C33 How Long More Do You Want to Pretend?

That woman...

The information I had gathered indicated that although she could swim, she was no professional.

A moment's carelessness in the water could easily endanger both the victim and the rescaper!

Fu Jingchuan's expression grew grim. As he stepped forward, the lifeguard arrived, calling out, "Over here!"

With professional assistance, Soong Ruanruan swiftly rescued the little girl.

"Niannian! Niannian, are you okay?!" Chen Li hurried over, frantically calling for his daughter.

It was then that Soong Ruanruan realized this was the child who had been talking to Fu Sui earlier.

"Cough! Cough! I'm okay..." Chen Niannian managed between coughs, "Thank you, ma'am."

She felt a surge of fear. She had been swimming just fine when suddenly her calf cramped, and her body began to sink uncontrollably...

No wonder her father had warned her against the deep end!

Chen Li was deeply thankful to Soong Ruanruan. If she hadn't acted quickly, his daughter's fate could have been much worse.

Fu Jingchuan watched the woman with a detached gaze. Her drenched clothes clung to her skin, revealing certain outlines.

His eyes narrowed sharply when they reached her shoulder.

"Thank goodness the lifeguard arrived in time. I would have struggled to handle it alone," Soong Ruanruan admitted, then remembered something important. "Actually, we owe Mr. Fu a debt of gratitude."

Had he not pinpointed the location immediately, the child might not have made it.

Before she could get a good look at his expression, a suit jacket was draped over her.

"?" Soong Ruanruan held the garment, puzzled for a moment, then quickly realized its purpose and draped it over her shoulders.

She had worn a white shirt today, and now, soaked through, she was at risk of revealing too much. The cover was indeed necessary.

The others hadn't picked up on this detail. They were more astonished that Chairman Fu would take such a heroic action.

"Thank you, thank you so much, Director Fu! I really can't thank you enough!" Chen Li was the first to come to his senses, effusively expressing his gratitude. He was about to eagerly shake his hand when he abruptly stopped.

The man's aloof demeanor and air of nobility were so intimidating that people dared not cross him.

"First, we should take the child to the hospital for a checkup," Soong Ruanruan suggested.

It was then that the group realized the urgency of the situation. They hurriedly took the little girl away, while Soong Ruanruan headed toward the locker room.

She had only taken a few steps when an arm suddenly pressed against the wall beside her, unexpectedly blocking her path.

Soong Ruanruan turned her head, the man's distinctively cool scent assailing her nostrils. Despite being blended with a subtle men's cologne, it couldn't mask the underlying aggression.

"What is this about, Mr. Fu?"

She certainly didn't find the man's sudden move to be flirtatious. Unless...

But she had applied waterproof foundation today. All her exposed skin had been meticulously made up; surely there were no slip-ups?

Nevertheless, this reassurance did little to quell the anxiety lurking in her subconscious.

Fu Jingchuan closed in suddenly, his eyes as deep and cold as a still pond, as if he could see right through a woman's heart.

A shadow loomed over her, and she was engulfed by an overwhelming sense of pressure that nearly took her breath away. The next moment, the man's icy voice rang in her ear.

"Soong Ruanruan, how long do you intend to keep up this charade?"

The question struck her like a bolt from the blue, sending a numb sensation through Soong Ruanruan's scalp!

She clenched her hand tightly, bowing her head to conceal the shock and turmoil in her eyes.

How had he discovered her secret?

...Wait, she had indeed applied makeup to her exposed skin, but she hadn't anticipated going into the water today, so she hadn't concealed the skin under her shirt!

The air felt as though it had turned to ice. Soong Ruanruan took a deep breath to steady herself and closed her eyes.

"Mr. Fu, I'm not sure what you're implying," she managed to say, her voice steady as she regained her poise. "No matter how much you want to see me as that Soong Ruanruan, I'm not her. Please come to your senses."

"Oh?" His voice was calm and seductive, resonating in her ear like the rich tones of a cello, yet the words he spoke sent a shiver through her. "Then explain the birthmark on your back."

"Birthmark?" Soong Ruanruan feigned confusion. "Do you mean the scar? That's not a birthmark; it's a scar from an old injury."

Fu Jingchuan, however, seemed not to hear her and placed his hand on her shoulder.

As Soong Ruanruan realized he intended to turn her around for a closer look, she stiffened and quickly pressed her back against the wall, gripping the long hand on her shoulder.

Fortunately, as a professional psychologist, she was able to keep a composed face despite her inner tremors. "You're not planning to take off my clothes, are you?"

A chill emanated from the man's dark eyes. "Let go."

Letting go now would be foolish!

Instead, Soong Ruanruan tightened her grip. "Mr. Fu, why not be a gentleman through and through? Allow me to cover up, and I'll return your clothes afterward."

After a brief pause, as if tempting fate, she added, "Or is it that Mr. Fu finds my body intriguing?"

Fu Jingchuan's eyes narrowed, and his hand shifted from her shoulder to her chin, gripping it so tightly that Soong Ruanruan winced in pain.

"Feeling guilty?"

Those two words from Fu Jingchuan made Soong Ruanruan's breath catch.

She smirked slightly. "Guilty of what? I haven't done anything wrong. It's Mr. Fu who keeps pestering me, which could lead to misunderstandings."

Their gazes locked, and the intensity of Fu Jingchuan's icy stare made Soong Ruanruan increasingly nervous. She wondered how much longer she could withstand this silent standoff.

Regardless, she knew that as long as she denied everything, the differences in their appearances would be her strongest defense.

"Mam, Mr. Fu, what are you two doing?"

A soft, childish voice suddenly cut through the tension.

An An, cradled in Ji Yu's arms, gazed curiously at the two adults with her large, doe-like eyes.

"Cough, we're not doing anything." Soong Ruanruan then became aware of how close she was to Fu Jingchuan and that their posture might lead to speculation.

Fu Jingchuan released his grip, and Ruanruan quickly stepped back from his grasp, clutching her suit jacket and quietly breathing a sigh of relief.

With her child watching, he likely wouldn't persist in troubling her further.

"Mommy, why are your clothes wet?"

"Ling, what happened?"

Both her daughter and Ji Yu voiced their concern simultaneously, prompting Ruanruan to offer a brief explanation.

Ji Yu furrowed his brow, offering advice like the boy next door, "You mean well, but you must think of your own safety. Don't be so impulsive next time."

Niannian nodded in apparent understanding, mimicking an adult's mannerisms, which looked quite comical.

"Don't worry, Mr. Yu, I was confident," Ruanruan responded gently, a soft smile gracing her face.

Fu Sui observed quietly, then glanced at his father.

Jingchuan raised an eyebrow, "What's on your mind?"

Fu Sui bit his lip, wanting to ask why only Auntie had gone to the rescue and what his father had been doing at the time.

Seeing her son's look, Ruanruan stepped in, "Your dad helped just like Auntie did. Otherwise, I would have needed more time to find help, and that could have put the young lady in greater danger."

Hearing this, Fu Sui gazed at his father with admiration.

Jingchuan appeared indifferent; he was never one for many words.

Ruanruan understood him well; after many years together, she knew Jingchuan was a man who preferred to act rather than speak.

But for a child, the absence of verbal explanation could lead to a lack of communication.

To express gratitude to Ruanruan, the natatorium provided her with a fresh set of clothes. Without her intervention, the venue could have faced a serious incident.

After leaving the changing room, Ruanruan overheard her daughter ask, "Mr. Fu, were you and Mommy playing a kissing game earlier?"

Ruanruan: "..."

Children say the darndest things, and surely Jingchuan wouldn't take a child's innocent comment to heart.