Faced with rejection, the disheartened Fu Ting walked out of the fruit tea shop. Looking at the busy traffic on the road, she planned to set up a street stall first. Only when the milk tea was sold would they have more business opportunities.
They eventually found a vacant lot, set up a simple stall, and displayed the milk tea.
Fu Pei was guarded with his public image, so it was unsettling for him to sell something at a stall on the street.
As he turned to look at the beaming little girl, however, he changed his mindset. He did not want to disappoint her after all that she did, so he braced himself with a stoic face.
Fu Ting understood her father's temperament thus said nothing about it. She went to a restaurant and charmed her way to borrow a plastic stool. She then went to her father and made him sit under a sycamore tree. "You just sit here until I'm done selling them, Dad, and we can go home after this."
Fu Pei was stunned. His eyes gazed into her cheerful ones and felt like something in his heart suddenly collapsed.
Fu Ting stood at the intersection and hawked her products with her delicate voice. "Milk tea, milk tea! Super delicious flower tea! They're aromatic, distinct, and tasty! They can even help you relieve the summer heat! Be sure to take yours today!"
In this era, the common practice in society was not particularly open. Very few people dared to shout on the street despite the many businesses around the corner.
Fu Ting's hair was tied to a bun and she wore a pink dress; she resembled an elf that came from the skies. Her chant-like hawking successfully caught the attention of passersby.
Still, no one came to her stall when they heard she was selling milk tea, a beverage uncommon to the community. Instead of being discouraged, her determination grew even more.
The girl wore on a faint smile, and the way she moved could brighten the entire area. Her eyes seemed to glimmer, just like her pearly white teeth. Like an oriole1, her voice was clear and pleasant. Fu Ting easily became the most dazzling scenery in this street.
With his gaze still on Little Fool, his fists balled in his pockets.
His downcast eyes were glumly clouded.
Little Fool was a very delicate girl. She should be a flower in the greenhouse carefully cared for by others, not humbling herself and let the public watch as she toiled for a living.
He stood up abruptly and walked behind Fu Ting, but it was then when he heard a familiar belittling voice. "Is this my big brother? Have you dug a hole for yourself that you had to sell things on the street?"
It was Fu Chenyi, and he was with his newly bought motorcycle. His laugh toward Fu Pei annoyed the passersby to the point they wanted to slap him.
Fu Pei merely ignored Fu Chenyi, who then turned to Fu Ting with an indecent gaze. "Little Sister Fu Ting, you'll only have a bad time if you continue to follow my brother. It's such a wonderful weekend, yet you had to set up a stall here. Do you want to follow me instead? I promise that you'll only have the finer things in life."
Fu Pei's jaw tightened. He stood in front of Fu Ting and harshly kicked at Fu Chenyi's motorcycle.
"My motorcycle!" Fu Chenyi fell with his motorcycle due to the force. Once he got back on his feet, his fury led him to bark at his brother, "Who do you think you are, Fu Pei?! You can't even provide for yourself, even going so far as making your girlfriend earn a living for you both. You're useless! Garbage!"
At that moment, Fu Pei's entire being emitted a harsh, unforgiving aura. He was livid.
The teenager stood straight and his eyes were downcast, veiled in shadow.
Blue veins grew visible on his balled fists, a telltale sign that he was very close to ending someone.
Fu Chenyi knew the ways to provoke Fu Pei. His brother left him with a criminal record the last time they met, and Fu Chenyi just could not let it slide. The stars must be in his favor at the moment as he finally got his chance. He was determined to anger Fu Pei and allow him to attack before calling the police on him.
Then...
A soft and fair hand gently held Fu Pei by the corners of his shirt.
Fu Pei averted his gaze and met Fu Ting's eyes that were as gentle as the moonlight.
The sadistic air around him vanished in an instant.
Fu Chenyi was dumbfounded. Fu Ting then turned to him with a sympathetic look on her face. "How sad... You must've gone through so much pain as an orphan. It's pitiful that you don't have a great dad like mine."
Fu Chenyi almost died of anger. He recalled Fu Ting's immense strength that could defeat a bull, so he gave up his plan to argue with her and continued to ridicule Fu Pei.
"Dad, just ignore the lunatic." Fu Ting pulled Fu Pei and walked away, ignoring Fu Chenyi as though he did not exist.
Fu Chenyi was stunned. It was so boring to have a one-man drama. 'You guys should at least entertain me a little!'
Fu Pei saw that Fu Ting had resumed her hawking with a milk tea at hand. No longer hesitant, he went and held her by the shoulders.
Fu Ting tilted her head, and a lovely dimple right under her eye was revealed.
With the milk tea at hand, the sweat on her forehead was crystal-like under the sunlight.
Fu Pei grabbed the milk tea from her and made her sit on the stool without giving her a chance to protest. He left her there as he walked away haughtily. "You're clumsy, and you won't be able to sell them all even until next year. You stay here, I'll do it."
Fu Ting then saw Fu Pei holding the milk tea as though he was holding a sword and stopped a passerby. He forcefully shoved the milk tea into the passerby's hand.
"Milk tea. Buy it!"
...