Fu Yuqian asked Tang Qin to stay on guard, worried that Xingyue’s people might come back to cause trouble. He also instructed Ying Qi to arrange a few security guards at the entrance to stop any attempts by Xingyue’s people to enter again. After Zhao Hua returned, he would surely report today’s events and his suspicions to Xingyue’s higher-ups. It was likely that Xingyue would test the waters, so Fu Yuqian needed to uncover the truth before that happened.
He had to find out what leverage Xingyue held over Song Yu, giving Zhao Hua the confidence to declare he’d rather die under Xingyue’s control.
Fu Yuqian was truly enraged. He wished he could make Xingyue disappear instantly, but he couldn’t act rashly and risk alerting them. He needed to investigate thoroughly first.
As a member of the Fu family, Fu Yuqian had no shortage of capable acquaintances. Among them, the most exceptional was his second brother, Qin Yuqiu.
Without hesitation, Fu Yuqian called Qin Yuqiu. His second brother, who shared their mother’s surname, was 30 years old, married, and an ordinary university professor. His wife, also a colleague, lived with him in S City.
Qin Yuqiu’s features leaned more toward Western aesthetics—sharp and well-defined—but retained the elegant contours typical of Eastern beauty. He was considered the most handsome in the Fu family. Since childhood, countless boys and girls had admired him, even crying and begging to marry him. During their school days, to protect Qin Yuqiu from harassment, Fu Yuqian, his elder brother, and Ying Qi formed a “grass-protecting team” to escort him to and from school, fearing he might be abducted.
Eventually, Qin Yuqiu, fed up with the attention, began homeschooling himself and discovered a passion for computers. His talent was extraordinary, and within a year, he became a renowned hacker known as “Q.” Not long after, due to his remarkable achievements, he was appointed as a computer science professor and began contributing to national projects.
Six years ago, during the infamous hacker war between red and black hackers, Qin Yuqiu met his wife, Lin Lang. Lin, who had a male-sounding name, was a brilliant and fierce coder. Her skillset included crashing foreign servers in just five minutes with irreversible damage and building robust firewalls.
Lin’s abilities captivated Qin Yuqiu, who eventually tracked her down by bypassing her firewall and leaving his photo on her computer. The two connected, and soon after, Qin Yuqiu flew back to China to settle down with her.
When Fu Yuqian called, Qin Yuqiu answered quickly, “Third Brother? What’s up?”
Fu Yuqian explained Song Yu’s situation. “I need your help to investigate Xingyue. It seems they have something on Song Yu.”
Qin Yuqiu readily agreed, “If it’s about my sister-in-law, leave it to me.”
“Thanks, Second Brother.”
Qin Yuqiu teased, “But I have one condition. You need to tell Mom to stop pressuring us about having kids. Your second sister-in-law and I are still enjoying our time together. Unlike you and Big Brother, who’ve turned into workaholic spirals, we deserve to enjoy our youth.”
“Got it. I’ll handle Mom,” Fu Yuqian promised.
“Alright, I’ll get on it. Wait for my update.”
After hanging up, Fu Yuqian wanted to visit the hospital, but he had a flight to catch. He resolved to settle the matter as soon as he returned.
Meanwhile, Song Yu stayed by his mother’s side, rubbing his head against her chin and holding her with his front paws. Song’s mother, emotionally drained from crying, eventually calmed down and gently placed him on the floor. “Yi Yi, you’re getting heavy. I can’t carry you anymore.”
Song’s mother, petite at 1.6 meters tall and weighing only 90 pounds, had grown even thinner from recent worries. Song Yu, though slimmer after dieting, was still a healthy 11-pound adult orange cat. It was no wonder she struggled to hold him.
Song Yu clung to her ankle, lying silently by her side.
“Even a cat can be so understanding, yet those people are so wicked,” Song’s mother murmured. “It’s better this way, with Xiao Yu sleeping peacefully. He won’t have to do things he doesn’t like or face those awful people.”
Song Yu let out a soft whimper, uncertain if his current life was better or worse than before.
As the day turned to evening, Ying Qi entered the hospital room. “Auntie, it’s getting late. Let me take you to dinner?”
Song’s mother shook her head. “You go ahead, Dr. Ying. I’m not hungry.”
Ying Qi coaxed her gently, pointing out that even Song Yu wouldn’t want her to neglect herself. After much persuasion, she reluctantly agreed.
While they ate, Fu Yuqian video-called Song’s mother. She answered immediately. “Xiao Fu, you just landed?”
“Yes, Auntie. Have you eaten yet?”
“Yes, Dr. Ying is keeping me company,” she replied.
Fu Yuqian assured her, “Don’t worry, Auntie. Xiao Yu’s problem is my problem now, and I’m working on a solution.”
Touched but uneasy about troubling him, Song’s mother said, “You’re so kind, Xiao Fu, but I feel bad relying on you.”
“Auntie, it’s my pleasure,” Fu Yuqian replied warmly. “Consider this: you can grant me one request on Xiao Yu’s behalf. If I ever ask something of him, he can’t refuse. Of course, I promise it will never be anything harmful.”
Song Yu never imagined that Fu Yuqian, this cunning old fox, would start digging traps now. He suddenly leaped onto his mother’s lap, his claws hooking onto her clothes as he meowed loudly, Mom, you can’t agree to this!
He even tried to use his paws to end the video call, but Song’s mother was already resolute and efficient in her response: “Alright, no problem. As long as it’s something Xiao Yu can help with, he absolutely won’t refuse you.”
“Thank you, Auntie.” Fu Yuqian’s smile became even more innocent and pure.
Song Yu collapsed dramatically, his eyes blank with despair. He never thought his mother would turn out to be such a disastrous teammate.
Author’s Note:
Song Yu: Mom, you’ve sold me out!
Song’s Mother: What nonsense. Xiao Fu is such a good person. You just have a bias against him.
Song Yu: … (cries loudly)
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