The tears that Zhen Bao shed after being provoked by Wang Xiu came and went quickly, like a thunderstorm, leaving only her swollen red eyes.
After washing her face and coming out, she saw Fu Ming Shi standing outside the bathroom. His dark eyes looked at her with concern.
Zhen Bao lowered her head. Before she could think of what to say, Fu Ming Shi opened his arms and walked over, hugging her tightly. The shirt he had been wearing before was wet with her tears, so he had changed into a pure white one, filled with his unique scent, clean and reassuring.
"Did I get you into trouble?" Zhen Bao asked in a small voice, buried in his chest. The main purpose of Wang Xiu and his wife coming to the capital was to borrow money. Zhen Bao was afraid they would find other ways to pester Fu Ming Shi.
"They don't have that ability yet," Fu Ming Shi said in a low voice, rubbing his chin on the top of her head, extremely domineering.
Zhen Bao laughed and raised her arms to hug his waist. After a while, she said gloomily, "No matter what they ask of you in the future, just ignore them." She didn't owe anything to Wang Xiu, and Fu Ming Shi owed them even less. Fu Ming Shi treated her so well, and she still felt bad about spending the money he had transferred to her under various pretexts. What right did Wang Xiu have to take it for granted that Fu Ming Shi should give them money to help them out?
For her two so-called half-siblings?
Thinking that in Wang Xiu's eyes, her daughter's inability to study abroad was a great grievance, Zhen Bao's heart was about to choke up.
She didn't care if Wang Xiu recognized her or not, but why did Wang Xiu have to come out and vex her again?
"If you're worried, I'll hand over all my money to you. You can give me a little living allowance every month," Fu Ming Shi teased her with a smile, to put his fiancée's mind at ease.
Right now Zhen Bao just liked listening to her man talk. With her forehead against his chest, she deliberately asked, "How much living allowance do you need every month?"
Fu Ming Shi thought about it as he held her, kissed her cheek and said, "No less than twenty."
Zhen Bao asked in confusion, "Twenty million?"
Fu Ming Shi laughed and bit her ear, "Twenty times."
Zhen Bao's face turned red. She silently calculated that last month, adding up day and night, it was indeed more than twenty times.
"Let's go downstairs and eat first," Fu Ming Shi coaxed his fiancée and habitually picked her up to go downstairs to the dining room.
Probably guessing that Zhen Bao was in a bad mood, Mrs. Wang had cooked all of Zhen Bao's favorites tonight - spicy tofu, spicy chicken wings, chopped fish head in chili oil... At a glance, only the lily bulb soup was not spicy. Zhen Bao was drooling. On an empty stomach, she had no time to think about unhappy things.
"Have another one," Fu Ming Shi gave her another chicken wing.
Zhen Bao lowered her head and nibbled on it in small bites.
Before she could finish the chicken wing, the phone placed between them rang. They looked at the caller ID together: Mother-in-law.
Zhen Bao's eyes widened. During the winter break of her freshman year, she had exchanged phone numbers with Feng Ke and her husband at the mahjong table. But until now, apart from Zhen Bao sending them New Year's greetings and getting polite replies, this was the first time Feng Ke had taken the initiative to contact her.
The feeling was even more unexpected and nerve-wracking than receiving a call from a national leader.
"You eat first." Since it was a family call, Fu Ming Shi glanced at the chicken wing still in Zhen Bao's hand and quickly grabbed the phone.
Zhen Bao stared at him blankly, not fully reacting yet.
Fu Ming Shi deliberately didn't say anything.
"Feng Bao?" Feng Ke's clear, cold, and melodious voice came from the phone. The coldness was her natural vocal tone.
Zhen Bao had eaten four New Year's Eve dinners with Fu Zheng and his wife. During the third dinner, Feng Ke had started calling her by her nickname, like the old master.
Zhen Bao was about to lean over to greet her, but Fu Ming Shi snatched the first word again, "She's upstairs. Do you need her for something?"
Zhen Bao glared at him.
Fu Ming Shi motioned for her to continue eating.
Feng Ke didn't expect her son to answer the phone, but son or daughter-in-law, it was the same. After flipping through the model photos on the page, Feng Ke said lightly, "We're launching a new collection in October. There's a dress whose model doesn't quite match the vibe. Zhen Bao has discerning eyes. Ask her if she's interested in trying out. If so, bring her for an audition tomorrow night."
After that, she hung up. A busy woman had no time to chat idly with her son.
Fu Ming Shi slowly put down the phone and asked his stunned fiancée, "Did you hear that?"
Zhen Bao nodded, and said uneasily, "On the runway?"
She wouldn't dare to go even if she was killed. Firstly, she didn't have the model figure. Secondly, she didn't have their temperament. If she really went, she would probably freeze on stage, not even able to walk properly.
Fu Ming Shi explained with a laugh, "Not that kind. It's for a fashion photo shoot. You just need to put on the clothes, get your makeup done, and the photographer will teach you how to pose. I see you quite enjoy taking photos. Give it a try. It's simple and won't take up too much time."
He joked with her. Zhen Bao blushed and ate first, but she wasn't confident in her heart. The photos would be published online and in magazines for promotion and sales. She had no experience at all. What if she messed up?
After the meal, Fu Ming Shi took Zhen Bao to the study. He seemed to have a few copies of Huating Magazine here.
Zhen Bao sat on the sofa flipping through them. The clothes inside were very beautiful. Some were the gorgeous or avant-garde high fashion that she definitely couldn't pull off. Some were ethereal evening gowns. There were also some that looked simple yet stylish for everyday wear. The only thing they had in common was the models' exquisite makeup and enviable figures.
"I'm too short," Zhen Bao picked on her own flaws as she looked through them.
Her eyes were bright, attracted by the various fashions, and Fu Ming Shi could see that Zhen Bao actually wanted to try out, but she lacked confidence about things she hadn't been exposed to before, underestimating her own strengths. His mother had discerning taste. If Zhen Bao wasn't truly suitable, she would never have called.
"Wear high heels," Fu Ming Shi brought her into his arms as they looked together.
Zhen Bao still wasn't confident.
Fu Ming Shi suddenly pointed to a model in the magazine and said, "Try this pose."
The model in the photo was wearing a black and white halter mini skirt. She sat on the steps outside a European-style building, left hand on the ground, right hand cradling her chin. She lazily tilted her head back, half-closed alluring eyes, as if basking in the sun, and as if appraising some man opposite her.
Zhen Bao shook her head in refusal, her face already red.
"It's just me here, and you're shy to pose. With more people there tomorrow night, you'll be even more uptight," Fu Ming Shi snatched the magazine, tempting her.
Zhen Bao was just shy by nature. When he didn't let her look at the magazine, she got up to leave, but hadn't stood firmly before Fu Ming Shi pulled her onto his lap and kissed her several times in a row, "Try it, I want to see. If you really model for a magazine, I'll buy a few copies and keep them for life, to look at with you when we're old."
Zhen Bao closed her eyes, her long eyelashes fluttering anxiously.
"I remember you have a similar skirt. Let's go to your room and try it out," Fu Ming Shi continued to pick Zhen Bao up, magazine in hand, heading straight for the third floor despite her objections.
Zhen Bao was just too modest, just not used to doing such high-profile things. After all, she had grown up in a different environment, and she wasn't an particularly outgoing or confident personality either. But persistently coaxed and pestered by Fu Ming Shi, forcibly undressed and then personally helped into a halter evening gown by him, posed on the spacious balcony by him, Zhen Bao had no choice but to cooperate with him.
"Open your eyes," Fu Ming Shi squatted at the other end of the balcony with a camera, serious, almost professional.
Supporting herself with one hand on the ground, the other on her chin, Zhen Bao trembled as she opened one eye a crack. Her face was redder than if she had put on makeup, a shy crimson, like her alluring look after climaxing. Fu Ming Shi was already tense all over, but in order to help his fiancée practice, he could only pretend to be a gentleman.
"Don't look at the window, look at me," Fu Ming Shi reminded her through the lens.
Zhen Bao glanced over bashfully, her deer-like panicked and innocent gaze simply criminal.
"Imagine you're a demanding woman. I'm just passing by you, and you've taken some interest in me, but you don't think I'm your other half, so your gaze is critical." Staring into Zhen Bao's eyes, Fu Ming Shi wanted to see another side of her, to get a taste of being seduced by her.
But Zhen Bao couldn't do it, couldn't imagine what a demanding woman was like.
Seeing his innocent fiancée, Fu Ming Shi chose to give up. He quickly snapped a few shots, then went over to sit beside Zhen Bao so they could look through them together.
Zhen Bao was beautiful, and Fu Ming Shi had been taking photos of her for four years, so his photography skills had improved. Therefore, ignoring how Zhen Bao's gaze didn't quite match the pose, the photos looked beautiful however you looked at them.
Zhen Bao watched enthusiastically until Fu Ming Shi's lips landed on the back of her neck behind her.
Realizing the danger, Zhen Bao became anxious. Fu Ming Shi had been craving for a long time, how could he let her get away? He pressed Zhen Bao onto the balcony, his breathing like fire.
"Don't ruin the skirt..." With the sky right above her head, although it was almost dark, Zhen Bao still didn't want to do it outside, afraid that Aunt Wang downstairs would hear.
"I'll buy you a new one tomorrow." Fu Ming Shi pulled down her zipper to the bottom, not allowing refusal.
With nourishment from her fiancé, the next day Zhen Bao's complexion was rosy, and her eyes were no longer swollen either.
At three in the afternoon, Fu Ming Shi came to pick her up. Zhen Bao bid her supervisor goodbye, got off work early, went back to the villa to change her clothes, then rushed to the restaurant to accompany Feng Ke for dinner. Feng Ke was late by five or six minutes. From afar, seeing Zhen Bao dressed in a little black dress, Feng Ke took an extra glance before withdrawing her gaze.
"Auntie, you've arrived." Fu Ming Shi remained seated without moving. Zhen Bao stood up politely.
"No need to be so courteous." Without even looking at her son, Feng Ke sat right next to Zhen Bao and asked her, "The audition tonight, did Ming Shi mention it to you?"
Zhen Bao nodded, feeling a little constrained.
Feng Ke said lightly, "Just taking a few photos, nothing to be afraid of. If you're not suitable, I wouldn't have asked you to come either."
This counted as her encouragement.
Zhen Bao smiled and looked at Fu Ming Shi. She wasn't familiar with Feng Ke, so why wasn't Fu Ming Shi saying anything? Everyone was silent, how awkward.
Receiving his fiancée's accusing gaze, Fu Ming Shi finally spoke, "Is the photographer male or female?"
Feng Ke raised her brows, staring provocatively at her son, "Male, more handsome than you."
Fu Ming Shi was being rude in front of his elder, and Zhen Bao was quite embarrassed originally, but hearing Feng Ke's words, she almost laughed out loud.
Fu Ming Shi didn't speak, only revealed a shallow smile that said "impossible".
Under the table, Zhen Bao lightly nudged his foot.
Fu Ming Shi's upper body didn't move, his feet clamped her high heels. Zhen Bao pressed her lips, about to glare at him, when Fu Ming Shi released her again. Zhen Bao didn't dare provoke him further, eating dinner nervously, ready to respond at any time to any potential small talk from Feng Ke.
Feng Ke didn't say much. After the meal she led the two down, and Zhen Bao naturally got into Fu Ming Shi's car.
After more than twenty minutes, the family of three arrived at Feng Ke's company building.
Fu Ming Shi first took Zhen Bao around the building to see the place, then accompanied her to the audition.
"Boss Fu, long time no see." The photographer was a handsome foreigner with blond hair in a ponytail and a goatee, with deep bright blue eyes that were especially attractive. Seeing Fu Ming Shi, he greeted in fluent Mandarin, but his blue eyes floated towards Zhen Bao.
Zhen Bao smiled politely.
The photographer's eyes lit up. There was only one fairy dress left to finalize for the October issue magazine, and Boss Feng's eye for scrutiny was picky. She had tried many models but was unsatisfied. Now seeing Zhen Bao, the photographer immediately guessed that she was the model who could perfectly carry off that fairy dress.
"Miss Zhen, you've appeared at just the right time!" He was so excited at the prospect of finally completing the shoot. The photographer strode over, wanting to hug Zhen Bao.
Fu Ming Shi pulled Zhen Bao behind him with one tug.
The photographer looked surprised, then changed to hugging Fu Ming Shi instead, looking at Zhen Bao to congratulate him, "She is an angel."
Fu Ming Shi's lips curved up. He looked back at Zhen Bao, "He said you're very ugly."
Zhen Bao laughed until she almost choked.
The author has something to say: Here it comes, sending out 50 red envelopes for this chapter! Going to eat first!
