After the press conference, public opinion gradually changed. Fu Junyan even made it to the social news section. Because of Young Master Junyan’s speech, there were hardly any more people targeting us. More people began to reflect on their own moral values, and a wave of introspection appeared in society. A certain daily newspaper ran headlines for three consecutive days with Fu Junyan’s quote: “What kind of education have we really received?”
When I opened my Weibo and official website, there was suddenly a flood of apologies from fans, with the words “I’m sorry” filling almost the entire page of the official website. It was quite impressive, but also frightening. Overnight, due to the revelation of my background, “Regretful Love” rose back to the top spot in click rates, and many TV stations began rebroadcasting it. To the point where our faces were everywhere we went, even I got tired of seeing them. Fu Junyan, on the other hand, remained calm, completely unaffected by fame or disgrace.
The first day back home, the fruits and vegetables that had been in the refrigerator for too long had all gone bad. As soon as I opened the fridge door, the stench nearly made me faint. I turned around, hugging Gu Xiao’an and retreating like we were fleeing for our lives, covering our noses and mouths while shouting for Fu Junyan. Fu Junyan had already guessed the situation before he got close. He took cleaning gloves from the kitchen before approaching. He calmly waved his hand for me to take Xiao’an away, opened the refrigerator without even raising an eyebrow at the stench, and began methodically cleaning with a rag and trash can.
The more I watched him, the more I admired him. Suddenly I thought, Young Master Fu, he’s really perfect for both home and work…
At first, An’an and I just stood by the door, peeking at the hardworking Fu Junyan, feeling a bit guilty about just watching. Later, we grew bolder and simply brought two chairs to sit behind Fu Junyan, munching on cookies noisily and swinging our legs, watching Fu Junyan work with a ‘landlord’ attitude. Fu Junyan still showed no reaction, but when he finally finished, he somehow got two fingertips of dish soap bubbles and dabbed them on An’an’s and my noses, then raised an eyebrow and left. Little Xiao’an was left with his face scrunched up looking at me, letting out a “wa wu” sound as he frantically wiped his little face, but the more he wiped, the worse it got…
When we went grocery shopping at the supermarket near our home that evening, Fu Junyan was holding An’an while sitting in a wheelchair. I was pushing him from behind while talking to him. Originally, everything was peaceful, but suddenly several reporters appeared in front of us with cameras, quickly surrounding us. Fu Junyan reacted extremely fast, covering An’an’s eyes with his hand. Then he looked up and said coldly, “There are pregnant women and children here, please turn off the flash.”
At this moment, the pale yellow light fell on his exquisitely handsome face. Although he was still wearing a polite smile, there was no warmth in his eyes.
Hearing this, the reporters cooperated and turned off the flash. Only then did Fu Junyan’s eyes regain some warmth.
Before they could ask questions, Fu Junyan spoke first. I heard him say, “Thank you all for your hard work, but as the truth of the matter is still unclear, Junyan cannot say much.” As he said this, he slightly lowered his eyes and smiled faintly, instantly warming hearts like spring returning to the earth. Then I heard him continue in a friendly manner, “Junyan, like all of you, sincerely hopes that we can correctly find our own value, not harm others, and not damage our own dignity. Thank you.”
I was stunned by his later words, wondering why he was speaking so strangely today. But after walking a few steps, I heard the reporter who had rushed to the front at the beginning put down his camera, spit on the ground and say, “Damn! Amazing! How did he know we were going to ask him what he thought about the current public self-reflection trend?”
I was also surprised. I poked Fu Junyan’s shoulder and gave him a thumbs up. Then I saw him hugging Xiao’an, meeting An’an’s curious eyes, gently patting the little one’s head and asking kindly, “Were you scared?”
An’an shook his head, suddenly mimicking me by giving a thumbs up with his chubby hand. He looked up with an extremely happy face, clapped his hands and said, “An’an not scared, brother-in-law so awesome, defeat big monster!”
Fu Junyan chuckled softly, turned back to look at me tenderly, then lowered his head to meet Xiao’an’s gaze and said very gently, “Brother-in-law is not awesome. When An’an has someone he wants to protect, An’an will know this is an instinct.”
“What does it mean to have someone you want to protect, brother-in-law?”
“To love her, want to be with her, and think of her even when you’re together. To be afraid of her getting hurt, to feel heartbroken when she’s sad, to hope she has a long and healthy life, to wish her to be without fault and without illness or disaster.”
“Hmm? An’an understands a little bit. An’an wants to be with Xiao Qi, An’an still wants to play with Xiao Qi! But what is love, brother-in-law?”
“Love is a kind of responsibility. When An’an grows up, you’ll understand.” Fu Junyan didn’t say more, just patted his little head.
Xiao’an tilted his head, blankly puffing out his cheeks, then suddenly raised his eyebrows, his big eyes bright and shining as he looked at Fu Junyan and me. He clapped his little hands and said softly, “Brother-in-law, An’an understands!”
“What?”
“An’an wants to be with sister, brother-in-law, and Xiao Qi forever! Sister, brother-in-law, and Xiao Qi are the people An’an wants to protect! An’an will defeat big monsters!” Hearing the little one’s bold words, watching Fu Junyan pat his little head with immense affection, I laughed silently and patted the back of the wheelchair, quickly responding with a “Good.”
In this world, when some people praise you, others will knock you down. In the end, you’ll lose yourself being pulled left and right. Fu Junyan said, so don’t take anything too seriously, and don’t take yourself too seriously either.
But at night, I still saw on the internet that “Time Magazine” had opened a new column for us, full of lavish praise. I clearly remembered that before the press conference, “Time Magazine” had opened a column strongly questioning us. But now, seeing such a stark contrast before and after, I couldn’t help but laugh.
However, I had to admit that their evaluation of Fu Junyan was accurate and well-written. I thought for a moment, still couldn’t resist nudging Fu Junyan with my elbow, leaning on his shoulder and clearing my throat to read it to him. I said, “Fu Junyan, someone is praising you! Hehe! Let baby read it to you!” Then, I followed the article and read softly, “Whether as an actor or as a person, Fu Junyan is impeccable. Such a man, with a heart like a lotus flower, transparent and clean, smiles gently in quiet years, calm and at ease amidst the muddy waters, free and transcendent. And he is still very young, undoubtedly, his best time has yet to come.”
Under my expectant gaze, Fu Junyan just smiled faintly, looking at me calmly and serenely. He turned his face to rub my hair, his eyes showing some anticipation as he asked me, “What about my baby? Did they write about my baby?”
I was stunned, shaking my head and then nodding, unconsciously grinning shyly, cuddling the computer and nuzzling in his arms.
Seeing this, Fu Junyan chuckled lightly, nodding and saying, “So there is!” He simply gently pulled my hands away, taking the computer from my arms. Then he glanced at the screen lightly, suddenly a knowing smile curling at the corners of his mouth. Then, I heard him read word by word with extreme seriousness: “Gu Baobei, possessing a kind and pure heart, laughs happily, cries freely. Not coquettish or affected, not skilled in scheming. Having an exceptionally fortunate background and wealth but not showing off, having stunning beauty and talent but unaware of it, fresh and clean like a baby, being able to meet her is your greatest blessing.”
Finally, Fu Junyan looked it over carefully once more before nodding very solemnly. Then, he turned his face slightly to smile at me, his eyebrows and eyes as beautiful as a painting, all filled with warm, clean sunshine.
Later, he kissed my forehead lovingly, held me, and after a long while, finally sighed near my ear, almost unable to contain himself: “Baby, meeting you is my greatest blessing. Fortunately, they discovered your preciousness too late…”
At night, I was just snuggling against Fu Junyan, feeling thankful that I didn’t have severe pregnancy symptoms, just sleepiness. But the next day, when Fu Junyan had made milk for An’an and me, I had just swallowed a sip when I couldn’t take it anymore and ran to the bathroom, vomiting uncontrollably into the toilet. Fu Junyan, not minding his foot, followed me at a small run, still holding a cup of warm water in his hand. After I finished throwing up, while hugging the water cup and drinking, I pitifully buried myself in his arms and whimpered. Fu Junyan just patted my back comfortingly, rubbing my belly.
The next day, Fu Junyan only made milk for An’an. Due to my pregnancy reactions, the cup in front of me was replaced with fresh soy milk. But watching Xiao’an hold his milk bottle, his little cheeks puffing in and out, I felt so envious, really wanting to drink it. While eating the toast Fu Junyan made, I turned my head to look at him without blinking, feeling wronged. Fu Junyan tried to coax me with juice, but I didn’t want it. I just stared at An’an’s milk bottle, looking covetous, scaring the little one so much he trembled, secretly peeking at me while sucking on his bottle, almost ready to hand it over.
Fu Junyan really had no choice, so he made me a cup of milk. When he brought the milk to me, he also carried a trash can just in case. As a result, I sadly threw up after just one sip, feeling so uncomfortable that I just cried loudly in front of little Xiao’an, regardless of anything. I said, “Fu Junyan, I want to drink the milk you make! But I throw up whenever I drink milk, what should I do?”
Although he knew I was being unreasonable, Fu Junyan still tried to comfort me to the point of almost having no principles. He first gave me the right to milk for life, then promised all kinds of juices, and finally, really at a loss, he simply nodded and admitted his mistake, pitifully coaxing me saying, “Alright, alright, silly pufferfish, don’t cry anymore, An’an will laugh at you. It’s all my fault, okay? However you want to punish me, I’ll agree.”
Then as I was crying, I felt it was quite a good deal, so I grinned mischievously and fell asleep again. Of course, I didn’t forget to playfully wipe my tears and snot on Fu Junyan’s clothes, but he still held me tightly, not minding that I was dirty at all.
Fu Junyan has been bathing himself since he woke up, not wanting anyone to help. Basically, nurses only approach him to give injections or remove needles. Even the medicine for his feet is changed by me. In the hospital, I didn’t bother to mess with him, but once we got home, I was determined not to let him off. This night, I was feeling quite good. After putting An’an to sleep, I just stood with my arms crossed, staring at him relentlessly. But Fu Junyan was completely unaffected, leaning back on the sofa and calmly looking at documents, his posture lazy and at ease, completely relaxed.
I couldn’t stand it anymore and let out a couple of whimpers. Only then did he calmly turn his face to look at me, putting down the documents in his hand without minding, walking over to stroke my face and ask, “Tired?”
“No!” I shook my head firmly.
“Hungry?”
“No!”
“Then what’s wrong with my silly pufferfish?” He chuckled lightly, turning his head to look at me, half embracing me.
“I want to punish you!”
“Okay.” Fu Junyan nodded indifferently.
Agreeing so readily! I wrinkled my nose, closed my eyes and said, “Fu Junyan, I want to give you a bath!”
“What?”
“I want to strip you naked!”
“Okay.”
“Ah!” Hearing this, I opened my eyes in embarrassment. It’s too smooth! But I saw Fu Junyan looking at me very calmly, his eyes full of understanding as he nodded at me again.
“This time I’m not just taking off your pants! I’m going to take off your clothes too.”
“I know.” Saying this, he bent down and picked me up in one motion, walking towards the bathroom inside while lowering his head slightly to bite my ear, saying in an extremely ambiguous tone, “Silly baby, this thing, does it get easier with practice? Hmm?” His tone lifted slightly at the end, full of sexy charm, and his words had a double meaning. My face instantly turned as red as a cooked shrimp. I covered my face and shrank in his arms, feeling dizzy. I felt that if he teased me any more, I would really be completely defeated… But, I want to take off his clothes! I can’t forget the main task! But how to start? I’m so conflicted! Aowu…
Fu Junyan set me down to sit on the chair in the bathroom, then stepped back to sit on the edge of the bathtub, casually crossing his legs, silently gazing at the floor as if lost in thought, not saying anything. Seeing this, I stubbornly puffed out my cheeks and stared at the top of his head without moving, showing my firm, unwavering stance that I was going to strip him.
After a stalemate for a while, Fu Junyan finally raised his face helplessly. He laughed as if mocking himself, and when he looked at me, only indulgence remained in his gaze. Then, he reached out to cover my eyes, murmuring, “My silly baby…” Then, without me having to do anything, he took off his shirt himself, revealing the obvious new flesh of the gunshot wound on his chest.
He looked down at his own wound with a bit of cool self-mockery, then stood up to turn on the faucet and let warm water flow into the bathtub. He had his back to me, and after a while, he came back to kiss my forehead, hugging me to take off my clothes. I looked at him in confusion, but was mesmerized by his smile, feeling dazed as I went along with his movements. When I came to my senses, I found myself already naked, held by him and soaking in the bathtub, and in front of me were his two ‘bun’ feet hanging over the edge of the tub. Of course, Fu Junyan behind me was also naked… Oh my…
Fu Junyan took some shampoo from the shelf and squeezed it into his palm, then slowly applied it to my hair, massaging my scalp with just the right pressure. I was humming contentedly, feeling comfortable and almost falling asleep on his shoulder when I suddenly heard him sigh and say wistfully in my ear, “Silly child, I’m afraid you’ll cry. This burden is too heavy, I can’t bear to let you carry it…”
I froze, feeling like I wanted to cry even though he hadn’t said anything yet. Quickly grabbing Fu Junyan’s hand in his embrace, I turned my head to look up at him, unable to think of what to say for a long time. After struggling for a while, I could only mutter, “Then let’s cry together!”
Hearing this, Fu Junyan’s beautifully contoured jaw lifted slightly. Under his long eyelashes, his eyes as black as stars were full of warmth. He nuzzled my nose with his and said, “I’ve only cried in front of you in my life. Haven’t you seen enough?”
“You cried when filming ‘Shadow’ too!”
“That was acting.”
“Then when you were filming ‘Regretful Love’, you kissed me. The director said to use a stand-in, but you just went ahead and kissed me. Was that acting? Huh?” I put my hand in the water and poked his thigh.
“That was a genuine expression of emotion.”
“Well, that’s more like it.” I pouted, tilted my face up to kiss him, and pushed him with my shoulder.
“Don’t cry, don’t be sad, just listen to it like a story,” Fu Junyan said helplessly, pinching my nose.
Then, his eyes darkened a bit as he fell into memories. From beginning to end, Fu Junyan’s expression remained calm. His tone was as gentle and peaceful as when he usually told stories to An’an, without much fluctuation. His hands also continued to wash my hair carefully, maintaining the same pressure throughout, not once pulling my hair painfully. But the content of the story was really too sad…
It was about a weak and powerless woman, a desperate and faithful wait, and finally, the most tragic death for a woman. And the man in the story, as a husband and father, actually ignored all of this so decisively and coldly, even indirectly guiding it all. Even the blood of his wife, who had once shared his bed and bore his children, didn’t warm his eyes. There was also an abandoned child, unrecognized by his mother, unwanted by his father, born but not raised, with blood ties but no love.
When Fu Junyan’s tone was so heartbroken for his mother, when he used such beautiful language to describe that woman as pure as jasmine, I thought, the most pitiful wasn’t that woman, but that child, that little Fu Junyan. When he was little, he must have been very cute, must have been very good and obedient, but why was he so pitiful? Didn’t anyone love him?
Maybe I’m biased, I can sympathize with that woman’s sad love story, but I can’t forgive her failure as a mother. Just like I can’t forgive my biological father, even though his health wasn’t good either and he didn’t know how long he could live. But he didn’t take the opportunity to look at me one more time while he could still live, instead choosing death without hesitation, choosing to die along with mommy. This has been a heart problem I’ve never spoken about since I was young. I always think, if daddy hadn’t been a good stepfather, if he hadn’t loved me like his own daughter. If cousin had been a bit worse, I might have been devoured without even bones left…
The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. I was angry at his mother, even angrier at that sperm donor, and couldn’t help but start crying. With a “wa” sound, I slapped the bathtub like venting my anger and shouted, “Bastard!” Then, the splashing water fell all over my and Fu Junyan’s faces and bodies, drenching Fu Junyan’s head completely. Fu Junyan was stunned for a moment, shaking the water from his hair in bewilderment. He quickly grabbed a dry towel to wipe my eyes, calmly and helplessly lifting me out of the bathtub, wrapping a towel around my naked little body, then holding me and patting my back like comforting a child, saying, “Don’t be angry, it’s all in the past.”
But I wouldn’t give in, tearfully hugging his naked body tightly and asking, “Why? Did the Fu family have a grudge against his Wang family? Wasn’t he quite good to your mother at first? Why did he change so much later? Even if he didn’t love her anymore, how could he treat his wife and child like that? How could he remain so calm when his wife was humiliated and committed suicide? Is that even human? Is such a beast-like thing even human?”
Fu Junyan smiled bitterly and shook his head at me, putting his long finger over my mouth and saying, “Alright, good pufferfish, don’t use dirty words.”
“I feel like killing his whole family! How is cursing him anything?”
“Cursing him doesn’t count. It’s not good to wake up An’an, and it’s not good to scare our baby either.” He tapped my nose, kissed me soothingly, and let me sit obediently on the chair at the side. Then he turned to put on his own clothes, stood in front of me, blinked, and asked cutely, “Will baby walk recklessly when angry?”
I thought for a moment and rubbed my nose, saying, “Maybe!” Then I reached out my hands to him coquettishly and said, “Hug!” Fu Junyan bent down and scooped me up in one motion. He hugged me, and I hugged him back, holding him tightly. Thinking about how he told such a sad story but still had to comfort me, still had to act as if nothing was wrong, I felt so heartbroken.
What kind of perseverance does a person need to overcome life’s hardships and sorrows? And what kind of mindset is needed to maintain oneself amidst baseness and filth? Only Fu Junyan, only he could still stand tall and flourishing after experiencing such misfortune…
Fu Junyan said he always remembered the elders in the family telling him that his father used to be very good to his mother. So even he himself couldn’t understand for a long time, why? Why did the later story twist into that shape? It wasn’t until many years later when he learned about the will left by his grandfather Fu Heng and understood too many truths from back then that he suddenly realized, and felt even more heartbroken.
Before entering the Fu family, Wang Jun was more of a good-for-nothing hooligan with several murder cases on his record than an ordinary civilian. At that time, he saved a child without regard for his own safety, catching Fu Yaya’s eye, and was lucky enough to be picked up by Fu Yaya. Later, he showed stability and decisiveness in his work, gradually gaining Fu Heng’s trust and heavy use.
But Fu Yaya was really unlucky. The kind-hearted girl would never know that the child Wang Jun casually saved at that time was not someone else’s child, but his own child with his mistress. Although that child unfortunately died of illness later, Wang Jun and that woman never broke off their relationship.
When Wang Jun later married Fu Yaya and entered the Fu family, he enjoyed too much power and money that he had never had before. But before and after, in that underworld circle, the resistance and rumors against him were considerable and even grew increasingly wild. He finally knew that in an era that emphasized family status, no matter how capable he was, in others’ eyes he was just the master’s dog. Everything he got, in others’ eyes, was only obtained by clinging to a woman’s thigh. Gradually, he began to distance himself from Fu Yaya, lost himself in money and power, increasingly wanted to prove himself, and increasingly resented the Fu family.
But the foolish Fu Yaya didn’t notice, and never doubted him. However, the battle-hardened Fu Heng had taken precautions against Wang Jun. The old man understood his daughter’s weakness and incompetence too well, and feared something might happen in the future. So, he had long ago made a will, leaving all his life savings to his daughter and the child in her belly, leaving a way out for Fu Yaya.
Fu Heng’s will was simple. Wang Jun could only withdraw ten million US dollars in cash each month. All of Fu’s assets, fifty percent were in Fu Yaya’s name, and fifty percent were left to Fu Junyan, who was not yet born at that time. Whether it was the woman’s side or the man’s side who proposed divorce, Wang Jun would not get a penny and would be expelled from the Fu family. The old man probably got soft-hearted as he aged. After spending most of his life in the underworld, he always thought people had feelings when he was about to die. His daughter was obedient and lovable, so leaving a will to warn Wang Jun should be enough.
But he never thought that while words are dead, people are alive. Wang Jun still had two choices: to permanently freeze out this wife, or to force her to death. Sadly, this man did both, not sparing even his own son…
Fu Junyan said that later Wang Jun and his mistress had another child, the “brother” who was three years older than him. But this person was useless, messing up the Fu Corporation that had been changed to “Wang Corporation” so badly that in the end, they could only rely on an arms deal to break even. It was in Somalia that Fu Junyan contacted the police to destroy his last deal, and Wang Jun, this so-called ‘father’, picked up a gun and shot at the potentially fatal spot when Fu Junyan turned his back. Even knowing that Fu Junyan was the child he had abandoned years ago, he didn’t hesitate at all…
If your father wants to kill you with his own hands, what kind of feeling would that be? Hatred? Grievance? Or madness? I don’t know, I just felt so sad hearing it, almost unable to breathe, as if someone was really cutting my flesh with a blunt knife…
But I couldn’t bear to say anything, I just lowered my face and compassionately reached out to stroke the location of Fu Junyan’s wound. I wanted so much to comfort him, I could only almost fantasize to coax him, saying, “Maybe, he didn’t know it was you, maybe he didn’t know…” But before I could finish, Fu Junyan shook his head, kissing my continuously falling tears one by one. He said, his voice very low, “He knew, because my eyes are too much like my mother’s. Don’t cry, I’m not sad, I’m really not sad. I’ve given my life back to him, that’s a good thing.”
In the end, Fu Junyan didn’t tell me his story after he was six years old. I asked him, and he just said, “Then I met you!”
I was a bit annoyed, constantly wiping my tears on his clean t-shirt. After that, I wasn’t disgusted and reached out to wipe my tears, then wiped them on Fu Junyan’s body. Fu Junyan didn’t stop me, smiling helplessly and conflicted, simply taking off his shirt and using it to wipe my hands while bare-chested. I said, “Don’t try to fool me!”
He then closed his eyes and leaned against my neck, saying, “I just thought about growing up quickly every day, and then meeting you.”
I was speechless, but didn’t ask further. Anyone would know how difficult it is for a six-year-old child to be alone and helpless in such a vast world, and what kind of wandering life he must have experienced. It’s just that his words “I’m not sad, I’m really not sad…” What kind of pain must he have gone through to be able to say such words?
I said, “Fu Junyan, in the desert you told me that someone told you that life’s hardships are the cornerstone of growth. That means you met good people, right? Someone loved you, right?”
Meeting my expectant eyes, he looked at me, his eyes deepening, and nodded with a choked “Mm.” Then, he affectionately kissed my eyes, his tongue gently licking the tears on my cheeks.
I thought for a moment, really not knowing what I could do for him. I could only kiss his beautiful eyes, as clean as the night sky, and ask him caringly, “Fu Junyan, it was very hard when you were little, wasn’t it?”
Without waiting for Fu Junyan to answer, I snuggled closer into his arms, getting even closer to him, and put my hand on his back. I said a bit sadly, “Although it’s a bit late to say this now, but, Fu Junyan, I want to make up for all your unhappiness, make up for the time I missed in your life.”
“Okay.” He buried his head without looking at me, just choked out a response against my neck, childishly nuzzling me, his arms wrapped around my waist, not letting go, his body’s aura incredibly fragile.
“Are you sleepy? Shall I sing for you? You and the little baby in the belly can listen together, okay?” Thinking that what I most looked forward to as a child was for mommy to sing me to sleep, I tried to smile, gently patting his back, and began to sing softly in his ear, “Rock, rock, rock, my baby is going to sleep. Little flower quilt, cover up nicely, put both little hands down nicely. Rock, rock, rock, my baby has fallen asleep…”
Such a good Fu Junyan, never even had days of his mother singing him to sleep, just like me, but even more pitiful than me…
When Fu Junyan finally fell asleep tired, looking at his childlike pure smile in his dream, I could no longer hold back my tears. Carefully retreating a bit from his arms, I wiped my tears, then reverently bent down to kiss the wound on his heart, hands clasped together, in my heart, over and over, just repeating that sentence I had said countless times: “Fu Junyan, may you be treated gently by this world…”
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