The fake heiress loves to act? The max-level boss isn't interested in playing along.

After finishing her meal, Fu Hua began tidying up the lunchboxes and paper bags on the counter.

Zhang Wen, who was helping from the side, glanced at her several times, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.

Fu Hua looked up and smiled, "Between you and me, there's no need for this. Just speak your mind."

Zhang Wen paused for a moment, her movements slowing down.

"Huahua,"

She carefully chose her words before speaking, "Today... I finally understand why you ran away from home."

Fu Hua paused in her movements and looked up at her.

She thought Zhang Wen was going to persuade her, saying things like "No matter what, she's still your mother" or "Mother and daughter shouldn't hold grudges overnight."

She'd heard so many people say that, she was practically sick of it.

But that's not what Zhang Wen was talking about.

Why?

She asked curiously.

Zhang Wen folded the paper bag in her hand and leaned it against the counter.

I thought about it for a moment, as if I was organizing my thoughts.

"You, right?"

Zhang Wen rested her chin on her hand and lightly tapped her index finger: "It's like an ice cream."

Fu Hua raised an eyebrow.

"real,"

Zhang Wen became serious, "When strangers look at you, you seem so cold you're practically freezing, like you'd freeze if you were touched."

But if someone is willing to get close to you and stay a while, they'll discover that you're actually sweet, sweet and soft.

She paused for a moment, then said, "It's like ice cream, hard on the outside, but melted inside, sweet and soft."

Fu Hua remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

"Aunt Su, I suppose?"

Zhang Wen said, "She's different. She's like..."

She thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up: "Like tofu."

"Tofu?"

"Yes, tofu."

Zhang Wen said, "It looks white and soft, like anyone could pinch it. It's indispensable in daily life; every household eats it. It's very ordinary and common."

But tofu is tofu, and ice cream is ice cream; they're not the same flavor, nor are they the same type of product.

She looked at Fu Hua and said earnestly, "Hua Hua, not everyone can understand how good you are. Aunt Su... she may never understand."

Fu Hua looked at her and suddenly smiled.

"Your analogy..."

She shook her head and smiled. "Where did you learn that?"

"It was my own idea."

Zhang Wen was a little proud, but also a little embarrassed.

"How about it? Pretty fitting, right?"

Fu Hua nodded and threw the last paper bag into the trash can.

"appropriate."

She nodded in agreement, admitting, "Ice cream and tofu definitely don't taste the same."

Zhang Wen chuckled twice and leaned closer: "And what about me? What do I look like?"

Fu Hua glanced at her: "You look like... popcorn."

"Popcorn?"

Zhang Wen was taken aback. "Why?"

"Talkative."

Fu Hua said, "They also love to jump out, making a crackling sound, and they smell like cream."

"Butter-flavored popcorn? Do you have that? I've never had it before."

Zhang Wen was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening.

He chased after her, teasingly saying, "Oh, Huahua, you've gone bad, you're insulting me indirectly!"

Fu Hua laughed and dodged away, and the two of them started fooling around.

After the commotion was over, Fu Hua stood by the window, watching the sky gradually darken outside.

Zhang Wen didn't know that her seemingly childish words actually hit the nail on the head.

Ice cream and tofu.

People from different worlds, if forced together, will never become anyone else.

She was not the daughter Su Yurou wanted.

Su Yurou is not the mother she needs.

She had already figured this out a long time ago.

It was only occasionally, when an outsider pointed out the truth with such a fresh metaphor, that she still found it somewhat interesting.

It was completely dark when the streetlights came on.

Xie Ci appeared at the store entrance right on time.

He pushed the door open and came in, his hands empty.

Fu Hua smiled and said, "Let's go, I'll take you home."

Fu Hua greeted Zhang Wen and followed him out the door.

After getting in the car, Xie Ci didn't rush to start it.

He magically produced a small paper bag from the back seat and handed it to her.

"Try it."

"What?"

Fu Hua took it, opened it, and was stunned.

It's a string of candied hawthorns.

These aren't ordinary hawthorns, but rather glistening purple grapes.

Coated in a translucent sugar coating, it shimmered in the light of the street lamps.

"From grapes?"

She looked up at him. Where did this grape-flavored candied hawthorn come from at this hour?

Aren't they only selling hawthorn now?

Xie Ci started the car, a smug look on his face: "Didn't you say last time you wanted to eat candied hawthorns made from grapes? I tried it."

Fu Hua looked at the candied hawthorn in her hand without saying a word.

She did say that.

It happened during a casual chat; she mentioned that back in her hometown,

I've had candied hawthorn berries made with grapes in the summer; they're sweeter than hawthorn berries and not sour at all.

She mentioned it briefly, but then forgot about it herself.

"Try it,"

Xie Ci was a little excited, "These grapes aren't sour at all; I picked them for a long time."

Fu Hua took a bite.

The sugar coating is crunchy and crumbles with a bite.

The grape flesh inside is soft and juicy.

It is indeed sweet, very sweet, with no sourness at all.

"tasty."

she says.

Xie Ci glanced at her sideways, his smile deepening.

Fu Hua took another bite, and out of the corner of her eye, she caught Xie Ci's hand gripping the steering wheel.

The streetlights shone through the car window, and she saw several red marks on the back of his right hand.

A small blister appeared on the tiger's mouth (between the thumb and index finger).

She reached out, took his hand, and looked down at it.

"How did this happen?"

Xie Ci paused for a moment, tried to pull back, but couldn't.

"Nothing much."

He said nonchalantly, "I accidentally brushed against it."

Fu Hua looked up at him.

"You know me,"

She said seriously, "No lying."

Do you think she's stupid? It's not a scraped wound like that.

Xie Ci looked into her eyes and knew he couldn't hide it from her, so he sighed.

"While boiling the sugar,"

He hid the back of his hand and drove with one hand. "I got a little too angry and some syrup splashed on my hand. It's nothing, just a minor injury."

Fu Hua didn't speak, and looked down at his hidden hand.

Those red marks were particularly noticeable under the streetlights, and the blisters were swollen and looked painful.

"parking."

she says.

Xie Ci was taken aback: "Here?"

"Pull over."

After thanking them, he pulled the car over to the side of the road.

Fu Hua pushed open the car door and got out.

"Huahua...where are you going? I've told you the truth, don't be angry."

Xie Ci hurriedly went to unbuckle his seatbelt.

"Wait."

Fu Hua closed the car door and walked across the street.

There's a pharmacy over there, and the light on its signboard is still on.

Xie Ci sat in the car, watching her cross the road and enter the pharmacy.

The glass door closed behind her, and her figure disappeared behind the shelves.

A few minutes later, she came out with a small white paper bag in her hand.

She went back to her car, closed the door, opened the paper bag, and found a tube of burn ointment inside.

"Give me your hand."

Xie Ci obediently extended his hand.

Fu Hua unscrewed the ointment, squeezed out a little, and bent down to apply it to him.

Her fingers were cool, and her movements were very gentle.

Little by little, he applied the paste to those red marks.

Finally, I carefully circled around the bubble.

The car was quiet, with the occasional sound of passing cars outside.

Xie Ci looked at her lowered profile and her serious expression, and his heart melted completely.

"Huahua".

"Um?"

"fine."

Fu Hua looked up at him, said nothing, twisted the ointment, and stuffed it into his coat pocket.

"Apply it a few more times tomorrow."