"What… Playing with men?"
"I didn't!"
Celia snapped back instinctively. She hadn't played with any men.
The voice on the other end clearly didn't believe her. "My Celia has dabbled in everything, but never men. That's the only explanation I can think of for why you're so flustered."
"...Senior, when can you come?" Celia forced herself to steer the conversation back to the point.
"The earliest is tomorrow."
Tomorrow?
Her grandmother couldn't wait that long.
"The heir of the Song family blacklisted you? The Songs have deep ties in Yecheng. Except for one place… the Fu family. You could try getting her into Fu Medical."
Celia didn't respond.
"Celia, you're smart. I'm sure you've already thought of Fu Medical. You could ask Nathaniel Fu—hasn't he been trying to recruit you to make perfume for him? He'll definitely do you this favor."
She had, in fact, thought about it. Nathaniel Fu was the only one in Yecheng who had the power to stand against someone like Zane Song.
But she didn't want to ask him.
"Celia? Why are you quiet? Don't tell me… the guy you're involved with is actually the head of the Fu family?"
"...I'm hanging up now!" Celia cut the call directly.
She stayed beside her grandmother's hospital bed, watching the faint mist rise from the disconnected oxygen mask. She had no more time to hesitate.
She should ask Nathaniel.
But the thought of it made her chest tighten. She didn't want to owe him anything. Didn't want to crawl back to him.
Still, her grandmother couldn't wait.
Celia hesitated, then dug his number out of her phone's blocked list and dialed.
As the dial tone rang, she silently practiced what to say: "Your dear brother Zane Song is bullying me, a clown girl from the countryside. He told me not to seduce you again, pulled my grandmother's oxygen mask out, and told me to go back to the village."
The call suddenly connected.
"Hello? Mr. Fu—"
"Hi, who is this?" A woman's sweet voice answered.
It wasn't Nathaniel.
He'd let another woman answer his phone.
Celia froze.
"Mr. Fu's in the shower. Who are you?"
She hung up instantly.
Only then did it truly hit her—how ridiculous it was for her to call him. Who was she to him? At best, a bed partner. Maybe just one of many.
As adults, they should know where the line was.
Did she think she could just call him and he'd drop everything to help?
What was she going to offer in return—her body?
And this wasn't just anyone—it involved Zane Song, Nathaniel's close friend. It would sound like petty complaining.
Besides, Nathaniel was Sylvia's husband. Wasn't it shameful enough that she had already crossed the line so many times?
She had been a stand-in more times than she could count. She had given him her body—but she couldn't give him her heart, too.
Just then, her phone lit up again.
Nathaniel Fu was calling.
Was it him? Or the woman?
She didn't answer.
The phone rang again. And again. Multiple times.
Celia still refused to pick up.
Then—there was a knock at the door.
She opened it and saw a man in a well-tailored suit, gentle and polite.
"Ms. Su," he said, "I'm the Chief Administrative Assistant to President Fu. He's currently on a business trip with Secretary Song. He asked me to come on his behalf. May I help you?"
He actually sent someone.
Nathaniel's team worked fast—clearly, they'd figured out what was happening along the way.
"Please don't worry," the assistant added. "I've already arranged for your grandmother to be admitted to the VIP ward at Fu Medical."
Half an hour later, her grandmother was settled in, oxygen mask reconnected. The soft puff of mist and the steadier rise and fall of her chest finally eased Celia's nerves.
"Ms. Su," said a nurse gently, "President Fu would like to speak with you. Please take the video call."