Chapter 25: Submission of Faith

When Zhong Huayan awoke, she was lying in bed. As she turned her head, she saw the man sitting on the sofa.

She must have drifted off under the influence of the soothing incense.

“I’ll feed you your medicine.”

The man stood, easily over six feet tall, clad in black silk pajamas. His jade-like, cold hands lifted a porcelain bowl as he seated himself at her bedside.

He gently blew on the herbal decoction, his tenderness unprecedented, coaxing her softly, “Ah-Hua, open your mouth.”

“Fu Yanyan, I’m not Ah-Hua, I’m Li Yanyan.”

Her skill at lying had grown; she didn’t even blink.

“Ah-Hua, you’ve played that piano piece since you were a child, you sing Kunqu opera, and when I cried, you’d always touch the corner of my eye. Since you were little, you’ve seen countless rare treasures. I grew up with you—how could I not recognize you? Be good, open your mouth.”

Enchanted by his persuasive tone, she drank another sip of the medicine.

This time, it was sweetened—no bitterness remained.

His frame was tall enough to block out her view entirely.

Yet before her, unlike when he was outside, he could never muster full confidence.

“Fu Yanyan, I’ll never love you. You and I can be friends, or...”

“No, my love for you is enough. You don’t have to love me.”

His eyes held a raw ache, like thawing ice, yet he continued to feed her with utmost care.

“Ah-Hua, you can use me. I can help you take revenge.”

If he couldn’t keep her, he would protect her. That was Fu Yanyan’s way of consoling himself—after all these years of waiting, what did a little more time matter?

“Fu Yanyan, why are you so good to me, even though my parents…”

“But Ah-Hua, haven’t you always hated them too? Since you were a child, even when oppressed and stifled, your heart remained turned toward the sunlight. I want your soul to stay bright forever; let me bear the darkness alone.”

Zhong Huayan stared at him in a daze. He so clearly wished to marry her, just as he’d sworn before the coffin that day—the man who’d lost himself in madness in the shadows was the real him!

This gentle, jade-like version was not.

Before her, he was always so careful to hide himself.

“Do you listen to everything I say?”

Zhong Huayan suddenly felt like teasing him—after all, his previous cold and deranged demeanor had frightened her.

“More than anything.”

Fu Yanyan’s self-restraint bordered on the extreme; the affection he showed was but a fraction of what he felt inside.

From the first moment he’d seen the young lady, he’d been drawn to the fairy tale that gleamed within this world of darkness.

In adolescence, the sight of her had awakened the tides of his masculine desire.

In adulthood, seeing her again, he understood what it meant to live and rise again, to be reborn for love.

He could not deny it—people are always drawn to those who, in their youth, dazzled the brightest. No matter how many followed, his standard of beauty was forever set by her.

“You are the most breathtaking soul I’ve ever known—and my savior, who pulled me from the abyss.”

“You saved yourself. I never helped you.”

Fu Yanyan stood tall, shrouded in the shadow cast by the back window, his voice low.

“Your presence alone saved me. Because I love you, you saved me. My life is no longer bleak, so long as I see you well. No matter the end, I won’t call it desolate.”

Zhong Huayan was at a loss. She found it difficult to be interested in any man.

Yet this man before her truly moved her.

Because such sincerity could not be feigned.

“Do you still like Xu Yaochuan?”

“No. He and the relatives of the Zhong family conspired to kill me.”

On one hand, she felt fortunate—not utterly alone after her soul’s transmigration.

On the other, she found the situation growing stranger by the day.

“They didn’t kill you in a fit of passion. The plan began years ago. Xu Yaochuan wasn’t the mastermind; it was the old master of the Xu family.”

“I know. But the Xu family’s foundation runs deep. The old master is ruthless and suspicious. I don’t know how to shake their roots.”

Fu Yanyan pulled a document from his drawer and handed it to her.

“In recent years, the Xu family has been moving funds overseas. Our Fu Corporation has been suppressing their development in the capital, so they’ve prepared to expand abroad. Xu Yaochuan will likely oversee their overseas operations.”

As Zhong Huayan flipped through the files, she had to admit—the Xu family’s recent financial losses were entirely due to the Fu Corporation.

Now the Xu family could only swallow their bitterness in silence.

“What if they flee?”

“Overseas, things are even more direct and brutal. If they’re smart, they won’t run.”

She was pleased, lifting her chin. “All right, what reward do you want?”

His steady features broke into a rare delight. “I’d rather not use it yet—I’ll save it for later.”

“Come give me a massage… Actually, never mind…”

Zhong Huayan liked ordering people around, Fu Yanyan included, but suddenly realized he was no longer the little boy he once was.

But before she could explain, the man stepped right over the coffee table and began to massage her.

She said, a little awkwardly, “I’m not petty. Let’s call this a punishment for you choking me before. I won’t hold it against you again.”

Seeing his barely contained joy, she suspected he considered the massage a reward.

She started finding fault, but he was tireless, switching tactics as he kneaded her shoulders.

Assistant Li knocked, and, hearing the boss’s permission, brought in a tray of tea.

He was nearly scared out of his wits.

The boss, massaging someone? It seemed he’d have to listen to this formidable woman from now on.

“Taste this. I fetched this Longjing tea from beside your favorite Longqing Lake.”

Fu Yanyan took a sip and set it on the table.

Usually, the assistant would take his leave at this point. But today, he was unusually perceptive.

He waited until she finished her tea before leaving, after which the assistant finally exited and closed the door.

Before leaving, not only was the boss not angry, he even praised him for his cleverness.

The sun must have risen in the west…

The assistant sighed to the heavens—there’s always someone who can keep another in check.

He’d been single for so long, and the boss still wouldn’t introduce him to any rich young ladies. At this point, even a wealthy older woman would do.

Suddenly, Zhong Huayan received a call about her “Selfless” painting series. As a new, unknown artist, her work had been purchased for five million!

The gallery was offering her fifty percent of the profits and hoped for a long-term collaboration.

She knew the painting was good, but five million seemed excessive…

Fu Yanyan sat on the sofa, not daring to move, afraid that if he angered Ah-Hua, she’d vanish.

“I’m going to sleep now.”

Zhong Huayan looked at her pajamas and the lingering fragrance on her skin. She was hesitant to ask… Who had bathed her without waking her from her dreams?

“Ah-Hua, you’re not going back, are you?”

Fu Yanyan was no longer the lifeless man he’d been before. He seemed almost giddy, unable to hide his happiness.

His hand, which had reached out, drew back again.

“Mmm. Thank you, Fu Yanyan.”

Thank you for standing by me; thank you for having my back.

She thought this silently, then lay down to sleep. Meanwhile, all her livestream fans were bombarding her with messages, urging her to go online.

Zhong Huayan swore she’d stream at one o’clock tomorrow.

She gazed joyfully at the two million she’d earned—money made by her own hand always felt sweeter.

He tiptoed to switch off the lights, then returned to his own room.