By the time Fu Jingzhou saw Jiang Nan's message, it was already seven in the evening.
He had just finished an international meeting. As he came out of his office, Secretary Lin handed him his phone, looking a little awkward. "President Fu, you have an unread WeChat message."
Fu Jingzhou loosened his tie with one hand, took the phone, and glanced at it.
There was an unread WeChat message from Jiang Nan on the lock screen.
It read: [Stirring Shit When It Hits] has one unread message.
Secretary Lin had worked for him for almost two years, but this was the first time he had seen someone with that sort of nickname in his cold, domineering boss's phone.
Fu Jingzhou unlocked his phone and gestured for the secretary to leave.
Once the phone was unlocked, there was only a single, solitary message.
[Your little lover came swaggering up to throw his weight around in front of me. Don't you owe me an explanation?]
Fu Jingzhou's brows drew together almost imperceptibly.
Since when did he have a little lover?
In his nearly twenty-two years of life, the only person he could have had any romantic involvement with was Jiang Nan.
His wife in name.
Secretary Lin returned to the secretarial office and was confirming Fu Jingzhou's schedule for tomorrow with the other departments when a call came from the president's office.
The man was always brief. "Call the driver. We're leaving work in ten minutes."
Secretary Lin paused, then replied, "Understood."
By the time the Maybach reached Jinghe Garden, the sky was already as black as spilled ink, but streetlights wound endlessly through the residential complex, illuminating all kinds of expensive flowers in the gardens on either side.
Fu Jingzhou got out of the car. Fragrance from the garden permeated the entire villa.
Among all those scents, his brain precisely picked out the fragrance of roses.
His phone had not made a sound even now. Jiang Nan still had not replied to the message he had sent.
When Fu Jingzhou opened the door, the living room was pitch-black.
He stood in silence for a moment, then called his secretary.
At a bar near Jinghe Garden.
Deep inside a booth, two people lay sprawled at odd angles, one with pink hair and the other with green hair.
Both were drunk, each holding a bottle of brandy.
Jiang Nan was so drunk he could not tell where he was. He wailed miserably, "Boohoo... every day, he makes me buy coffee, buy coffee, and then he won't even pay me back..."
"I studied my heart out for over a decade, and he actually made me buy coffee, boohoo... How am I any different from a dog?"
Fu Xingli's eyes were red too. "I'm so upset too. My dad yells at me every day, tears me to shreds... boohoo... He says I'm good for nothing except spending money..."
Jiang Nan rolled over angrily and landed butt-first on the floor.
He frowned in pain, then hugged the bottle in his hands and took another swig.
He patted Fu Xingli's shoulder. "It's all right."
Jiang Nan let out a drunken hiccup and offered some truly remarkable logic. "If your dad treats you badly, just get a new one."
Fu Xingli was drunk too. Understanding dawned on him. "Oh, right."
Then Fu Xingli looked confused again. "Who should I get to be my dad, then?"
Jiang Nan thought it over but could not come up with any good candidates. Finally, he patted his chest. "I'm a warm, kind person. I suppose I could be your dad."
Fu Xingli looked deeply moved. "Dad!"
Jiang Nan patted his head, benevolence in his eyes. "Good boy."
As the two muttered to each other, neither noticed that a certain corner of the bar had suddenly gone very quiet.
More than ten bodyguards in black suits lined up, with a man in a wheelchair at their center.
Perhaps he had left in a hurry. He wore a black shirt with the top two buttons undone, revealing his collarbones.
The bar drew all sorts. Quite a few furtive gazes swept over him, only to retreat under the stares of the bodyguards around him.
The man did not even look at the people around him, carrying the air of a born superior.
Wiping away sweat, the bar owner hurried over at a jog. "Young Master Fu, why didn't you let us know you were coming?"
Fu Jingzhou tapped his middle finger against his wheelchair out of habit and replied, "I'm looking for two people."
Cursing inwardly, the owner asked with a face full of smiles, "Who are you looking for?"
After checking through the surveillance footage, Fu Jingzhou finally pinpointed their location.
He maneuvered his wheelchair and made his way unhurriedly into the depths of the booth.
The green-haired one lay on the sofa, while the pink-haired one sat on the floor. Both held bottles, wearing a dazed look as though they were about to ascend to immortality.
Fu Xingli suddenly called out, "Dad!"
He called out again and again, seemingly from the bottom of his heart, moving beyond words.
Jiang Nan was so touched that tears streamed down his face. "Yes! My good boy!"
Fu Xingli said, "Dad! I love you!"
Jiang Nan sniffled. "Son! Daddy loves you too!"
Fu Jingzhou: "..."
The wheelchair stopped.
Secretary Lin, following behind, almost failed to hold back his laughter.
Fu Xingli and Fu Jingzhou were paternal cousins. With the young madam calling Fu Xingli his son, he might as well have been claiming seniority over the boss.
He desperately reminded himself of his year-end bonus: whatever he did, he must not laugh out loud.
Utterly moved, Jiang Nan stroked Fu Xingli's green hair. "Don't worry. I'll make sure to raise you right."
Fu Xingli looked over blankly, then suddenly pointed his index finger at the person behind Jiang Nan. "Who's he... mm... He looks so familiar..."
Jiang Nan turned around in confusion and met Fu Jingzhou's lowered gaze.
The man's eyelids were slightly lowered, his pitch-black eyes fixed unblinkingly on him. The red tear mole at the corner of his eye made him look both dangerous and handsome.
Jiang Nan chuckled, then turned back to Fu Xingli. "He's your mom. Hurry up and call him Mom."
Fu Xingli's eyes lit up. Without thinking, he started to call out, "Mo... mmph..."
He had barely gotten the word out before Fu Jingzhou swiftly stuffed an orange into his mouth.
Fu Jingzhou said, "Shut up."
The simple command dripped with disdain.
Fu Xingli stared at him in shock, as though he had been hurt. Jiang Nan turned to Fu Jingzhou, looking displeased too. "How could you do that?"
Without a word, Fu Jingzhou took out his phone and started recording.
Secretary Lin silently felt embarrassed for the two people putting on this display of father-son affection.
When Fu Jingzhou said nothing, Jiang Nan pinched the orange and took it out of Fu Xingli's mouth, patting his head while he was at it. "Don't be scared, son. Daddy will protect you."
Fu Xingli was so moved that tears streamed down his face. "Boohoo... Dad, you're the one who treats me well after all."
Once Fu Jingzhou had recorded enough video, he gestured for the bodyguards beside him to take the two back, supporting them by their arms.
Once inside the Maybach, Fu Xingli lay alone in the back, while Fu Jingzhou and Jiang Nan sat farther forward.
Jiang Nan was groggy and a little thirsty, so he insisted on finding water to drink.
Annoyed by him, Fu Jingzhou nonetheless took a bottle of mineral water from the car's snack cabinet and tossed it to Jiang Nan.
"Hurry up and drink."
Jiang Nan twisted off the cap, took a sip, then pushed the mineral water into Fu Jingzhou's hand. "You drink."
Fu Jingzhou froze for a moment.
Jiang Nan belted out a song as he tumbled off the seat.
A throbbing pain shot through Fu Jingzhou's temple. He hurriedly shoved the mineral water into the snack cabinet and bent down to help Jiang Nan up.