Chapter 7: Hair

My heart pounded wildly, too afraid to make a sound.

I had always been terrified of Liang Lei, Fu Shuhua’s fiancée.

Thinking of the recent message I had received, my body trembled uncontrollably.

All I wanted was to escape as quickly as possible, as if even hearing Liang Lei’s slightest voice would keep me awake all night.

Fu Shuhua blocked the door; I couldn’t leave.

I could only pull up the panties he had ripped off and, trembling, walk deeper into the room.

Shaking, I unlocked my phone and found Gu Yan’s contact.

“Senior…” I barely typed two characters before the man who had followed me suddenly snatched the phone away.

“You…” I covered my mouth, too scared to make a sound.

He glared at me fiercely.

Before I could say anything, without a word, he single-handedly opened Gu Yan's contact and deleted it.

!!!

I nearly cried out.

At that moment, a delicate voice with a hint of tears came from the other end of the phone.

“Shuhua, where are you? I… I accidentally fell; my leg seems twisted, it hurts so much…”

I pressed my hand tightly over my mouth, desperate to conceal my presence.

Fu Shuhua still held my wrist, leaving a bruised purple mark on my slender arm.

“Got it. I’m coming back right away.” His brows furrowed tightly, impatience flashing briefly.

I knew Fu Shuhua didn’t really like Liang Lei as his fiancée.

It was only because his grandfather had begged him on his deathbed to take care of Liang Lei that he was forced to look after this delicate, demanding woman.

But Fu Shuhua’s likes and dislikes were none of my concern.

In the past, as Fu Shuhua’s kept woman, I had no right to interfere with his choices.

Now, all I cared about was the threat that woman posed to me.

I just wanted to live—that was all.

“Give me the address. I’ll call a doctor,” Fu Shuhua said coldly, sparing no words.

Though it was nearby, I didn’t catch what the other person replied.

Fu Shuhua hung up almost the moment the other side answered.

The noise from the call vanished, leaving only the two of us in the room—so quiet it frightened me.

I dared not move, curling up in a corner, my hands clutching the carpet desperately.

Fu Shuhua irritably tugged at his tie, looking down at me from above.

The struggle with Fu Shuhua had been too intense; tear stains still marked the corners of my eyes.

Those glistening tears slipped down my jade-like cheeks, tracing my smooth jawline before falling to the floor, creating a small, darkened patch.

A few stray strands of hair, damp with tears, made me appear even more pitiful.

“Why are you crying, Jiang Tian? I haven’t even tried hard yet, and you can’t take it? You weren’t like this before,” Fu Shuhua sneered, gripping my chin.

But from the faint furrow of his brows, I caught a glimpse of reluctance behind his contemptuous gaze.

I said nothing, deliberately moving my bruised, slender wrist in front of him.

He didn’t press me further. Buckling his belt, he glanced at me once before leaving the room.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

Sitting alone on the hotel bed, I opened my phone and messaged Ji Ge, asking if he had told Fu Shuhua my location.

Ji Ge didn’t answer directly, only sending back an emoji that said, “You’d better take care of yourself.”

—

Arriving at Liang Lei’s apartment, Fu Shuhua immediately spotted the woman weakly slumped on the floor.

Liang Lei’s pale ankle was slightly swollen and red; she looked as if she had been waiting there for a long time.

Fu Shuhua strode over.

“The doctor will be here soon,” he said coldly, as if going through the motions.

More importantly, he had no intention of helping Liang Lei up.

Liang Lei’s eyes flickered; she bit her lip, intentionally trying to muster strength to stand.

But the next moment, her footing faltered, and she fell straight into Fu Shuhua’s arms.

He couldn’t dodge in time; the scent of her perfume wafted into his nose.

“Shuhua, it hurts so much…” Liang Lei’s voice was soft and delicate, like a rose about to bloom.

Fu Shuhua turned his head, subtly avoiding her touch.

“Why isn’t the doctor here yet? The Fu family pays you so much, and you’re just a bunch of useless people?” he said coldly as he picked up his phone.

Liang Lei bit her lip but stubbornly leaned closer to Fu Shuhua again.

Whether intentionally or not, she arched her chest, her full bosom nearly pressing against his own.

However, at that moment, Fu Shuhua put down his phone.

Liang Lei’s gesture missed its mark; off balance, the thin heel of her high-heeled shoe spun on the floor, nearly twisting her ankle again.

“Ah!” Liang Lei gasped, swaying.

Quick as a flash, Fu Shuhua caught her arm, his tone still indifferent: “Be careful.”

He helped her settle onto the soft sofa.

Liang Lei leaned against Fu Shuhua, wrapping one arm around his waist.

She gently stroked his back, savoring the warmth radiating from him.

This time, Fu Shuhua did not reject her.

Perhaps he was just too reserved, not that he disliked her, Liang Lei comforted herself.

The atmosphere grew increasingly intimate.

Yet, in the next moment, her fingertip accidentally brushed against Fu Shuhua’s shoulder, feeling an odd, slippery sensation.

Instinctively, Liang Lei raised her hand and, under the dim light, examined her fingertips closely.

She suddenly saw a long strand of hair—black, shiny, naturally curled—twined around Fu Shuhua’s collar.

It was a woman’s hair!

No wonder Fu Shuhua had been so cold to her! He…

Liang Lei’s eyes darkened; she calmly pinched the strand of hair and tucked it into her pocket.

Pretending she hadn’t seen a thing, she continued her tender closeness with the man.

The doctor arrived soon and gave Liang Lei a brief examination, confirming a mild sprain before leaving.

Fu Shuhua stood quietly by, expression cold as if indifferent.

After the doctor left, silence returned to the room.

Fu Shuhua glanced down at his watch, coldly shot Liang Lei a glance, and said coolly, “I have other matters.”

Liang Lei had no time to protest before Fu Shuhua turned and strode straight to the door without hesitation.

Watching his departing back, Liang Lei clenched her teeth.

The next moment, she dialed a number: “Help me check Fu Shuhua’s schedule for the past few days—every detail. I want to know everything.”

—

Back in the car, Fu Shuhua tried calling Jiang Tian again.

“Sorry, the number you have dialed is currently busy…”

Over and over, the same result.

He must have been blocked.

“Jiang Tian…” Fu Shuhua hissed darkly, slamming the steering wheel hard, veins bulging on his temple.

After calming himself, he made another call.

“Tell me where Jiang Tian will be filming tomorrow.”

At that time, I still had no idea that a crisis was about to descend.