Chu Shuo was stunned.
Fu Rongyin had already gotten into the driver's seat. "Get in."
Chu Shuo slowly came to his senses and, along with Nan Bingyu, helped Chi Yue into the car, shut the rear door, and prepared to walk around to the passenger side. The car slipped away from in front of him and quickly vanished from sight.
Chu Shuo: "..."
Nan Bingyu, holding Chi Yue, turned to look back at Chu Shuo still standing in his original spot, and subconsciously straightened her back.
"Master, what are you trying to imply here?"
Fu Rongyin: "Where do you live?"
Nan Bingyu gave her address, then said, "Master, did you intentionally leave Chu Shuo behind?"
"You can think of it that way."
Nan Bingyu fell silent.
Fu Rongyin was as indifferent as the rumors suggested, even his speech was strictly business, without any unnecessary words.
She had wanted to bring up Chi Yue's situation, but seeing that neither of them intended to speak, she let it go.
Fu Rongyin's driving was excellent, the car was fast yet stable as it stopped beneath the apartment building where Nan Bingyu lived.
Nan Bingyu got out first, ready to assist Chi Yue, but then heard Fu Rongyin say, "Close the door."
Nan Bingyu subconsciously looked towards him.
Chi Yue reached out to pull the door shut and said her first words since encountering Fu Rongyin, "You go back and rest."
Nan Bingyu supported the door, disapprovingly saying, "You fell into the water, tonight you should..."
"I'm alright," she said, pulling the door shut.
Nan Bingyu could only watch helplessly as the car drove away. She suddenly felt that something else was bound to happen between Chi Yue and Fu Rongyin.
The atmosphere inside the car seemed even tenser than before.
Chi Yue was still wrapped in a towel, and the temperature inside the car was relatively high, so she wasn't shivering as much as before.
She leaned back in her seat, eyes half-closed and showing no intention of speaking with Fu Rongyin.
After an unknown period, the car stopped. Chi Yue opened her eyes and found that they were not below her apartment but in Fu Rongyin's underground garage.
Chi Yue stayed silent for a moment, then got out of the car, followed closely by Fu Rongyin.
"Thank you, Mr. Fu, I won't disturb you any longer. Goodbye."
Chi Yue walked towards the garage exit. After a few steps, Fu Rongyin's deep voice came from behind her, "Come upstairs, at least dry your clothes before leaving."
Chi Yue pretended not to hear and continued walking out.
The next second, her arm was grabbed and pulled backward as she collided into Fu Rongyin's solid embrace.
Before she could react, she was lifted in his arms. By the time she regained her senses, she was already sitting on the sofa in Fu Rongyin's living room.
Fu Rongyin handed her a bathrobe. "Take a shower and change your clothes."
Chi Yue raised her eyes, her gaze clear and direct, "Mr. Fu, you have already rejected me, so why get involved with me again?"
"Rejecting you and helping you are not conflicts."
"What if I say they are?"
"Then you need to change that mindset," Fu Rongyin replied, pointing to the bathroom outside before returning to his bedroom, "The dryer is in the laundry room."
The sound of the door closing cut off all other noise.
Chi Yue looked around this place she had visited twice before, feeling unexpectedly calm.
He was helping her either out of guilt for having slept with her twice, or for some other reason, which Chi Yue cared nothing about.
At this moment, she had no desire whatsoever to return to that cold home, especially after her fall into the water.
After sitting for a long time, Chi Yue finally took the bathrobe into the bathroom, showered, washed her clothes, then put them in the dryer.
The door to the master bedroom was tightly closed, and there was no sound from inside.
Chi Yue glanced at the open guest room next door, grabbed a blanket from inside, and lay down on the sofa.
After Fu Rongyin finished his work in the study late at night, the living room was silent. Fu Rongyin stood behind the door for a moment before turning to enter the bathroom.
After coming out of the bathroom, he prepared to rest, faintly hearing a suppressed sound from outside.