The Tong family had invested in land purchases in Shenzhen but lacked sufficient capital flow, making a change of ownership inevitable. Just as many believed the Han family would prevail, Di Xihuang reclaimed the company using the Tong family’s overdue contract as a pretext. The already financially strained Han family fell as well, creating a sensation in the Hong Kong business community. Media evaluations of Di Xihuang were mixed, but he was undeniably a strong player in the ruthless world of business competition.
“Ding ling ling…” A crisp phone ring awakened her as dawn illuminated the sky.
Picking up her phone, she saw the familiar number—Chen Zhensheng, her vice president and former master’s program classmate. Four years ago, learning of her plans to establish a company in Shenzhen, he abandoned his parents’ plans for him to go abroad and joined her entrepreneurial journey. He was crucial to the company’s success, handling all operational details while she focused solely on major decisions. Without him, the company would not have thrived.
“Hello, sir, do you know what time it is?” Ou Xueman spoke in an extremely gentle tone.
“Hehe…
Chen Zhensheng chuckled dryly. “Okay, Xueman, don’t be angry. I have good news. I met a legendary figure in Hong Kong interested in investing in SZ. If we can become their publicity firm in China, our company’s future will be secure.”
Ou Xueman closed her eyes, feeling confused. Chen had been talking excitedly, but she interrupted him.
“Mr. Chen, I know you must be tired from your negotiations in Hong Kong. Please go to bed, cover yourself with a blanket, and get some rest. We’ll talk later, okay?”
“Alright, I understand. I’ll give you a detailed report when I return. This project is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us. And don’t just drink coffee for breakfast; it’s not good for your stomach,” he advised.
“Got it, Dad Chen.”
Some say life is like a drama, and the city is its stage.
Looking down at this city marked by her footprints, beyond the steel and concrete, beyond the prosperity and crowding, the indifference of human relationships, and the struggle for survival, one can no longer find warmth to fill the emptiness of the heart.
Perhaps she was being extravagant. In this era of money and desire, seeking tenderness is a luxury. Maybe she should embrace the loneliness in her heart or change her perspective to enjoy it.
When she saw her seemingly relieved smile on the glass window, a hint of bitterness still rose in her heart.
“Xueman, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!” Chen Zhensheng exclaimed excitedly. She turned back to her desk, sinking into her leather chair. Habitually, she took out a Sobranie, lighting it and watching the smoke swirl. Suddenly, she lost the urge to smoke and just wanted to keep looking.
“Xueman, are you listening?” Chen Zhensheng said, crossing her desk to take away the cigarette. “Stop smoking; it’s not good for your health.”
A faint smile touched her lips as her slender fingers wove through her wavy hair. “Sorry.”
Chen Zhensheng gently shook his head and pushed up his glasses. At over thirty, he exuded a steady elegance, no longer the weak scholarly figure of his youth.
“You always do this,” he said helplessly. “You’re quick to apologize, but you never change.”
Ou Xueman laughed, picking up the documents her secretary had placed on the desk and quickly scanning through them.
“Looks like you weren’t listening to me again,” Chen Zhensheng said, his shoulders drooping.
Ou Xueman raised her head and replied, “I was listening, but you talked for so long about some legendary person without making it clear who he was.”
Chen Zhensheng regained his enthusiasm, “You don’t know? He’s a legendary senior from T University.”
“Back then, he was considered a genius, with an IQ of 190, obtaining a doctoral degree at 23. Now he’s in New York…”
Chen Zhensheng continued his long-winded explanation, and although Ou Xueman was listening, she was not really absorbing the information. This moment would dramatically intersect her life’s trajectory with that person.
“So this is absolutely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Many companies are competing, not just from SZ City and Hong Kong, but even from the United States and Japan…”
After finishing her documents, she casually responded, “Then you work hard these days, make a few more trips to Hong Kong to negotiate with this legendary person. If you can secure this case, it’ll be a great achievement. Keep at it.”
“What? You’re not going?” Chen Zhensheng was stunned, then seemed to recall something, murmuring, “Right, it’s August again.”
“Yes,” Ou Xueman responded flatly.
Chen Zhensheng stared blankly as she tidied her desk, a subtle melancholy coloring his brown eyes behind his glasses.
Nearly six years since he’d known her. They had shared hardships during the startup period, and on the surface, their relationship seemed deep. But he knew nothing about her—her birth, background, or past. Besides her name, everything else remained a mystery. He wanted to understand her, but she was like swirling mist, impossible to see clearly.
Every August, she would disappear for a few days, and no one knew where she went. That was her forbidden territory, untouchable and never shared with anyone.
Though he had thought about exploring her secret, he feared it would destroy their friendship and eliminate any chance of remaining close to her.
“Be careful,” he repeated every year.
She stood, picked up her coat, and patted his shoulder. “I’ll leave the company to you.”
With that, she left behind a room filled with her distinctive fragrance.
Watching her, the melancholy in his eyes deepened. He wanted to reach out and stop her, but his hands remained clenched, his feet seemingly nailed to the ground, watching her disappear once again.
Soft piano music, murmuring water sounds, and misty lights filled the air, stirring waves of rich coffee fragrance, yet her heart was no longer in it.
Gazing out the window at Victoria Harbor in twilight, mist enveloped the scene like a young girl’s veil, while skyscrapers pierced the sky. Suddenly, brilliant lights blazed, projectors, and colorful neon lights converged into a dazzling display.
Walking under the city’s neon lights, she usually felt confused and lost.
Now, looking from high above, these became the ultimate scenic view, devoid of crowding and noise, a scene that felt like a spiritual baptism of tranquility.
“I know I shouldn’t disturb the life you’ve kept peaceful for eight years, but…” The man sitting across from her hesitated, stopping mid-sentence.
In her memory, his handsome face always wore a dazzling smile, evoking a romantic, uninhibited feeling. But today, seeing him again, his eyebrows were tightly furrowed, his eyes filled with sorrow like a stone thrown into clear water.
Withdrawing her gaze, Ou Xueman glanced at him without speaking, placing her spoon aside and sipping from her cup, the bitter yet rich aroma exciting her taste buds.
He sighed as he looked at her. Under the soft light, she appeared hazy and ethereal while exuding a mature confidence that made her even more striking.
“His days are numbered; he wants to see you,” he continued.
She raised her eyes to him briefly before looking down again, her long eyelashes casting shadows over her face, concealing her thoughts.
Seeing her unmoved, the man sighed, “Xueman, no matter what, he is our biological father.”
“The family background, educational records, and details of my identity as Ou Xueman were arranged by you, right?” she asked.
The man nodded, “Sorry, eight years ago, things happened too suddenly. I could only do so much for you.”
