Wen Moxue walked in, thinking over the situation. The assistant who had come with Fu Cheng was nowhere to be seen. Inside the private room, only Fu Cheng remained.
He had already removed his suit jacket, wearing a finely tailored black shirt. The platinum cuffs gleamed with a cold light, giving him an air of elegance and nobility.
He sat in an antique huanghuali wood carved chair, calm and composed. His long fingers held a phone as he looked at the screen. It was as if he were the center of the room, naturally exuding an aura that kept strangers away.
Wen Moxue had been confident flirting online, but seeing him in person so close made him feel slightly intimidated.
Then he remembered all the things Fu Cheng had said online to slander him and the humiliation of being rejected. His fighting spirit ignited.
Timid? Impossible.
He forced a sweet smile, pushed down his embarrassment, and called out the name he had typed countless times on WeChat, his voice full of delighted surprise. “Brother!”
Fu Cheng lifted his eyes. When his gaze fell on Wen Moxue, it paused briefly.
No one could escape the impact of such beauty.
Wen Moxue felt a flicker of nervousness. The last time Fu Cheng brought Fu Jiahang to school, only Wen Moxue had seen him. Fu Cheng had not noticed him.
But Fu Jiahang had sent his photo to Fu Cheng before. Now, wearing makeup and presenting as female, Wen Moxue was unsure if Fu Cheng would recognize him.
Fu Cheng only paused briefly before looking away. His eyes were calm, showing no suspicion.
Wen Moxue secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He set down the tray and sat at the tea table, cheerfully saying, “Brother, you could not relax on my first day of work, so you came specially for me, right?”
Fu Cheng’s expression remained unchanged. His words were blunt. “I did not come specially. I made an appointment to discuss business. He will arrive later.”
“But choosing to discuss business here means you are taking care of me. I am so happy.”
Fu Cheng remained silent.
“Since the person you are meeting has not arrived yet, let me make you some tea first.”
Fu Cheng gave a light “mm.”
Wen Moxue washed the teaware while continuing to flirt with the older man.
“Brother, you do not even know my name yet. I am Wen Qianqian. Wen as in warm, Qian as in the money we spend. Is your name Fu Cheng?”
“Yes.”
“I thought people on blind dates usually use heavily filtered photos, but brother is different. You look a hundred times better than your picture.”
Fu Cheng remained silent.
“As for me,” Wen Moxue said shyly, unable to sense his coldness, “my profile photo is edited. Brother, are you a little disappointed seeing the real me?”
The photo he had sent that afternoon had not shown his face. The one he referenced now was the edited Ah Li cosplay avatar. He had not edited it himself. The goal was to make the man compliment him.
Unexpectedly, Fu Cheng replied, “I am not disappointed.”
Wen Moxue looked up, surprised. His beautiful peach blossom eyes seemed to hold stars. Then he heard Fu Cheng say flatly, “I am not interested in you. I never clicked your avatar to look.”
"......"
Was that even human language?
Fu Cheng continued, “Besides, I like people who are more mature. You are still young. Do not waste your time on me.”
Wen Moxue: "...."
The reason Wen Moxue had once rejected Fu Jiahang came back like a boomerang. He cursed inwardly. Liking older people? He clearly preferred wealthy women. A poor kid like him could not enter his eyes.
Seeing the light in the girl’s eyes dim, Fu Cheng felt no guilt. It was only because she was introduced by Jiang Peilan that he had to be polite. Anyone else ignoring his rejection would have already been blacklisted.
He had come today to reject her clearly, so she would give up completely.
However, the girl lifted her face again, her eyes full of affection.
“But I like brother. I just like someone older than me. Mature, steady, charming. Even the way brother rejects me is so handsome.”
Fu Cheng was silent.
Forget it. Better to block her. At worst, Madam Jiang would cry a few more days.
Wen Moxue finished brewing the tea and placed a steaming cup in front of him. “Brother, have some tea.”
Fu Cheng saw he could not persuade her and did not waste time. “I do not need you here. Leave.”
Wen Moxue was stunned.
Wow. Could he be any more heartless?
No. If he left now, their progress would return to zero.
Wen Moxue sneered inwardly. Want to get rid of him? Not that easy.
He let his eyes fill with tears. “Brother is already throwing me away?”
Fu Cheng, having decided to cut ties completely, said coldly, “Do not make me repeat myself.”
Wen Moxue repeated silently in his heart, barely resisting the urge to slap the man. Was this person carved from stone? So foul, so hard.
One day, you will suffer the pain of wanting me and not getting me. Once I have you, I will make you walk out a hundred times. You will know what it feels like to be discarded without mercy.
With that thought, Wen Moxue stood with a tragic smile.
“It is fine. I am used to it. Mom, big brother, dad. The love I want, I can never have.”
Fu Cheng was silent.
He vaguely recalled she was from a divorced family. Perhaps her mother had custody of her brother, and she followed her father. Maybe there were step-parents, and eventually her father kicked her out.
Seeing her like an abandoned puppy, wiping her eyes as she walked out, Fu Cheng closed his eyes and compromised. “Fine. Stay.”
“Really?” The girl smiled through tears. “I knew brother cared about me.”
Fu Cheng, rubbing his temples, said, “Be quiet.”
Wen Moxue knew when to stop. “Okay, brother.”
Just then, the person Fu Cheng had been waiting for arrived. He looked like a business partner.
They glanced at Wen Moxue, the stunning tea artist, but seeing Fu Cheng’s face, they dared not stare.
—
Wen Moxue had achieved his first victory. He was not thrown out of Fu Cheng’s private room, and Fu Cheng had not looked displeased. The manager was very happy.
The most unexpected thing: Fu Cheng gave Wen Moxue the highest tip, 2,000.
The tea house did not require tips. Customers usually tipped after pleasant conversations or emotional comfort, typically 300 to 500. The tea house maintained proper boundaries.
“Wow, this is the first time Mr. Fu has ever tipped. You are amazing!” Chen Jiajia said in shock. “Beauty really is hard currency.”
Wen Moxue asked, “Is it that rare?”
“Of course,” Chen Jiajia whispered. “So many tried to get close to him and failed. You are the first. Some people will be furious.”
Thinking how easily he earned his first sum, even if it was pity because he ate instant noodles, the goal was achieved, and he was happy.
Hmph. This was only the beginning. One day, I will skin that old man alive.
Though Fu Cheng did not reject him successfully that day, he did not return to the tea house for a while. His WeChat messages were cold, a new tactic to make Wen Moxue give up.
Meanwhile, Wen Moxue’s beauty in women’s clothing skyrocketed his reputation at the tea house. Several wealthy men even topped up 500,000 for him.
He remained indifferent. His aloofness only made him more attractive, drawing more attention. His generous daily income brought satisfaction, though his goal of winning Fu Cheng’s attention never changed.
After finishing his part-time shift, Wen Moxue changed clothes and was about to leave when the manager called.
“What is it, Li Jie?” he asked.
“Do you usually like wearing qipaos?” the manager asked.
Of course he liked them. He usually wore men’s clothes.
“I am a student. It is convenient.”
“Oh, I see. You always wear the tea house’s qipaos, and customers are losing the novelty. Could you prepare two of your own?”
Wen Moxue, holding professional standards, immediately agreed.
After thanking the manager, he walked outside. Chen Jiajia was waiting.
They walked together. “What did the manager want?” she asked.
“She wants me to buy two qipaos. Do you have recommendations?”
“Yes. My shopping cart is full of qipaos. I will pick a few suitable ones tonight and send them via WeChat.”
“Okay, thanks.”
“No need to thank me. Come, let us go eat noodles.”
Their shift ended at nine thirty. Often working late, they were always hungry.
Chen Jiajia led him to a nearby beef noodle shop. Even at this hour, it was busy, clearly popular.
Wen Moxue ordered the same as Chen Jiajia. The first bite made his eyes light up. It was truly delicious.
He paused, took a photo, and sent it to Fu Cheng.
A Xiao Li: Brother, this beef noodle place is amazing. You introduced me to such a great job, and I have not even thanked you yet. How about I treat you here? Extra beef.
Fu Cheng ignored him.
After chatting casually with Chen Jiajia while finishing the noodles, they took the last subway back to school. Seeing Fu Cheng still had not replied, Wen Moxue sent more messages.
A Xiao Li: Uwu, brother is ignoring me. Is it because my treat is not good enough?
A Xiao Li: Poor me, not worthy of rich brother.
A Xiao Li: [Cat feeling wronged]
A Xiao Li: [Cat crying]
A Xiao Li: [Cat crying loudly]
Fu Cheng, just out of the shower, was speechless and amused.
Fu: Just finished showering.
A Xiao Li: Handsome man out of the bath. (drools)
Fu: "…"
A Xiao Li: I want to see brother’s abs.
Fu Cheng tied his bathrobe, covering his chest and abs without expression.
Fu: No abs. All fat.
A Xiao Li: I do not believe it, unless brother lets me see.
Fu: "…"
Fu Cheng silently changed the subject.
Fu: What exactly do you like about me?
They had not even met before, yet Wen Qianqian acted as if she were deeply in love and he was the only one for her. No matter how cold he was, she grew bolder.
He did not know what belief supported this affection.
A Xiao Li: I like that brother is handsome.
Fu: A face cannot be eaten. Maybe I am rotten inside.
Ha. The man knew he was filthy and rotten inside.
A Xiao Li: Brother would never be. Brother is the best. And the way brother does not like me is also super handsome. Since I first understood love, everything has gone smoothly. Brother is the first person who ever made me hit a wall. That “I cannot have you” feeling is so attractive.
Fu: "…"
Better go to sleep.