The taxi slowly came to a stop. Not far behind, a black business car also pulled over, but no one got out.
Lei Shaoxin stepped out of the taxi holding a bouquet of red roses and some offerings for worship. As she got out, she glanced back at the business car before heading into the cemetery.
The bright red roses stood out starkly against the desolate surroundings.
She sat in front of the grave, burning the offerings and softly recounting everything that had happened since she returned to Hong Kong.
Seeing the overgrown weeds around the grave, she used her fair, delicate hands to slowly clear them away.
She looked like a lifeless doll.
A rustling sound came from behind, startling her.
She turned around with wide eyes and saw Fu Haoyan following behind Chen Zhenni, holding a bouquet of red roses.
“Aunt Jenny?” Lei Shaoxin asked, her voice uncertain.
Chen Zhenni smiled in surprise. “Shaoxin, after all these years, you still recognize me.”
Fu Haoyan bent down to place the flowers, pouting slightly. This fiery little girl recognized Ms. Chen immediately, yet didn’t recognize him at all—how heartless.
Seeing Lei Shaoxin again after so many years reminded Chen Zhenni of Xu Yuqiao. As their eyes met, she couldn’t help but think how much Shaoxin resembled her mother.
Back then, a wrong decision by Fu Group chairman Fu Yeting nearly drove the company into bankruptcy. In desperation, Chen Zhenni once sat on a rooftop holding her young son, Fu Haoyan, ready to end it all. No matter how much her son cried “Mommy,” she wouldn’t change her mind.
It was Xu Yuqiao, risking her own life, who pulled the mother and son back from the edge.
Despite opposition from her own family, Xu Yuqiao—the only daughter of the Xu family—gave both money and effort to help the Fu family through their crisis. It was a kindness Chen Zhenni would never forget for the rest of her life.
The memory was too heavy to dwell on. Chen Zhenni quickly snapped out of it and walked over to Lei Shaoxin.
Lei Shaoxin turned back to continue clearing weeds, only to realize that at some point, Fu Haoyan had already cleared more than half of them.
She stared at his back, suddenly feeling an inexplicable sense of security.
“Thank you,” she said softly.
Fu Haoyan paused and turned to look at her.
She was grateful that, after all these years, someone still remembered her mother.
Chen Zhenni took Lei Shaoxin’s hand. “What are you thanking us for? If it weren’t for your mother helping the Fu family back then, we would’ve starved to death long ago.”
Then she linked arms with her. “Come to our house for dinner tonight.”
“Okay.”
After finishing burning the remaining offerings, Fu Haoyan followed the two of them out.
Once inside the car, Lei Shaoxin glanced behind them. The business car that had been following her all along was nowhere to be seen.
She cast a puzzled look at Fu Haoyan, who was sitting in the front passenger seat.
Chen Zhenni chatted the whole way about childhood stories, and before they knew it, they had arrived at the Fu residence.
As soon as they entered, Chen Zhenni began instructing the servants on what to cook, then simply went into the kitchen herself to prepare the dishes. When Lei Shaoxin tried to help, she was firmly pushed out.
Lei Shaoxin returned to the living room and sat beside Fu Haoyan, who hadn’t spoken much all day.
He pushed a teacup toward her.
She accepted it and asked, “Brother Haoyan, the person following me… that was arranged by you, right?”
Fu Haoyan paused mid-pour. He knew exactly who she meant.
“Yes. A-Feng is a former mercenary. I was worried He Zhuosheng might harm you.”
Lei Shaoxin frowned slightly and turned to him. “How did you know it was He Zhuosheng’s people?”
That very night, Fu Haoyan had someone investigate who was following her and immediately arranged for bodyguards to watch over her home.
He didn’t directly answer her question, instead continuing, “After that car accident years ago, both his parents died, and he ended up in a wheelchair. Despite everything, he managed to rebuild from nothing and turn the obscure He Group into today’s Zhuosheng Group. He’s not someone to underestimate.”
The Fu family had built its wealth over generations, with deep and stable roots.
The He family, on the other hand, only entered business in the previous generation. Their company had been insignificant until He Zhuosheng took over and made it a household name in Hong Kong.
Although it still couldn’t rival the powerful Fu family, Zhuosheng Group was currently the most talked-about company in the city.
“Then…” Lei Shaoxin began, but was interrupted.
“Dinner’s ready!” Chen Zhenni called, carrying a dish of sweet-and-sour ribs into the dining room.
Fu Haoyan and Lei Shaoxin got up and followed.
As they approached, Chen Zhenni took Lei Shaoxin’s hand and led her to a seat beside her.
Lei Shaoxin had rarely visited the Fu home as a child, but Chen Zhenni had often visited hers, so she recognized her immediately.
“Shaoxin, why did you suddenly come back to Hong Kong? Weren’t you studying in Weigelan?”
Chen Zhenni kept adding food to her bowl until it was piled high.
“I took a leave from school. I came back to take care of some matters.”
Back then, her mother had returned to Hong Kong quietly, without any ceremony, and was buried simply before Lei Shaoxin hurried back overseas. She had kept her mother’s final wishes, and no one knew she had returned.
Even Chen Zhenni only learned later about Xu Yuqiao’s burial location.
It wasn’t until Lei Shaoxin discovered that financial report that she decided to take the risk and return.
Chen Zhenni put down her chopsticks and asked seriously, “I saw in gossip magazines that you’re engaged to He Zhuosheng. What’s going on?”
“The Lei and He families are just bullying me,” Lei Shaoxin said softly, glancing at Fu Haoyan.
Chen Zhenni immediately straightened up. “It’s fine. From now on, you’re my goddaughter. Let’s see who dares to bully you.”
Fu Haoyan suddenly looked up—
Great. The daughter-in-law he had almost secured… just slipped away.
“She doesn’t need another brother.”
“And who was it that didn’t even finish sixth form and insisted on going to Weigelan to study?” Chen Zhenni shot back irritably at Fu Haoyan, then pulled Lei Shaoxin along toward the garden.
Arm in arm, they strolled through the garden to digest after dinner. Lei Shaoxin turned to look at Chen Zhenni, feeling a warmth she hadn’t experienced in a long time—it reminded her of Xu Yuqiao.
She bent slightly and nestled her head into Chen Zhenni’s arms, rubbing against her like a child, softly calling, “Aunt Jenny…”
Chen Zhenni gently stroked her hair. “Silly girl. From now on, if anything happens, just go to Haoyan.”
Lei Shaoxin nodded.
Not far behind them, Fu Haoyan stood with his hands in his pockets. Watching the scene, his eyes softened with warmth. “Shaoxin, I’ll take you home.”
After saying goodbye to Chen Zhenni, Lei Shaoxin jogged after him toward the car.
The roads were quiet at night, and before long, they arrived at her house.
She didn’t get out right away. Remembering what Chen Zhenni had said, she asked, “Did you go to university in Weigelan… because of me?”
Fu Haoyan sat quietly, idly playing with a lighter in his hand. He lifted his gaze to her but said nothing.
Their eyes met.
Lei Shaoxin smiled, nodded slightly, and opened the door to get out.
His silence was an answer.
Fu Haoyan watched her run into the house and shook his head with a faint smile.
The roar of the sports car engine echoed behind her.
After entering, Lei Shaoxin walked through the garden and sat down in front of a patch of vivid red roses—her mother’s favorite.
She took out a pack of Marlboro cigarettes from her bag, staring at it absentmindedly.
Only after one cigarette had burned down completely did she stand, dust herself off, and head outside again.
A-Feng had already returned to Repulse Bay after receiving Fu Haoyan’s message at the cemetery.
Lei Shaoxin approached the black business car parked outside and knocked on the window. It rolled down, revealing A-Feng.
“Miss Lei, is something wrong?”
“Nothing. Don’t sleep in the car tonight—come inside.”
Knowing he was one of Fu Haoyan’s men, she arranged a guest room for him in the side building. There was no need for him to spend nights in the car—and perhaps it would make the house feel a little less empty.
A-Feng nodded and drove the car into the garage.
…
After that night at Zhuosheng Group, Lei Shaoxin stayed away from the Lei Corporation for over half a month to avoid unnecessary encounters.
Since returning to Hong Kong, she had gotten used to swimming early in the morning. Her graceful figure moved through the water like a mermaid—until a series of urgent doorbell rings broke the calm.
She lifted her head above the water, swam to the edge, and climbed out. Grabbing a robe from the lounge chair, she put it on and, without even drying her dripping hair, headed to the door.
When she saw Lei Jiu, she froze for a moment, then called out, “Dad,” and opened the door to let him in.
As Lei Jiu passed through the garden, he glanced at the field of roses.
Lei Shaoxin poured him a cup of tea before going upstairs to freshen up.
When she came back down, she saw him sitting on the sofa, smoking a pipe.
Drying her half-wet hair, she sat beside him. “Dad, what brings you here?”
“Xinxin, you haven’t been to the company these past few days. Are you not feeling well?” he asked, setting down his pipe.
“No.”
“Or are you still upset about the news from before?”
She shook her head.
Lei Jiu continued, “You know Yingying was spoiled by your Aunt Gao since she was little. She’s very willful—don’t blame her.”
Lei Shaoxin paused mid-motion, surprised to learn that Lei Zhiying had been the one to leak the news.
“It’s fine,” she said, setting down the towel.
Lei Jiu took a sip of tea. “Good. I bought some black truffles at an auction recently. Tonight, the whole family will have dinner together.”
His words sounded caring, but carried an undertone of testing. It sounded like an invitation—but it wasn’t something she could refuse.
He stayed until evening.
As night fell, Lei Shaoxin finally nodded in reluctant agreement.
After changing clothes upstairs, she followed Lei Jiu into the back seat of the car.
The business car pulled out of the garage and quietly followed behind.
Looking into the rearview mirror, Lei Shaoxin spotted a familiar license plate and felt an unexpected sense of reassurance.
Over the past few days, she had grown used to A-Feng’s presence.
Bringing a personal bodyguard to a family dinner would be inappropriate, so she had already texted him to wait in the car.
Wearing her red-soled high heels, Lei Shaoxin followed behind Lei Jiu.
The moment she pushed open the private dining room door, her brows furrowed slightly.
It wasn’t just Gao Man and Lei Zhiying inside.
He Zhuosheng was there too.
A flicker of unease rose in her chest, but she had no choice but to step inside.
As for He Zhuosheng, his expression remained completely calm—
as if nothing had happened that night.