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

Since we're going to dress casually, Ms. Xu suggested we go to the shopping mall.

Holding hands while shopping and watching a movie.

A trilogy of love.

As Xu Qingcheng thought about it, she smiled shyly.

While waiting at the traffic light, Fu Jingting saw her like this and couldn't help but nudge her head, "What are you secretly laughing at?"

"Mind your own business," Miss Xu said, her eyes sparkling, refusing to tell him.

Fu Jingting smiled as well. He parked the car in the underground parking space and got out. Xu Qingcheng then took his arm and led him to the elevator.

Looking at the arm she was holding, Fu Jingting couldn't help but chuckle. He didn't expose her little scheme and let her do as she pleased.

"For a private event, it shouldn't be too formal, but it also can't be too casual," Xu Qingcheng thought, tilting her head.

Fu Jingting nodded, but didn't offer any further opinion. "I'm leaving it to you today."

"Really? Aren't you afraid I'll dress you up in a ridiculous way and embarrass you?" Xu Qingcheng asked him with a smile.

Fu Jingting scoffed and reached out to pinch her cheek, completely disregarding the fact that they were in public. "I don't care, as long as you're not afraid of losing face."

"Let go! It looks awful!" Miss Xu hurriedly dodged his attack, indignant. "What's so shameful about me wearing this?"

"If your man is being ridiculed, are you proud of yourself?"

Her man?

Hmm, that seems to make sense.

Xu Qingcheng looked at Fu Jingting, her gaze sweeping over his face, then suddenly turned her face away, feeling particularly embarrassed. "That's true."

The woman's charming and shy appearance was incredibly alluring; even her soft murmurs were so captivating they made one's heart ache.

Fu Jingting strode forward and bent down beside her. "What did you say? I don't think I heard you clearly."

What did you say? I don't think I heard you clearly.

Xu Qingcheng's ears turned red. She pushed him away and scolded him with a stern face, "Walk properly."

But her rosy cheeks eventually deflated.

The two continued their flirtatious journey, unaware of how many people they were attracting attention.

Xu Qingcheng picked out several pairs of casual pants for him, and one each of dark, light, and printed shirts for him to try on.

The man's brows were so furrowed they could trap a mosquito. Seeing his unwilling expression, Xu Qingcheng stopped him before he could speak, saying, "Just try it on. I don't know which one looks better on you. Just try it this once, and then I'll know and won't make you go through all this trouble."

She shook his arm to make him give in; this woman could make anyone's legs go weak when she was being coquettish.

Fu Jingting resignedly went inside to try it on.

Among the many pairs of pants, Ms. Xu chose a pair of slim-fitting black casual pants. She squatted down to help him adjust the cuffs, her hand moving naturally down from behind his knees, without any awkwardness.

Fu Jingting stood there, forgetting to move, watching her squat down and then stand up again, his chest filled with indescribable emotions.

This is his lover; any intimate gesture is perfectly natural.

Miss Xu grabbed his arm and turned him to the side, then patted the crease on his buttocks and nodded in satisfaction, "This one... sigh..."

Suddenly, he grabbed her wrist. Xu Qingcheng cried out in surprise. The man put his arm around her waist to steady her and whispered in her ear, "Touching my butt in public, Miss Xu, be careful."

Xu Qingcheng turned around and saw that the two waiters who served them were quite embarrassed and smirking.

She... well, she didn't do anything excessive, she just helped him straighten his clothes.

The man's words were misleading.

Xu Qingcheng's face was burning hot, and she asked in a low voice, not exactly in a good mood, "Do you want them to serve you?"

Fu Jingting received her warning look and almost couldn't help but laugh. He coughed lightly, his survival instincts kicking in, and said, "I don't want to."

Miss Xu's eyes lit up with a smile. She tugged at his shirt. "Isn't black a bit too dark? Wouldn't white look better? Printed ones are nice too, but they seem to make you look more frivolous... Anything else?"

Listening to her rambling, Fu Jingting raised his wrist to check the time. "You haven't chosen your clothes yet. Are you sure you want to keep trying them on?"

"But I think they both look good, they're different styles," Xu Qingcheng hesitated, then asked for his opinion, "Which one do you think is better?"

"This one," Fu Jingting said, pointing to the black one.

But when the man reached for it, she dodged to the side and handed him a pink dress with a subtle floral print.

Fu Jingting chuckled, "Didn't you say I was being indecent by wearing this?"

Miss Xu glared at him. "You're only allowed to be indecent with me. Now go change."

She pushed the man into the fitting room, and Miss Xu blushed outside.

It's not a particularly bright pink; the simple, subtle floral pattern on the diagonal area from the left shoulder to the right adds a touch of fashion and casualness to the business style. It's not overly flamboyant, nor is it overly formal; it exudes a sense of ease and warmth. Paired with his face, he looks handsome no matter how you look at him.

Fu Jingting came out of the fitting room, head down, buttoning the cuffs.

Xu Qingcheng handed him the suit jacket, which the man took, put on, and then watched as she gazed at him intently.

He flicked her forehead with his fingers. "What are you looking at?"

Xu Qingcheng hummed in response, then covered her forehead with one hand, her face flushed, "Look how handsome my husband is."

After she finished speaking, she froze.

Before Fu Jingting could speak, Miss Xu, her face flushed, turned to the waiter and told him to cut off the sign and pay the bill.

The waiter who had been waiting nearby rushed over and removed the sign. Ms. Xu was about to go to the counter to pay when the man grabbed her wrist. "What did you just say?"

"He didn't say anything."

"What, do you think I didn't hear you?"

"You heard me and you still ask?" Xu Qingcheng shook off his hand, rested her head on his arm, and pushed him away. "Go pay the bill. You can't expect me to pay the bill, can you?"

"Okay, that works too." The man pulled out a card and handed it to her. "The password is..."

He whispered the code in her ear, his lips lightly brushing against her ear.

Xu Qingcheng tilted her head and asked almost without thinking, "What's your daughter's date of birth?"

A six-digit password.

Fu Jingting was also taken aback. She reacted so quickly; he thought she knew something.

The man nodded.

"Oh, I knew it right away." Xu Qingcheng took the card and swiped it.

Fu Jingting didn't know whether he should breathe a sigh of relief or sigh.

I'm nervous because I'm afraid of her negative reaction when she remembers it.

He sighed because he really wanted her to come back, but that would mean she would have to suffer the same pain of Qinghan's disappearance as he did.

Xu Qingcheng didn't have as many thoughts as him. She pulled his hand out, and Fu Jingting grabbed her and put one hand on her shoulder. "I'll listen to you. From now on, all the frivolousness will be reserved for you."

"What are you saying?" she said, and he got even more excited.

The two entered a women's clothing store with smiles on their faces. Xu Qingcheng said she wanted a simple dress and a coat.

With a clear goal, the selection process was quick, and time was already tight. Xu Qingcheng simply put on a black dress and wore a Chanel-style khaki jacket over it.

High heel.

When trying on the shoes, Fu Jingting gestured to the waiter to let him do it.

Xu Qingcheng sat on the platform, watching the man kneel down on one knee in front of her. He reached out and took her foot, but Miss Xu pulled it back slightly. "I can do it myself."

The man raised an eyebrow and glanced at her.

Miss Xu said nothing and let him serve her.

He was giving back to her for the service she had provided, and she understood.

Love, respect, and everything else must be reciprocal to last.

"Stand up and walk around. Does it fit?"

He helped her up by the arm. Xu Qingcheng took his arm and stood up. She smiled with her brows furrowed, her heart full, and said softly, "Mr. Fu has good taste."

She was talking about shoes.

Fu Jingting looked at her, his eyebrows raised high, "I've always had good taste."

He meant that he had taken a liking to her.

Xu Qingcheng hurriedly paid the bill and asked him, "Let's hurry up and leave, or we'll be late."

"There's enough time, there's plenty of time." Fu Jingting smiled at her.

Xu Qingcheng looked at his smug grin and slapped him hard across the face. "You're lying to me."

Just as the two were about to leave, they suddenly heard someone calling their names.

"Jingting?"

The two looked over at the sound, and Xu Qingcheng opened her mouth but quickly pulled her hand back from his arm.

Fu Jingting glanced at her and reached for her hand again, but Miss Xu blushed and slapped it away, telling him to greet her quickly.

"Mom, what are you doing here?"

Zhong Wanxiu understood as she observed the interaction between the two.

"I came out with your sister-in-law to buy some things." Zhong Wanxiu pointed to the side, "She's going to check out the baby store."

Fu Jingting nodded.

She tugged at Xu Qingcheng's sleeve. "Should you call me Auntie, or Mom?"

He didn't mince words when he said them, making Xu Qingcheng blush bright red.

When he said that, she almost couldn't call him "Auntie" anymore. But Fu Jingting added fuel to the fire, "Call me Mom, and I'll give you a red envelope."

Xu Qingcheng pinched his waist with her fingers and heard the man hiss.

Serves you right, for spouting nonsense every day.

Miss Xu quickly greeted Zhong Wanxiu, "Auntie."

Zhong Wanxiu smiled, pursing her lips, "What's going on here...?"

"Going shopping," Fu Jingting said without any attempt to hide it.

Xu Qingcheng's words about attending an event that afternoon were left unsaid.

"We're going to the orphanage this afternoon, and she's coming with me," the man finally explained.

"Yes, I'm fine." Zhong Wanxiu nodded, then looked at Xu Qingcheng with loving eyes, "Qingcheng, how have you been lately?"

"Auntie, I'm fine. Don't worry."

"That's good." Zhong Wanxiu looked at the two standing together, feeling both bitter and sour. She thought that only husband and wife could support each other through all the things they encountered.

"Alright, you guys go ahead and get busy. Take some time to bring Qingcheng home for dinner. Mom, no, Auntie will cook your favorite dishes." Zhong Wanxiu extended the invitation, changing her address from "Mom" to "Auntie."

"Okay, sure."

Xu Qingcheng agreed.

After Zhong Wanxiu left, Xu Qingcheng grasped Fu Jingting's hand, "Auntie seemed to have said something just now..."

Her hearing isn't damaged; she can hear clearly.

Fu Jingting led her away in silence, offering no explanation.

Xu Qingcheng couldn't get the answer out of him.

"Go wait up ahead, I'll bring the car over." Fu Jingting took the things from her hands and told Xu Qingcheng to wait outside the lobby.

Xu Qingcheng left the hall and stood by the roadside waiting.

My mind is a bit confused.

She felt an inexplicable intimacy and dependence on Fu Jingting, wishing she could use every good thing she could think of. She wanted to be good to him, she really wanted to, and she wanted to give him everything she could.

Seeing him happy makes her feel good, and seeing him look down makes her feel down too.

And his daughter's birth date.

She didn't need to guess; she knew it must be him even before he told her the bank password.

But she didn't know his daughter's birthday before this.

And, his mother's slip of the tongue.

Xu Qingcheng pursed her lips, the wind blowing through her hair. The afternoon sun was gentle, the temperature neither too hot nor too cold. She stared blankly ahead.

It's really frustrating and annoying to not be able to see the path.

But the most unbearable feeling is when you try your best but still can't break through that fog; it's a feeling of helplessness and frustration.

"Cherry! Stop! Don't run away!"

A panicked cry pierced her ears, and Xu Qingcheng turned her head to look, her temples throbbing with shock.

A tiny little child wobbled across the road and ran towards the stall where balloons were tied to the roadside.

Across the street, a young mother carrying a child anxiously followed behind.

A sharp, piercing horn blared and brakes screeched as the car driver frantically honked the horn and slammed on the brakes.

Xu Qingcheng pushed through the crowd and rushed out.

Screams and screeching brakes filled the air.

With a bang.

The car swerved and crashed into a guardrail, narrowly missing her.

Xu Qingcheng fell heavily to the ground. The pain from her knees hitting the ground made her vision go black. She tightly hugged the child in her arms and used her body to create a barrier, protecting the child.

"Cherry! Ah!"

The mother's panicked cries and screams filled the air, her voice filled with terror and sobs.

Xu Qingcheng experienced a ringing in her ears.

The child was so frightened that he cried hysterically and struggled in her arms.

Xu Qingcheng froze, unable to move. Her arms trembled slightly as she tightly hugged the child in her arms, refusing to let go no matter how much she struggled.

The sounds from the outside world became distant and indistinct.

"A beauty that could topple kingdoms! A beauty that could topple kingdoms!"

Someone was calling her name, but she was trembling and couldn't react, not knowing where the voice was coming from.

Suddenly, she was embraced by someone, and a man's voice called out to her. She was filled with shock and pain, the voice both distant and close.

Fu Jingting felt his heart stop beating; he was truly terrified when she lunged out like a madwoman.

The man held her tightly, embracing her trembling body. "Qingcheng."

The voice was right next to her ear. She mechanically turned her head, following the sound, but her eyes were bloodshot, and she couldn't see anything.

The woman's eyes were unfocused.

The child's mother rushed over, her face covered in tears. The child she was holding and the child being held tightly by Qingcheng were both crying, so much so that even the adults were moved to tears.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you for saving Cherry's life."

The mother couldn't even squat down; she knelt on the ground and kept thanking them.

She tried to take the child away, but Xu Qingcheng held the child tightly and wouldn't let go.

She hugged him too tightly, and the child cried even harder.

The mother looked at Fu Jingting for help.

The man's eyes were bloodshot, and his heart was not yet fully calm. He raised his hand to indicate that he was handing it over.

"It's alright, Qingcheng, it's alright, the baby's alright." He pulled her and the child into his arms, cupping Xu Qingcheng's face in his hands. "Qingcheng, let go, you're hurting the baby by holding him so tightly. I need to check if he's injured. Please let go, okay?"

Tears suddenly welled up, and Xu Qingcheng cried uncontrollably, "If I don't let go, it will fall."