Volume One, Chapter 15: I Want to Buy a Cemetery Plot for Xixi

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Su Tingwan clung to Fu Xicheng as he took steps, her body bouncing with each movement. The jolting made her stomach churn. Her beautiful face twisted in discomfort just as they reached the bedside.

“Ugh—”

Su Tingwan felt a wave of nausea. Fu Xicheng’s expression instantly changed, and he stopped in his tracks.

“Su Tingwan, how dare you—”

Before he could finish his threat, Su Tingwan suddenly vomited all over him.

The man’s fiery anger was instantly doused.

Without hesitation, Fu Xicheng roughly tossed Su Tingwan onto the bed as if discarding trash.

Su Tingwan let out a muffled groan of discomfort.

Fu Xicheng stood by the bed, staring at her—clean despite having vomited on him, his face darkening.

The wine’s aroma was rich, but the vomit’s stench was unbearable.

The pungent smell aggressively struck his nose, making him want to retch.

At that moment, Fu Xicheng’s heart burned with a desire to strangle her.

He couldn’t tolerate it for even a second longer.

He turned and strode into the bathroom.

Half an hour later, Fu Xicheng emerged from the bathroom with a cold expression.

He changed into the new clothes that had been sent over, didn’t glance once at Su Tingwan, scowled, slammed the door, and left.

…

The following month was hectic for Su Tingwan.

Determined to win the one million grand prize in the competition to buy a good feng shui burial plot for Xixi, she poured all her energy into her work.

Day and night, she exhausted herself to complete her piece.

Next came the waiting for the results.

Time flew by until the awards day arrived.

Backstage, Su Tingwan ran into Professor Wu.

“Professor Wu.”

Su Tingwan stepped forward respectfully to greet him.

Professor Wu was pleased.

Usually stern, his face now softened with rare warmth.

The awards ceremony was that afternoon, but the results had already been decided.

Looking at Su Tingwan, his eyes shone with admiration as he couldn’t help but say, “Tingwan, I always knew that as long as you entered, you’d be the champion.”

He had said this five years ago.

Hearing it again now, the meaning was unmistakably clear.

Yet Su Tingwan still found it hard to believe.

She had given her all for this competition.

Until the very last moment, her heart had been heavy with uncertainty.

She desperately needed that one million.

She wanted to lay Xixi to rest properly, hoping Xixi could be reborn into a happy family—loved and cherished.

This life, Xixi had suffered too much being born as her daughter.

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Su Tingwan fought back her overwhelming emotion and cautiously asked, “Professor Wu, do you mean...?”

“I’m waiting for your celebration toast. Don’t forget to invite me then.”

Professor Wu patted Su Tingwan’s shoulder.

This was his confirmation.

“Mm.”

Su Tingwan swallowed back tears and nodded firmly.

Professor Wu left.

Her tears finally spilled over.

Covering her mouth, she hurried into a nearby restroom.

Closing the door and locking it behind her, the tears flowed freely.

…

Ten minutes later, Su Tingwan emerged from the restroom.

She had been too nervous to eat lunch.

Now relaxed, hunger gnawed at her.

She planned to eat nearby before returning for styling.

After finishing her meal, Su Tingwan stepped out of the restaurant.

From afar, she spotted two familiar figures.

They were Fu Xicheng and Cheng Muyan.

Cheng Muyan linked her arm with Fu Xicheng’s affectionately.

Walking alongside them were the competition’s organizers and chief judges.

The organizers and judges treated Fu Xicheng with great respect.

Watching the smile on Cheng Muyan’s face, a pang of unease gripped Su Tingwan’s heart.

She shook her head, trying not to overthink it.

…

Four hours before the afternoon awards ceremony.

Su Tingwan was backstage getting her makeup done when her phone rang.

Seeing it was Professor Wu, her unease deepened.

“Excuse me, I need to take this call,” she said to the makeup artist, then stepped out into the corridor to answer.

“Professor Wu.”

“Tingwan, forget what I said in the hallway earlier. Don’t take it to heart. There’ll be other chances.”

His words shocked Su Tingwan so much she nearly dropped her phone.

Still clinging to hope, she asked, “Professor, what do you mean?”

Professor Wu sighed with regret. He admired Su Tingwan’s talent and was very pleased with her entry.

“Listen, one loss doesn’t mean anything.”

He didn’t understand how crucial first place was to her.

Her voice trembling, barely containing her emotions, Su Tingwan asked, “Professor, is there something wrong with my work?”

“Of course not!”

He immediately denied it.

“Then why?”

Her voice grew sharper with the emotional turmoil.

“Tingwan, once you enter this world, you’ll understand. Often, capital is a force we can’t fight against. But don’t be discouraged. Your teacher believes in you. With your design talent, your future will be bright.”

Su Tingwan clenched her throat to suppress her sobs.

Hearing the word “capital,” she recalled what she saw at lunch.

Her unease was now confirmed.

Suddenly, she asked, “So first place went to Cheng Muyan, right?”

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“How did you know?”

Professor Wu’s instinctive question confirmed it for Su Tingwan.

Biting her lip hard, before losing control, she forced herself to say, “Professor, I understand.”

Without waiting for courtesy, she hung up.

Her eyes reddened, burning with fury like an enraged mother beast.

She sprinted toward the VIP lounge where Fu Xicheng was.

Seeing the door slightly ajar—

“Bang!”

She pushed it open with force.

Su Tingwan rushed inside.

She immediately saw Fu Xicheng standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, on the phone.

Hearing the noise, Fu Xicheng turned with a sullen face.

His gaze swept coldly over Su Tingwan as he ended the call.

“Do you need something?”

His tone was indifferent, carrying the haughty air of a ruler looking down on the masses.

Fu Xicheng’s noble aura seeped from his very bones; his cold demeanor made it seem as though he held everything in the palm of his hand.

He was the one in control.

Su Tingwan’s chest heaved violently, her eyes bloodshot.

She strode up to Fu Xicheng, angrily grabbing his collar and demanding, “Fu Xicheng, first place was mine! How dare you give it to Cheng Muyan?”

Fu Xicheng furrowed his brows, grabbing her wrist hard and pulling free with ease.

With a flick of his hand, he shoved her against the window, pinning her down.

His lips brushed near her ear as he spoke coldly, “Su Tingwan, why do you have to compete with Muyan over everything?”

“What’s the point of first place? Didn’t you say you wanted to break up with me? So what are you doing now, hmm?”

Su Tingwan recognized the sarcasm in Fu Xicheng’s voice.

At the hospital that day, Fu Yihuan’s words made it clear: Cheng Muyan had suddenly decided to enter this design contest to win Fu Senior’s approval.

As for her, five years ago, Fu Senior had reluctantly agreed because of Grandma’s pressure.

But just as she and Fu Xicheng got engaged, Grandma fell ill and went abroad for treatment.

Fu Xicheng never wanted to marry her, and the Fu family disdained her.

She had followed Fu Xicheng for five years without status or name.

Back then, Fu Senior looked down on her as the daughter of a servant and also looked down on Cheng Muyan, a girl from a humble rural background.

She understood Cheng Muyan’s plan.

Grandma disliked her.

But when—or even if—she would ever wake up was unknown.

Fu Xicheng loved her deeply, and if only she could win Fu Senior’s approval, she could marry into the Fu family.

So Fu Xicheng assumed her participation in the jewelry design competition was also to marry into the family.

“I want the one million.”

Su Tingwan struggled to break free, staring coldly at Fu Xicheng.

She wanted the prize money, not him.

She wouldn’t want him anymore.

Fu Xicheng scoffed, “You need that money?”

Su Tingwan clenched her fists tighter, her eyes redder, voice sharp, “I do! I’m not like you—Fu Xicheng, head of the Fu family, rich and powerful. You just say, ‘this amount.’ But do you know that the ‘amount’ you speak of is Xixi’s resting place!”

“What do you mean?!”

Fu Xicheng’s expression darkened instantly, his aura growing colder.

“What do you mean, Fu Xicheng? That one million is for buying Xixi’s burial plot!”