Chapter 7
1642 Words
Her voice boomed from deep within her chest, cutting through the noisy crowd like a blade.
The commotion died down instantly.
Fu Shuyang halted mid-step and turned around.
His handsome face remained expressionless, but there was a flicker of menace in his dark brows. His thin lips moved ever so slightly as he spat out two cold words:
"Something wrong?"
Xu Mei froze.
Was it the false sense of victory that gave her courage, or had she simply played too many games and fried her brain?
Why on earth would she suggest playing a three-legged race with Fu Shuyang?
With his temper, wouldn’t he just snap her leg in two and walk himself to the finish line?
Before she could react, Fu Shuyang was already losing patience. He tilted his head, and the air around him thickened with tension.
“She wants to partner with you for the game,” said a short-haired beauty beside her, helping Xu Mei out of her stupor.
Xu Mei: "..."
Game over. She was dead meat.
She honestly wanted to bash her head against a wall.
Fu Shuyang didn’t move.
“Bro, come on! That’s a golden opportunity!”
Someone in the crowd shouted, clearly enjoying the show.
The crowd that had just been silenced by Xu Mei’s yell came back to life in full gossip mode.
“Even pretty girls can’t resist good looks now. Society really is all about the face.”
“If you don’t want her, I’ll go instead!”
“Yeah, give us an answer already. There’s a line back here!”
“Look at that waist and those legs. Damn…”
“She looks so soft. Bet she feels even better to touch…”
Fu Shuyang gave Xu Mei a glance.
She was probably seventeen or eighteen—young, fresh, and glowing with youth.
Even dressed in loose sportswear, her long, slender legs were impossible to hide. Her hair was tied in a bun, exposing her refined and beautiful features. From her cheeks to her neck and arms, her skin flushed pink from the heat and exercise, a soft sheen of sweat catching the light.
Fu Shuyang walked over with his electric pen in hand, scanning the crowd with chilling eyes.
The lewd onlookers instantly shut up, shivering under his glare.
He stopped in front of Xu Mei and raised an eyebrow, confused.
“Fu-ge,” Xu Mei took a deep breath, trying her best to stay calm. There was no way out now—if she backed down, the consequences would be worse. She clenched her fists and said,
“I’m participating in an event. The last challenge is a three-legged race, and I don’t have a partner. You’re the only person I know here. Could you… help me out?”
Then she quickly added, “But if you can’t, it’s totally fine.”
Fu Shuyang glanced around. Several gazes lingered on Xu Mei longer than appropriate, only to dart away under his stare.
He placed the electric pen on the ground and replied,
“Okay.”
“...Huh?”
Xu Mei blinked.
Did he just say yes?
The terrifying villain actually agreed to play a three-legged race with her?
For a second, Xu Mei was so touched she almost cried.
What kind of divine luck was this?
“Is there a problem?” Fu Shuyang frowned.
“No! Not at all!”
She nearly bounced in place, bowing at a ninety-degree angle. “Thank you, Fu-ge!”
Fu Shuyang: “…”
He turned without another word and walked toward the starting line.
Xu Mei quickly followed.
A staff member approached with straps for the game—and it turned out to be someone familiar: the front desk guy from Wu Zhi Ling.
“Good luck!” he said, making a flamboyant cheering gesture.
Fu Shuyang shot him a cold glance. Unbothered, the guy crouched down cheerfully.
“Can you two move a bit closer? You’re now intimate part—uh, partners. If it’s tied wrong, you’ll fall and get hurt...”
He babbled on and on, while Xu Mei silently broke into a nervous sweat.
She peeked at Fu Shuyang—thankfully, he looked cold but not furious.
“All done! Try walking a few steps,” said the guy, standing up.
Xu Mei nodded. They stepped forward together—
She went left, Fu Shuyang went right.
She was no match for his strength and nearly fell over.
Luckily, he reacted fast and caught her arm with his forearm.
“Thanks…” she muttered, sweat pouring down.
This game looked easy, but it was definitely not.
“You two won’t make it like this,” said the short-haired beauty, stepping over. She and her boyfriend had already been practicing and moved in perfect sync. “Try counting the rhythm—like ‘one, two, one’...”
She gave them a full demonstration.
Not just Xu Mei—Fu Shuyang even spared her a glance of acknowledgment.
“We’re a couple, so it’s easier for us,” the girl laughed. “It’s all about coordination. You’ve got two tries. Practice on the track if you want.”
Xu Mei didn’t hesitate and moved toward the track with Fu Shuyang.
They weren’t familiar at all. He was a cold, distant man. She was honestly scared of him—how could they possibly coordinate?
After one attempt, it was clear: they were terrible.
The sun was hot overhead. Seeing that no other group was competing, Xu Mei suggested,
“Let’s just go with it. Maybe we’ll do better in the real race.”
She didn’t care about winning anymore—just finishing in one piece was good enough.
Fu Shuyang nodded.
They stepped onto the track.
“You still have one more try,” the short-haired girl reminded.
“We don’t need it,” Xu Mei said, lifting her chin. “We’re that confident. Let’s go!”
The girl flashed her a thumbs-up.
Then—Fu Shuyang bent his arm and offered it to Xu Mei.
Xu Mei: “???”
“Hold onto me,” he said simply.
Everyone who’d played this game knew: the best strategy was to hold each other tight to avoid falling.
But Xu Mei didn’t dare touch the boss.
Now he offered himself?
Her mind blanked for a second—was this the legendary “grab wealth hand”? Maybe hugging it would bring her good luck.
Fu Shuyang frowned, waiting.
Xu Mei jolted and mentally cursed herself, then grabbed his arm.
“Ready!” the referee blew the whistle.
Xu Mei shook off all distractions and focused on her steps.
With Fu Shuyang’s arm to hold, things improved slightly.
But coordination wasn’t something that came from thin air.
They didn’t fall, but their steps were clumsy and awkward.
Xu Mei stayed focused, but the crowd saw clearly: the short-haired girl and her boyfriend had a head start and were already pulling ahead.
“Call the rhythm. I’ll follow,” Fu Shuyang said lowly.
Xu Mei had been too scared to speak earlier, even though she knew the trick.
But now that he gave the okay, she immediately started counting out loud.
Fu Shuyang didn’t count, but he adjusted his steps to match hers.
Xu Mei instantly felt less pressured.
She focused solely on herself—her steps grew steady and fast.
The gap between the two teams narrowed. The crowd was getting louder, cheers filling the air.
Xu Mei didn’t look up, but Fu Shuyang noticed—they were still half a step behind.
Not much. Just one step.
The finish line was right ahead—just two or three more steps.
Xu Mei relaxed, thinking they’d at least done their best—when suddenly, she was yanked into the air by brute force!
Fu Shuyang leaped the last few steps.
Xu Mei couldn’t keep up—she was literally dragged across the line.
She didn’t even have time to process it. The referee blew the whistle.
They won?
She was about to faceplant, but instead crashed into a lean chest.
A strange masculine scent filled her nose. Xu Mei jerked back the moment her feet hit the ground.
She forgot they were still tied together and nearly tripped again—Fu Shuyang reached out and steadied her just in time.
Her face turned crimson.
Then she noticed—his hand was in a fist.
From the moment they were tied, he hadn’t opened his hand once.
Xu Mei blinked.
Because she feared the villain, she’d naturally viewed him with a tinted lens.
But Fu Shuyang… was surprisingly gentlemanly.
How could a man like him be the villain?
“Earth to you. What are you thinking about?” the short-haired girl tapped her shoulder.
Xu Mei snapped out of it. Fu Shuyang had already untied the strap and left without a word.
All she saw was his back, electric pen in hand.
“What are you waiting for?” the girl teased. “He helped you win—shouldn’t you go thank him?”
The host pulled Xu Mei aside. “Congrats on the win! Any thoughts you’d like to share?”
Xu Mei hadn’t even looked away from Fu Shuyang’s back yet.
The front desk guy popped up: “Stop staring—you’ll turn to stone! I’ll go stall him for you. Go do your interview!”
Xu Mei: “…”
Thank God the villain had walked far enough not to hear that.
She forced herself to face the host. “Thanks for everyone’s support! I honestly didn’t expect to win first place. Especially with such a formidable opponent—”
“I’m Feng Xiao-zhi!” the short-haired girl chimed in, laughing boldly as she leaned against her boyfriend.
Xu Mei’s mind blanked.
She dropped the mic on the spot.
- Writer
