An irritating ringtone shattered the morning silence.
An Feng rolled over groggily, silently agreeing with the old wisdom: the fastest way to make yourself absolutely hate your favorite song is to set it as your morning alarm.
He squinted at his phone.
It was nearly eight o’clock—right around the time he usually headed down to feed the horses.
Reaching over, he felt the other side of the bed.
It was empty, though still warm, suggesting its occupant had only recently slipped out.
He tossed the blanket aside, slid open the balcony screen door, and peered down.
Jenny was standing on the terrace below, sipping a mug of tea and taking in the sweeping vineyard views.
“Morning!” An Feng called out lazily, leaning his forearms on the balcony railing.
“You’re up early.” Jenny turned around, looking up at him with a grin.
“Early?
It’s practically midday!
I wanted to get up to watch the sunrise, but you were completely dead to the world.
The sun was already way up by the time I gave up on waking you.” She gestured toward the sky, and An Feng laughed.
“You’re dedicated.
I’ve lived here for months and I still haven’t managed to catch a single sunrise.” “That’s because you’re incredibly lazy,” Jenny teased.
“I left some breakfast on the counter for you.
By the way, I heard a horse whinnying earlier.
Do you actually keep horses down there?” “I do,” An Feng said.
“Want to go for a ride after breakfast?” Jenny hesitated, a look of mild concern crossing her face.
“I don’t know…
I’m a little terrified.
If I fall off, is my butt going to split in two?” “Don’t worry,” An Feng chuckled.
“I’ll keep a close eye on you.” After a quick breakfast and a shower, An Feng fired up his all-terrain vehicle and drove them down to the pasture.
Following a series of upgrades, the equestrian facilities were looking pristine.
Based on Joanna’s expert recommendations, the riding area was now fully fenced and divided into distinct zones.
He had purchased a variety of professional training hurdles and barrel-racing equipment, and a fresh layer of fine arena sand had been laid down to accommodate high-intensity training.
The moment An Feng parked the ATV, Philip spotted him from his paddock.
The magnificent stallion let out an excited, echoing whinny, quieted only when An Feng walked over to greet him.
An Feng scanned the stables.
The stalls were impeccably clean.
Both Old John and his daughter Jessie loved riding in their spare time and took great pride in keeping the place spotless.
An Feng had briefly considered hiring a full-time stable hand, but Old John insisted that with so few horses, they could easily manage the daily upkeep themselves.
An Feng grabbed a few fresh carrots, snapping them into sections.
He handed a couple to Jenny and led her toward Philip’s stall.
“Watch how I do it first,” An Feng instructed, placing a carrot chunk in his open hand.
Philip leaned over, gently vacuuming the treat from his palm with his soft lips.
“Keep your hand completely flat.
If you curl your fingers or try to hold the carrot with your fingertips, a horse might accidentally mistake your fingers for the treat.” “Your turn,” An Feng said, stepping aside.
Jenny carefully flattened her palm and slowly extended her hand toward Philip.
An Feng watched the stallion closely.
As an uncastrated stallion, Philip was notoriously temperamental.
It was a bit of a mystery—aside from An Feng, the horse resisted almost everyone else.
Even Old John, an experienced horseman, avoided riding him because of how stubbornly he fought the saddle.
Yet, when it came to treats, Philip was a perfect gentleman.
‘Maybe this guy is just an absolute foodie,’ An Feng thought.
Once Philip finished his treat, Jenny beamed and eagerly pulled out her phone.
“Make sure you turn off the flash,” An Feng cautioned gently.
“And try to avoid making sudden, erratic movements.
Horses can startle easily, especially if they aren’t familiar with you yet.” Jenny nodded, taking the advice to heart.
Once the horses were fed, An Feng pulled on his tall riding boots, grabbing a shovel to clear out the stalls.
Jenny took a tactical step back with a polite smile, offering an excuse: “I’ll…
go keep Pipi and Eggy company so they don’t get in your way.” An Feng glanced back at the two retrievers happily chasing Jenny around the yard, chuckling to himself.
He used to find the physical labor of mucking out stalls a bit of a chore, but over time, as his bond with Philip grew, he had actually come to enjoy the routine.
As Joanna always said, the hard work pays off in the saddle.
With the chores finished, An Feng tacked up Philip and Angelina.
He chose the incredibly docile mare, Angelina, for Jenny’s first lesson, demonstrating basic mounting and riding techniques before taking her for a quick run around the arena to clear a few low hurdles.
Dismounting, he walked over to Jenny.
“Alright.
I’ll hold the reins while you get comfortable.
She’s incredibly gentle, so just relax.” Jenny took the reins, but as she tried to lead the mare forward, Angelina tossed her head, trying to pull away.
An Feng quickly stepped in, gently stroking the mare’s sleek neck.
“Whoa, easy girl.
Relax.” Once the mare calmed down, he handed the reins back to Jenny.
This time, Angelina cooperated beautifully, walking calmly by her side.
Next came the mounting process.
While Angelina was cooperative, Jenny wasn’t quite as tall as Joanna, making it a bit of a struggle for her to reach the stirrups.
An Feng had to step in, placing his hands firmly under her hips to hoist her up into the saddle.
Seeing her grip the reins with white knuckles, An Feng offered some encouragement: “Breathe, Jenny.
Horses are highly intuitive.
The moment you sit in that saddle, she knows exactly how confident you are.
If she senses you’re terrified, she might try to test her boundaries.
Stay calm and stay in control.” An Feng led the mare by the bridle for a couple of laps.
Once Jenny found her rhythm, he slowly let go, allowing her to guide Angelina on her own.
With a gentle nudge of her heels, the mare began a slow, steady walk.
Jenny looked like she wanted to burst out cheering but held it in, her face flushed with pure excitement.
“Excellent!
Keep your spine straight!” An Feng called out.
He had trained Jenny in the classic English style that Joanna favored.
He snapped a few photos of her looking incredibly elegant in the saddle, guessing they would find their way onto her social media feeds before the day was over.
An Feng mounted Philip and rode alongside her.
Philip was an absolute dream to ride for An Feng, but his fierce temper remained a hazard for anyone else.
Henry had tried to mount him once, only to be promptly bucked off into the dirt.
Since then, everyone on the estate kept a respectful distance from the stallion.
By lunchtime, they headed back to the house.
Jenny complained playfully that her inner thighs were incredibly sore and chafed from gripping the saddle.
An Feng checked the reddened skin, gently rubbing a soothing lotion over her legs with a grin.
“You’ll be fine.
A few more sessions and you’ll be riding like a pro.” In the afternoon, An Feng showered, changed into a crisp, tailored suit, grabbed his laptop, and headed down to the city.
He had scheduled an interview with his top personal assistant candidate at a quiet, upscale cafe downtown.
By the time he arrived, the candidate was already waiting at a corner table.
“Hello, Mr.
An.
I’m John Adams,” the man said, rising to offer a firm handshake and a professional smile.
“Nice to meet you, John,” An Feng replied.
An Feng took a moment to assess him.
John was slightly shorter than him, with neatly styled dark hair, a clean-shaven face, and an impeccably pressed suit and tie.
He presented himself with the quiet confidence of someone who paid meticulous attention to detail.
Despite waiting for over ten minutes, there wasn’t a trace of impatience on his face.
“My apologies for the delay,” An Feng said smoothly.
“I had a few things to wrap up at the estate before heading down.” “Please, don’t worry about it.
I preferred to arrive early,” John replied politely.
They sat down and ordered a round of coffees.
An Feng decided to get straight to the point.
“I’ve thoroughly reviewed your credentials, John.
While you’re still young and your corporate portfolio is relatively fresh, I see a lot of potential in your background.” “Thank you, Mr.
An,” John said, maintaining steady eye contact.
“My requirements are simple,” An Feng continued.
“I need someone who can ensure my capital is deployed efficiently, and who can draft comprehensive investment strategies and handle high-level business negotiations on my behalf.” “Those are standard core competencies for me,” John assured him.
“Good.
Where are you currently based?” The sudden pivot caught John slightly off guard, but he adapted quickly.
“I live in San Diego.
Most of my prior consulting work was based out of that region.” “Understood.
Let’s start with a practical test,” An Feng said, leaning back.
“I want you to act as my representative in the ongoing negotiations with Teraland.
Your goal is to maximize our equity and cash-out positioning.
I will evaluate your capabilities based on the final outcome of these negotiations.
If I’m satisfied with the results, salary will not be an issue.” John’s eyes sharpened.
With the slow economic recovery, competition in the financial sector was fierce, and he had been looking for a breakthrough opportunity.
Hearing An Feng’s offer, his ambition was instantly ignited.
“If you deliver results, you will secure a highly lucrative position with me,” An Feng added, his tone calm but firm.
“If things don’t work out, I will still compensate you fairly for your time at standard industry consulting rates.” “I won’t let you down, Mr.
An,” John said confidently.
An Feng held his gaze for a long moment, letting a quiet, imposing silence settle over the table.
Internally, An Feng was highly amused.
This authoritative, enigmatic CEO persona was a trick he had practiced in front of his bathroom mirror for half an hour, using acting tips Jenny had shared with him the night before.
It was highly effective.
An Feng opened his laptop and transferred the relevant Teraland files to John’s email.
“Here are the background documents and our current patent data.
Review them and give me a call if you have any questions.
I don’t care where you work—from home, an office, or a coffee shop.
I only care about the final results.” After a brief, twenty-minute meeting, An Feng left a generous tip on the table, stood up, and walked out without even touching his coffee.
A moment later, his Ferrari roared to life in the parking lot, leaving John sitting at the table in quiet awe.
‘Now that,’ John thought, ‘is a real boss.’ Staring at the files on his screen, John eagerly pulled out his phone and dialed his wife.
“Hey, honey!
You won’t believe it—I just landed an incredible opportunity!”