Fu Zheng didn’t want to drag out the battle lines. Ideally, Tao Zhi would settle Fu Si Heng on this trip.
Then, at year-end, he’d steal the commercial secrets. Early next year, Fu Si Heng would step down and get lost. He’d give Tao Zhi a large sum of money to clear all those messy family debts, so he wouldn’t have to pitifully gnaw on steamed buns and eat greens anymore…
As long as Tao Zhi helped him complete this task, both their futures would be bright.
This was a necessary sacrifice.
Fu Zheng reviewed his plan, feeling smooth both mentally and physically, then went to find Tao Zhi.
Tao Zhi wasn’t trying on clothes but was wandering around with the SA.
It would be too weird for a guy like him to try on women’s clothes… He gave his measurements to the SA and let her pick.
She selected three sets in total.
Fu Zheng came over to look and thought they were good. He swiped his card to pay without batting an eye.
Young Master Fu had always been extravagant, especially when spending on Tao Zhi—no sense of proportion. When poor, he’d buy a ten-thousand-yuan skirt for him even when going to the cafeteria. Now that he was flush again, all the more so.
Buy. Women’s outfits—three sets at once, one for each day of the New Year’s trip.
Men’s clothes too—two sets.
Sometimes he really couldn’t understand. He’d given Tao Zhi so much money, yet when buying a down jacket, he only got a 599-yuan one and grumbled several times about how expensive it was.
Fu Zheng couldn’t stand his shallow ways. In one go, he splurged nearly two hundred thousand yuan in the mall.
As they left, the balance SMS arrived belatedly.
Fu Zheng: “…”
Whatever.
Once Fu Si Heng was kicked out of position, he’d have all the money he wanted. Until then, he could sell some sellable things, like the sports car from his eighteenth birthday gift.
Those who did great things didn’t quibble over trifles. Cold and ruthless.
Fu Zheng’s heart had become harder than the icicles on winter eaves.
–
Time flew by, and the end of the month approached.
To create the illusion that it was really hard to arrange, Wei Yu deliberately dragged his feet until after Christmas before notifying Fu Zheng.
As expected, everything went perfectly. Fu Zheng said he’d arrive on time with his “female classmate.”
This year’s New Year’s Day fell on a Monday, connecting with the weekend for three days off. Perfect for them. School ended at four in the afternoon on Friday.
The luggage had been packed the day before.
Tao Zhi had just left the teaching building, not even returning to the dorm, when Fu Zheng grabbed his wrist and pulled him into the car, heading straight to the destination.
About a three-and-a-half-hour drive. Roughly two kilometers from the villa, after descending the mountain road, Fu Zheng parked on the roadside, got out, and told Tao Zhi to change clothes in the car.
For this trip, Fu Zheng had prepared a lot.
He’d made Tao Zhi learn makeup and dressing from Rong Huai in advance. Though he hadn’t learned well, he could barely manage a girlish look.
Tao Zhi completed it all with trepidation. Ten-odd minutes later, they reached the villa gate at the foot of the mountain.
The villa door was closed but unlocked. Fu Zheng opened it directly and went in.
The mountain villa had nothing nearby except a hotel a few kilometers away. With snow falling these past days, the outside was a vast white expanse, devoid of people.
When Tao Zhi crunched through the snow to the door, his heart skipped a beat. But as the door opened, the inside was a stark contrast.
A warm, brightly lit hall where several men and women gathered chatting.
Tao Zhi stood behind Fu Zheng, craning his head left and right. He didn’t see Fu Si Heng but spotted Wei Yu by the fireplace.
Wei Yu saw them too and immediately came to the door: “You guys finally made it.”
“Wei-ge.” Fu Zheng greeted Wei Yu, scanning the hall: “So many people?”
“I told you before, about seven or eight.” Wei Yu said.
Fu Zheng: “Oh.”
He’d selectively ignored that info.
“You came late; only two rooms left.” After pleasantries, Wei Yu got to the point.
He glanced sideways at Tao Zhi behind Fu Zheng: “You two might have to split up. No problem, right?”
“Your female classmate in a second-floor room, you on the third.”
“Or you on second, classmate on third?”
“Whatever.” Fu Zheng had no preferences on lodging.
“OK.” Wei Yu led them upstairs.
The remaining second-floor room was at the end. Wei Yu opened it for them.
The instant the key slid into the lock, a very abrupt “click” sounded behind them.
The neighboring door opened too.
Tao Zhi instinctively turned his head.
It was Fu Si Heng.
As Tao Zhi turned, Fu Si Heng stepped out from behind the door. Their gazes collided unexpectedly, and Tao Zhi inexplicably felt a jolt of alarm.
Because Fu Si Heng’s look was too strange.
His pitch-black pupils seemed to freeze the moment they saw him, staring straight without a blink.
The aggression mixed with momentary self-restraint—Tao Zhi didn’t understand it, but it didn’t stop him from feeling scared.
W-what was going on?
Tao Zhi averted his eyes evasively, subconsciously touching his hair.
Had he been exposed?
Though he hadn’t put on makeup today, only half his face was showing.
A thick scarf wrapped most of it, and his wig hadn’t fallen off. Feeling guilty, Tao Zhi feared some flaw and hurriedly touched the strands draping over his shoulders.
They were there, all good.
So why was Fu Si Heng staring at him like that?
As if he wanted to eat him up.
