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

Xu Qingcheng grabbed the towel, not in the mood to dry her hair, letting the water from the ends soak into her clothes. "Are you done?"

She acted as if to say, "Now that you're all better, sit down and we can have a proper chat."

Fu Jingting glanced at her, then placed the towel from her hand directly over her head. The man stood in front of her and did it himself, speaking in a condescending manner, "What do you want to say?"

She lifted her head from his grasp, stubbornly trying to pull away, but her head was pressed down by the man's large hand. He lowered his hand, holding the towel, to expose her head and wrapped her hair in the towel to dry it.

Xu Qingcheng looked up and her gaze fell on his bare chest. The muscles in his waist and abdomen were well-defined, winding into the white bath towel he was wearing. There were a few finger marks that she had fiercely scratched, and they were also hidden in the towel.

She abruptly turned her eyes away, her ears turning red.

Fu Jingting took the towel, and strands of hair fell from his hand. The man's fingers hooked a strand of hair behind her ear and tucked it behind her ear, while his fingers pinched her earlobe. A hint of teasing played on his lips. "The red is vibrant enough."

Xu Qingcheng reached out and pushed his hand away. Since he was unwilling to sit and talk, she didn't want to sit and be looked down upon like that. Feeling weak made it difficult to talk.

She stood up and looked up.

I couldn't help but feel resentful. What's the point of being so tall?

"I've already said it, between us..."

"Wait a minute." The man suddenly interrupted her. He got up and went to the suitcase. He took out a jewelry box from it. It was a deep red velvet jewelry box with a tiny diamond set on the clasp as a hook. At first glance, it was inconspicuous, but upon closer inspection, it seemed so exquisite that it could only be seen as a diamond.

He tossed it directly to her, and Xu Qingcheng gasped, instinctively reaching out to catch it quickly, afraid of dropping it on the ground.

For those who study jewelry, the sight of such exquisite ornaments evokes an instinctive desire to study them.

It's true that it's valuable, but the key point is that there's only one designer in the industry who likes to use this kind of box. It's a work by a world-renowned jewelry designer, and he just casually threw it over like something he'd tossed on a street stall.

"What is this?"

"Fu Sichen asked me to buy it, a specific model, saying it's for her fairy sister." Fu Jingting walked over, lifting her chin with his finger, "Open it and take a look, fairy sister."

It was that teasing and flirtatious tone again.

The way Fu Sichen said the words "fairy sister" was with affection and admiration.

His words always evoked all sorts of fantasies and made people blush.

Xu Qingcheng didn't even open the box; she just shoved it back at him, saying, "Give it back to Si Chen; I don't want it."

The man opened the box directly. Inside, as the lid was lifted, were two layers of interior decoration, revealing a red chalcedony fan necklace and a red chalcedony bracelet with a fan-shaped design.

Understanding and considerate.

He took out the necklace to put it on her, but Xu Qingcheng emphasized, "I said no."

"Don't want it? Then the fairy sister should return it to her herself. I'm just helping her bring it." Fu Jingting turned her head towards him and brushed her hair aside.

The woman's fair and beautiful neck bore the marks of his bites, a malicious assertion of his dominance.

It somewhat detracts from the aesthetics, yet it also gives rise to a subtle, inexplicable sensuality.

He fastened the buckle, stepped back slightly to take a look, and nodded, "Fu Sichen has pretty good taste."

He then put the bracelet on her wrist again, saying, "You gave her a bracelet, so she should reciprocate."

"I returned it."

"What else?"

Xu Qingcheng remembered and smiled, "Four jars of handmade cut candy. They're quite delicious, and the jars are pretty too. Consider that a return gift; we don't need this one."

Xu Qingcheng understood the value of this item; the jewelry box alone was worth as much as the bracelet she had given to Fu Sichen.

It was so expensive it was astonishing; she couldn't accept it.

She tried to pull her hand back, but he held her fingers and she couldn't pull them back.

This man's domineering and unyielding nature was evident not only in his words but also in his actions.

He put it on properly before asking, "What were you trying to tell me?"

"..." The topic suddenly shifted back.

Xu Qingcheng paused, withdrew her hand, and involuntarily straightened her body, even her chest and back becoming more upright. "We... this is the end?"

Fu Jingting looked up. "So you really want to distance yourself from me?"

"Yes. I don't have the habit of being a mistress, nor do I intend to cheat."

"What if I don't want it to end?" the man casually tossed out the question, seemingly unwilling to let her have a happy ending.

Xu Qingcheng felt a throbbing pain in her temples. "We clearly made an agreement."

"What did we agree on? To do it one last time?" Fu Jingting suddenly sneered. He stepped forward, and Xu Qingcheng took a step back and sat down in the rattan chair.

The man rested his arm on the armrest, leaned down to meet her eyes, and said, "You think men are so easily satisfied?"

He scoffed, "The last time could be every time."

"Fu Jingting!"

Xu Qingcheng couldn't believe this person could be so shameless. She squeezed her eyes shut. "If I had known it would turn out like this, I would never have come looking for you!"

The decisiveness in her words was like a thorn piercing straight into his body, making his heart throb with a dull ache. The man's eyes turned deep and dark. "Besides Liang Muqin, you have other better options."

"Better?" Xu Qingcheng looked at him, her heart suddenly pounding uncontrollably, her throat tightening and her throat dry.

I want to ask, are you the better one?

The words were on the tip of her tongue, but then she abruptly chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Your question makes me start to think the wrong thing. Young Master Fu wouldn't be suggesting I choose you, would he?"

She laughed, "What's over between me and Young Master Fu is over. Don't try to get entangled with me anymore. I have absolutely no designs on you. There's no one better; Liang Muqin is already the best."

The veins on the man's arms were bulging, and his anger emanated from every cell. His jawline was taut, forming a cold, hard line, and the muscles on both sides of his cheeks were clenched, as if he were suppressing some kind of emotion.

After a long pause, he finally spoke, "Have you thought this through? If you leave here today, I won't show you the slightest leniency in the mall."

Xu Qingcheng tightened her grip, understanding the meaning of those words. The Ye family wanted to deal with Shengshi, and the Fu family, which was related to the Ye family by marriage, would naturally not give way to the Xu family.

"I know." She raised her eyes, her expression resolute. "If we meet again in the future, there's no need for you to show me mercy. If Shengshi can't hold on, it's because I'm incompetent; the Xu family has already gone through this."

His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, swallowing back many words. A cold glint appeared between the man's sharp brows. "Miss Xu, have you calculated everything so meticulously?"

"Otherwise what?" Xu Qingcheng laughed and countered, "Isn't Young Master Fu the same?"

She raised her chin, her allure natural, her stunningly beautiful brows carrying an air of arrogance and disdain.

Fu Jingting sneered. He lifted her chin and kissed her deeply until the color in her eyes and brows completely concealed her haughty indifference. Only then did he release her, pressing his fingertips to her lips. "Don't come begging to me."

She gritted her teeth, "No."