Chuan Jin stared straight ahead with a solemn expression, deliberately maintaining a dignified demeanor and keeping a noticeable distance between the two of them.
Zhou Lincan withdrew his gaze, a mysterious smile playing on his lips. “Is Miss Xu afraid of misunderstandings?”
Chuan Jin found it strange: “President Zhou isn’t?”
[Is being associated with me really such a good thing? Wei Chi and Zheng Jingyuan can’t avoid me fast enough. With this question of yours, President Zhou, people won’t misunderstand that you like me—they’ll just think you’ve taken a fancy to my birth chart.]
Zhou Lincan:…
What a serious accusation.
“Why haven’t I seen Miss Xu (Third)?” Zhou Lincan coughed twice into his fist, changing the subject.
“She’s chatting with Lu Zhenjun and won’t be free for a while.” Mentioning Lu Zhenjun, Chuan Jin grew curious: “Hasn’t President Zhou been here for a while? Didn’t you know that member of the Lu family has arrived too?”
Zhou Lincan: “I was invited to chat with some family friends as soon as I reached the entrance, which delayed my entry. I just arrived at the banquet hall myself.”
With Lu Zhenjun’s Hong Kong Island background, people needed time to figure out how to approach him. Zhou Lincan, backed by Shen Shi, had been engaged in conversation from the moment he appeared in the parking lot. If he hadn’t overheard someone’s tearful inner thoughts, he wouldn’t have been able to break away.
“I see.” Chuan Jin nodded, then asked him: “Are you looking for Lulu, President Zhou? Should I go call her for you?”
Zhou Lincan shook his head, placing the gift box he’d been holding on his lap. “I just wanted to give this gift to Miss Xu (Third). Since she’s busy—”
“Then let me accept it on Third Sister’s behalf for now.” Chuan Jin immediately offered considerately upon seeing this.
Zhou Lincan lowered his eyes, glancing at her with a smile as he handed the gift box to Miss Xu.
Chuan Jin took it and was about to put it away when she heard the man say: “The actual gift is still with my assistant, so there’s no need to trouble Miss Xu to make a trip.”
Chuan Jin froze, looking down blankly before raising her head again. “Then what is this?”
“This one is the gift prepared for Miss Xu.”
…
Wei Chi took a glass of champagne from a waiter and walked toward the banquet hall entrance under everyone’s gaze. Wherever he passed, the elite of Shen Shi automatically cleared a path.
Finally, he stopped beside the woman wearing a dark green cheongsam.
Xu Mianchuan suddenly found herself shadowed by a figure and turned back in confusion to see Wei Chi standing three steps away, staring intently at her.
“Mr. Wei? What brings you to the entrance?” Xu Mianchuan smiled gently. “It’s cold here—you should go to the rest area. I had someone prepare mulled wine. Mr. Wei can have Miss Wei drink some.”
“I know.” Wei Chi glanced at the cheongsam fabric that ended just below her knees, frowned, and handed her the large beige shawl he was holding.
“Is this a shawl?” Xu Mianchuan accepted it.
“Mm.” Wei Chi was extremely sparing with words. Seeing her confusion, he added: “My sister asked me to give it to you.”
“Miss Wei?” Xu Mianchuan was startled, looking past the man’s tall figure toward the rest area. Wei Xingya was indeed watching them and waved distantly when she noticed Xu Mianchuan looking over.
Xu Mianchuan waved back, then returned her gaze to Wei Chi who had been staring at her. “Miss Wei is so thoughtful. But having Mr. Wei deliver it is too much trouble for you.”
Wei Chi took a sip of wine and replied: “No trouble.”
“I can’t leave my post here yet. Could I trouble Mr. Wei to thank your sister for me first?”
“You can thank her yourself later.”
“Ah?” Xu Mianchuan was taken aback, not understanding the meaning behind his words.
Had Wei Chi not planned to return after delivering the shawl?
As she pondered this, the man had already moved to stand beside her with his wine glass, positioning himself on the windward side. His tall frame blocked half the cold wind instantly, and the surrounding temperature seemed to rise accordingly.
Xu Mianchuan felt somewhat awkward. “Mr. Wei, you don’t have to…”
Wei Chi interrupted her. “My sister asked me to come.”
Xu Mianchuan pressed her lips together, shaking her head with a smile. “I know Miss Wei means well, but you’re guests here. Having you block the wind for me is rather improper. Besides, you’ve already brought me the shawl. Please return inside, Mr. Wei. I’m perfectly fine here alone.”
Wei Chi watched her speaking lips, that familiar irritation surging within him again. He frowned and drained his glass in one gulp.
“What if I want to stay here and chat with you, Miss Xu?”
Xu Mianchuan fell silent abruptly, her face frozen in disbelief.
Wei Chi set his glass aside casually, his expression stern. “Also, there’s no need to call me Mr. Wei. I’m only seven months older than you. Just call me Wei Chi.”
…
Chuan Jin’s eyes widened in surprise. “For me?”
Zhou Lincan nodded.
“But why?” Chuan Jin looked utterly bewildered, unable to comprehend.
Today’s banquet was held to celebrate the Xu Family’s reunion with their long-lost biological daughter, Xia Helu. All invited guests had prepared gifts exclusively for Xia Helu. While Xu Mianchuan had arranged a surprise for her to ensure she wouldn’t feel neglected, why would Zhou Lincan do the same?
“I was on a business trip in California and happened to think this gift would suit the Second Young Miss, so I brought it back. There’s no particular reason,” the man explained.
Suit her?
The reason seemed ordinary and devoid of deeper meaning. Almost as if possessed, Chuan Jin opened the box lid after hearing his words.
Inside lay a leather-bound notebook, barely larger than her palm. The clasp was unfastened, showing signs of previous use. Chuan Jin picked it up and opened it, spotting an English signature on the title page. After a moment’s examination, her eyes widened dramatically.
“Is this Mr. Dessar’s signature?!” She sprang to her feet.
The empty gift box clattered to the floor, but Chuan Jin paid it no mind. Excitement flushed her cheeks rosy, her eyes sparkling like stars, her hands trembling slightly as she clutched the notebook.
Zhou Lincan was quite pleased with Miss Xu’s exhilarated expression but maintained his composure. “We happened to meet in Lunsa District. I heard this father of modern drama has been chronically ill and rarely leaves home nowadays, so encountering him was quite fortuitous. I asked for his signature as a memento. Later, I realized I don’t have much interest in literary creation after all, so I decided to give the notebook as a gift. I hope the Second Young Miss likes it.”
Chuan Jin traced the flamboyant signature on the yellowed paper, too thrilled to respond verbally. But she didn’t need to speak—Zhou Lincan could already hear her jubilant inner voice.
[I love it I love it I love it!!! In this lifetime! I actually! Get to own! D-E-S-S-A-R!’s signature!! Hahahaha! Who has Dessar’s signature! Me me me me!!]
Zhou Lincan lifted his gaze to the figure in red, his eyes briefly shifting away before returning, a smile spreading through their depths.
“Oh, what’s this?” Besides the title page signature, there was a string of numbers on the first page. Chuan Jin gasped with delight. “Is this Mr. Dessar’s phone number?!”
Zhou Lincan said, “My apologies for disappointing you, Second Young Lady. This is my number. I hadn’t checked my personal email for the past few days and only saw my assistant’s message after landing today.”
Chuan Jin turned to look at him, recalling the phone call she had waited five days for in vain, and smiled. “Not at all. I was too excited. Thinking about it now, of course Dessar’s number wouldn’t look like this, and he wouldn’t give his contact to strangers either.”
After calming herself, Chuan Jin picked up the gift box and carefully placed the leather-bound notebook back inside. She said to Zhou Lincan, “President Zhou, this gift is too precious. I truly love it, thank you. But it’s inconvenient to carry around now—I’ll just take it back to my room first.”
Zhou Lincan nodded. “As you wish.”
Clutching the gift box, Chuan Jin headed upstairs, gazing at it all the way. So this was what it felt like when a dream came true!
Dessar, revered as the father of modern theater, was an idol to all creators. Standing at the pinnacle of the industry, he was both a guide and a trendsetter.
Since entering this circle, Chuan Jin had worshipped him as her one and only deity, dreaming of meeting Dessar someday. But before she could make a name for herself, the venerable old master fell gravely ill and passed away. She didn’t even know where he was buried, let alone have a chance to meet him.
Zhou Lincan was incredibly lucky—just taking a casual stroll and he managed to run into Dessar. They were both in California, so why hadn’t she been so fortunate? Pushing open her door, Chuan Jin sighed at her lack of luck. If only she had gone out more often, maybe—
Wait.
Standing in the pitch-dark room, Chuan Jin’s mind suddenly went into chaos. Her finger hovered over the light switch, frozen.
Dessar was a figure from her world—how could he be mentioned in this book? Could it be that the author of this book was also a devoted fan of the old master, just like her?
Bewildered, Chuan Jin walked further into the room, forgetting to turn on the light.
No, how could a fan of Dessar write such a terrible book? Chuan Jin smirked coldly, placing the leather-bound notebook into the desk drawer while mentally criticizing the original plot and taking a jab at the author.
The dark, silent surroundings began to lull her into drowsiness. Yawning, Chuan Jin closed the drawer and left the room, wondering if she should return the favor to Zhou Lincan.
Just as she was about to step out, Chuan Jin heard faint rustling sounds from downstairs, followed by a mournful sigh.
“Why is it this place again…”
The voice sounded familiar, somewhat like Yu Jingchen’s. Chuan Jin moved closer to the wall to listen carefully. Could it be that he had gotten lost? No wonder he hadn’t shown up for so long.
Remembering the broken lock, Chuan Jin grew concerned that Young Yu might wander into the storage room and get trapped. She hurried downstairs.
While the villa was brightly lit, the courtyard on the side was engulfed in darkness. Chuan Jin took out her phone from her clutch bag, turned on the flashlight, and made her way toward the storage room in the dark.
Perhaps she was too late—there was no one around the storage area. Chuan Jin assumed Yu Jingchen had already found his way back to the banquet hall but worried he might still be nearby. She called out twice, “Yu Jingchen? Are you there?”
The storage room door had no lock on the handle and was slightly ajar. Glancing as she passed, Chuan Jin noted that no one had responded to her calls. Yu Jingchen surely wouldn’t be foolish enough to go inside—he must have found his way to the banquet hall.
With her flashlight illuminating the path ahead, Chuan Jin prepared to head back the way she came. But as soon as she took a step, her red high heel caught on a hard object. Her ankle twisted, and she tumbled headlong into the storage room.
The iron door was shoved open with force, then swung back and slammed shut from the momentum, plunging the surroundings into complete darkness. Fortunately, her phone was still in hand. Chuan Jin, her heart still racing, stood up using the light as her guide. “Ah!”
A sharp, sudden pain shot through her left ankle. Bracing herself against a discarded table, Chuan Jin bit her lower lip and endured the throbbing ache. She lifted her skirt to take a look.
The earlier twist had been severe—her ankle was already red and swollen. The moment it touched the ground, a piercing pain shot through her, making walking nearly impossible.
Muttering curses under her breath about her rotten luck, Chuan Jin took off her high heels and carried them in her hand, preparing to shuffle back at a snail’s pace.
As she was rearranging her clutch, a strange noise suddenly came from outside the iron door, followed by the sound of footsteps gradually fading away. Her heart leaped. Dragging her left foot, she hopped to the door and yanked hard on the handle.
The iron door didn’t budge—it was clearly locked shut.
Chuan Jin was stunned. Damn, had someone locked her in??