When he came out again, he did not see Fu Jingfan.
Su Huaiming walked around the living room, then went to the bedroom and study, but couldn't find Fu Jingfan anywhere.
Su Huaiming frowned deeply, his face was grim, and he paced back and forth in Fu Jingfan's study with his arms crossed.
At this time in the past, Fu Jingfan would be either in the living room or the study, but now he was acting out of character.
Moreover, he searched all the places he frequented but couldn't find Fu Jingfan. Fu Jingfan hadn't gone to the company either, which meant he was hiding in a secluded corner.
Fu Jingfan is very shrewd and mentally strong, and he almost never loses his composure, but he has done so twice tonight, which shows that these events have a great impact on him.
Su Huaiming recalled the fleeting vulnerability in Fu Jingfan's eyes, sighed deeply, and paced back and forth with even greater anxiety.
It might not be good for him to bother Fu Jingfan at this time, but now that he knows about this, he can't just ignore it.
At this moment, Su Huaiming forgot his stance and future plans, focusing solely on finding Fu Jingfan.
He came out of the kitchen and searched carefully from upstairs to downstairs, but still couldn't find Fu Jingfan. After asking the gardener, he learned that Fu Jingfan had gone to the glass greenhouse outside.
Fu Jingfan has always pursued efficiency and had little leisure time. To him, the glass greenhouse was just a pretty decoration that he had never been to. But now he was alone in the glass greenhouse, which speaks volumes.
Without thinking, Su Huaiming ran towards the glass greenhouse, his soft hair ruffled by the night wind, his chest heaving, breathing heavily, his brain still feeling the oxygen deprivation from the intense run.
He ran to the door and, without the slightest hesitation, pushed it open, unexpectedly meeting Fu Jingfan's gaze.
The glass greenhouse is kept at a constant temperature and is filled with flowers that have long been gone from the outside. When you open the door, a rich fragrance of flowers wafts out.
Fu Jingfan sat in the very center of the greenhouse, surrounded by clusters of flowers, their petals glistening with dew, a stark contrast to Fu Jingfan forlorn expression.
Su Huaiming breathed a sigh of relief, patted his chest, and walked over.
Fu Jingfan's eyes were deeper than the night, and although the night sky was dotted with stars, there was no light in his eyes, as if he were trapped in darkness and could not escape.
Su Huaiming took a deep breath, pretended to be relaxed, and sat down next to Fu Jingfan with a smile, without mentioning the matter of looking for him earlier.
Fu Jingfan gave Su Huaiming a deep look, but didn't ask him why he had come. He simply poured him a cup of tea.
The subtle, slightly bitter aroma of tea blends perfectly with the rich fragrance of flowers, flowing silently around you as if it could soothe all your wounds.
The two sat quietly, gazing up at the night sky. After what seemed like an eternity, Fu Jingfan finally spoke.
Under the cover of night, his voice became even deeper, but the ending was soft, carrying a hint of tenderness.
"I don't know who my parents are. I lived with relatives in turns when I was little, but one time I was taken out of the house and I could never find my way home again. In order to survive, I tried many things. Later, I met a kind person who sent me to an orphanage."
Fu Jingfan spoke as if he were telling someone else's story, without any emotional fluctuations or details, yet Su Huaiming seemed to see through his words the pain Fu Jingfan had experienced in his childhood—
He never met his parents and lived as a dependent in a relative's house. He endured a lot of harshness and cruelty at a young age. Later, he was taken out to play. The reason why Fu Jingfan couldn't find his way home was probably because he was deliberately abandoned. In order to survive, Fu Jingfan must have suffered a lot.
Thinking of this, Su Huaiming couldn't help but hear Fu Xiaoxiao's grandfather's voice echoing in his ears, "When I went to the orphanage, I saw him snatching food like a mad dog..."
Su Huaiming's heart was pierced, a sharp pain shooting through him, but separated by the river of time, he was powerless to do anything but clench his fist tightly, his fingers digging deep into his palm.
Fu Jingfan continued, "At the orphanage, I met a couple who had just lost their child. The wife saw me for the first time and thought I looked like her son. Despite her husband's objections, she adopted me. After that, I became their eldest son, changed my name, and was even required to imitate his every move. However, my personality was too different from his, so it was ultimately just self-deception."
He had just arrived at the Fu family when he received a new name. Mingming his birthday was still a few months away, he celebrated his eldest son's birthday the very next day. After that, he changed his hairstyle, wore a school uniform a size too small, carried his eldest son's schoolbag, and went to school. He could only play with his eldest son's friends, eat his eldest son's favorite dishes, and had to follow his eldest son's preferences.
At the time, Fu Jingfan didn't reject these things because he could eat and dress warmly and go to school. However, when he got a perfect score on the exam, the gentle woman saw his results and completely broke down. She cried hysterically, smashed things wildly, scratched his face with her fingernails, and his body was covered in bruises.
To cover up the truth, his nominal father made him take a two-week leave of absence from school. Only after the bruises faded and the scars healed was he allowed to return to school.
From then on, Fu Jingfan was completely confined to the image of the eldest son, and he could not make any mistakes in his actions. Three years passed like this.
"The couple met a renowned doctor and became pregnant again. They were overjoyed, and soon after, the baby was born."
The couple doted on this child, a gift from heaven, giving him all the best things. It could be said that this child was raised on a life of luxury.
As for the eldest son's stand-in, he had completely lost his meaning. Considering their reputation, the couple did not abandon him again, but they took back everything they had given him. It was enough for them that the boy was alive.
Fu Jingfan once again lived a life of dependence on others. He was still young and unable to support himself, so he could only endure everything, silently accumulating his abilities, and waiting for the right opportunity to leave.
Su Huaiming had some ideas, but he knew that human evil had no limits, and Fu Jingfan's experience was probably even more terrifying than he imagined.
Fu Jingfan took a sip of tea, his expression unchanged, and continued, "Our youngest son was spoiled by the couple. He was good-for-nothing and spent his days eating, drinking, and having fun. Then one day, a woman came to our door with a baby. She took a sum of money and left the baby with the Fu family. Just six months later, our youngest son had an accident while racing a car, leaving only the baby behind."
Upon hearing this, Su Huaiming's eyes widened in surprise, his pupils trembling slightly. He vaguely realized something, but he couldn't believe it, much less speak out.
"After his wife passed away, the husband became depressed. Coupled with the unexpected death of his son, he fell seriously ill. He was afraid that the Fu family bloodline would end and that the company would fall into the hands of others. Fortunately, there was no one in his family who could help him. The company was being managed by his eldest son, so he came up with a plan."
"What method?" Su Huaiming's throat was dry, and he couldn't help but lick his lips. Only after speaking did he realize that his voice was trembling.
Fu Jingfan turned to look at him, his gaze falling on Su Huaiming's lips, and continued, "He used the debt of raising him as leverage to force his eldest son to adopt that baby, leaving a written agreement guaranteeing that the company would be left to the baby. After that, the eldest son finally repaid the debt of raising him and severed all ties with that family."
Su Huaiming hadn't expected things to turn out this way. Putting himself in Fu Jingfan's shoes, he found it difficult to view Fu Xiaoxiao with a normal attitude, and it was also difficult not to feel resentment towards his own fate.
Fu Jingfan did a much better job than him.
"So what are your plans next?" Su Huaiming, as an outsider, shouldn't interfere, but he couldn't bring himself to be ruthless. "Xiao Xiao... this child is always the link between our two families, and you'll have to worry about her in the future..."
"I have more important things to do and don't want to waste my time on them. As long as they don't go too far, I won't go so far as to wipe them out."
What about the company?
"The company we initially agreed upon was just a small business run by the Fu family." Fu Jingfan chuckled, "The current Fu Group was founded by me and is completely under my control. They can't even touch it."
Su Huaiming hadn't expected things to unfold this way. He was surprised, his lips slightly parted, and he almost laughed.
He remembered the butler saying that Fu Jingfan had started investing and establishing his own company while studying abroad. According to the timeline, Fu Jingfan's company was already large enough when the agreement was made. However, the Fu family was unaware of this and treated the company that Fu Jingfan didn't value as a treasure, fearing that it would be seized. They even forced him to leave a written agreement.
Just imagining the expressions on the Fu family when they learned the truth made Su Huaiming feel embarrassed for them.
"How is the company doing now?" Su Huaiming then asked.
"That company was too outdated and had no future. Later, they asked me for the operating rights, but I didn't want to waste my energy on it, so I gave them back."
"The company's current size..." Fu Jingfan thought for a moment and continued, "It's already shrunk by half. I wonder if it can survive until Xiao Xiao grows up."
In just one sentence, the sarcastic effect was maximized.
The Fu family probably never expected that they would make such a terrible mistake, losing face and reaping the consequences of their actions. They are now barely making ends meet with a small company, which explains why their living conditions are so poor.
These words were so rich in information that it took Su Huaiming a long time to sort out his thoughts as he looked at the night sky.
"What about Xiao Xiao?" Su Huaiming asked hesitantly.
Fu Jingfan knew what he wanted to ask and immediately said, "He is innocent. I wouldn't take out my anger on him because of the grudges of the previous generation. Now that I have adopted him, I will take on this responsibility."
With Fu Jingfan's promise, Fu Xiaoxiao could live a life of comfort and security, but he is only a little over three years old now, and that's probably not what he wants.
Su Huaiming felt as if his heart had been split in two, one half telling him not to meddle, while the other half was tightly bound to Fu Xiaoxiao and Fu Jingfan.
Seeing Su Huaiming's troubled expression, Fu Jingfan smiled and felt happy.
"That was my thought before, but because of you, because of your relationship with Xiao Xiao, I gradually realized that Xiao Xiao is not just a responsibility to me, but family."
Fu Jingfan turned to look at the misty night sky. One star shone brightly, but the surrounding area was pitch black, making it appear very lonely.
"So, I have family too," he said with a smile.
Those few words, though brief, brought immense sorrow to Su Huaiming.
Fu Jingfan had only ever seen meanness and indifference since he was a child. Home and family members were the most common things in life, but he had never had any. The only family member he had was someone else forced into his life, and they were entangled in past grievances.
Su Huaiming's heart sank. Just as he was about to sigh for the umpteenth time tonight, Fu Jingfan suddenly turned around, his dark eyes reflecting Su Huaiming's image, staring intently at him. "Do you think I can still have a home?"
It was just an ordinary sentence, but every word struck Su Huaiming's heart like a hammer, causing his heart to race uncontrollably.
Time seemed to slow down incredibly. Su Huaiming could almost feel the viscous feeling of the air surrounding him. His heartbeat echoed in his ears, pounding against his eardrums, and even the veins in his temples throbbed.
Su Huaiming forgot to blink, just staring quietly at Fu Jingfan. Fu Jingfan didn't look away either. Their gazes intertwined in the air, sparking an unknown emotion.
Fu Jingfan slowly raised his hand, and just as his fingertips were about to touch Su Huaiming suddenly snapped back to reality, leaned back, lowered his head to avoid Fu Jingfan's gaze, and took deep breaths.
From Fu Jingfan's perspective, all he could see were Su Huaiming's trembling eyelashes, reddened ear tips, and his hand patting his chest.
Fu Jingfan's smile widened, but when Su Huaiming looked up again, Fu Jingfan's smile had vanished.
As if nothing had happened and he hadn't noticed anything unusual about Su Huaiming, he continued with a sigh, "Actually, I really miss high school. It was one of the few times I could feel happy. I suddenly really want to go back and see it."
Hearing about Fu Jingfan's past experiences, Su Huaiming's heart had already melted like spring water. Let alone this, even if Fu Jingfan asked him to go through fire and water, he would still be willing to continue the conversation, "Do you have some time lately? How about I accompany you to visit your high school?"
Seeing that Su Huaiming had willingly walked into his trap, Fu Jingfan's eyes flashed with a barely perceptible smile, but his expression remained flawless. "How about tomorrow night?"
"Okay," Su Huaiming readily agreed.
"It's a deal." Fu Jingfan didn't give Su Huaiming a chance to back out.
The two gazed at the night sky in the greenhouse for a while longer. Seeing that it was almost time for Su Huaiming to go to bed, Fu Jingfan said, "Let's go back."
Seeing that Fu Jingfan had calmed down, Su Huaiming nodded.
The greenhouse was warm, and as soon as Su Huaiming opened the door, a gust of cold wind blew in, causing him to sneeze.
He rubbed his sore nose and felt a weight on his shoulder as a familiar, cool fragrance enveloped him.
Su Huaiming tugged at Fu Jingfan's clothes and looked up at him.
"It got colder tonight, why didn't you wear an extra layer?" Fu Jingfan asked, puzzled. "I remember you usually take good care of yourself."
Su Huaiming was indeed very attentive to health and wellness, but he was so worried about Fu Jingfan that he neglected these things and ran out of the house.
Su Huaiming felt that saying such things was rather pretentious, so he coughed awkwardly twice, pulled Fu Jingfan's clothes down a bit, and changed the subject, "I'm a little sleepy, let's go back quickly."
Fu Jingfan smiled but remained silent.
Su Huaiming learned too much tonight, and lying in bed, he experienced insomnia for the first time.
Fu Jingfan lay down beside him. Su Huaiming was afraid that turning over would disturb him, so he looked at the ceiling and counted sheep, but the more he counted, the more energetic he became.
He turned over, looked at Fu Jingfan shrouded in darkness, and sighed deeply again.
For some reason, he had been preoccupied with Fu Jingfan's past, but now that he had seen him in person, his heart felt empty, and drowsiness slowly crept in, pulling him into sleep.
Su Huaiming had just fallen asleep when Fu Jingfan opened his eyes without warning. He turned his head to look at Su Huaiming's sleeping face, and after a long while, a gentle smile appeared in his eyes as he silently said:
See you tomorrow night!
*****
Su Huaiming hadn't forgotten his promise to Fu Jingfan. He finished dinner early that evening and sat on the sofa waiting for Fu Jingfan to make arrangements.
Fu Jingfan seemed to have forgotten about it, and after finishing his meal, he went straight into his study.
Su Huaiming was puzzled and couldn't watch TV anymore, so he kept looking upstairs.
Fifteen minutes later, Fu Jingfan changed into casual clothes and was carrying two baseball caps.
He had barely appeared when his eyes met Su Huaiming's.