Chapter 3: Jealousy

Fu Yanshen had always been arrogant as hell. If he didn’t like someone, he’d make himself scarce in a heartbeat.

And yet, today, he stood there chatting with the Jiang family’s daughter for an unusually long time. Every now and then, he even glanced my way with the faintest hint of a smile.

Fine.

Apparently, my “brother” had decent taste after all. If they were so perfect for each other, they might as well get married and save me the trouble!

That night, I drank a little too much. My head was light, and I felt like I was floating somewhere above the clouds.

I’d barely made it back to my room when there was a knock at the door.

“I’m coming in.”

Fu Yanshen walked in carrying a glass of honey water. He must have noticed me drinking while I kept sneaking glances at that Jiang girl.

“Thanks,” I murmured.

He set the glass down but didn’t leave.

Instead, he stood there in front of me, hands in his pockets, looking down at me with an intimidating air.

“It’s my birthday today. How did you manage to drink more than the birthday boy?”

I gave an awkward laugh, trying to joke my way out of it.

“Well… it’s your birthday. I was happy for you, so I had a few extra drinks!”

Fu Yanshen didn’t answer.

He simply watched me in silence.

He didn’t say a word, but his gaze felt as though it could see straight through the calm facade I was desperately trying to maintain.

My heart pounded wildly, like a mouse running laps inside my chest.

I stammered, “You… you should go. I want to rest.”

“Drink this first. Then I’ll leave.”

I had no choice but to pick up the honey water and gulp it down in one go.

“There. Done. Can you go now?”

I held the empty glass out toward him.

Fu Yanshen reached for it.

But just as his hand was about to touch the glass, it suddenly changed direction.

Instead of taking the glass, his fingers moved toward my lips.

I instinctively recoiled.

“What are you pulling away from?”

His voice was low, a dangerous hint of amusement running through it.

Before I could collect myself, he stepped closer.

My entire body went rigid as I looked up at him.

A few strands of hair had fallen across his brow, but they did nothing to hide the darkness gradually deepening in his eyes.

His callused fingertip lightly brushed my cheek.

It was burning hot.

Oh, God.

Was it the alcohol making me feel this way, or was he actually up to something?

The room was so quiet I could hear the air conditioner humming.

That silence was somehow more terrifying than anything he could have said.

I hurriedly turned my face away, my voice trembling like a malfunctioning hair dryer.

“I… I want to go to sleep!”

This time, he didn’t do anything else.

He merely curled his lips into the faintest smile, turned around, and walked out.

The moment the door clicked shut, I collapsed onto the bed and let out a long breath of relief, as if I’d just escaped death itself.

If he’d stayed another second, my heart would have been pounding so loudly it might as well have sounded like war drums in his ears.

…

Fu Yanshen went on a business trip.

Taking advantage of my newfound free time, I packed a suitcase and headed to the neighboring city for a little change of scenery.

Of course, life never goes according to plan.

The moment I arrived at the hotel, I saw him standing there, rubbing his forehead with an exhausted, irritated expression.

And just a few minutes later, the Jiang family’s daughter showed up too, dressed from head to toe as though she’d come prepared for maximum secrecy.

Ah.

So this was the kind of business trip it was.

Watching that handsome, well-matched pair together, the image I’d built of Fu Yanshen as the “Buddha who never gets close to women” came crashing down around me.

She was beautiful, well-connected, highly educated—the whole package. They were practically made for each other.

And me?

I was nothing more than the little sister who had seemingly dropped out of the sky, along with my not-so-glorious little “accidental” scheme.

For the first time, I felt like a complete loser for clinging to this one-sided love.

I packed up my things and decided to leave early, just so I wouldn’t have to see him.

But the moment I stepped out of the hotel, a familiar voice called out—

“An An!”

And of course, it was none other than my ever-present shadow, Jiang Xiaobei.

“An An, how could you come all the way here without inviting me? That’s not very nice!”

I was already annoyed, but then I saw Fu Yanshen and the Jiang family’s daughter slowly approaching.

An idea for revenge instantly flashed through my mind.

I turned to Jiang Xiaobei and gave him the brightest smile I’d ever worn.

“An An, you look really pretty when you smile.”

He stared at me, completely dazed.

“Really?”

I put on a shy expression, pretending to be as innocent and coy as possible.

I stepped closer, looked straight into his eyes, and lowered my voice into something soft and almost seductive.

“I just realized something…”

His eyes widened.

“Your eyes are really beautiful too.”

Jiang Xiaobei couldn’t resist.

He lowered his head, clearly intending to kiss me.

I closed my eyes.

I didn’t move away.

But just as our lips were about to meet, a tremendous force yanked me backward.

Jiang Xiaobei nearly went sprawling.

“What the hell are you two doing?”

Fu Yanshen’s voice was ice-cold.

His face was dark enough to rival the bottom of a frying pan.

Jiang Xiaobei opened his mouth to explain, but I beat him to it, lowering my voice as though I were terribly embarrassed.

“Don’t… don’t ask. It’s embarrassing.”

At that exact moment, the Jiang family’s daughter hurried over.

The moment she saw her younger brother, she froze.

Fu Yanshen gave her a cold, mocking smile.

“Miss Jiang, is playing matchmaker in other people’s lives a family talent of yours?”

The pointed remark left her face stiff.

She immediately grabbed her brother and dragged him away.

Once the siblings disappeared from sight, the atmosphere around Fu Yanshen became frighteningly heavy.

“Had enough?”

His voice was low and sharp.

“Yep.”

“Then go back to the hotel.”

“I’m not going.”

I lifted my chin defiantly.

“Why?”

“I’m bored. I don’t want to stay there anymore.”

He gave a cold laugh, his eyes darkening with something dangerous.

“What? You want to move in with Jiang Xiaobei?”

I looked him straight in the eye and delivered the final blow.

“Yeah. I do.”

I knew perfectly well how much Fu Yanshen hated that kid, Jiang Xiaobei.

But today, I would rather play the role of a shameless little mind-game master and provoke him to death than let him see how badly my heart was hurting.