The surrounding noise faded into silence, leaving only the thunderous, unrelenting rhythm of their heartbeats—as though the world had dwindled down to just the two of them.
Su Wanwan stood dazed, her eyes widened in a trance, breath erratic, utterly disoriented from the kiss.
No one knew how long had passed before Fu Liangmu finally released her.
He gazed at her with satisfaction—at those flushed, misty eyes glimmering with moisture, and the shy flush on her cheeks. A smile involuntarily curled on his lips.
He withdrew his raised hand and casually extended it forward.
Su Wanwan took the ice cream cone with a quiet murmur, lowering her head gloomily and taking a small bite.
Fu Liangmu's eyes lingered on the top of her head for a while before he suddenly asked,
"Is it good?"
Su Wanwan mumbled, "Yeah... it is."
A shadow of amusement flickered across his dark eyes. His slender hand fell gently on her delicate shoulder as he added softly,
"I meant… was my kiss good?"
Su Wanwan's body trembled violently. She recoiled two steps back, and her pale neck flushed to a visible pink in mere seconds.
"I... I think I saw a grape juice stall earlier—I'll go check it out!"
She spun and bolted forward, but hadn't made it far before Fu Liangmu pulled her back into his arms with domineering force.
Thump!
Her forehead smacked into his chest, making her dizzy.
"What are you doing?"
Su Wanwan raised her eyes angrily. Her gaze was misty, heavy with grievance.
Fu Liangmu replied coolly, with no hint of guilt,
"If you don't watch where you're going, what if you bump into someone?"
Su Wanwan pursed her lips and muttered under her breath,
"Still wouldn't hurt as much as bumping into you…"
Before she could finish, she froze.
She blinked at Fu Liangmu's shirt—now stained with melted ice cream.
Stunned.
Fu Liangmu lowered his gaze, saw her dumbstruck expression, and his voice softened unconsciously.
"It's alright. Don't worry about it. I only wear this once anyway…"
Su Wanwan nearly collapsed.
"My ice cream!"
"I only had one bite!"
Fu Liangmu: "…" Pretend he hadn't said anything.
Watching her take out tissues from her bag, Fu Liangmu subconsciously puffed up his chest, as if awaiting her service.
But the tissue was ruthlessly tossed into his hand.
"Clean it yourself."
Fu Liangmu gave a half-hearted "oh" and wiped himself off carelessly.
"Let's go."
The two gradually walked away.
The beef ball vendor who had witnessed everything let out a long sigh.
"A flower stuck in cow dung…"
"Why the hell do I even sell beef balls? A girl that pretty, how did she… end up with someone like that?"
—
By the time they'd finished sampling everything from one end of the food street to the other, both of them were round-bellied with satisfaction.
"Let's head back."
Fu Liangmu pulled out his phone to check the GPS for the parking lot.
There were only two routes: return the same way or take a large detour.
Backtracking through the crowded street would take at least an hour—completely out of the question.
"Okay."
Su Wanwan sat on a bench nearby, gently rotating her ankle. Though they had paused frequently to eat and rest, her feet still ached.
"Your foot hurts?"
Fu Liangmu caught the subtle movement with a frown.
Su Wanwan nodded, lips lightly pressed together, a little embarrassed.
"Maybe… you should go get the car, and I'll wait here."
"No," Fu Liangmu answered coldly.
Leave her here alone? Not a chance.
Su Wanwan sighed in resignation and was just about to stand up—
—but Fu Liangmu squatted down before her.
"Get on."
Just two words—calm, firm, and utterly imperious.
Su Wanwan cleared her throat awkwardly.
"Isn't that… a bit much?"
"Or would you prefer a week-long stay in the hospital?"
The last shred of hesitation vanished. She decisively climbed onto his back.
Fu Liangmu hooked his arms under her legs and stood up effortlessly.
Su Wanwan buried her face into his back.
As if sensing her embarrassment, Fu Liangmu deliberately chose a quieter path and strolled slowly.
His steps were relaxed, like a casual walk after dinner.
Behind his mask, a smile played at his lips.
Su Wanwan began to slip.
"Hold on tighter."
"…Okay."
She mumbled in reply, and when she jolted again, she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.
The already long path now felt even longer.
Fu Liangmu's grip tightened slightly. The feel of her body through the thin fabric and the occasional closeness stirred his thoughts—dragging his mind back to their first meeting, when she was so warm, so full of life…
He gave his head a subtle shake to dispel the chaos.
"What's wrong?"
"Am I… heavy?" Su Wanwan asked tentatively, worried he might be uncomfortable.
"I can walk for a bit if you want."
Fu Liangmu's voice was low and hoarse, laced with a quiet emotion.
"You're light as a feather."
They walked the rest of the way in silence and soon arrived home.
The moment they stepped into the living room, they were greeted by the furious glare of the old matriarch, standing with a feather duster in hand.
"You rascal! I told you to reflect on your mistakes, and you run off instead?"
Su Wanwan instantly stepped in front of Fu Liangmu.
"Grandma, it was me. I asked him to come out for dinner."
"Wanwan, stop covering for him! This boy's been crafty since he was little. Don't let his current obedience fool you—who knows what he's scheming!"
Seeing Fu Liangmu's innocent expression, Su Wanwan couldn't help but retort,
"Grandma, he's not that kind of person."
"You—ugh!"
Fu Liangmu took Su Wanwan's hand and gently moved her behind him.
"Grandma, forgive me for going against your wishes. To make up for it, I'll stand here all night until morning as punishment."
Su Wanwan's eyes widened. She pinched his side in protest.
What the hell was he doing? She'd insisted on taking him out, and now he was bearing all the blame?
Wasn't this making her look even worse?
The old lady was taken aback by his humility.
"Fine, at least you know your place—then…"
"Grandma!"
Su Wanwan interrupted decisively, raising her voice.
"Haven't you always wanted a great-grandchild? If you make Liangmu stand outside all night… how are we supposed to give you one?"
The old matriarch's eyes lit up, and her fury melted away in an instant.
"Is that true?"
Thinking of all the kindness Fu Liangmu had shown her lately, Su Wanwan steeled herself and answered,
"Of course. I would never lie to you."
The old woman beamed with joy.
"Then I'll let him off this time—but just this once."
"Absolutely, absolutely."
After she left, Su Wanwan finally exhaled deeply.
Uncle Zhang, who had silently watched the entire drama unfold, stood beside the sofa and sighed.
"Ah… In the end, Madam still can't outplay the Young Master…"