Chapter 53: A Drop of Water (part 2)

Once they were out of Han Tian’s sight and had arrived at the local market, Lin Zhiyu couldn’t hold back her gossip: “Did you spend the night out with Fu Yumian yesterday?”

“Yup. We totally hooked up.” Lu Qingzhuo pressed down the towel around her neck, revealing several red marks on her skin. “Look, these are Fu Yumian’s personal stamps.”

Lin Zhiyu’s eyes widened in shock, and even the PD quickly redirected the camera elsewhere.

Lu Qingzhuo raised a brow. “What? We’re together now. We did what grown-ups do. Perfectly normal.”

Lin Zhiyu opened her mouth but couldn’t find any words. In the end, she just pulled up Lu Qingzhuo’s scarf. “Fine, you’re officially a sexually active alpha now. What I can’t figure out is how someone as amazing as me got beaten to the punch by you.”

Lu Qingzhuo blinked in surprise. “Wait, what? You’ve never dated another omega?”

“Date who?!” Lin Zhiyu’s voice betrayed her bruised pride. “I was drowning in exams the whole time I was studying abroad in Berlin. I barely had time to breathe, let alone date!”

So that was it. Lu Qingzhuo suddenly felt a pang of sympathy—and twisted the knife a little deeper: “Then why’d you go overseas in the first place? Wasn’t staying in the country good enough?”

“I got tricked by my relatives,” Lin Zhiyu muttered, her voice growing quieter. “They told me a degree from Germany would be super valuable back home. I was thinking it’d help me date easier after coming back… but in the end, I almost didn’t make it back at all.”

Hearing that, Lu Qingzhuo turned her head away, stifling a suspicious laugh. Lin Zhiyu caught it and was so annoyed she nearly gave her a knock on the head.

Gritting her teeth, Lin Zhiyu said, “I want to eat king crab!”

“King crab? In the dead of winter? Where would you even find one?”

Lu Qingzhuo loved chicken. As far as she was concerned, chicken never tasted bad, no matter how it was cooked. Sometimes, she even joked she must’ve been a weasel in her past life.

“Let’s get a free-range chicken. It’ll make a great soup.” Lu Qingzhuo asked the vendor to pick a big one and said, “Don’t just stand there. Go grab some mushrooms for me.”

Lin Zhiyu turned and left, while Lu Qingzhuo sat alone on a plastic stool, watching the vendor pluck the chicken.

“Qingzhuo? You’re here?”

Ye Ran had somehow wandered over. Her gaze lingered hesitantly on the back of Lu Qingzhuo’s neck.

Maybe because her long hair was uncomfortable tucked inside her collar, Lu Qingzhuo had casually tied it up in a fluffy bun before heading out. And since the market was relatively warm, she’d taken off her scarf. On the back of her neck were some faint scratch marks—not too obvious now that the redness had faded.

But Ye Ran still noticed them.

She also knew Lu Qingzhuo hadn’t returned to the village the night before. Instead, she’d left with Fu Yumian. She didn’t know exactly where they’d gone—but one thing was clear: they’d spent the whole night together.

The silver ring on Lu Qingzhuo’s left ring finger shimmered under the light, catching Ye Ran’s eye.

Not long ago, when Lu Qingzhuo made her relationship public on Weibo, Ye Ran could hardly believe it.

She never expected Lu Qingzhuo, barely in her early twenties, to announce her relationship so openly. At first, she thought Lu Qingzhuo would lose a ton of fans—but surprisingly, not only did she not lose any, she gained even more shippers.

This was nothing like how she had imagined it at first. But Ye Ran’s sixth sense told her—Lu Qingzhuo and Fu Yumian didn’t seem like a loving couple at all.

She had used her connections to dig into Lu Qingzhuo’s background before entering the industry. She discovered that Lu Qingzhuo’s mother had racked up an astronomical amount in gambling debts, which were somehow all paid off later.

Most likely, those debts had been paid with help from Fu Yumian.

When Lu Qingzhuo turned back and met her gaze, Ye Ran smiled and asked, “You like chicken too?”

Recognizing her, Lu Qingzhuo smiled. “Yeah, I love this kind of old hen—so much meat, and the soup is absolutely delicious.”

“Me too.” Ye Ran sat down next to her, her eyes briefly scanning the ring on Lu Qingzhuo’s left ring finger. She tested the waters. “I didn’t expect you and President Fu to actually be together. Where did the wedding take place?”

“Iceland.”

Lu Qingzhuo thought back to their wedding a few months ago. When Fu Yumian had asked her to pick any location she liked, she chose Iceland without a second thought.

Because she had never been there. Everything she knew about Iceland came from her WeChat contacts—five out of ten of her friends had it listed as their location.

Ye Ran nodded. What Lu Qingzhuo had just said more or less aligned with what she’d heard.

Some friends in the industry had mentioned that a wealthy tycoon hosted a lavish wedding in Iceland a few months ago. But there had been no public announcement, and all the guests were big shots from within the industry.

So that wedding must’ve been the one Fu Yumian threw for Lu Qingzhuo.

Half-joking, Ye Ran asked, “So when did you two get together? Was it love at first sight?”

Lu Qingzhuo repeated the story Han Tian had made up for them, adding her own flair: “Yes, I really did fall for President Fu at first sight.”

Well, that’s what made her such a great actress. With the poise and professionalism of an old-school performer, she managed to blush as she spoke.

Though really, it was just from holding her breath too long.

Ye Ran noticed the faint flush on her cheeks and wasn’t sure if it was from embarrassment or the cold.

Two people from such different social classes ending up together—it couldn’t have been just love at first sight. If Lu Qingzhuo didn’t have some kind of leverage on Fu Yumian, then maybe...

“Miss, your chicken is ready.”

Lu Qingzhuo took the plastic bag, scanned the vendor’s Alipay QR code, then looked off into the distance. “What’s taking Lin Zhiyu so long just to buy some mushrooms? Don’t tell me she got lost.”

“Very possible. This place is pretty big—she might really not be able to find her way back.”

Lu Qingzhuo pulled out her phone. “I’ll have her send me her location.”

As the screen lit up, Ye Ran caught a clear glimpse of Lu Qingzhuo’s wallpaper from her angle—it was a photo of Fu Yumian.

What kind of relationship would make someone use the other’s picture as their wallpaper?

Could it be that Lu Qingzhuo and Fu Yumian really were in love? Or maybe it was all just a front for publicity?

“Let’s go, Sister Ran. Lin Zhiyu really did get lost—she just sent me her location and asked me to pick her up.”

Lu Qingzhuo noticed Ye Ran was zoning out and called again, “Sister Ran?”

“Yeah, alright. Let’s go.”

The group returned to the car. Lu Qingzhuo was carrying a chicken, a goose, and half a slab of fresh pork ribs.

Han Tian had never thought this SUV could double as a delivery truck. She was still in shock when Lu Qingzhuo climbed into the front passenger seat.

The sky was growing darker. Han Tian didn’t dare drive too fast—the roads were starting to freeze. Fortunately, the tires had snow chains installed in advance; otherwise, she wouldn’t have dared maintain a steady speed.

Song Huai and Lin Zhiyu were the designated mood-makers. Even with nearly a two-generation age gap between them, they got along like lifelong besties.

Lin Zhiyu, ever the gossip, got bored and couldn’t help asking, “Assistant Han, do you have a girlfriend?”

Han Tian wasn’t surprised—she figured she and Lu Qingzhuo got along so well for a reason. Even their random questions were equally unexpected.

“Nope.”

“How old are you this year, then? Why aren’t you settled down?”

Han Tian hadn’t expected to be hit with relationship questions during her break. Expressionless, she replied, “I’m not planning on getting married.”

“Ohh, I see.” Lin Zhiyu always carried a kind of dreamy buzz in her tone. She smiled and reached forward from the back seat, grabbing Lu Qingzhuo’s shoulders. “My Qingzhuo used to be a non-marriage type too, but then she met Fu Yumian…”

Lu Qingzhuo pried her fingers off one by one. “Don’t touch me, you single dog.”

Lin Zhiyu’s fragile little heart was once again shattered. She turned to hug Song Huai beside her, whining endlessly like a spoiled child.

When they got back safely to Bai Ya’s house, the sky hadn’t fully darkened yet.

Lu Qingzhuo helped out in the kitchen. Everyone had their own task, leaving Han Tian alone in the courtyard to help Bai Le build a snowman.

She kept Fu Yumian constantly updated on Lu Qingzhuo’s status—any little change, she reported immediately, afraid she’d be a second too late.

Han Tian typed away on her phone.

[Madam, everything’s good.]

She couldn’t shake the guilt. After all, spying like this felt wrong—especially with someone like Lu Qingzhuo. Anyone would feel uncomfortable having a human surveillance device stuck to their side.

But Fu Yumian was the one signing her paychecks. So Han Tian could only swallow her conscience and happily sneak back into the kitchen—only to be struck by a thunderbolt in the next second.

Lu Qingzhuo had cut her finger while chopping vegetables. Ye Ran was holding her hand under the tap, rinsing it with cold water, then gently disinfecting the wound with iodine.

“…”

Look away for one moment, and this kind of disaster strikes? If Fu Yumian found out her number one rival had personally treated Lu Qingzhuo’s injury, she’d probably skin her alive.

“Teacher Ye, I’ll take it from here.”

Han Tian took the Band-Aid from Ye Ran, unwrapped it, and stuck it on Lu Qingzhuo’s finger—clean and precise, without even needing to touch her hand.

Ye Ran was shoved aside by Han Tian as Lu Qingzhuo felt a sting from the cut on her finger. She had originally just wanted to borrow a band-aid from the production team but hadn’t expected Ye Ran to suddenly grab her hand.

Lu Qingzhuo instinctively tried to pull back, but it was too late. With the cameras rolling, she couldn’t make an obvious move to reject the gesture, so she had no choice but to deal with the unexpected situation with forced calm.

Ye Ran seemed genuinely concerned about her. In fact, when Lu Qingzhuo’s fingertip had been nicked by the knife, Ye Ran had reacted even faster than she did. That made Lu Qingzhuo feel a little uncomfortable.

“Thank you, Sister Ran. It’s just a minor cut—I can handle it myself.”

Lu Qingzhuo followed Han Tian outside. The two stood in the courtyard. Han Tian looked at her hand and spoke in a serious tone, “If President Fu were here today, I’d probably be getting dunked in a pig cage.”

“It’s not that serious, is it?” Lu Qingzhuo chuckled. “Don’t tell me Fu Yumian sent you to spy on me?”

Han Tian nodded. Taking advantage of the fact that there were no cameras around, she led Lu Qingzhuo to a quiet path outside the gate. The two chatted as they walked.

“President Fu is really worried about you—especially about that so-called 'Sister Ran' you’re all buddy-buddy with.”

Lu Qingzhuo’s eyes widened as she clutched her injured finger. “Buddy-buddy? Don’t say stuff like that!”

Han Tian, who was usually all business and cold in demeanor, suddenly sounded like a normal person again. “Even I, an outsider, can tell that this Sister Ran has a thing for you.”

“No way…” Lu Qingzhuo’s grip on her finger loosened. She opened her mouth slightly and couldn’t help but ask, “She’s only chatted with me a few times. That’s enough to catch feelings?”

Lu Qingzhuo was stunned. Could liking someone really be that simple? Maybe it’s just a case of “absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

Take her and Lin Zhiyu, for example—they’d spent so much time together that now, no matter what they did, they were sick of each other. Always bickering, always finding fault. They knew each other too well.

“Anyway, she definitely likes you. It’s not just me who sees it—even President Fu told me to…”

Han Tian suddenly tripped over her words, almost spilling the secret that Fu Yumian had sent her to keep watch. She quickly changed the topic, “Just be careful, okay? You and President Fu are married for real. You can’t let an outsider mess up your relationship.”

“I’ll be careful.”

Lu Qingzhuo still couldn’t figure it out. It’s not like she did anything that might attract Ye Ran. Still, it was best to keep some distance.

Gossiping behind someone’s back wasn’t polite. After assuring Han Tian she’d be careful, Lu Qingzhuo steered the conversation away from Ye Ran.

They took a short stroll. Lu Qingzhuo was a little afraid of the dark—especially after Fu Yumian’s ghost story the night before. Now, whenever she saw a dark corner, her mind went straight to creepy images. She quickly pulled Han Tian back to Bai Yu’s house.

Cooking was quick with many hands. Bai Yu made her signature iron pot stew. Lu Qingzhuo arrived just in time to see her placing the large pot on the dining table.

The cut on her hand had probably already scabbed over. Lu Qingzhuo helped set the table and bring out dishes. Once everything was ready, they all sat down together.

Lu Qingzhuo and Ye Ran ended up sitting next to each other. Han Tian was dying to wedge herself in between them, but it would’ve been too obvious. She had to settle for sitting on Lu Qingzhuo’s other side, playing the role of a silent bodyguard.

Lin Zhiyu had even made some butterbeer. Each person had a glass. They clinked them together and had Bai Le take a few photos before they dug in.

Halfway through the meal, Lu Qingzhuo’s phone suddenly rang—it was a FaceTime call from Fu Yumian. She quickly set down her chopsticks and answered the call immediately.

Fu Yumian’s face appeared on screen. She looked like she had just finished showering, her damp hair still not completely dry.

Then the camera angle dipped slightly, and Lu Qingzhuo caught a glimpse of two “cream puff towers” standing proudly on display. She nearly threw her phone across the room.

She hurriedly muted the audio and whispered into the phone, “I’m eating right now.”

Then she quickly ended the call.

Song Huai picked up a chicken wing and, noticing Lu Qingzhuo’s flustered expression, teased with a grin, “Oho, checking in on her territory?”

“Yeah.” Lu Qingzhuo smiled faintly, though her heart was pounding. Her hand trembled as she held her chopsticks.

She had already reacted as calmly as possible. Hopefully, she hadn’t given anything away.

Fu Yumian, that beast!

Wasn’t last night enough?!

Even during a group dinner, she had to stir her up again!

Thankfully, Lin Zhiyu wasn’t the one sitting next to her—or else she wouldn’t be the only one who saw those blindingly white “bamboo shoots.”

Fu Yumian didn’t call again or send any WeChat messages afterward. Lu Qingzhuo breathed a sigh of relief. Her ears were tinged red, but under the dim lighting, it wasn’t noticeable unless you looked closely.

What she didn’t notice, though, was that Ye Ran, sitting beside her, had quietly put down her chopsticks the moment she saw the flush on Lu Qingzhuo’s ears.

After dinner, Lu Qingzhuo cleaned up and slipped out of the house with her Bluetooth earbuds in, claiming she needed a walk to digest. The others stayed inside, playing a few rounds of Fight the Landlord.

Han Tian didn’t follow. She guessed Lu Qingzhuo had gone out to call Fu Yumian.

Sure enough, just moments after Lu Qingzhuo stepped outside, a FaceTime call came through—as if Fu Yumian had been waiting for this exact window of free time.

Lu Qingzhuo removed her earphones, double-checked that no sound would leak, then put them back in and met eyes with the well-dressed omega on screen.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Fu Yumian held her phone, sitting at what looked like the bar counter at home, a slight blush coloring her pale cheeks.

“You’ve got some nerve!” Lu Qingzhuo glanced around furtively like a thief, whispering, “I was eating! Surrounded by people! Why weren’t you wearing any clothes?!”

Fu Yumian’s lips curved into a teasing smile as she swirled the wine glass in her hand. “Didn’t I already tell you? In front of you, I don’t need to wear anything.”

“You… you little—!”

Through a thin line of wire, Lu Qingzhuo still dared not say anything harsh, afraid that Fu Yumian might suddenly lose her temper and come over in the middle of the night to make a scene.

Fu Yumian, however, was fully aware of everything. She smiled and said, "Did you notice the bite marks earlier?"

"Bite marks?" Lu Qingzhuo blurted out, then immediately realized where Fu Yumian was referring to. Her face turned bright red in an instant. "I didn’t see anything! Don’t say another word!"

"Alright, alright, I won’t say anything more." Fu Yumian’s hand gently rubbed her chest as she let out a soft breath, smiling. "But now, the evidence is undeniable. You can’t deny it."

Lu Qingzhuo’s face flushed with heat, and as she recalled the events of the previous night, she lowered her voice, gritted her teeth, and said, "That’s only because you were deliberately bullying me!"

If you weren’t the chairwoman of Fu Group, I wouldn’t have been so powerless.

"Is that so?"

Fu Yumian’s voice sounded unusually hoarse. When a seductive moan came through the headphones, Lu Qingzhuo bit her lip and nervously glanced around.

"You... you..."

Lu Qingzhuo widened her eyes and spun around in place.

She crouched down, clutching her phone, too scared to look at the omega on the video.

"Qingzhuo… baby… don’t you know how much I miss you…"

At that moment, Lu Qingzhuo really wanted to hang up the call. She walked farther away, afraid someone would notice her unease.

"Stop it!" Lu Qingzhuo growled like a small, cornered beast, baring her sharp fangs in warning. "Stop now! This is sexual harassment!"

"How could something like this just stop?" Fu Yumian shamelessly lowered her phone, turning the volume up to the maximum, laughing softly. "Didn’t you always want to see this? Today, I’ll let you watch as much as you want."

Fu Yumian stared at Lu Qingzhuo, whose eyes were closed on the screen, and with a tone that left no room for argument, ordered, "Open your eyes."

The moment Lu Qingzhuo opened her eyes, her soul was hit with a huge impact. She glanced around nervously, still worried someone might approach.

"Mmm…"

Lu Qingzhuo was on the verge of tears. She had no choice but to hide under a tree, reluctantly enduring the visual and auditory impact Fu Yumian was subjecting her to.

It was unclear how much time had passed when she finally saw the scene end. The snow in her hand had melted into water, dripping wet and sticky on the phone screen.

Lu Qingzhuo felt dizzy, unsure whether what was dripping on the screen was just melted snow or something else.

Fu Yumian wiped the water off her fingers with a handkerchief, and her sultry voice came clearly through the headphones.

"Qingzhuo…"

Without looking back, Lu Qingzhuo clutched her phone and ran.

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