"You don't have to placate me, I just want to ask you, what are you really thinking? Are you willing to stay by that brat's side?"
"If you're not willing, even if it costs me my pride, I will destroy this marriage for you."
This was the first time anyone had so seriously considered her opinion. Looking into Grandfather Fu's compassionate eyes, with Fu Yuxiu's face flashing through her mind, Qiao Zhaoyue knew it was like a moth to a flame, but she still wanted to try.
There was still half a year's time, and even if it were unbearable, she could endure the outcome.
With this thought, a genuine smile, rare on Qiao Zhaoyue's usually indifferent face, appeared as she looked up at him with determined eyes and promised word by word.
"Don't worry, Grandpa, I am willing to stay by Yuxiu's side voluntarily, at least for now I am willing to accompany him."
"If the day comes when I must leave, I won't wrong myself."
Only then did Grandfather Fu sigh with relief, his eyes couldn't help but moisten slightly, his gaze inadvertently swept toward the door.
He had done everything he could; he hoped that brat would appreciate his good intentions.
If such a good daughter-in-law really walked away, he wouldn't be blamed for turning his face and refusing to acknowledge him.
"As long as you don't wrong yourself, that's good. Go back and rest well; it's late today, so stay home and be at ease."
"Those people outside, if you don't want to see them, just don't. Watching their hypocritical faces every day annoys me too."
After speaking so much, Grandfather Fu, being of advanced age, seemed a bit tired.
After instructing Qiao Zhaoyue, he had someone escort her back to her room.
However, Fu Yuxiu, who should have continued his pretense downstairs with the Fu Family members, was sitting on the sofa in the room without a word. It wasn't until Qiao Zhaoyue turned on the light that she noticed him.
"Mr. Fu, why are you here?"
"This is my room."
Once these words were spoken, the room became so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Qiao Zhaoyue sighed helplessly; she knew Grandfather Fu wanted to matchmake them.
But such methods might not necessarily have a good effect.
"Sorry, the servant guiding me must have made a mistake. I will find another room."
Qiao Zhaoyue had been standing by the door, and after speaking, was about to leave when someone caught her wrist and pulled her back, closing the door as well.
She was slim and not strong, and the other person's grip was forceful. Even though she landed on a soft bed, her back still ached.
"Mr. Fu, what are you doing?"
Qiao Zhaoyue slightly frowned, calmly glancing at Fu Yuxiu, not understanding why he seemed so restrained after only separating for a few minutes.
But he remained silent, just staring at her with a heavy gaze.
His eyes were so deep that Qiao Zhaoyue couldn't help but turn her head away, not wanting to meet his gaze.
Even though she was very good at hiding her feelings, in this situation, she was afraid that her carefully repressed love would unconsciously reveal itself, and all her efforts would have been in vain.
"You seem to think highly of me. If I only listened to those words, I might actually believe that you have deep feelings for me."
The warm breath on Qiao Zhaoyue's exposed skin made her involuntarily want to shrink away, but her body grew much colder because of his words.
It seemed he had heard the conversation earlier.
"You're overthinking it, Mr. Fu. Since it's a contractual agreement, pleasing Grandfather Fu is my duty. He likes to hear such things, and I'm willing to perform for him."
"Even if it's a joke to everyone else, does President Fu also have to take it seriously?"
Qiao Zhaoyue secretly clenched her fingers, yet her expression remained calm. She turned her head and looked at him openly and honestly, as if all her actions were merely to fulfill her work duties.
This reaction made Fu Yuxiu feel even more annoyed. He didn't understand why he felt secretly thrilled upon hearing those words, so much so that he intentionally waited here for her.
But now, she said everything was just a pretense, advising him not to flatter himself.
Ha, ridiculous. When had he ever failed to get what he wanted?
"What if I insist on taking it seriously?"
"I wasn't aware before that you had some good points in terms of looks and figure. As my fiancée, shouldn't you fulfill these obligations as well?"
The tone of Fu Yuxiu's voice was uncharacteristically gentle, filled with romance and ambiguity between lovers, and even their movements appeared deeply affectionate to others.
Yet all this only made Qiao Zhaoyue feel colder inside, and she couldn't help but laugh at herself ruefully. Could it be that in his eyes, she was nothing more than a tool for his lust even now?
Qiao Zhaoyue tugged at the corner of her mouth, revealing a smile, "President Fu doesn't need to use these words to provoke me, we've been through this before."
"However, times have changed. President Fu now has a little girlfriend to cajole, and if someone found out, there's no guarantee she wouldn't be jealous."
Upon hearing this, Fu Yuxiu's gaze darkened, and he gripped her even tighter. His body didn't move, yet his stare remained intense.
The atmosphere between them grew taut, their breaths audibly clear in the otherwise silent air.
A layer of cold sweat had already formed on Qiao Zhaoyue's back, but she had no desire for more intimate contact with Fu Yuxiu under these circumstances.
Trapped in a room alone together, and so close to one another, the tension that was initially confrontational had imperceptibly started to take on an ambiguous tone.
It wasn't clear who moved first, but their lips were drawing ever nearer—only a hair's breadth apart.
Just then, the shrill ring of a phone suddenly shattered the dreamlike scene.
Any man would feel frustrated if his moment was spoiled like this. The malevolence in Fu Yuxiu's eyes grew stronger, yet he still got up from his seat.
Glancing at the name on the phone, he eventually walked a few steps away.
"Hello, Yanyan, don't mess around."
"What I said before wasn't meant that way, I didn't think of you like that," he explained.
Qiao Zhaoyue had also risen from the bed by now, taking her time to adjust her attire, all the while discreetly picking up snatches of the conversation from the other side.
Despite not hearing it all, she could guess enough. It seemed that Su Ruoyan couldn't contain herself, and it hadn't been long before she thought about using suicide as a way to keep someone's attention.
"I understand, I'll come over right now."
Fu Yuxiu pinched the bridge of his nose, hung up the phone, grabbed his coat, and headed for the door, stopping just before exiting.
"I've got something to take care of, you know what to say to Grandpa."
He didn't care for Qiao Zhaoyue's response. As long as she remains his secretary, she had no right to refuse.
Fu Yuxiu issued his orders indifferently, then left with large strides.
It didn't take long for the room to quiet down again. Qiao Zhaoyue was rather pleased to lock the door, take a hot shower, and lie in bed.
That phone call might have interrupted her earlier, but she didn't care for a passionate encounter that was induced by a rush of hormones.
What she wanted was Fu Yuxiu's willing heart, and nothing less.