Chapter 132: An Unusual Silence

Chapter 132: An Abnormal Calm

What on earth was going on? The Chu family had actually been invited by the Old Master himself? And it was a joint decision with the Fu family?

Fu Pengcheng’s mind was in a whirl. At this moment, he suddenly realized he couldn't make heads or tails of this birthday banquet. The appearance of the Chu family had left him completely bewildered.

What was the Old Master planning? Wasn't he afraid the Chu family would cause trouble?

Fu Pengcheng couldn't fathom it. He understood the importance of this banquet; it was a watershed moment for the entire Fu family that absolutely could not suffer a single mistake. Yet, the Old Master had invited the Chu family. What exactly was he thinking?

For the first time, Fu Pengcheng felt that his own mind couldn't keep up with the Old Master's pace. In the end, he simply gave up thinking about it. As the saying goes, when the sky falls, the giants hold it up. He only needed to be responsible for the reception; other matters were for others to worry about.

However, as the time for the banquet drew closer, Fu Pengcheng’s mood was not as excited as it had been at the start. A faint sense of heaviness had emerged. It wasn't just because the arriving guests were becoming increasingly high-ranking and powerful, but also because people who hadn't been invited were beginning to show up. As the eldest son of the Fu family and the head of reception coordination, he had carefully studied the guest list and had a deep impression of it, especially regarding the prominent figures. He knew exactly who the Fu family had invited. Yet, now, Fu Pengcheng discovered that many people were not on the list, and their backgrounds were far from ordinary. Not only were there people from the East Sea region, but guests from several neighboring cities were also appearing.

If it were one or two, or even four or five, it wouldn't be strange. But for a dozen or twenty to appear all at once—and this was just the beginning, with uninvited guests continuing to arrive—it was becoming rather exaggerated.

For example, the head of the Liu family from Xi City had come in person to wish the Old Master a happy birthday.

The Xi City Liu family was not some second or third-rate small family like the Chu family; they were an out-and-out top-tier family, one of the three great families of Xi City, often referred to as the premier family of the region, with a status that was absolutely second to none in the East Sea area.

Yet, the relationship between the Liu family and the Fu family was not close—they weren't even considered friends. The Fu family hadn't sent an invitation to the Liu family. And yet, here was the current head of the Liu family, arriving uninvited and without warning. How could Fu Pengcheng not be surprised and shocked?

He dared not be negligent and hurriedly descended the steps with enthusiasm to welcome the head of the Liu family into the garden.

And this was only the beginning.

Following the arrival of the Liu family head, one uninvited guest after another appeared at the gate of Changxin Garden.

There were prominent figures from Xi City, Yang City, Danyang, Kun City, and even nearby Su City who hadn't been invited. These people spanned every industry; there were commercial titans, as well as influential figures from local military and political circles. Although many, due to their status, only sent assistants or secretaries to represent them, it still signaled an attitude. Even more exaggerated was the fact that a few heavyweights from the gray sectors had also arrived—and not just one of them.

How could this be?

After dealing with a business magnate he was meeting for the first time, Fu Pengcheng immediately dialed the Old Master’s phone to report everything that was happening.

The Old Master, however, appeared very calm, showing no surprise. He simply chuckled and instructed him to continue the reception, telling him not to think about it and just to focus on his own duties.

The Old Master's composure made Fu Pengcheng feel much more at ease. In his heart, the Old Master was the pillar of the Fu family. Although he had rarely participated in family business affairs in recent years, he remained the foundation of the family and had always been the idol Fu Pengcheng admired. If the Old Master wasn't worried, then there wouldn't be any trouble.

Could it be that all of this was within the Old Master's expectations?

Fu Pengcheng let his imagination run wild, though his heart remained unsettled while welcoming one unfamiliar, powerful person after another. Many of these were individuals he could never have approached under normal circumstances, yet now they were all chatting and laughing with him voluntarily. It felt like a dream.

***

Unlike the bustling, crowded scene at Changxin Garden, the Starry Sea Garden was, at this moment, abnormally quiet.

After being "harassed" by Chu Fei all night, Fu Ziqing slept in for the first time in her life, not emerging from the bedroom until after nine in the morning. This left Xiao Jing, who had been waiting for over two hours with breakfast already prepared, staring blankly for a full three minutes without blinking.

Especially when she saw Chu Fei following behind, walking down the stairs leisurely in his pajamas, Xiao Jing’s expression became even more peculiar. Her mind began to race, guessing what the two of them had been doing to have come out so late.

Women's intuition and penchant for gossip are powerful things, and Xiao Jing was no exception.

"Sister Xiao Jing, what are you looking at? Don't you recognize me?" Fu Ziqing felt her face flush slightly under the gaze, but she didn't show a hint of panic, instead asking back.

"No... wait a moment, let me go reheat the breakfast."

Xiao Jing snapped out of it and took the cold breakfast into the kitchen.

The breakfast was eaten in silence. The key was that once Xiao Jing reheated the food and served it, she retreated to her study, leaving only Chu Fei and Fu Ziqing at the dining table.

Logically, after last night's "intimate contact," their relationship should have progressed, but the reality was far from that. For Chu Fei, although he had spent the night in the same bed with the soft, fragrant Fu Ziqing, and even touched and held her... (let it be known, he only touched her hand and held her waist), no substantial contact had occurred. This actually made Chu Fei feel awkward every time he looked at her. Especially when he recalled how he had forcefully pulled her into his arms last night, and she had looked back at him with a calm gaze instead of fear, he felt frustrated.

Fu Ziqing was truly Fu Ziqing; her mental fortitude was ridiculously strong. Unless Chu Fei were to act ruthlessly and force the issue, there was really nothing he could do about this woman. After last night's "confrontation," Fu Ziqing seemed to have figured out that Chu Fei wouldn't "bully" her, which only emboldened her further, and her mindset returned to its calm, cold, and wise state.

For instance, right now, Fu Ziqing sat there eating her breakfast quietly, letting Chu Fei stare at her directly without feeling shy or afraid. She would even occasionally look up and offer a gentle smile. It must be said that even a faint smile from Fu Ziqing was breathtakingly beautiful, but Chu Fei didn't feel enchanted; he just felt a dull ache in his gut.

"Do you believe that if you keep looking at me so provocatively, I'll spank you?" Chu Fei gritted his teeth, watching Fu Ziqing, who had just flashed him another faint smile.

"You wouldn't dare?" Fu Ziqing bit her lip slightly, looking at Chu Fei without the slightest bit of fear.

"You say I wouldn't dare?"

Chu Fei glared, then suddenly turned to look at the open door of the study not far away and stood up abruptly.

"Don't!"

Fu Ziqing was genuinely startled by Chu Fei this time. She gasped, her eyes finally showing a trace of panic. She wasn't afraid that Chu Fei would actually hit her, nor did she believe he would be so lacking in manners. Last night's encounter had given her a deeper understanding of him; this man appeared carefree and unruly, but he actually had his own principles. It was precisely because she had gauged this that she could remain so calm when facing his gaze.

Besides, she was Chu Fei's fiancée. Even if he were to "lewdly" spank her once or twice, it wouldn't be a big deal.

Once Fu Ziqing made up her mind about something, she saw it through completely—much like her relationship with Chu Fei. However, this didn't mean she wouldn't mind being spanked by him in front of Xiao Jing. She would rather die than have that happen.

Everyone has their pride, especially women.

"I'll teach you to pretend!"

Seeing Fu Ziqing beg for mercy, Chu Fei grinned triumphantly and sat back down. He grabbed a piece of bread, took a bite, and glared at her with a look full of threat.

Fu Ziqing sighed and lowered her head to continue her breakfast, feeling speechless. The guy in front of her seemed to enjoy the feeling of bullying her; that was not a good sign.

***

"Hey, when are you going to the banquet?" Chu Fei glanced at the clock on the wall and felt stunned by how late it was. It was all Fu Ziqing's fault for being so alluring, causing him to suffer from insomnia last night. At the same time, he was glad that before he came, the Class Monitor, Xu, had run over to flirt with him and drained his energy, otherwise, he might not have been able to resist "ravaging" Fu Ziqing last night.

"No rush. We just need to arrive when the banquet starts," Fu Ziqing said indifferently, as if talking about something completely unrelated to her.

"Don't you need to help host the guests?" Chu Fei asked, puzzled. Both Fu Ziqing and Xiao Jing, who was hiding in the study, were acting far too calm and natural.

"There are so many people in the Fu family. If they need me to show up personally to host guests, what use are they?" Fu Ziqing looked up and said coldly.

Chu Fei looked at her exquisite face in disbelief and said nothing. What she said made perfect sense.

But, the key issue wasn't that at all.

Fu Ziqing was clearly the other protagonist of this birthday banquet, perhaps even more important than the Old Master himself. Yet, here she was, hiding in a small villa, completely detached. The whole thing felt wrong.

However, Chu Fei didn't really care. From his perspective, while he didn't have any ill will toward the Fu family, he didn't have much affection for them either. If it weren't for his marriage contract with Fu Ziqing, he wouldn't have come here at all.

Still, Fu Ziqing's subsequent detachment made Chu Fei feel astonished.

After breakfast, Fu Ziqing didn't pay him any attention. She walked into the study on the first floor and began discussing a commercial proposal with Xiao Jing. Not only did they discuss it, but she also opened her laptop and held a twenty-minute video conference.

Unbelievable. Incredible.

Wasn't Fu Ziqing being a bit too detached from the situation?

Just as Chu Fei was feeling surprised and bored, not knowing what to do, Fu Ziqing finally emerged from the study and said to him, "It's already ten-thirty. Go change your clothes; we'll head out now, and we'll arrive just as the banquet starts. Come upstairs with me to change, and we’ll leave."

With that, she took the lead and walked up the stairs.

Chu Fei followed her into the bedroom, only to find that Fu Ziqing had pulled open the wall closet. It was filled with clothes, including five sets of men's attire in different styles and cuts. Most importantly, one look was enough to tell they fit his build perfectly, as if they were custom-made. Even a fool could see these clothes were prepared specifically for him.

Chu Fei’s gaze toward Fu Ziqing immediately became strange.

"Don't look at me like that. These clothes were specially commissioned by Sister Xiao Jing for you," Fu Ziqing said, as if she could see what he was thinking.

"Xiao Jing commissioned them?"

Chu Fei’s eyes widened. He looked at the closet again. With his eye for detail, he knew without trying them on just how perfectly they would fit. He thought to himself: Is that woman's eye an X-ray scanner? Could she measure his build so accurately just by looking? Or did she measure him secretly while he was asleep?

Chu Fei grumbled inwardly.