Fu Jinglin looked at Lin Qiong in front of him and swallowed, truly not judging a book by its cover. Then, stumbling, he spoke, "I didn't expect you to be quite formidable, beating someone like that."
Lin Qiong shyly lowered his head, "We're all relatives, so I showed some restraint."
Fu Jinglin:?
He is in the hospital.
Fu Jinglin took a deep breath and asked with curiosity, "How did you beat him, with your fists?"
Compared to Fu Jinghong, Lin Qiong looks gentle and fragile. If the two fought, logically, it shouldn't be Fu Jinghong getting injured.
Lin Qiong raised his hand, and the ring glittered in the moonlight.
Fu Jinglin: "A diamond?"
Lin Qiong: "A diamond, indeed."
"..."
Perfect.
Not long after, Fu Jinglin was called away by Fu Yuan, who came to find him. Lin Qiong glanced at the side and nudged Fu Xingyun, "Let's go home."
After exchanging greetings with Fu's grandfather, the two left in their car. While waiting at a traffic light intersection, Lin Qiong glanced at the person beside him and asked, "When did you arrive just now?"
Fu Xingyun glanced at him without saying a word.
Lin Qiong tentatively asked, "Did you hear everything?"
"No." The man's face showed no emotion. "I arrived when his teeth were already knocked out."
Lin Qiong: ...
The young man blushed and tried to justify himself, "Actually, I'm not usually that violent. Today, it was just a moment of impulsiveness."
Fu Xingyun glanced at him but said nothing.
Lin Qiong felt uneasy under the scrutiny. "Actually, if you think about it carefully, you'll realize that I must have had a reason to act. If it wasn't his fault, why would I choose to hit him? There's always a reason."
Fu Xingyun responded, "Because there's no one else around."
"..."
Lin Qiong, looking serious, said, "Because he provoked me."
Seeing the man silent again, Lin Qiong asked, "Do you blame me?"
Fu Xingyun replied, "No."
Lin Qiong looked at the man's face, and for some reason, a small flame ignited in his heart. "You are blaming me."
Fu Xingyun spoke, "I said I'm not."
"You are! You blame me for causing trouble by beating someone in the Fu family." Lin Qiong pouted, and just then, the traffic light turned green. The man was about to speak, but he averted his gaze and continued driving.
The car remained in a deathly silence all the way.
Until they entered the house, Fu Xingyun finally spoke, "I didn't blame you."
Lin Qiong drooped his head, ignoring him.
Fu Xingyun approached, grabbing Lin Qiong's arm as he tried to leave. "Lin Qiong."
Lin Qiong didn't look at him. "What do you want?"
"Why are you throwing a tantrum?!"
Lin Qiong considered himself a broad-minded person, but he couldn't shake off the feeling of humiliation caused by Fu Jinghong's vulgar words. The sense of injustice was lingering in his heart. "I didn't."
As he spoke, he wanted to turn and go upstairs, but the man's grip was too strong, and his arm couldn't break free.
Seeing this, Fu Xingyun sighed.
Lin Qiong instantly became agitated. "Are you impatient with me?!"
Fu Xingyun replied, "I haven't said anything yet."
Lin Qiong retorted, "Then why did you sigh?"
"Why don't you ask yourself why you didn't listen to others?" Fu Xingyun pulled him closer. "Lin Qiong, regardless of why you hit him today, I don't blame you."
Lin Qiong pouted, "Then why didn't you say something?"
Fu Xingyun was puzzled, "Say what?"
"Curse him. When I was criticizing Fu Jinghong in the car, you should have joined me in cursing him."
"Are you angry because I didn't curse him?"
Lin Qiong nodded, "That's how normal relationships work."
Fu Xingyun was still confused, "Why?"
"Because we're family, and he's not. You have to protect your own, so when I speak ill of him, you should join in."
The man's expression remained neutral.
Lin Qiong glared, "Do you understand?"
He nodded.
"Fu Jinghong is a scoundrel."
Fu Xingyun, emotionless like a robot, repeated, "Scoundrel."
Lin Qiong was satisfied after hearing that. Then, with a puzzled expression, he asked, "Why didn't you say it in the car, but waited until we got home?"
"Because you were driving."
"What does that have to do with me driving?"
Fu Xingyun remained silent for a moment. "Don't you know?"
Lin Qiong: ...
He didn't say anything more, but it seemed like he had said everything.
Seeing the improved expression on Lin Qiong's face, for some reason, Fu Xingyun secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
In the following days, Lin Qiong continued to cook three meals a day at home and kept Fu Xingyun company. On Sunday, just as the day was breaking, Lin Qiong was awakened by the ringing of his phone at the bedside. "Hello."
Wang Cheng's voice came through from the other end of the phone, "Are you up? Pack up and leave."
Upon hearing this, Lin Qiong instantly became more alert. "Now?"
Wang Cheng: "That's right, right now."
Lin Qiong started getting dressed as he asked, "Wasn't it supposed to be after a week?"
Wang Cheng: "How many days have you been at home?"
Lin Qiong was still half-asleep and hadn't fully grasped the situation. "Seven days."
Wang Cheng: "A week is seven damn days!!!"
Lin Qiong quickly packed his suitcase. With little time to make breakfast, he prepared a bowl of noodles for Fu Xingyun and left a small note for him.
As he sat in the car, his fair forehead was already covered in a thin layer of sweat.
Wang Cheng: "What did you do to tire yourself out like this?"
Lin Qiong, panting, replied, "Getting up."
Wang Cheng: "..."
At this moment, Lin Qiong's disheveled hair was showcasing the busy morning he had.
Looking at the exhausted Lin Qiong, Wang Cheng spoke up, "What's with this image of yours?"
Lin Qiong: "The breadwinner going out to make money for the family."
He then looked at Wang Cheng and asked, "Don't I look like it?"
Wang Cheng, with a numb expression, replied, "You do."
The two hurried along, and fortunately, Lin Qiong had plenty of time to prepare for makeup upon reaching the set.
The stylist ruffled Lin Qiong's hair. "Your character will finish shooting in two days."
Lin Qiong: "That's pretty quick."
Stylist: "Any plans after finishing shooting?"
Lin Qiong didn't hesitate, "Go home."
"..." The stylist said, "I meant about your career."
"Take it one step at a time."
The stylist chuckled, "I didn't expect you to be so steady."
Lin Qiong replied, "After all, I work once every six months."
"..."
Lin Qiong changed into his costume and arrived at the set. Bai Ying greeted him, "Long time no see."
Lin Qiong also exchanged greetings, "Is everything settled?"
"Everything's settled." Saying that, Bai Ying pulled Lin Qiong to a corner. "Someone is coming to visit the set today. Be careful with everything you do."
Lin Qiong was somewhat puzzled, "Why should I be careful?"
"The person visiting the set is a relative from the Qin Wei Chu family, and they have a big background. If they don't like someone, they might cause trouble."
This scene was where Mu Bai was about to confess to the female lead, with just two lines, inviting the female lead to meet at the bridge the next day.
Lin Qiong and Bai Ying started filming, with many people watching around.
Qin Heng looked at the central figure in the crowd, "Is it him?"
Qin Weichu nodded.
"He's nothing special."
Qin Weichu, for once, didn't look down on people, "He is special, different from others."
"How so?"
"He dares to scold me."
"..."
Qin Heng looked at Qin Weichu for a moment and felt like he was some kind of masochist. "Why don't you just use money to play around?"
"Tasteless. What I want is love." Qin Weichu responded, "Can't I make him fall in love with me?"
"Why?"
Qin Weichu was about to speak when his older brother interjected, "With your bad temper?"
"..." Qin Weichu gritted his teeth. "With my sincere heart."
Qin Heng carefully observed the figure in the crowd and felt a sense of familiarity, as if he had seen the person somewhere, but he couldn't recall where.
He didn't dwell on it and, since he couldn't remember, the person probably wasn't important.
"Wait and see. After he finishes filming, I'll express my feelings to him and give him a surprise."
Qin Heng: "Do you think this is a surprise?"
Qin Weichu: "Isn't my liking for him surprising enough?"
"That's the only thing you resemble me in."
"Handsome and wealthy?"
"Confident enough."
"..."
Qin Heng didn't tease him any further. His pocket vibrated with a call. "I need to take a call."
Qin Weichu waved impatiently, "Hurry up."
Qin Heng walked a short distance away.
"The coordination for today is postponed."
Qin Heng raised an eyebrow, "I was thinking the same. I have something to attend to today."
"Haven't returned to the country yet?"
"I arrived yesterday."
"What's the matter?"
"My younger brother's major life event." Then, Qin Heng asked with curiosity, "What's that snoring sound on your end?"
"Eating noodles."
"Oh, what's going on? Although I missed your wedding, I've heard that your little wife takes care of you meticulously. How's married life?"
Fu Xingyun silently looked at the small note on the table.
On the other end, Lin Qiong had just finished shooting and was about to leave when he was suddenly intercepted.
Looking at the familiar nostrils, Lin Qiong spoke, "Long time no see."
Qin Weichu was about to talk to someone when he heard Lin Qiong continue, "Not seeing each other is fine too."
"..."
Qin Weichu took a deep breath, "I have something to tell you."
"What is it?"
As Qin Weichu was about to speak, Qin Weichu still seemed a bit hesitant. "Let's go to a quiet place."
Lin Qiong decisively refused, "No way."
"Why? I want to talk to you!"
Qin Weichu looked at Lin Qiong in disbelief, as if saying this was bestowing a favor upon him.
"I just don't want to."
"I want to confess to you."
Lin Qiong was startled, "Let's go to a place with no one around."
"..."
The two went to a corner, and Qin Weichu organized his words in his mind, "I..."
Lin Qiong: "I reject."
Qin Weichu was surprised, "Why?"
"Because I don't like you."
"Why don't you like me?"
Lin Qiong had a look that said, "Don't you have any self-awareness?"
Qin Weichu didn't give up, "But, Lin Qiong, I like you. The last time we argued, I was deeply attracted to you. You're the first person who dares to talk to me like that."
Lin Qiong: [Confused old man looking at a cellphone.jpg]
Lin Qiong knew he couldn't confront this young master head-on. He expressed in a gentle tone, "Thank you for your affection, but I refuse."
Qin Weichu choked, "Why? Am I not handsome enough? Not rich enough?"
"No, it's my own reasons."
"What reasons?"
"I don't like someone like you."
Qin Weichu was frustrated, "What is it about me that you don't like? I can change."
"I liked the way you were before when you didn't like me."
"..." Qin Weichu took a deep breath, "Apart from that, what else do you like?"
Lin Qiong didn't hesitate, "I like someone older and wealthy."
Two years younger than Lin Qiong, Qin Weichu gritted his teeth, "Anything else?"
"I like someone who is a bit indifferent to me."
"Anything else?!"
"Someone who doesn't look down on others."
"..." Qin Weichu gritted his teeth, "You..."
Lin Qiong raised his hand, "It's me who doesn't know how to appreciate."
"You're great, and I'm not deserving. Forget about me; find someone better."