Chapter 38: The Heartless Little Girl

The man stood tall, his entire figure blending into the shadows of the corridor, yet his eyes shone as bright as the stars.

Yun Fu leaned against the door, looking at him with a half-smile and lifted her chin, “What brings you here?”

Seeing her like this, Lian Hanqi felt both exasperated and amused.

He lifted the bag in his hand and shook it. “I brought you something to eat.”

Yun Fu raised an eyebrow and stepped aside to let him in.

Lian Hanqi carried the food into the living room, placed it on the table, and thoughtfully arranged everything.

Yun Fu glanced at the box and saw the emblem of Gatherer’s Pavilion.

Gatherer’s Pavilion was a famously extravagant restaurant in the imperial capital, serving only twenty tables a day, with astonishingly expensive dishes. Yet, year-round, it was always fully booked; no matter your status, you had to wait in line. Its pride stemmed from the fact that its chefs were said to be former palace cooks, passing their skills down through generations, making the cuisine ever more exquisite.

Lian Hanqi truly lived up to his reputation as the most formidable man in the capital—even the delicacies of Gatherer’s Pavilion could be brought by him at will.

“Come and eat,” Lian Hanqi said, handing her chopsticks as he sat down on the sofa beside her.

Yun Fu picked up a dish and put it in her mouth. It was indeed delicious.

“Did you get hurt?”

He was asking about the incident on set that day. Yun Fu glanced at him, her look carrying a chill.

Lian Hanqi handed her a glass of water. “I asked Qiao An.”

“…No,” Yun Fu replied coolly after giving him another look.

Lian Hanqi nodded, a smile at the corner of his lips. He took a small bottle from his pocket and placed it next to Yun Fu.

“Be careful when you’re filming. If you get hurt, just spray this on.”

It was an ordinary-looking bottle, but Yun Fu recognized the familiar mark on it.

It was the symbol of the Secret Research Institute, whose medicines were never sold and were worth a fortune.

Lian Hanqi had simply handed it over—a single bottle like this could easily be worth tens of millions.

Yun Fu straightened, picked up the glass from the table, and took a sip of water, glancing at him again.

Neither of them spoke.

After about a minute, Lian Hanqi cleared his throat, stood up from the sofa, and said, “From now on, I’ll have Gu Wu bring you food from Gatherer’s Pavilion.”

With that, he headed for the door.

Yun Fu remained where she was, her dark eyes growing deeper as she folded her arms and watched Lian Hanqi’s retreating figure.

“How much?” she called out.

“What?” he replied.

“These things,” Yun Fu gestured at the table, “how much do they cost?”

Lian Hanqi shook his head helplessly, realizing this girl always had a way of making him angry so easily.

“Free,” he said, leaving those words behind as he stepped out the door. After a few steps, he suddenly stopped.

He turned back, strode quickly to Yun Fu, and ruffled her hair with his hand. “You heartless little brat.”

His figure vanished from sight, and the room gradually lost his presence. Only then did Yun Fu slowly return to her seat, pick up her chopsticks, and help herself to the dishes on the table.

She ate leisurely.

After a week of continuous filming, Qiao An suddenly ran over, excited. “Xiao Fu, I got you a commercial!”

“A commercial?”

“Yes, it’s not particularly famous, but it’s the first ad we’ve landed since leaving the agency.”

Yun Fu, playing a game, replied absentmindedly, “Let me see the contract.”

It was a game advertisement—not well-known. They sought Yun Fu after seeing a viral video online of her in a red costume, portraying Qian Xuan.

Yun Fu frowned, and Qiao An grew anxious, only relaxing when Yun Fu said, “You handle it.”

This was the best opportunity Qiao An had secured for Yun Fu so far, and she couldn’t afford to lose it.

That day, Qiao An arranged for Yun Fu to take leave and accompanied her to the game company to sign the contract.

The company was in an office building downtown, occupying just one floor. Next door stood a skyscraper piercing the clouds—it was one of the Lian family’s companies.

While others with tens of millions in assets could barely manage a single floor, the Lian family owned the entire building.

There were many companies here, and crowds came and went.

Yun Fu, with a cold face, hat pulled low and head down, walked nonchalantly behind Qiao An.

Even so, many people noticed her, for the aura she exuded was simply too powerful.

As they headed toward the elevators, someone stepped out just then, also with their head lowered.

Bang. The person bumped right into Yun Fu.

“Sorry, I’m so sorry,” the other woman kept bowing and apologizing.

Though Yun Fu’s expression was cold, her eyes showed a hint of curiosity.

The woman looked up, saw Yun Fu’s face, and paused in surprise. “Yun Fu?”

So, it was someone the original Yun Fu had known.

Hearing the voice, Yun Fu had found it somewhat familiar; now, seeing the face, she matched it to her memory.

The newcomer wore her hair in a bun, black-rimmed glasses, and sportswear, looking much like a high school student.

She was carrying several items, and in the collision, some fell to the ground.

Yun Fu glanced down. On top was a letter from a law firm.

Sensing Yun Fu’s gaze, Yu Xi hurriedly picked up her things, clutching them tightly to her chest.

“Yun Fu, it’s been a long time.”

“Mm.”

“Are you here for work?”

“Mm.”

Yu Xi didn’t mind Yun Fu’s attitude. The fact that Yun Fu responded at all was already more than she expected.

“Well then, I won’t keep you from your work. I’ll be going now.”

“Wait.” Yun Fu called her back and handed her phone over. “Let’s exchange numbers.”

Yu Xi was stunned, and so was Qiao An beside her.

Yun Fu had never shown such a good attitude to anyone before.

A bit dazed, Yu Xi entered her number, watching Yun Fu and Qiao An’s departing figures, wanting to say something, but in the end, said nothing at all.

She glanced down at that letter from the law firm, her heart heavy with bitterness.

From the original Yun Fu’s memories, she knew that this girl, Yu Xi, had been her classmate in middle school. Back then, they were good friends, and Yu Xi always looked out for her.

But after Yun Fu entered the entertainment industry, their contact dwindled.

What finally ended their friendship was Yu Xi’s attempt to persuade Yun Fu not to be with Du Xingyuan, believing he wasn’t a good match. Yun Fu had lashed out, accusing Yu Xi of resenting her happiness and being jealous. From then on, they never spoke again.

Recalling these memories, Yun Fu couldn’t help but smirk.

The original Yun Fu had truly misjudged people. That girl, Yu Xi, was the one who genuinely cared for her—not like Ning Lan, who only pretended to be a good friend.

But thinking of that letter from the law firm, Yun Fu frowned.

That girl must be facing some trouble.