Their eyes met. One person, one dog. The atmosphere was terribly awkward.
The girl's companion seemed to realize something all of a sudden. Looking both annoyed and helpless, she nudged the girl in the waist with her elbow and complained, "Can you wear your glasses when you go out? That's a black trash can, not a dog!"
A black trash can?
Something suddenly occurred to him. He lowered his head slightly and, sure enough, there was a black trash can at his feet.
Su Huaiming: "..." So they hadn't been talking about him.
The girl narrowed her eyes and frowned at the trash can. Finally realizing her mistake, she laughed. "So it's a trash can. I was wondering why there was a black dog in the mall."
Her companion was at a loss with her and said a few words in his ear.
Only then did the girl narrow her eyes and look at Su Huaiming, who was standing to one side. To her, his outline was blurry, and from a distance he looked like a long black object.
Realizing she had made a mistake, she felt guilty and walked over to apologize to Su Huaiming.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't wear my glasses today, so I mistook the trash can for a dog." Afraid Su Huaiming would be angry, the girl hurriedly explained, "I didn't notice you were dressed all in black and standing next to the trash can. I really wasn't trying to make fun of you. I hope I didn't hurt you with what I said."
Once Su Huaiming understood what had happened, he only found it funny. He didn't hold it against her and said with a smile, "It's okay."
Su Huaiming's face was completely covered, but he lifted his head slightly as he spoke, revealing his eyes beneath the brim of his hat.
His pupils were clear and moist, and the lines of his eyes were beautifully smooth. Their pronounced curve gave him round puppy eyes, but the outer corners tilted slightly upward. His fair skin had a pink tinge, adding a touch of allure to his fresh, boyish air.
The two contrasting qualities blended together perfectly, becoming a particularly distinctive feature of his.
Su Huaiming's voice was clear and bright, and the mask made it sound a little soft and sweet, like a harmless little animal.
The two girls stared blankly at Su Huaiming's smiling eyes, unable to recover their senses for a moment.
Su Huaiming hadn't wanted to make an issue of it in the first place, and he was afraid saying too much would make the two girls suspicious. He simply waved at them, then turned and left.
The two girls watched him walk away, unable to recover their senses for a long time.
"I think I've seen those eyes before."
"I-I think I have too..."
The two girls looked at each other and saw the same bewilderment and amazement in each other's eyes.
As they walked, they racked their brains, but they still couldn't remember who those eyes belonged to.
Su Huaiming didn't give the incident another thought. The mall felt too stuffy, so he decided to get some air outside.
He had only been strolling for a little while when he received a text from Fu Jingfan, so he stood by the entrance and waited for him to come out.
Fu Jingfan soon appeared in Su Huaiming's sight, looking completely different from everyone else.
"Have you been waiting long?" Fu Jingfan asked.
Su Huaiming shook his head. "No. You were faster than I expected."
Secretary Zhou cut in. "Traffic tends to get congested in front of the mall, so the driver parked farther ahead. I'm sorry, President Fu and Mr. Su, but you'll have to walk over."
Su Huaiming waved his hands. "It's fine. I wanted to walk anyway."
It was late at night, and the shadows of the roadside trees loomed around them. Su Huaiming and Fu Jingfan walked on the innermost side of the sidewalk, and not many people noticed them.
Fu Jingfan naturally had a long stride, and he was very particular about efficiency, so he walked faster than most people. Su Huaiming had just eaten his fill and, worried about indigestion, was walking at a leisurely pace. Before long, a gap opened between them.
Fu Jingfan stopped and waited for Su Huaiming to catch up.
After they had walked a little farther, another gap opened between them.
Fu Jingfan stopped again and waited for Su Huaiming to catch up.
After this happened three times, Fu Jingfan turned to look at Su Huaiming. His expression was as calm as ever, but Su Huaiming could see his helplessness.
"Go on ahead. Don't mind me," Su Huaiming said casually.
Su Huaiming was covered from head to toe. When he tilted his head up to look at Fu Jingfan, a pair of bright eyes appeared, specks of light twinkling in them.
Fu Jingfan said nothing. He adjusted his pace to Su Huaiming's, though it meant putting his long legs at a disadvantage.
It took them ten minutes to cover the short distance before they finally saw the understated yet luxurious black car parked by the road.
Just then, Secretary Zhou received a call. Her expression changed, and she looked hesitantly at Fu Jingfan and Su Huaiming.
"Speak plainly," Fu Jingfan said.
Secretary Zhou glanced at Su Huaiming reflexively before saying concisely, "An urgent matter has come up at the company. President Fu needs to return immediately."
When she finished, Secretary Zhou looked apologetic, as though she had done something to wrong Su Huaiming.
Before Fu Jingfan could ask him, Su Huaiming said, "You go ahead. I can get a taxi and go back on my own."
Fu Jingfan had already thought of a solution. "I'll have another driver pick you up and take you back to the villa, but you'll have to wait ten minutes."
Su Huaiming had nothing urgent to return for, and he wanted to walk a little longer anyway. He readily nodded. "Okay. Hurry on your way."
Fu Jingfan wasted no time. Without exchanging any further pleasantries with Su Huaiming, he got straight into the car.
Su Huaiming stood to one side and waved at Fu Jingfan and the others. He watched the car gradually disappear into the distance, then looked away and prepared to walk along the street.
He didn't notice the inconspicuous little blue sedan parked across the street, the faint light filtering through its windows, or the click of a shutter being pressed.
The paparazzi hadn't been lying in wait for Su Huaiming. Capturing him and his mysterious husband was a complete and pleasant surprise.
They were nearly beside themselves with joy and immediately sold the video to a well-known domestic media account for a high price.
Su Huaiming had just filmed a parenting variety show and caused all sorts of controversies. Netizens were extremely curious about the true identity of his mysterious husband and had even created a super topic specifically for him. They checked in every day and used every trick at their disposal, but still hadn't dug up a scrap of information.
The paparazzi hadn't caught Fu Jingfan's face. They had only filmed him from the shoulders down, along with his back as he got into the car.
The video was three minutes long, and for two and a half of those minutes, Su Huaiming was watching the car gradually drive away.
Although Su Huaiming was completely covered and his expression couldn't be seen, it was hard not to associate the scene with loneliness and sadness.
As soon as the video was posted online, the related topic shot straight onto the trending searches, and hordes of netizens rushed to comment under the Weibo post.
[Su Huaiming is covered up like a little black figure. Anyone who can recognize him must be a true fan!]
[His build is exactly the same, and Su Huaiming wore the same hat on the show. The media account is also absolutely sure it's him, so it should be right.]
[Even though we can't see Su Huaiming's mysterious husband's face, he must be really handsome!]
The video was especially blurry, but Fu Jingfan's tall, upright figure could still be seen. He had broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs clad in sharply tailored suit trousers. Every movement exuded an air of privilege that ordinary people couldn't match.
Not having caught his face only made people's imaginations run wilder, conjuring up all kinds of handsome faces.
[How did anyone ever spread the rumor that Su Huaiming's husband was a fat middle-aged man? That's ridiculous!]
[Ahhh, he's so handsome! You have one minute to get me everything on this man!]
[It feels like Su Huaiming's mysterious husband is so much taller than him. He has a great figure and makes you feel safe. He's such a good match for Su Huaiming!]
These comments were only a small portion; many more people were making snide remarks.
[I'm dying. Su Huaiming tried to sell the image of a loving couple before, but now this video's come out and slapped him in the face!]
[Looks like life in a wealthy family isn't easy. They know perfectly well Su Huaiming is a public figure and risks being recognized, yet they just dumped him by the road.]
[They suddenly had a shotgun wedding, so they definitely had no emotional foundation. Those people shipping them before are hilarious.]
[I bet Su Huaiming forced a connection and used underhanded means to make the other party marry him. The other party must despise him, or he wouldn't have just dumped him by the road.]
[Rich people are shrewd. They draw up all sorts of agreements before marriage. After all Su Huaiming's scheming, I'm afraid he'll end up with nothing.]
[Hahahahaha, Su Huaiming is still dreaming of being a wealthy man's wife. He's so stupid!]
Public opinion grew increasingly heated and took a bizarre turn. All kinds of rumors spread: some said Su Huaiming had drugged Fu Jingfan and schemed his way into a wealthy family; others said he hadn't received a penny and had to handle all the housework like a servant; still others said Su Huaiming was so cunning that he had forced his husband's first love to leave... Every kind of slander was thrown at Su Huaiming.
Many people reveled in things that would humiliate and hurt Su Huaiming, as though they wanted to use him to vent their hostility.
Some sharp-eyed netizens and tech experts were also analyzing the video, hoping to find clues that would confirm the identity of Su Huaiming's mysterious husband.
They soon made progress.
Someone posted a picture with a caption:
[He's wearing a wristwatch that looks like it has a circle of diamonds around it. You can just make out the characters &JF on it. I don't know much about watches. Can an expert help me out?]
The Weibo post caused an immediate sensation, and someone soon replied.
[This watch belongs to one of the world's top luxury brands. It was designed by the brand's founder and handcrafted by artisans, which takes a full six months. That means at most two can be made in a year, and they must be custom-ordered. From the information currently available, there are only four in the world, which shows just how valuable this watch is.]
[Can you cut the crap? Who owns this watch?]
[Anyone who can commission a watch like this must be one of the biggest figures in their field. As far as I know, there's only one in the country. Combined with the &JF engraved on it, you can probably guess who it is.]
With only one final step left, someone immediately guessed his true identity.
[!!!!! It's Fu Jingfan! Aren't JF his initials? And there's only one of those watches in the country. Who else could it be?!]
[Holy shit, it really is Fu Jingfan! When did he have a child?!!]
[Ahhhhh, Fu Jingfan is actually married! I can't accept this o(╥﹏╥)o]
The people who had just been making snide remarks, smearing Su Huaiming in every way and taking pleasure in his suffering, could no longer laugh.
Fu Jingfan's figure and looks surpassed those of every celebrity, and he himself was powerful and mysterious enough to be shrouded in a halo.
After Fu Jingfan appeared in an interview video, he gained many fans. A lot of people jokingly called him the man who united the fandoms.
That year, a poll was held to choose the most handsome male celebrity. Absurdly, the option that won by an overwhelming number of votes was "other." Although no name was specified, everyone knew it was Fu Jingfan.
But Fu Jingfan paid no attention to popularity or fame. Even when people cried and begged him to show himself, he never gave another interview.
If a celebrity didn't appear for three years, it meant they had fallen out of fashion. But Fu Jingfan's power and wealth were plain to see. Although he didn't frequently appear on trending searches like traffic stars or have a super topic ranked in the top three for popularity, he had many fans.
The haters no longer had time to mock Su Huaiming. The internet had turned into an ocean of tears.
So what if he was left by the road? Su Huaiming was the man who had won Fu Jingfan!
So what if he wouldn't get a share of the assets? Su Huaiming was the man who had won Fu Jingfan!!
So what if he was being cursed at? Su Huaiming was the man who had won Fu Jingfan!!!
The more gleefully they had cursed him before, the harder they cried now. They beat their chests and stamped their feet, angry and envious, their feelings impossibly complicated.