Blossom through the Cloud - Chapter 63

Chapter 63

"Let's be real, did she actually think the Fu family is somewhere just anyone can waltz into? She—"

Someone in the smoking area was delivering their concluding remarks, but before the words could fully fade, another person caught a fleeting glimpse of a figure out of the corner of their eye and violently yanked their neighbor's sleeve.

"Fu..."

—"What kind of place is the Fu family?"

A pair of bright gold, pointed-toe high heels stepped into the space, tapping sharply against the bluestone pavement.

Helan Xiang stopped about a meter away from the group, crossing her arms over her chest, her chin tucked slightly as she swept her eyes up and down the person who had just spoken. "Hm? Go on, say it. What kind of place is the Fu family? The way you two talk about it, you make the Fu family sound like a maximum-security prison. How terrifying."

Inside the open-air smoking area, gusts of freezing wind swept in, carrying tiny particles of ice that lashed against them, cutting right through their outer jackets with a bone-chilling bite.

For a moment, the small pavilion fell so dead silent that only the sound of the wind rustling the tree leaves remained.

"Why aren't you talking anymore? I thought you had plenty to say just now. Put you in a formal setting and you couldn't squeeze out half a fart to save your lives, but behind people's backs, every single one of your tongues is longer than the last. Why hasn't the Wenzhou duck tongue factory hired you lot to anchor their board?"

Helan Xiang took a step to the left, tapping her fingers rhythmically against her arm as her dense eyelashes fluttered up and down. "Such tender ages, yet 'bitch' rolls right off your tongues. Have you even finished memorizing your basic English vocabulary before coming out here to show off?"

The woman flushed crimson from the scolding, biting her lower lip as her hands fluttered uncertainly, with no idea where to put them. "Auntie, you've misunderstood."

"What exactly have I misunderstood?" Helan Xiang stared straight into her eyes, fixing her with a gaze that forced the other girl to keep her head bowed. "My son gifted a necklace to his girlfriend just for fun, yet you lot ran your mouths off insisting the necklace was fake. What kind of game are you playing here?"

She tapped a hand against her chest, drawing a deep breath with an air of profound grievance. "Our Fu family has worked ourselves to the bone for decades, pouring sweat and toil into everything we do, only to end up looking like absolute trash in the eyes of outsiders. When you boil it all down, I suppose we just aren't worthy."

Standing back in the corridor, Ruan Suxian wore a solemn expression: "..."

Why on earth was she launching into a tragic victim routine right now?

"Auntie, I—I didn't mean it like that."

Ignoring her entirely, Helan Xiang turned slowly on her heel, strolled over to stand in front of another man, and gently pressed a finger against the bridge of her nose. "But when did deciding whether we're worthy or not become your job? What do you think you are, some high-end locksmith? My son chooses a girlfriend, and you feel entitled to critique her without first checking whether you're worthy yourself? Isn't the restroom right over there? Why don't you march on inside and take a good look in the mirror."

Turning her gaze toward the other man, Helan Xiang paused for a beat and said nothing.

The man felt his heart pounding furiously against his ribs and rushed to sever all ties first: "Auntie, I was just passing by..."

"People who just walk past are innocent bystanders. What kind of breed are you if you walk past and still can't control yourself from taking a piss?"

"..."--

On the other side, Fu Mingyu and Yan An were walking toward the exit from opposite ends of the banquet hall.

Seeing that Ruan Suxian had yet to return, Fu Mingyu intended to go look for her, while Yan An wanted to step outside for a smoke; as a result, the two of them crossed paths right in the corridor.

Walking one right after the other, the atmosphere grew somewhat rigid.

Just as Yan An was about to mutter something, his peripheral vision caught a corner of movement nearby, prompting him to say, "Over there..."

Before he could finish, Fu Mingyu had already quickened his pace and strode forward.

"What is going on?" He walked up right beside Ruan Suxian. "What are you all doing here?"

Ruan Suxian hadn't fully recovered from the battlefield ahead. Turning her head to see that Fu Mingyu had arrived, she parted her lips, but before she could utter a word, Helan Xiang spun around from the front and furrowed her brow sharply. "Nothing."

She walked over, casting a sidelong glance at her son with a trace of bitter acidity in her tone. "I simply never imagined that after toiling away in bitterness and hardship for half a lifetime to raise two sons, I would end up being portrayed by others as a wicked mother-in-law—a ruthless tyrant tearing apart young lovers, committing every heinous crime imaginable to sabotage a wonderful relationship, and driving my eldest son away to wander foreign lands."

The four people in the smoking area: "⋯?"

Wait no, we didn't mean any of that.

Ruan Suxian was equally astonished.

So that was where she had been saving her ultimate masterpiece?

And honestly, thinking carefully about everything she had just said, did it even sound wrong?

Ruan Suxian looked up and caught Fu Mingyu narrowing his eyes as his gaze swept across the group standing before them.

In an instant, she had the distinct feeling that these people's social lives were about to be permanently canceled.

Turning back around, Helan Xiang threw one more look at Ruan Suxian and added, "Oh, and they also refused to believe that the necklace you gave her was real, insulting her character into the bargain."

Fu Mingyu: "Is that so? What's a mere necklace? Anything she likes, she can have every single airplane on the tarmac."

Helan Xiang suddenly widened her eyes. ???

Did I agree to this?!

Gifting those to Ruan Suxian meant Dong Xian would essentially inherit half the aircraft fleet of their family in the future.

Unable to stomach that thought, Helan Xiang grazed the corner of her eye with the back of her hand. "Forget it, I'm freezing. I'm going back inside."

With that, she strode out of the smoking area and headed back toward the banquet hall.

"Auntie, what do you mean by 'forget it'? I can't just let this go!"

Yan An was already in a foul mood today, and hearing this pushed his anger straight through the roof.

Though he constantly locked horns with Fu Mingyu on a daily basis, Helan Xiang was still an elder who had watched him grow up; how could he ever tolerate these people whispering and scheming behind her back?

Besides, this bunch were merely his usual drinking and carousing buddies whom he had brought along to the banquet simply to liven up the atmosphere—young people knew how to keep the energy up, and since his father was getting older, he also enjoyed a lively, bustling scene. Who could have predicted that this group would spend the entire evening backstabbing and creating trouble for him?

Turning his head to look, Yan An saw that Helan Xiang had already walked away with a lonely silhouette. Glancing back at the few individuals standing before him, his rage flared anew. Closing his eyes, he drew a deep, steadying breath, reminding himself that today was his own father's birthday banquet and he couldn't afford to cause a massive scene.

Seeing that Helan Xiang had departed, the group tried to open their mouths to offer some form of explanation, but Yan An raised a hand to flash a firm "shut up" gesture. Keeping his eyes closed, he barked, "All of you, get yourselves out of here right now. Don't make me call security to throw you out."

Having said that, he hurried off in pursuit to coax Helan Xiang.

The remaining individuals had barely stepped out of the small pavilion when they crashed head-on into Fu Mingyu's piercing gaze.

Fu Mingyu remained silent. When he turned around, his gaze swept lightly across them, carrying a chilling blend of frost and ice. Though he uttered not a single word, it still left them feeling as though they had been plunged straight into an ice cellar.

"Let's go." He took Ruan Suxian's hand, offering no further remarks.

Ruan Suxian glanced back one last time at the group of people who desperately wanted to leave but didn't dare make a move.

Whether I am worthy or not is something only I get to decide—Back inside the banquet hall, Ruan Suxian instantly spotted Yan An sitting right next to Helan Xiang, wearing a ingratiating smile as he chatted beside her. One moment he was offering her pastries, the next he was proactively fetching drinks, making him look far more like a dutiful biological son than Fu Mingyu ever did.

More than half an hour passed without a single trace of those individuals reappearing.

Taking a sip of a sweet cocktail, Ruan Suxian scanned her surroundings. "Where did they go? How come I don't see them leaving?"

"They went out through the back service exit." Fu Mingyu retrieved her glass from her hand. "This drink has quite a kick to it."?

Ruan Suxian suddenly felt a wave of mild dizziness washing over her.

"Why didn't you warn me earlier? I already drank quite a bit of it."

"Is that my fault too?"

Fu Mingyu took a sip from the very same glass. "You looked like you were having a great time drinking it."

Lowering his gaze to look at her, he asked, "What's the matter, already at your limit?"

"It's just a glass of alcohol, I'm not that fragile." Ruan Suxian quietly steadied herself by resting a hand against the edge of the table.

She had no idea that the alcohol had already flushed her cheeks a brilliant crimson, leaving her eyes looking as bright and glossy as if coated in a layer of shimmering water.

"Though I have to admit, this tastes pretty good." She reached out to grab the glass again, though this time Fu Mingyu didn't stop her. "I honestly thought it was just champagne."

"Have it your way then."

As the banquet drew toward its conclusion, Dong Xian finally found an opportunity to bring Zheng Youan over to formally introduce her to Ruan Suxian.

True to form, Dong Xian was a woman of few words, and Zheng Youan's father was similarly a man of few words. The entire encounter remained strictly polite, exchanging a handful of sparse pleasantries before running out of conversation altogether.

Yet as Ruan Suxian looked at the tall, impeccably upright figure of Zheng Youan's father, she still couldn't quite reconcile his appearance with the person lingering in her memories—As they prepared to leave, stepping out of the banquet hall doors hit them with a sudden rush of biting cold wind that sent Ruan Suxian's hair flying and caused her to shiver involuntarily.

Helan Xiang and her husband were standing nearby. Catching sight of Ruan Suxian, Helan Xiang walked over and thrust her own tasseled shawl directly into Ruan Suxian's hands.

"We're heading home first." Not giving Ruan Suxian any opening to refuse, she linked arms with her husband and walked toward their car. Before closing the car door, she leaned out to give a wave. "You two get some rest early as well."

Clutching the warm shawl, Ruan Suxian stood rooted to the spot for a moment, momentarily at a loss.

Fu Mingyu took it from her hands, wrapped it snugly around her neck, and led her toward their own vehicle.

"Sigh..." Ruan Suxian settled into the car seat, burying her chin deep into the fluffy folds of the shawl as she let out a sudden sigh.

"What is it?"

"Was that necklace originally hers too?"

"Mhm, she said she wanted it treated as a welcoming gift for you."

Ruan Suxian fell silent for a brief moment before murmuring quietly, "Auntie is really wonderful to me."

Giving her such an exorbitant gift before they had even formally met, stepping up to fight her battles during their very first official meeting, and handing over her own shawl out of concern that she might catch a cold when they parted ways.

Fu Mingyu shot her a look that clearly communicated a now you finally realize it expression.

"Do you still think she dislikes you now?"

Ruan Suxian smiled, glanced down at the dress she was wearing, and asked, "This dress couldn't possibly be a gift from Auntie as well, could it?"

When Fu Mingyu's assistant had sent the dresses and shoes over days ago, she had opened the boxes and spent a fleeting moment seriously questioning Fu Mingyu's personal orientation.

A straight man could never possess that kind of aesthetic refinement!

But if it had been chosen by Helan Xiang, everything suddenly made perfect sense.

With a helpless expression, Fu Mingyu looked at her. "Do you take me for some helpless infant?"

The subtext being that this dress had nothing whatsoever to do with Helan Xiang.

"Oh." Ruan Suxian reached out to smooth down the fabric of her skirt. "Do you really like seeing me wear red dresses that much?"

Her memories of her birthday night remained crystal clear; the low murmur Fu Mingyu had whispered directly into her ear still tended to pop up out of nowhere at the most random, inexplicable moments.

"Actually, I prefer seeing you wear another outfit."

"Which one?"

With the driver sitting right in the front row, Fu Mingyu leaned in close to Ruan Suxian's ear and murmured in a low voice, "Your uniform."

"..."

The imagery flashing through Ruan Suxian's mind instantly shifted into vibrant, technicolor distortion, marching steadily down the path of a Japanese adult romance comic with zero intention of turning back.

"I think you belong in a completely different kind of setting."

"Hm?"

"Jiangcheng Prison. Full uniform compliance for everyone there, guaranteed to fulfill every single one of your twisted fantasies."

"..."

With a dark expression, Fu Mingyu clenched his jaw and enunciated each syllable with deliberate precision: "Ruan—Su—Xian."

"Not here."

Despite talking back like that, she still drifted closer to Fu Mingyu, resting her head against his shoulder as she closed her eyes.

Though she had only consumed a little alcohol today, the proof was undeniably high, and her head had started spinning quite a while ago.

Reaching out, Fu Mingyu wrapped an arm around her shoulders to help her settle into a more comfortable position.

Inside the car, it was warm and peaceful, accompanied by the steady, even rhythm of the breathing beside him.

Suddenly, a wave of warmth brushed against his ear.

Before Fu Mingyu could turn his head, he heard her murmur softly against his ear: "I'll put it on for you next time, just you."

Mindful of the other person present in the car, Fu Mingyu kept his silence—It wasn't until she was scooped up and carried out of the car that Ruan Suxian slowly fluttered her eyes open.

Catching sight of Fu Mingyu's jawline the moment she regained consciousness, and identifying precisely who was carrying her, she simply shut her eyes again to continue her nap.

Arriving at her apartment door, Fu Mingyu instructed, "Open the door."

Growingly drowsy, Ruan Suxian fumbled for the password pad, punched in the numbers, pushed the door open, and promptly closed her eyes once more.

Carrying her inside, Fu Mingyu laid her down gently across the bed.

Ruan Suxian rolled over, hugged a pillow against her chest, and mumbled sleepily, "Make sure you close the door on your way out."

She was planning to rest for a little while before getting up to take a shower.

The sound of footsteps didn't follow her request; instead, the door of her wardrobe was pushed open.

Opening her eyes, Ruan Suxian stared at him. "What are you doing?"

Fu Mingyu located the familiar uniform set, pulled it out, and tossed it straight onto the bed.

"Put it on right now."

Clutching her pillow, Ruan Suxian felt her consciousness slowly clearing.

"What time is it, Fu Mingyu, can you please act like a civilized human being for once?!"

Taking off his outer coat to toss it aside, Fu Mingyu stood in his shirtsleeves and leaned forward, his frame pressing in close as a faint trace of alcohol drifted off him.

"I've spent way too much time acting like a human being lately, so I'm allowed to take a break."

Seeing that Ruan Suxian made no move to comply, he added, "Are you going to put it on yourself, or do you need me to help you?"

Ruan Suxian froze for a second. When her brain fully caught up to what he meant, a sudden, wicked little chuckle slipped past her lips. "I'll put it on myself. Why don't you wait outside?"

The corners of Fu Mingyu's eyebrows ticked upward. He turned around, walked out of the bedroom, and clicked the door shut behind him.

A few minutes later, the voice from inside called out:

"All done."

Fu Mingyu turned his gaze back toward the door, waited two seconds, and twisted the doorknob.

Ruan Suxian stood with her back facing him, currently fastening the buttons. Hearing the click of the door, she turned her head to look at him.

For some inexplicable reason, the line Well, mister, are you satisfied with what you see? suddenly popped right into her head.

Thinking better of it, she realized the script was completely wrong, so she swallowed the words back down.

However, the man standing before her looked unequivocally satisfied. Though his lips were pressed into a tight, straight line, the depths of his eyes were pitch-black and bottomless, shimmering with the dangerous, crackling sparks of barely restrained desire.