When Felix saw Zhou Yunting, he wasn’t surprised.
The two had crossed paths before due to mutual interests in the classical music market, but had never actually cooperated. After all, a figure like Zhou Yunting only dealt with established European performance institutions, and even those giants had to show him some deference. Naturally, he wouldn’t bother with a small agency like Felix’s.
But the wind had shifted recently. Zhou Yunting had actively sought someone to broker a connection, wanting to discuss a partnership with him.
Whispers circulated in the industry that Zhou Yunting had been frequently diving into the classical music scene over the past two years, laying down moves step by step—all for a woman.
As for why Zhou Yunting had only worked with established European institutions in previous years but was now turning to him for cooperation, Felix mulled it over while twirling his cigarette butt. Suddenly, he remembered a rumor from a while back.
It was said that Zhou Yunting had fallen out with the woman he’d been spending money to pave the way for, and had stopped caring about her.
But looking at the current situation, Felix suddenly lost his confidence.
Was it that Zhou Yunting had truly had a falling out with that previous woman and had now set his sights on someone new?
Or had he, from start to finish, been painstakingly paving his way into the classical music circle solely for Shen Hua?
Felix racked his brain, recalling a glimpse of a girl backstage at a top-tier classical performance last year.
Her profile was soft and beautiful. She had come out of the VIP lounge carrying a cello. He’d heard that Zhou Yunting had reserved that lounge especially for her and had even given her the soloist position at center stage.
Back then, he’d dismissed it as Mr. Zhou’s whim—a rich man playing at patronizing an artist. He hadn’t given it much thought.
Now, having seen this scene firsthand, Felix no longer dared to underestimate Shen Hua. His gaze lingered on her face for a moment, and he sighed inwardly.
This woman indeed had the capital to make a man lose himself.
He had no intention of probing whether Zhou Yunting’s feelings for Shen Hua were genuine or feigned. He was only thinking about how close he’d come to disaster just now.
Fortunately, he hadn’t voiced any of those thoughts about “under-the-table deals,” or else he would be the one in an awkward position now.
Felix cleared his throat and looked languidly at Shen Hua, his words laden with deliberate insinuation: “Miss Shen, Mr. Zhou here is a major investor in the European classical music performance market. If you can win his favor, forget about commercial performance opportunities—even if you want to hold a solo recital at the Vienna Golden Hall, it wouldn’t be a problem.”
As he finished, he shot a meaningful glance at Zhou Yunting, but he didn’t notice that at his words, the expressions of the three people present all darkened.
Shen Hua didn’t even bother to hide a light laugh.
Almost instinctively, she felt this was another trap Zhou Yunting had set by dragging Xu Manjin’s future into it, just to force her to return.
She looked at Zhou Yunting, her eyes filled with undisguised wariness and resentment. But he met her gaze, his own heavy, without offering any explanation or speaking. The cigarette between his fingers had burned halfway, ash falling softly to the floor.
Shen Hua thought she was still relatively calm, her expression composed.
But beside her, Xu Manjin could no longer hold back. The Beijing girl, usually graceful in public, adept at managing social situations and popular with the opposite sex, now seemed like a firecracker that had been lit, fury blazing in her eyes.
She was angry at the two men’s outward hypocrisy, and even angrier at Felix’s obvious and subtle matchmaking. Suddenly, she grabbed Shen Hua’s wrist and stood up. Her voice, though not loud, was piercing, each word laced with bitterness as she hurled curses at Zhou Yunting.
“Shameless. Persistent as a ghost. You’ve got a pile of messes at home you won’t deal with, but you’ve got the nerve to come knocking without any self-respect.”
She then turned to glare at Felix, sneering sarcastically, “A turncoat who blows with the wind and fawns on the powerful—you think you belong in the classical music circle?”
With that, she tugged at Shen Hua to leave. Shen Hua’s expression wasn’t good, but she followed as Xu Manjin pushed open the hidden door.
The figure outside the door made them both freeze.
It was Yang Jiang, Zhou Yunting’s special assistant.
He stood at the entrance, and the moment he saw Shen Hua, a flicker of shock flashed in his eyes like a spark before he quickly suppressed it.
Almost instinctively, he extended an arm to block their way, his gaze sweeping over Zhou Yunting, who sat motionless inside the room.
His tall frame blocked the doorway completely, standing right in front of Shen Hua without leaving a single gap.
Xu Manjin was already furious—she’d even cursed the main target, so why would she be afraid of an assistant?
She sneered: “A loyal dog, indeed.”
Yang Jiang frowned at Xu Manjin and said only, “Miss Xu, feel free to go. Miss Shen, please stay.”
“Get out of the way! If you block me again, I’ll slap you!”
Yang Jiang didn’t move.
He hadn’t received any orders; blocking Shen Hua was pure instinct.
This woman was the thorn in his boss’s heart, and also the treasure in his hands.
He couldn’t understand it. The boss had cleared so many obstacles for her, yet she had left without a word.
Now that he’d finally run into her, she was still trying to leave.
He remembered how, after Shen Hua left, Zhou Yunting had fallen seriously ill. Once he recovered, he didn’t go looking for her. Instead, he silently laid out a plan, trying to flatten every hurdle between them.
On so many late nights, the boss would stare blankly at the empty practice room, unable to sleep peacefully.
Yang Jiang hoped Shen Hua would stay, because she was the only cure for Zhou Yunting’s heartache.
In the standoff, Felix’s voice suddenly came from behind them, light but like a block of ice shattering the deadlock.
“Manjin, if you walk out that door today, forget about the UK—from now on, even in Europe and Hong Kong, neither of you will be able to survive in this business.”
A cigarette dangled between his fingers, and his tone had lost its earlier warmth, leaving only naked threat.
Xu Manjin wasn’t the type to be easily pushed around. Felix’s words only fanned the flames, sending her anger surging straight to her head.
But just as she was about to explode, Shen Hua suddenly reached out and grabbed her, shaking her head gently.
Shen Hua and Xu Manjin had a deep, years-long bond. She genuinely didn’t want Xu Manjin to offend Zhou Yunting or Felix on her account.
Back when they hadn’t known Zhou Yunting’s identity, they’d spoken recklessly—that was one thing. But now that they understood his weight, she didn’t want her own issues to drag Xu Manjin’s future down with them.
Who Zhou Yunting was—everyone in Hong Kong knew.
Shen Hua had heard about him on her very first day at the University of Hong Kong, when a senior was gossiping about Zhou Yunting in the corner.
Among Hong Kong’s four major families, the Zhou family stood at the top. The helmsman of Qiyuan Group, the undisputed head of the Zhou family, a fearsome figure in the UK, Hong Kong, and the global business world—someone with the power to dominate.
As for the depth of his background—his grandfather, father, and uncle had roots in the old revolutionary forces left in Hong Kong. His mother, Lady Zhao, and her family had long-standing business ties with the British royal family. The Zhou family’s entrenchment in Hong Kong went far beyond what ordinary gossip could reveal. Shen Hua had only gradually pieced together the details after she got involved with Zhou Yunting.
By Zhou Yunting’s generation, he was the only male heir left in the Zhou family. He couldn’t afford to make a mistake. Every move he made was tied to the family’s interests; he carried the weight of the entire clan on his shoulders, behind which lay a web so intricate that a single thread pulled could shake the whole structure. Even his marriage had been preordained by the family.
For her sake, he shouldn’t have to break his pride and smash headlong into those old, entrenched rules. That was one of the reasons Shen Hua had made the resolute decision to leave him after meeting Zhou Yunting’s mother.
She had never told anyone about this, which was why Xu Manjin felt such outrage on her behalf. Having witnessed Zhou Yunting threatening her with her diploma, her future, her whole life, Xu Manjin was so furious that she lashed out without caring about the consequences.
But Shen Hua knew better than anyone that their sharp words, in front of Zhou Yunting, were nothing more than throwing eggs at a stone. They would inevitably boomerang back and cut into their own flesh.
In this moment, Shen Hua was reminded of the first time Zhou Yunting had threatened her. He’d said it lightly, “Now you know who I am? If I wanted to, there are plenty of people in this city who could disappear without a trace.”
Shen Hua felt a weight pressing on her chest. She stood frozen in hesitation when Zhou Yunting’s voice suddenly came from behind her, flat and devoid of any emotion: “Yang Jiang, let them go.”
Shen Hua frowned and turned around.
Zhou Yunting had already stubbed out his cigarette at some point. One arm rested on the back of the sofa, his entire body sinking back into the shadows, which cast a faint gloom over his profile.
He was dark, cold, and sent a chill down her spine.
Shen Hua’s feet felt nailed to the ground.
Xu Manjin tugged at her, but she didn’t move.
After a few seconds, Shen Hua pushed Xu Manjin aside and walked back into the private room. The short distance felt interminable. She stopped in front of Zhou Yunting, looking down at him.
Her voice was clear and forceful: “If you have any issue, take it up with me.”