Yu Wen stood in the middle of the hallway, unable to move—neither daring to go up nor down. He stood there for a full ten minutes before a waiter approached him, asking why he was standing there with a concerned look in their eyes. Hastily, Yu Wen wiped away his tears and begged them to help him leave. He didn’t even dare to drive his car and took a taxi home instead after leaving the club.
Fu Mingchuan was right; Yu Wen shouldn’t have struggled in vain and should have sold Taiji from the beginning. His current miserable state was entirely of his own making.
The next day, he signed the paperwork to transfer his shares in Taiji, which had been suspended on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, at a very low price. After getting the money, he immediately signed another batch of documents to repay a debt that You Fan had guaranteed in his name.
This included the house where he had lived since he was a child, which was also transferred to the creditors. Despite selling Taiji, Yu Wen was still in a tight financial situation, and the following month he continued to be consumed by debt issues, leaving him utterly drained.
One day, Yu Wen was at the local headquarters of the Bank of China, dealing with yet another month-long debt transfer process. He was waiting in line with someone from the creditor Tianxi’s representative. Due to the constant running around, his body was beginning to wear out, especially since he had taken a job as a kindergarten teacher. Most of his energy was spent on the kids, making these debt issues even harder to bear.
After confirming with Tianxi’s representative that this would be the last time his presence was needed, Yu Wen kept his head down, scrolling through videos on his phone—mostly clips of little animals and kids. He used to love watching these things and had even owned a golden retriever with Fu Mingchuan, though the dog had eventually gone with Fu Mingchuan.
While he was engrossed in a video of a panda eating cookies, someone called out his name, “Naonao?”1“Naonao” (闹闹) is a term in Chinese used as a nickname or term of endearment. It often conveys a sense of affection, playfulness, or teasing, and is typically used for someone who is considered lively, mischievous, or adorable. “Naonao” is a nickname used for Yu Wen by people close to him, indicating a familiar and affectionate relationship.
Yu Wen immediately looked up and see Fu Mingchuan’s mother, Chen Jiyu. His first instinct was to glance behind her, and she seemed to understand, quickly saying, “Mingchuan isn’t here. I’m here to take care of a family trust fund transfer to a charity. What brings you here, Naonao?”
Not wanting to share too much, Yu Wen simply said he had to sign some documents for a house transaction.
Chen Jiyu, however, was curious and pressed on, “Are you buying or selling?”
Unable to lie, especially considering how kindly Chen Jiyu had always treated him when he visited with Fu Mingchuan, Yu Wen hesitated before admitting, “Selling.”
Concern immediately crossed Chen Jiyu’s face, and she asked what had happened. Yu Wen only mentioned that it was a transaction his father hadn’t completed before he passed away, and now it was up to him to finalize it.
Chen Jiyu seemed to have more to say but ultimately just held his hand and told him to reach out if he ever needed help. After what happened between Fu Mingchuan and Yu Wen, she had felt guilty and hadn’t stayed in touch, only occasionally sending holiday greetings, which she initiated each time.
Because the family fund was substantial, there were many documents for Chen Jiyu to sign, and during this time, she kept glancing at Yu Wen through the glass doors of the VIP room.
After a while, Chen Jiyu saw that the person opposite You Wen said something to him, and You Wen’s expression changed, looking anxious as he spoke a few more words to the other person.
That person just shook his head and took out his phone to report the situation to someone on the other end.
In the end, the two parted ways unhappily. You Wen sat alone on a chair, and just by looking at his face, one could tell that things hadn’t gone well.
After about ten minutes, Yu Wen got up to leave. A bank employee approached, saying that Mrs. Fu had requested to see him. Yu Wen paused for a moment, then declined, saying, “Please tell Mrs. Fu that I have an appointment and will meet her another time.”
He walked towards the elevator, intending to leave, but as he approached, the doors opened, and Fu Mingchuan stepped out.
You Wen clearly froze for a moment. He almost immediately averted his gaze, his fingers twitching uncontrollably, and his expression became uncontrollable as well. If there had been a horn in his chest, everyone would have heard the dull sound of his heart plummeting off a cliff.
Fu Mingchuan frowned, looking at this unusually quiet person. Because of the brief moment of shock, You Wen missed the elevator, slightly turning his body as if he didn’t want to look at Fu Mingchuan. He didn’t come over to greet him with a sweet smile like before.
In the past, he always pulled You Wen up, telling him to stand properly. You Wen indeed stood properly, but he also pressed closely against him, trying to hold his hand when no one was watching.
Now, You Wen was also standing properly but pretended not to see him.
Feeling Fu Mingchuan’s gaze on him made You Wen feel as if he were being pricked by needles. He looked up at the elevator display; there were still ten floors to go.
“What are you doing here?” You Wen heard Fu Mingchuan speaking to him.
You Wen’s index finger and thumb were tightly pinched together as he turned his head to look at Fu Mingchuan. This person was still the same as before, always calm and collected, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking.
You Wen wanted to smile at him like an old friend and say some polite words, but he just stared wide-eyed at Fu Mingchuan: “I have something to do.”
As he spoke, he anxiously glanced at the elevator display again; the elevator had stopped three floors up.
Fu Mingchuan didn’t miss the grievance and anxiety on You Wen’s face: “Have you seen my mom?”
You Wen lowered his eyelids and nodded slightly: “We exchanged greetings.” His voice was also very aggrieved, looking as if he was about to cry.
Fu Mingchuan casually glanced at the main title of the documents in You Wen’s hand and asked the same question as Chen Jiyu: “Are you buying or selling a house?”
You Wen pretended not to hear. Just then, the elevator arrived, and You Wen quickly said goodbye to Fu Mingchuan, then hurriedly stepped into the elevator, pretending to press the floor button, but his fingers were rapidly pressing the close door button.
The elevator doors quickly separated Fu Mingchuan’s gaze from You Wen, allowing You Wen to uncontrollably take deep breaths. A fellow passenger in the elevator couldn’t help but ask if he had his medication, thinking he was having an asthma attack.
After Fu Mingchuan met with Chen Jiyu, he briefly mentioned that he only had fifteen minutes to stay. If the documents were ready, he could sign them right away.
Chen Jiyu didn’t answer her son’s question but instead asked if he had seen You Wen. Fu Mingchuan replied without any emotion: “I saw him.”
Chen Jiyu waited for him to say more, but Fu Mingchuan didn’t provide any further response and looked at her, silently asking if she had any other questions.
Chen Jiyu sighed and casually pointed to a spot for Fu Mingchuan to wait for a moment.
During the fifteen minutes that Fu Mingchuan agreed to, he was willing to compromise a bit of his time for Chen Jiyu, so he walked to a seat by the window.
Just as he was about to sit down, his gaze fell on a slender figure in a white T-shirt on the street. The person walked slowly but steadily. When they reached a white car by the roadside, the car door opened from the inside, and You Wen was pulled inside by a hand.
Fu Mingchuan stood still, watching as that hand reached out again, pulling the car door shut. The wrist bore a men’s watch, and to reach out that far, one would at least have to be holding You Wen in their arms to make such a motion.
Chen Jiyu finished early and called him over, curiously asking why he was just standing there. Only then did Fu Mingchuan turn around and ask where the documents he needed to sign were.
Chen Jiyu then said, “I called you here to see Naonao. You’ll have to come back next time to sign.”
Fu Mingchuan frowned, his voice tinged with annoyance at being interrupted: “Please don’t waste my time next time.”
Chen Jiyu didn’t mind his always polite attitude and his lack of social skills, walking out with him: “How is it wasting your time? Even though you broke up with Naonao, don’t you care about him? Do you know he came to sell a house today? I heard it didn’t go through.”
Fu Mingchuan didn’t respond, and Chen Jiyu continued, saying he hadn’t been home for a long time, that dinner was prepared at home, and that his father was also there, urging him to come home for dinner.
That evening at the dinner table, Chen Jiyu brought up You Wen again, expressing her regret, feeling that You Wen was truly a good match for Fu Mingchuan. She insisted that Fu Mingchuan should find out if You Wen really had financial issues and help him resolve them.
Fu Tu, who usually remained neutral and didn’t meddle in others’ relationships, also said, “You should indeed confirm whether You Wen has proper arrangements; that’s your responsibility.” The father and son spoke in exactly the same tone.
Fu Mingchuan replied with an “okay.” His phone in his pocket vibrated, and after wiping his mouth with a napkin, he stood up to leave the table. Back in his room, he opened his phone to check the information sent by his assistant, and the more he read, the tighter his frown became.
He had no idea that You Fan had actually guaranteed another debt for Taiji in You Wen’s name, and it was an unlimited joint liability. The risk of this money was too high; how could You Fan, who had always cherished his son, could let this happen?
Moreover, You Wen had previously temporarily mortgaged his property to Maiju due to inadequate handling of another debt left by You Fan. Today, the three parties had originally agreed to transfer the bond rights of Tailong to Maiju, with the property belonging to Maiju, and Maiju would transfer the property at a premium to Tailong.
However, when they went to handle the debt transfer procedures, Tailong, which had already been withdrawn from the mortgage, suddenly canceled the withdrawal without any reminder, causing You Wen’s transfer to fail, leaving both sides in debt and stuck in a deadlock.
The amount wasn’t large, and Fu Mingchuan didn’t think much of it. He immediately called Chen An, asking him to help You Wen resolve this problem within two days.
Chen Jiyu was right; this was indeed something he should do. It was unreasonable for You Wen to have followed him for three years and still bear a mountain of debt at the time of their breakup.
His phone rang again, and Fu Mingchuan opened it to see a photo—of You Wen.
In the photo, You Wen was being held in the arms of a man whose face was not visible, smiling, showing none of the awkwardness and distance he had displayed standing next to him in the afternoon. When he walked away from him, his steps were quick, as if he didn’t want to talk to him or see him.
Fu Mingchuan stared at the phone for a while, then replied to the sender: “There’s no need to send me his personal whereabouts anymore.”
After a busy week, Fu Mingchuan took two minutes to think of You Wen.
Although You Wen was a bit of a chatterbox, he had always been a polite person. Chen An had already helped him resolve his debt issues and confirmed that he currently had no external or internal debts. Originally, Fu Mingchuan thought You Wen would thank him.
No, that’s not right. You Wen had never had much concept of money. When he wanted something, he either pouted to You Fan or to him.
Once, You Wen insisted that a certain quilt’s pattern looked very much like a white rose in their garden. You Fan refused to buy it for him, so he came to him to pout.
Even though the Fu family could be considered a top-tier wealthy family, Fu Mingchuan knew that the quilt worth six hundred and twenty thousand was too extravagant. However, when You Wen asked, Fu Mingchuan immediately paid for it. But later, when You Wen left, he didn’t take it with him, leaving it in Shanshui Residence2“Shan Shui Ju” (山水居) literally translates to “Mountain and Water Residence” in English. It refers to a place, often a villa or retreat, that is surrounded by natural scenery such as mountains and water, reflecting the traditional Chinese aesthetic of living harmoniously with nature. In the context of the story, it likely represents a luxurious and scenic home associated with tranquility and elegance, fitting the name’s meaning..
So a week passed, and Fu Mingchuan received no form of thanks from You Wen. He accepted this reality calmly.
He couldn’t expect a rose not to be beautiful, nor could he expect You Wen to understand worldly affairs.
But what he didn’t expect was that about three weeks later, he received a transfer from You Wen for 7.63 million, with a message attached: “Thank you, Mr. Fu. The rest of the money will be paid back to you slowly.”
Fu Mingchuan’s face showed obvious displeasure, realizing he had misjudged the situation.
Chen An said that You Wen had refused the large house he arranged for him and also declined extra cash. Clearly, You Wen, who had never cared about worldly matters, had learned about human relationships and even said thank you to him.
Fu Mingchuan didn’t know what he was thinking, so he sent You Wen a seemingly provocative message: “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t pay back that money before?”
Three full hours passed before Fu Mingchuan received You Wen’s reply: “I may be cheap now, but I used to be very valuable. The time I spent with you should be worth as much as the money you spent.”
