Han Xiaoye felt like crying but had no tears. Had she stumbled upon a ghost when she went out today? First, she bumped into that crazy Han Bao'er, and then Quan Ronglian recognized her. And now, she was caught by Fu Zhiyan red-handed!
Speaking of Fu Zhiyan, where the heck was Ruirui?
Just as she was about to ask, the words got stuck in her throat.
"I had someone send her back."
"...Oh." Han Xiaoye let out a sigh of relief. But then her mind shifted. Hold on a second, if Ruirui wasn't here, then who the hell cut off the power?
Her gaze involuntarily landed on the man radiating intense hostility. Could it be... Fu Zhiyan?
"I was the one who cut off the power."
Han Xiaoye couldn't help but exclaim, "How did you know what I was thinking? Can you read minds or something?"
Fu Zhiyan gazed at her deeply with eyes as deep as an abyss, making it impossible to decipher his thoughts. Suddenly, he took a step forward and approached her...
Han Xiaoye, taken aback by his intense scrutiny, quickly retreated a few steps. "Mr. Fu, let's have a civilized conversation. I can explain everything, I swear! Please, don't resort to violence!"
To her surprise, the expected sting of a slap never came. Han Xiaoye found herself pressed against the wall, cautiously opening her eyes. It was then she realized that she was completely trapped in the man's arms. The position they found themselves in was undeniably suggestive, teetering on the edge of intimacy.
His cold fragrance, distinct from Quan Ronglian's cigarette smell, enveloped her, as if Fu Zhiyan was embracing her right now.
Thump, thump.
Against her will, her heart started pounding irregularly.
At that moment, Han Xiaoye couldn't determine if she was more frightened or overwhelmed by an inexplicable emotion.
"Han Xiaoye," Fu Zhiyan's voice was as smooth as fine wine, cold and distant like a stranger's.
"Ah?"
Fu Zhiyan picked up the camera she had hidden and raised an eyebrow dangerously, "What's this?"
... Her camera!
In an instant, Han Xiaoye regained her senses and reached out, attempting to snatch the camera back. "Give it back to me!"
However, her limited height proved to be an obstacle as Fu Zhiyan lifted the camera high above her grasp, leaving her jumping in vain.
"What's inside?"
Curiosity mingled with a brewing storm in Fu Zhiyan's eyes as he questioned.
"Who's been devoted to arts this time?"
Han Xiaoye's ears turned red like never before, and she awkwardly denied, "No! I also have certain aesthetic standards, you know? I swear, it's not what you think. Mr. Fu, please give me back the camera."
"Then what's inside?"
Instead of returning it, Fu Zhiyan became more aggressive.
"Uh..." Han Xiaoye's mind raced as she desperately tried to come up with an explanation that wouldn't involve revealing the paparazzi gossip she had captured. After a moment of hesitation, she managed to muster a response with a touch of resignation, "You see, it's not exactly what you think. I have certain artistic standards, you know? So, please, just give it back to me."
"Is that so?"
Fu Zhiyan firmly clasped her waist, thwarting her attempt to snatch the camera. Han Xiaoye's futile struggle only resulted in her being pulled into a tight, intimate embrace. In that instant, her mind was engulfed in a whirlwind of emotions, like an explosive burst of fireworks.
With a steely expression, Fu Zhiyan opened the camera, and as his eyes fell upon the images inside, his simmering anger erupted like a raging inferno. The camera revealed a collection of photographs, each featuring the same man. It fueled the flames of his fury which was now burning uncontrollably in the depths of his gaze.
"Bang!"
The camera crashed into the wall, shattering into pieces!
Han Xiaoye instantly snapped back to reality, her face changing drastically. "My camera..."
The camera was her only possession. She had hoped to earn enough money through it to buy a house and live with her grandfather. But this man, so easily and casually, destroyed the only thing that belonged to her! Along with it, he shattered her dreams!
"Fu Zhiyan, who do you think you are to break my camera? What right do you have?"
On what grounds did he arrogantly crush her only hope?
On what grounds did he treat her like this?
The slander from Han Bao'er, the betrayal of Yan Xu, her uncle and aunt selling her out, and her grandfather in the hospital waiting for medical expenses... The emotions that had been accumulating in her heart surged like a flood, engulfing her in an instant.
She clenched her lower lip, trying her best to calm down.
But the warm tears continued to flow as if they cost nothing.
She was anxious, uncomfortable and fragile. She just knew that crying was useless. This world wouldn't treat you gently just because you cried.
But she had worked so hard, and endured hardships to capture photos of Quan Ronglian. Yet this man, so effortlessly, destroyed her efforts.
In an instant, all the frustration, all the confusion and helplessness surged up, and she could no longer control herself.
Han Xiaoye punched the man holding her, tears streaming down her face. "You bastard! Fu Zhiyan, you're a d*mn b*stard!"
B*stard! Scoundrel! Unpredictable lunatic!
The black-clad bodyguards at the door looked at each other, unsure whether they should step forward and intervene.
The hot tears of the young girl fell onto the back of his hand, and the fury in Fu Zhiyan's eyes gradually faded. He looked at the girl in his arms, crying so recklessly, and loosened his arms, furrowing his handsome brows slightly.
"B*stard."
Han Xiaoye repeated the same words over and over again.
Fu Zhiyan's jaw tightened. His handsome face was expressionless, but his right hand was stiff as he wiped away the girl's tears. He said hoarsely, "Why are you crying?"
Motherf*cker! He smashed her camera, and yet he asked why she was crying! Han Xiaoye's tears flowed even more urgently, wishing to scratch this man's face. Coincidentally, with her blocked nose from crying, she grabbed the man's sleeve and wiped all her snot and tears on his clothes.
The black-clad bodyguards outside witnessed the entire scene and couldn't help but gasp. Who didn't know that Rui City's Young Master Fu had an extreme case of cleanliness? Yet this girl actually wiped her snot on his clothes. She was courting death!
Fu Zhiyan didn't get infuriated as the bodyguards had imagined. A trace of helplessness flickered in the depths of his eyes, and he let out an almost imperceptible sigh. "Stop crying."
Han Xiaoye cried even harder, panting as she hiccupped.
Fu Zhiyan's brows knitted together, his low voice carrying a hint of threat. "If you keep crying, let's discuss why you, who should be at school, ended up here."
Did that mean if she stopped crying, he would let tonight's incident go? Han Xiaoye's mind raced quickly, instantly ceasing her tears.
Actually, after that initial moment of losing control, she had already calmed down quite a bit. The reason she continued crying was just to stubbornly prove a point. Unexpectedly, she gained an unexpected outcome.
"Hiccup!" She had cried too much earlier, and suddenly stopping made her hiccup uncontrollably.
Feeling Fu Zhiyan's gaze, she felt somewhat embarrassed and turned her head away.
Fu Zhiyan let go of her, and the person who had regained her freedom immediately took a few steps back to put some distance between them. She changed the topic and asked, "You... Why are you here?"
"Andy found out that someone had hacked into the hotel system and came here to investigate." Fu Zhiyan said casually. Just as he was about to reach out and pull the person who was trying to escape back, he noticed the messy lump on his sleeve. His recently relaxed brows furrowed again, and Han Xiaoye's heart raced with his displeased expression.