Chapter 105 Love Bodyguard

Chapter 105: Love's Guardian

Lu Jingtang felt a dizzy spell, her unsteady frame swaying until her back met a warm, solid wall. Looking up, she was met with Fu Nanyu’s sharply defined, handsome face.

Fu Nanyu gazed down at the tipsy woman in his arms, pinching her cheek. "How much did you drink?"

Her flushed cheeks bore a faint blush, her eyes glistening. She blinked, then, in a half-drunken state, pointed at Fu Nanyu. "Hey, it’s the male lead!"

Then, shaking her head, she corrected herself, her eyes crinkling into a smile. "No, it’s big brother."

Her sweetly tipsy demeanor drew glances from passersby. Fu Nanyu sighed, playfully covering her face with his hand. He resolved to keep a closer eye on her from now on, preventing her from drinking alone outside.

Uncomfortable with her face covered, Lu Jingtang frowned slightly, pulling his large hand away. She pressed her cheek against his palm, where veins subtly bulged, then closed her eyes, ready for sleep.

The soft sensation traveled from his palm to his heart. Fu Nanyu’s gaze softened, and he remained still, letting her lean against him, one arm encircling her waist for support.

"I’ll take her back now," Fu Nanyu said to Qi Heng, giving a slight nod to Zhang Wanqing before guiding Lu Jingtang away.

Qi Heng waved him off, remarking wistfully, "Go on, brother. Even if you two get married today, I’d support you." He mused that there was indeed a reason why Little Lu had managed to capture his friend’s heart.

"Miss Zhang, why the rush? Wait for me."

Zhang Wanqing had tried to slip away unnoticed but was caught. Qi Heng blocked the car door she was about to close, resting a hand on the window. Casually, he pulled out his phone, saying to himself, "It seems you gave me the wrong number last time. Let’s save it again."

"I don’t have a phone."

"Even better, then. I’ll take you to buy a new one right now. Lucky me, to be the first contact in your phonebook."

"Get lost."

Fu Nanyu had originally planned to drive straight home, but Lu Jingtang kept complaining of dizziness and refused to get in the car.

Left with no choice, he had Qin Xianzhao follow slowly behind in the car while he carried her on his back, letting her walk it off a bit.

The sky had darkened, and Fu Nanyu walked slowly along the street, soft golden streetlights illuminating the way.

The male lead carrying the drunk female lead on his back—yes, a warm scene indeed.

And then there was Love's Guardian, Little Qin.

Qin Xianzhao drove at a snail’s pace, musing that people in love were fools. Instead of riding comfortably in an expensive car, they chose to walk and suffer.

Heh, what’s the point?

Lu Jingtang lay on Fu Nanyu’s back, eyes tightly shut, long lashes drooping, mumbling indistinctly.

But every time she called out "brother," she quickly received a response. Only after hearing his reply would she relax again, like an insecure fledgling repeatedly confirming the safety of its refuge.

The wind picked up, and fearing she might catch a chill, Fu Nanyu was about to suggest returning to the car when he heard a muffled sob from behind.

His steps froze, and he felt moisture on his cheek. Lu Jingtang’s soft arms tightened around his neck as she rubbed her wet face against him, crying softly.

"I can see you. I’ve always been watching you."

"But you didn’t know I was there... I could only watch you fall in love with her."

"He said... only by loving her could you survive."

Each word pierced his heart, making it bleed. Through her words, it felt as though he had personally experienced those moments of breakdown and despair.

Lu Jingtang had no memory of how she got home. In a haze, she felt herself being placed in a soft bed. She didn’t fully awaken, only her lashes fluttered, and she unconsciously reached out into the air as if trying to touch something...

"Good girl, we’re home. Sleep now." Fu Nanyu bent down to kiss her forehead and held out his hand. Lu Jingtang felt the familiar, slightly cool Buddhist beads around his wrist and finally relaxed into sleep.

Fu Nanyu didn’t leave immediately. He sat by the bed, watching her intently, occasionally brushing away stray strands of hair from her face. He pulled her into his arms, planning to lie down for a while, using his arm as her pillow.

Lu Jingtang wasn't too happy with the somewhat firm pillow. She grabbed a teddy bear and hugged it, placing it between them before falling back asleep.

Fu Nanyu pursed his lips, lowered his gaze, but ultimately didn’t remove the bear. Instead, he tapped its nose lightly.

Lu Jingtang had no recollection of when Fu Nanyu returned to his own room. When she woke in the morning, she was sprawled starfish-style across the bed, alone.

Making sure no one saw, she quickly picked up the pillow that had fallen to the floor, placed it back in its original position, put her hands on her abdomen, and lay down again in a ladylike posture, the blanket perfectly smooth without a single wrinkle.

When Fu Nanyu pushed the door open, he found her lying stiff as a board on the bed. At the sound of the door, her head turned slowly toward him, and she blinked at him.

Fu Nanyu: "?"

"Are you filming a TikTok? Do you need me to leave?"

Lu Jingtang tilted her head, finally understanding his teasing. But she decided to be the bigger person and not argue with Fu Nanyu. "No, I’m not filming TikTok. I just realized my sleeping posture has improved and wanted to share the good news with you."

After hearing her explanation, Fu Nanyu said nothing. Instead, he suddenly pulled back the curtains and looked outside as if checking something.

Lu Jingtang asked, "Big brother, what are you looking at?"

Fu Nanyu deadpanned, "I’m checking if the moon is working the day shift today. Otherwise, why would you be spouting nonsense so early in the morning?"

Lu Jingtang: "..."

It was the weekend, so no work. Lu Jingtang swung her legs while waiting for Fu Nanyu to bring breakfast, gazing distractedly at his sharp profile. Suddenly, she remembered the chaotic dream from last night.

She had dreamed of Fu Nanyu. In the dream, he seemed unable to see her. No matter how hard she tried to touch or call out to him, he showed no reaction.

She floated like a ghost beside him, following him to work, watching him eat alone. The Fu Nanyu in her dream seemed foolish—usually avoiding spicy food, yet in the dream, he ate a meal laden with chili without batting an eye. Lu Jingtang hovered beside him several times, muttering that he should complain to the restaurant for getting his order wrong, but he couldn’t hear her.

After work, Fu Nanyu would stay alone in his room, either tying up loose ends or just sitting there doing nothing for hours.

For as long as he sat, Lu Jingtang lay beside his legs, watching him.

When Fu Nanyu got up to go to the bathroom, she didn’t follow, blushing as she waited outside.

But Fu Nanyu took an awfully long time in the shower. With no clock in the room, she wasn’t sure how long he’d been in there, but a sense of dread grew.

Unable to wait any longer, she barged in—and witnessed the most terrifying, unforgettable scene of her life.

Fu Nanyu lay in the bathtub wearing a thin white shirt, his head tilted back as if peacefully asleep. But the water in the tub was stained a shocking red, a bloody blade on the floor. His arm hung over the edge, covered in cuts of varying depths.

Perhaps it was his first time attempting this, lacking experience, so he had tried multiple times.

Lu Jingtang saw herself frantically rushing toward him, trying over and over to touch him, but it was useless. Her hands phased through his body helplessly, her hot tears mingling with his blood.

Her voice and movements trembled uncontrollably. She stumbled and got up repeatedly, running downstairs, begging everyone she saw for help. But no one could see or hear her; no one knew what was happening.

She could do nothing but watch in despair as time slipped away and the blood continued to flow.

Until someone appeared at the Fu family’s gate. Ji Yunyin, who had rushed over late at night, urgently said that something had happened to Fu Nanyu and told everyone to check his room immediately.

Fu Xiaqing went upstairs and discovered that his eldest son had slit his wrist in the bathroom.

Despite being a former special forces soldier, Fu Xiaqing nearly buckled when he picked up his son covered in blood.

That night, terror was in every Fu family member’s eyes. Ye Xixi almost fainted and fell down the stairs but was steadied by a servant in time.

Lu Jingtang followed them to the hospital but could do nothing as she watched the grief-stricken faces of Fu Xiaqing and Ye Xixi.

Fortunately, Ji Yunyin arrived just in time, and Fu Nanyu was saved. Though he had lost a lot of blood, he was not seriously harmed and only needed time to recuperate.

After Fu Nanyu woke up, he remained silent no matter what anyone said or asked, his face pale and remaining silent throughout—except when he saw Ji Yunyin, a hint of emotion flickering in his eyes.

Noticing his gaze, Ye Xixi turned and saw Ji Yunyin. Remembering she hadn’t thanked the young woman yet, she quickly invited her in, wondering if it had been her own prejudice before and whether she should try to accept Ji Yunyin.

Facing the gratitude from Fu Xiaqing and his wife, Ji Yunyin made accidental eye contact with Fu Nanyu. She seemed terrified, shivering uncontrollably, her smile stiff and forced.

Thinking she was shaking from the cold, Ye Xixi hurriedly took her to the living room outside to have something warm to drink.

Hearing the news of Fu Nanyu’s attempted suicide, Grandpa Fu rushed to the hospital overnight. His usually sharp and spirited eyes were now filled with sorrow and disappointment.

Despite Grandpa Fu’s berating, Fu Nanyu remained silent, his eyes clouded with lifelessness, his frail body like a crumbling fortress that could collapse at the slightest touch.

Seeing his once most valued and outstanding grandson reduced to such a state, Grandpa Fu was both heartbroken and furious. He scolded sharply, "You’ve become this pathetic over a woman. If I had known, I never would have allowed her into the Fu family back then."

*Slap!*

Unable to control his temper, he raised his hand and slapped Fu Nanyu.

Lu Jingtang stepped in to block the blow, but the slap passed through her and landed on Fu Nanyu’s cheek.

Fu Nanyu didn’t dodge, taking the hit squarely. Grandpa Fu, having served in the military in his youth, put all his strength into the slap, leaving Fu Nanyu’s cheek badly swollen.

He looked up, staring fixedly at Grandpa Fu, and finally spoke, "If you send her away once, I’ll find her again. If she dies out there, I’ll follow her in death."

Hearing this, Grandpa Fu was so angry he nearly choked with rage. He had done it all for Fu Nanyu’s future, for the Fu family’s future—he never expected the girl to go missing.

He grabbed Fu Nanyu by the collar and roared, "She leaked the Fu family’s core secrets, plunged the family into crisis, and drove you to this. Letting her live was already an act of mercy."

Fu Nanyu replied calmly, "It wasn’t her. Without the truth, no one is in a position to judge her."

Seeing his complete lack of remorse, Grandpa Fu raised his hand to strike again.

Qi Heng and Li Chen quickly stepped in to separate the two, fearing another slap might be the last straw for Fu Nanyu.

After persuading Grandpa Fu to leave the room, only the three of them remained. Qi Heng let out a sigh of relief and cursed, "Fuck, that scared me to death."

Li Chen, covered in a cold sweat, was both angry and anxious. He gritted his teeth and said, "What’s going on? Yesterday you were desperate to find her, and today you do something this reckless. If you die, Qi Heng and I won’t help you look for her. Who knows if she’s even suffering out there?"

Knowing Fu Nanyu couldn’t let go of Lu Jingtang, Li Chen used her as an excuse to try to calm him down.

Fu Nanyu glanced at the bandage on his wrist, his expression calm. "I’ll find her. I timed the blood loss. There was enough time."

Li Chen and Qi Heng didn’t understand what he meant but could only say helplessly, "What were you calculating? No matter what, you can’t risk your life like this."

Fu Nanyu lowered his eyelashes and said, "I had it under control."

"Like hell you do," Li Chen couldn’t help but retort.

Lu Jingtang crouched by his legs, unseen and unable to touch Fu Nanyu. She didn’t know what else to do, feeling utterly helpless. Tears dripped onto his palm as she softly blew on his wound, hoping to ease his pain, even if she knew it might be useless.

Fu Nanyu stared blankly at his palm and said softly, "It’s raining."

Li Chen asked suspiciously, "What rain?" He signaled Qi Heng to check the window.

Qi Heng opened the window and saw no rain. His expression darkened as he shook his head at Li Chen.

Li Chen’s face also changed. People who undergo major trauma often develop psychological issues. He made an excuse to step out and arranged for a psychologist to examine Fu Nanyu.

Lu Jingtang was worried about Fu Nanyu, but she also wanted to know what they meant by her betraying the Fu family. She pressed her cheek against his knee and whispered, whether he could hear her or not, "Brother, I’ll step out for a moment. I’ll be back soon."

As she left, Fu Nanyu seemed to sense something and looked up in the direction she had gone, his hand resting on his knee as if caressing something only he could feel.