That evening, Meng Huaijin had a tea gathering.
He hadn’t made any effort to avoid Shu Wan while taking the call, so she’d overheard him.
When she saw him come out of the bedroom, dressed and ready, Shu Wan immediately stood up from the sofa. Her eyes full of hope, she voiced her request. “Um… I don’t want to stay home alone. Could I come with you? You can take care of your business—I only need a little corner to myself.”
Meng Huaijin had his suit jacket draped over his wrist. He narrowed his eyes but said nothing.
This wasn’t really a discussion. She’d already made up her mind.
She’d even changed her clothes: a simple yet elegant white dress, her braid swept to one side and tied at the loose end with a little yellow flower hair clip. She’d paired it with a tiny purse that could barely hold her phone.
“What would you go for? To keep me from drinking?” The man strode toward the door, his pace unhurried.
Unable to tell whether that meant yes or no, Shu Wan still wasn’t sure where she stood. Even so, she quietly followed behind him.
The driver was the same guard who had gone with them to South City to pick her up. When he saw her come downstairs, he waved in greeting. “Miss Shu.”
Shu Wan stood smiling two steps from the car door and replied, “Just call me Shu Wan.”
Meng Huaijin had already gotten into the car on his own. Without his permission, she couldn’t just climb in after him, so she stood where she was and waited for a signal.
The black sedan didn’t start. About half a minute later, Meng Huaijin’s gaze fell on her through the dim light, and he tapped the window with his knuckle.
It seemed to have become a tacit understanding between them: that was his permission. Shu Wan hopped into the car, shut the door, then turned to him with a smile and thanked him.
When the girl smiled, the beauty mark at the corner of her eye seemed redder, and a shallow dimple appeared in one cheek. She looked so sweet and harmless that she could hardly have seemed less threatening.
She really had become a little shadow he couldn’t shake.
Meng Huaijin looked away and said coolly, “Don’t wander off without my permission.”
“…All right.”
The guard in front was a little surprised by how much she’d changed. Compared with the girl they’d picked up in South City, she was like a completely different person.
Now that she was sitting there, next to his cold, heartless superior, she was like a little sun, glowing with warmth.
.
The teahouse stood inside the First Ring[1]“Ring” refers to one of the concentric road or urban zones found in some Chinese cities. North City is the novel’s setting, so an exact real-world location should not be assumed. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3733510_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3733510_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });, in an old residence with a courtyard.
Who knew which ancient prince’s mansion it had once been? The steps were all weathered marble, and even the half-open red-lacquered gates and the stone lions[2]Pairs of sculpted stone lions traditionally guard the entrances of important Chinese buildings, symbolizing protection and prestige. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3733510_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3733510_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); beside them were relics that had stood for a hundred years.
Before Meng Huaijin had even gotten out of the car, more than ten people—men and women alike—were already waiting at the entrance to welcome him. They were all deferential.
Most were older than he was, and from their attire, they were all influential figures in North City.
Among them, Shu Wan spotted a familiar face: the beautiful woman she’d seen at the shopping mall that afternoon. Now she wore a well-tailored black suit and slim-heeled shoes, and her bearing was exceptional.
After walking a few steps, Meng Huaijin glanced back at Shu Wan, signaling her to stay close.
Shu Wan looked away and followed in his footsteps, never letting herself fall behind.
The guard accompanying them had worried that the girl might feel intimidated, but it seemed his concern had been unnecessary.
In the years when the Shu family had been at its most prominent in South City, they’d been no less influential than Meng Huaijin was now. Shu Wan had grown up surrounded by that world; of course she’d seen all kinds of grand occasions.
.
The teahouse was on the second floor, quiet and elegant, with tasteful antique furnishings. Shu Wan didn’t say a word throughout, yet she drew countless glances—some curious, some admiring, some probing.
“Mr. Meng, who is this young lady?” At last, someone couldn’t hold back from asking. He assumed that the man had recently taken a liking to the sweet, innocent college-student type, and was already wondering whether he should find him a few girls sometime.
Meng Huaijin pointed out a seat for Shu Wan by the window, with a table and chair. Then he quietly told the server to bring her some mild pastries. Only after that did he reply, his tone unruffled. “A younger relative from my family. Director Gu, do you have some insight to offer?”
The man was momentarily at a loss, then gave an awkward laugh and tried to smooth things over. “So she’s family. A misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. I’m terribly sorry.”
Shu Wan was no stranger to this kind of gathering. In the past, she’d occasionally attended with her father, though they usually didn’t let her listen to what was being discussed.
The topics at tonight’s gathering didn’t seem especially unusual either. They were talking about who might rise and who might fall, which positions needed filling, and who was likely to get them. Shu Wan had no interest in any of it.
Meng Huaijin didn’t drink alcohol—and there was no chance he’d really let her keep him from drinking anyway. He just liked to scare her.
While the others drank tea, she didn’t get any. Meng Huaijin had the server bring her a hot drink and a plate of delicately made pastries instead.
She tried one first, liked it, and ate several more. Every so often, she’d listen to see what they were talking about, only to find that the conversation never strayed far from her uncle: some were flattering him, others asking him for favors.
The man listened quietly. He neither agreed outright nor refused on the spot, instead parrying their requests and evading the main point. A few brief words were enough to handle them with ease.
It was clear that this tea gathering had been arranged specifically for him. For many of the people there, attending even once was enough to stain them with the same brush, leaving them unable to clear themselves.
But he was different. His calm, sharp-edged, quietly commanding presence made people keep their distance even when he said nothing. And his few casual remarks were enough to leave them anxiously turning his words over in their minds, cold with sweat.
Wherever he was, it became his territory. No one else could set the pace. He was a man of both pen and sword.
Watching all this was enough to keep Shu Wan from dozing off for half an hour. Any longer, and she might not have lasted. Her eyelids were drooping, and she finally turned her gaze toward the window.
From where she sat, she could see the brilliant lights of the bustling streets nearby. There was an event in the square, where someone dressed as a clown was performing in the middle. It looked quite entertaining.
“Want to go?”
A voice drifted leisurely into her ear, lower than usual.
He’d been talking to someone else just moments ago. She had no idea how he’d noticed her. Shu Wan turned to meet Meng Huaijin’s dark, still eyes and nodded.
The man gauged the distance between the teahouse and the square, then relented. “Keep your phone on.”
Shu Wan’s eyes lit up. “I will.”
.
“Huaijin, which of your younger relatives is she? Is she from the Meng family?” Jiang Jie asked after the girl left.
She watched as Shu Wan went downstairs and headed straight for the lively square. Meng Huaijin replied in a calm voice, “No.”
Jiang Jie thought it over, then suddenly understood. “Could she be… your eldest sister Meng Xian’s daughter?”
“Mm.”
They were in the same circle, after all. Even in North City, news about the Shu Family Mansion had reached them; Jiang Jie didn’t ask any more questions.
“Miss Jiang and Mr. Meng, are you two dating? You make such a handsome couple…”
“No. We’re not.” Meng Huaijin cut in, his voice cold.
Someone had tried to seize the chance to flatter him, only to put their foot in their mouth.
Jiang Jie hadn’t expected Meng Huaijin to be so blunt. A flicker of awkwardness crossed her face. “Yes, we’re not dating.”
.
As it turned out, the shopping mall was holding an event. Anyone selected by the clown who danced a single dance with him could claim a life-sized stuffed toy.
How long had it been since Shu Wan had stood in the middle of a noisy crowd? She could hardly remember.
From the moment trouble had begun looming over the family, her mother had forbidden her to go out except for school. Until today, it had been more than three months.
The music around her was cheerful, people came and went, and though Shu Wan stood alone amid all the bustle, her loneliness stood out all the more.
Suddenly, the clown, his face painted in bright colors, held out a hand to her. “Miss, may I have this dance? Afterward, you can claim a stuffed toy for free!”
Shu Wan was taken aback, then smiled and shook her head.
“Don’t know how to dance?”
Of course she did. It just didn’t seem quite appropriate. But she really wanted that huge stuffed toy.
“Come on, dance with me. I bet you’re a beautiful dancer,” the clown urged. People around them began clapping and cheering them on.
It was hard to refuse such enthusiasm. After hesitating for a while, Shu Wan finally rested her hand lightly on the clown’s fingertips.
As the music began, Shu Wan counted the beat and quickly found a new series of steps to match the rhythm.
The few men in black whom Meng Huaijin had sent to protect her were about to rush over when the clown approached. But when they got closer and saw the girl already dancing among the crowd, they quietly withdrew again.
Perhaps no one there had expected that the pretty passerby chosen at random would have the dance training of a champion.
Shu Wan danced Chinese classical dance[3]Chinese classical dance is a performance style drawing on traditional Chinese theater, martial movement, and historic artistic aesthetics; modern training combines these influences. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3733510_1_3').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3733510_1_3', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });. Her whole body was supple as a willow branch, rising and falling with the lightness of a dragonfly skimming the water; she floated like willow catkins on the breeze, graceful as a lotus on the water.
Dance seemed written into her bones. Give her a song, and she could lose herself completely, forget where she was, and become one with the music.
The lights, the half-dark night, the onlookers, the noisy world, the girl’s striking yet still-young face, and her light steps formed the most harmonious picture within a hundred meters.
When the dance ended, Shu Wan clasped one hand behind her back, bent one knee slightly, and bowed elegantly to the crowd.
The applause was deafening.
The girl showed no stage fright, as though she were already used to such cheers and praise.
She turned her gaze toward the crowd, searching for something, looking so intently that it seemed she could see to the horizon. But she still couldn’t find the two people closest to her who had watched her dance countless times before. The disappointment cut deep.
Just then, the host in the clown costume excitedly announced that she was tonight’s MVP! Then he placed the huge stuffed toy in her arms with both hands.
Shu Wan’s eyes curved as she accepted it and thanked him. She tipped her head back to look at the sky. From today onward, I’m going to live well—with him.
.
Only after she’d gathered herself did Shu Wan look up—and suddenly find herself caught in the depths of a pair of eyes, dark and unfathomable as an eagle’s.
She didn’t know when Meng Huaijin had arrived, or whether he’d seen her dance.
In any case, the black sedan was parked by the roadside, and he was leaning back against its side. He wore a black shirt and black suit, his legs crossed and his hands in his pockets, a lit cigarette between his lips. His gaze rested casually on her.
Shu Wan called out to him. It took her considerable effort to drag and hug the stuffed toy all the way over to the car. Then she beamed and showed it off. “Look! I won a huge prize!”
He didn’t call out the happiness and relief she was forcing herself to show. Meng Huaijin flicked his extinguished cigarette butt into the trash can and said without much emotion, “I saw.”
“It’s just a little big. Will it fit in the car?”
“It won’t. Maybe I should get you a plane.”
“…………”
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