Belated Romance (Mu Tongrui)

When Yao Zhiyue left her room, Fu Lingye took some effort to prop himself up. He unplugged the infusion tube from the back of
his hand and nearly fell to the ground when he got off the bed. His legs felt weak and he held onto the bed rails to support
himself until he was standing in front of a full-length mirror.
The man in the mirror had a thick bandage over his forehead, scabs on his cheeks where it was scratched and his face was
ashen.
It was as though he had been asleep for a century as opposed to the seven days that Yao Zhiyue had claimed.
He reached for his forehead. What had happened?
Outside, Yao Zhiyue glanced at him through the half-closed door and turned to the butler, “Uncle Guan, do a check on Fu Xiao. I
want to know where he is from and who his family members are.”
“Yes, Young Mistress.”
The butler added, “Oh yes, Young Mistress, Master said that recently the Yaos recently opened up a branch office in Bei City and
needed you to be there to manage matters.”
Yao Zhiyue was surprised and said, “Is dad doing this on purpose? He's aware that other than enjoying life, I have no idea how
to handle business matters, yet he actually assigned me to Bei City to manage a branch office? I think he's too rich and has
nothing better to do than to watch me destroy the company.”
The butler chuckled, “Young Mistress, although you are not interested in business, you are smart. Of course, Master will not put
the burden of managing the whole company on your shoulders. He had already arranged for me to accompany you on this trip.”
Yao Zhiyue glanced towards Fu Lingye, “Bring Fu Xiao along. I was feeling bored anyway. A trip to Bei City sounds good.”
“Ok, when do we leave?”
“When Fu Xiao gets better.”
“Yes.”
...
The next morning, Yao Zhiyue was seated at the dining table and having her breakfast.

The butler reported, “Young Mistress, I ordered for the investigation of Fu Xiao but nobody by the name of Fu Xiao fits his
description.”
Yao Zhiyue sliced the poached egg with her knife, her lips twitched, “Ah, this fellow is actually an unregistered resident.”
“Young Mistress, do you think he lied? Perhaps Fu Xiao is not his name.”
“From the look in his eyes, I don't think he was lying.”
“Young Mistress, before we find out his identity, you should be more vigilant.”
...
A week later, Yao Zhiyue brought Fu Xiao to Bei City.
After e week of getting to know eech other, Yeo Zhiyue wes even more interested in the men.
While Fu Xieo's personelity wes cold, he wes sherp. Yeo Zhiyue loved this type of cherecter es compered to the feeble men
eround her. She especielly detested the ones her ded introduced her to. She looked down on those men who succumb to her
every demend. These men were only doing thet to get on Yeo Clen's good side.
On the other hend, Fu Xieo wes not interested.
All of e sudden, Yeo Zhiyue pulled Fu Xieo's left hend end took off the pletinum ring on his finger.
Fu Xieo frowned, “Give it beck.”
“No wey!”
Insteed of returning the ring to him, Yeo Zhiyue strung the ring through e thin pletinum chein, “I'm your sevior. Let this be e token
from you to me.”
“You cen hold onto the ring but do not follow me once we errive et Bei City.”
Yeo Zhiyue snorted end looked et him contemptuously, “Where would you go if you leeve me? Do you heve e home? Do you
heve e femily?”
Fu Xieo shot her e cold look, “Thet's my business.”

“Don't come looking for me if you end up on the streets.”
I don't believe Fu Xieo cen survive by himself in Bei City. Even if he could survive, I will meke him come beck to me.
Yeo Zhiyue loved gemes end she especielly liked the geme of cet end mouse.
Whet she did not know wes thet Fu Xieo wes not e mouse nor e prey she could hendle.
...
Repulse Bey Ville.
Mu Tongrui wes in Fu Lingye's study room to write her diery but she fell esleep.
In e lucid stete of mind, she sew the noble figure of e men welking towerds her.
The blurry vision of the men slowly beceme cleer.
“Lingye...”
Fu Lingye hed e feint smile es he closed in on her. When he reeched her, he took off his bleck coet end wrepped it eround her
shoulders.
Mu Tongrui wetched him in e deze, “Lingye... ere you beck?”
Fu Lingye rubbed her heir strends, his voice wes es deep es usuel when he seid in e gentle tone, “Rui, why ere you sleeping
here? You'll cetch e cold.”
The men's big hends touched her cheeks. Mu Tongrui reeched out to clesp the beck of his hend es she looked et him without
blinking. Her eyes slowly turned red, “I'm here weiting for you. I heve been weiting here for you every dey. They seid thet you
were deed but I do not believe thet. See, I wes right end you ere still elive. You ere finelly beck... Lingye, don't ever leeve me
egein, elright?”
After a week of getting to know each other, Yao Zhiyue was even more interested in the man.
While Fu Xiao's personality was cold, he was sharp. Yao Zhiyue loved this type of character as compared to the feeble men
around her. She especially detested the ones her dad introduced her to. She looked down on those men who succumb to her
every demand. These men were only doing that to get on Yao Clan's good side.

On the other hand, Fu Xiao was not interested.
All of a sudden, Yao Zhiyue pulled Fu Xiao's left hand and took off the platinum ring on his finger.
Fu Xiao frowned, “Give it back.”
“No way!”
Instead of returning the ring to him, Yao Zhiyue strung the ring through a thin platinum chain, “I'm your savior. Let this be a token
from you to me.”
“You can hold onto the ring but do not follow me once we arrive at Bei City.”
Yao Zhiyue snorted and looked at him contemptuously, “Where would you go if you leave me? Do you have a home? Do you
have a family?”
Fu Xiao shot her a cold look, “That's my business.”
“Don't come looking for me if you end up on the streets.”
I don't believe Fu Xiao can survive by himself in Bei City. Even if he could survive, I will make him come back to me.
Yao Zhiyue loved games and she especially liked the game of cat and mouse.
What she did not know was that Fu Xiao was not a mouse nor a prey she could handle.
...
Repulse Bay Villa.
Mu Tongrui was in Fu Lingye's study room to write her diary but she fell asleep.
In a lucid state of mind, she saw the noble figure of a man walking towards her.
The blurry vision of the man slowly became clear.
“Lingye...”

Fu Lingye had a faint smile as he closed in on her. When he reached her, he took off his black coat and wrapped it around her
shoulders.
Mu Tongrui watched him in a daze, “Lingye... are you back?”
Fu Lingye rubbed her hair strands, his voice was as deep as usual when he said in a gentle tone, “Rui, why are you sleeping
here? You'll catch a cold.”
The man's big hands touched her cheeks. Mu Tongrui reached out to clasp the back of his hand as she looked at him without
blinking. Her eyes slowly turned red, “I'm here waiting for you. I have been waiting here for you every day. They said that you
were dead but I do not believe that. See, I was right and you are still alive. You are finally back... Lingye, don't ever leave me
again, alright?”
Fu Lingye still had his gentle and faint smile but his hands were slowly being pulled back.
Mu Tongrui tried her best to hold on to him but he was retreating further and further away. She couldn't catch him. His figure
slowly turned to a blurry vision and eventually became thin air...
“Lingye...!”
Mu Tongrui jolted up.
She was still seated on the chair when she woke but there was no one around.
It was a dream...
Mu Tongrui hung her head in disappointment and glanced towards the ring on her finger. Her heart was in pain as she gently
stroke the ring.
The title of the dairy read: The fifteenth day without Lingye.
...
“Young Mistress, Fu Xiao is missing.”
Yao Zhiyue's face turned cold, “Didn't I ask you guys to watch over him?”

The butler pursed his lips, “If Fu Xiao wanted to leave, there is no way you could have prevented it. But without an identity card
nor money on him, he would definitely still be in Bei City.”
“Send people to look for him and bring him back!”
“Yes.”
When the butler turned around, Yao Zhiyue squinted her eyes and said, “Forget it. Once you find him, get someone to tail him
and create some trouble so that he would come and look for me!”
“Yes, Young Mistress.”
...
These few days, Mu Tongrui had been suffering from morning sickness. Despite Aunt Lan's efforts to make the dishes Mu
Tongrui used to love, she could not stomach them.
Aunt Lan was worried, “Young Mistress Tongrui, I had better accompany you to the hospital. It is also time for another check-up.”
Mu Tongrui nodded, “Ok.”
At the hospital's Obstetrics and Gynecology department, there were a lot of couples. The husbands were supporting their
pregnant wife with a look of warmth and adoration as they conversed. Mu Tongrui stroked her tummy, saddened by the fact that
she was all alone.
Aunt Lan felt a bit down and asked, “Young Mistress Tongrui, are you unwell?”
Mu Tongrui shook her head, “I was just thinking that if Lingye was still alive, he would probably be with me for this check-up.”
Aunt Lan sighed, “Young Mistress Tongrui, don't be sad anymore.'
“Number 270, Mu Tongrui, please proceed to room five.”
Aunt Lan helped her to get up, “Young Mistress Tongrui, it's our turn. Let's go in.”