The next evening, Shen Qingqing was elegantly dressed and ready to go out when her phone rang.
"Master Fu, is something wrong?"
"Are you busy right now?"
Shen Qingqing instinctively replied, "No."
Fu Jingshu seemed satisfied. "Return to the company. We have a temporary overtime."
"Overtime?" Shen Qingqing was unwilling, forcing herself not to show displeasure. "But Master Fu, have you forgotten I took sick leave?"
What kind of company would call a sick person back for overtime? Such an inhumane company was bound to go bankrupt!
As she was grumbling internally, Fu Jingshu's calm voice came through the phone.
"I recall you previously bought a dose of special medicine from me."
"What about the medicine?"
"This medicine now has an upgraded version." Fu Jingshu leaned back in his executive chair and said slowly, "But judging by your attitude, you probably don't want it anymore."
"I do!"
Hearing the eager voice, a hint of a smile flickered in Fu Jingshu's eyes. He said leisurely, "I'm not one to be harsh on my employees. If you don't want to come back for overtime, that's fine."
"I want to!" Shen Qingqing's voice was exceptionally loud. Even if it was for the special medicine, she had to want it whether she did or not. Her attitude immediately shifted. "Of course, I'm not coming back for overtime just for the special medicine. As a company employee, I can't falter when the company needs me, don't you agree?"
Fu Jingshu responded with a meaningful "Oh," "So you have such high aspirations."
"Of course!"
Shen Qingqing could not help but notice the playful tone in his voice over the phone.
For the sake of the special medicine, she would endure.
"I'll get ready now and head to the company!"
"No need. You wait."
Shen Qingqing asked hesitantly, "Are you sending a car to pick me up?"
"Yes."
Since a car was coming to pick her up, she might as well take it. Shen Qingqing hung up the phone and called Lu Junze, informing him she couldn't make it to his birthday banquet today.
Lu Junze exclaimed, "You're really a good friend! You promised to come to my birthday banquet and then you backed out at the last minute!"
"I'm sorry."
While finding her mother was important, Shen Qingqing couldn't just ignore the plight of the poor siblings.
Lu Junze understood her after all. "Although I don't know why you can't come, I guess it must be for something important. Alright, I won't make it difficult for you, but don't forget to send me a gift later."
"No problem!"
After hanging up, she went upstairs to remove her makeup. Since she was recuperating at home, she certainly couldn't wear elaborate makeup or dress so grandly.
Fu Jingshu was shrewd; if he saw through it, he might guess something.
She changed into casual clothes and applied a light makeup that made her look slightly pale and unwell. After finishing, she went downstairs and heard the sound of an engine outside.
At the same time, in his room, Fu Zhichen also heard the sound. Usually, he paid no attention to such noises. He was as if immersed in his own world, and these sounds couldn't reach him.
But for some reason today, he slowly stood up and walked to the window to glance outside.
It was then that he saw Fu Jingshu.
He immediately shrank back.
Less than a minute later, there was a knock on the door. Shen Qingqing said "coming" and went to open it. As soon as she opened the door, Fu Jingshu walked in.
"Hey, why are you..."
Fu Jingshu's target was clear, and he strode directly towards the second floor.
Shen Qingqing's expression changed. "What are you doing?"
"I want to go up and see."
Fu Jingshu sidestepped her and ascended the stairs in three quick steps. At this moment, Shen Qingqing deeply felt the difference between men and women.
His strides were longer than hers, and she struggled to keep up.
"What's wrong with you? How can you just barge into someone's house without a word? What are you going up to see?"
Fu Jingshu ignored her, went straight to the second floor, and headed for the second room on the left. As he reached for the doorknob, Shen Qingqing grabbed his wrist. He narrowed his eyes and looked at her.
Shen Qingqing was already very displeased. "If you don't tell me what you want to see, how can I let you barge in like this? This is my home!"
"I saw Chenchen."
Fu Jingshu's words instantly changed Shen Qingqing's expression. Although she quickly regained control of her emotions, Fu Jingshu was staring at her intently and easily captured her expression.
He broke free from Shen Qingqing's grip and pushed the door open, striding inside.
Panic flashed across Shen Qingqing's face.
The bedroom contained a bed nearly two meters wide, a rosewood wardrobe, a tatami mat, and a tea table. Besides these, there was no one.
Fu Jingshu's sharp gaze scanned the room. The quilt was neatly folded, and the sheets were smooth, as if no one had been staying there.
Countless solutions flashed through Shen Qingqing's mind. If Fu Jingshu saw Chenchen, how could she deceive him?
But deceiving him would be difficult; Fu Jingshu was too shrewd.
The only option was to tell the truth and send the child back in the end.
But in the next second, she saw that Fu Zhichen was not in the bedroom. She was stunned for a moment, followed by immense relief.
"Are your eyes playing tricks on you? Chenchen is at your house, how could he have come to my place? I think you're just deliberately trying to bother me!" she preempted.
Fu Jingshu slowly withdrew his gaze. "I apologize. I must have seen wrongly."
Shen Qingqing snorted coldly. "It would be good if you were just mistaken. I just hope you won't make such mistakes again. After all, barging into someone's room so forcefully without a word... is very impolite!"
Feeling that he was in the wrong, Fu Jingshu apologized again.
"It's getting late, let's go to the company."
Shen Qingqing, with a sulky expression, turned and walked away.
Fu Jingshu followed her, but his gaze couldn't help but sweep back over the room. The room appeared clean and tidy, with no signs of anything unusual.
He turned and left.
Downstairs, Shen Qingqing, her face dark, couldn't resist saying with a hint of sarcasm, "With your status, coming to pick me up personally, it truly flatters me."
Fu Jingshu ignored the sarcasm in her words and looked at her face, "Are you feeling better?"
Was he concerned about her?
Shen Qingqing was somewhat unaccustomed to it. In fact, the allergy had long since subsided and wasn't severe to begin with. "I'm alright. The doctor said I shouldn't overexert myself recently and need to rest."
So, Fu the Exploiter, please don't overwork me.
Fu Jingshu pursed his lips, a fleeting hint of gloom in his eyes. He opened the car door proactively, "Get in."
Meanwhile, in the guest room.
The bedsheet hanging by the bed moved slightly. Fu Zhichen crawled out from under the bed. There was a smudge of dirt on his face, making him look somewhat disheveled.
He sat on the floor blankly, his eyes gradually turning red.
He crawled into a corner and sat down, hugging his knees. Tears slid from his eyes.
He had forgotten something: he had a father. This was not his real home. He had never thought that one day he would have to return.
Now, he suddenly realized that he didn't want to go back.