Chapter 19: Deliberate

Lin Wanbai held the candy in her hand, and in her mind echoed a faint, tender voice of a little girl, "Sister, eat some candy." Then came a slightly older voice, no longer with a childish lilt, but still timid and soft, "Sister, have a candy." Her lips curled with disdain, and when she looked at Fu Juxing, even her gaze changed. She truly suspected he was doing this on purpose.

She suddenly threw the candy away and said, "I hate candy, especially White Rabbit. Didn’t you know that?" He remained impassive, waited a few seconds, then nodded. "I understand. I won’t give you this anymore." Lin Wanbai gave a light snort, saying nothing. At that moment, she desperately wanted to leave, unwilling to give him the slightest courtesy.

But this was the Fu household. He himself had little standing here, and if she flaunted her displeasure, the others would certainly seize the opportunity to mock her. Yet she had no desire to remain standing there either.

After a while, seeing the time was about right, she slapped her handbag against his chest, saying, "I’m going for a walk. Stand here by yourself."

"Aren’t you hungry?" He caught the bag.

She smiled indifferently. "Before coming, I had Aunt Rong make me something to eat, so I’m not very hungry. Besides, I glanced at the table earlier—none of the dishes are to my taste, so I won’t eat. Tell them I’m excused later."

With her hands in her pockets, she strode out. Fu Juxing did not follow; instead, he summoned a servant to trail her from a distance, careful not to let her notice.

Back inside, dinner was already halfway through. He kept a low profile as he approached, speaking respectfully. "Wanbai heard that Grandmother recently renovated the garden and wants to take a look. Since she’s not hungry, there’s no need to save her a place at the table."

Fu Changjun nodded. "Sit down and eat, then. Just have a servant accompany her."

"I’ve already sent Xiao Jing."

"Good."

Fu Yanming chuckled with mockery, "Haven’t you always been Lin Wanbai’s lapdog? Not following her every moment—aren’t you afraid she’ll dump you? I heard recently Lin Wanbai made quite a splash at Karhuang. Your position’s on shaky ground, Second Brother."

Fu Juxing sat down, glanced at Fu Yanming, and said, "It’s just gossip. A girl’s reputation is important—Wanbai’s especially so. Third Brother, you should be more careful with your words."

Fu Yanming wanted to protest, claiming he had proof, but before he could speak, Fu Yanchuan interrupted, "Don’t say such things anywhere, not outside or at home. Wanbai isn’t that kind of person, and even if she were, it’s not your place to gossip."

Fu Yanchuan’s affection for Lin Wanbai had always been obvious; it was no secret. When Lin Wanbai married Fu Juxing, many sympathized with him. Being the eldest grandson of the Fu family, Fu Yanchuan was naturally virtuous and talented, excelling in all respects. Even his character was irreproachable.

In the entire Fu family, perhaps only Fu Yanchuan looked at Fu Juxing without prejudice. He neither deliberately distanced himself nor made any special effort to be friendly—he simply treated him with calm indifference.

Lin Wanbai’s marriage to Fu Juxing stunned everyone, including her friends. At the time, it was universally assumed she and Fu Yanchuan were inseparable, and no one expected a distinguished heiress would settle for a man with no status, an illegitimate child.

Everyone pitied them, and all the blame fell upon Fu Juxing. Even to this day, many believe Fu Juxing must have done something despicable, forcing Lin Wanbai to marry him.

Fu Juxing gave Fu Yanchuan a faint smile, a silent gesture of gratitude.

...

Lin Wanbai wandered aimlessly through the garden, and soon became lost. She couldn’t help but complain inwardly—this old lady must have built a maze, tinkering with it all day, intending to trap people here.

Annoyed, she took a seat on a nearby bench. Reaching into her pocket, she realized her phone was still in her handbag.

At her feet lay some pebbles; she kicked one, bent down to pick it up, and tossed it into the artificial lake. Then she began frantically throwing stones, clearing away all the fragments at her feet.

Once the stones were gone, she turned her attention to the flowers nearby. She picked one at random—it wasn’t particularly attractive, and she didn’t know its type. After admiring it for a moment, she began plucking its petals, muttering to herself.

Before long, petals had scattered around her feet, and the few flowers nearby were all picked, yet she hadn’t counted to a satisfactory answer, so she kept going.

Looking around, she spotted something glittering by the pond. She walked over and saw a step below. She wanted to go down and prepared to climb.

Just as both feet landed on the stone slab, someone suddenly called her name.

"Wanbai, what are you doing?!"

Startled, she slipped, nearly falling into the water, but reacted quickly, grabbing a branch to steady herself.

She then saw clearly who had arrived.

It was Fu Yanchuan.

After dinner, they had lounged in the living room for a while, but she still hadn’t returned. Jiang Shuzhi had sent him to look for her; as for why it wasn’t Fu Juxing, it was because Jiang Shuzhi had punished him with dishwashing duty.

He walked over, crouched beside her, smiling. "What are you doing?"

"I saw something sparkling over there, thought maybe the old witch hid some treasure."

Fu Yanchuan burst out laughing and extended a hand. "Stop fooling around, come up. Grandmother keeps crocodiles in the pond—you’d better be careful, or they might snatch you away."

She slapped his hand aside. "Do you think I’m three years old? You won’t trick me into tears."

He kept smiling, his hand unmoving. "Come up."

Lin Wanbai considered for a moment, then grasped his hand. With his help, she was pulled up in an instant. But Fu Yanchuan used a bit too much force; she collided with him, and instinctively he wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her.

Fu Juxing arrived in haste, only to witness this scene.