Chapter 263: Otherwise, the Naive Her Would Really Be Fooled
Chapter 263: Chapter 263: Otherwise, the Naive Her Would Really Be Fooled
Xue Can threw his hands up, so speechless he looked like a chicken being strangled.
Fu Cheng, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief. ’Thank goodness I was keeping an eye on Shen Lu. Otherwise, she’s so naive she really would have been tricked.’
Shen Lu was exhausted and just wanted to wash up and go to bed.
Before she could even ask them to leave, Xue Can had already come up with a flawless excuse to stay.
"Boss Jin isn’t the type to take a loss lying down. I’m going to stay here with Little Bei and a few of my men to stand guard. If they try anything, we can respond immediately."
It wasn’t just Shen Lu; even Fu Cheng thought he made a good point.
"In that case, thank you for your trouble tonight, Mr. Xue and your men. Breakfast is on me tomorrow morning."
As she spoke, Shen Lu rubbed her sore eyes and yawned.
She was truly and utterly exhausted after the day she’d had.
Shen Lu dragged her weary body upstairs. As she entered her room, she tripped over her own feet and stumbled forward.
Following behind her, Fu Cheng’s brow furrowed. He steered his wheelchair over and, with one arm, scooped her onto his lap.
Shen Lu was a bit dazed, only snapping back to her senses when her hand touched the cool metal of the wheelchair.
’She was sitting in Fu Cheng’s lap!’
Shen Lu practically leaped to the floor and asked guiltily, "Did I put pressure on your wounds?"
’She wasn’t fat, but she wasn’t weightless, either. Fu Cheng’s injuries hadn’t fully healed, and some of them would never heal completely.’
’His severed left leg, for instance—the bone would keep growing, and sharp spurs would pierce through the flesh, requiring regular surgery to file them down.’
Fu Cheng loosely clenched his palm, as if the feeling of her soft warmth still lingered there.
"No, don’t worry."
’She was so light, he could lift her with a single arm. How could she possibly have aggravated his wounds?’
"Little Deer, you need to get more nutrition."
’She’s still too thin. The weight of the world is on her shoulders. Not only is she busy every day, but she also has to worry about villains lurking in the shadows and the constant threat of a crisis.’
’I bet she has trouble sleeping at night.’
As he thought this, Fu Cheng’s gaze filled with immense tenderness.
Shen Lu, who slept like a baby every night: ?
’Why does this feel kinda weird?’
"I’m going to shower first." Shen Lu was in no mood for small talk with Fu Cheng. She was exhausted and just wanted to wash up and collapse into bed as quickly as possible.
Fu Cheng grunted in acknowledgment.
Freshly showered, Shen Lu fell asleep the moment she collapsed onto her bed. Meanwhile, Fu Cheng was called out by Xue Can.
When Xue Can knocked, it was Fu Cheng who opened the door. The man’s gaze was indifferent, yet he naturally exuded the oppressive aura of someone in a position of power.
"Little Deer needs to rest. Please don’t disturb her."
A dark, crimson glint appeared in Xue Can’s eyes. When his expression was serious, he radiated a bloodthirsty coldness.
"I’m here to see you."
"I don’t think there’s anything for us to talk about."
"Is that so?" Xue Can raised an eyebrow. "So you’re saying you don’t mind if I pursue Shen Lu?"
Fu Cheng glanced toward the bathroom, where the sound of the shower was running, and his voice was as cold as ice. "Let’s talk outside."
’Shen Lu doesn’t dawdle, and whatever Xue Can wants to talk about won’t be over in a minute or two.’
’He didn’t want Xue Can to see what Shen Lu looked like right after a shower.’
The two of them went to the fourth floor.
The exterior walls on the fourth floor were only half-finished. They found a spot sheltered from the wind, and Xue Can lit a cigarette.
"Originally, I figured whether or not I pursued Shen Lu was my own business and I didn’t need to discuss it with you." The air filled with the scent of nicotine as Xue Can spoke, the cigarette dangling from his lips while he eyed Fu Cheng. "But I’ve discovered you’re an obstacle."
Xue Can himself wasn’t sure when he’d started developing feelings for Shen Lu.
If it hadn’t been for the mess Boss Jin caused today, he probably would have never realized just how important Shen Lu had become to him.
"Shen Lu is a great girl." Xue Can exhaled a puff of smoke. "She deserves better."
Fu Cheng scoffed. "A mercenary living a life of constant danger—is that a better future for her?"
’True, I’m a cripple now, but that doesn’t mean I’ll be one forever.’
"If Shen Lu feels insecure, I can take on less work."
’Quitting the Gale Mercenary Corps is out of the question. He’d taken it over from Brother Wu. Even if he couldn’t make the Gale Mercenary Corps the best in the Imperial City, he at least had to maintain its current standing.’
’He couldn’t just abandon the brothers who’d fought and bled with him for the sake of his own happiness.’
"You’re not right for her." Fu Cheng had no interest in dragging this conversation out. He started for the stairs as he spoke. "Don’t waste your time, and don’t cause trouble for Shen Lu."
"Don’t take advantage of Shen Lu’s kindness and cling to your position as her fiancé," Xue Can shot back bluntly from behind him. "You’re no longer the great young master of the Fu Family, and she’s no longer the treasured daughter of the Shen Family. That verbal engagement should have been called off long ago."
"What’s between us is none of an outsider’s business," Fu Cheng’s voice was frigid, and a cryptic smile touched his lips. "And how do you know Little Deer isn’t perfectly happy to continue being my fiancée?"
’Before, he couldn’t even speak, let alone move. It was Shen Lu herself who confirmed their engagement to everyone else.’
’Even if it was just a matter of convenience, she was the one who was willing.’
The color drained from Xue Can’s face. He threw his half-smoked cigarette to the ground and viciously stamped it out.
Fu Cheng returned to the second floor. The bathroom door was open, but the master bedroom door was closed. It seemed Shen Lu had finished her shower and gone to bed.
He returned to his own room slowly, moving as quietly as possible to avoid disturbing Shen Lu.
After his recent rehabilitation, he could now get in and out of bed smoothly on his own, no longer needing Shen Lu’s help.
But sometimes, he still couldn’t help feeling insecure.
His injuries were healing, and his condition was steadily improving.
But as a result, he had less and less contact with Shen Lu.
Every night, Fu Cheng found himself missing their time back at the rental house.
The bed had been so small that the two of them had to lie pressed tightly together just to fit.
Back then, he had just enough movement in his left hand to hold her small hand as he fell asleep each night.
Now that their circumstances had improved, he and Shen Lu had separate rooms. Those days of sharing a bed were over.
Fu Cheng stared at his left palm and tried to channel his superpower.
But the moment he mobilized even a sliver of energy, his Spiritual Sea and the old wounds all over his body flared with a piercing, needle-like pain, forcing him to stop.
"Just when will I finally recover completely?" Fu Cheng muttered to himself.
’Xue Can is just a Level 4 Superpower User. If I weren’t so badly injured, I could put him in his place with my aura alone.’
’I can’t wait.’
...
Perhaps because she had been so exhausted the day before, Shen Lu slept deeply and soundly, waking up later than usual.
Rubbing her groggy head, Shen Lu sat up in bed and belatedly realized she had forgotten to set Little Mantis to make breakfast.
’Oh well,’ she thought. ’I’ll just have Sister Cai’s clear noodle soup for breakfast.’
’Sister Cai is an early riser anyway. When she sees Little Mantis hasn’t cooked, she’ll definitely take over. All I have to do is show up and eat.’