Exiting the hotel, Su Lingzhi walked while waiting, but no taxi showed up for a long time.
The evening breeze made her head spin, and it felt like there was a fire burning in her throat, causing her discomfort.
A pair of car headlights flashed by, and a Rolls-Royce stopped next to her.
Right after, Housekeeper Zhao got out of the car, walked around the front, and approached her: "Miss Su, it's hard to get a cab here; let me give you a ride back."
Su Lingzhi didn't expect to encounter Housekeeper Zhao here. Instinctively, her gaze drifted to the back seat, but the window was too opaque to see inside. Stubbornly, she said, "No need, Uncle Zhao."
Housekeeper Zhao asked with confusion, "Does Miss Su have any concerns?"
"Thank you for your kindness. Last time, I accidentally broke the porcelain, and Mr. Fu didn't hold it against me. I don't want to owe him any favors now, fearing I can't repay."
"It's just a lift, Miss Su, don't overthink it."
As he spoke, Housekeeper Zhao opened the car door to the back seat for her.
From her perspective, no one was inside; it seemed Fu Yinli was not present.
Feeling unwell at the moment, she no longer refused, thanked him, and bent down to get in the car.
The car slowly set off, and the dappled lights along the roadside shone inside, illuminating the space.
After buckling up, Su Lingzhi leaned tiredly against the back seat.
The car was filled with a faint woody scent, gentle enough to lull someone to sleep.
Her eyelids grew heavy, but just as she was about to fall asleep, a light cough from the front made her suddenly open her eyes.
Although it wasn't very clear, she was certain it was not made by Housekeeper Zhao.
Amid the flickering lights, she caught the reflection in the front side window and Fu Yinli's serene and elegant profile struck her vision.
Like seeing a ghost, her body suddenly froze, and she hurriedly withdrew her gaze.
The car fell into dead silence, so quiet she could clearly hear her own chaotic heartbeat pounding heavily.
He had been in the car all along, so everything she said to Housekeeper Zhao outside—he must've heard it all.
Was it too late to get out now...?
"Is today your twenty-second birthday?" a deep and unique voice sounded in the car.
There was no doubt that the question was directed at her.
However, the tone revealed no emotion, but she was certain he wasn't angry about what she said outside.
Su Lingzhi asked, looking at the back of his head, "How did you know?"
Fu Yinli's mouth slightly twitched; unreservedly, he said, "I saw it."
Spotted light and shadow crossed his cheeks, intertwining light and darkness, and what seemed like a casual smile carried a hint of coolness.
Su Lingzhi turned her face to the window, "It's my birthday."
He was a client, and the suit hadn't been delivered yet, so she still had to be courteous to him.
Suddenly, a sentence emerged in the quiet space: "What does it feel like to be confessed to?"
Su Lingzhi was suddenly speechless, "Sir... didn't you see it all?"
After that, there was no more conversation, and the car returned to its original silence.
Strangely, once he pointed it out, she felt less nervous.
Her eyelids drooped heavily, and she closed her eyes, soon falling into a deep sleep.
...
At eleven in the evening, the car slowly drove into the manor's villa.
Housekeeper Zhao got out of the car and quietly opened the car door for them, waiting by the side.
Fu Yinli's gaze fell on the deeply sleeping person in the car; he bent down, unbuckled her seatbelt, and carried her out.
Even through the fabric, he could feel her burning body temperature.
He furrowed his brows a bit, instructing, "Call a doctor."
Housekeeper Zhao cast a worried glance at Su Lingzhi, nodded, and hurriedly went to complete the task.
Fu Yinli carried her all the way to the upstairs main bedroom, gently laying her on the bed and covering her with a quilt.
The night lamp was soft, silently watching a clean and smooth face.
Fu Yinli walked into the bathroom, soaked a washcloth in warm water, and carefully wiped away her makeup from her forehead down.
Upon reaching her lips, she stirred restlessly in her sleep, curling into a ball and turning her back to him.
Fu Yinli put away the washcloth.
When the doctor arrived, Fu Yinli turned on the main light, got up, and turned Su Lingzhi over to lie on her back on the bed.
After the examination, the doctor reported: "The patient has a high fever, likely due to overexertion, mental stress, and consuming irritating foods, causing unconsciousness."
Fu Yinli's gaze fixed tighter on Su Lingzhi, asking, "When will she wake up?"
The doctor replied, "By tomorrow at the latest; if the fever doesn't subside within two days, she should go for a checkup at the hospital. Additionally, her diet should be light for the next couple of days."
"Alright."
After sending off the doctor, Housekeeper Zhao did not come upstairs again.
...
The next day, when Su Lingzhi woke up, she was bewildered, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling.
She got up from the bed, opened the door with a heavy head.
At this moment, a foreign maid was holding clothes at the door. Seeing her come out, she greeted her politely, "Miss, you're awake."
She had seen this maid at Fu Yinli's house.
Could it be, she was in Fu Yinli's house now.
The maid smiled and said, "Miss, you're sick now, so it's not suitable to take a bath. Please wash up and change into clean clothes; the gentleman is waiting downstairs for you."
In a daze, Su Lingzhi took the clothes she handed over, turned around, and went back into the room, finding the location of the bathroom.
The bathroom was filled with a faint pleasant scent, and the toiletries were neatly arranged on the counter. The mirror was spotlessly clean, reflecting a pale and delicate face.
As Su Lingzhi was brushing her teeth, she recalled what happened last night.
...
After changing clothes, the maid led her downstairs to the dining room.
Once inside, she saw Fu Yinli's deep features.
Su Lingzhi pressed her chapped lips together, slowly walking towards him.
She was wearing a loose long-sleeve shirt; maybe because of her illness, she still felt a bit cold, and instinctively hugged her arms.
Seeing this, Fu Yinli instructed the maid, "Bring a jacket over."
"No need," Su Lingzhi said, stopping her in a weak voice, "Thank you, sir, for taking care of me last night. I have something to do, so I'll be leaving now."
After she said that, the room fell into a brief silence, and the maid and housekeeper on standby dared not make a sound.
Fu Yinli calmly regarded the porcelain-white face across from him and said warmly, "Finish breakfast, and I'll take you back."
"No trouble for you, sir; I can take a cab back myself."
In fact, if she wanted to leave, they probably wouldn't stop her.
Saying goodbye was merely out of politeness and to express gratitude.
After saying goodbye, she politely turned around.
Yet, as she just lifted her foot, she was stopped.
"Lingzhi," Fu Yinli raised his eyes to meet hers, his mature, deep voice asking, "What are you fussing about?"
Su Lingzhi's body stiffened momentarily.
In her vision, the man's nose was prominent, his deep eyes showed no emotion, his gaze subtle, but the aggressive aura seemed to double.
Fu Yinli slightly frowned, "I didn't mean to play dumb. If you have any grievances, say them now."
Su Lingzhi maintained her composed attitude, "You are my client, there's no reason for me to have any grievance against you."
After saying this, there was absolute silence.
Fu Yinli gazed at her, suddenly got up, walked over to her, blocking her path.
His dark attire highlighted his tall posture, and his domineering aura overwhelmed like a tide.
Su Lingzhi's breath tightened; she didn't want to engage in any tug-of-war with him. After all, the two million British Pounds order was in her hands; if this order fell through because of her, it would be disastrous.
"Can I leave after breakfast?"