There was alcohol on the table, and Qiao Zhaoyue picked up a glass, "Miss Su, the engagement between President Fu and me is a farce. The pressure from his family is intense, and my family has recently run into some trouble. The engagement serves as the only solution to these issues. Rest assured, we've signed an agreement. The engagement will last for six months, and after that, there won't be any relationship between President Fu and me."
"You don't need to worry that I will affect your relationship with him," she said, draining the glass in one go.
She drank hastily, and the alcohol was strong. Qiao Zhaoyue choked on it, her cheeks flushed with a crimson tide, her eyes glistening with a trace of moisture. She covered her lips and coughed for a while. When she looked up again, her expression was no longer the usual aloof one but had an indescribable allure.
Fu Yuxiu's eyes paused on her, his gaze darkening more than before.
The hand resting on Su Ruoyan's waist began to stroke unconsciously.
Feeling at a loss, Su Ruoyan glanced at Fu Yuxiu and also reached for the alcohol, "I'll have a drink too, since I misunderstood you both..."
But before she could take a sip, Fu Yuxiu took the glass from her, "I'll drink it for her."
"You didn't rush to drink for Little Qiao just now, but you're quite the protector," Cheng Hui muttered in a voice only he could hear. He set up the whole thing, but it made everyone uncomfortable. He complained loudly, "Yuxiu, don't you know that Little Qiao has always had a secret crush? And you thought she liked you? Why do you think she's been single all these years? It's because she's waiting for that guy!"
Qiao Zhaoyue's heart jumped, but it was too late to stop him.
Fu Yuxiu looked over thoughtfully, his tone becoming intriguing, "She has someone she likes?"
Su Ruoyan also looked over curiously, "Sister Zhaoyue, who do you like?"
"It's definitely not Fu Yuxiu, that's for sure!" Cheng Hui snapped.
Fu Yuxiu frowned in warning, "Cheng Hui."
Qiao Zhaoyue pretended not to notice the subtle scrutiny from Fu Yuxiu, and seeing that she had successfully piqued his curiosity, she changed the subject, speaking to Cheng Hui, "I have work tomorrow, so if there's nothing else, I'll be heading back."
"Why not take a day off with Fu Yuxiu's approval? Is he a capitalist or an exploiter? You guys are almost married, and he's so stingy that he won't even give you one day off?" Cheng Hui spoke without reservation.
Qiao Zhaoyue smiled, "Our marriage contract lasts only six months, and we don't plan to make it public."
"Come on, you're here now. Sit down and play for a while," Cheng Hui was shuffling the cards on the couch. Seeing Fu Yuxiu standing by, he spoke in an annoyed tone, urging him, "What's the matter, Mr. Fu isn't planning to leave? Want to stay and play?"
Fu Yuxiu came tonight to explain things to Su Ruoyan. Having explained, he naturally had no reason to stay.
But unexpectedly, he straightened his cuffs and actually sat down, "I'll play for a while." Su Yanxin, who was planning to leave, had no choice but to sit down as well.
Cheng Hui had an expression like he had seen a ghost, "What's the matter? Not going back to accompany your darling to sleep?"
Qiao Zhaoyue, hearing that slightly grating nickname, felt a twist in her stomach. She hadn't eaten much during the day, and the alcohol she had just consumed made her feel like vomiting.
"I'm going to the restroom," she said, standing up and heading out, intentionally leaving her cellphone on the couch.
Cheng Hui, shuffling the cards, realized Qiao Zhaoyue hadn't returned, "Hey, can someone ring Little Qiao? She had a drink with high alcohol content. It'd be terrible if she couldn't find her way back."
Another friend dialed the number, and the phone left on the couch rang.
"Damn, she didn't take her phone. She couldn't really be lost, could she? I'll go have a look." Cheng Hui lost his interest in the game and got up to leave but was stopped by Fu Yuxiu.
"I'll go look for her. Continue the game," he said nonchalantly, toying with a lighter in his hand as if looking for Qiao Zhaoyue was a mere trifle, "Just need to smoke a cig."
Su Ruoyan bit her lip, wanting to follow, but was rebuffed by Cheng Hui's frowning comment, "Come on, play for Old Fu. Why join the commotion there?" She reluctantly desisted.
After heading to the restroom, Qiao Zhaoyue indeed vomited.
She didn't spit up much, but she truly felt terrible, splashed some water on her face, and looked at her reflection in the mirror.
Having just vomited, her complexion was pallid. Her already unvivid facial features appeared even sharper, her lips tightly pressed in a difficult-to-relax, stern appearance. She pushed at the flesh on her cheek, trying to look more approachable, so ugly.
She couldn't compare to Su Ruoyan at all.
Qiao Zhaoyue laughed at herself sarcastically. If she were more like her, maybe the possibility of Fu Yuxiu liking her would be greater, right?
He liked the pure and innocent type.
That was something Qiao Zhaoyue just couldn't emulate.
Since she couldn't change herself, she would try to change Fu Yuxiu's opinion.
Deliberately leaving her phone behind, she wondered whether Fu Yuxiu would come looking for her after Cheng Hui discovered she hadn't returned.
When she went out and saw his back turned to her, Qiao Zhaoyue knew she had bet correctly.
"Mr. Fu," she approached him, addressing him with an open attitude.
Fu Yuxiu, hearing her voice, leaned against the wall and stretched out his leg, effectively blocking the way she intended to go.
"Mr. Fu, could you please move aside?" Qiao Zhaoyue asked good-naturedly.
Fu Yuxiu drew on his cigarette and exhaled smoke over her, and after a long moment, he curled his lips toward her, his eyes dark and inscrutable.
"That person, who is he?"
Qiao Zhaoyue didn't immediately realize whom he was referring to and hesitated, "What?"
Fu Yuxiu flicked the ash from his cigarette, "The person you like, who is it?"
The fish had taken the bait.
Qiao Zhaoyue met his gaze, "Has Mr. Fu forgotten our agreement? Isn't it overstepping boundaries to come here and ask about my private life now?"
Not to meddle in each other's personal affairs, that was a condition initiated by Fu Yuxiu at the beginning.
Fu Yuxiu appeared indifferent, "You're overthinking it; I don't care about that."
"I'm just curious, if you have someone you like, why do you still sleep with me?"
"What do you mean? I don't understand," Qiao Zhaoyue pretended not to comprehend and asked back.
She and Fu Yuxiu had maintained a physical relationship for a period of time.
Fu Yuxiu would get drunk, and she, harboring unseemly desires, half-resisted and half-accepted, leading to countless more encounters. This past, known only to themselves and no third party, remained their secret.
For a while, she thought such a relationship would continue indefinitely.
Fu Yuxiu, notorious for his dalliances, had a constant stream of women in his life. He would dispose of them with money and jewels when bored. The clever choice to not question him was the long-term strategy for staying by his side.
Such a man, Fu Yuxiu, was by nature heartless.
It wasn't until she saw him with Su Ruoyan a year ago that she realized how ridiculous her previous thoughts were.
Turns out, even a notorious playboy could develop genuine feelings for someone. His attitude towards Su Ruoyan was a seriousness Qiao Zhaoyue had never seen before.
He was truly ready to settle down.
Without speaking it aloud, they ended their absurd past, and Fu Yuxiu became even colder towards her than before.
Because of this, Qiao Zhaoyue saw through Fu Yuxiu's true nature.
Their ending was destined to be either bad or worse.
So why not take a gamble? Sometimes, even a bad hand can produce a royal flush. It wasn't impossible.
She needed to devise a plan that would make Fu Yuxiu interested in her, until he was completely captivated.
For a man like him, blind compliance was not advisable.
Making him feel out of control at times was the only way to keep his interest at its peak.
"Adults have the need to satisfy desires from time to time. Back then, Mr. Fu, you qualified as the highest-quality man around me; it would have been strange not to accept you."
"Indeed," Fu Yuxiu surprisingly agreed, but quickly turned the conversation around, "I understand that with others, Qiao Zhaoyue, but the time you were drunk was your first time. Do you always bet so heavily?"
"Your first time, not saved for the one you like? You gave it to me—are you not regretful?"