Desperate Pretense At Being Poor

Chapter 92  – Fu Mingheng vs Jiang Qingxu (4)

Unexpectedly, Jiang Qingxu went to the Fu Family’s residence the next day.

It was an invitation from Fu Mingheng’s father, Mr. Fu Changming.

Initially, she thought he wanted to ask about the company, so before going over, she specially sorted out the company’s recent business data and was prepared to report to the old chairman.

However, she did not expect that she, who has always been able to deal with whatever situation calmly, would be stunned by the first sentence Master Fu said to her…….

“Miss Jiang, would you like to be our Mingheng’s fiancée?”

“…….I don’t understand.”

“Mingheng is no longer young.  We had thought about this and since you have been by his side for so long, you should have a relatively high understanding of each other’s character and we also appreciate your ability very much.  That is why we’re extending this olive branch to you.”

An unexpected proposal.

Jiang Qingxu subconsciously raised her hand to her pounding chest and her thoughts surged for a while.

It was like in just one night, she was handed what she had always desired.

It made her feel a little dazed and unreal.

Perhaps, she should feel happy?

But she did not know why…….it was obviously something that she had wished for but suddenly, she could not even smile.

Jiang Qingxu pursed her lips and felt her pounding heart gradually calm down.

She lowered her eyes and slowly put down her hand.  The hand clenched into a fist and slowly tightened little by little.

A while later, Jiang Qingxu laughed, lifted her head, and said.

“Sorry, Mr. Fu, forgive me for being rude, I can’t agree to your request.  However, you can rest assured that I won’t speak of this to anyone else and after I leave here, I will continue to work as Chairman Fu’s secretary and won’t be the slightest affected.”

Fu Changming did not speak for a long time but there was no trace of anger on his face due to the rejection.  He patted his thigh and a long while later, he sighed slowly and asked.

“It’s fine…….I was the one who was rude first.  However, I want to know the reason for Miss Jiang’s refusal……..”

“Perhaps it is because I’m still young, so I think……..”

The light in her eyes had a trace of warmth but taking a closer look, it seemed to be an inexplicable sadness.

She took a deep breath, forced out a smile, and said word by word.

“Everyone should be with the person they like.”

Just like what Fu Mingheng mentioned yesterday.

A person like him should not be bound to a marriage agreement nor should he be with someone who is deemed to be ‘right’ for him just to fulfill the wishes of his parents.

Everyone has the right to pursue the person they like.

Jiang Qingxu did not want to be so selfish.

After she left Fu’s residence, Mr. Fu Changming slowly took a sip of tea and leaned back on the sofa.

“Did you hear that?  You have been rejected.”

Fu Mingheng did not speak and just walked out calmly from behind the screen.  He sat on the sofa without saying a word.

“But you’re already such a big man…….you’re like the little girl and you want this old man to thicken my skin and speak up for you, isn’t this very shameful?”

Fu Changming snorted angrily and put down the teacup.

“But I think this child, Jiang Qingxu is a very interesting young lady.  It’s not surprising that you like her.”

“Last night when you suddenly came home and told us about this, your mother was so excited that she couldn’t sleep for a long time.  Before this, she thought you like men and has been mentally preparing herself for a long time.”

“Although she had rejected you, I don’t think you should be too negative.  Try a bit harder, maybe…….”

“No need.”  Fu Mingheng said.  “Dad, let me think about it.”

Fu Minghend had to admit that sometimes he is not open and candid.

He had used such a clumsy trick to test her just to protect his absurd self-esteem.

It made him feel ashamed.

He had heard her rejection for himself.

It seemed to be more unbearable than the simulated feeling.

***☆☆☆***

“Miss Jiang, can you come to my house to accompany me to chat, play games or do something likewise?  I’ve been staying in the house for so long, I’m about to die of boredom.”

When Jiang Qingxu received Wen Ruan’s message.

Winter was about to come and Wen Ruan was in her 8th month of pregnancy.

After all, in Tong City, there were two pairs of elders at home to take care of her which was better for pregnant women.

That was the reason Fu Zhihuan specially extended his annual leave this time to return to Tong City early and planned to leave only after Wen Ruan had given birth.

Wen Ruan did not have any friends in Tong City and the only one with whom she has a good relationship is Jiang Qingxu.

It just happened that it was the weekend and Jiang Qingxu was free.  Since both of them got along very well, so Jiang Qingxu went over cheerfully.

Fu Zhihuan bought a new house in Tong City and it was located very close to the residences of the Li and Fu Families.

When Jiang Qingxu arrived at the apartment, Wen Ruan was the only one at home.  She was lying on the sofa, swiping her phone listlessly, and there were a lot of photo albums piled up neatly beside her.

“Isn’t Second Young Master Fu here?”  Jiang Qingxu asked casually.

“Mm…….”  Wen Ruan nodded.  “My dad called him over to participate in some kind of meeting.  Probably, he wanted to show off his son-in-law to everyone.  The elders like to do this and I’m too lazy to care.”

Jiang Qingxu laughed and supported Wen Ruan to sit up.  She glanced at the photo albums piled up neatly at the side and asked casually.

“These are………”

“I asked my mother-in-law to secretly bring them to me from their house.  They are all photos of Fu Zhihuan and Fu Mingheng and some of them were even secretly dug out from your boss’ bedroom.”

When Wen Ruan spoke up to this point, she put down the phone and smiled.

“I especially kept them aside to wait for your arrival.  It’s more enjoyable to discuss with each other while looking at other people’s childhood photos, so do you want to look through them with me?”

Jiang Qingxu was indeed curious.

Wen Ruan picked up one album, opened a page, and started to ramble.

“Actually, I’ve looked through some of the albums already.  Speaking of which, I know Miss Jiang because of a photo in the album.”

“Photo?”  Jiang Qingxu was stunned momentarily.  “Why………”

“Ai?  Don’t you know?……”

Wen Ruan raised her head in surprise.  After taking a glance at Jiang Qingxu, she frowned then flipped through the albums and tried to recall.

“I remember I’ve seen the photo in this album before.  At that time, I was curious why Fu Mingheng would put a picture of a girl in the album.”

Fu Mingheng has her photo in his album?

Jiang Qingxu did not respond for a long time.  When she was about to speak, she suddenly heard Wen Ruan’s slightly excited voice.

“Ah, found it!”

Wen Ruan held up the album with a smile and pointed to one of the photos.

“Look, this should be you, right?”

Jiang Qingxu looked at the photo, her pupils shrank and she was stunned.

It is indeed her.

Although her face was a little blurry, with a glance, Jiang Qingxu could still see that the photo was taken during her graduation.

However, Fu Mingheng had cropped her face from the graduation photo and enlarged it to the size of a normal ID photo.

That was the reason why the photo was blurry.

But why did he have this photo?

At that time, hadn’t Fu Mingheng already graduated?

Wen Ruan handed the photo to Jiang Qingxu and her tone sounded lively.

“At that time, I thought it was Fu Mingheng’s first love.”

“I’m sure he likes you very much since he kept your photo.”

“Ai?  Since both of you were in the same high school, did you know each other a long time ago?”

“Qingxu?  What’s the matter?”

“Qingxu?”

After Wen Ruan kept shouting her name, Jiang Qingxu finally came back to her senses.  She clenched the photo in her hand and her thoughts started to surge.

“Sorry, Miss Wen, I can’t accompany you today.  I want to…….”

“Um, you should go…….”  Wen Ruan propped up her chin and her crescent eyes were full of smiles.  “If there’s any problem, it’s better to clear it up as soon as possible, isn’t that right?”

Jiang Qingxu is a smart person.  From Wen Ruan’s frank eyes that hid nothing, she understood her intentions.

Clenching the photo in her hands, Jiang Qingxu bowed slightly to Wen Ruan.

“Thank you.”

After speaking, she turned around and left.

It was only after Jiang Qingxu had left that Fu Zhihuan walked out of the bedroom.  He yawned then leaned against the wall and exchanged a look with Wen Ruan.

The two people were silent for a long time and then smiled at each other.

“Isn’t this scheming against your elder brother?”

“It has been so many years but he still can’t say a word.  My parents are more anxious than him and even thought of the cliché trick of using force.”

Fu Zhihuan sat down beside Wen Ruan and placed his hand on her shoulder.

“It’s shameful for him to carry on like this.”

Wen Ruan grinned and nestled into his arms.

“That’s right.  Although he is not very good at planning, at least he still made a lot of effort.  Anyway, I’m bored, so I might as well give him a helping hand.”

In actual fact, that photo did exist.

But it was not kept in the album.

Instead, it was kept in Fu Mingheng’s wallet.

………For a full ten years.

***☆☆☆***

“Ha, ha, since you mentioned it, I remember now.  Ten years ago, Mingheng indeed came back after you left.  He even took away the only graduation photo of your class but since it was a matter that concerned you, youngsters, so I never asked much.”

Ten years later, the class teacher did not look as domineering as she did back then.  As she looked at her favorite student, she sighed slowly.

“However, I do remember one thing.”

“What is it?”  Jiang Qingxu asked.

“When you were a freshman in high school, Fu Mingheng recommended you to enter our school’s student union.  That child’s foresight was indeed not bad.  At that time, I had the feeling  that you will surely excel in the future.”

After bidding the high school class teacher goodbye, Jiang Qingxu made a trip to Tong University.

And then she found the teacher who recommended her to study abroad.

“Back then your performance was indeed among the best.  However, at that time you were only in your first year, so logically speaking, students in the higher grades should be given priority to this kind of opportunity.”

“Then why was it eventually given to me?”

“No, that wasn’t the actual case.  It was just that, at that time, our university had an extra slot for the recommendation because someone gave a donation out of the blue and it was just enough to cover all the expenses for one more student to study abroad.  So following the performance list at that time, the extra slot was given to you.”

Although Jiang Qingxu could already guess the answer, she still wanted to ask.

“Who was the donor?”

“It was Fu Mingheng………  Oh, I heard that you’re now his secretary.  Isn’t that a coincidence?!”

Jiang Qingxu was no longer interested to continue listening.

It was like a lake that had always been calm and after a small stone was thrown into it…….. rolling waves were suddenly triggered.

After bidding farewell to the teacher, she walked along Tong University’s long avenue.

After walking a few steps, she suddenly paused and took out her phone to pull up the screenshot that was stored for so many years.

[Fu Mingheng]:  Congratulations.

It was never a coincidence at all.

It turned out that Fu Mingheng was the one who truly understood what she wanted.

After closing the screen, she took two steps forward and then suddenly stopped again.

She turned her head sideways, her nose had a sour feeling and a teardrop slipped down involuntarily.

Then she started to sob softly.

Jiang Qingxu lifted her hand and gently covered her red eyes with her palms.  She bit her lips and swallowed the whimpers.

“Junior Sister, why are you crying?”

At this moment, a familiar voice suddenly sounded and it was very similar to the voice during those numerous encounters in the library.

Jiang Qingxu lifted her head and met the eyes of Fu Mingheng.

He was standing a few meters in front of her.  The warm winter sun shone on his shoulders which were covered with mottled shadows from the trees.

“Why are you here?”

“I discovered that a very precious photo of mine was stolen by someone.”

Fu Mingheng smiled and walked to Jiang Qingxu.  He stood in front of her, reached out his hand to wipe off the glittering tears from the corner of her eyes, and asked.

“So, is it with you?”

Time overlapped…….

The lights and shadows flickered quickly.  It was as if in an instant, the figure of the young man back then…….merged with his figure.

They are truly lucky people.

The expectations of youth are finally fulfilled.