Volume One, Chapter Fourteen: The Little Girl Felt Guilty for Stealing

Fu Shiyue’s gaze lingered on her face for a moment before dropping to her hand. The small, pale hand clutched the blanket draped over him. The back of Lu Miao’s hand seemed to burn under his stare, and she almost immediately withdrew it. Her eyes darted about uneasily, cheeks flushed as she awkwardly said, “I stole your blanket yesterday, now I’m returning it. If you catch a cold from the cold, don’t blame me.”

With that, she gathered the corners of the blanket and tossed them onto him. Fu Shiyue’s gaze was calm and deep as he watched her. His dark eyes fixed on Lu Miao’s feigned composure. The doorbell rang twice or thrice, yet he made no move.

Feeling guilty, Lu Miao said, “I... I’ll go answer it.” She quickly rose from the sofa and hurried to the door, exhaling softly. Outside stood Wang Gege and Xu Jin. Surprised, she opened the door. “Why are you here?”

Xu Jin looked as if she had just gotten up, casually wrapped in a coat with no makeup, concern etched on her face. “You said in the group chat last night that something happened to you. Gege and I saw the message, called you many times, and when you didn’t answer, we came straight from home to find you.”

“Are you alright, Miao Miao?” Wang Gege was equally anxious, scrutinizing Lu Miao from head to toe. She pointed at her flushed cheeks and asked curiously, “Why is your face a little red?”

Still recovering from the earlier embarrassment, Lu Miao cleared her throat lightly. “I’m fine. My uncle’s at home. Would you like to come in?”

Xu Jin’s eyes flickered, and she instinctively glanced into the living room, vaguely catching sight of a man seated on the sofa. She nudged Wang Gege. “Why stand outside? Come in.”

Lu Miao let them in and closed the door, leading them to the sofa. Fu Shiyue was methodically folding the blanket, his movements meticulous and deliberate. When Lu Miao and her friends approached, he was nearly finished.

Lu Miao cleared her throat to remind him, “My friends are here.”

Fu Shiyue set the folded blanket aside and rose calmly. His eyes landed on Lu Miao’s uneasy face. “You entertain them. I’ll go freshen up.”

He made room for them and turned toward the bathroom, never once glancing at Xu Jin or Wang Gege. Lu Miao noticed—this man could be quite aloof at times.

“Oh my, is that your uncle folding the blanket?” Wang Gege pointed at the neatly folded square on the sofa, shocked.

Lu Miao, having seen it many times, was indifferent. “Men who’ve been in the military all have this skill. It’s not surprising.”

“Many men nowadays have lost this skill, especially married ones, who assume it’s the wife’s job—let alone folding it so neatly,” Xu Jin smiled and turned her face. “Your uncle has certainly updated my impression of him.”

Lu Miao had never thought about it that way. Xu Jin’s words made her realize it was true; Lu Yan just waits around in the morning, letting the housekeeper handle everything. She smiled, inviting them to sit.

After Wang Gege sat down, she seriously returned to the topic. “Miao Miao, what happened last night?”

Recalling the events, Lu Miao’s expression darkened.

Fu Shiyue finished freshening up and called Shen Lu to deliver breakfast. Hearing Lu Miao chatting with her friends outside the door, he pushed open the bathroom window, lit a cigarette, and gazed at the bustling street below.

When Shen Lu arrived at the door, Fu Shiyue finally stubbed out his cigarette and stepped out.

It was Lu Miao who opened the door. Shen Lu was momentarily stunned—this wasn’t the sour-faced, difficult girl from last night.

Lu Miao glanced at him, then tilted her head toward the approaching man. “Someone’s here for you.”

Before Fu Shiyue reached the door, Shen Lu interjected, “I’m not here for him; I’m delivering breakfast. Here you go—your mustard greens dumplings and garlic pancakes. Fifth Brother said you like these, so I went to several shops to get them...”

Fu Shiyue took the breakfast from Shen Lu. “You can leave now.”

Not wanting Shen Lu to say more, he closed the door.

Lu Miao caught the scent of smoke on him, her sharp eyes studying him. “Did you fall into my toilet bowl or something? Why did you take so long to freshen up?”

Fu Shiyue lowered his voice, calm and faint. “Your friends came, so I stepped aside.”

Lu Miao paused, looking into the clear boundaries in his eyes. Suddenly, she sensed his courtesy and restraint. With him here, it was true that they all felt uneasy.

Still standing by the door, the man softly reminded her, “Come quickly. The food won’t stay warm in the containers; it’ll get cold.”

Then he grabbed the boxes and headed straight to the dining room, not even glancing toward the living room.

Wang Gege and Xu Jin exchanged somewhat awkward looks.

“Miao Miao, we’re relieved you’re okay.” Wang Gege stood up. “We’ll leave now.”

“Have you eaten?”

Both shook their heads.

They were nearly scared to death by Lu Miao’s message after waking up, wiped their faces, and rushed out to find her—there was no time for breakfast.

Feeling touched by her friends’ concern, Lu Miao said, “Since you’re here, let’s eat together.”

Wang Gege glanced at the man in the dining room and awkwardly smiled, waving them off. “We’ll go home to freshen up, and have lunch together later.”

She gave Xu Jin a meaningful look.

Xu Jin’s gaze lingered on Fu Shiyue, sensing from his cold demeanor that he probably didn’t want them to stay for breakfast.

Recalling the last time they were rejected at the school gate, she didn’t want to lose face again, so she calmly withdrew her gaze and left with Wang Gege.

Lu Miao went to the dining room, crossed her arms, and looked at Fu Shiyue. “Do you have something against my friends?”

“No.”

Fu Shiyue’s tone was casual as he unpacked the breakfast boxes at the table. “Eat quickly. I’ll take you to the police station afterward.”

Lu Miao’s eyes fell on the neatly arranged boxes on the table. There was quite a lot—clearly enough for Xu Jin and Wang Gege as well.

She sat down, slightly displeased. “You bought so much breakfast, and the two of us can’t finish it. Why didn’t you invite them to eat?”

Fu Shiyue glanced at her and lowered his head to pour her some milk. His voice was faint. “They’re your friends. If you want them to stay, they can. You don’t need to ask my opinion.”

But the cup was taken from him, and the milk nearly spilled.

Fu Shiyue looked at her in surprise. The young girl’s round eyes were eager for him to explain further.

He sighed softly and spoke indulgently, “I bought so many breakfasts because, although I’m not your biological uncle, I wouldn’t let you treat guests poorly.”

Lu Miao realized he was saving her face.

She bit her lip in frustration. “But I just feel like you don’t like them. When they came, you were so cold that no one dared get close. How could they feel comfortable staying?”

Xu Jin and Wang Gege were worried about her too. They came early in the morning, and leaving so awkwardly made her embarrassed.

“Although they always invite me out to play, they’re actually quite nice to me. Don’t judge people with biased eyes.”

Fu Shiyue saw her earnestness and chuckled softly. “With all these kinds of breakfast here, I have no desire to eat these buns. They won’t enter my mouth, so why would I care whether they taste good or not?”

His words carried deep meaning.

Lu Miao suddenly stopped, understanding.

He didn’t dislike her friends; he simply didn’t care about people unrelated to him.

She suddenly thought this man was very methodical and had remarkably clear boundaries.

His approachability was reserved only for those he chose. Anyone unrelated to him didn’t even get a shred of his courtesy—not even a glance.

...

After breakfast, Lu Miao got into Fu Shiyue’s car as he drove her to the police station.

She truthfully recounted what had happened. After filing the report, she asked the officer, “Have you found out who it was?”

The officer glanced at Fu Shiyue and, addressing the young girl kindly, said, “You’ll be notified once we have the information. Just sign here, and you’re free to go.”

Upon leaving the police station, Lu Miao received a call from Xu Jin, inviting her to meet at Shengshi Department Store.

She looked at the man beside her. “I’m going to Shengshi Department Store. You should take me there.”

Saying this, she naturally walked to his car, opened the door, and sat in the passenger seat.

Fu Shiyue looked at the presumptuous young girl—did she really think he was her chauffeur?

At that moment, Fu Shiyue’s phone vibrated. He glanced at it, his expression darkening slightly.

After dropping Lu Miao off, she didn’t get out immediately. Instead, she turned her head and casually asked, “What are you doing afterward?”

“Some things to handle,” Fu Shiyue replied calmly, resting his hand on the steering wheel while watching the bustling street corner, his brows furrowed slightly.

This rare expression suggested he had something on his mind.

Lu Miao looked at him and asked, “Will you come back tonight?”

Fu Shiyue turned his head and gave her a leisurely glance.

Afraid he might misunderstand, she cleared her throat. “I mean, since the mastermind behind harming me hasn’t been found yet, what if they send someone to my house again? You have to be responsible for my safety, right?”

Fu Shiyue chuckled softly and patted her head with his firm hand. “Stop wandering into dangerous places. Call me when you’re heading home; I’ll come pick you up.”

According to their usual routine, Lu Miao was about to slam the door dramatically.

But this time, after getting out of the car, she looked at Fu Shiyue awkwardly and obediently said, “Got it.”