Well, car accidents certainly do seem frequent around here.
Fu Han just laughed, the previous numbness already gone, her lips curving into a playful smile, "So that's how it is. No wonder He Xing is so smitten with her, it's quite understandable."
His life, of course, is precious, more so than his own—saving Xia Ning was inevitable. That was a life-saving bond.
He Xing's face darkened, his brow furrowed tightly, dissatisfied, he said, "What do you mean 'so smitten'? I told you, there's never been a Xia Ning in my life."
"Alright, alright, no Xia Ning." She carelessly hoisted her camera, looked up and smiled lightly, "He Xing, I'm going to be late for work, we can talk about whatever it is after I'm off."
He Xing suppressed the suffocating irritation and took out his car keys, "I'll drive you."
"Then, much obliged?" She agreed cheerfully.
The more He Xing observed Fu Han, the less he understood her thoughts. From all indications, she was still furious, otherwise, how could such fiery feelings be cast aside so easily?
But even while furious, she didn't hesitate to accept everything he offered.
His deep black eyes fixed intently on Fu Han's retreating figure.
He didn't understand, what exactly did Fu Han want, he just didn't get it.
The path from the He Family mansion to the garage was one Fu Han knew well, her trench coat fluttering, her graceful figure provoked flames of desire in He Xing's eyes. She unceremoniously opened the car door, sat in He Xing's luxury car, fiddled with the camera components in the backseat, and didn't look at He Xing again.
He Xing focused on driving, reached the Xia Family's newspaper office, she got out of the car and he promptly followed.
"Ah, He Xing, please stay back. I don't want to cause a stir the moment I show up, thank you for taking the time to drive me to work today, go back and rest." She tossed her long hair and put it up into a bun, showing him out.
Was this how she treated him, like a tool?
The expression on He Xing's face was poor, his gloomy visage etched with annoyance, but he didn't insist on following her in.
Settling back into the car, he stared broodingly at Fu Han's figure, pulled out a cigarette from his pocket, and lit it up.
Truly annoying.
"Han Han, my dear sister, you finally came. We are about to start," Zhu Lian approached with a worried face, grabbed Fu Han's hand, and hurried her toward the photography studio, too anxious to notice the luxury car behind them.
They hadn't known each other for long, but their relationship was not bad.
Fu Han chuckled lightly, playing with her camera, "I got held up on the way, but it's not like I'm late, right?"
Zhu Lian was in a hurry, pulling her into the room to get ready. The celebrity they were shooting this time was a popular young starlet, personally chosen for their magazine cover shoot, partly in consideration of the Xia Family's influence.
Fu Han adjusted the camera settings, took a few practice shots at the model, and after the click of the shutter, she looked at the photo in the camera and nodded, "Hmm, not bad. Really photogenic."
"Let me see, let me see," Zhu Lian leaned in, impressed by the model's perfectly captured expression, hair flying in the wind, a picture of untamed freedom, and exclaimed, "My gosh, Fu Han, your skills are incredible, how can your action shots look so stunning?"
She had never seen such a casual photographer before.
"Skills or not?"
"Miss Xia, Miss Xia."
Zhu Lian quickly bounced away from Fu Han, bowing somewhat nervously, "Good day, Miss Xia."
Seeing a familiar figure, Xia Ning's expression darkened slightly, venting her anger on Zhu Lian, a lowly editor, "What's this idle chatter during work hours? And who is she? I don't recall our newspaper office hiring this person."
"Miss Xia, this is the photographer I hired; she has already passed the review and from today, is a part of our newspaper office," Zhu Lian promptly declared Fu Han's identity, then introduced enthusiastically, "Fu Han, this is the younger sister of our Boss Xia, Miss Xia Ning, come and say hello."
Being away from City A for three years, aside from the young lords and ladies around He Xing, there were few left who knew her.
Fu Han turned around calmly, her nod neither servile nor overbearing, her tone flippant, "Miss Xia, I've long admired your name."
"Fu Han? It's really you." Xia Ning smirked with sarcasm, "I didn't expect you to work at one of our subsidiary newspapers? He Xing really should have let you rest at home comfortably rather than having you work here, exposed to wind and sun."
Her eyes glinted darkly, though her lips were curved.
What a coincidence, merely a day after she had pushed her into the water, she showed up to work at her newspaper office. Fu Han, you really are fearless. Did you think you could still rely on He Xing's support while you're in Xia Family territory?
In such mockery, Fu Han simply smiled indifferently, "No need for Miss Xia to worry about me, I just like photography, and your brother He Xing wanted to provide for me, but I felt it wasn't right to compete with you for that honor. I have to work now, so let's not get into details."
She picked up her camera and walked toward the model.
Her casualness was at its peak, as if in her eyes, there was only photography, casually brushing off Xia Ning.
When had Xia Ning ever been so belittled?
"Fu Han! I am your boss now, is this how you talk to your boss?" She said furiously.
"Ah." Fu Han sighed deeply, tidied her disheveled hair, and said with slight impatience, "Miss Xia, I really need to work now."
Work? Was her word not more important than work?
So Xia Ning's fierce gaze turned to Zhu Lian, "Is this the kind of good employee you've recruited? She doesn't act like an employee at all!"
Zhu Lian hadn't anticipated that Fu Han had a past with Xia Ning and internally cursed her luck. She really should have vetted Fu Han before bringing her into the newspaper office. She wondered if Xia Ning would hold a grudge against her... She didn't want to lose her job.
"Miss Xia, I am sorry, so sorry," she turned and said resentfully, "Fu Han! What are you doing? Don't make trouble! Come apologize to Miss Xia right now!"
"Fu Han, you wouldn't want to see your friend getting fired, would you?" Xia Ning watched her with a smug look.
She wanted to see Fu Han, who was too proud to back down, struggle to prevent her friend from being fired.
"Fu Han, please don't get me in trouble! I kindly offered you a job. I didn't do it so you could cost me my livelihood!" Zhu Lian whispered nervously to her.
What will you do now, when there's no way out?
"I am sorry, Miss Xia."
Xia Ning's face turned grim immediately, displeased with her performance.
Why? Why did Fu Han appear so nonchalant? Even when Fu Han was bullied to the point of unbearable pain in the past, she never apologized to her. Back then, Xia Ning had spent countless efforts to force those three little words out of Fu Han, and now, why was there no feeling of satisfaction from the apology, but increased irritation instead?
Fu Han raised her eyebrows, showing no reluctance, bending her body smoothly, still at ninety degrees, "I was the one who spoke out of turn to you…"
Before she finished speaking, her bent body was stopped by a pair of strong hands, gently pulling her into an embrace, He Xing's eyes cold, "Let's see who dares to demand an apology from my fiancée."