After the two of them sat down, He Zhuosheng turned his head and gave Lei Shaoxin a gentle, affectionate look.
Whether out of guilt or something else, that gaze made her uneasy. She forced a slight smile in response, clearly just going through the motions.
Lei Jiu watched their interaction with satisfaction. “Xinxin, your father is getting old. I don’t have the same drive as before, and you’re still not familiar with the company’s operations. Luckily, this year we have several projects from Zhuosheng Group.”
Lei Shaoxin scooped up some black truffle scrambled eggs from her plate. “Dad, how are you old? ‘Master Lei’ is still a powerful name in the business world.”
“Black truffle really pairs perfectly with eggs,” Lei Jiu said, taking a deep puff from his pipe. “But Xinxin, the Lei Corporation should still be managed by our own people.”
“Don’t you agree, Zhuosheng?”
He Zhuosheng nodded and placed a fully cut steak in front of Lei Shaoxin.
He set down his knife and fork, then looked at her. “Xinxin, where would you like to hold the wedding?”
Lei Shaoxin turned sharply to him. “Why move it forward?”
Across the table, Gao Man and Lei Zhiying watched like they were enjoying a show.
Was this dinner about black truffles and eggs—or about “family”?
It was obvious now. Lei Jiu and the others, each with their own agenda, had staged this entire dinner to pressure her into marrying He Zhuosheng.
This wasn’t a dinner—it was a trap.
Looks like this would be the last time she ever sat at the same table with them.
“I’m not marrying him,” Lei Shaoxin said angrily as she stood up.
“Lei Shaoxin.” Lei Jiu stood as well.
Father and daughter faced each other, separated by an invisible wall.
Lei Shaoxin let out a cold laugh. “Doesn’t Master Lei still have another daughter?”
She no longer even called him “Dad.”
With that, she turned and walked out.
At that moment, He Zhuosheng reached out and grabbed her hand. “Xinxin, don’t go.”
She glanced down and saw the trace of vulnerability in his eyes.
“Mr. He, cutting the steak beforehand ruins the texture. I prefer it served the English way.”
She gently shook off his hand. The sharp sound of her high heels echoed through the private room.
Outside, A-Feng was leaning against the car, keeping an eye on the restaurant entrance. When he saw Lei Shaoxin rush out with her head lowered, he immediately sensed something was wrong and followed after her.
At the same time, he called Fu Haoyan.
Not daring to approach and disturb her, he could only wait for Fu Haoyan to arrive.
When Fu Haoyan got there, he saw Lei Shaoxin sitting on the steps of a long staircase, hugging her knees with her head buried down.
Under the dim streetlights, her small figure curled up on the steps looked fragile—like a lifeless doll.
He sighed softly, his eyes filled with concern, and walked down the steps toward her.
A Le, who had come along, leaned casually against the railing and nodded at A-Feng in greeting.
Hearing footsteps, Lei Shaoxin slowly lifted her head—only to see a bag of egg waffles held out in front of her.
Looking up, she saw Fu Haoyan standing against the light, holding them out to her.
Seeing her frozen in place, he gave the bag a little shake, the paper rustling. She snapped back to her senses and took it.
Fu Haoyan sat down beside her on the same step and draped his suit jacket over her legs.
Quietly, she broke off pieces of the egg waffle and ate, then slowly leaned her head against his shoulder.
The night was silent except for the chirping of cicadas. Her cheeks puffed out as she ate, like a little hamster.
Fu Haoyan glanced at her face resting on his shoulder. “Still just as easy to comfort as when you were a kid.”
“Brother Haoyan… I don’t want to marry He Zhuosheng. I like you,” she said, her mouth still full, her voice muffled.
“What did you say?” he teased deliberately.
“I said I don’t want to marry He Zhuosheng,” she replied, suddenly sitting up and raising her voice.
He grinned mischievously. “The next sentence.”
“If you didn’t hear it, forget it,” she muttered, grabbing his jacket and stuffing it back into his arms.
He leaned closer to her ear. “So you finally thought to come to me. Didn’t I say years ago I wouldn’t let anyone bully you?”
He gently kissed her forehead.
Her face flushed red as she stood up, dusted herself off, and walked down the steps.
Fu Haoyan stood there, watching her figure, his gaze following her shadow down the long staircase.
The night breeze lifted her hair, carrying a faint scent of rose hips that drifted into his senses, unsettling his composure.
For a moment, he stood there, lost in thought—
her image overlapping with the girl he remembered in her school uniform.
Fu Haoyan quickly caught up to Lei Shaoxin and reached out to grab the egg waffles in her hand.
Pouting, she nudged him away with her elbow.
He clutched his chest in mock pain. “So stingy—you won’t even let me have a bite.”
Once, it had been a boy in a school uniform and a little girl. Now, dressed in high-end fashion, the two of them walked through the streets of Hong Kong—yet their silhouettes looked just like those days when they walked home from school together.
A Le glanced at the scene, then looked up and down at A-Feng, who stood stiffly beside him.
Catching the look from the corner of his eye, A-Feng frowned. “What?”
A Le shook his head helplessly. “Nothing.”
“If it’s nothing, then keep up,” A-Feng said as he strode forward.
A Le let out a deep sigh. Why did he have to be stuck next to this big blockhead? Looks like it was time to go on some blind dates.
Early autumn in Hong Kong still felt as hot and humid as midsummer.
The next morning, Lei Shaoxin pulled open the curtains. The sky was clear and cloudless.
Sunlight streamed harshly into the room, making her squint as her eyes adjusted.
She opened the safe, took out two brown envelopes, slipped them into her bag, and headed downstairs.
A-Feng was already waiting in the garage.
Seeing her approach, he opened the rear car door for her.
Through the car window, Lei Shaoxin turned to look at the sea of roses in the garden. “Take me to the Fu Group.”
“Yes, Miss Lei,” A-Feng replied.
She reminded him, “A-Feng, just call me Shaoxin. ‘Miss Lei’ sounds strange.”
“Got it… Sister Xin,” he said, feeling it wasn’t appropriate to call her by name due to their employer-employee relationship.
She raised her hand as if to hit him. “I’m younger than you. Try calling me ‘sister’ again.”
“…Understood, Shaoxin,” he corrected, continuing to drive.
The Fu Group’s PR department acted quickly, releasing a statement overnight clarifying that rumors about the Lei family’s eldest daughter’s marriage were false.
Still, the media had already caught wind of it and were waiting outside the Fu Group building early in the morning.
The paparazzi didn’t miss a single car that pulled up.
Before Lei Shaoxin’s car had even come to a complete stop, reporters surrounded it. Fortunately, the tinted windows prevented them from seeing who was inside.
A-Feng glanced at the rearview mirror. “Shaoxin, there are a lot of reporters at the main entrance. There are probably some at the side entrance and parking garage too.”
“Go to the side entrance.”
There were still a few reporters there. The moment the car door opened, they snapped out of their idle stance, raising their cameras as shutters clicked nonstop.
A-Feng’s imposing build was enough to block them off, giving Lei Shaoxin time to quickly enter the building.
By the time reporters from the main entrance rushed over, she was already gone—leaving only a burly man behind.
The elevator went straight to the top floor. With a ding, the doors opened.
As Lei Shaoxin stepped out, she ran into A Le, who was just stepping in. Both of them jumped in surprise.
Startled, A Le dropped the documents in his hands, scattering them across the floor.
“Miss Lei, President Fu is in a meeting downstairs. I was just heading there—I can let him know you’re here,” A Le said, crouching to pick them up.
“No need. I’m just here to have lunch with him,” she replied, crouching to help.
A Le nodded and hurried into the elevator.
As soon as he entered the meeting room, he leaned down and whispered something into Fu Haoyan’s ear.
The usually cold and composed chairman’s lips curved slightly. He left the rest of the meeting to A Le and strode out.
The department directors exchanged puzzled looks, while A Le secretly felt pleased—ever since Lei Shaoxin returned to Hong Kong, his year-end bonus had increased and his overtime had decreased.
Meanwhile, Lei Shaoxin stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, her back to the door, gazing absentmindedly at the view outside.
The sunlight that day had been just as blinding as today.
It had been an ordinary day—she had gone to class as usual. Only after class, when she checked her phone and heard the message, did she realize something was wrong.
By the time she rushed home, the area had already been cordoned off.
At the police station, watching the surveillance footage of her mother’s fall, she found herself unable to cry—numb as she signed the investigation confirmation papers.
She didn’t even remember how she made it home.
All she knew was that, throughout the night, she kept replaying the voicemail her mother had left her.
There had only been one sentence:
Don’t come back to Hong Kong.
Seeing her standing there, Fu Haoyan instinctively softened his steps. He reached out and wrapped an arm around her shoulders from behind, resting his chin lightly on her head.
“Dingding, why didn’t you tell me you were coming? There are so many reporters downstairs.”
She was clearly startled. Looking up at him, her eyes were distant. It took her a moment to come back to herself.
Noticing her expression, Fu Haoyan loosened his grip.
“What’s wrong? Did the reporters scare you?”
“I’m fine,” she said, taking his hand and leading him toward the sofa. “I need your help with something.”