Chapter 23
1029 Words
Fu Shuyang didn’t say anything else, so Xu Mei took it as a silent agreement and sat back down.
“Senior.” Xu Mei had completely changed how she addressed Fu Shuyang. It was as if by calling him that, one day he would return to school and actually be her senior. “Do you mind giving me a few details? The more I know, the better chance I have of winning, right?”
Fu Shuyang propped his fingers under his chin, deep in thought for a while.
Xu Mei assumed he was recalling specifics and excitedly pulled out her phone, ready to record.
Some details don’t stand out the first time you hear them. But if you listen enough, the key clues emerge—just like the police solving a case.
Finally, Fu Shuyang spoke. “Jin... Jin Mu stole my ideas and tech. He even deleted my backup files from the computer, so I don’t have any evidence.”
Xu Mei listened intently, but after a long pause without further explanation, she looked up curiously.
Fu Shuyang was calmly watching her, clearly not planning to continue.
“…That’s it?” she asked.
“Mhm,” he replied.
Xu Mei was exasperated. “You clearly don’t understand what the word ‘details’ means.”
She had thought that was only the introduction, not the entire summary.
Fu Shuyang moved his fingers from his chin to his temple and said after a few seconds, “If you think this is too hard, it’s not too late to give up…”
“No!” Xu Mei put away her phone defiantly. “The word ‘give up’ doesn’t exist in my dictionary. It’s okay if you don’t tell me—every action leaves a trace. I’ll find the evidence.”
Fu Shuyang might be a ruthless villain, but she wouldn’t count on him changing. Rely on yourself—that’s what Xu Mei reminded herself.
After that, her fighting spirit returned. “Can the deleted files on your computer be recovered?”
Fu Shuyang was surprised by her persistence and good nature. A flicker of doubt passed through his eyes before he masked it quickly. “No.”
Not surprising. If they could recover it, they probably would’ve by now.
But Xu Mei still asked, “Why not? Aren’t you a computer science prodigy?”
“So is Jin Mu,” Fu Shuyang replied.
“…Fair,” Xu Mei muttered.
If she couldn’t get the evidence from Fu Shuyang, then she'd have to start with Jin Mu.
“Does Jin Mu have any weaknesses?” she asked. “You know him well. You must know something.”
Fu Shuyang shook his head.
Xu Mei was disappointed, but then he added, “He has a daughter.”
Daughter?
Xu Mei’s heart skipped. She instantly remembered the lines Han Shu had said in the book—that Fu Shuyang had seduced Jin Mu’s daughter and abandoned her, causing her to attempt suicide and end up in a vegetative state.
“Jin Mu loves his daughter dearly,” Fu Shuyang said.
When Xu Mei read the book, she never doubted this plotline. She had thought Fu Shuyang’s actions were despicable, a fitting villain.
But now, something felt off. Could Fu Shuyang really have done something like that?
She couldn’t help asking, “If—just hypothetically…”
Fu Shuyang waited, his eyes on her.
Xu Mei hesitated, then awkwardly changed the direction. “You don’t like his daughter, do you?”
The book’s plot might not even be true. This Fu Shuyang was a new person. Whatever the ‘original’ had done had nothing to do with him. Cause and effect didn’t have to repeat.
Trying to judge someone based on something that never happened was just stupid.
Fu Shuyang, usually expressionless, actually looked stunned. “What?”
“It’s just a common storyline, right? The male lead likes the younger junior sister and doesn’t want to hurt her feelings, so he can’t bring himself to take down the evil master,” Xu Mei laughed awkwardly. “I just want to make sure you don’t have feelings for his daughter so I know how far I can go.”
She spoke as if she already had evidence in hand and was ready to strike.
Fu Shuyang was silent for a few seconds. “…I don’t watch dramas.”
“Haha… some dramas really are brainless,” Xu Mei replied.
The air was thick with awkwardness.
“I…”
Gurgle.
Xu Mei clutched her stomach in embarrassment.
She had used up a lot of energy today, but still, her stomach growling this loudly in front of someone else? Mortifying.
She peeked at Fu Shuyang and saw him pressing his fist to his lips.
Xu Mei was almost sure he was holding back a laugh.
“I’ll order delivery?” Fu Shuyang lowered his hand, his face calm again.
“…Uhh,” Xu Mei looked at the pouring rain outside. “Do we have any ingredients at home? Delivery would be slow in this weather, and it’s such a remote area… Not that I’m in a hurry, I just feel bad for the delivery guy.”
“Mm,” Fu Shuyang responded and headed for the kitchen.
Xu Mei thought she saw a smile on his face but had no proof—so she followed him in her oversized slippers.
The fridge was mostly empty… except for a big slab of beef.
“Left by Chu Yeran,” Fu Shuyang said, glancing back at her. “Steak?”
With no other options, steak it was.
Xu Mei leaned against the doorframe. “Do you know how to make it?”
Her past life wasn’t exactly luxurious—she was good with simple dishes and snacks. Western-style steak? No clue.
She remembered the book mentioned that Fu Shuyang always tried to show off and only ate Western food, sometimes even cooking it himself.
So… he should know how?
But Fu Shuyang said, “Nope.”
“…Seriously?”
With no choice, Xu Mei pulled out her phone, found a tutorial, and got to work, nerves and all.
- Writer
