Chapter 0149: The Suitor

Men are naturally stronger than women, but unfortunately, in front of Fan Baobao, Zhao Fusheng didn't dare run too far. Otherwise, if this girl really got angry and called his mom, playing the victim, in the end, he would be the one to suffer.

This was a lesson Zhao Fusheng had learned countless times since childhood, proven by the 'bamboo shoots stir-fried with meat' (spankings).

So, after running for a while, Zhao Fusheng stopped and said to Fan Baobao, 'Take a rest. Stand here and don't wander off. I'll go buy some oranges for you.'

Fan Baobao felt something was off, but Zhao Fusheng was rarely this obedient, so she had no choice but to nod and watch him walk toward the fruit stand not far away.

Only, why were that guy's shoulders shaking as he walked?

Of course, Zhao Fusheng couldn't help it. Taking advantage of Fan Baobao while she was confused—such a happy thing. Though he didn't dare laugh out loud, sneaking a few chuckles was fine.

Life is always full of surprises and accidents. When you think you've done something foolproof without any flaws, fate always gives you a huge surprise at some unexpected moment.

When Zhao Fusheng bought the oranges and walked back, he saw Fan Baobao standing and talking with a boy. Though she had a smile on her face, to Zhao Fusheng, who knew Fan Baobao's personality well, the girl was clearly impatient and on the verge of exploding.

'Baobao, who is this?' To prevent Fan Baobao from making the wrong decision of beating up a classmate in the street, Zhao Fusheng bravely walked over and asked Fan Baobao.

The boy, unaware that Zhao Fusheng had just saved his life, looked at Zhao Fusheng and Fan Baobao with a puzzled expression.

Seeing this, Fan Baobao's eyes darted, and she grabbed Zhao Fusheng's arm, introducing him: 'This is my...'

Before the girl could finish, Zhao Fusheng spoke up: 'I'm her brother, Zhao Fusheng.'

'Huh?'

The boy was dumbfounded, and so was Fan Baobao.

Zhao Fusheng chuckled and continued to explain: 'We grew up together. Our families are neighbors across the hall. She's my mom's goddaughter, and I'm her mom's godson.'

'Oh, oh, oh. Hello, my name is Zhu Yuchen. I'm Baobao's classmate.' The boy was tall and quite handsome, and he was very polite to Zhao Fusheng.

'Oh, oh. Hello, hello.' Zhao Fusheng frowned slightly, feeling the name was familiar.

But Fan Baobao glared fiercely at Zhao Fusheng, cursing him in her heart for ruining things and not playing along with her act.

She really hated suitors like Zhu Yuchen. In Fan Baobao's view, boyfriends and such were completely useless. Instead of spending time dating, she might as well work on her rehearsal skits. Besides, even if she were to date, even a guy like Zhao Fusheng was a hundred times better than those slick-tongued guys who only knew how to flatter girls.

At the very least, Zhao Fusheng was truly good to her.

And in Zhu Yuchen's eyes, the bond between Zhao Fusheng and Fan Baobao seemed really close. He had no doubt at all about Zhao Fusheng's explanation.

After all, only a mischievous younger sister would treat her own brother with both dependence and naughtiness. And likewise, only a brother's gaze toward his sister would carry both indulgence and a hint of helplessness.

Subconsciously, Zhu Yuchen regarded Zhao Fusheng as Fan Baobao's family, as her brother-in-law.

You see, many people in the process of love and marriage have a huge misconception: they think that as long as they please their parents-in-law, everything will be fine.

But in fact, this is a mistaken belief.

Although parents have great influence over their daughters and can even decide whether they marry or not, more importantly, the peers and relatives around the girl often influence her decision as well. After all, there is always a generation gap between everyone and their parents or elders, determined by age. But there is not as much resistance toward those close to them.

In other words, if Fan Baobao's parents disliked Zhu Yuchen, it would at most be an elder's dislike. But if Zhao Fusheng disliked him, in Zhu Yuchen's view, there would surely be many more twists and turns between him and Fan Baobao.

If Zhao Fusheng knew what Zhu Yuchen was thinking right now, he would slap his face until it swelled. The matter wasn't even close to being settled, yet he could imagine so much—how big must this guy's imagination be?

"Bro, are you two going to eat?" Zhu Yuchen, acting familiar, asked Zhao Fusheng.

Zhao Fusheng nodded, then noticed Fan Baobao's gaze, blinked, and said, "A friend is treating us; we're just going to sit for a while."

"Oh, I see..." Zhu Yuchen had originally thought that if it were just Zhao Fusheng and Fan Baobao eating, he could take the opportunity to join in, believing Zhao Fusheng wouldn't refuse.

But now that they said they were going to a banquet, he couldn't very well tag along.

"Well, I won't disturb you. I'll treat you another day," Zhu Yuchen said to Zhao Fusheng with a smile, his tone polite.

Zhao Fusheng nodded: "Sure, sure, another day, another day."

Watching him leave, Fan Baobao glared angrily at Zhao Fusheng: "Are you sick? Why bother with someone like him?"

Zhao Fusheng smiled: "He's just your suitor. He sees me as his brother-in-law; I can't exactly put on a stern face, can I?"

Fan Baobao took a deep breath, restraining herself from beating the guy in front of her to death, and then resolved to eat more tonight, hoping to make him heartbroken.

The two walked side by side to a decent restaurant near the school. The place was chosen by Fan Baobao; according to her, the stir-fry dishes there were especially delicious, and students always liked to gather there. The prices were fair and reasonable, and most importantly, occasionally a celebrity alumnus would show up.

"Maybe you'll run into a big star!" Fan Baobao said to Zhao Fusheng with a grin.

Zhao Fusheng gave her a dirty look. Not to mention how slim the chance of meeting a star was, given his current state of mind, Zhao Fusheng no longer felt the excitement of encountering a celebrity.

This was a normal mindset, after all, age was a factor. People in their teens and twenties chasing stars was called passion; if someone in their forties still shouted and screamed at the sight of a star, that would be childish.

"Alright, alright, I was just joking. Look at that expression of yours—no sense of humor at all," Fan Baobao said cheerfully.

She was always enthusiastic about teasing Zhao Fusheng. In Fan Baobao's words, this was her way of bonding with Zhao Fusheng.

As for this, Zhao Fusheng felt it was clearly her excuse for getting used to bullying him.