Page 18

"Oh..." Shen Yi said, "Brother Fu, you keep coming to see me behind Fu Cheng's back. You're putting me in a difficult position."

The way he said it made it sound wrong, however one heard it. It was suggestive, but more than that, there was an irreverent teasing to it.

Fu Yuhe looked him up and down. Today, the young man wore a loose black long-sleeved sweatshirt and a silver necklace that rested against his collarbone. Hanging from the chain was not an ornament, but a key. Loose sweatpants covered his long legs. Judging by appearances alone, he looked youthful from head to toe.

The silver necklace against his fair skin also had an unripe sexiness to it, making one want to bite him and leave a mark.

Fu Yuhe leaned toward Shen Yi, who instinctively drew back until his back pressed against the closed car door. Warmth washed over him, and he smelled tobacco mixed with a familiar perfume.

He raised his eyes and saw the man's Adam's apple, its slightly protruding curve and the way it bobbed. Before Shen Yi could speak, Fu Yuhe had already drawn back.

He now had a paper bag in his hand.

The logo on the bag belonged to a famous pastry shop. Its prices were a little high, and its daily offerings were sold in limited quantities, making them hard to buy.

He placed the bag between them on the back seat.

"I heard you like the things from this shop," he said casually.

Shen Yi glanced at him in surprise. "Who told you that? Fu Cheng?"

"Mm." Fu Yuhe's mood was difficult to read.

Shen Yi opened the bag and looked inside. "Brother Fu, you've misunderstood. These aren't what I like to eat. They're what Fu Cheng likes."

Fu Yuhe had suddenly started using such roundabout tactics on him, and Shen Yi wasn't quite used to it. It was like a weasel paying a New Year's visit to a chicken.

Fu Yuhe paused. "Is that so? You know Fu Cheng well?"

Shen Yi said, "If you mean what Fu Cheng likes, then yes, I know him very well."

Fu Yuhe was intrigued. "Oh? Tell me."

Shen Yi listed a few things Fu Cheng liked to eat and some of his little habits. Fu Cheng was actually easy to read. After spending enough time with him, it was even easier to figure these things out with a little attention.

When Shen Yi finished, Fu Yuhe rubbed his right wristwatch with his left thumb and said nothing for a while. To be honest, even Fu Yuhe was a little surprised by some of the details Shen Yi had noticed.

"Actually, I know what you like too," Shen Yi suddenly added.

This time, a flicker of interest appeared in Fu Yuhe's eyes as he looked at him.

"You don't like sweets, and you prefer spicy food. Am I right?" Shen Yi asked.

Fu Yuhe chuckled. He could more or less guess that Shen Yi had noticed it when they last ate together.

Shen Yi continued, "Also-if something strays from the course you anticipated, it bothers you a lot. For example, I appeared unexpectedly in Fu Cheng's life, and I'm a variable you can't control."

"What else did you see?" Fu Yuhe rested his elbow on the car window, propped up his forehead and glanced sideways at Shen Yi.

Shen Yi said, "That you and Fu Cheng argued over me."

The smile at the corners of Fu Yuhe's lips faded slightly.

"This must be one of the few times Fu Cheng has stood up to you," Shen Yi said. "So you hurried over to see me."

Fu Yuhe gave a low chuckle and didn't deny it. "You're very clever. Guess again. Why did I come to see you today?"

"I can't guess." Shen Yi leaned back lazily. "Brother, just tell me."

"I've always been curious," Fu Yuhe said unhurriedly. His ruthlessness was well hidden today; outwardly, he seemed distant but courteous. His voice was low and measured. "Why did Fu Cheng accept you? Why does he care so much about you?"

"Because I'm sincere with him." After saying that, Shen Yi nodded in agreement with himself.

Fu Yuhe thought there was more to it than that.

He had to admit, he was very curious about Shen Yi now. Fu Cheng had said he was biased against Shen Yi. So far, what he knew was the side of Shen Yi that he had shown in front of him. What was the whole of Shen Yi like?

Besides being curious, Fu Yuhe was also a little interested in Shen Yi. If Fu Cheng was a little lamb among a pack of wolves, then Shen Yi was a wolf in sheep's clothing.

"You certainly know how to talk," Fu Yuhe said.

Seen another way, if Shen Yi sincerely treated his foolish younger brother as a friend, that might not be a bad thing-as long as Shen Yi was sincere.

"You've misunderstood me." Shen Yi repeated those words.

"There's plenty of time. I'll get to know you well."

There was a deeper meaning in the latter part of what Fu Yuhe said. For now, he had given up being the "evil mother-in-law" who broke them apart.

Fu Yuhe didn't say much during this meeting. He only asked Shen Yi to hand him his phone. Shen Yi did, and Fu Yuhe entered a number before handing it back.

"This is my personal number. If anything happens with Fu Cheng, you can contact me," he said.

"All right." As Shen Yi took the phone, their fingertips touched. Fu Yuhe didn't know whether it was his imagination, but Shen Yi deliberately lingered against his fingertip for three seconds before taking the phone back.

After they parted, Shen Yi went upstairs.

"What's that?" Fu Cheng asked, looking at the bag beside him.

Shen Yi said, "Takeout."

Fu Cheng muttered, "Can you order delivery from this shop now? I remember they didn't deliver..."

Sunday was Fu Yuhe's birthday. He didn't have much scheduled that day, but there was a party in the evening. Some of the friends attending were people he had business dealings with.

To succeed in business at every turn, socializing was unavoidable. Having fun was what these young masters did best. After drinking at dinner, they moved on to a private club and booked the whole place.

Fu Yuhe had a few drinks but didn't stay long. Ignoring their attempts to persuade him to stay, he got up and left.