Chapter 88: Chapter 88

The old man didn’t speak, and Fu Jichen naturally remained silent. After sitting together in silence for a while, he got up to leave.

As he left the study, he happened to run into Fu Feibai coming out of his room.

The young man was wearing a gray and white trendy hoodie, with loose black pants that dragged on the floor. The hems of the pants were piled on his feet, and as he walked out yawning, a tuft of hair stuck up on his head, giving him a disheveled appearance that complemented his handsome face with a lazy, decadent aesthetic.

Fu Feibai always had a messed-up schedule and had just woken up. Seeing Fu Jichen, he yawned with his mouth wide open, his eyes brightening.

"Brother, when did you come back?!"

Fu Feibai resembled Wei Ronghua, with well-defined features and delicate eyes. He became a nationwide sensation as soon as he debuted, garnering countless female fans. Although he was supposed to become more famous as an idol, he preferred acting and rarely participated in stage shows or variety programs, focusing entirely on acting.

He actually achieved some success; at a young age, he won a Best Actor award, and his future in acting looked even more promising.

Fu Jichen patted his shoulder, "I just arrived not long ago."

Fu Feibai was a bit flattered and went downstairs with him, "Will you leave this time after coming back?"

"Whether I leave or not, you don’t often see me anyway."

"Hahaha." Fu Feibai, with his cheerful personality, was easily amused. Fu Jichen’s casual words made him beam with joy, "I’m currently in the rising phase of my career, flying all over the place is a norm. But still, not as busy as you."

Fu Jichen smiled silently.

"Hey, brother." Fu Feibai suddenly lowered his voice, reporting to him mischievously, "You didn’t know, second uncle and aunt always bring up your girlfriend at the dining table, making fun of it. Are you really dating that fallen heiress from the Shen Family?"

Fu Jichen’s brows furrowed slightly.

Fu Feibai was still a bit afraid of his elder brother. Seeing his expression change slightly, he quickly covered his mouth, "I didn’t say it; I heard them say it."

"With me, she’s not just a fallen heiress." Fu Jichen left this line and stepped down the last flight of stairs.

Fu Feibai stupidly stood on the stairs as Fu Jichen walked away. That line, clearly protective in nature, lingered in his ears: Does this mean that with Shen Jianian by his side, she’s as noble as he is, no longer just a fallen heiress?

At dinner time, the family gathered for a meal together for the first time in a while.

Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve, and most of the people who were supposed to come back have returned. This meal was not much different from a New Year’s Eve dinner.

A few people looked at Fu Jichen, sitting by the old man’s side, with complicated eyes. They originally wanted to trip him up and keep him in Yicheng, but after lots of probing, they found it impossible to breach his defenses.

Fu Jianfang, after eating a couple of bites, got a thought and said with a smile, "Jichen, why didn’t you bring your girlfriend home for us to meet? While everyone is here for the New Year, it would be a good opportunity to get to know each other."

Fu Feibai and Fu Jichen exchanged glances. The former barely suppressed his smile, as if saying: "See, I knew they would bring this up."

Being called out by name by an elder, Fu Jichen had to respond politely; he smiled and replied ambiguously, "No rush, there will be plenty of chances in the future."

"Don’t say that, it’s not often that you date. As elders, we should show our good intentions," Fu Jianfang pressed on, "Next time, everyone may not be gathered . Besides, with her parents gone, it must be lonely for her during the New Year."

Fu Jichen’s expression turned cold, and before he could speak, another voice preempted him, stopping Fu Jianfang: "It’s perfectly normal for my brother to have a girlfriend at his age; it’s nothing unusual. But aunt, since you’ve got a boyfriend, bring him home for us to meet someday, so I can recognize his face. It’d be bad if I didn’t recognize him when we met and accidentally offended him."

Fu Jianfang’s eyes were flustered, instinctively looking at her husband sitting beside her.

She and Jia Wenying had been on the verge of divorce for a while, but after weighing the pros and cons, they ultimately didn’t proceed. The old man gave her a scolding over this matter, so she temporarily mended her ways, cut off contact with her boyfriend outside, and returned to her family. Jia Wenying’s attitude towards her also changed, becoming much more thoughtful and gentle, and life was quite smooth.

The stupid girl just had to bring up that sore spot.

As expected, Jia Wenying’s expression changed, his hand gripping the chopsticks tightly, veins bulging, but he said nothing in front of the family.

Fu Yuling wriggled in her chair, raised her eyebrows triumphantly, ready to back her brother if anyone dared mess with him.

"Sit properly and eat," Wei Ronghua lightly patted her back to warn her, softly educating her, "Who told you to speak like that to your elders? Mind your manners."

Fu Yuling stuck out her tongue and lowered her head to eat.\p>

Wei Ronghua, seeing her daughter’s obedient demeanor, relaxed her expression, picked up a porcelain bowl, and filled it with pigeon soup, placing it by her hand, reminding her to finish it.

Although she scolded her daughter verbally, it was all just for show. In reality, she couldn’t stand the attitudes of those in her family and secretly wished they would be ridiculed.\p>

Fu Jichen wiped his mouth, stood up, and nodded to the old man at the head, "Grandpa, I’m done eating. You all enjoy your meal."

"Jichen, I see you haven’t eaten much..."

Before Wei Ronghua could finish, Fu Jichen had already left the table, heading upstairs.

After he left, the old man slammed the chopsticks in his hand, making a loud clatter against the bowl, leaving the dining room so silent that only the sound of breathing could be heard.\p>

The servant who came to serve dishes was startled, holding a plate and not daring to move.

"Fourth, there are some things you should say and others you shouldn’t. If you can’t hold your tongue, then don’t come next time," the old man said with a stern face, coldly snorted, and stood up to leave.

Fu Feibai saw with his own eyes; after grandpa’s words, his aunt’s face turned pale.

His elder brother indeed was skilled. Without saying a word, he left the table, and the old man naturally blamed the aunt for ruining the family’s rare dining gathering opportunity, after all, the topic was initiated by her.

In the upstairs bedroom, Fu Jichen lit a cigarette and sat cross-legged on the sofa.

The phone on the glass table lit up. The call to Shen Jianian went unanswered for a long time.\p>

Fu Jichen curled one side of his lips into a cold smile. With him gone, Shen Jianian was probably so happy that she didn’t even care about his call.

The ringing lasted so long it was about to hang up automatically, but finally, it was answered, accompanied by the sound of wind. Her voice came through muffled: "Hello."

"What are you doing?"

Fu Jichen moved the cigarette away from his lips, slowly exhaling a smoke ring, suddenly recalling that day in the office when he passed her half a cigarette, making her eyes mist with tears and her cheeks flush red, carrying an indescribable charm.\p>

Before Shen Jianian could answer, Fu Jichen said, "How about I book your ticket now and you come to Beicheng?"

What he wanted, he had to have immediately, for delayed satisfaction was not real satisfaction.