Chapter 28: Du Yang, It’s Me, Fu Yan

Chapter 28: Du Yang, it's me, Fu Yan

Du Yang's smile froze for a moment, but he quickly acted like nothing happened and said, still smiling, "Grandma Lu likes me, that's rare. Next time I'll definitely go with you to visit her."

Little fox, still putting on an act for him.

Although Grandma Lu didn't let on, this kid definitely knows her.

Fu Yan withdrew his gaze and said teasingly, "You're quite popular. Grandma Lu liked you just from hearing your voice."

The boy bent down, propping his chin on his hand, elbows propped on the desk, moving closer to Fu Yan. His voice was clear and soft, "Chairman Fu, do you like me?"

Holding a pen, twirling it between his fingers, Fu Yan tapped the desk with it, looked up at the boy, and spoke calmly.

"Du Yang, you're about to drool into my tea."

Du Yang instinctively stepped back a little and touched the corner of his mouth with his hand—there was no drool.

"Chatting during work hours will cost you part of your paycheck," Fu Yan reminded in a flat tone.

"You're busy." Du Yang picked up the tray and slunk out of the office.

He knew that if a grown-up didn't answer, it meant no.

Rejection or not, he still had other moves.

The office door closed. Fu Yan picked up the tea the boy had brewed and took a sip.

The tea was premium Jin Jun Mei sent by Lu Jin'an.

The aroma was refreshing, the taste smooth, and it soothed him.

Just like this kid.

Of course he liked him.

If he didn't like him, why would he have taken him on?

He even served gongfu tea in a regular mug. Others savor it cup by cup, but Du Yang, seeing he had no time for the formal process, just made a big mug of it.

Fu Yan took two more sips, collected himself, and went back to burying himself in work.

Winter nights come early; the sky was gloomy, and by a little after six, it was pitch black.

On the top floor of the office building, only Fu Yan was still at work.

Du Yang knocked, was given the go-ahead, pushed open the door, and stood in the doorway.

"Chairman Fu, you haven't left yet."

Du Yang, wearing his worn black cotton jacket, stood at the door as if he had something to say.

Fu Yan looked up from a pile of documents at the boy, took in his clothes, a slight frown on his face, and said, still flat.

"Going out?"

"Yeah, someone's here to see me. I'm going down to meet him." Du Yang bit his lip. "Chairman Fu, I won't disturb you."

Fu Yan grunted in response. After Du Yang closed the door, he returned to work.

Outside the Fu Corporation building, Du Debao stood in the cold wind, wearing a leather jacket with a fur collar, his belly sticking out, hands in his pockets. He occasionally peered through the glass door.

That little bastard had called him out of the blue today, telling him to come in the evening to pick up the money—he didn't have time to deliver it.

Du Debao was angry, but since there was money to pick up, he came anyway.

His luck had been terrible lately, on a losing streak, owing over a hundred thousand yuan.

A few thousand from that little bastard wouldn't solve the problem, but with some cash in hand, he could go back to gambling and win it back.

He had already waited half an hour, and the kid still hadn't shown up. He wasn't answering calls, and the security guard wouldn't let him in.

Du Debao had always been the authority with Du Yang, who never dared talk back. But after a few months in college, he'd gotten too big for his britches.

He made him come in person to collect the money, and once he got there, the kid dared to hide from him.

The more Du Debao thought about it, the angrier he got. He pulled out his phone and tried calling again.

Before the call connected, Du Yang, wrapped in his black cotton jacket, came out of the building.

Du Debao angrily stuffed his phone into his pocket, strode up, grabbed Du Yang's collar wordlessly, and raised his hand to slap him.

"Slap!"

The crack of the slap rang out, and Du Yang's lip instantly split.

Du Debao had slapped him once and was about to strike again when a sharp pain shot into his foot.

Du Yang stomped hard on Du Debao's foot, took the chance to break free, stepped back a few steps, and panted.

"Du Debao! From now on, I won't give you a single cent! Forget about getting money from me! Go hit up whoever owes you money!"

The boy had blood at the corner of his mouth, one side of his face swollen, fists clenched tightly, eyes fierce, glaring at the fat-faced man, his voice full of hatred, as if he could tear the man apart.

Du Yang's eyes were fierce, but his body trembled violently. Du Debao had been his nightmare for years; he had been beaten too much as a child.

Seeing Du Debao, his body reacted with fear automatically.

At this moment, Du Yang felt completely helpless, his voice trembling. He shouted loudly, but Du Debao didn't notice.

Just now he had hinted to Fu Yan, not knowing if he would understand and come down to help him.

When he actually faced Du Debao, he was still afraid. He deliberately shouted loudly, hoping the security guard inside would hear.

If Fu Yan couldn't come out to help him, the security guard would at least see, so he wouldn't get beaten up too badly.

Du Debao was stunned for a moment, intimidated by the fierce look on Du Yang's face.

In his memory, that little bastard would never dare to look at him like that, so fiercely; he always had a cowering, sycophantic look.

Whenever he raised his hand, the little bastard would tremble like a wet dog, not daring to look him in the eye.

Du Debao's long-established authority over Du Yang was being challenged, which instantly made him furious.

"You little bastard, you think you're tough now, huh? Today I'll show you who's boss!"

With that, the man stepped forward, grabbed Du Yang by the collar again, raised his hand, slapped him again, and then threw him hard to the ground.

Compared to Du Yang, Du Debao was fat and strong; Du Yang's strength was like a baby chick's next to him.

Du Yang let out a muffled groan, the left side of his face numb with pain, a metallic taste spreading in his mouth, his vision blurring. He couldn't feel whether his body was still trembling, and with great effort, he pushed himself up off the icy ground, struggling to get up.

Du Debao, still furious, stepped forward and raised his foot to kick him on the ground.

At the sight of the raised foot, Du Yang's heart went dead silent, and he gave up struggling.

"Ah!" A scream.

Du Debao missed and landed flat on his back, writhing in pain, clutching his stomach and grimacing.

"Du Yang!" Fu Yan bent down to help the teenager up from the ground.

The man's voice was no longer flat and emotionless, but filled with obvious anxiety.

After Du Yang left, Fu Yan had continued working, but the image of the young man standing at the door, hesitant to speak, lingered in his mind.

Fu Yan suddenly remembered that Du Yang was going downstairs to meet someone, and he looked somewhat afraid.

He immediately thought of Du Yang's father, wondering if he was back asking for money.

At that thought, he couldn't just sit there. He got up, left the office, took the elevator, and went straight downstairs.

As soon as he reached the company entrance, he saw a scene that made his blood boil and his heart ache.

Du Yang was lying on the ground, and his father, as fat as a pig, was about to hit his kid.

"Stop!" Fu Yan shouted, and with a few long strides he was out the door.

Just as he saw Du Debao raise his foot to kick Du Yang, Fu Yan took two steps forward, whipped his long leg, and kicked Du Debao hard in the stomach.

Fu Yan exercised regularly; he wasn't built, but he was strong.

That kick sent Du Debao sprawling, and he couldn't get up.

"Du Yang, don't be afraid. I'm here." Fu Yan held the young man around the waist with one hand, steadying him, and with the other hand, he gently stroked his uninjured cheek to calm him down.

Du Yang was trembling violently, as if he couldn't hear a thing.

"Du Yang, it's me, Fu Yan." Fu Yan's face was so close their foreheads almost touched. "Just relax, you're safe now."

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