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

Xu Qingcheng was awakened by the vibration of her phone. She sat up abruptly in bed. The elegantly decorated modern Chinese style made her momentarily disoriented. She hadn't slept well for a long time. Was it because it was too quiet here?

"mom."

Reaching out to take the phone, Xu Qingcheng stood up, opened the door and walked out. The sight of a naked body suddenly appearing before her eyes made her close them tightly.

The man was coming out of the gym, shirtless, his muscles, encased in bone, glistening with a sexy, eye-catching sheen.

"rise……"

As soon as the man opened his mouth, Xu Qingcheng rushed forward and covered his mouth with one hand, signaling him to be quiet.

The woman's hands were soft and warm, carrying her unique scent.

"Qingcheng, who are you with?" Zhao Lan's voice sounded tense on the other end of the phone.

"It's myself." Xu Qingcheng always lied without batting an eye.

"Really? I think I heard a man's voice." The voice on the other end of the microphone suddenly became cold and sharp.

"You misheard." It felt like someone had kissed her palm, and Xu Qingcheng suddenly released her hand from his mouth.

She glared at Fu Jingting, her eyes full of warning.

That one glance perfectly illustrated what it means to have seductive eyes.

His angry charm seeped into her bones like a venomous insect, and he pulled her directly into his arms, his warmth enveloping her completely.

"Are you home now?" Zhao Lan asked.

"At home," Xu Qingcheng replied casually, assuming she was still in the hospital.

Zhao Lan sat on the sofa, looking at the empty house. She suppressed her temper and did not expose her lie.

"The doctor wants you to come to the hospital. They've been calling you since last night, but you haven't answered. What's making you so busy? Don't always be fooling around with those men. You're the eldest daughter of the Xu family…you are…"

"Mom, I know. I'll be there in a bit."

Xu Qingcheng hung up the phone in a hurry.

She didn't explain; explaining wouldn't make sense anyway. Since the series of misfortunes that befell the Xu family, Zhao Lan's emotions had become unstable, and Xu Qingcheng didn't want to upset her. Some things she couldn't resolve by talking about them, so she simply kept quiet.

The man behind her was acting like a scoundrel, completely shattering the noble and aloof image she had painted of him in her mind last night. Xu Qingcheng turned around from his embrace, "What are you doing!"

Her lips were sealed, and the crisp minty taste filled her mouth. Xu Qingcheng tried to slap him, but he grabbed her hand before she could touch his face. Compared to her anger, the man seemed as smug as a cat that had just stolen some fish.

"It tastes good." The man's voice was hoarse.

Very sweet.

Xu Qingcheng gritted her teeth, "Get out of my way!"

Fu Jingting chuckled softly, but did not move aside.

The man's muscular chest pressed against her, and Miss Xu, in a fit of rage, slashed her sharp fingernails across the man's chest.

Depend on!

By the time Fu Jingting realized what was happening and stepped back, it was too late. Several glaring finger marks were left on his chest.

It doesn't hurt too much.

But the itch seeps into the skin, penetrates the bones and blood, and even makes the blood feel like it's boiling.

"What's your zodiac sign? Your claws are sharp enough."

Xu Qingcheng chuckled, "Your teeth are sharp enough, Young Master Fu, would you like to try?"

The man clicked his tongue, glanced down at the finger marks on his chest, and chuckled to himself.

……

Xu Qingcheng came out of the bathroom after washing up.

A gift bag was lying on the bed.

Red long dress.

I even prepared clothes for her, so I'll reluctantly give her a good review.

Fu Jingting had already tidied himself up. He was coming out of the dressing room while fastening his cufflinks when he saw her putting on her clothes. The hem of her skirt fell down from her waist with a soft thud.

She turned around.

Her bare face, without any makeup, washed away most of the alluring charm that was so captivating.

She wore red clothes and had black hair; her skin looked as if it had been powdered, glowing white.

Fu Jingting's throat itched. He reached up and straightened his tie, looking at her. "How could Ye Tinghong bear to let go?"

Xu Qingcheng was speechless, her throat tight with emotion.

She gave her purest love to that man, but life is unpredictable.

There will never be another Xu Qingcheng in this world.

She put on a trench coat and wrapped herself up tightly, the belt covering the bright red color completely.

She rushed up to him, her eyes crinkling into a particularly charming smile. "Young Master Fu, I've fend off Miss Ye for you. It's time to fulfill your promise, isn't it?"

She handed him her phone.

Fu Jingting clicked his tongue and made a phone call to President Rong of Rongtai Chemical in front of her.

Rong Feng laughed heartily when he received the call, "Young Master Fu, I've already arranged everything you instructed me to do. You don't need to make any special arrangements."

Xu Qingcheng leaned in to listen, but Fu Jingting hung up the phone expressionlessly.

"Rongfeng is willing to give face to the Fu family."

Xu Qingcheng breathed a sigh of relief, her face beaming. She picked up her handbag and turned to leave.

Fu Jingting reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her back. "When have I ever needed a woman? ...Don't forget to put on an act."

"..." Xu Qingcheng's lips curled into a very fake smile. "Okay."

I'd rather play a ghost than get involved in his mundane love affairs, especially with Ye Wenhan.

……

Xu Qingcheng went straight to the hospital.

Xu Shengchang suffered a stroke, and she hired a caregiver, but Zhao Lan insisted on taking care of him at the hospital.

Having never experienced hardship in her life, Zhao Lan's mental state became unstable after encountering this unexpected turn of events, showing mild depressive tendencies. The doctor advised her to avoid further stress.

When Xu Qingcheng passed by Wan Shi Lou, she bought Zhao Lan's favorite pan-fried buns.

She went to the neurology department.

In the ward, Zhao Lan and the caregiver had just helped Xu Shengchang turn over. The once spirited man could barely speak a word now.

Xu Qingcheng turned her head to suppress the bitterness in her eyes, and went inside to hand the pan-fried buns to Zhao Lan.

Zhao Lan didn't answer, deliberately ignoring her.

Xu Qingcheng didn't mind. She put down the food box and walked to the bedside.

When Qingyao went to prison, Xu Qingcheng knew that her mother resented her.

Xu Shengchang saw her and tried to speak, making little noises. Although she couldn't understand his words, Xu Qingcheng knew that even now...

He remains worried about the prosperous era.

"Dad, don't worry, just focus on getting better. Shengshi Group's situation is improving. The suppliers we've worked with for many years haven't made things difficult for me out of respect for you, and have even extended their payment terms to give Shengshi some breathing room." Xu Qingcheng said with a smile.

Xu Shengchang's eyes were a little moist. When he regained his senses, Shengshi was already riddled with holes. Everyone was in a hurry to withdraw and cut their losses, so how could they offer help when things were in trouble?

He raised his arm, but didn't aim correctly, so he lowered it again. Then he raised it again...

After a few times, Xu Qingcheng suddenly realized what was happening, and she quickly grasped Xu Shengchang's hand.

Xu Qingcheng's eyes suddenly stung and swelled. Daughters are always closest to their fathers. The person who sheltered her from the wind and rain fell down, and she was forced to shoulder the heavy responsibility and grow up by reality.

Afraid of bursting into tears, she quickly stood up. "The doctor asked me to come over. I'll go see him."

"No need. The doctor just checked on him, and your father's condition is stable." Zhao Lan's voice was cold and sharp, her gaze fixed on her with a chilling intensity. "Where did you go last night?"

"at home."

"Still trying to lie to me?" Zhao Lan's voice suddenly became sharp and broken. "Where were you when I called you?"

Xu Qingcheng curled her fingers slightly and remained silent.

She didn't speak, and Zhao Lan's emotions were stretched to the limit and she couldn't vent them. Suddenly, she went crazy and started tearing at Xu Qingcheng's clothes.

"mom!"

Xu Qingcheng couldn't dodge it, but she didn't dare to push her too hard.

But Zhao Lan grabbed her collar and pulled hard, revealing a red mark on her neck.

"What is this? What is this? Tell me what this is?" Zhao Lan cried and screamed in despair.

She was hysterical.

They completely disregarded the fact that this was a hospital, not a private place.

Xu Qingcheng pulled her shirt collar to cover herself.

"Xu Qingcheng!" Zhao Lan broke down in tears, "How could you be so shameless?!"

"Mom, calm down, you're mistaken. I was just bitten by a mosquito."

Xu Qingcheng stepped forward, reached out and hugged Zhao Lan, gently patted her shoulder, and calmly comforted and coaxed her.

Zhao Lan's emotions finally calmed down. As if pulled back from a nightmare, she stared blankly at Xu Qingcheng, at the clothes she had torn and the finger marks on her body. She reached out and cupped Qingcheng's face in her hands, "I'm sorry, Qingcheng... I'm sorry, Mom..."

"It's okay. Mom, I'm fine. I understand." Xu Qingcheng calmly reassured her, her voice so calm that no other emotion could be detected.

Zhao Lan is under too much mental stress and has mild depression.

Emotions are easily out of control.

Even so, Xu Qingcheng could not stop the tears that welled up inside her.

She tilted her head back, forcing back her tears.

Rumors about Xu Qingcheng were rampant, and she received countless comments and criticisms. Her meticulous planning was misunderstood by many, and her mother was not the only one who didn't understand her.

After leaving the hospital, Xu Qingcheng sat in her car, took a deep breath, and started calling President Rong of Rongtai. She still had a lot of things to take care of.

Melancholy and sentimentality are not suitable for her.