Zhen Bao came out of the bathroom and heard the message alert sound. She went to the bedside table and picked up her phone.
Fu Ming Shi: Grandpa thought you had a cold.
Zhen Bao felt even more embarrassed. She sat on the bed and replied: Thank you.
Fu Ming Shi texted back right away: Come down for breakfast.
Zhen Bao immediately got up again, made the bed, got dressed and went downstairs. When she got to the living room, she saw Fu Ming Shi sitting at the coffee table, head lowered as he peeled an apple for Grandpa Fu. He had neatly trimmed short hair, and a crisp spring-like coolness about him. His side profile was focused and handsome.
Zhen Bao deliberately walked around the back of the sofa and sat down on Grandpa Fu's other side.
"You have a fever?" Grandpa Fu turned his head, looking at her flushed cheeks, and asked in surprise.
It was fine until he asked. Now Zhen Bao's face turned even redder. She lowered her head and mumbled, "A little."
"Remember to take medicine after the meal." Grandpa Fu said with a smile, full of care.
Zhen Bao nodded gently. Just then, a fruit platter with slices of apple neatly arranged in a circle was handed over. The hand holding the platter was slender and fair. Zhen Bao didn't dare look at the attentive Mr. Fu. She said thanks, then picked up a slice with a bamboo skewer, leaned back to stay in Grandpa Fu's shadow, and quietly ate it.
"Hasn't Ming Shi been busy with a new project recently? He flew over specially to see me?" Grandpa Fu slowly ate a slice of apple and casually asked his grandson.
Fu Ming Shi moved the fruit platter back in front of Zhen Bao on the coffee table, and glanced at her in passing. "The exam results come out tomorrow. I'm here to pick up Zhen Bao."
"Didn't you say you'll check for me?" Zhen Bao forgot her earlier embarrassment upstairs. She tilted her head and asked in puzzlement. She hadn't stayed in this villa long enough yet. With the kind and amiable Grandpa Fu here, and a few new pet friends she made at the park, Zhen Bao wanted to stay a few more days.
It was obvious she didn't want to go back. Grandpa Fu leaned back on the sofa at leisure and watched the two youngsters beside him.
Fu Ming Shi stared at Zhen Bao and gently reminded her, "After checking the results you still need to choose your major. You have to be there in person."
Zhen Bao finally remembered she had to choose a major. She nodded obediently.
Fu Ming Shi continued, "We'll leave after dinner."
Zhen Bao had no objections.
Seeing no sparks, Grandpa Fu cut in and asked Zhen Bao, "Have you decided what to major in?"
Zhen Bao didn't know anything about university majors. She had asked Fu Ming Shi once before, and he told her to think about it after getting her results. Remembering that girl from her village who studied computer science and now made over 10,000 yuan a month, Zhen Bao softly asked Grandpa Fu's opinion, "Study computer science?"
Grandpa Fu was quite surprised. "Why do you want to study this?"
Zhen Bao smiled shyly, "Someone from our village studied computer science. The pay is pretty good."
The child was so simple. Grandpa Fu could hardly hold in his smile. He coughed and said, "What you major in should depend on your interest, not future employment. Don't rush, Zhen Bao. Take your time to think about what you like. Don't just think about making money and live a tiring life."
That made sense too. Zhen Bao looked out the window, thoughts drifting back to choosing a major.
At breakfast, Hei Dan had long settled by his owner's side waiting to be fed. Grandpa Fu played with Hei Dan, then said to Fu Ming Shi, "Go take Zhen Bao to walk the dog later. I have something to do and won't go out today." He wanted to give the young couple more alone time.
Fu Ming Shi still had food in his mouth. He glanced at Zhen Bao and hmm-ed.
Zhen Bao's stomach felt uncomfortable. She had wanted to ask Fu Ming Shi to accompany the old master for a walk, but hearing Grandpa Fu say this, she swallowed her words and silently followed Fu Ming Shi after the meal. Hei Dan dashed to the door excitedly to wait. Fu Ming Shi wanted to talk to Zhen Bao, but when he turned around, he saw Zhen Bao's face pale. She was actually sweating on her forehead this early in the morning.
"Not feeling well?" Fu Ming Shi asked with a frown.
Zhen Bao lowered her head and nodded. She really couldn't hold it in anymore.
"Why didn't you say you weren't feeling well?" Fu Ming Shi walked to her side, his tone a little cold.
Zhen Bao lied in a small voice, "I just started feeling uncomfortable..."
Fu Ming Shi didn't believe her. He suddenly leaned down and picked up the completely unprepared Zhen Bao horizontally in his arms. Zhen Bao only felt the world spin. When she came to her senses, she was so scared by Fu Ming Shi that her stomach didn't even hurt anymore. She looked around in panic with a flushed face and stammered, "I can walk, put me down..."
Fu Ming Shi ignored her and strode towards the villa expressionlessly, carrying her in his arms. Zhen Bao felt very awkward. She kept trying to jump to the ground, but after struggling just twice, Fu Ming Shi suddenly held her even tighter. Zhen Bao wasn't prepared and bumped into his chest. It even hurt a little on her side. At the same time, another wave of pain came from her lower abdomen. Zhen Bao bit her lip and resigned herself to nestling against his shoulder, heart thumping erratically.
Grandpa Fu was still sitting in the living room. Seeing his grandson carrying Zhen Bao in, Grandpa Fu narrowed his eyes slightly, as if he had discovered big news.
Zhen Bao's whole face was now pressed against the man's broad, solid shoulder. As Fu Ming Shi carried her up the stairs, Zhen Bao didn't want to trouble him, and was also worried that Fu Ming Shi might miss a step and cause them both to fall down. So she persuaded him again in a small voice.
"Don't move." Fu Ming Shi didn't stop walking and said in a low voice above her head.
Zhen Bao looked at the stairs below and didn't dare move anymore.
Not until they reached the third floor did she hear Fu Ming Shi's slightly heavier breathing overhead. Zhen Bao endured without moving. After climbing to the fourth floor, she finally said softly, "It's okay now."
It was as if Fu Ming Shi didn't hear her. He went straight to her bedroom door.
Zhen Bao secretly glanced at the bed and found that the room had been tidied up. The sheets and covers were all new. She silently let out a breath of relief. After Fu Ming Shi put her on the bed, Zhen Bao sat there clutching her hands with her head lowered, not knowing what else to say besides thanks.
"Rest first. If you're still not feeling well tonight, we'll go back tomorrow." Fu Ming Shi squatted down and looked into her eyes as he spoke.
Zhen Bao still didn't dare look at him. Her chin was almost touching her chest. "Okay."
Fu Ming Shi stared at her for a full minute before getting up and leaving. He closed the door as he went. Thinking of Zhen Bao's deliberate avoidance of him, Fu Ming Shi couldn't help feeling puzzled. Was he not expressing himself clearly enough, or was Zhen Bao temporarily unable to accept him and pretending to be oblivious on purpose? Or perhaps he had been too hasty?
Inside the bedroom, listening to Fu Ming Shi's footsteps going downstairs, Zhen Bao sprawled out on the bed, feeling complicated. Because her grandfather had helped the Fu family, Grandpa Fu and Fu Ming Shi were especially good to her, so good it was as if she was their own child. But she always felt a little breathless, especially when with Fu Ming Shi.
The rich lived well, leisurely and comfortable. A single nightgown was enough for one or two years' expenses back in the village. But the money wasn't hers. No matter how nice the house or expensive the phone, she didn't feel secure deep down. She had no job now and had no choice but to live with the Fu family. But Zhen Bao desperately looked forward to getting into university as soon as possible. She could live in the school dormitory then, earn some pocket money doing summer jobs, and find a job to be self-reliant after graduating.
Downstairs, Fu Ming Shi returned to the living room and asked Grandpa if he wanted to go for a walk.
Grandpa Fu looked at him inquisitively. "Do you really want to accompany me for a walk, or are you going to meet that handsome vet?"
"Then I'm going back to my room." Fu Ming Shi turned around to leave.
Grandpa Fu hmm-ed. Recalling how his grandson had flown over overnight without stopping him, he didn't say more. He called Hei Dan who was squatting by the door waiting to go out over, and laughed as he played with the dog.
Not far from the villa, in a nearby park, a golden retriever jumped high to catch the flying disc in its mouth and ran back. Cheng Yi bent down to rub the golden retriever's head, then threw the disc out again. For the umpteenth time, he looked around for the Chinese girl he saw yesterday, but didn't see her even when it was time to end the walk.
That night, Zhen Bao went back home with Fu Ming Shi.
The first thing they did after getting off the plane was to check her exam results.
Zhen Bao scored 626 points, almost matching her optimistic estimation while checking answers.
She grinned foolishly at the computer screen. Fu Ming Shi stood behind her with hands in pockets, saw her results, and praised her, "Looks like you performed exceptionally well."
Zhen Bao hurriedly acted modest. "The questions were easier this year."
"What gift do you want?" Fu Ming Shi sat on the desk, his long legs casually resting on the floor. He looked down at her.
Zhen Bao blinked blankly. "Why give me a gift?" Fu Ming Shi had already given her many gifts.
Fu Ming Shi smiled. "A consolation prize for flunking, a reward for doing well."
Zhen Bao didn't need rewards. Looking at her score report, she worriedly asked, "Do you know which majors are better? I still haven't decided what to study." Which university and what major to choose were what concerned Zhen Bao the most right now.
Fu Ming Shi had also agonized over choosing a major after graduating so many years ago. Now, looking at Zhen Bao worrying over choosing a major as the CEO of the group, he could only feel she was being childishly cute. But he still answered seriously, "Tell me a gift you want. I'll send you a list of possible majors tonight."
Zhen Bao habitually pouted.
Fu Ming Shi patiently waited, looking at her pink lips.
Zhen Bao wasn't skilled enough at using the internet yet. She had tried looking up relevant information herself, but could never find what she needed most. The more she read, the more confused she got. So she really needed Fu Ming Shi's help.
"I want a bicycle." After thinking hard, Zhen Bao finally thought of something she needed. She heard that university campuses were large and you had to ride a bike from the dorms to the classroom buildings.
Hearing her reason for wanting a bicycle, Fu Ming Shi's brow twitched almost imperceptibly. "You want to live in the dorms?"
Zhen Bao looked as if it should be so.
Fu Ming Shi actually hoped Zhen Bao could keep living at his place, or he could buy a house near campus. In short, he wanted to live together with Zhen Bao. So he first told Zhen Bao about the problems with dorms, "Dorms are crowded with many people of different living habits and personalities. It's easy to have conflicts, especially in the girls' dorms which have the most problems."
When Zhen Bao was in high school, she had lived in the dorms for half a year. There were six girls in a dorm and they all got along very well, helping each other cook meals and carry thermoses of hot water. So she used her own experience to refute Fu Ming Shi, "You're talking about special cases. I probably won't be so unlucky, right?" It would be four years of university. She couldn't keep living at the Fu family's just because she worried about getting terrible roommates.
Fu Ming Shi pressed his lips. He stared at her gloomily.
Seeing his disapproval, Zhen Bao turned back to the screen and pleaded in a low voice, "I don't want special treatment."
If her classmates knew of her relationship with Fu Ming Shi, they would definitely gossip. The college entrance exam had just ended. When Fu Ming Shi followed her Weibo, she gained over 100,000 followers overnight. All sorts of comments appeared. It scared her into secretly re-registering a small account without telling Fu Ming Shi. She didn't plan on using that big account ever again.
Zhen Bao had it all planned out. Once in university, she would try her best to keep it secret, just an ordinary student.
She stubbornly pressed her lips. Fu Ming Shi suddenly remembered those days back in the village. He had known when Zhen Bao bit him while herding geese that this girl looked delicate but had strong opinions about important matters. If Grandpa hadn't cried so sadly at his grave, softening Zhen Bao's heart, she might still be living in that remote village now.
"Living in the dorms is fine, but you have to live here on weekends and during winter and summer breaks." Fu Ming Shi compromised while adding conditions.
Zhen Bao hadn't experienced university life yet. She tentatively agreed.
