Blossom through the Cloud - Chapter 67

Chapter 67

The landlord was a wealthy middle-aged man who owned two properties in Mingchen and lived in a villa in the western suburbs. He spent his days playing with his grandson and walking his dog, and the rental income wasn't even enough to cover his mahjong losses every month.

Yet he happened to be someone exceptionally enthusiastic about his tenants, handling everything personally—he would even personally bring repair workers along to supervise whenever a water heater broke down.

Still, with the weather this miserable today, he surely wouldn't drag people over bright and early in the morning.

Even if he were coming, he would have to eat breakfast, practice Tai Chi, and send his grandson to school first, making it at least nine o'clock or later.

Every time the landlord had visited her in the past, it was around ten o'clock.

With it not even being seven o'clock yet, giving herself a generous three-hour window, Ruan Suxian refused to believe she couldn't wrap things up neatly by then.

Mm, she had that much confidence in Fu Mingyu.

Just as that thought crossed her mind, she was already swept up and carried into the bedroom.

The windows were tightly shut, yet the sound of the howling wind and torrential rain outside still filtered through.

Meanwhile, Fu Mingyu's breathing sounded all the clearer, growing heavier with every beat.

Before long, his lips shifted and traced a path to Ruan Suxian's ear, lightly kissing her earlobe before half-propping up his upper body.

With her face turned to the side, Ruan Suxian avoided looking at him, yet she could feel his gaze roaming over her skin inch by inch, burning and direct.

Her clothes were already flung wide open, draped in a disarray across her body without providing the slightest shred of coverage.

Fortunately, the room lights were off; only the faint, hazy glow of the streetlights outside filtered through the curtains, casting just enough dimness to serve as a veil.

Otherwise, she might have felt tempted to smother her face with a pillow.

Just as that thought crossed her mind, a sharp clack sounded overhead.

The light clicked on.

"What are you doing!"

Ruan Suxian squeezed her eyes shut. "Turn it off, it's blinding!"

"Then keep your eyes closed." Under the bright, glaring light, Fu Mingyu's voice dropped into a register as low as a murmur against her ear. "I want to look."

When a man says "look," he never limits himself to just moving his eyeballs.

When his fingers began to move in tandem with his gaze, Ruan Suxian suddenly reached out, her hands grasping the fabric at Fu Mingyu's shoulders. Opening her eyes to look at him, she spoke in a voice so soft it was nearly swallowed by the rain.

"My landlord might come over today."

"Hm?"

The exact second that registered with Fu Mingyu, his arms propped beside her head as his Adam's apple bobbed and he drew in a quiet breath with his eyes closed.

"When?"

"I don't know."

Turning her head toward the window, Ruan Suxian flushed hot to the roots of her hair. "Maybe this afternoon."

"Then wait for me a moment?" He slowly propped himself up, his tie falling away from Ruan Suxian's body.

"What are you going to do?"

Fu Mingyu's chest rose and fell, his gaze heavy enough to make Ruan Suxian feel as though the room's temperature had climbed several degrees.

"I'm going upstairs to grab something."

With that, he started to get up, but his tie was suddenly caught and yanked back.

He remained frozen in a half-bent posture, one knee still kneeling on the mattress, looking down as the flushed-faced woman before him stretched out her arm and popped open the bedside drawer.

......

The sky brightened sneakily at some point, and the room, previously plunged in darkness with the lights off, gradually grew clear.

Yet Ruan Suxian remained entirely oblivious to this gradual shift; her mind was drifting in a hazy fog while the surrounding air grew heavy, damp, and thick with an intimate warmth that left her feeling both breathless and exquisitely soothed.

Fu Mingyu paused leisurely, pressing the item from his hand straight into hers.

"Will you help me?"

"...Didn't your teachers ever teach you? Do your own chores yourself!"

......

Daylight had broken completely, and the rain had ceased somewhere along the way.

The entire world fell quiet, save for the ceaseless sounds echoing within this single room.

At first, Ruan Suxian had the landlord's pending visit hanging heavily over her mind, terrified that he might drop by without warning. Under that tense, mildly thrilling pressure, she instinctively choked back the sounds rising in her throat, refusing to let them slip out.

By the end, however, Ruan Suxian had nearly lost consciousness entirely. Her mind held onto only a single, swaying thread, yielding to every demand while losing all track of the passage of time.

Until a phone began ringing shrilly out in the living room. Caught in a daze, she mistook it for the doorbell, causing her nervous system to jerk violently, triggering an immediate physical reaction from her body.

"Hss—"

The two of them plunged together into a fleeting wave of lingering vertigo.

With a slight twitch of his brow, Fu Mingyu suppressed his emotions, lowered his head to kiss her in a gentle, lingering caress, while the sweat on his forehead dripped onto her closed eyelids, gradually fusing with the tears clinging to her lashes.

Both of their breathing gradually steadied, though the air only grew more humid and feverish.

After a long while, the living room ringtone finally stopped.

Ruan Suxian's consciousness drifted back piece by piece.

"My landlord is here." When she spoke, it sounded half like a sob and half like a plea for mercy. "Get out of the way!"

"That was a phone ring."

Even so, Fu Mingyu withdrew, lying down on his side to pull her into his arms as he brushed away the damp strands of hair glued to her flushed cheeks by sweat.

"Want to take a shower?"

He would have been better off saying nothing; the mere mention reminded Ruan Suxian that neither of them had showered beforehand.

Was he even human!

How utterly filthy!

Everything else aside, Ruan Suxian remembered that she had already worked up a good sweat earlier today and spent an entire night cooped up at the company office, making her feel thoroughly gross all over.

She abruptly delivered a punch to his chest. "If you ever go without showering again, I'm going to castrate you."

"..."

Clearly provoked by her words and vocabulary, Fu Mingyu's gaze flashed with a sharp edge as he rolled over and pinned her down once more.

"Care to try me?"

"..."

Fortunately, the phone started ringing again. Shoving him aside with all her might, Ruan Suxian snatched a set of pajamas from the bedside table and bolted barefoot out of the room.

It was a call from the landlord.

"Lassie, I've been flooded out!"

Those were the first words out of his mouth upon connecting, leaving Ruan Suxian momentarily dazed.

"You've been castrated???"

"That's right!" the landlord bellowed. "My house got flooded! I can't get away right now! Mind if I come change your washing machine tomorrow instead?"

"..."

Then what on earth did I endure all that tension for?

"Um, sure, no problem."

Ruan Suxian said with a wry smile. "Take your time."

Hanging up the phone, Ruan Suxian heard footsteps inside the bedroom.

Fu Mingyu had already dressed and emerged.

True to form, he always managed to transform back into a respectable human being in record time.

Once clothed, his demeanor and aura were a stark, total contrast to the man in bed.

Ruan Suxian couldn't even bring herself to look at him.

The mere thought of every intimate moment just now made her scalp tingle with mortification.

Fleeing into the bathroom, Ruan Suxian slammed the door shut and braced both hands against the vanity, panting heavily.

Her limbs felt completely drained of strength, as though she might collapse onto the floor at any second.

She stood there for a long time, still burning all over, the lingering sensation inside her body making it feel as though he was still pressed tight against her.

Yet the moment she caught sight of the catastrophic mess staining the expanse between her collarbone and neck in the mirror, every single romantic thought in her head evaporated instantly.

—"Fu! Ming! Yu! Have you lost your mind?!"

Fu Mingyu pushed open the bathroom door, stepped inside, and glanced at her.

For some reason, even though he looked quite exhausted himself, she was the one full of such fiery vigor.

Tugging at her collar, Ruan Suxian demanded angrily, "What is this?!"

"A hickey."

"..."

I am not mentally disabled, for goodness sake; obviously I know it's a hickey.

Taking a sharp breath, Ruan Suxian decided to ignore him.

She had explicitly told him before heading to the parking garage that she had an interview scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. Had his brain gone entirely to his lower half, making him forget all about it?

Formal occasions like that required wearing her uniform, and the collar couldn't completely conceal that spot. How was she supposed to face people like this?

Wrapping his arms around her from behind, Fu Mingyu nuzzled his cheek against hers.

"What's wrong?"

"Can you honestly not control your own mouth?"

"Hm?" Letting go of her, Fu Mingyu turned around, unbuttoned his shirt to pull it down slightly, and tilted his head to look at her in the mirror. "You didn't hold back much either."

In the mirror, numerous distinct scratch marks were glaringly visible across Fu Mingyu's back.

"Should I tie your hands up next time?"

At that mental image, waves of agonizing shame washed over Ruan Suxian, prompting her to reach out and shove him toward the exit.

"There won't be a next time!"

"Get out, I'm taking a shower."

Yet she barely had any strength left. The man standing right in front of her didn't budge an inch, pulling her straight back into his embrace instead.

"Stop moving, let me hold you a little longer."

No matter how domineering he acted in bed, right now, he was nothing if not gentle.

Ruan Suxian slowly quieted down.

His embrace always seemed imbued with a deeply grounding, comforting magic.

"Aren't you going to sleep?"

"I'll head upstairs for a shower in a bit, and I need to go to the company this afternoon."

He paused before adding, "The Civil Aviation Administration summoned me. They're inviting me for tea this afternoon."

"Well aren't you good at seizing every opportunity."

"Opportunity?"

"..."--

After Fu Mingyu left, Ruan Suxian took a shower, but she skipped sleep.

She knew that if she fell asleep now, she wouldn't wake up until evening, throwing her circadian rhythm completely out of whack.

Still, just sitting around doing nothing was rough; she needed to find something to occupy herself, preferably stepping outside for a walk so she wouldn't doze off.

Si Xiaozhen was at work today and couldn't get away.

As for Bian Xuan, having worried herself sick all night, she still couldn't calm down even after learning Ruan Suxian was safe. She hadn't even opened her bar, but having spent the night awake due to her inverted schedule, she was currently catching up on sleep.

With her phone constantly blowing up with messages related to yesterday's incident, she lacked the energy to reply to them one by one, so she simply muted her ringtone.

Sitting on the sofa for a while, Ruan Suxian wondered who she could even reach out to.

If she hadn't been completely worn out by their earlier workout, she would have happily headed to the gym for a run.

Fortunately, a few minutes later, someone reached out to her instead.

[Zheng You'an]: Sister, are you awake?

[Ruan Suxian]: ?

[Ruan Suxian]: Your surname is Zheng, mine is Ruan.

[Ruan Suxian]: Whose sister are you?

[Zheng You'an]: Don't misunderstand, I'm not trying to hitch my wagon to you.

[Zheng You'an]: Just a respectful title.

[Zheng You'an]: Sister, you're legendary [Thumbs up]

Lying prone on the sofa with her chin propped on a pillow, Ruan Suxian lazily tapped out a reply.

[Ruan Suxian]: What is it?

[Zheng You'an]: Do I have the honor of treating you to lunch today?-

If she hadn't been utterly exhausted and unable to find anyone else to eat with, Ruan Suxian genuinely wouldn't have agreed to dine with Zheng You'an at this restaurant famous for its sickeningly sweet flavors.

Worse still, she herself was yawning constantly, looking thoroughly haggard, while the person sitting across from her sported exquisite makeup and a vibrant glow.

The contrast was glaring.

As if that stark contrast wasn't enough, the girl pulled out her phone and suggested a selfie.

Just as she suddenly leaned over, propping her arm up with the phone, Ruan Suxian hadn't even had time to refuse before the reflex kicked in the moment she saw the camera lens, plastering an automatic eight-tooth smile across her face.

With a crisp click, Zheng You'an sat back down looking thoroughly satisfied, her fingers tapping away at the screen.

"Let me see," Ruan Suxian said.

Zheng You'an handed her the phone.

Mm.

Looking tired, yet still undeniably gorgeous.

Handing the phone back, Ruan Suxian asked, "Why the sudden photo?"

"To post on Moments and show off, obviously."

Zheng You'an answered with breezy confidence, a tone and phrasing that somehow managed to please Ruan Suxian rather well.

Sipping her fruit juice, Ruan Suxian feigned casual nonchalance. "Keep a low profile. There's nothing to show off about this."

As she edited her photo, Zheng You'an retorted, "Other people share some random link on their Moments, whereas I get to post a direct selfie with you. That selfie proves not only that I know you personally, but that I got to share lunch with you right off the bat—isn't that worth showing off?"

Ruan Suxian covered her mouth with a cough.

"I just couldn't find anyone else to eat with today, that's all."

"Oh, it's fine, nobody else knows that anyway."

"..."

Talk about being brazenly, unapologetically vain.

"Oh right, the moment I opened my eyes this morning, I saw some internet celebrity post a photo series." She handed her phone over for Ruan Suxian to glance at. "Chasing clout, going all the way to an exhibition hall bright and early this morning just to throw on a uniform and pose inside a mock cabin—such dedication. She even dropped two sets of pictures back-to-back; anyone would think she boarded a regular flight, whereas people who didn't know would assume she landed on the moon."

Ruan Suxian gave it a casual glance and yawned.

"An enemy of yours?"

"Hmph." Without answering, Zheng You'an switched topics. "Hey, follow me back on Weibo, do you know my handle?"

She pulled up her Weibo profile to show Ruan Suxian. "It's this one. I've been following you forever, but you never followed back."

"Oh."

Ruan Suxian felt like she was being completely passive the entire day.

No, she was always completely passive whenever she dealt with Zheng You'an.

Pulling up Weibo and locating Zheng You'an's account, Ruan Suxian hit the follow button, and her latest post popped up immediately.

Catching a glimpse of the photo Zheng You'an had just uploaded, Ruan Suxian paused and asked, "Who's this?"

It was a group photo showing Zheng You'an linking arms with her father, while another middle-aged man stood nearby.

Though the man's facial features had faded somewhat from her memory, the prominent, oversized mole between his brows was far too striking—resembling a Buddhist mark, it instantly dragged Ruan Suxian's recollections rushing back.

Zheng You'an glanced up at her phone screen and said casually, "My dad, obviously."

"I know, I meant the man standing next to him."

"Oh, Uncle Guo," Zheng You'an said. "Mom's manager, you don't recognize him?"

"Oh."

Ruan Suxian locked her phone screen without saying anything further.

Having successfully posted the photo, Zheng You'an contentedly took a bite of her dessert.

"Right, actually, there's another main reason for today."

Ruan Suxian lifted her eyes. "Go on."

"Since the New Year is coming up, Mom said she'd love to invite you to have New Year's dinner together. But when I heard you turned it down last night, I figured maybe you minded that it was solely Mom's idea."

Stretching her neck out slightly, she continued, "My dad is very warm and welcoming too. Since we haven't seen you in all these years, and ran into each other over at Uncle Yan's place before, he feels the same way."

"I won't have time during the New Year."

That was the truth.

With less than half a month until the Lunar New Year, flight schedules were already locked in. During the peak Spring Festival travel rush, virtually no pilots or flight attendants could take leave.

"What about after the New Year then?" Zheng You'an asked. "Are you busy from the third to the seventh day of the new year?"

"I've got plans."

"Oh..." Catching the flat rejection in her tone, Zheng You'an didn't press further, gracefully giving herself an out. "Well, we can talk about it later then. You'll definitely be spending the New Year over at the Fu family residence anyway."

Mentioning the Fu family, however, prompted Zheng You'an to add, "Say... you guys didn't actually have a falling out over that incident, did you?"

No falling out, she just nearly lost the use of a limb.

Ruan Suxian replied tartly, "No, no, we definitely didn't fight. We are sickeningly affectionate, what on earth are you worried about?"

"That's good, that's good..." Zheng You'an patted her chest in relief. "Actually, I'm not afraid of him, it's just that things haven't been going too smoothly for my family lately, and I'm terrified he'll use his position for payback and make things difficult for my dad."

"What happened to your family?"

Zheng You'an paused for a moment before answering offhandedly, "Nothing much, just running into some operational hiccups with the family business, that's all."--

After finishing lunch, the two of them walked out of the restaurant where Zheng You'an's driver had already pulled the car up to the entrance, while Ruan Suxian pulled out her phone to hail a cab.

"Didn't Fu Mingyu send anyone to pick you up?" Zheng You'an asked, looking utterly shocked. "In weather this cold, he's letting you hail your own cab?"

Ruan Suxian shot her an equally exasperated look. "I just came out for a bite to eat."

She added, "Besides, I didn't tell him either. He's swamped, I couldn't be bothered bothering him."

"Sigh..." Looking toward the vehicle parked ahead, Zheng You'an shook her head in a sigh. "That's why I'd never pick a career-driven boyfriend like that. Busy from dawn to dusk every single day, what's even the point?"

Ruan Suxian didn't care to dignify that with a response.

Zheng You'an continued rambling on her own. "My last boyfriend was a college student. Sure, I was the one who dumped him, but while we were together, I never had to tie my own shoelaces, never had to unscrew a bottle cap, and never even had to carry my own handbag."

Ruan Suxian: "What, did he paralyze your limbs?"

"..."