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

Fu Jingting didn't understand what she meant. "Are you talking about yourself?"

With water dripping down her face, Xu Qingcheng half-opened one eye. "What are you talking about? You're not going to marry me. I'm talking about your future wife."

She smiled naturally, not taking the entanglement between the two of them too seriously.

This woman is insightful and sensible; she's very easy to get along with.

Fu Jingting looked into her eyes and said, "You seem to understand things quite well."

A towel was draped over her head, covering her hair, and the man's hands supported her back to help her gather strength to stand up, his movements casual yet considerate.

Xu Qingcheng stood up, and under the clean white towel, she raised one hand and haphazardly dried her hair.

There's a difference between knowing something in your heart and confirming it after saying it out loud. It might not cause dramatic mood swings, but it undeniably has some impact.

I'm a little disappointed.

Xu Qingcheng has been taking things one step at a time lately, never openly planning her future, and reality has never given her that chance.

But Fu Jingting is different; he has enough capital, ability, and time to plan the best path for his future.

Whether it's career, family, or personal life.

Envious, aren't you?

But in the end, it's not me.

The difference is so obvious and clear.

A pair of hands suddenly pressed down on her head, and the wiping process was far from gentle; they were pulled away after a short while.

Before she could even compose herself, her momentary daze and sigh were fully captured by his eyes.

"What are you thinking about?"

Fu Jingting smoothed her hair with his fingers, a perfunctory gesture that made Xu Qingcheng frown.

She simply took a comb and combed her hair herself. Her hair was permed into big curls, which were pulled apart and then naturally curled back as she moved, creating ripples on her back and chest.

The air was filled with the smell of shampoo; the fragrance wafted into my nose, seeped into my skin, and pierced through, never to be pulled out.

"Should I give a gift when you get married?" Xu Qingcheng asked playfully, smoothing her hair. "If you give a gift when I get married, my husband will definitely feel uncomfortable. So, let's just forget about it."

The thought of her one day arm in arm with another man, exchanging vows, and blossoming beneath other men, made Fu Jingting feel physically uncomfortable. He cut to the chase, grasping the essence of the problem, "You've been thinking long enough. Someone like you, who would dare marry you? Shengshi isn't an easy pit to fill."

That's the truth, not bad.

But it's the truth, and it's incredibly hurtful.

Xu Qingcheng paused for half a second, then suddenly wrinkled her nose and snorted, "Tch, maybe someone would be willing to spend a fortune for me, after all, I still have good looks."

Fu Jingting was about to turn on the TV and didn't notice the slight unnaturalness in her tone at all. He continued, "Okay. Keep it up, and you can still look like this when you're old and gray."

Xu Qingcheng lost control and threw the comb in her hand at him.

Suddenly struck on the shoulder, Fu Jingting turned around to see Xu Qingcheng already inside the room, slamming the door shut.

Xu Qingcheng was furious.

She may be hard to marry, but she's not so bad that she can't get married at all.

If we lower the standards a bit, then... we should be able to find a suitable person.

Ok.

He's right. Very right. Absolutely right.

A prosperous era is a bottomless pit. If she insists on preserving it, then no one will be so foolish as to be blinded by beauty. Even if she lowers her demands, the same will be true.

Moreover, beauty only lasts a few years; a woman in her thirties is not as attractive as a woman in her twenties, and a woman in her twenties is not as attractive as a woman in her eighteen. Men, especially wealthy men, have countless choices.

Fu Jingting should learn acupuncture; his skill at needles is too strong.

Xu Qingcheng's eyes were a little moist. She wasn't a staunch advocate of remaining single and had once been full of hope for her future life. But if reality was going to mold her into a female warrior, then she would accept it.

Fu Jingting picked up the sandalwood comb that had fallen onto the carpet. He held it in his palm, wondering what unacceptable thing he had just said.

……

Xu Qingcheng's forensic appraisal results have reached Ye Chengnian, and she estimates that Ye Chengnian will come to her to discuss terms in half a month.

At times like this, she needs to be even more composed than Ye Chengnian.

However, Xu Qingcheng was not idle. She did not stay in the hotel all day, but due to her image, she rarely went to Shengshi. However, the news about her and Fu Jingting was rampant, which made those who had ulterior motives restrain their actions.

After all, if Xu Qingcheng were to truly ascend to the Fu family's status, then a dramatic turnaround in fortune would be within reach.

This implicit belief is extremely beneficial for both Xu Qingcheng and Shengshi.

At Yeh Wen-han's media conference, the photo of him carrying her out was brazenly published in newspaper and magazine articles.

Xu Qingcheng understood that Fu Jingting was extremely opposed to a marriage alliance with the Ye family. However, this kind of news wouldn't last long; if Fu Jingting didn't stop it, the Fu family would probably have to intervene as well.

When the hype dies down and everyone realizes there's no chance, there will likely be another wave of uncertainty.

Therefore, Xu Qingcheng made arrangements in advance. The internal personnel assistant positions were changed quietly and discreetly, but this gave Xu Qingcheng more information channels, making it easier to deal with things in a timely manner.

Song Chang called her, "Auntie is in good health, don't worry. It's just that your affair with Fu Jingting is too conspicuous. You need to think about how to handle it. Every time I go there, Auntie asks me about it."

"Then what will you say?"

"What else can I say? I'll just say you two are great together, a perfect match. I can't say anything more."

Xu Qingcheng hummed in agreement. "Then let's leave it at that. Let's take a little longer, and then we'll find another excuse."

"One lie requires many more to cover it up. You'd better take it easy." Song Chang knew her difficulties, but was even more worried.

"I know. You've had a hard time these past few days." Xu Qingcheng smiled, expressing her sincere gratitude.

"Don't thank me, you should think about how to make a soft landing."

It was very late at night when Xu Qingcheng heard the door open. She was pouring water in the living room when she saw Fu Jingting push the door open and come in.

She checked the time: 11:30. Why are you here at this hour?!

He doesn't come every day, maybe once every three or five days, but ever since he predicted she would never get married, Miss Xu has been angry and has been ignoring him.

It wasn't that she completely ignored him; after all, she didn't have the right to give him the cold shoulder. But she could go to bed early, and when she couldn't see him, she would simply lock the door. When he was around, she would either not show up or be constantly on the phone.

Fu Jingting didn't feel anything at first. What could he do in her current state? Sleeping together would only torture him, so he simply went to sleep in another room.

Moreover, she was busy, and he was even busier than her, so he didn't even fully notice her emotions on the first few occasions.

Until she could move freely again, and apart from the cast not being removed, there was nothing particularly different, she even sent the caregiver back home.

Fu Jingting only vaguely sensed something.

At this moment, he leaned against the door, looking at Xu Qingcheng with a knowing smile in his eyes.