Distorted Fairy Tale - Chapter 33

Song Zhen had no idea what kind of fit Fu Yuhang was throwing. To utter such a cringeworthy line about “lovesickness” it was a wonder he hadn’t bitten his own tongue.

Song Zhen replied coldly, “A psychiatric hospital can cure that.”

Fu Yuhang simply stared at him in silence, unruffled by the insult. The sharp edges of his temperament had been worn smooth during his many sleepless nights.

He found himself unable to say a single harsh word to Song Zhen. He watched the man for a long moment, certain of one thing:

He wanted him. He wanted to take him back.

Unsettled by the intensity of Fu Yuhang’s gaze, Song Zhen turned his head away to watch the torrential rain outside, leaving the Alpha with nothing but the view of his rigid, distant profile.

As he stepped out of the car, Song Zhen delivered a final, icy warning: “Fu Yuhang, stop having people spy on me!”

Fu Yuhang was a man of planning. In his mind, to bring Song Zhen back, he first needed to understand him.

Song Zhen’s history wasn’t difficult to uncover. Fu Yuhang drew up a relationship map with Song Zhen at the centre, only to find that the people of importance in the Beta’s life were tragically few.

As of today, they were practically non-existent.

The few lines printed on a sheet of white paper offered a stark, skeletal summary of Song Zhen’s upbringing. Between those lines, one could glimpse a long, suffocating stretch of hardship—years devoid of hope or respite.

Song Zhen was like a weed by the roadside; he lived inconspicuously, struggling to survive against the elements, never drawing a second glance from anyone.

Ordinary. Resilient. And somewhat pitiful.

That night, Fu Yuhang dreamt that Song Zhen had actually turned into a small blade of grass. He was withered by the sun and bent double by the wind.

Fu Yuhang knelt beside him, shielding him from the scorching rays with his hand and blocking the gale with his body. Slowly, the little blade of grass straightened up. He looked up at Fu Yuhang and gave a shy smile. “Thank you for noticing me.”

“Is being noticed something to be happy about?” Fu Yuhang asked, confused.

“Oh, yes.” The little blade of grass swayed rhythmically. “Everyone prefers beautiful flowers. Hardly anyone notices me.”

“I’m so happy you noticed me!”

Fu Yuhang stroked the grass gently. “How did you grow up?” he asked curiously. Flowers were delicate things that needed nutrients and care to survive; without them, they withered. But what about grass? Did it need nutrients? How did it survive alone?

He only knew the proverb: No prairie fire can burn the grass away; it grows again when the spring breeze blows.

“I don’t know how I grew up.” The grass sprouted two tiny hands and adopted a thoughtful pose. “I just. grew up by myself, bit by bit.”

“Then you are very impressive,” Fu Yuhang said. “More impressive than any of those beautiful flowers.”

“But I envy them,” the grass said, drooping again.

“Envy them for what?”

“They have so much love,” Song Zhen whispered tearfully. “I want a lot of love, too.”

Fu Yuhang jolted awake. He checked the time: 5:00 a.m.

With sleep now out of reach, he leaned against the headboard. He finally understood what Song Zhen had been chasing all along.

Later that day, Song Zhen went to work as usual, but he noticed his colleagues were looking at him strangely. When he went to the staff room to change, he found a massive bouquet of roses on his desk.

Tucked among the blooms was a card, the handwriting elegant and powerful:

 Song Zhen, someone has seen you.

Song Zhen: “?”

What on earth did that mean?

Though there was no signature, his intuition told him the flowers were from Fu Yuhang. No one else he knew was quite so idle.

Song Zhen stared at the card for a while until the realisation hit him. Fu Yuhang was still having him watched!

Not only was he spying, but he was also flaunting it bragging that he was aware of Song Zhen’s every move.

Pervert! Madman!

In a fit of rage, Song Zhen tore the card to pieces and threw it in the bin. He then took the bouquet to a florist near the hotel and sold it for a pittance.

To understand a person more deeply, one must also observe their hobbies.

The butler nearly thought his eyes were failing him when he saw his young master putting on an apron.

“Young Master, what are you.?”

Fu Yuhang had a recipe book spread out before him. He studied it with intense focus. “Making a dessert,” he replied flatly.

Worried, the butler called Assistant Lin to ask if something had gone wrong at the company.

Lin replied, “I was actually going to ask you if something happened at the villa. I saw the Boss knitting something in his office the other day! It was like watching a sci-fi film!”

The butler hung up and fell into a deep silence. Watching Fu Yuhang use beakers and measuring cylinders to precisely follow the recipe for a sponge cake, the butler sighed. Could a divorce really have such a drastic effect on an Alpha?

Fu Yuhang controlled every step with laboratory precision. The result was a charred, blackened mass.

Well, Black Forest cake is supposed to be dark, isn’t it? he thought. It looked nothing like the ones Song Zhen used to make, but Fu Yuhang was convinced he couldn’t have failed. He had always received A’s in chemistry.

To him, baking was no different from an experiment: follow the steps, add the substances, and obtain the desired product.

He gestured for the butler to try a piece.

The butler looked at the unidentifiable object, hesitating. But his young master had spent hours on it, and despite Fu Yuhang’s cold expression, the butler could see a faint, subtle spark of anticipation in his eyes. Surely he wouldn’t poison me?

The butler took a bite.

A deafening silence followed.

Fu Yuhang, seeing the butler’s lack of response, assumed he was speechless with delight. “Well?” he asked.

The butler’s eyes widened, and he gave a frantic thumbs-up. “Young Master, you truly can do anything well!”

Fu Yuhang nodded, satisfied. Just as he expected.

The moment Fu Yuhang left the room, the butler scrambled to find some mouthwash. He rinsed his mouth out several times.

It’s so. so bitter!

The next day, when an exquisitely packaged black cake appeared on Song Zhen’s desk, he frowned. What now?

His colleagues teased him relentlessly. “Roses yesterday, cake today! Someone’s definitely courting you, Xiao Song!”

“That bouquet must have cost a fortune! Don’t forget to tell us when you’re no longer single!”

Song Zhen gave an awkward, forced smile. “No, no, you’ve got it all wrong.”

He intended to throw the cake away after work, but the packaging suggested it wasn’t cheap. He hated wasting food. On his way home, he saw an old beggar he often encountered and gave the cake to him.

The beggar was grateful and immediately tucked in. After a few bites, the old man began to curse:

“You young people have no conscience! I thought you were being kind, but what is this rubbish? It tastes worse than dog’s dung!”

Song Zhen: “Eh?!”

Fu Yuhang stared at his phone. The chat with the white puppy profile picture remained silent.

“Lin Ze, is the office Wi-Fi broken?” Fu Yuhang asked suddenly.

“No, sir. I just sent an email,” Lin replied.

Fu Yuhang fell silent.

He opened the chat with the puppy and typed: How was the cake?

Immediately, a large red exclamation mark appeared next to his message.

Song Zhen had either blocked him or deleted him. He tried to send a transfer, only for the system to inform him: “You are not a contact of the recipient.”

Practice yields knowledge. Fu Yuhang had practiced his way to the “knowledge” that he was blocked.

Zhou Nining came over for a meal, and Song Zhen couldn’t help but ask, “Xiao Ning, has Fu Yuhang suffered some kind of mental shock recently?”

“Him?” Zhou Nining took a bite of stir-fried pork. “Not that I know of. He just finished a brilliant acquisition and is supposedly basking in his success.”

Song Zhen chewed his rice in silence. So he’s just gone mad from having too much money?

“If anyone’s acting strange, it’s Ji Xiuyuan,” Zhou Nining sighed. “He suddenly tried to call off the engagement. His family gave him the ‘family punishment’. It’s brutal—nearly killed him.”

Song Zhen frowned. “Has Xiao Ji contacted you? I asked him, but he just said he’s been busy.”

“Don’t worry,” Zhou Nining replied. “I heard he’s starting a new film soon. He’ll have to show up eventually. Maybe he just needs some time alone. Honestly, why does everyone have to live such a tortured life? Why can’t people just be happy?”

Song Zhen remembered Fu Yuhang saying, “Not everyone can afford to be themselves like Zhou Nining.” Zhou Nining had two brothers and doting parents; he had no heavy responsibilities. His friends even hired extras for his art exhibitions just to make them look successful. Song Zhen had once seen him message Ji Xiuyuan for 500k for an “emergency,” and Ji Xiuyuan had sent it instantly without a single question.

Zhou Nining lived in a temperature-controlled vase. The greatest hardship he’d ever faced was a slap from Le Yan.

“Xiao Ning,” Song Zhen smiled gently at the boy’s pure eyes. “I hope you stay happy forever.”

“You too, Zhenzhen!” Zhou Nining hugged him. “This weekend, I’m taking you somewhere fun!”

On the weekend, Zhou Nining prepared a special outfit for Song Zhen: a designer black top with an open back and tight trousers that accentuated every curve.

Song Zhen was hesitant, but Zhou Nining insisted. “You have to try new things! How do you know you won’t like it if you don’t try?”

Song Zhen agreed. He did want to experience more of the world.

When he emerged, Zhou Nining’s eyes lit up. Song Zhen’s skin was already pale, and the exposed skin of his back formed a striking contrast against the black fabric. The trousers highlighted his long, lean legs, and the black mesh detail over the hips was provocatively alluring.

“My taste is impeccable!” Zhou Nining pulled him to the mirror. “Look at you! You look stunning!”

Song Zhen looked at his reflection, it was new and slightly strange, but he had to admit, “I do look nice.”

Zhou Nining styled his hair and applied a touch of makeup to make his eyes sparkle. The “fun place” turned out to be a stag party for their friend Xiao Bo.

The highlight of the party was a special game: the lights would go out for thirty seconds, and everyone would stand randomly. When the lights came back on, you had to kiss whoever’s hand you were holding for ten seconds.

Zhou Nining was determined to get Song Zhen back into the dating pool.

Song Zhen was shocked by the rule until he learned that one could refuse. He decided he would just go for the atmosphere and apologise if he ended up holding someone’s hand.

As they entered the venue, Song Zhen failed to notice the familiar black Maybach parked outside.

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