26

Fu Cheng deliberately opened his browser and searched the date to see if today happened to be some trendy meme April Fool's Day he was unaware of.

Unfortunately, it was an ordinary day with no memes and no holiday, and even a particularly unlucky day.

He got dressed while directly making a video call to Wen Qianqian.

The video connected quickly, but the camera on the other end was not turned on.

"I do not really understand your joke," Fu Cheng said as he fastened his tie. "Give me a hint?"

Wen Moxue had no classes for the first two periods today and was still lying in bed. He looked at the two hickey marks on his chest that still had not faded and spoke with a cold voice.

"It means exactly what it says. That classmate confessed to me after I came back yesterday. I thought about it all night and realized I like him more."

Fu Cheng's hand froze mid knot.

Wen Qianqian's tone did not sound like she was joking.

"You're serious?"

"Yes, I am very serious, so I apologize."

"..."

Fu Cheng frowned. At a time like this, he should be able to see her expression to know what she was really thinking, but she had not turned on the camera.

He quickly finished tying his tie. "Are you at school? I will come find you and see you face to face."

"There is nothing to talk about. I am very seriously breaking up with you. If you do not believe me, check the Moments I posted in the middle of the night yesterday. There is no room left between us. You are a rational person, so I hope you do not start making trouble."

Fu Cheng picked up his phone and opened her Moments.

He saw that in the middle of the night, Xiao Li had posted a picture of two interlocked hands with the caption: My true love has arrived @Lin Shuchen.

Lin Shuchen was of course someone Wen Moxue made up. The photo was actually taken with Shuyan's hand. He was simply taking advantage of how little Fu Cheng knew about her.

They had no mutual friends, so he could not see the likes or comments below.

But she had already publicly announced a relationship in Moments, so it should not be fake.

Fu Cheng scrolled further down and found that not a single post was related to him.

He pressed his throbbing brow, unable to quickly process this sudden change.

"You saw it, right? I really like him. He was the first to awaken my feelings. When he was in a relationship before, I thought there was no future between us, so I chose you as the better option. But now that he has come back, I realized that between a high quality partner and true love, I still choose true love. So I am sorry."

"..."

Fu Cheng's expression instantly chilled.

A better option? So in her heart, he had only been a high quality romantic choice.

In front of true love, he was worthless.

Truly interesting. This from someone who claimed she kept her feelings for him at the tip of her tongue.

Fu Cheng braced one hand against the desk, trying to calm the anger in his chest and the jealousy he did not even want to admit.

The thought of someone else hugging her, kissing her, hearing her softly call him brother, or even exploring those intimate places she never allowed him to touch made him furious with jealousy.

He wanted to be angry, to question her, but his personality and the pride rooted in his bones would not allow him to do so.

Fu Cheng took a deep breath. After a moment, he spoke, his voice calm.

"You have decided?"

"Yes. I thought about it all night and it is completely clear."

"No regrets?"

"Of course not. Being with my true love, I can barely contain how happy I am."

Her words were like a blade thrust straight into the chest of the older man. A cracking sound came from the room. A pen that had been on the table had been snapped in two by his hand.

"In that case," Fu Cheng said, his voice covered in ice, cold enough to form frost, "congratulations."

"Then... so my boyfriend does not misunderstand, I will delete you from my contacts."

"Do as you like." With that, Fu Cheng hung up.

Wen Moxue stared at the dark screen. He had thought this moment would feel thrilling.

But in truth, he did not feel thrilled at all. His heart felt empty, as if something he had been working hard toward suddenly ended, leaving him with unprecedented hollowness.

He originally wanted to show off his gold digger diary to Fu Cheng, but no longer dared to send it. He simply deleted all his contact information and then deactivated his WeChat.

Perhaps because he deleted every means of contacting him, Fu Cheng had no way to call. He spent several days feeling uneasy, but Fu Cheng never reached out in any way, never came to the University of Technology to find him, and simply vanished from his world completely.

Probably he just did not love him that much. Maybe he only regretted not having slept with him.

Life seemed to return to normal. As final exams approached, Wen Moxue set aside all distractions and focused on his studies.

—

After Jiang Peilan’s husband passed away, she had been living alone at Muye Mountain Villa. The east garden of the villa was a winery she managed, and the west garden was her residence.

Every month, Fu Cheng would visit her at a fixed time. The winery business was doing very well, and she also had many social engagements, keeping her busy. But on the days Fu Cheng came over, she always made time for him.

Sometimes she would even personally cook a rich meal for him.

But as the end of the year approached, Fu Cheng became busy with certain matters. In previous years, he could never spare time during this period. So that day, when Jiang Peilan heard from someone that he had arrived, she was slightly puzzled. Fortunately, she happened to be at the winery, so she set aside her tasks and hurried back.

"Aren’t you usually busy beyond belief at this time of year? How do you have time to come?" After returning home and seeing Fu Cheng sitting in the living room, Jiang Peilan asked while changing her shoes.

Fu Cheng’s tone was indifferent. "I took a day off."

Jiang Peilan felt that something was wrong. He was usually cold, but this time he seemed unusually distant, as if all traces of human warmth had vanished.

Jiang Peilan took off her coat and handed it to the servant, then walked over and sat on the sofa beside him.

"Weren’t you seeing someone? Why didn’t you bring her with you?"

"Broke up."

"Broke up?" Jiang Peilan was slightly surprised and could not help but gossip. "What, she failed to rise in status?"

Fu Cheng asked, "Rise in status?"

"Yes. Wasn’t that girl seeing someone while she was with you?"

Fu Cheng frowned. "You knew she had someone else and still introduced her to me?"

"When I introduced her to you she didn’t have anyone. She only found someone after you rejected her. I thought you knew."

"I didn’t know. She didn’t say anything."

"Huh," Jiang Peilan said, feeling something was off. "That can’t be. Yu Chen is quite honest. I observed her character before introducing her to you. She wouldn’t be the type to two-time someone."

Fu Cheng immediately caught the key point. "Yu? Her surname isn’t Wen?"

"Wen?" Jiang Peilan was confused. "I never introduced you to a girl with the surname Wen."

"She said her name was Wen Qianqian. She wasn’t introduced by you?"

"No. I’ve never even heard that name. Are you sure you didn’t get it wrong?"

Fu Cheng did not answer.

He had sensed that something was wrong. This breakup had come too suddenly and without warning. But these past few days he had been holding back a stomach full of frustration, telling himself that the so-called strangeness was just him making excuses for Wen Qianqian, so he had avoided thinking further.

Now, hearing Jiang Peilan speak, he realized there were many doubts in this matter.

"Are you alright?" Seeing his changing expression, Jiang Peilan asked with concern.

"I’m fine. I need to make a few calls."

"Alright, go ahead. I’ll help in the kitchen. I didn’t know you were coming, so nothing was prepared."

Jiang Peilan went to the kitchen. Fu Cheng took out his phone and instructed someone to look into a person named Wen Qianqian from University of Technology.

As the head of the Fu family, Fu Cheng’s network was extensive. Not long after, results were returned from the university.

However, what he learned exceeded his expectations.

The university had gone through all student, faculty, graduate, and even external personnel lists, yet they could not find anyone named Wen Qianqian.

Fu Cheng then sent over a photo of Wen Qianqian for comparison.

The result was the same. The student database still did not contain this person.

Some teachers and students were also asked and said they had never seen her. Some students even said that if their school really had such a beautiful young lady, there was no way they would not know.

This meant that Wen Qianqian had lied about her school. She was not from the university at all.

The matter suddenly became uncertain.

"Are you staying the night?" After dinner, Jiang Peilan asked.

Fu Cheng had eaten the entire meal absent-mindedly. Combined with their earlier conversation, Jiang Peilan realized that he had most likely been deceived.

But she did not ask further. What Fu Cheng wanted to tell her, he would. What he was unwilling to say, asking him would be useless.

"No," Fu Cheng said as he picked up his coat and put it on. "I need to go out for a bit."

—

At Chengqian Teahouse, Fu Cheng walked through the entrance carrying a chill with him. The reception staff recognized the face of the black-gold VIP and hurriedly greeted him with smiles.

Fu Cheng said coldly, "Get your supervisor."

"Of course, of course, please wait a moment." The receptionist quickly sensed he was not in a good mood and hurried off.

A moment later, the supervisor rushed out, wearing an apologetic smile. "Mr. Fu, you were looking for me."

"Bring out the contact information, ID materials, and anything else left here by Wen Qianqian."

Although the supervisor was confused, she said, "Certainly. Please wait a moment. I’ll get them now."

Soon the supervisor brought out all the information Wen Qianqian had left, including a copy of her ID. Fu Cheng signaled for his people to examine it.

A moment later, the people he brought reported, "The phone number is invalid. The ID is not real. It has been edited. The number cannot be traced."

Fu Cheng looked at the supervisor. "Explain."

Cold sweat instantly ran down the supervisor’s back.

"She told us she didn’t bring her ID at the time, but she had a photo. She was only doing part-time work, so we didn’t check too strictly," the supervisor asked cautiously. "Did something happen?"

Did something happen?

Fu Cheng let out a cold laugh.

He had been deceived.

After leaving the teahouse, the assistant in charge asked, "Shall we report it to the police, President Fu?"

Although Assistant Gao did not know the relationship between his boss and Wen Qianqian, when President Fu had gone abroad on a business trip, he had attended an auction on his behalf and bought a diamond necklace worth thirteen million.

He had originally thought President Fu was giving it to Ms. Jiang Peilan, but when they returned and packed their luggage, Fu Cheng had instructed them to put the necklace into the suitcase prepared for Wen Qianqian.

Not to mention that the entire suitcase had been filled with expensive luxury goods. The necklace alone was enough to put Wen Qianqian in prison for several years.

He had not expected that this female scammer would be so bold as to deceive even President Fu. She truly did not know the meaning of danger.

Although Wen Qianqian had left no contact information, with real-name verification on WeChat and surveillance showing where she went after entering the university, finding her would be incredibly easy.

Honestly, having already won over their boss, she might as well have become Mrs. Fu. Running off with such a small amount was far too shortsighted.

Fu Cheng touched the watch on his wrist and said coolly, "Do not report it."

"Then this matter..."

"Keep searching. Do not overlook any trace."

Assistant Gao silently thought that the woman had probably already sold the gifts and gone to another city to enjoy life, and continuing the investigation would not yield much.

But he could tell that his boss still had lingering feelings and did not want to turn the matter into a criminal case.

This way, once the woman was found, there would still be room for reconciliation.

He replied respectfully, "Yes."

---

Previously, Wen Moxue had promised Liu Xi and the others that he would join their performance. They had been rehearsing for half a month already, and he had not yet participated. Now that he finally had free time, he intended to rehearse with them, ensuring he would not falter during the performance.

That day, Wen Moxue did not need to worry about blocking. He only had to sit and coordinate with the other performers and their instruments. The task was simple. The real challenge was the piece itself. He could not play it yet, which meant he needed extra time to practice with the sheet music.

During a break, he approached Liu Xi, the person in charge.

"The piece requires a guzheng. When would it be convenient for me to come and practice?"

The guzheng was stored in the music equipment classroom. Liu Xi and the others had applied for permission, so it could be used freely. The doors, however, were usually locked, which meant scheduling a time was necessary.

Liu Xi said quickly, "We have two keys. We can give you one, senior. That way, you can come whenever you are free."

"Will that be inconvenient for you?"

"No, senior. We all rehearse together, so one key is enough. Chen Zhicheng, do you have the other key?"

A boy replied, "Yes, but I left it in the dormitory. I didn’t bring it."

"Then please bring it to me later. I will give it to the senior first."

Chen Zhicheng answered, "I’ll go get it now."

Wen Moxue shook his head. "No need to trouble yourself. I’ll go with you to the dorm to get it."

"That works too," Liu Xi said with a smile. "Then it will be troublesome for you to make a trip."

After rehearsal, Wen Moxue accompanied Chen Zhicheng to the dorm to retrieve the key. Approaching the building, he was surprised.

"You live here?"

"Yes. I know senior used to live here, but I haven’t seen you in the past six months. Have you moved?"

"Yes, I moved outside."

"I see. Then senior, wait downstairs. I’ll go up and get it. My dorm is a little messy, and I’d be embarrassed if you saw it."

Many boys did not bother tidying much. Wen Moxue nodded. "Go ahead."

Outside, the cold wind cut sharply. He waited in the dorm lobby on the first floor, glancing down at his phone.

Suddenly, the dorm caretaker shouted, "Hey, sir, who are you looking for? You cannot enter freely."

Then a man’s voice followed, "Sorry, I am a student’s parent. I could not reach him by phone, so I came myself."

"What is your child’s name, what is his grade and major, and what is your relation?"

"Fu Jiahang, first year, International Finance Class One. I am his father."

Wen Moxue: ???

He looked up at the man by the dorm window. From his angle, the side of the man’s face did not match Fu Jiahang. Perhaps it was someone with the same name. Or perhaps it was Fu Cheng’s assistant, pretending to be Fu Jiahang's father to enter the dorm.

He tried to calm himself. It could not be wrong. He had heard Fu Jiahang call Fu Cheng “Dad,” seen him post about Fu Cheng on WeChat, and the number in his phone was saved as "Dad - Fu Cheng." Moreover, the last time Fu Cheng returned from abroad, he had brought something for Fu Jiahang.

It could not be wrong.

As he continued to reassure himself, a young man ran down from the dorm. He was about to rush past the man but stopped abruptly when he saw him.

"Dad."

The man relaxed and lightly tapped him on the head. "You little brat, you didn’t answer your phone or reply on WeChat. Where did you go?"

"I just fell asleep, and my phone was on silent. I’m sorry for worrying you."

"As long as you are safe, let’s go."

Fu Jiahang was about to leave with the man when he noticed Wen Moxue standing in a daze nearby. His eyes lit up briefly before he smiled wryly. "A Xue."

The man also looked over. Seeing Wen Moxue without any beauty filters, his brow furrowed slightly.

"This is your… sigh."

Fu Jiahang nudged his father and whispered, "Apologize, Dad."

Though reluctant, Mr. Fu said, "Alright, alright. I apologize."

Wen Moxue’s mind was spinning. Seeing them approach, he instinctively asked, "He is your dad?"

"Yes, senior. We just happened to meet today. My dad wanted to apologize to you in person." Fu Jiahang nudged his father.

Despite his reluctance, Mr. Fu held his nose and apologized.

"My apologies, student. My previous words about you on WeChat were bad. Please do not take them seriously."

"......."

Wen Moxue’s thoughts became even more chaotic. He did not respond to Mr. Fu and instead looked at Fu Jiahang. 

"I remember at the start of school, the dad who accompanied you was not this one."

"Ah," Fu Jiahang scratched his head. "That was actually my godfather. Heh, this is my biological dad."

Wen Moxue: "......."

It was like a lightning strike to his brain. He felt dizzy. The world seemed to be playing a cruel joke.

"Speaking of your godfather," Mr. Fu said, "I recently heard he was tricked by a scam woman, cheated both in money and affection. Apparently, if he found her, he would make her pay for it."

Fu Jiahang looked shocked. "Dad is cheated by a woman? How could that happen? He is so capable."

"Men are vulnerable to beautiful women. That is why you must be careful and not be fooled by superficial beauty."

Fu Jiahang realized his father was subtly referring to Wen Moxue and almost exploded with anger. He hurriedly said, "A Xue, my father did not mean anything bad about you… A Xue, why do you look so pale?"

"......."

How could Wen Moxue not look pale?

He had been targeting the wrong person.

Help. How could humans make such a huge mistake?