Mrs. Fu, please be mindful of the appropriate boundaries.

"What, what?" Song Chang stammered.

Song Xingzhi's gaze swept coldly over her, and Song Chang couldn't help but swallow, cursing Xu Qingcheng a thousand times in her heart.

The words "I bought it for someone else" stuck in her throat. Given the young man's familiarity with her network of connections and his relationship with Fu Jingting, Song Chang felt that saying this would be tantamount to betraying Xu Qingcheng, so she had to be cautious.

Finally, she simply buryed her head in the sand like an ostrich, turning her head away; not denying it almost meant admitting it.

Song Xingzhi's forehead creased sharply, his fingers pressing against his temples as his eyes swept over the box of birth control pills. "Who did this?"

He asked her who she was, his calm voice bringing tears to Song Chang's eyes.

"It doesn't matter who it is. It's not like we're bound together for life after just one time." Song Chang said somewhat resentfully.

Song Xingzhi glanced at her, his eyes turning cold, his head throbbing with anger. "You don't care who it is? Song Chang, repeat what you just said."

His tone was cold but not at all heavy, even flat, but Song Chang just didn't dare to speak.

Song Xingzhi tugged at the collar of his shirt in frustration, his shrewd mind unable to focus and think for the first time.

"I'll ask you one more time, who is it? Don't make me investigate you myself." Song Xingzhi tapped his fingers impatiently on the steering wheel, waiting for her to confess and he would treat her leniently if she resisted.

"Dude! I have the freedom to make my own friends, what right do you have to investigate me?"

Song Xingzhi didn't waste any words with her and directly took out his phone to make a call. Song Chang leaned over to grab it, but the man shrugged her off.

Song Chang practically threw herself onto him, the sweet scent of shower gel filling her nostrils. She had a habit of showering in the morning, and after showering, she would wander around the house without drying her hair.

The scent was so familiar that Song Xingzhi could easily picture her bathing. At this moment, she was clinging to him, trying to grab his phone, her soft curves pressed against his chest. He could hardly imagine her naked and languishing in the arms of a strange man.

He lifted her up by the waist with his palm, and Song Chang cried out. Her body was half-suspended in mid-air, and she felt as if she was about to be lifted off his head. She was so frightened that she forgot her phone and reached out to hug his head.

She lowered her legs from the passenger seat, and by the time Song Chang came to her senses, she was already completely lying on top of him, straddling Song Xingzhi's lap with her legs spread apart. Looking down, she saw his eyes, which were so intensely close to hers that her heart skipped a beat.

The phone connected, and before Song Xingzhi could speak, Song Chang snatched it away and hung up, tossing the phone to him in the back row.

Song Xingzhi wasn't fixated on his phone. He placed his hand on her waist and held her captive, his gaze sweeping over her clean and bright eyes. She stared at him with wide eyes, a hint of grievance showing in them.

The position was ambiguous and intimate; the steering wheel behind her was against her waist, pressing her body against him. Song Chang felt her heart pounding like a drum, and she was filled with resentment. "You went on blind dates, you wanted to get engaged, and nobody said anything. I'm not a three-year-old anymore, why are you being so nosy!"

Song Xingzhi sneered, "Look how much I meddle."

Seeing his appearance, Song Chang's alarm bells went off. She was afraid that he would turn her upside down and expose all of Qingcheng's secrets.

"Brother..." Song Chang suddenly burst into tears, as if she had unintentionally thrown herself into his arms countless times.

Song Xingzhi's forehead tightened.

"I haven't slept with any men." Song Chang said shyly, twisting her body against him and hooking her fingers around his shirt collar. "I'm just being prepared."

Song Xingzhi closed his eyes tightly, then suddenly threw her off him and placed her back in the passenger seat.

The man drove off, and as he passed a trash can, he threw the medicine out of the car window.

Song Chang, "..."

……

Song Chang called Xu Qingcheng, saying that she had failed to buy the birth control pills and was caught red-handed by her brother.

Xu Qingcheng's head was about to explode. "What? Song Xingzhi knows?"

"He doesn't know. I didn't say you, I said I used it." Song Chang said angrily, "Xu Qingcheng, your sister has abandoned all shame for you."

She thought back to when the guy threw her aside, Song Chang covered her face, and she was probably the most shameless one. Her repeated attempts to seduce him were all in vain.

Depend on!

"Don't expect me to buy it again. If I get caught, you'll be in even worse shape. My brother is already suspicious. This relative of ours comes and goes, and I'm always right under his nose. If it happens again, I can't guarantee you won't be caught in the crossfire."

That makes sense. If Song Xingzhi knew, it would be almost the same as if Fu Jingting knew.

Xu Qingcheng said, "I understand. Don't worry about it. I'll figure it out myself."

She turned her head to look, and Fu Jingting was coming up from downstairs. The man was wearing a shirt, and the crisp collar made his face look incredibly handsome.

Xu Qingcheng was somewhat dazed, unable to reconcile the handsome, clean-cut, and sharp-eyed nobleman with the wild and unrestrained devil of the night.

Where exactly does the sweetness of newlyweds lie? Is it simply this endless entanglement with each other?

Xu Qingcheng touched her burning cheeks and bit her lip lightly. Her period was coming soon, or maybe not.

Xu Qingcheng spent this Spring Festival in utter chaos and turmoil, but undeniably, she had no moment to herself to worry about amidst all this chaos, because she was like a spinning top, being dragged along by Fu Jingting, spinning endlessly.

Qingyao's injuries have improved a lot, and he's regained his energy, but he still needs to rest.

Xu Qingcheng saw Zhou Qian at the door of Qingyao's ward. He wore a black earring and had a gentle face.

Fu Jingting introduced him as Zhou Qian, his elder brother's capable assistant. Xu Qingcheng thanked him, but he simply nodded politely.

When Fu Pingxiu told Xu Qingcheng to send Zhou Qian over, she assumed it was to make some connections with higher-ups. However, she later discovered that it was not the case at all. Zhou Qian's network of connections, extending from within the prison to the lowest levels, was terrifying and astounding.

Who would have thought that such a refined and upright man, with half his body white and half his body black, would be a figure walking in the gray area?

Because Fu Jingting said he was Fu Pinxiu's capable assistant, Xu Qingcheng couldn't help but glance at Zhou Qian again. She thought of the man in the wheelchair, whose cold and aloof temperament seemed to have suppressed all the years in his heart, which was as deep as an old and neglected well, quietly waiting there, not showing any signs of life, just waiting for you to get close and then swallow you whole.

If Zhou Qian was like this, what about Fu Pinxiu's sphere of influence?

Recalling the seemingly true yet false rumors circulating outside about the turbulent relationship between the two brothers, Xu Qingcheng found herself unconsciously becoming nervous.

As Zhou Qian left, she grabbed Fu Jingting's arm. The man raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

Xu Qingcheng looked up at him, her heart filled with worry and concern for him, but she didn't know how to ask the question. As his lawful wife, Xu Qingcheng should have been able to ask without any reservations.

However, there seemed to be no emotional foundation between them, so she didn't dare to be presumptuous, afraid of asking too many questions.

"Big brother and you," Xu Qingcheng bit her lip, "I don't know if I should ask, but I'm a little worried."

Fu Jingting stared into her eyes. "What are you worried about? Are you worried I can't handle it?"

"The Fu family isn't just about my eldest brother; there's no way we can worry about everyone." The man's brows furrowed with arrogance as he looked down at her with disdain. But when his gaze fell on her worried face, it was as if sunlight shone upon it, making his expression dazzling. He curled his lips and asked her, "Mrs. Fu is becoming more and more self-aware, knowing how to worry about her husband."

Xu Qingcheng shoved him, "You're so annoying, why can't you ever be serious?"

Xu Qingyao lay on the hospital bed. The young man was tall and strong, but life had worn down his perspective. His shaved head had grown a short stubble during his injury. It is said that only a man who can pull off a shaved head can truly be called handsome. Being unable to move in the hospital bed could not stop the good looks inherited from the Xu family.

His gaze swept past Xu Qingcheng's side and fixed on the outstanding man standing next to his sister, his eyes full of scrutiny.

As he tried to sit up, supporting himself on the hospital bed with his arms, Xu Qingcheng helped him by giving him a pillow to lean against. Before introducing him to anyone, she asked him about his condition and how he was feeling.

Xu Qingyao did not reply; his gaze was direct, sharp, and unabashedly fixed on Fu Jingting's face.

Fu Jingting met Xu Qingyao's scrutinizing and provocative gaze without flinching, only raising one eyebrow as he was examined.

"Sis, who is he?"

Xu Qingcheng paused, then took Fu Jingting's hand and smiled gently, "Qingyao, your sister is married. His name is Fu Jingting, you can call him brother or brother-in-law."

Xu Qingyao shifted her gaze from Fu Jingting's face to their clasped hands, where the wedding rings on their ring fingers were particularly striking.

His lips moved, but he couldn't utter a single word for a long time.

Just when Fu Jingting thought he wouldn't speak, Xu Qingyao softened his gaze, as if he had put away all his thorns and was offering the softest touch he could to the person his sister approved of.

"Brother-in-law, can I speak with my sister alone?"

Fu Jingting glanced at Xu Qingyao and found the young man quite interesting.

He didn't object. He loosened his grip, but she tightened her grip on his fingers again. Fu Jingting turned around, met her eyes, and reached out to pinch her cheek. "What kind of expression is that? Ugly."

"Where is it ugly?" Xu Qingcheng glared at him and slapped his hand away.

The man laughed, reached out and ruffled her hair, "Call me when you're done."

"Um."

Xu Qingyao turned her gaze away from the two of them and asked, "Sister, do you love him?"

Xu Qingcheng was silent for a second before replying, "I love you."

"Does he love you?"

Xu Qingcheng paused briefly, then replied, "Love."

Her reply was insincere. Sometimes she would feel particularly helpless and wonder if all the tenderness this man showed her was just because she was only his temporary wife, or just because he still had a little bit of interest in her body.

Love. She never dared to think about it, nor dared to ask for it.

But for some reason, I felt a pang of sadness the moment I said it.

Xu Qingyao looked at her quietly. "Sister, is Shengshi about to collapse?"

"The prosperous era is great, and I will not allow any problems to occur in it." Xu Qingcheng pursed her lips, her gaze hard and resolute, unlike the sister who smiled and showed him the ring, saying: Qingyao, Tinghong proposed to me.

Her sweet and playful smile of the past has all turned to ashes. Now, Xu Qingcheng's smile carries too much weight. She no longer prioritizes her own joys and sorrows; her personal desires have been relegated to the bottom.

Xu Qingyao's hands, hanging at his sides, were clenched into fists, his arms tense, the muscles trembling. His eyes were red, and resentment and helplessness enveloped the young man.

He was not isolated from the world; he had access to all the news from the outside world. He didn't expose it simply because he didn't have the power to do so even if he did.

But in the end, he couldn't help but ask, "Sister, if none of this had happened, you and Ye Tinghong might have gotten married long ago. Sister, if you still like him, I don't really care!"

A moment of silence fell over the ward.

"There are no ifs. Just like you can no longer call him Brother Tinghong, I can no longer go back to the past." Xu Qingcheng pursed her lips, all the past had become a mosquito bite in her memory. "Qingyao, don't think that I made this choice for Shengshi or for you. I'm not that sentimental. I did it for myself."

Fu Jingting is my husband. We've already registered our marriage, and the wedding is set for March 6th. He treats me very well, and my family treats me very well too. So, do you understand what I mean?

Xu Qingyao nodded. He didn't expose Xu Qingcheng's lie. She said she wasn't that sentimental; she was doing it for herself.

Xu Qingyao genuinely hoped that she would do as she said.

Xu Qingcheng didn't mention Fu Jingting's help in Xu Qingyao's matter again. Just that one thing, ensuring her brother's health and well-being, was enough for Xu Qingcheng to willingly submit.

After the siblings finished talking, Fu Jingting was allowed to enter.

Xu Qingyao cleared his throat, called out "Brother-in-law" heartily, and added, "Brother-in-law, please take good care of my sister for me. I'll repay you tenfold once I get out of here."

He looked solemn. He was a year younger than Fu Sichen, and his face showed both youthful innocence and a strong sense of determination.

Fu Jingting snorted, "My wife, do you think I need to repay her?"

"It's different," Xu Qingyao said softly. "She's my sister. I should be the one protecting her."

He still had bandages on his body and couldn't even get up on his own. The seventeen-year-old boy stubbornly said, "I should have been the one protecting her."

Xu Qingcheng felt a lump in her throat and tears were about to well up in her eyes.

Fu Jingting cursed "brat," but still clenched his fist and handed it over. Xu Qingyao also clenched his fist and bumped it with his.

It's like a promise between men.

Xu Qingcheng's phone rang, so she went out first.

Fu Jingting lagged behind by a step, when Xu Qingyao suddenly called out to him, "Brother."

He called him "brother," not "brother-in-law."

Fu Jingting instinctively sensed that he had something to say, so he stopped and asked, "What is it?"

"If you ever stop liking her, don't tell her. Don't hurt her. Wait until I get out of here, then I'll pick up my sister and take her home."