Not knowing what was said on the other end of the phone, Fu Lian took the phone away from his ear and looked at Wen Baozhu. "Do you still have something to say?"
Wen Baozhu was just about to say that she hadn't talked to her grandma yet when Fu Lian glanced at the screen. "It's hung up."
Wen Baozhu felt a bit regretful.
Perhaps it was because of the previous dream or the few rare phone calls she'd managed to get recently without hearing her grandma's voice. Wen Baozhu felt a sense of unease in her heart.
Fu Lian noticed that she seemed preoccupied. "What are you thinking about?"
"… I was thinking that Mr. Fu doesn't need to give money to my mom." Her voice was hesitant. "Mr. Fu has already given our family a large sum of money. That's more than enough to spend."
She didn't know why, but she didn't want to create an image of her mom as greedy in front of Fu Lian.
It made her feel so self - conscious.
Fu Lian nodded and comforted her gently. "Don't worry. I'm not that generous either."
How dare Zhang Sumei ask him for money?
The moment Zhang Sumei heard Fu Lian's voice, she was scared out of her wits. How could she even mention money?
On the phone, she kept saying flattering and obsequious things. He got tired of listening to her and that's why he asked Wen Baozhu.
Unexpectedly, the other person was quite quick - witted and hung up the phone directly.
Seeing Fu Lian so straightforward, Wen Baozhu felt rather embarrassed. She said awkwardly, "Sorry for always causing trouble for Mr. Fu."
"It's a different matter." Fu Lian glanced at her. "Your mother's character doesn't affect my opinion of you."
Wen Baozhu bit her lips.
Seeing that she still looked gloomy, Fu Lian frowned.
"What else are you unhappy about?"
Noticing his impatience, Wen Baozhu had no choice but to say, "I haven't heard my grandma's voice in the recent phone calls. I'm a bit worried about her situation."
The man put the phone on the bedside table and tiredly rubbed the space between his eyebrows.
As the Chinese New Year was approaching, he really had a lot of things to do.
He was originally supposed to follow up on a project that was about to end this afternoon, but he'd been working non - stop for so long that his body desperately needed a rest.
Even so, he was still willing to spend a little time and energy listening to his little bird chirping.
Seeing that Fu Lian didn't say anything, Wen Baozhu felt the pressure. "Mr. Fu, don't take it to heart. I was just talking casually…"
"I'll ask A Yan to go to Fucheng in a couple of days to check the situation and see if they need any help."
His tone was casual. "It's just right to pay an early New Year visit to the two elders."
Wen Baozhu's face lit up immediately, but then she looked a bit hesitant. "Won't it be too much trouble?"
"No. He's getting paid for his work. This is part of his job."
Wen Baozhu's voice was very soft. "Well, it's also very tiring to go on a business trip…"
After all, she didn't want to trouble others.
"The Fu Group has a business - trip subsidy. It's five times his daily salary in Hong Kong, and the round - trip air tickets are also reimbursed."
Hearing this, Wen Baozhu no longer had any concerns.
Since she couldn't go back to Fucheng herself, it would be great if someone could go back for her to check on her grandma.
"Are you relieved now?"
Fu Lian raised his eyebrows and looked at her. The frown on his face visibly disappeared.
She blushed a little and thanked him sincerely with a smile. "Thank you, Mr. Fu."
Fu Lian said, "Our Baozhu's thanks are so cheap. It doesn't sound very sincere."
Wen Baozhu was instantly flustered.
She understood what he meant. He was blaming her for only knowing how to say thank you.
Talking was the easiest thing, just opening and closing one's lips. To truly show one's attitude, one had to take actual actions.
Wen Baozhu bit her lips.
She was no good at cooking, and she wasn't good at that either.
She couldn't think of a way to repay Fu Lian.
Seeing her looking so embarrassed and seriously thinking hard because of his casual teasing, the corners of Fu Lian's lips curled up in a smile.
This innocent girl never thought it was offensive for others to ask for a return.
Wen Baozhu thought for a long time and finally looked up.
"Have you thought it through?" The man held back his laughter and deliberately asked her with a straight face.
Wen Baozhu forced herself to look calm. "I'm really grateful to Mr. Fu and Assistant Yan, but I don't know what else I can do now."
Her sense of shame was rising, and even her earlobes were burning hot. Wen Baozhu felt that her face was about to explode with heat. "So… is it okay to use my hands?"
Fu Lian picked up on her words. "Hands?"
Wen Baozhu didn't know if this meant he was dissatisfied. She hesitated for a few seconds. "… If Mr. Fu wants… I can use my mouth too, but could Mr. Fu be a bit gentler?"
Fu Lian knew what she was talking about.
He deliberately asked seriously, "You said you're grateful to me and A Yan. Are you going to repay him in this way too?"
"Of course not!"
Wen Baozhu quickly denied it. Her voice was too loud. Realizing her strong reaction, she bit her lips again. "… I'll find an opportunity to thank Assistant Yan in person."
After she said that, she felt that her earlobes were so hot that they were about to fall off.
It took courage to make this suggestion, but waiting for the man's response took even more courage.
She lowered her head and didn't get a reply from the man for a long time.
It wasn't until she quietly looked up that she saw the man was holding back his laughter.
The moment he was discovered, Fu Lian couldn't help but let out a soft laugh. There was affection and indulgence in his eyes.
The sense of embarrassment quickly turned into shame. She couldn't help but get angry. "Was Mr. Fu just teasing me?"
"Yes. Is that not okay?" Fu Lian's smile grew wider. "This time, I can see Baozhu's sincerity. It's really sincere."
"I didn't ask for these. But since you offered it yourself, I'll put this 'return' on hold for now. Wait until there's an opportunity in the future to pay it back."
He emphasized the last two words. There was a deep meaning in his words.
Wen Baozhu was speechless for a moment. Her cheeks were burning hot. She even wanted to punch him in the chest.
It turned out that he didn't really want any return at all.
He just wanted to see her embarrassed, shy, and awkward!
Fu Lian knew that he should stop teasing the bird in time.
He raised his hand and gently touched her cheek. It was as hot as he expected.
It wasn't a fever. It was shyness.
"Baozhu, you've made great progress recently."
It wasn't comfortable to be pinched on the face by him. Wen Baozhu pouted her lips. She wanted to struggle but was afraid of making him unhappy. "Mr. Fu, please be more explicit. I don't understand."
Fu Lian said, "When you first came to the Fu family, you never asked me for anything."
He withdrew his hand and continued, "Later, when I allowed you to make some requests, the things you asked for were all such small things."
Small things that could be solved with just a flick of a finger.
In his eyes, those didn't even count as "requests".
But she always took them very seriously, and even the way she wanted to repay was so sincere.
Wen Baozhu said honestly, "I don't have any other requests for Mr. Fu."
She had enough food and clothing and didn't have to worry about making a living. What could she possibly trouble him with?
Fu Lian raised his eyebrows. "Do you know what others would ask me for if they had such an opportunity?"