoke very softly, but Lin Nuan didn’t miss it.

  She looked at Lu Qili, surprised. Then her gaze turned towards Fu Huai’an as she subtly retracted the packet of tissues she was planning to offer.

  Lu Qili was in a sorry state. Her black short-sleeved knitted jacket and black trousers had visible footprints from the earlier kicks from her stepfather. Her hair was disheveled, there were traces of tears all over her face, and her makeup was smudged…


  Fu Huai’an switched the shopping bag to his other hand and raised his free hand in her direction. Lu Qili’s heart started racing.

  But Fu Huai’an didn’t even look at her properly. That large hand swung past her and landed on Lin Nuan’s shoulder, pulling her into his arms as if afraid Lin Nuan might be cold. As they walked to the car, he asked, “Why didn’t you wait in the car? It’s so cold in the underground parking, and you’re not even wearing a jacket!”


  Lin Nuan gave a slight smile, leaning into Fu Huai’an’s arms. “I saw that lady crying at the entrance, so I got out to give her a packet of tissues…”


  Lu Qili listened to their dialogue, feeling like her entire being was enveloped in pure darkness. Her eyes, which were on the pair of them, started to mist up.

  Lin Nuan smiled, took out the tissues that she didn’t manage to give out, and looked at Fu Huai’an. “In the end, you came before I could give her these…”


  Fu Huai’an pulled open the passenger’s side car door for Lin Nuan to get in first, then placed the shopping bag on Lin Nuan’s lap. He walked around the front of the car and climbed in.

  Lu Qili gripped her collar tightly. Separated by the windshield, she saw the gentle way Fu Huai’an was smiling at Lin Nuan. She was going insane with jealousy!

  She turned her head, unable to watch anymore. The mirror on the elevator reflected her sloppy self. She almost couldn’t keep calm as she ran to the stairs.

  Fu Huai’an got into the car while holding onto Lin Nuan’s fingertips, which had turned cold from her short time out of the car. He asked Lin Nuan, “Why didn’t you give her the tissues after all?”


  “I just didn’t!” Lin Nuan nodded without detail. It was only after confirming out of the corner of her eye that Lu Qili had left that she added, “She didn’t want it. She was probably waiting for you to give it to her…”


  It seemed like Lin Nuan did care about the way that woman called him “Huai’an.”


  With her long and slim fingers rubbed in Fu Huai’an’s warm and dry palms, Lin Nuan couldn’t resist asking, “Do you know that woman?”


  Fu Huai’an didn’t look up, carefully holding Lin Nuan’s fingers. From the shopping bag, he took out a pair of gloves for Lin Nuan. “She’s Lu Xiangsi’s cousin…”


  Lin Nuan was slightly startled. No wonder… that girl looked a tad familiar just now. Lin Nuan felt as if she had seen her somewhere before.

  “Working at Kaide Corporation?” Lin Nuan asked.

  “Right… I sponsored her undergraduate studies, and she later entered the Kaide Corporation after she graduated. But she’s planning to quit and is already handing over her work…” Fu Huai’an looked up after he finished speaking. “Why the sudden interest in her?”


  “If she’s Xiangsi’s cousin, then that makes her… Tuan Tuan’s aunt. Has Tuan Tuan seen her before?”


  “There’s no need for that!” Fu Huai’an smiled slightly. “Even though they’re cousins, Lu Xiangsi probably only saw her a handful of times. There’s no strong bond between the two of them. I only sponsored her studies because I saw how hard she was working to get into university and because her family’s condition was so terrible…”


  So it was out of compassion?

  Lin Nuan recalled Lu Qili’s conversation with her stepfather and felt that Lu Qili was indeed pitiful. Add to that the connection between Lu Qili and Lu Xiangsi, and it seemed reasonable for Fu Huai’an to lend a helping hand.

  After all, that small amount of money was probably peanuts to Fu Huai’an.

  Lin Nuan looked at the black glove Fu Huai’an had just put on her. “Why did you buy gloves and a scarf again? Didn’t you just get me one last time?”


  “Sure, I bought it last time, but did you bring it out today?” Fu Huai’an asked in return.

  What little unhappiness she felt dissipated. “Are you planning to buy new gloves and scarves every time I forget to bring mine? If that’s the case, I can open a specialty store to sell those gloves and scarfs at half price since they are only used once. I didn’t spend a dime on them anyway, so it will be a sure-win business for me…”


  “Sure win? How did you calculate your sums, Mrs. Fu? Everything I have belongs to you… are you sure you won’t be the one losing out if you sell all of them at half price?”


  Lin Nuan didn’t know what to say.

  This was the only time that she was so happy to admit she did her calculations wrong.

  The hat, gloves, and scarf came in a set.

  Fu Huai’an had a good eye; he picked a design that was attractive— simple yet warm.

  After putting the scarf around Lin Nuan’s beautiful neck and snugly fitting the hat on her head, Fu Huai’an turned off the engine. He got out of the car with Lin Nuan, walking to the elevators with her hand in his.

  “Did Tang Zheng call you?” Lin Nuan asked Fu Huai’an.

  “Nope…”


  “Did Tang Zheng not see Little Candy?”


  The corners of Fu Huai’an’s lips turned up. He pressed the elevator button, then held Lin Nuan’s gloved fingers. “Especially curious about Tang Zheng’s expression when he saw Little Candy?”


  Lin Nuan couldn’t hide the smile on her lips, nodding.

  Fu Huai’an looked at the level indicator for the elevators. “Tang Zheng didn’t call me to inform me that Tuan Tuan has been safely sent to kindergarten. What do you think his expression looks like right now?”


  Lin Nuan covered her lips with a gloved hand, smiling so hard that her eyes narrowed into slits. “Ah… Little Candy has a papa now!”


  “Ding—”


  The elevator arrived, and Lin Nuan and Fu Huai’an quickly entered.

  Actually, Lin Nuan was dying to know what was going on with Little Candy’s mother and Tang Zheng; it was all very amusing to her.

  …


  Lu Qili hid in the stairs, watching Lin Nuan’s and Fu Huai’an’s back views as they walked into the elevator. She covered her mouth and leaned helplessly against the wall, slumped into a kneeling position, crying.

  She was overwhelmed with a sour feeling in her heart.

  So Fu Huai’an wasn’t cold by nature; he too had a gentle side to him.

  Lu Qili had never seen such a Fu Huai’an, staring at a woman like that… as if the only wonderful thing left in the whole wide world was her smile.

  She buried her head in her knees, not wanting to concede defeat!

  Not wanting to concede defeat just like that…


  Never before had she loved a man so much. She could even disregard her life for Fu Huai’an!

  Could that Lin Nuan do the same?

  …


  At the cinema, Lin Nuan joined the queue to get their movie tickets, while Fu Huai’an went off to buy a couple’s combo.

  It was a 5 pm show, and it was only 4:40 pm, so the cinema wasn’t too crowded yet.

  Fu Huai’an’s tall and broad figure was too eye-catching.

  The custom-fitted suit that was obviously of top-notch cutting and material highlighted his distinguished social status and extraordinary identity. This point alone was enough to warrant others’ attention. Not to mention, Fu Huai’an had striking looks on top of that.

  Fu Huai’an’s facial features were unlike those delicate young boys; under the cinema lighting, he appeared extra charismatic.