Lei Shaoxin drove her cement-gray sports car freely through the streets of Hong Kong. The engine’s roar only faded once she entered the parking garage of Fu Corporation.
Leaning her arm against the car window, she held up her phone and said,
“Haoyan, want to go for another test drive? I’ll take you somewhere. I’m in your parking lot.”
“Wait for me—I’m coming down now,” Fu Haoyan replied as he pushed open his office door.
He walked up to his secretary. “Cancel all my meetings. Move everything to tomorrow morning.”
Then he stepped into his private elevator, heading straight to the parking level.
It didn’t take long before Lei Shaoxin spotted him. She flashed her headlights.
Fu Haoyan opened the passenger door and got in.
“So, racer girl—where are you taking me?” he asked, fastening his seatbelt.
The moment he sat down, the faint scent of rose and fruit filled the air—he liked it.
“Hold tight, Boss Fu.”
The car shot forward with a roar.
Lei Shaoxin drove all the way to Lung Kwu Tan, arriving just before sunset.
Located in the southwest of Hong Kong, it was a well-known spot for watching the sunset.
She tilted her chin forward. “Get out—look.”
Before stepping out, she grabbed the coffee she had bought earlier.
“This salted egg latte isn’t bad, right?” she said, handing him a cup and lightly clinking it against his.
They leaned casually against the hood of the car, sipping coffee in silence.
Neither spoke—they simply watched the sunset.
The golden light shimmered across the ocean, casting a soft glow over both of them.
In early summer, even the sea breeze carried a lingering warmth.
Fu Haoyan rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, revealing part of a tattoo.
“What does that tattoo mean?” Lei Shaoxin asked, following his movement as he lifted his cup.
“It covers a scar,” he replied, pulling his sleeve up a little more to reveal a slightly raised, pale mark.
Now she could see it clearly—the tattoo was a string of numbers.
“A set of coordinates,” he added. “Got injured there… by a little chili.”
Lei Shaoxin froze, staring at the scar, lost in thought.
“Where did you go to high school?” she suddenly asked.
Fu Haoyan only smirked slightly, taking another sip of coffee without answering.
As night fell, they drove back to Central.
The city was just coming alive—Hong Kong’s nightlife had begun.
Lei Shaoxin stopped the car outside V Club. Fu Haoyan stepped out and walked inside.
Meanwhile, she went alone to a nearby local café, ordering something simple for dinner.
Staring at the French toast in front of her, she drifted into thought.
Could it really be him…? No way it’s that much of a coincidence…
It was still early.
Inside the bar, small groups of office workers sat scattered around. The dance floor was quiet.
Fu Haoyan went straight upstairs, closing the door behind him and shutting out the loud music.
“Boss Fu, you finally showed up,” Lai Mingxian teased, lounging with one leg crossed over the other, a cigar in hand. “Now that you’ve got a girl, you’ve forgotten about your lonely friend, huh?”
Fu Haoyan picked up a cigar, clipped the end, lit it, and took a slow drag. Leaning back into the sofa, legs stretched out, he exhaled a stream of smoke.
“Interested in Plot No. 9?” Lai Mingxian asked.
Fu Haoyan took a sip of whiskey. “Not me—He Zhuosheng is.”
Lai Mingxian raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t he engaged to the Lei family’s eldest daughter? Thinking of stealing her away?”
Fu Haoyan’s expression darkened. “We’ve known each other since we were kids—he’s the one who cut me off first.”
Lai Mingxian burst out laughing, nearly collapsing onto the sofa.
“You going to the auction yourself?”
“Of course,” Fu Haoyan said, crushing out his cigar. “How else would I see He Zhuosheng lose his composure?”
Only Lai Mingxian knew the truth—
Fu Haoyan had secretly liked her for years. He had even quietly followed her all the way to the UK.
And she had no idea.
Naturally, Lai Mingxian wasn’t going to miss the show.
“Then the Lai Group is going too.”
Inside the elevator, white-collar workers from Central each held a cup of coffee—foam designs ruined but still effective enough to keep them awake.
Lei Shaoxin was no exception.
In her hand was an iced Americano, condensation beading along the cup.
Inside the crowded elevator, everyone squeezed past each other, turning sideways just to make space.
Back in the Development Department, the morning meeting began.
“Plot No. 9 is this year’s key project,” Director Liu emphasized. “Master Lei has personally instructed us—there can be no mistakes.”
Turning to Lei Shaoxin, he added, “Shaoxin, you’ll mainly coordinate with the Finance Department—make sure the funding is in order. You’ll also represent Master Lei at the auction, so stay on top of everything.”
Taking notes, she nodded. “Understood, Director Liu.”
After assigning a few more tasks, the meeting was dismissed.
Lei Shaoxin left the conference room, took the elevator, and headed to the Finance Department.
The finance director led her into an unused office and placed a thick stack of financial documents on the desk.
Soon, she was working alone.
The room was silent—only the soft sound of pages turning and her fingers moving across the keyboard broke the stillness.
As she flipped through one of the files, her hand suddenly paused.
Her brows tightened.
Through the glass wall, she glanced outside cautiously, making sure no one was paying attention.
Then, she quickly took out her phone and snapped photos of the documents before locking the screen and slipping it back into her pocket.
She stared at the file in front of her.
It was a reimbursement receipt for a flight ticket.
The date—
It was the exact day before her mother’s suicide.
And the name on it…
Lei Jiu.
This was no coincidence.
So it really was connected to him.
After all these days at Lei Group, she had finally found something.
If that was the case, then Lei Group must also be deeply tied to Zhuosheng Group.
Looks like I’ll have to pay them a visit too…
By the time she finished reviewing everything, it was already the end of the workday.
She headed straight to the parking garage—and happened to run into Lei Jiu.
“Xinxin, you haven’t been home for days. Come back for dinner tonight,” he said, walking toward her.
“Alright. I drove myself,” she replied, opening her car door.
The moment she stepped inside the house, she saw Gao Man and Lei Zhiying arranging flowers.
“Aunt Man, Zhiying.”
Gao Man nodded in acknowledgment, while Lei Zhiying didn’t even bother to look up.
Seeing Lei Jiu and Shaoxin return, the servants began setting dishes on the table.
Dinner was ready.
“Xinxin, how’s work? Getting used to it?” Lei Jiu asked, placing a shrimp onto her plate.
She nodded. “It’s fine. My colleagues have been quite helpful.”
Lei Jiu paused mid-meal and looked at Lei Zhiying.
“Yingying, why haven’t you been going to school lately? And why are you always hanging around the company? Don’t think I don’t know.”
“I’ve been doing part-time modeling. There’s barely any classes at school anyway,” she muttered, lowering her head and focusing on her food.
Sensing the tension, Gao Man quickly smoothed things over.
“Master Lei, don’t be upset. Yingying knows her limits,” she said with a smile, placing a peeled shrimp into his bowl.
Lei Jiu didn’t press further. Instead, he turned back to Lei Shaoxin.
“Xinxin, the Plot No. 9 project will be a joint bid with Zhuosheng Group. Visit them more often. On the day of the auction, go together with Zhuosheng. Understood?”
“Understood.”
On the surface, the dinner remained peaceful.
But the shrimp Lei Jiu had placed on her plate—she never touched it.
The low hum of the sports car engine filled the air as she drove away from the Lei residence.
She didn’t feel like going home.
Instead, she drove aimlessly—until, without realizing it, she found herself outside Fu Corporation.
Her car idled at the roadside with hazard lights on.
She reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a pack of Marlboro cigarettes.
Rolling down the window and lowering her seat slightly, she lit one. The lighter glowed red as she brought it to the tip.
Smoke drifted into the night air as she rested her hand casually against the window.
Her phone lay on her lap, screen still lit—
Displaying the photo she had secretly taken earlier that day.
She looked up at the top floor of the building.
The lights were still on.
He hasn’t left yet…
The cigarette burned halfway down.
She still couldn’t explain why she had driven here.
Maybe…
It was just instinct.
Her phone suddenly rang.
“Shaoxin, I’ll pick you up at eight tomorrow. We’ll go to the venue together.”
“Alright.”
She hung up.
The cigarette burned out.
The engine roared to life once more—
And the car disappeared into the night.