Chapter Twelve: What Are You Shy About?

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Luo Yunmian gave Fu Yanchi a gentle push as he turned around to pick up the high heels. Fu Yanchi’s clenched fists creaked with tension. Could she really be so reluctant to part with the shoes he had given her? He strode forward swiftly, bent down, and firmly hooked his arms around the woman's knees, lifting Luo Yunmian horizontally into his arms. Without hesitation, he headed straight for the nearby business van.

“What are you doing? Let me go!” Luo Yunmian was both startled and angry, pounding on Fu Yanchi with all her strength. The young man’s face was stern, his eyes cold, yet the faint redness around them betrayed the emotions hidden deep within.

“Don’t struggle,” he commanded softly.

It was the first time Luo Yunmian had seen him angry, and she swallowed the words she was about to say. Without a word, Fu Yanchi walked to the side of the car, opened the door, and gently placed Luo Yunmian into the seat. He crouched down, grasped her ankle, and pulled a band-aid from his pocket, tearing it open with practiced ease.

“Sister Mian, you’re already grown up—how can you still not take care of yourself?” he said softly as he pressed the bandage onto her injured foot.

A warm sensation spread from the wound. Instinctively, she tried to pull her foot away, but his grip tightened, the pressure increasing slightly.

“Sister Mian, I’ve touched you everywhere. Why are you embarrassed?”

“Stop talking nonsense,” Luo Yunmian replied, flustered and anxious. She cast a hurried glance at the driver sitting in the van, her cheeks burning as if aflame.

“Do you really like those high heels that much?” Fu Yanchi looked into her eyes.

“Was that why you were so harsh with me just now?” Luo Yunmian chuckled softly, suddenly understanding his childish behavior.

Fu Yanchi remained silent, but his stubborn expression revealed his true feelings.

“Yanchi, aren’t you childish? I was carrying the heels because I had no other shoes to change into.”

“Then do you still like my brother?”

“I still like what I liked before, but I don’t want to possess it anymore.”

A faint smile curved Fu Yanchi’s lips, his eyes sparkling like stars.

“I promise, Sister Mian, you will have the very best.”

She stared blankly at the band-aid on her ankle, lost in thought. When she was twenty, she believed Fu Tingshen was the best. Back then, at twenty-three, Fu Tingshen was as youthful and radiant as Fu Yanchi, though more reserved.

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Just a fleeting glance on the playground had been enough to etch his image into her heart. Their next encounter was at her grandmother’s birthday banquet. He wore a sharp suit, his tall figure elegant, eyes deep behind gold-rimmed glasses, hair neatly swept back, exuding an air of cold distinction.

He politely invited her to dance, and she accepted with pleasure. They moved gracefully in the dance hall, a subtle new feeling quietly stirring between them. Later, in the garden behind, she noticed the pomegranate tree and, on a whim, climbed up to pick a fruit. But she slipped and fell, twisting her ankle in panic.

He came rushing over, a flicker of concern in his eyes, without hesitation scooping her up and taking her to the hospital.

But she never expected it was just a beautiful misunderstanding.

His closeness to her had only stemmed from the resemblance in her features to his first love, which made him warmer towards her in those early moments.

“Still thinking about my brother?” Fu Yanchi’s slightly jealous, low voice pulled her back to the present.

“Yanchi, I’m tired. Let’s go back,” Luo Yunmian said clearly, shifting the conversation.

Her exhaustion was not just physical—it was deeper, from within her heart.

The car started moving slowly, and his gaze never left the woman beside him. In the dim light, half of her profile was visible, showing the graceful lines of her face. Her eyes looked out the window, still carrying a hint of detachment and wariness. Her whole body leaned slightly towards the door, deliberately creating distance between them.

When Luo Yunmian woke up, the car was parked at a hotel. She rubbed her forehead, surprised to find she had fallen asleep.

She glanced up unintentionally, her eyes through the window catching sight of someone nearby.

He lounged lazily against the wall, a slender cigarette between his long fingers. Tilting his head back slightly, he took a slow drag, smoke curling upward.

For a moment, Luo Yunmian was stunned. In her memory, this was the first time she had ever seen him smoke. His gaze was hazy, tinged with a faint sadness.

She couldn’t understand how someone just twenty-three could harbor such complicated emotions.

She quietly called out, “Yanchi.”

He turned his head at the sound, their eyes meeting. He stubbed out the cigarette and walked over.

The car door opened. Fu Yanchi’s eyes fell on the pale foot of the girl.

He bent down, one hand circling her waist, the other slipping beneath her knees. With a gentle lift, he steadied her as he carried her out of the seat.

Luo Yunmian instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.

Just as she was about to speak, Fu Yanchi’s deep, magnetic voice whispered by her ear:

“This is a high-end hotel. You can’t go in barefoot; people will talk.”

He glanced down at her still-tense body in his arms; she was clearly resisting him.

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He sighed softly. That day, she had been bold enough to want to sleep with him; now, she was like a timid quail, shy and recoiling.

Luo Yunmian’s eyes scanned around, as if sensing her worries. He chuckled softly.

“My brother and Shen Xin’er haven’t returned yet. Don’t worry.”

Feeling exposed, Luo Yunmian felt her pride wounded. She looked Fu Yanchi straight in the eye.

“Sister-in-law and little uncle have awkward identities. Aren’t you—”

Fu Yanchi stepped into the elevator, pressing the button for their floor, laughing at her words.

“Sister Mian, if you want to play role-playing games and seek thrills, I’m game.”

The elevator doors slid open. The cramped space was filled with a slightly awkward atmosphere, mostly because of Luo Yunmian. She had indeed intended to get back at Fu Tingshen that day, but she had underestimated Fu Yanchi’s strong psychological resilience. He was stubborn—possessive in a way that bordered on obsession.

“That’s a robber’s logic. I don’t want to make things more complicated.”

When the elevator dinged open, Luo Yunmian broke free from his arms and stepped out barefoot.

Quickly, she pulled out her card to open the door and was about to close it when Fu Yanchi beat her to it, holding the door open.

“Sister Mian, are you trying to leave me again? My throat is dry.”

Luo Yunmian glanced cautiously down the hallway, fearing someone might see them.

Suddenly, she grabbed his collar and pulled him inside. With a loud bang, the door slammed shut.

She turned on the lights and pointed toward the bar area.

“Help yourself. By the way, which hotel are you staying at?”

She slipped on her slippers and looked up at him.

After he stormed out yesterday, he must have found another place to stay. She didn’t expect him to linger here any longer.

Fu Yanchi strolled over leisurely, grabbed a bottle of mineral water, twisted off the cap, and drank deeply.

Luo Yunmian’s gaze fell unwittingly on the young man. She watched the sensual movement of his Adam’s apple as he swallowed, the act of drinking water somehow alluring.

Drops of water trickled down his jawline, falling to his throat before disappearing into the shadow of his collar.

She clicked her tongue softly.

Just drinking water and he’s still so captivating—a true enchantress.

Quietly, she averted her eyes.