Volume One, Chapter Four: The Trial Passed

In my sleep, Fu Yunshen always felt as if someone was watching him. When he opened his eyes, he was met with a pair of clear, aged eyes, which startled him into sitting up immediately.

“Little Fu, how did you sleep last night?”

Seeing who it was, Fu Yunshen relaxed. “Grandpa, I slept quite well.”

Grandpa’s lips curled into a mischievous smile. “Little Fu, I have a plot of land that has been lying fallow for a long time. This old man’s getting on in years and not as strong as before. Could you help me cultivate it?”

“Sure, Grandpa, no problem. I’ll go right away.”

I was about to check if Fu Yunshen had gotten up when I saw him walking out of the room with Grandpa.

Grandpa raised an eyebrow and smiled at me in a way that made me uneasy. Upon hearing that Grandpa wanted Fu Yunshen to dig the land, my eyes widened.

“Grandpa… um, Fu Yunshen has never done manual labor in the city. He’s no good at digging. I’m stronger; I’ll go dig instead.”

I knew Grandpa and Grandma would want Fu Yunshen to do some work. After all, in this village, bringing home a son-in-law usually meant he had to work. I thought maybe Fu Yunshen would just pull some weeds, but I never expected Grandpa to send him to till the fallow land.

That patch hadn’t seen crops for years; the grass was almost as tall as a person. The ground must be incredibly tough. Sending Fu Yunshen, who had never held a hoe, there was sure to exhaust him.

“Xiaoyu, it’s okay. I’m strong. You stay at home with Grandpa and Grandma. I’ll go dig.”

Fu Yunshen stood beside me, looking relaxed.

Grandpa nodded in approval. “If Little Fu says he can, then he can. Don’t worry.”

I looked at Fu Yunshen with mixed feelings and whispered, “Good luck.”

When we took Fu Yunshen to the field, I clearly saw his expression beginning to falter.

Grandpa looked on with a gleeful smirk. “Little Fu, here’s the sickle and hoe. You have to clear the grass before digging. Xiaoyu and I will head back now. We’ll call you when it’s time to eat.”

Before I could say anything, Grandpa pulled me along.

I looked at Grandpa’s barely concealed amusement. “Grandpa, this is a bit too much. The grass is so tall, and he has to dig as well. How can he manage alone? I’ll go help him!”

Grandpa grabbed my hand again. “You’re not allowed to go. Don’t you see? I’m testing him for you.”

“But this test is too harsh!”

“Silly child, Grandpa’s not really asking him to cultivate that land. It hasn’t been farmed in years.”

“Really? It’s not being farmed?”

Seeing my confusion, Grandpa explained, “I want to see how much he cares for you. If he truly does, even the hardest tasks won’t deter him. If not, he wouldn’t bother. Someone who sincerely cares for you won’t back down in the face of difficulties.”

I understood then; Grandpa was assessing Fu Yunshen’s attitude.

What Grandpa didn’t know was that Fu Yunshen was reluctantly doing this — he didn’t like me at all.

Fu Yunshen looked at the wild grass in the field, took a deep breath, took off his jacket and laid it aside, then picked up the sickle and began cutting down the tall grass.

When I arrived, the waist-high grass had all been cut and piled to the side. Fu Yunshen was now digging with a hoe.

I stood nearby and quickly took several photos with my phone. Fu Yunshen looked incredibly handsome doing farm work!

The sound of the camera shutter attracted Fu Yunshen’s attention. He turned and saw me, surprised. “Lu Xiaoyu, what are you doing here?”

“I came to bring you some sweetened water. I shook the cup a little to get your attention.”

After handing him the drink, I reached for the hoe, but Fu Yunshen looked at me warily. “What are you trying to do?”

“You sit down and rest. I’ll dig.”

“No way. It’s not proper for a woman to do farm work.”

Fu Yunshen gripped the hoe tightly. I couldn’t wrestle it away from him. After taking a few sips of the sweetened water, he continued digging.

The soil was hard, and I could see he was putting all his strength into every swing, veins bulging on his forehead.

I stood by, taking more photos.

“Fu Yunshen, you don’t have to dig it all. You can slack off a bit. Stop and rest.”

I urged gently, “Just pretend a little. Grandpa only cares about the attitude.”

“No, since I promised Grandpa, I have to do it.”

Fu Yunshen’s hands never stopped moving; every swing was harder than the last.

For a moment, I almost believed he was working so hard for me.

[Little White, what’s the current affection level with the target?]

[Host, the affection level is zero.]

Little White’s reply made me smile bitterly.

Lu Xiaoyu, why do you keep dreaming? Here comes another cold shower! You really deserve this!

I took a deep breath. “Fu Yunshen, I’m heading back now. I’ll call you when it’s time to eat.”

With that, I fled in embarrassment.

Back at the courtyard, Grandma was sorting vegetables. I went to help.

“Did Little Fu bully you?”

Just as I sat down, Grandma asked suddenly.

I looked up in confusion. “No!”

Grandma saw through me at once. “Your face says otherwise. Don’t pretend to be happy when you’re not.”

“When two people are together, there will be quarrels. Your Grandpa and I have had many arguments, but once we talk them through, everything’s fine. Look at your Grandpa now — he can’t live without me.”

“Did Grandpa send Little Fu to dig the fallow land? Is he upset, causing a quarrel?”

I quickly denied it. “No, it’s because I lost my job and felt down.”

“That’s nothing. If you lose one job, you can find another! Rest at home for a few days, then look for work again.”

Grandma comforted me with a kind smile, her wrinkled face full of warmth.

I hadn’t planned to hide my cancer diagnosis from Grandpa and Grandma, but now I didn’t know how to break the news. If I told them now, it would only worry them. It was better to let them be happy for now and tell them in the end.

I nodded. “I know.”

We went to the field to call Fu Yunshen for dinner. Seeing the loosened soil, I was shocked — Fu Yunshen had really cultivated the fallow land.

Grandpa’s eyes shone with newfound respect. “Little Fu, thank you for your hard work. Come on, let’s go home and eat!”

Fu Yunshen, carrying the hoe, smiled brightly. “Okay, Grandpa.”

I glanced at Fu Yunshen’s palms, which were scraped and reddened.

After dinner, I pulled Fu Yunshen into the room and took some medicine from my pocket. “Hold out your hand; I’ll put some ointment on it.”

Fu Yunshen grinned mischievously. “You’re being all tender with your boyfriend now!”

I froze for a moment and glared at him. “Don’t say nonsense.”

“How is that nonsense? You said three months — for these three months, I’m your boyfriend. Grandpa just said I passed his test.”

Fu Yunshen spoke with conviction. It did seem that way.

The next day, Grandpa asked me to take Fu Yunshen around the village. It was clear he liked Fu Yunshen as his “grandson-in-law.”

After breakfast, I took Fu Yunshen out.

He was wearing only one outfit, the same clothes he arrived in. After digging yesterday, they were dirty, so now he wore some clothes Grandpa had when he was young, with sleeves and pants a bit short. He wasn’t used to them, frequently tugging at the sleeves.

“Fu Yunshen, you’re here with me, but what about your company?”

During university, I knew Fu Yunshen had become CEO of the Fu Corporation. In just one year, Fu Corporation had expanded over various industries, and the industry praised him as a rare genius.

“You don’t have to worry about that. Someone will take care of it.”

Fu Yunshen smiled broadly, but I caught a flicker of faint sadness in his eyes.

“Lu Xiaoyu, do you prefer the Fu Yunshen who played basketball in high school or the one who played the violin?”

Fu Yunshen suddenly turned to me, his eyes hiding thoughts I couldn’t decipher.

I frowned, puzzled. “Aren’t they both you?”

Fu Yunshen chuckled, “Come on, just tell me. I want to know if you like the basketball-playing Fu Yunshen or the violin-playing Fu Yunshen better.”

When playing basketball, Fu Yunshen always wore a smile. He had great teamwork and celebrated with high-fives after scoring. That carefree smile in the summer heat was unforgettable.

When playing the violin, Fu Yunshen seemed shrouded in a subtle melancholy, his whole demeanor more somber.

“If I had to choose, I’d prefer the basketball-playing Fu Yunshen because he was happy then. I want Fu Yunshen to always be happy.”

Hearing my answer, Fu Yunshen seemed relieved, his eyes brightening.

Suddenly, he lifted me off the ground, spinning me around excitedly before carefully setting me down and scratching his head. “Sorry, got a bit carried away.”

I was utterly bewildered the whole time. His emotional swings were intense.

We walked down the main road, and suddenly a large patch of wildflowers appeared by the roadside. I couldn’t help but take out my phone and start snapping pictures.

“Take one of me too!”

Fu Yunshen squatted down, holding a small white flower between his fingers, winking at me. His face was level with the flowers, as if he were enveloped in a sea of blossoms. For a moment, I couldn’t tell if the flowers highlighted him or he highlighted the flowers.

“How’s the photo? Let me see!”

Fu Yunshen stood and leaned close, a faint fragrance wafting by. He stood behind me, enveloping me completely.

At that moment, surrounding sounds seemed to freeze, leaving only the deafening thump of my heart.

“Hmm, looks good.”

Fu Yunshen lowered his head, warm breath tickling my ear.

He continued scrolling through the photos I had taken of him earlier, then suddenly his finger paused.

My breath caught, and I quickly escaped from his embrace.

It was a photo of when I had tied Fu Yunshen up — he was bound to a chair, eyes covered with a red cloth, lips red and face pale. I had thought it looked quite alluring and taken the photo, but I never expected the subject himself to see it.

I avoided his gaze, unsure how to face him.

“So you like this kind, huh?” Fu Yunshen stepped closer as I retreated step by step. “I like it too. Those slaps you gave me before? Looking back, they felt pretty good.”

Hearing that, I looked up, shocked, meeting Fu Yunshen’s mischievous grin.

“Let’s go back! I’ll go ahead; you take your time.”

I turned and fled in one smooth motion. After putting some distance between us, I stopped and touched my face — it felt hot, almost burning.

The heir of the capital’s elite, Fu Yunshen, had such tastes. Surely in his eyes, me tying him up was some kind of intimate play! Those slaps I gave him before, which I thought he hated, actually satisfied him.

The more I thought about it, the faster my heart raced. I tried to calm myself, but my mind was flooded with all sorts of vivid images.

“Xiaoyu, you’re back. Where’s Little Fu?”

Grandma was watering the flowers and plants, looking up to see me lost in thought.

“He’s out back. I’m going inside first.”

I said that and quickly went back inside.