Chapter 14
1836 Words
Fu Shuyang suddenly froze in place.
How long had it been since someone called him “good boy”...?
“Mr. Fu, there’s nothing in this world you can’t do. Please, you have to help me this time.”
“President Fu, you're the most capable. We’re counting on you.”
“Brother Fu, you’ve got so much money. Just lend me a bit, okay? Please?”
“Don’t worry, with your abilities, you’ll survive anything.”
...
“Pfft, Fu Shuyang? He’s just some rich guy with a few stinky dollars. What’s so great about that?”
“Good riddance. Trash like him didn’t deserve to live anyway.”
“I’ve hated Fu Shuyang for ages. Always so smug. Serves him right.”
“Fu Shuyang’s finally dead. Justice at last!”
...
Fu Shuyang lowered his eyes, hiding every emotion. Then he looked down at the girl in his arms.
The drunk girl had fallen asleep again. Her pale hand rested lightly over the tattoo on his chest.
Something bit at his chest—like a tiny ant. It wasn’t painful, just a gentle, tickling sensation that seeped into his blood and slowly spread to his heart.
He really wanted to scratch it, but both hands were occupied.
He adjusted his grip slightly, and Xu Mei’s hand slid off naturally. The itch finally faded a little.
So light. Hasn’t she eaten?
Does she really have the strength to dance?
What if she faints on stage?
His mind wandered for a while before he finally walked out of the restaurant.
At the door, Chu Yeyan and Yao Jing were still waiting.
“It’s getting late. I don’t want to go home alone. I’ll crash at Meimei’s place tonight,” Yao Jing said casually.
She kept it subtle—didn’t outright say she was worried Fu Shuyang might do something to Xu Mei.
Chu Yeyan, standing by the other side of the car, gave Fu Shuyang a helpless look. He’d tried to persuade her but failed.
“That’s great,” Fu Shuyang said, relieved.
Without Yao Jing, he really wouldn’t know how to handle a drunk girl.
He gently placed Xu Mei in the back seat and sat in the passenger seat himself.
Only then did Yao Jing nod in satisfaction, got in the back, and adjusted Xu Mei to a more comfortable position so she could lean on her. Then she shot Chu Yeyan a glare—Look how gentlemanly he is. Not like you.
Chu Yeyan: …What did I do?
Totally innocent!
She’s the one who leaned on me first, but I didn’t even dare fight back.
——
That night, Xu Mei had a long, chaotic dream.
She dreamt of everything the original owner had gone through.
She was a pampered little princess in her childhood, until life suddenly turned upside down. She fell into a pit of darkness, tasted the bitter cold of the world, and never climbed out.
In the end, Xu Mei saw the original owner standing in the void, saying to her, “Thank you for setting me free.”
Xu Mei jolted awake.
It was already morning. She stretched, feeling... different.
It wasn’t a visible change, more like a sixth sense.
Before, she could feel that her soul didn’t quite fit this body—it was like wearing ill-fitting shoes. Nobody could tell, but she felt it all the time.
Sometimes when she met members of the Xu family, the body would react emotionally. She had even tried communicating silently with the original owner. Though she never got a direct answer, she could always sense the emotional echoes.
But today, there was nothing.
“Have you finally let go?” she asked in her heart.
No response, but her body felt lighter than ever.
That odd sensation of “borrowing a body” was gone. Now, it really felt like her own.
Xu Mei let out a breath of relief.
She’d worried yesterday—after breaking off ties with the Xu family—that the original owner might be angry. After all, the original Xu Mei had spent her whole life entangled with them, full of hatred.
But it seemed... she wasn’t angry.
Maybe she was just tired, unable to let go.
Xu Mei remembered how most of the memories in last night’s dream had actually been warm. Her father’s downfall didn’t happen until she was thirteen, in eighth grade.
Before that, the original Xu Mei had a wonderful life.
A wealthy home, a beautiful and gentle mother, a father who was always busy but doted on her deeply. Whatever she wanted, he’d buy it.
Everyone around her envied her, called her a little princess.
Then when she was thirteen, the mother she loved most died—and a big sister appeared at home.
She had been furious. She couldn’t accept that her mother died saving someone else. She couldn’t accept her father’s betrayal.
She blamed everything on Xu Zhongya.
Xu Lang had once said, “Dad didn’t want them to die either. If you’re going to hate someone, hate that psycho.”
Xu Zhongya agreed wholeheartedly. From then on, he discarded his conscience completely.
Yet Xu Mei had seen from the original memories that even Xu Lang had cried and smashed things in private. She wasn't as heartless as she appeared. The original owner just found her fake.
Xu Lang likely had her own grievances. But she was smart—she knew who she had to rely on, so she kept her breakdowns hidden.
Xu Mei shook her head and got out of bed, brushing those thoughts aside.
No matter what, Xu Zhongya was the true villain.
She wasn’t strong enough yet to go up against him. But she had Fu Shuyang.
From what she’d seen yesterday, there was no doubt about his capabilities.
He definitely had ways of making money.
She’d take it slow—first stop him from going dark, then learn a few tricks from him.
Someday, she would make Xu Zhongya taste total ruin.
Xu Mei walked downstairs in a good mood. Just as she reached the corner, a pretty woman with a ponytail stepped inside, flushed and glowing from a jog.
“Ms. Yao?” Xu Mei blinked in surprise.
“You’re up?” Yao Jing raised an eyebrow. “With your weak alcohol tolerance, what were you trying to prove?”
Xu Mei: “…”
She’d been so focused on the memories this morning, she hadn’t even thought about how she got home last night.
What a disgrace—two beers and she was out cold. Thank goodness Ms. Yao was trustworthy.
“Thank you for bringing me home,” she said quickly.
“It wasn’t me. Fu Shuyang carried you back.” Yao Jing smirked, arms crossed by the bar.
Xu Mei’s face flushed a little. “Well... thanks to both of you.”
Wait—I was carried by the villain?!
And he didn’t just dump her somewhere? That was surprisingly decent of him.
“Looks like you enjoyed it,” Yao Jing teased.
Xu Mei gave a helpless smile. “Ms. Yao, don’t overthink. I was the one who needed help—I’m just grateful you didn’t leave me behind.”
“At least you know,” Yao Jing shot her a look. “Big talk for someone who can’t hold their liquor. I seriously thought someone was pretending to be you yesterday.”
Xu Mei broke into a cold sweat. Ms. Yao was too sharp.
Good thing she now had full access to the original owner’s memories.
“I just got carried away last night. I won’t dare again,” she said, heading to the kitchen to change the subject. “Want some toast? I’ll make some.”
She didn’t dare show off her cooking in front of Yao Jing—the original owner couldn’t cook.
Yao Jing didn’t press it, just gave a small nod. “Sure… But since you’ve made your choice, don’t overthink. You can live well even on your own. Talk to your friends if something’s wrong.”
Xu Mei nodded quickly.
After breakfast, they left together and found Chu Yeyan and Fu Shuyang waiting with the car outside.
“Yeyan’s got errands. I’ll take you two,” Fu Shuyang said politely, still distant as ever.
“Thanks, Brother Fu,” Xu Mei said cheerfully, unbothered by his cold tone.
Yao Jing frowned slightly but didn’t say anything.
Because her biggest worry was resolved, Xu Mei felt fantastic. Plus, now fully merged with the original body, it was like unlocking all her internal energy.
She even finished class early today.
Chu Yeyan didn’t show up all day, but Xu Mei didn’t mind—she couldn’t expect him to drive her around every day.
She rented a bike and stopped by Fu Shuyang’s place with a bunch of snacks to thank him and maybe bond a little—try to identify what would trigger his eventual descent into darkness.
But Fu Shuyang wasn’t home.
She figured she’d try again tomorrow.
But the following few days… no sign of Fu Shuyang.
His lights were on, though. Maybe he just forgot to turn them off?
Getting worried, Xu Mei messaged him.
No reply for an entire week.
She tried calling—phone off.
A terrible thought crept in. Had something happened to him?
Had he gone dark… in secret?
Panicking, she called Chu Yeyan.
No answer.
Now truly anxious, she asked Yao Jing and people at the training center, but no one knew anything.
Chu Yeyan was the boss. He didn’t report to staff.
That afternoon, Xu Mei didn’t go home right away.
She’d found Chu Yeyan’s address and planned to go ask in person.
She didn’t know much about Fu Shuyang—Chu Yeyan was her only lead.
His home wasn’t far from the Tower Plaza. A half-hour walk.
The area was old and run-down, mostly deserted.
It was set for redevelopment next year—but very few people knew that yet. So from the plaza onward, it was nearly empty.
Passing a crumbling alley, Xu Mei heard strange thuds—like something being beaten.
A little scared, she turned to take another route.
But just as she moved, she heard faint cries for help.
Was someone… getting attacked?
Xu Mei hesitated. Should she call the police?
But she didn’t know the full situation.
After a moment’s pause, relying on her recent dance training and agility, she climbed the low wall quietly to get a better look.
The noises grew clearer—definitely a beating.
No, more like a one-sided beatdown.
“Was it... ugh... Xu Mei who sent you guys...?”
The voice made her stop cold. It sounded... familiar.
She sped up and soon saw four or five men in black surrounding someone.
The man was curled on the ground, arms shielding his head. His expensive suit was torn and filthy, face swollen and bloodied beyond recognition.
It was Xu Zhongya.
- Writer
