Fu Pei's counterfeit phone rang loudly. He looked at the incoming call and his deep eyes were shrouded with a mist of coldness.
Counterfeit phones were good with their loud ringtones, but the thunderous voice from the other end was just as impressive.
When Fu Pei answered the phone, he was greeted with a booming voice that resembled the crow of a rooster. "Fu Pei," the person snarled at the other end, "come back home at once!"
Fu Ting recognized this voice. It was Fu Pei's father, who also happened to be her nominal grandfather.
Fu Pei's expression dulled for a moment and he lowered his forehead slightly. Strands of hair fall over his forehead and covered his chilly eyes.
Wordlessly, he hung up in disdain.
"Father," Fu Ting quickly asked him as he stood up, "are you going to your father's home?"
Fu Pei was in the middle of his thoughts, he did not realize how Fu Ting would have known about this. He nodded absentmindedly, lips pressed into a thin line. "I'm leaving for a while, so stay here to look after the house," he ordered. "Don't loiter around here."
Fu Ting's clear eyes darted left and right as her thoughts raced. She quickly ran ahead of him and grabbed the corners of his shirt. "I'm afraid to be on my own. I want to follow you."
Fu Pei's face changed. He wondered, 'She fought the gang members but is too afraid to stay at home alone?'
Still, he said nothing but put on a black jacket that highlighted his tall and lean figure. The teenager's slender fingers ran across his neckline, and his carefree voice had a languid undertone to it.
"Fine," he said. "Tag along, then."
…
Fu Pei's family was wealthy in their own rights. His father, Fu Lei was a businessman and had operated a few fairly large meat factories. Although they were not filthy rich, they were rather well-off.
Fu Pei was the eldest among his siblings. He should be given the most priorities by right, but he had suffered a broken relationship with his parents since a young age. It was during high school when he realized he would rather live in the pressures of poverty and move out and it was then he found refuge in a basement.
Fu Pei rode his bicycle with Fu Ting to a small bungalow in the city.
On their way, Fu Ting wrapped her arms around Fu Pei's waist. "Father, since your father is so wealthy, why didn't he care about you?" she asked. "He's such an irresponsible and terrible dad."
'My father is way better,' Fu Ting mused to herself.
With raised brows, Fu Pei turned his head slightly to look at her which highlighted his attractive neckline. "How do you know he's wealthy?"
Fu Ting smiled with her eyes. "I told you, I'm your daughter. Of course I know!"
Fu Pei was speechless.
'Fine. I shouldn't have asked.'
"This is none of your business," he answered calmly, "so keep your mouth shut."
"But you're only a high-schooler, Dad," Fu Ting fervidly replied. "It's illegal for your dad to abandon you. You have to fight for your rights."
'My rights?'
Fu Pei burst into laughter, his alluring eyes shone care freely. "Why bother fighting? Do you think I'm a beggar? What about my dignity?"
"Dignity won't earn you any money!" Fu Ting asserted as gently as she could since she knew Fu Pei had a strong sense of pride. She said nothing else on the matter, but she recalled what had happened in their previous life.
She rolled her eyes as she balled her fists. She would never allow anyone to bully her father. She was young back then and the circumstances did not allow her to do so, but now she had a golden opportunity in front of her. Everything was in her favor, thus she had to protect her father!
Fu Ting sneakily took out Fu Pei's fake phone from his pocket and kept it away. "Dad," sheepishly, she spoke. "I'd like to go to the bathroom."
"Troublesome." Fu Pei sniffed in annoyance, though he still stopped by a public toilet for the little lady. They continued their journey again once she was done.
Once they reached the Fu family's house, they saw a maid standing at the entrance. The maid's face was filled with disdain when she spotted Fu Pei, and her nostrils flared so much that it could reach the sky. "Isn't this Master Fu who sleeps in the basement and eats trash? What brings you here?"
While Fu Pei could ignore her, Fu Ting was upset. Her fair and soft face went cold as she glared at the maid. "This is my father's home, and he can come back whenever he wishes. Since when can a maid like you can say anything about it?"
The maid's face sank and was tongue-tied due to her criticism, but she despised Fu Pei even more as he was too young to bring a girl home.
Fu Pei did not care about others' opinions and was indifferent to it, while Fu Ting's protective look was similar to that of a furious lion cub.
His lips curved into a small smirk, and he only came to realize that this Little Fool was also Little Pepper.
Fu 'Little Pepper' Ting. 'How many nicknames do I have?'
"Return home? Let me tell you, Fu Pei. Your parents no longer welcome you, so you have no right to come here!"
Fu Chenyi was one year younger than Fu Pei. While he was good-looking in his own rights, he could not hold a candle to his older brother. He donned a huge leather jacket with a golden necklace around his neck, and it made him look wealthy.
Fu Pei seemed at ease as he reached for his earphones in his pocket and ignored him completely.
"What's with that cocky attitude of yours, Fu Pei? Do you really think you're that cool?"
Fu Chenyi despised Fu Pei's arrogance, but most girls prefer this attitude. He loathed Fu Pei and he wished Fu Pei would embarrass himself.
Suddenly, his eyes held a devilish gaze. "Tsk! Sleeping in a basement is terrible, isn't it?" He then pointed at Fu Pei's bicycle. "How could you fall to a point where you had to ride a broken bicycle that's not even accepted by the recycling center? Isn't it pathetic? Father just bought me a three-thousand yuan motorcycle yesterday. I decided to throw the old one to the recycling center. You could kneel and beg me, and I'll donate it to you instead—"
Slap!