Chapter 7: A New Identity
1012 Words
The day after Chen Zheng left, Su Anran went to the hair salon and cut her long hair into a neat short style. When she returned to THEONE wrapped in a scarf, Wang Fusheng was stunned.
With short hair, Su Anran looked more energetic, and her complexion was brighter. She didn't seem to care that her long hair, which she had kept for many years, was gone. She nodded to Wang Fusheng and walked upstairs, leaving him still in a daze.
After her figure disappeared, Wang Fusheng smiled self-deprecatingly, thinking that her short hair looked refreshing, but he hoped she wouldn't get frostbite in the winter.
Su Anran went to her room and changed into the new clothes she had just bought: a cashmere sweater, simple casual pants, and brown Nike sneakers. She looked very casual, almost like a little boy.
She looked in the mirror at her new appearance. In her previous life, she had never cut her hair short. Her hair was well-maintained, shining with a greenish hue in the sunlight. Su Anran touched her current hair and smiled sadly.
Wang Fusheng walked to the door of the room and knocked on the open door. After Chen Zheng left, Wang Fusheng had vacated his room and moved to the attic. This room would be Su Anran's for the short term.
Su Anran smiled at him. She didn't reject him, but she was more guarded. After all, he had taken her in. In this unfamiliar Seattle, she was grateful to Wang Fusheng.
"I helped you get some documents. Someone will deliver them later." He paused, feeling a bit awkward talking to a young girl. "Don't use the card Chen Zheng gave you anymore. Use mine. His account is more likely to be traced." He placed his platinum card in front of Su Anran.
Su Anran didn't refuse. Wang Fusheng made a valid point. She took the card and said, "Thank you. I will definitely repay you in the future."
Wang Fusheng shrugged. His phone rang at that moment. He spoke a few words in English and then told Anran, "Su Anran, watch the store for me. I'll be back soon."
Su Anran nodded. This would be her responsibility from now on.
THEONE's business wasn't as busy as Wang Fusheng had said. He could handle it alone. Su Anran thought he was a good person. If she returned to the country and reclaimed what was hers, she would definitely thank him properly.
Wang Fusheng returned shortly, carrying a brown paper bag. There was only one person in the store, idly reading a magazine and drinking coffee. He didn't care and signaled Su Anran to come upstairs.
Su Anran was wiping the brown wooden counter. Seeing his gesture, she followed him upstairs with the cloth. She had something to discuss with him as well.
Wang Fusheng saw the cloth in her hand and smiled: "You're quite serious. I might give you a raise."
Su Anran had no intention of joking with him. She just wanted to wait for him to finish speaking before she spoke.
Feeling a bit awkward, he scratched the back of his head, walked to the sofa, opened the brown paper bag, and poured out its contents. He pointed to one of the items and said, "This is your ID card. You might need it before you restore your identity. This is your bank card. Keep mine as well for large expenses. This is your phone. I've already set up the SIM card with my number in it."
Seeing these items, Su Anran was moved and thanked him. She looked at the ID card and couldn't help but ask, "Wang... Duoduo?"
Wang Fusheng raised his eyebrows.
"My new name is Wang Duoduo?" Su Anran asked, a bit speechless.
Wang Fusheng nodded: "Not bad, right? You can say you're my sister for now." After saying this, he was about to go downstairs.
The name didn't matter anymore. What mattered was that she would return with the name Su Anran, openly and proudly. "Wait," Su Anran called out.
"What?" Wang Fusheng smiled.
"Mr. Wang, I want to ask if there's a place to learn self-defense, like Taekwondo."
Wang Fusheng thought for a moment: "I know someone who is a red-black belt in Taekwondo." He paused and added, "He's a master. Do you want to learn?"
Su Anran nodded: "I need to be prepared. This is just one part of what I need to learn. Please introduce me."
Wang Fusheng signaled her to follow him downstairs, speaking slowly: "You know, masters are always strange. He never takes students, but if I introduce you, he might make an exception. But he has one condition."
As they walked to the backyard, Wang Fusheng stretched his neck and shook his wrists and ankles.
Su Anran asked curiously, "What condition?"
"He doesn't like being called 'Master.' He prefers people to call him by his name."
Su Anran nodded, thinking that masters were indeed strange. She continued to ask, "What's his name?"
"Call him Fusheng. He will take you as a student." Wang Fusheng said calmly. He walked to a wooden shelf, placed a flower pot on it, stepped back a few steps, suddenly turned sideways, and kicked. The flower pot instantly shattered against the opposite wall.
It all happened in a flash. He jumped twice, walked to Su Anran, and said, "I had to work later, so I stopped practicing. Otherwise, I would have gotten a black belt."
Su Anran looked at the fragments, then at Wang Fusheng, and nodded woodenly, saying slowly, "How much is the tuition..."
Wang Fusheng didn't speak, but looked at her playfully.
"Fusheng..." Su Anran called softly, feeling a strange sensation spreading.
Wang Fusheng clapped his hands to remove the dust and said, "Let's start tomorrow."
Su Anran nodded and added, "I need a laptop and some finance books."
Wang Fusheng guessed most of it and didn't bother to verify. He just said one word: "Okay."
Su Anran's second identity—Wang Duoduo—arrived gracefully with the upcoming Christmas in Seattle.
- Writer
