Chapter 1085 Her Good Girl Image Has Crumbled (Lu Guixin Part 7)
Zhou Fu's legs were long, so his strides were extremely wide. Lu Guixin was practically dragged out of Tian Que's back door by him.
"Why did you pull me out? I don't think I know you." Lu Guixin panted softly as she spoke in a gentle manner, "Where are you taking me?"
Zhou Fu ignored her and continued walking forward in big steps.
"Slow down. I can't catch up." Lu Guixin twisted her wrist in a 'struggle' to break free, her voice sounding aggrieved and pitiful.
Zhou Fu pulled her toward the black motorcycle parked in the alley and swung her forward.
Lu Guixin stumbled and bumped into the motorcycle before finally stabilizing herself on her feet. She ignored the pain in her wrist, immediately stood on alert, and looked up. "Who are you?"
If Gu Si were here to see her acting, he would surely praise her for it.
Zhou Fu pulled down his black mask and stared at her with his black eyes.
There was nobody else in the back alley, and the dim yellow light made it look especially empty. Zhou Fu studied the girl's face and her exquisite features, and he could clearly see the fright and confusion on it.
She wasn't wearing any glasses, so her pretty eyes were exposed. Although she had sharp phoenix eyes, they were bright, clear, innocent, and gentle. For the first time, Zhou Fu understood what the term 'femme fatale' meant. It wasn't an exaggeration to use the term on her.
"…Senior?" It took some time before Lu Guixin seemed to understand what was going on. She blinked her eyes and said in disbelief, "Y-You… do underground boxing?"
So she knows what sort of place this is and what underground boxing is? Zhou Fu's expression frosted over as he asked in a cold and serious tone, "What are you doing here?"
"Huh? Me?" Lu Guixin looked at him nervously and said softly, "I wanted to relax and have some fun since the exams are over."
"Fun?" Zhou Fu sneered. "You play quite wildly, huh? You take your life so lightly?"
Lu Guixin didn't say anything.
"Do you believe the people there can skin you alive?" Zhou Fu's eyes were filled with hostility. "You come here to have fun? Are you out of your mind?"
Lu Guixin was rendered speechless. It was the first time she was scolded by someone else in the face, and the way Zhou Fu looked at her was as if he were looking at an idiot. The last time someone had provoked her in this manner ended up lying in the hospital for months.
"Please take your brain with you when you go out." Zhou Fu stared into her eyes. "Not every time someone will come to save you. Stop coming to such places."
"Save me?" Lu Guixin, who had always been logical and clear-headed, felt a bit confused for the first time ever.
Zhou Fu's aura became colder when he thought that Lu Guixin wasn't appreciative of his gesture and thought that he was being nosy. He leaned slightly closer to her. "What, you still want to go back there? Do you really think it's easy to earn money at a place like Tian Que?"
Lu Guixin understood what he was going on about now. He thought I went there to work because I was in need of money?
She fell silent upon recalling how Zhou Fu had fought with her brother earlier. Do my uncles and brothers look like baddies? This looks like… a huge misunderstanding.
The back door was suddenly pushed open from the inside just then, and a few young men sporting colorful hair walked out.
Zhou Fu frowned as he looked at Lu Guixin. Not wanting her to be seen lest she got into trouble, he instinctively moved a step to the side and shielded her from view with his tall figure.
Lu Guixin lifted her head and looked at him against the light. The two of them were standing so close to each other that she had a clear view of his tightly clenched jaw and slightly bobbing Adam's apple.
The blond man in the lead whistled when he saw them.
Zhou Fu's eyes darkened as he placed his helmet over Lu Guixin's head and said softly, "Hop on. I'll take you back." This isn't a place she should be at.
The large black helmet pressing down against Lu Guixin's slender shoulders had a minty shampoo scent mixed with a hint of tobacco. Lu Guixin carefully sniffed it.
While buckling the helmet for Lu Guixin, Zhou Fu accidentally met her gaze, and his hands froze slightly.
With the helmet on, only her clear and moist eyes were revealed. They were distinct and glistening, as if there were dazzling stars in them.
The stare lasted for two whole seconds before Zhou Fu looked down and nonchalantly buckled the helmet. He then started the motorcycle's engine.
The corners of Lu Guixin's smile lifted slightly when she noticed his little action.
…
Zhou Fu parked the motorcycle in front of a convenience store and headed straight inside.
After standing in the spot for several seconds, Lu Guixin removed the helmet and followed him inside while carrying the helmet.
Zhou Fu bought a pack of letters, a pen, and a red stamp pad before going to the store's resting area to sit down and write something on the letter.
Lu Guixin followed him there, although she didn't know what he was doing. She glanced at him and then went to the fridge to get a bottle of Coke.
Zhou Fu seemed to have finished writing by the time she returned to the rest area after making her payment. He turned the letter toward her and placed the black pen in front of her. "Fill it and stamp your fingerprint."
Lu Guixin took a sip of the Coke as she looked down and read the masculine scrawl on the paper. However, she wasn't in the mood to appreciate his penmanship, for her entire focus was on the contents of the letter.
IOU
I, Lu Guixin, owe Zhou Fu __________ yuan on _________ (date)
She had always been gentle, calm, and good-natured, but she couldn't help but choke on her Coke when she saw the words on the letter. An IOU? He wants to lend me money? I see… He thinks that I'm working at Tian Que because I'm in need of money.
When Zhou Fu saw how red her face had gotten from coughing and how pitiful she looked from the tears clinging onto her eyelashes, he spoke in a slightly gentler tone than before, although he still had a hostile expression on his face. "Fill in the amount you need."
Lu Guixin tried to calm herself down by breathing slowly as she looked at Zhou Fu with a complicated expression. I can't believe that he wants to lend me money…
Upon sensing her hesitation, Zhou Fu patiently supplemented, "Don't worry, I won't charge you interest."
Lu Guixin remained motionless, though.
Thinking that she was too embarrassed to write the amount herself, Zhou Fu took the letter back and wrote the figure '1,000,000' on the blank.
Lu Guixin was speechless as she stared at the number of zeros. Although she was used to hearing astronomical figures back home, one million was a huge sum to a high school student. He's going to lend me such a huge sum of money just like that?
"Is that enough to solve your financial problem?" Zhou Fu pushed the pen and paper to her once more. "If it is, sign and affix your fingerprint on the IOU."
With her eyes still slightly reddish from the coughing, Lu Guixin shook her head and said gently, "Thank you, but I'm not in need of money."
Would she go there if that wasn't the case? Zhou Fu repeated him in an irrefutable manner. "Sign and affix your fingerprint on the IOU. Don't waste my time."
This is the first time I'm being forced to sign an IOU, and it's for a measly amount of one million yuan. But from his attitude, it looks like I have no choice but to borrow the money from him. After thinking about it for a couple of seconds, Lu Guixin picked up the pen, signed on the IOUs, and stamped her fingerprint on them.
Zhou Fu tore the papers off, giving one copy to her and keeping the other copy to himself. He then asked her for her bank account number and wired the money over before opening the WeChat QR code page on his phone and putting it in front of her.
"Let me know if it's not enough. Don't go to Tian Que anymore." He knocked the table as he said this. He didn't ask her what she needed the money for, though, since it concerned her privacy and ego, especially noticing that her clothes weren't from expensive brands. He looked at her. "Hear that?"
"Mm." As Lu Guixin looked at the QR code on the black phone, she was suddenly reminded of the rumors on the school forum that she was chasing Zhou Fu. I suppose this can be considered as him asking to add me as a friend on WeChat? He's quite zealous, huh? Not only did he lend me money to 'help' me, but he's also requesting my WeChat. We're not that close, aren't we? Or does he treat every girl the same way?
At the thought of that, Lu Guixin looked at him through squinted eyes and gushed, "Everyone's saying that you're cold, indifferent, and difficult to get along with, but now, I know that those are just rumors. You're not that kind of person."
Zhou Fu was speechless.
Lu Guixin then continued speaking in a righteous tone, "From now on, if anyone dares to say that about you, I'll tell them that you saved me and lent me a million yuan without charging me any interest and that you're a tsundere and a good person."
Zhou Fu's temples throbbed in pain when he saw the grateful and adoring look on her face. Pokerfaced, he said, "Lu Guixin, I'll give you an extra hundred thousand yuan for you to have your brain checked."
Lu Guixin said nothing in response.
"I don't want anyone else knowing about this, understand?" said Zhou Fu.
"Why?" Lu Guixin asked in perplexity. "You treat me so well when I'm not even close to you, so the way you treat the other people surely must be even better. If the others won't help you to refute the rumors, I'll help you. You're a good person who's willing to help others."
Zhou Fu frowned. Why did I even bother helping someone with a screw loose?
"Ah." A look of understanding suddenly appeared on Lu Guixin's face. "Do you not want others to know because I'm the only one you helped?"
When Zhou Fu said nothing, she took his silence as an affirmation. Her mood improved a little as her eyes formed smiling crescents. "So you've been paying attention to me all along? Are you very worried about me?"
Zhou Fu remained silent.
"You rescued me from Tian Que, and you even spoke up on my behalf on the forum this afternoon." Lu Guixin paused before asking with a smile, "Do you like me?"
Zhou Fu's wrist on the table stiffened slightly.
"Well…" Lu Guixin calmly said, "Since you've helped me twice, I'll pay back your kindness by agreeing to become your girlfriend."
"You want to become my girlfriend just because I've helped you?"
Lu Guixin said matter-of-factly, "That's how it used to be in ancient times. Women married handsome men and repaid the ugly men by working their butts off for them in their next lives. Since you're so good-looking, I'm willing to become your girlfriend."
Zhou Fu was at a loss for words.
Lu Guixin picked up her phone and scanned his WeChat QR code before tapping the 'Agree' button on his phone screen and changing each other's nicknames to 'Boyfriend' and 'Girlfriend.' She then pinned her chat to the top of his WeChat app and returned his phone to him with a grin. "Hello, boyfriend."
The corners of Zhou Fu's lips twitched, having never experienced such a weird situation before. This dramatic turn of events had completely gone way beyond his understanding level, and he had no idea how things became like this. The anger he felt moments ago had all dissipated, and all he felt was speechlessness now. Just because a good-looking guy has helped her, she wants to become his girlfriend? Who the hell told me that Lu Guixin was a good girl?
Expressionless, he took back his phone, changed Lu Guixin's nickname to 'Debtor,' and then took Lu Guixin's phone from her. His grip on the phone tightened slightly when he saw the word 'Boyfriend' on the screen, but he squashed those fluttery feelings and didn't hesitate to change his nickname to 'Creditor.' He then tossed the phone back to her and said coldly, "Becoming my girlfriend doesn't mean that you don't have to pay me back the money. Know your place, Debtor."
Zhou Fu stood up and looked down at her. "I don't like stupid girls who only know how to have fun."
Lu Guixin was at a loss for words.
Zhou Fu kicked the chair away and stopped as he passed her. He looked sideways at her. "Remember to record the amount of money you use each time. I'll be checking."
He was afraid that she might get cheated of her money.
Lu Guixin pursed her lips and glared at him. "I'm stupid. I don't know how to do book-keeping."
"Then take a screenshot and forward it to me. I can remember it with just a look." Zhou Fu looked at the digital clock hanging on the wall of the convenience store before saying, "I still have something on. This place is less than 500 meters away from the school's east gate. Walk back on your own."
Zhou Fu didn't immediately leave, though. He bought plenty of sweet food and puffed snacks and shoved them into his bag before leaving the store.
…
Not long after Zhou Fu left, the convenience store's glass doors slid open with a ding. The staff looked over and was surprised to see four tall and skinny men in medium-length black coats with black masks and overwhelming auras walk in.
Lu Guixin was taking a sip of cola and staring at the IOU in her hand, and the transfer record on her phone with her head tilted when Gu Si and Gu Hai walked over to her and sat opposite of her.
Lu Jilai and Lu Jixing, on the other hand, went to the refrigerated area to get some food and drinks. After making the payment, they went to heat up the food in the microwave and then went back to them.
As it was a four-seater table, Lu Jixing pulled a chair over from the next table.
Lu Jilai placed a sandwich and a cup of milk tea in front of Lu Guixin. He didn't show much of a reaction when he saw the name 'Zhou Fu' on the IOU, which showed that he already knew who the guy was. He only asked, "You still had to stamp your fingerprint for that bit of money?"
Lu Guixin sighed as she looked at her index finger, which was stained with red ink. She then told them what had happened earlier, leaving out the part where she deliberately changed their nicknames in each other's WeChat contact as 'Boyfriend' and 'Girlfriend.'
The group fell silent for a second before the corners of Lu Jixing's lips twitched slightly in amusement. "It's not like he doesn't know that you're underage. Do we look like perverts?"
Lu Guixin looked at them and quietly said, "What if you guys really are?"
A small bottle of yogurt flew towards Lu Guixin, and she caught it with a laugh.
Lu Jilai probed, "You like him?"
"So what if I do?" Upon recalling how Zhou Fu had scolded her just now, Lu Guixin revealed her true nature and cursed, "D*mn it. He despised me. I'm so pretty that all my flaws can be completely ignored, but he still despises me."
While removing the packaging of a rice ball, Lu Jixing said, "In what way? Share it with us, and make our day."
Lu Guixin, who wasn't in the mood to argue with her brother, propped her chin on her hand. "When I told him that I was at Tian Que to have some fun, he asked if I was out of my mind and said that he didn't like stupid girls who only know how to have fun."
Despite his best efforts, Lu Jixing failed to hold back his laugh and burst out roaring with laughter. "He was very lucky to be able to walk out of this place alive."
"He despised you so much, but he still lent you money?" Lu Jilai curled his lips in amusement. One million yuan is nothing to Zhou Fu, but that's all the more so to us. Lu Guixin is only an ordinary student to him. He's quite generous to lend her such a big sum, huh?
Lu Guixin narrowed her eyes as she looked at the IOU and the WeChat, and a faint smirk slowly crept up her face. Looks like Ming City is far from boring and is getting increasingly interesting.
Lu Jixing raised his eyebrows when he saw her expression. "What are you planning, Lu Guixin?"
The girl flashed an innocent and harmless smile back at him. "What can I possibly do, Second Brother? It's not like I can capture him, take back to the capital, and force him to become mine."
"You dare to do that?" Lu Jixing widened his eyes in surprise. "Behave yourself, good girl. Zhou Fu isn't simple. Before you can capture him, Mom will capture you first."
"What's his background like?" asked Lu Guixin curiously.
Gu Si tapped his phone screen a few times before sliding it to his niece. "His information."