“What do you mean?”

Ming Yue snapped her head around and met the unnamed male operative’s piercing gaze.

The man pointed to the photo album on his knees. “Take a look.”

Ming Yue frowned but walked over anyway, only to see row upon row of photos on Fu Qiancheng’s knees—so bright they made her eyes ache—and she couldn’t help but exclaim, “Brother…”

A pang shot through the man’s heart as he placed the thick album on Ming Yue’s lap. “Do you still remember how my grandfather and Grandfather Gu described your older brother?”

With that, he pulled out a tissue and gently wiped the tears from Ming Yue’s eyes.

Ming Yue remained silent, letting his large hand rest in hers.

Of course she remembered those words.

Fu Qiancheng’s breathing steadied somewhat as he recalled, “Both my grandfather and Grandfather Gu said your older brother was the smartest child they’d ever seen—whether it was his intellect or his emotional maturity, he was unmatched among his peers. Back then, under his guidance, both I and Yan Xing suffered quite a bit. Calling him ‘flawless in his stratagem’ wouldn’t be an exaggeration at all. So I’ve always wondered: if even I could see right through his schemes, how could he possibly miss them?”

“What exactly are you trying to say?”

“I’m saying that beyond what we can imagine and what we already know, could there be some hidden truth about your older brother’s situation?”

“Fu Qiancheng!”

“Alright, I’ll stop talking now. But I’ll keep digging—like I said before, I’m not giving up on this. It’s my way of answering for all of us: you, me, and him.”

With that, he quietly stood up, poured himself and Ming Yue each a cup of warm water, then went into the kitchen and came back with a box of small cakes.

They weren’t the kind you buy outside.

These were homemade—Ming Yue’s favorite fruit cake.

Ming Yue knew exactly what he meant, but she chose to ignore it. She no longer wore that blissful expression she used to have; instead, she got up to leave. “Fu Qiancheng, please stop doing these silly things. I’m no longer the little girl who used to laugh her heart out over just one cake.”

Fu Qiancheng’s burning passion was instantly doused by her cold reply. He gently set the cake down on the coffee table and reached out to grab Ming Yue’s wrist.

“Ming Yue…”

“Let go.”

“Ming Yue, I know time can’t turn back—we can never go back to the past. But what if we move forward together? Standing side by side, moving ahead together—wouldn’t that work?”

“No!”

Ming Yue answered firmly, without the slightest hesitation. She shook her hand again, trying to pull away from the man beside her—but she didn’t realize she’d pulled too hard, and suddenly lost her balance, nearly toppling over.

Afraid she might hurt him badly, she quickly reached out with her other hand to steady Fu Qiancheng.

The man, too, scrambled to regain his footing, and soon their four hands and four feet were all tangled up in a chaotic mess. In the end, one of them lost their balance, and they both tumbled onto the soft sofa.

And unfortunately…

It was Ming Yue who landed below, while the man ended up on top. His big hand securely cradled the back of her head, but his body leaned heavily over hers.

“Fu Qiancheng, get off me!”

Ming Yue glared at him.

She hadn’t resorted to force after all.

After all, the blood he’d spat out was still fresh in her mind—far from being completely washed away.

Fu Qiancheng didn’t move.

Except in his dreams, he hadn’t had such close access to her face in years, nor had he breathed in her intoxicating fragrance so closely.

He felt a bit dazed, his Adam’s apple bobbing uncontrollably—but instead of making a move, he asked Ming Yue, “Yueyue, what would it take for you to forgive me?”

“You die, I die, or my older brother comes back to life—any of those would do,” Ming Yue replied coldly, then urged him again, “Get off me, quick!”

End of Chapter 43: Get Out of the Way