The cramping in her lower abdomen grew worse with each passing moment. Su Qingyue clutched the hem of her dress so tightly that her lips turned pale, and even her hand holding the phone trembled slightly.

Fu Sici’s dark eyes fixed intently on her stubborn expression, his knuckles tightening ever so slightly as anger surged through his chest.

Without saying another word, he stepped forward and scooped her up in one swift motion, cradling her against his chest.

Su Qingyue let out an involuntary gasp at the sudden jolt.

“Fu Sici! What are you doing?! Put me down!”

She flailed her arms and legs frantically, but with only a fraction of her usual strength, her struggles were futile in his firm, powerful embrace.

As he reached his silver-gray sports car, he gently set her down on the passenger seat, then walked around to the driver’s side and closed the door, sealing out all outside noise.

Fu Sici turned his head to look at Su Qingyue, huddled in the corner with her face still pale, and sighed before asking softly:

“Where are you staying now?”

Su Qingyue lowered her brows, avoiding his piercing gaze:

“I’m not going home—I’ve made plans with Xie Yong to go shopping at Lihe Plaza.”

“Shopping when you’re feeling like this?!” He frowned, his expression growing increasingly angry, his chest heaving with rising tension.

No sooner had he finished speaking than her phone rang, the screen displaying Xie Yong’s name.

Just as she was about to answer, Fu Sici suddenly reached over and snatched the phone from her hand, swiftly hitting the speaker button.

Xie Yong’s crisp voice immediately filled the cramped car:

“Yueyue! What are you dawdling for? I’ve been waiting for you for almost an hour—my flowers have already wilted!”

“She’s not feeling well; we’re not going,” Fu Sici replied in a deep, cold tone, devoid of any extraneous emotion.

The other end of the line fell silent for a moment, then Xie Yong’s stunned voice came through in a low whisper:

“What? Who are you, man?”

“Fu Sici!”

With that, he abruptly hung up, tossed the phone onto the center console, and turned back to Su Qingyue, his tone even more grave:

“Give me your home address.”

Su Qingyue pressed her lips together tightly, refusing to speak—a clear sign of her resistance and unwillingness to comply.

Fu Sici’s eyes darkened, and as he stepped on the gas, he said coolly, almost as if issuing a threat:

“If you won’t tell me, then we’ll go to my place.”

The words caught her off guard, and she shot him a startled glance, meeting his deep, unyielding gaze. She was furious—there was no way she’d go to his house!

Lowering her head and twisting the hem of her skirt, she reluctantly mumbled the address of her apartment:

“Feicui Tianjing Apartment.”

Suddenly, a shadow loomed over her as Fu Sici leaned in close.

His warm breath nearly brushed against her eyelashes, and the two were so close that she could make out the intricate play of light and shadow in the depths of his eyes.

Su Qingyue’s heart raced, and she instinctively recoiled, raising her eyes warily, her voice trembling just barely:

“What are you doing, Fu Sici?!”

He cast a sly glance at her hands, which were gripping the leather seat so tightly they looked like they might break through it.

Then, seeing her skittish, doe-eyed expression, a mischievous smile curled his lips, and his voice dropped to a seductive murmur:

“So, afraid I’ll kiss you?”

Su Qingyue’s cheeks flushed instantly. Just as she was about to pull away, he straightened up, reached over with his left hand to unbuckle the passenger-side seatbelt, and leaned down to fasten it securely for her.

His fingertips brushed against her slender shoulder—and that mere touch sent a shiver through her entire body, leaving her utterly flustered.

The car rolled smoothly along, and the two sat in companionable silence.

The silver-gray sports car entered the apartment’s underground parking garage.

Once it had come to a stop, Fu Sici’s gaze swept over the parking space where she’d mentioned earlier that there was a white Mercedes SUV parked.

His brow furrowed ever so slightly, a vague sense of irritation stirring within him, and he asked casually, as if it were no big deal:

“That’s your car? Why aren’t you driving it?”

End of Chapter 10: How Could Life Ever Be Like the First Time We Met?