Chapter 80: Heart Flutter

Chapter 80: Falling for You

Su He didn’t realize the siblings had ditched them without warning to give her and the children’s dad some alone time.

If she had known, she might have been equal parts ticked off and amused.

She had little experience being alone with men, and she wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but Su He often felt like Fu Tinghua was always orbiting her.

Whatever. He could do what he wanted. She’d just treat him like air.

Su He carried yesterday’s laundry—hers and the kids’—to the backyard. After hesitating for a moment, she asked Fu Tinghua, who wasn’t far away, “Want me to toss yours in too?”

Fu Tinghua hesitated but eventually passed her everything but his briefs.

“Mind if I help?”

He crouched beside Su He, dipping his hands into the basin and scrubbing the clothes alongside her.

She wasn’t about to turn down an extra pair of hands.

Besides, men shouldn’t grow up thinking household chores were solely women’s responsibilities. Housework should be shared.

On this point, Fu Tinghua was a real stand-up guy. Every time he came home, he helped out.

He never acted like some pampered scholar-boy, lazing about and ordering the women in the house around.

“Last night at my parents’ place, I heard from the family that the day after I left, you, Zai Zai, and Niu Niu got bulldozed by the Wang family?”

Fu Tinghua suddenly brought up the question while they were washing.

“Huh? You think I’d let that stand? Mostly, they left Zai Zai's cheek swollen. Not on my watch.”

Su He’s tone was calm, as if it were the most ordinary thing.

But Fu Tinghua knew the danger of the situation. If Su He had been caught by the Wang family, she would’ve undoubtedly been beaten, possibly sparking a full-on brawl between the Wang and Fu families.

“I’m sorry,” Fu Tinghua abruptly apologized.

“For what?” Su He blinked, confused.

“For not being there when you and the kids were in danger or hurt.” Fu Tinghua met her gaze, speaking earnestly.

His piercing gaze was icy yet burning, and when it fixed on Su He, it held something raw that made her quickly look away.

God, when did laundry get so intimate?

“We managed. No big deal.”

Su He reached up, tucking a rebellious strand of hair behind her ear, but it soon slipped free again.

Frowning slightly, she eyed it with half-hearted irritation.

Just as she was about to try again, Fu Tinghua’s fingers barely-there brushed against that stray strand.

His touch was so light, as if afraid of hurting her.

His fingertips grazed her hair, carefully tucking it behind her ear.

When his fingers brushed the pink shell of her ear, they froze for half a second before steadying again. Yet that split-second stall set Su He’s heart hammering, her cheeks blazing with a traitorous flush.

Fu Tinghua seemed to notice Su He's reaction and quickly withdrew his fingers, as though nothing happened.

But a flicker of tenderness and affection flashed in his eyes, along with a barely noticeable blush at the base of his ears.

After this awkward moment, they both fell quiet, unsure of what to say.

Just as Su He thought Fu Tinghua wouldn’t speak again, he spoke up.

"If you want to return to the city, you can move back anytime.

After my promotion, the hospital gave me a new place—not the previous one.

I was given a private house with a yard, so you’d have more freedom there.

I'm not—I'm not trying to pressure you. I just think with me around, I can protect you and the kids a little more."

Fu Tinghua carefully chose his words, not wanting to come across as pressuring Su He to return to the city with him.

For some reason, the more time he spent with Su He, the more nervous he became around her.

"Mm, I know," Su He replied while wringing the clothes in her hands.

"What?"

Fu Tinghua was momentarily stunned—was she agreeing to go back to the city with him?

"Don’t worry, I don’t plan to stay in the countryside forever. In a little over a month, I’ll need to be based in the city."

Su He flashed Fu Tinghua a bright smile, so bright it nearly made him forget to ask the important question.

*Ahem.* Fu Tinghua cleared his throat awkwardly before asking, "Is it because of that tree you planted?"

"Yeah, the durian. It can only be sold in the city, and only wealthy people will buy it. It’s particular about its customers." Thinking about it, Su He couldn’t help but feel a little worried.

"If there’s anything I can help with, just let me know."

This was what Su He liked about Fu Tinghua—when she wanted to do something, he never pushed for details, leaving them both enough breathing room.

This made Su He feel quite comfortable around him.

"Don’t worry, this isn’t just my business. My parents and brother's family all have shares in it," Su He joked.

Seeing that she no longer avoided or rejected him as she had before, Fu Tinghua couldn’t help but let a small smile tug at his lips.

After the two finished washing the clothes together, they heard someone calling out.

"Miss Su, is Miss Su there?"

Su He and Fu Tinghua exchanged a glance before Su He said, "I'll check."

"I’ll come with you." Fu Tinghua followed right behind her.

Once outside, they saw Wang Jun from the Wang family at the gate with his mother, old lady Wang, carrying a chicken.

The day after their fight, Wang Jun had promised to give her a chicken to make amends to her and the children.

But since it was market day, they found no one home, so the chicken hadn’t been delivered.

Later, old lady Wang couldn’t bear to give up the chicken, so they'd put it off until now.

This morning, the Wang family heard that Fu Tinghua had returned. Wracked with guilt and afraid he'd find out about their bullying of his wife and child, they feared he might go to the city police and report them. After discussing it, they decided to come and apologize.

Though Fu Tinghua was a military doctor, he knew plenty of soldiers and policemen. If he called in a favor to have them arrested, they’d have no way to talk their way out of it, even if they had reason.

"Oh, Ting Hua, when did you get back?" Wang Jun greeted with a forced, chummy smile, addressing Fu Tinghua behind Su He.

Fu Tinghua, however, didn’t return the friendliness and asked coolly, "What do you want?"

Seeing his indifferent and slightly annoyed attitude, Wang Jun’s stomach dropped.

It seemed Fu Tinghua already knew how his family had bullied his wife and child.