Chapter 1: Lu Xi’s Blind Date with Fu Nanzhou (Remember to add to bookshelf)
“Sis, brother-in-law, w-why are you back at this time?!”
Lu Xi came out in her pajamas. When she saw her brother-in-law, she jolted in fright. Her little face instantly turned red, and her right hand immediately grabbed her left arm, slightly hunching her chest.
Her pajamas had built-in chest pads, but she wasn’t wearing a bra underneath.
Her brother-in-law had been responsible for a very urgent project and had been working overtime for several days in a row. Because he wasn’t home, Lu Xi had relaxed a bit. Who would have thought that today—the only day she didn’t wear a bra—he would come back?
Chu Nan smiled helplessly. “Your sister said Guoguo had a fever, so I took leave. I can’t let your sister take care of her alone, right?”
Lu Xi responded with a soft “mm.” “Guoguo has mycoplasma pneumonia. She’s been hospitalized for five days already. I stay with her during the day, and my sister stays at night.”
“Hard on you, Xi Xi.” Chu Nan loosened his tie.
When Lu Xi saw that movement, her whole body tensed up. She quickly gave up the idea of pouring water.
“No, I’m just helping out. My sister is the one who’s really tired. Brother-in-law, I’ll go to sleep first.” Lu Xi turned to go back to her room.
But Chu Nan walked over. “Xi Xi, wait a moment.”
“Brother-in-law?” Lu Xi forced a stiff smile.
Suddenly, Chu Nan grabbed her at the waist and lifted her up, as if lifting a child.
“Brother-in-law!” Lu Xi gasped, her scalp tingling.
Chu Nan put her down and sighed helplessly with a smile. “I told you you’ve gotten thinner. Kids should eat more; if you’re too thin, you won’t grow taller.”
Lu Xi’s brain completely short-circuited. That uncomfortable feeling was still lingering at her waist.
Chu Nan patted her little face. “Alright, I’ve got to rush to the hospital. Your sister must be exhausted alone.”
After speaking, he went into the room, packed up a few things, and left in a hurry, as if nothing had happened.
Lu Xi quickly returned to her room and locked the door, her heart still pounding violently.
She sent a message to her best friend, telling her what had just happened.
“Xi Xi, I feel like your brother-in-law might be interested in you?” Jiang Yi asked.
Lu Xi widened her eyes, then nodded hard. “I feel that way too, but he hasn’t done anything inappropriate.”
“Damn, he’s already holding you by the waist—how is that not inappropriate?! That’s way too ambiguous. That kind of gesture is usually only between couples.”
“You’re already 22, not a teenage girl anymore. What kind of brother-in-law is this close with his sister-in-law?!”
“Honestly, girls develop early. By 13 or 14 they’re already quite sensitive. Adult men should know to be careful.”
Lu Xi bit her lip.
Her sister and brother-in-law had been married for twelve years, and she had lived with them since she was ten.
Her brother-in-law was always very kind. He would joke with her from time to time, saying: “Xi Xi, come here, let brother-in-law hug you.”
Back then, Lu Xi didn’t know nothing. She had even mentioned it to her sister.
But her sister said her husband loved her too much, so he extended that affection to Lu Xi as well, treating her like his own child.
After Lu Xi entered puberty, her brother-in-law stopped letting her sit on his lap. He would only occasionally pinch her cheek, pat her head, and sometimes, like tonight, lift her by the waist as if checking her weight.
Lu Xi always felt it was a bit inappropriate and had told her sister several times, but her brother-in-law never did anything else.
“Xi Xi, why don’t you try dating someone? I have a neighbor who’s really handsome and has never been in a relationship. Want to try meeting him? Maybe if you have a boyfriend, your brother-in-law will realize you’ve grown up and change?”
Lu Xi thought about it. She had never dated before even at this age; maybe it was worth trying.
“Alright, I’ll try.”
Jiang Yi arranged it for her, and the very next day set up a meeting at Starbucks.
Lu Xi dressed up slightly—a light blue dress, tied high ponytail, looking like a clean, university girl.
From a distance, she saw a man sitting by the window with a pen clipped to his chest. She walked over.
“Hello, are you the one introduced by Jiang Yi?” Lu Xi asked.
Fu Nanzhou lifted his dark eyes. “You know Jiang Yi?”
Lu Xi nodded. “I’m her best friend. My name is Lu Xi. She asked me to come. May I sit?”
Fu Nanzhou nodded slightly, though his brows were faintly furrowed.
So Jiang Yi knew he was returning home for an arranged marriage, and deliberately introduced a classmate to him?
Lu Xi sat down, placing her hands awkwardly on her lap, secretly observing the man in front of her.
This wasn’t what Jiang Yi described at all. Not sunny, not gentle—instead he looked a bit intimidating, even a little… old.
But he was really handsome. His looks were outrageously good.
Fu Nanzhou could feel the girl opposite him secretly sizing him up. She was biting her lip, seemingly not very satisfied. He raised an eyebrow slightly.
Was he, Fu Nanzhou, being disliked?
Unreasonable.
“Lu Xi?” Fu Nanzhou said indifferently.
Lu Xi quickly came back to her senses and nodded. She felt a faint pressure.
“How old are you?”
“Twenty-two.”
“Just graduated from university?”
“I just passed the Fu Group interview.”
“Fu Group?”
Lu Xi nodded.
Fu Nanzhou lowered his long lashes, twirling the silver ring on his finger. “The Fu Group isn’t easy to get into. You seem quite outstanding among graduates.”
Hearing the praise, Lu Xi couldn’t help but lift her face slightly, a bit of light appearing in her eyes. She looked a little happy.
But she still modestly said, “Thank you for the compliment.”
Fu Nanzhou smiled faintly. His phone suddenly vibrated—it was his grandfather calling.
He frowned slightly and hung up.
The phone rang again. He hung up again.
Lu Xi noticed and quickly said, “If you’re busy, you can go ahead.”
Fu Nanzhou looked up. His dark gaze fell on her small face.
Clean, delicate features—an almost untouched kind of beauty.
And… she looked a bit like her.
To Fu Nanzhou, marriage was just to satisfy his elders. It didn’t matter who he married. The girl in front of him would do.
With that thought, he said, “Lu Xi, what do you think of me?”
Lu Xi’s heart skipped a beat. She didn’t expect him to be so direct. Older men really were different.
Her fair cheeks flushed slightly as she nodded. “You’re… very good.”
Good-looking, polite, and gentlemanly.
Fu Nanzhou nodded. “My family is urging me to get married urgently. If you’re willing, we can get married directly.”
Boom!
Lu Xi stared at him in shock. “Ma-marriage?! But we just met. Isn’t this too fast?”
Fu Nanzhou’s lips curved slightly.
“Dating, marriage, children—we’ve just skipped the first step.”
“I’m in a hurry. If you agree, call this number.”
He wrote a phone number on a tissue with a fountain pen. The handwriting was strong and powerful, clearly practiced.
Then he called the waiter, paid the bill, and left.
Lu Xi was still in a daze.
After a long while, she carefully put away the tissue and rode her electric scooter back to her sister’s house.
As soon as she opened the door, she saw Chu Nan coming out of the bathroom, wearing only a pair of briefs!
“Ah—!”
Lu Xi screamed and quickly covered her eyes, turning around.
Chu Nan was also stunned and immediately went back into the bathroom.
But he didn’t close the door properly and said while changing clothes with a helpless smile, “Sorry, Xi Xi, I didn’t expect you to come back.”
“Brother-in-law, it’s my fault.”
Lu Xi quickly apologized and ran back to her room.
Soon, there was a knock on the door. Her heart still hadn’t calmed down. “Brother-in-law, what is it?”
Chu Nan smiled. “I passed by a milk tea shop today and bought you a jasmine milk tea.”
“Brother-in-law, I don’t want it.”
“I already bought it. I don’t even like drinking this stuff. Only you and your sister do. Be good, open the door.”
“Brother-in-law, just leave it on the table. I’ll drink it later.”
“If you leave it, it’ll get cold. Milk tea isn’t good after sitting too long. Be obedient, open the door.” His voice was gentle, coaxing like a child.
Lu Xi had no choice but to open the door.
But just as she opened it, Chu Nan suddenly hugged her tightly, his breathing slightly heavy.
“Xi Xi… Xi Xi… brother-in-law really likes you.”
