The fake heiress loves to act? The max-level boss isn't interested in playing along.

"That's more like it!"

Mother Xie beamed, "Remember to bring something. It wouldn't be right to go empty-handed. There's some mung bean cake I made this afternoon in the fridge. Take a box for Huahua to try."

Xie Ci shook his head helplessly, but still obediently went to the kitchen to get some mung bean cakes.

The box is made of tin and has the double happiness symbol printed on it. It is an old item that Xie's mother brought from her hometown.

He changed out of his home clothes and put his military uniform back on.

Although it was just a visit to the neighbor's, he felt it should be done more formally.

"Mom, I'm leaving."

"Hurry, hurry!"

Xie's mother saw her to the door, then lowered her voice, "Speak nicely, don't frighten the girl!"

Xie Ci was both amused and exasperated: "I understand."

As Xie Ci stepped out of his house, the cool autumn night breeze sobered him up a bit.

He glanced at the mung bean cake in his hand and thought of the oranges that Fu Hua had brought when she came to his house the night before.

He met her by chance, and inviting her to his home was also a spur-of-the-moment decision.

Those oranges... she must have bought them for herself.

After thanking him, she turned and went to the small shop at the entrance of the compound.

"Comrade, buy some oranges."

He took money out of his uniform pocket.

The elderly man on duty pulled a net bag of oranges from under the counter: "That's all. They just arrived today, and they're very sweet. How many do you want?"

The oranges were small, with green peels, but they had a refreshing fruity aroma.

"I want them both."

He accepted the gift with thanks, then turned and left the convenience store.

Under the streetlights, the double happiness symbol on the tin box gleamed with a festive light.

With both hands full, he walked toward Building No. 3.

As we approached the Fu family's courtyard, we spotted a familiar figure under the sycamore tree.

The girl walked along at a leisurely pace, carrying her schoolbag.

"Student Fu?"

Xie Ci called out and chased after him.

"Brother Xie Ci?"

Fu Hua turned around, blinked, and asked, "So late... are you going out?"

"I'm bringing you something."

Xie Ci held up the net bag and tin box in his hand, "These are mung bean cakes my mom made, I wanted you to try them, and... oranges too."

The dim light shone on his face.

Xie Ci's military uniform was impeccably pressed, his hair still slightly damp from a recent shower, with a few unruly strands falling across his forehead.

He seemed less aloof and more... down-to-earth than usual.

Fu Hua's gaze fell on the bag of oranges; they were green-skinned, small, but fresh.

Thinking of the oranges she had been forced to give away before, she couldn't help but smile.

"Thank you."

She smiled slightly, "Please thank your aunt for me too."

Fu Hua took the item, her fingers inevitably brushing against Xie Ci's knuckles.

Warm, with calluses left from training,

"You are welcome."

He quickly withdrew his hand after thanking her, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.

"You...have something to tell me?"

Fu Hua asked with a smile.

"The night after tomorrow,"

He took a deep breath and got straight to the point in his acknowledgments.

The voice was exceptionally clear in the quiet night: "I have two tickets here for a piano recital. I don't know if you'd like to go, but I'd like to invite you... to come with me."

He said this while looking directly at Fu Hua, his gaze open and honest.

The fingers hanging at her sides tightened slightly.

Fu Hua stared at the receipt in silence for a few seconds.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could only see the hope in Xie Ci's eyes.

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I can't sit there with you and listen to the concert."

Fu Hua declined softly.

The light in Xie Ci's eyes dimmed for a moment.

But a smile quickly appeared on his face.

He put on his usual slightly roguish smile, as if he didn't care: "It's nothing, go ahead and do what you need to do. I was just asking."

Fu Hua felt a pang of tenderness in her heart when she saw his feigned indifference.

"because……"

She instinctively explained, "I had to perform on stage that day, so I couldn't sit down at the table."

The air fell silent for a moment.

"Are you going to play a piece?"

The light in Xie Ci's eyes shone again, even brighter than before.

Like fireworks suddenly exploding in the night sky: "You mean... you're going to play a duet with Steinberg?"

"Um."

Fu Hua nodded. "So, you can bring your aunt to see us. I... can see you from the stage."

She said this naturally, without any pride or boasting.

It was as casually as if I were saying I was going to school.

"it is good."

Xie Ci smiled, this time a genuine and bright smile, "I will definitely go, bring my mom, sit in the best seats, and applaud you."

Fu Hua smiled too.

The smile was faint, but there was a genuine warmth in her eyes: "Thank you."

The streetlights suddenly went out for a moment, and in the darkness, only the bright moonlight overhead illuminated the two figures, outlining their blurry silhouettes.

The moonlight cast soft shadows on her face.

Her eyelashes trembled slightly, curving gently beneath her eyelids.

Fu Hua held the oranges and the tin box, her whole being shrouded in darkness, yet she still possessed an indescribable clarity.

"That……"

Xie Ci spoke, his voice a little lower and hoarse than before, "Prepare well, and if you need any help... just let me know."

"it is good."

Fu Hua nodded.

"I'm leaving."

Xie Ci took a step back. "Get some rest."

"Okay. Be careful on the road."

In the shadows of a flowerbed not far away, a pair of eyes were staring intently at them.

Fu Youchuan had just returned from playing basketball, covered in sweat, with the basketball tucked under his arm.

I spotted Fu Hua and the strange man at a glance.

The man was wearing a military uniform, was very tall, and his face was obscured by his back.

But he has broad shoulders and an upright posture.

He was giving everything he was holding to Fu Hua.

The two were standing very close, and in Fu Youchuan's view, that distance had crossed the line.

The man smiled at Fu Hua.

It wasn't a perfunctory, polite smile; it was the kind of smile a man gives a woman.

This Fu Hua is anything but settled.

Whether at school or in the residential compound, I was always surrounded by all sorts of men.

She lives a carefree life, while poor Chaochao is ostracized by her and can't even go home.

On what grounds?

Fu Youchuan gripped the basketball tightly with his fingers, his eyes burning with anger.

"Dad, go check on Fu Hua quickly..."

Fu Youchuan rushed home first, ready to file a complaint.

In the living room, Fu Xiao was reading the newspaper, while Fu Songchuan was making tea.

Hearing the noise, the two looked up at the same time.

"What's all the noise about?"

Fu Xiao frowned: "What did Huahua do to you again?"

"Fu Hua!"

Fu Youchuan slammed the basketball to the ground. "She...she was out on the street late at night, getting all tangled up with a man. How indecent!"

Fu Xiao put down his newspaper, his face darkening. "Explain yourself clearly. What do you mean by 'hands and feet with a man'? Which man?"

This compound is full of military dependents, and there has never been any such bad behavior there.

"Don't talk nonsense."

Fu Songchuan frowned as well: "What happened? Tell me quickly."

Fu Youchuan embellished his account of what he had just seen.

How do people give gifts, and how do two people get closer?

The man had a smug, worthless grin on his face.

Fu Youchuan's face turned red with anger. "Even if they're friends, they wouldn't deliver something so late at night. I think it's just—"

That's enough.

Fu Songchuan suddenly spoke, his voice calm, "Was the person you saw wearing a military uniform, very tall, and with a buzz cut?"

Fu Youchuan was stunned for a moment: "It's...it's a buzz cut, do you know him, bro?"

Fu Songchuan looked at his father: "Dad, it's Xie Ci, the newly arrived Deputy Division Commander Xie."

Fu Xiao's eyebrows suddenly twitched.

Acknowledgments?

The Xie family's son who was just transferred back from Haiphong?

Grandpa Xie's grandson?

"Are you sure?" Fu Xiao asked.

"Sure."

Fu Songchuan nodded, "I just went to his house, with Huahua."