Chapter 39: Try it, Take a Step Further
Shen Zhuying believed that Fu Sizhuo had a magical ability—that he could make anyone become talkative in front of him, even though he seemed cold and unapproachable.
For example, Uncle Xu, a socially awkward male director who seemed a bit artsy, was now talking enthusiastically with Fu Sizhuo.
“Did you used to work in an art-related field?” Xu Yanzhou’s eyes lit up.
“Not really a job,” Fu Sizhuo’s tone was casual. “Just a hobby.”
Xu Yanzhou excitedly walked a couple of circles in place. “My new movie will start filming in two months, and I’m still looking for a music director. Would you be interested in taking a look? It won’t take up too much of your time.”
Of course, Fu Sizhuo declined, citing his busy schedule.
Xu Yanzhou became anxious, scratching his head and grabbing Fu Sizhuo’s arm to continue the conversation. Fu Sizhuo patiently listened and then coldly declined again.
“Alright, Xu Yanzhou, don’t scare our Little Zhuo,” Shen An hurriedly pulled Xu Yanzhou back. She didn’t know much about this person, but she knew that once he set his mind on something, he would stop at nothing. She didn’t want to scare off Shen Zhuying’s hard-won husband.
“Shen Zhuying, take Little Zhuo to see the room he’ll be sleeping in tonight,” Shen An said.
Shen Zhuying was taken aback. “Which room is he sleeping in?”
“In your room, of course,” Shen An replied.
“Oh, okay.” Shen Zhuying tugged at Fu Sizhuo’s sleeve and pulled him into the room.
Fu Sizhuo looked around and asked, “Do you mind if I take a look around?”
“Not at all,” Shen Zhuying plopped onto her bed with a thud, her voice muffled by the blanket.
Fu Sizhuo first noticed a photo on her bedside table—a family photo of the three of them. His gaze lingered on the girl in the middle, who was smiling with a missing tooth.
At that time, she wasn’t wearing her hearing aids. She looked a bit carefree.
Fu Sizhuo stared at the photo for a while, couldn’t help but smile, and warmth showed in his eyes.
Suddenly, Shen Zhuying flipped the photo frame face down on the bedside table, her ears turning red. “Don’t look at that. I’ll show you my photo album.”
Shen Zhuying rummaged through her things for a long time and finally found her photo album. She sat on the edge of the bed, excitedly saying, “Look at this.”
“Okay.”
Shen Zhuying opened the photo album.
“This is me when I was three years old. I went to my grandparents’ house and caught mud eels with my sister in the field.”
“And mom hit me so hard that time,” she said, pointing to a photo of two little girls sitting in the mud, throwing mud at each other.
Fu Sizhuo raised an eyebrow and said mercilessly, “She should have hit you harder.”
Shen Zhuying ignored him and continued.
“This is me when I was eight years old. I participated in a talent show and got first prize.”
“And this is me when I was ten. I won the championship in the 300-meter dash at the Beijing Primary School Cup,” she said proudly, looking just like the girl in the photo who was holding a trophy and tilting her chin up.
Fu Sizhuo smiled and ruffled her hair, praising her, “You’re amazing.”
At the same time, he noticed that Shen Zhuying started wearing hearing aids around junior high school.
“This is me when I was sixteen. It was the second semester of my second year of high school, and I got into the honors class. My mom took this photo in front of the school gate.”
From high school on, the girl who was once a bit cute had grown into a tall and elegant young woman.
She was wearing the school uniform, a white short-sleeved shirt with a navy blue pleated skirt, and her hair was tied in a braid on the left side. Her legs were long and straight, and her skin was fair.
The girl stood confidently at the school gate, holding a bottle of orange soda and giving a thumbs-up to the camera.
It seemed like it was sports day. Behind her was the familiar red and green track, and the students in school uniforms became her background. The words “Beijing No. 1 High School” were prominently displayed behind her.
It was a summer day, with a gentle breeze, sunshine, and orange soda.
Everything sparkled.
Fu Sizhuo looked at the photo for a long time, his eyes fixed on the girl.
This was the Shen Zhuying he hadn’t noticed when she was fifteen or sixteen.
“Beautiful, isn’t she?” Shen Zhuying said, her voice filled with pride.
“Beautiful,” Fu Sizhuo replied, touching the photo and then looking up at Shen Zhuying, meeting her bright and smiling eyes.
He began to study the girl’s features carefully.
The girl in front of him had lost some of her youthful innocence and had become more mature and charming, but she still had a pair of naive eyes.
Fu Sizhuo realized that these eyes had a fatal attraction for him.
Whether it was ten years ago or ten years later.
So, why didn’t he get to know her earlier?
His gaze was too full of desire and ambiguity.
At this moment, the two of them only slowly realized that the distance between them was a bit too close.
So close that the affection in their eyes could no longer be hidden, and every mountain and river was laid bare.
Threads of subtle intimacy wrapped around them, in this room both familiar and unfamiliar.
So close that Shen Zhuying could hardly breathe.
She wanted to retreat.
As if sensing her intention, the man wrapped an arm around her waist and gently pulled her forward. The distance between them grew even closer.
“Are you allergic to kissing, Mrs. Fu?” His eyes were dark and deep, staring directly and greedily at her full lips.
“I… I don’t know.” Shen Zhuying nervously clutched the bedsheet.
Kissing… kissing…
She hadn’t even searched online for a guide yet.
“Then shall we give it a try?”
“G–give it a try?”
“Yes.” Fu Sizhuo coaxed softly, “Shen Zhuying, let’s take another step forward.”
After speaking, he didn’t wait for her reply. His hand clasped the back of her neck, and he leaned down toward her.
She could even count his eyelashes—long, trembling slightly like hers.
Just as their breaths were about to stop—
A knock came from outside the door.
“Zhuzhu, do you want to sleep with Mom tonight?”
Shen An called to her from the doorway.
Air began to flow again, and the ambiguous atmosphere shattered.
Shen Zhuying let out a faint breath, as if she had done something wrong, and let out a guilty little “Ah.”
She didn’t even hear clearly what Shen An said afterward, only replied in a fluster, “Okay, I’ll come right away.”
Fu Sizhuo’s gaze still lingered on her lips, a trace of reluctance flickering in his eyes, but he slowly retreated to a safe social distance.
“Shen Zhuying.” His lips moved slightly, his voice hoarse to the extreme.
Light pink lips, a very beautiful shape, as if holding a certain magic.
And Shen Zhuying was bewitched. “We…”
The man’s words broke halfway.
His lips brushed against something soft and warm, and the next second, it was gone in a flash.
Clumsy and youthful.
The girl’s face flushed bright red.
She stood up, turning about the room like a headless fly.
“The door’s that way.”
Fu Sizhuo calmly pointed in a certain direction. He didn’t realize he had pointed the wrong way.
“Thank you.”
She even bowed politely to him, then bolted out of the room like a rabbit fleeing disaster.
Fu Sizhuo remained where he was, motionless, like a silent statue.
After a long while, he touched the corner of his lips, still unsatisfied, and then let out a laugh.
That low, hoarse, pleasant laugh lingered in the small room.
He slowly finished the words that had been interrupted earlier.
He said, “Shen Zhuying, we have a long future ahead of us.”
