Blossom through the Cloud - Chapter 50

Chapter 50

Opening the car door, getting in, sitting down, and fastening her seatbelt—everything felt completely normal, yet strangely surreal.

Ruan Sixian seated herself sluggishly, her posture as stiff and standard as if she were sitting through a physical deportment class.

She cast a furtive glance sideways at Fu Mingyu.

Fu Mingyu had gotten into the car a fraction of a second slower than her. Lifting his face slightly, he braced one hand against the steering wheel while pulling his seatbelt across with the other. With a soft click, the engine roared to life simultaneously.

He turned his head to look at Ruan Sixian. "What are you looking at?"

"......"

Stiffly retracting her gaze, Ruan Sixian replied with a calm expression, "You seem to have something on your face."

Fu Mingyu raised a hand to touch his cheek, checking his open palm afterward—there was nothing there.

He simply smiled without exposing Ruan Sixian's clumsy deflection.

The car slowly rolled out of the parking garage and emerged onto street level.

Ruan Sixian could see quite a few off-duty colleagues hurrying toward the front gates. One person standing on the landscaped steps opposite the security kiosk caught sight of the sports car and pretended to glance casually toward the passenger seat.

That casual glance locked directly onto Ruan Sixian's eyes.

The other person didn't seem to wear any particular expression, very naturally looking away a second later.

Ruan Sixian read between the lines of that look with the precision of a reading comprehension test.

-- Ah, President Fu is dropping off his girlfriend after work again.

The weightless, floating sensation in Ruan Sixian's chest intensified once more.

It felt entirely unreal; she almost felt like she was hallucinating.

Back at the beginning of the year, she would still bristle with anger every time she laid eyes on this man, wishing she could carve the words "I never want to see you" right across her forehead.

Yet her life had suddenly been yanked and dragged right up next to Fu Mingyu's by fate itself, forcefully tying a red string between them without ever bothering to ask for either party's consent.

It was hard to fathom that the person sitting right beside her was now her boyfriend.

The word "boyfriend" carried a hefty weight, binding two lives together and entangling all sorts of everyday matters into a shared knot.

Sharing a meal, going shopping, or taking a stroll was one thing, but those unique activities reserved exclusively for couples—such as kissing, or perhaps even more intimate physical acts—all naturally became part of the equation.

At that thought, Ruan Sixian felt her scalp prickle slightly. Her heart seemed to leap right up into her throat, leaving her neck and chest feeling tight and achy, completely at a loss for orientation.

Night fell rapidly in late autumn; before seven o'clock, the curtain of night had completely descended.

This road was not the way back to Distinguished Minister Apartments.

Ruan Sixian turned her head toward the man driving. "Where are you taking me?"

Without a rush, Fu Mingyu tapped the brakes and brought the car to a smooth halt at a red light. "What do you want to eat?"

Ruan Sixian blinked. "Huh?"

Fu Mingyu turned to look at her. "Shouldn't I take my girlfriend out for dinner?"

"Oh..."

Ruan Sixian was still somewhat unaccustomed to the title "girlfriend," especially when meeting his direct gaze, which left her in a hazy daze.

Ever since their status had changed, she felt as though even the way he looked at her had transformed entirely.

It was intensely direct, with a subtle, alluring edge.

She parted her lips, originally intending to suggest spicy clams with rice noodles, but the words shifted on the tip of her tongue into, "What do you want to eat?"

Fu Mingyu remained silent, simply holding her gaze with a soft, lingering smile in his eyes.

Feeling a bit self-conscious under her boyfriend's intense scrutiny, Ruan Sixian turned her head to stare at the traffic light ahead. "The West Wing Banquet?"

He seemed quite fond of that place--

Ten minutes later, Ruan Sixian realized the traffic conditions were heading in the wrong direction.

This was the route leading toward the pedestrian street right next to Distinguished Minister Apartments.

She glanced sideways at Fu Mingyu. "Aren't we going to the West Wing Banquet?"

Fu Mingyu checked the rearview mirror and deftly steered the car into a curbside parking slot. "Don't you like eating this?"

"Oh." Ruan Sixian began undoing her seatbelt. "It's alright, I guess."

The corners of her lips twitched upward as she pushed open the door and stepped out.

The car had parked close to the right curb, placing Ruan Sixian directly across from the clam noodle shop. Both of them got out at the same time, though he had to walk around the vehicle to join her.

Under the bright streetlights, she saw Fu Mingyu pull out his phone to take a call, a slight frown creasing his brow as he walked over to her side and naturally caught her hand, as familiar and effortless as if they had been dating for years.

They had barely made things official less than an hour ago.

--Thump, thump.

When the warm contact of his palm settled against hers, Ruan Sixian's heartbeat skipped another chaotic beat.

Fu Mingyu issued some low instructions to the person on the other end of the line, and feeling the hand he held grow slightly warm, he glanced back down at Ruan Sixian.

Catching his gaze, Ruan Sixian felt her heart flutter, yet she shot back a look that silently asked, What are you staring at?

Fu Mingyu chuckled softly, leading her inside by the hand.

"Yeah, have engineering and technology provide the aircraft fault deferral information and maintenance operating limitations to you. You'll take charge..."

Fu Mingyu's voice drifted somewhat distantly into the background while all of Ruan Sixian's focus locked entirely onto the hand holding hers.

His palm was large and calloused, the distinct contour of a man's bones pressing against her sensitive skin, sending a subtle tremor through her thoughts.

She realized that whenever her mind dwelled on the fact that this man was her boyfriend, the surrounding environment grew abnormally quiet, making the sound of her own breathing and heartbeat stand out far too clearly--

Because it was still a bit early for the usual dinner rush, the small shop was surprisingly uncrowded, with only a scattering of patrons scattered about.

Ruan Sixian genuinely had a craving for spicy clams with noodles tonight.

On a chilly late autumn night, what could possibly be more tempting than a steaming, piping-hot bowl of spicy clam noodles?

The owner surprisingly remembered the pairing of Fu Mingyu and Ruan Sixian. As the two walked in, a look of profound bewilderment crossed the owner's face, as if thinking, Just how good is my food to attract someone who looks like a ruthless corporate CEO for a second visit?

"You two are back again. What can I get you today?"

Wiping down a stool, Ruan Sixian asked, "Boss, you still remember us?"

"Remember? Of course I remember." With few customers around, the owner felt inclined to chat, wiping both hands on an apron tied around the waist. "How could I forget two people who look like celestial beings?"

Flattered by the owner's praise, Ruan Sixian beamed and ordered a bowl of sour-and-spicy clam noodles, specifically instructing the owner to add extra clams while offering to pay more.

"No need for extra money, I'll just toss in a few more for you. Make sure to come back again next time." Turning to Fu Mingyu, the owner asked, "And you, what would you like?"

Boyang had just sent over several pending MEL and CDL project sign-off sheets that required urgent attention, leaving Fu Mingyu no choice but to squeeze in work time right then. Without lifting his head, he replied, "Same as her."

Catching a hint of perfunctory detachment in his tone, the owner instantly realized the man's presence wasn't due to the culinary brilliance of the establishment—he was merely accompanying his girlfriend down to earth.

The owner acknowledged the order and walked away. Ruan Sixian sat down opposite Fu Mingyu, watching him stare fixedly at his phone with no clear idea of what he was doing, prompting her to give his shin a gentle kick with her shoe.

"What are you doing?"

Fu Mingyu raised his eyes to look at her, offering a reassuring tone. "The maintenance department needs me to sign off on a quarterly report. Just give me a second."

Why on earth should I wait for you?

Resting her chin in her hands, Ruan Sixian looked up toward the television mounted on the wall.

The female patrons sitting at the table directly behind them had noticed the couple when they first walked in. Catching snippets of their conversation now, one of them nudged her boyfriend with her chopsticks.

"Look at other people's boyfriends. Even an elite businessman is willing to come eat at a tiny little shop like this with his girlfriend. When I ask you out, you throw a massive tantrum."

The dialogue drifted over to Ruan Sixian at a moderate volume. Maintaining a calm expression, she glanced over to see the young man shaking his head while playing a mobile game, replying offhandedly, "Well, look at what the other guy's girlfriend looks like, too."

Exasperated, the girl pinched the young man hard.

Taking advantage of Fu Mingyu's bowed head as he stared at his phone, Ruan Sixian let her gaze drift leisurely across Fu Mingyu's profile.

She repeated a single fact to herself over and over again in her mind.

This is your boyfriend. A boyfriend you acknowledged with your own lips.

He's quite handsome, too. Totally worth it.

With that thought, she raised her head back toward the television, a tiny, quiet curve forming at the corner of her lips.

Finishing his message, Fu Mingyu looked up and caught Ruan Sixian smiling to herself.

"What are you smiling at?"

Dropping her gaze to eye him, Ruan Sixian answered, "Nothing."

He pressed on, "You seem unusually happy today."

Do I?

Ruan Sixian pressed her lips together and turned her attention back to the wall-mounted television.

"You must be imagining things."

Putting his phone down without another word, Fu Mingyu followed the direction of Ruan Sixian's gaze to check out what was playing on the TV, frowned slightly, and then pulled his eyes away.

"Is television really that interesting?"

So uninteresting that she wouldn't even spare her newly minted boyfriend a few extra glances.

Cupping her chin, Ruan Sixian's attention was long gone from the screen, yet she forced an air of casual indifference just to keep conversation flowing.

"It's alright. This actress suddenly blew up this year; it feels like she's in half the movies and variety shows out there. I'd never even heard of her before, couldn't even remember her name—Li something, Tree something..."

Fu Mingyu chimed in, "Li Zhihuai."

Fu Mingyu's unprompted addition caught Ruan Sixian off guard.

Lowering her gaze, she teased him, "You seem remarkably well-versed in these female celebrities."

Fu Mingyu adopted a look of absolute resignation. "Believe whatever you want."

"So, do you think she's attractive?"

"She's alright."

Alright?

Ruan Sixian decided that Fu Mingyu completely lacked any sense of self-preservation instincts.

How could anyone possibly describe another woman as "alright" right in front of their girlfriend?

"Oh, is she your preferred type?"

Lifting his gaze, Fu Mingyu looked at her calmly. "You don't know what my type is?"

Had he just dropped an unexpected, indirect confession?

She had been wondering all evening whether something was missing between her and Fu Mingyu. He had never formally confessed his feelings, nor had he ever asked if she liked him, simply bypassing the entire procedure by kissing her and locking down their relationship.

Hearing this ambiguous yet pointed remark, Ruan Sixian realized she felt quite pleased about it.

Right at that moment, two steaming bowls of spicy clam noodles were brought to the table, and an appetizing, sour-and-spicy aroma immediately filled the space between them.

Picking up her chopsticks, she said, "Let me pick out the clam meat for you."

Staring at the bowl from a distance, Fu Mingyu declined. "No need."

Ruan Sixian went right ahead with her task: "My boyfriend has stooped down from the heavens to keep me company, so let me at least serve you."

"In that case, you might as well feed me directly."

"......"

"What's the matter, is my girlfriend feeling shy?"

Ruan Sixian's hand paused mid-motion. She slowly tightened her grip on her chopsticks and narrowed her eyes at him.

This was why you could never treat Fu Mingyu like a normal human being all the time.

"I can also be responsible for feeding you three meals a day by hand from now on, alongside turning you over every two hours to prevent bedsores. Would you like to experience this earth-shattering romance?"

"Turning me over? I can help you with that part."

"......"