On a stormy, restless night, two luxury cars drove out of the Yunshui Hotel one after the other, merging into the night.
The man sitting in the back of the second car crossed his long legs, hands clasped and placed on his knees, his body slightly relaxed as he leaned back in the chair, his eyes closed in rest.
The car hadn't driven far before it suddenly braked to a stop by the roadside, the tires rolling over the wet road, splashing up clusters of white water.
Qu Mo got out of the car in the rain to check the cause of the breakdown, propping up the hood and biting a flashlight in his mouth as he bent down to inspect, then went to the rear door, apologizing, "Boss, it's my mistake, the car won't start temporarily, we'll need to get a tow to the shop for repairs."
Fu Jichen pressed his forehead wearily, opening a pair of lazy eyes, his voice faint, "Call Lu Yanzhi, tell his driver to turn back."
"Yes."
Qu Mo stood straight, pulled out his phone from his pocket, and swiftly dialed a call.
Fortunately, Lu Yanzhi's car was right in front. After hearing about the situation, he instructed his driver to find a turn-back route.
From a distance, they could see the familiar black Bentley. Qu Mo opened the rear car door, raised a black umbrella in front of it, the umbrella canopy higher than the car roof.
Fu Jichen buttoned up the front of his suit jacket with one hand, bent over and got out of the car, taking the umbrella from Qu Mo.
The rain was really pouring down.
In just two or three seconds after getting out, his shiny leather shoes were splattered with rainwater, stained with mud, and the slightly obsessive-compulsive Fu Jichen couldn't help but furrow his brows, quickly walking towards the car in front.
"A bunch of useless people, can't even catch a woman, what use are you! If she can't be found, you'll have to explain yourselves to President Qin!"
A furious rebuke, distant, came through blurred by the rain.
Fu Jichen paused, stopping in place, only to see in the pouring rain, several tall figures rushing with umbrellas and flashlights, beams of light revealing a frantic search.
Taking in what was just overheard, are they looking for a woman?
The Bentley's back door opened, with Lu Yanzhi's hand resting on the seat back, facing out, his nonchalant tone mixing with the rain: "Did she drink so much she can't walk? Need me to come out and help you?"
Before he finished, a shadow suddenly rolled out of the roadside greenery, startling Lu Yanzhi, his pupils contracting.
Upon closer inspection, it was a woman in tattered clothes, rain-soaked black hair clinging to her face, obscuring her features. Her bare shoulders and arms stood out starkly white in the dark night, but they were covered with bruises and scratches, a distressing sight.
Lu Yanzhi pointed at her, stammering, "This... what's going on here?"
The cold rain soaked her, and the pain from her injuries tormented her will. Shen Jianian was nearly drained of strength, only remnants of consciousness left. She bit her lower lip sharply, the pain giving her a surge of strength, and clung to the suit pants leg not far from her.
The cool fabric was quite stiff, slightly chafing her palm, but it was her only lifeline at the moment.
Shen Jianian's upturned little face was pale as paper, her lips trembling in plea: "Save me..."
The heavy rain washed away the hair stuck to her face, revealing her full features, a face exquisite and striking, as if from a painting. Lu Yanzhi recognized her, gasping: "Isn't this the girl from the elevator?"
He glanced at Fu Jichen, thinking to himself that the girl had found the right person. His friend had a penchant for taking in stray cats and dogs to look after.
Seeing this pitifully dirty girl, just out of the bushes, really did resemble a stray cat.
Under the black umbrella, the man's face was obscured, only a short, indistinguishable chuckle could be heard. Shen Jianian clutched his pant leg firmly, her fingers white from exertion, her voice weak to the point of being barely audible: "I'm begging you, save me."
Having exhausted her strength to speak, she could hold on no longer, collapsing entirely into unconsciousness, the muddy hand limply dropping like a flower wilting from its branch.
Fu Jichen's chuckle carried no deeper meaning, but he was struck by how unpredictable life was. This girl, who just hours ago was playing the piano in a dazzling, opulent banquet hall, admired by all, was now a street urchin, chased and hounded.
Those men were looking for her, right?
Not wasting any time, Fu Jichen tossed the umbrella to Qu Mo beside him, enduring his compulsive cleanliness to bend down and scoop up the girl from the ground. She was much lighter than he anticipated, collapsing into his arms like a fragile paper figure.
"Move over, sit in front." Unable to stand the filth, Fu Jichen's mood was sour, the gloom in his eyes nearly spilling over.
Lu Yanzhi was struck dumb with shock, frozen in place. He wasn't surprised that Fu Jichen was willing to rescue her, it was expected. What shocked him was that Fu Jichen personally carried her.
Knowing his cleanliness habits and compulsive nature...
"What are you waiting for?" Fu Jichen's limited patience was nearly exhausted, casting Lu Yanzhi a pointed look, his tone several shades colder, "She needs to lie down, the back seat isn't wide enough."
Never daring to defy him, Lu Yanzhi raised his hands in surrender, pushed the other door open, and got out, instantly drenched by the rain outside. He hurried to open the passenger door and sat inside.
Creating an open space, the back seat was now spacious, leaving room for Fu Jichen and the woman he'd picked up.
Lu Yanzhi retrieved a dry towel from the car, tossing one to the back and taking one to wipe the rainwater from his shoulder, his expression tinged with worry for Fu Jichen: "You're not thinking of taking her back to Rose Manor, are you? So many people are watching you, bringing a woman home in the middle of the night, it won't take a day before Yicheng's high society circles are buzzing about Fu Da getting involved with women, only adding to the trouble. If word reaches Beicheng, an informant might tell the old man you're being unproductive."
Never having noticed Lu Yanzhi's verbosity before, the endless chatter added annoyance between Fu Jichen's brows: "Say less, quit yammering."
Lu Yanzhi buckled his seatbelt, mimicking a zipper over his lips, falling silent.
Fu Jichen turned, his gaze falling upon the dirt-covered girl, how pitifully disheveled. His brow furrowed, an expression not quite one of distaste, nor entirely indifferent.
Lu Yanzhi inadvertently lifted his eyes, catching a glimpse in the rearview mirror of the typically distinguished Fu Da unbuttoning his tailored suit, draping it over the girl. His fingers grasped the lapel, pulling it up to cover the exposed shoulders and arms.
Surprised by the scene, Lu Yanzhi's eyebrows twitched, though he quickly composed himself—tonight had been full of surprises, another one didn't much matter.
Opening his mouth to jest, recalling the displeased look earlier, Lu Yanzhi swallowed back the upcoming remark.
*
Rose Manor, situated in the most affluent area of Yicheng, remained serene amidst the bustle. Spanning over a thousand square feet, the three-sided white building was obscured in the rainy night, accompanied only by the subtle scent of damp roses, light and elegant.
The car circled the artificial lake, stopping steady under the main building's porch.
Hearing the commotion, the butler opened the door to greet them, joined by the live-in housemaid, Zhou Rongzhen, both voicing together, "Sir is back."
Without inviting Lu Yanzhi inside for tea, Fu Jichen carried Shen Jianian directly in, addressing Zhou Rongzhen at the side, "Has Xiao Jingshan arrived yet?"
Xiao Jingshan was Fu Jichen's private doctor, and the Jingshan Hospital under his name was heavily invested in by Fu Jichen, with a substantial shareholding.
"He just arrived," Zhou Rongzhen said.
Fu Jichen nodded, instructing her to prepare a room on the third floor for the girl in his arms.
Zhou Rongzhen, uninterested in prying into the identity of the girl Fu Jichen brought home, neither asking nor looking further, took the elevator upstairs first.
Efficiency was her forte, and in less than ten minutes, she had a complete set of clean bedding on the bed.
Fu Jichen knelt by the bedside, gently laying down the girl he'd carried all that way. She was alarmingly frail, nestled in his arms like a paper-thin doll.
"Move, sit in the front." Fu Jichen couldn't bear the filth, his mood sour, the heaviness in his eyes nearly overflowing.
Lu Yanzhi, shocked beyond belief, stood paralyzed. His surprise wasn't that Fu Jichen would save the girl; he expected that. It's that he personally carried her.
Given his obsessive cleanliness and compulsive disorder...
"What are you waiting for?" Fu Jichen's patience was running out, giving Lu Yanzhi a frosty glance, his tone colder by a degree, "She needs to lie down, the back row isn't spacious enough."
Not daring to defy him, Lu Yanzhi raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, opened the opposite door, got out, and was instantly doused by the rain outside. He quickly opened the front passenger door and sat in.
With one space vacated, the rear seat became more spacious, leaving room for Fu Jichen and the woman he had rescued.
Lu Yanzhi took a dry towel from the car's storage, tossing one to the back seat, using another to dry his shoulders, all the while feeling a touch of concern for Fu Jichen: "You're not really going to take her back to Rose Manor, are you? So many eyes are on you, and bringing a woman back in the middle of the night—within a day, the high society circles in Yicheng will be saying Fu Da has developed a penchant for young women, causing you endless trouble. Perhaps even spies from Beicheng might report this to the old man, claiming you're neglecting your responsibilities."
Lu Yanzhi's chatter never used to be this incessant, and Fu Jichen, listening with limited patience, felt the irritation rising in his chest: "What are you standing there for?" He cast an impatient glance at Lu Yanzhi, his tone a few degrees colder, "She needs to lie down, the back isn't spacious enough."
Lu Yanzhi immediately obliged without resistance, mimes a zipper over his lips, and fell silent.
Fu Jichen glanced sideways, his eyes landing on the bedraggled girl in the backseat; despite her unkempt state, she had an elegant and aloof beauty.
Lu Yanzhi unintentionally glanced up, seeing in the rearview mirror how Fu Jichen, who was usually composed and neat, was carefully arranging his jacket to shield the shoulders and arms from exposure, he was visibly taken aback, given the amount of filth the girl bore.
Attempting to make a joke, he quickly remembered the previously expressed displeasure and fell silent.
Rose Manor stood in Yicheng's most bustling area yet maintained a peculiar tranquility amidst the city's hustle. Spanning over a thousand square meters, its three-sided white edifice nearly disappeared into the rainy night, embodying an elegant, refined tranquility.
The car wound past the artificial lake, settling under the entranceway of the main residence.
Hearing the commotion, the butler opened the door to greet them, accompanied by the live-in housemaid, Zhou Rongzhen, who announced, "Sir has returned."
Keeping Lu Yanzhi from coming in for tea, Fu Jichen carried Shen Jianian directly inside, calling into the hall for Zhou Rongzhen, "Is Xiao Jingshan here yet?"
Xiao Jingshan was the head of Jingshan Hospital, a hospital heavily funded by Fu Jichen himself, who held a substantial stake in it.
"Just arrived," Zhou Rongzhen replied.
Fu Jichen nodded, directing her to prepare a room on the third floor for the girl he had brought with him.
Indifferent about the identity of the girl her master had brought home, Zhou Rongzhen did not inquire further, nor did she observe, heading up first to prepare a set of clean sheets for the guest.
In short order, Zhou Rongzhen efficiently replaced the entire set of linens on the bed with fresh ones.
Fu Jichen kneeled on one knee at the bed's edge, leaning over to set down the girl he had carried all the way. Nestled in the bed, clad in his suit jacket, the muddy hem of her dress stained the pristine sheets black on contact. But that was a temporary issue.
Then, Fu Jichen left the room and called Xiao Jingshan to check on the girl, heading to the main bedroom's bath to cleanse himself. He couldn't stand how filthy he felt.