Chapter 903

Bai Heming's face twisted into a dark scowl, his expression thunderous. Gritting his teeth, he muttered, "I can't even remember how I fell back then." Fu Wenxi poured him a glass of water, barely suppressing a smirk as she handed it over. "Here, drink some water." Li Jingyu clenched his jaw in envy. When had Fu Wenxi ever poured *him* water? Even though he knew Bai Heming was faking it, the sight still stung. He itched to wring the man's neck. "It's too cold. What's wrong with you?" Bai Heming snapped, deliberately berating Fu Wenxi as if it would elevate his status in front of everyone. Fu Wenxi said nothing, silently turning away to fetch a fresh cup—this time filled with boiling water. "Hot water," she said sweetly, offering it with a smile. Bai Heming took a sip and nearly choked, his face flushing red from the scalding heat. He shuddered violently, gasping for air. "Fu Wenxi! Are you trying to kill me?" he roared. Li Jingyu's fists clenched, ready to lunge, but Bai Yu held him back. *Hold it in.* Fu Wenxi merely smiled, then wordlessly replaced the boiling water with a glass of lukewarm water. "I'm not drinking!" Bai Heming fumed. Still holding the glass, Fu Wenxi gazed at him with that same serene smile, making no move to leave. Bai Heming might not have grasped the meaning behind that smile, but Li Jingyu could already feel the chill creeping down his spine. "You're thirsty." The smile faded from Fu Wenxi's face. Bai Heming froze for a moment, an inexplicable chill creeping up his spine. Before he could even muster his anger, Fu Wenxi's lips curled back into a smile. She reached out, grabbed his hair, and—right in front of everyone—"tenderly" poured the drink down his throat. "Cough, cough—!" Bai Heming nearly choked to death, his face flushing red from the strain. "Oh dear, my apologies. Your hand is injured, and I’ve never really… waited on anyone before," Fu Wenxi said, her expression the picture of innocence. Li Jingyu’s lips twitched. So much for worrying. Bai Yu’s eyes widened in awe. *Damn, my sister’s cool.* Nearby, Tang Jinzhou smirked, his gaze fixed on Bai Heming. "Mr. Bai, since you’re unwell, let’s postpone our collaboration for now. We can revisit the matter once your hand has healed." Bai Heming seethed, but with Tang Jinzhou present, he could only nod stiffly. "Fine. I’ll have Mr. Shen from Park Group follow up with you on the details." On the surface, this three-party alliance appeared to be led by Tang Jinzhou. In reality, the other two were scheming to manipulate him, dragging him into their mess—forcing him onto their side to take down Zhongcheng Group, Beckett, and the Li family. "Rest well. And do be more careful next time—try not to fall in such a… *distorted* manner," Tang Jinzhou said with a chuckle, gesturing at Bai Heming’s hand before turning to leave. The moment Tang Jinzhou was out of sight, Bai Heming dropped the act. "Fu Wenxi, what the hell happened to my hand?" "I really don’t know," she replied, wide-eyed. "Last night, I thought a burglar had broken into my room, intent on harming me. So I grabbed the nearest ornament and smashed it over his head. And just to be safe—in case he woke up and tried something—I made sure to break his hands first." Her tone was so guileless that Bai Heming broke out in a cold sweat. "Fu Wenxi, I'm your husband. Is this how you treat me?" Bai Heming didn't care whether Li Jingyu and Bai Yu were present or not. "I always lock my door when I sleep. You barged in without a word, and now you're blaming me?" Fu Wenxi retorted with a dark expression. Bai Heming's face flushed with humiliation. "I'm your husband. Do I need to announce myself before entering your room or getting into your bed?" Li Jingyu's expression darkened, his fists clenching as if ready to strike. "Of course you do. You scared me half to death in the middle of the night. I could've stabbed you by reflex." Fu Wenxi said coolly, and before Bai Heming could respond, she shoved an apple straight into his mouth. "Have some fruit." The apple was too large, and Fu Wenxi's strength was no joke—it lodged firmly between his jaws, dislocating them. The fruit wouldn't budge. To make matters worse, Bai Heming's arms were already broken, leaving him helpless to remove it. He could only whimper and point at his mouth, a pitiful and ridiculous sight. Fu Wenxi sat back, watching him struggle without lifting a finger. "You two don’t need to stand guard. He’s fine—listen to him cursing, still full of energy." Bai Yu quickly nodded, deliberately avoiding Bai Heming’s threatening glare by pretending not to see it. "This is too dangerous, sis-in-law. You really should take better care of my brother." Li Jingyu nodded in agreement. "If there's nothing else, we’ll head out first. Take good care of him." He pulled Bai Yu along as they left, intercepting Bai Heming’s assistant at the door just as the man was about to enter. The assistant had barely stepped forward when Li Jingyu slung an arm over his shoulder and steered him away. "The couple has things to discuss. Don’t interfere." The assistant hesitated at the doorway, but seeing that his boss hadn’t called for him, he obediently stayed put. "Your boss said not to go in unless he asks for you," Li Jingyu added as a reminder. The assistant nodded hastily. Inside the hospital room, Bai Heming was practically losing his mind. Unable to make a sound, with the apple still lodged in his mouth and his hands wrapped up, he couldn’t even muster the strength to struggle. "Mmmpf!" Bai Heming glared furiously at Fu Wenxi. Fu Wenxi, however, remained unperturbed, calmly peeling an apple before speaking in a light, indifferent tone. "Why aren’t you eating the apple? It’d be a shame to waste it." Bai Heming’s initial rage gradually melted into helplessness, his eyes eventually pleading with Fu Wenxi for mercy. With a faint smile, Fu Wenxi stood up and finally removed the apple. Bai Heming’s jaw ached from being forced open for so long, his discomfort evident as he winced in pain. Without hesitation, Fu Wenxi gripped his head and—*click*—snapped his dislocated jaw back into place. Clutching his face, Bai Heming endured the lingering soreness before finally recovering enough to flare up again. He shot Fu Wenxi a venomous glare. "Fu Wenxi! Have you lost your damn mind?" Fu Wenxi casually picked up another apple from the table, causing Bai Heming to flinch instinctively. Still smiling, Fu Wenxi tilted her head. "What’s wrong? Why the sudden temper? Don’t tell me you don’t like apples?" Bai Heming gritted his teeth. "You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?" Fu Wenxi blinked innocently. "No idea what you’re talking about." Suppressing his fury, Bai Heming swore to himself—once his hands healed, he’d teach Fu Wenxi a lesson she wouldn’t forget. ... The Pearl Restaurant. The evening was just right, with a dreamy haze outside the window where Tang Jinzhou lounged lazily, his silhouette blending seamlessly with the enchanting scenery beyond, as if painted into a masterpiece. Shen Rou strode in on stiletto heels, her slender figure draped in a delicate spaghetti-strap dress. The confidence she once lacked due to poverty now radiated from her, amplified by wealth and power. "Mr. Tang," she greeted with a soft smile, settling gracefully into the seat across from him. There was no denying it—Tang Jinzhou fit Shen Rou’s taste and standards perfectly. She had always been drawn to formidable figures, eager to make them hers. If only he could treat her the way Beckett treated Madeleine, then perhaps she wouldn’t feel so utterly alone in this world. Tang Jinzhou studied her, the corner of his lips quirking upward. His gaze was piercing, as if he could see right through her. "Ms. Shen, you’re aware that Bai Heming is in the hospital, aren’t you?" Tang Jinzhou spoke first, his tone casual. Shen Rou nodded. "I heard he slipped and fell in the shower." Tang Jinzhou merely smiled in response. "The Pinebrook project has the Li family as a major competitor. While the three of us working together would give us an advantage, the profit margins would be…" He trailed off, leaving the implication hanging. Shen Rou’s eyes gleamed. How could she not understand what he was suggesting? Was Tang Jinzhou proposing they cut the Bai family out of the deal? "The Bais are certainly valuable partners," he continued smoothly, "but I believe… I’d be a better fit for you, Ms. Shen. For one thing—I’m single." His grin was as cunning as a fox who had outsmarted the hunt. He had an uncanny ability to pinpoint exactly what others desired. And then strike with lethal precision.