Although she had already made up her mind, Ying Yin didn’t give Shang Shao an immediate reply.
Her vacation had already come to an end. On the first day back to work, she was attending a brand’s fragrance event.
Due to her emotional state the night before, she had suffered from severe insomnia and was catching up on sleep in the back seat. Her neck pillow was bunched up around her neck, her head tilted to the side, swaying with the car’s starts, stops, and turns.
Junyi was driving. First, she would drop Ying Yin off at her downtown apartment, then switch to the company’s Alphard.
Zhuang Tiwen swiped on her tablet. “Italian luxury brand Greta. The main focus of this event is their new exclusive fragrance collection. I sent you the event rundown earlier. Want to go over it again?”
Ying Yin couldn’t even open her eyes. “Yeah.”
So Zhuang Tiwen went through the event outline item by item, highlighting the key parts. “There’s an interactive segment where they’ll ask you which scent from their new collection you like best, and to describe your feeling of this new fragrance in words. This scent hasn’t been launched yet. I’ve gathered some professional reviews for you and extracted ten sets of keywords.”
Junyi couldn’t help but exclaim, “Wow, Stephen, you’re so prophetic!”
Zhuang Tiwen’s temple twitched. “First of all, it’s Tina, not Stephen! Secondly, it’s being prepared, not prophetic!”
Junyi shrank her neck. “Stephen just rolls off the tongue better than Tiwen.”
Zhuang Tiwen fumed. “That’s a man’s name!”
Ying Yin’s lips curved slightly. Finally, she managed a small smile.
“By the way, there’s one more thing.” Zhuang Tiwen hesitated. “This morning, Mr. Shang’s butler contacted me and asked for your bank account details.”
Ying Yin slowly opened her eyes, let out an “mm,” and showed no excess emotion. “Give it to them.”
Zhuang Tiwen sent it over. Just a few minutes later, Ying Yin received a text notification of a bank deposit. She opened it – a dizzying string of zeros.
Ten million. She smiled.
He did what he said. The kiss from yesterday, all the messy feelings, everything was zeroed out in that string of zeros.
After switching cars at her downtown apartment, they headed to the styling studio. She drifted off into another daze. In her dream, goldenrain tree flowers carpeted the ground. She was drunk, listening to his breathing on the other end of the phone.
The car came to a stop, and his breathing fell away. Ying Yin opened her eyes. The morning light shimmered hazily on the windshield.
Such a short dream.
Chu Anni, the styling director at the studio, greeted her at the door.
For a celebrity’s event styling – besides depending on her own star power, fame, and personal image – it also relies heavily on the styling studio. If the stylist is a big name in the industry or has good relationships with brands and magazines, they’ll be able to borrow better clothes.
Chu Anni had recently signed with her, and in terms of brand relationships, she was far inferior to Zhao Manman, whom she had worked with before. Unfortunately, Ying Yin had completely burned bridges with Zhao Manman – the two had fallen out so badly that they would probably never make peace again in this lifetime.
The dress code for this event required white. Fortunately, it wasn’t a formal occasion, so just getting a current-season ready-to-wear outfit wouldn’t be too bad.
“I asked around – Manman hasn’t prepared any off-season pieces for Sister Chengwan either,” Chu Anni reassured her while laying out several styled options.
“We’ve coordinated with your assistant Tiwen before. What do you think?”
“This set is good,” Zhuang Tiwen suggested. “It’s Musel’s runway collection. Musel just changed their design director this season, and it’s been very well received. Most importantly, since today’s event is outdoors, the fabric’s sheen and structure will look even better in natural light.”
“Wow,” Chu Anni raised an eyebrow. “Great minds think alike.”
Zhuang Tiwen smiled back at her, then leaned close to Ying Yin’s ear. “Musel rarely appears in women’s celebrity styling, but with the new director at the helm – his track record in women’s formalwear is outstanding. The brand brought him in specifically to develop this area. We can extend an olive branch first.”
These preparations were incredibly detailed, and Zhuang Tiwen’s confident, methodical manner was too composed and assured. A strange feeling drifted through Ying Yin’s mind, but she couldn’t quite grasp it in the moment.
In the end, she adopted Zhuang Tiwen’s suggestion.
Makeup and styling were finished right at 12:30.
This was the second time Zhuang Tiwen had seen her in full makeup. Unlike last time, today’s look was very sharp – a V-neck, strapless, waist-cinching top paired with wide-leg trousers, both made of crisp, flowing suit fabric. Her curly hair had been straightened with a flat iron, falling softly over her shoulders.
Zhuang Tiwen had seen no shortage of celebrities. She genuinely believed that Ying Yin was one of the few female stars in the entertainment industry today who truly had star quality.
Chu Anni was also very satisfied. “Ying has great versatility. When she’s in full mode, she can pull off any look. Zhao Manman really is just…”
There was some behind-the-scenes connection with Zhao Manman. First, she’d managed to get her younger brother into an idol survival show, then arranged for him to have a cameo role in a film. But the little brother had entered the circle purely for fame – he had no real sense of commitment to acting. He’d break into laughter every time he was in a scene. The director had long been dissatisfied with him and, using Ying Yin’s outburst as an excuse, quickly packed him off.
Ying Yin didn’t exactly see herself as taking the fall – after all, she had indeed scolded the younger brother publicly to the point of him breaking down and calling their mother.
The fashion and entertainment industries overlap, but there’s a hazy barrier. Your status in the entertainment world doesn’t necessarily transfer to the fashion world. Zhao Manman had worked her way from France, the US, and Italy all the way to top-tier magazines, then started her own studio. She had influence in both the art and fashion circles. It would be ridiculous to talk about blacklisting someone, but making Ying Yin’s every attempt to borrow clothes a little more difficult – that she could manage.
“Don’t mention her.”
Ying Yin tore open a bag of whole-grain crisp crackers, casually brushing off all the cliquish exclusion.
She was afraid of bloating, so she’d only had an iced Americano that morning. Now, she made do with just two whole-grain crackers – eating even less than a chicken in a drying yard.
The event venue was at a high-end luxury mall in the city center, with a five-star hotel next to it. The venue was filled with pink and white roses, and on white display stands sat the new fragrance collection.
According to the schedule, before the event officially started, Ying Yin had to first cooperate in shooting some video and photo materials for future press releases. After filming for a while, the other guest arrived – Zhang Chengwan.
Zhang Chengwan was the brand’s face of the entire product line. Ying Yin had just ended her diffusion line contract and had only renewed as a fragrance ambassador. When the two met, not only were their titles different, but their outfits also set them apart.
“She’s wearing next spring/summer’s off-season ready-to-wear,” Zhuang Tiwen said to Junyi, frowning. “Didn’t they say that Zhao Manman didn’t get her any off-season pieces?”
“Sister Chengwan cares about appearances and refuses to be outdone,” Junyi didn’t dare speak loudly and whispered in Tiwen’s ear. “She prepares every event to the highest standard. Even if Zhao Manman won’t lend to her, she can get the clothes herself.”
As the two gossiped, Zhang Chengwan had already walked familiarly toward Ying Yin, her fake smile elegant and generous. “You’re the most dedicated one, arriving so early. Now you’re making me look like I’m being a diva.”
Ying Yin matched her with a fake smile and feigned warmth. “Sister Wan, you are a big star. How can it be ‘acting like’ one?”
The two posed in front of the cameras – one showing off sculpted shoulders, one with a hand on her hip, one playing the warm and gracious senior, the other playing the respectful junior – acting like they’d been sisters for eight lifetimes. After a while, the male guest also arrived, and the event began on time.
The sound of shutters and camera flashes were nonstop. Although it wasn’t a public event, there were still quite a few invited brand partners and high-tier VIP clients. Amid the orderly bustle, no one noticed the discreetly placed signage in the hotel lobby for a biomedical industry investment summit.
Forty minutes later, the event ended. Ying Yin had managed her expressions throughout, and by the end, her face was nearly frozen stiff.
Afterward, there was a small afternoon tea reception at the hotel. Everyone moved to the banquet hall, and the four celebrity guests were given a large private lounge to themselves. They exchanged greetings with a mix of sincerity, pretense, and awkwardness. Zhang Chengwan wrapped her shawl around herself, sat down, and said, “Yinyin, come here.”
Ying Yin sat down next to her and unscrewed a bottle of water. She was starving and could think of nothing but food, but for now, she had to make do with water.
“What is it?” she said, chugging.
“Remember Shang Shao from that last dinner party?” Zhang Chengwan lowered her voice.
When Ying Yin was immersed in work, she didn’t let her mind wander to other things. Hearing Shang Shao’s name so unexpectedly, a subtle feeling passed through her heart.
On a weekday afternoon, she wondered what he was doing.
“Mm, what about him?” Her face betrayed no emotion, but seeing how secretive Zhang Chengwan was being, she already had a guess.
Was it some kind of scandal?
Although Mr. Shang didn’t seem like the type to indulge in romantic affairs, perhaps in Hong Kong he had already been through many battles.
Ying Yin really couldn’t picture Shang Shao sitting in a nightclub with women draped over both arms.
“That thing about him,” Zhang Chengwan said mysteriously.
“What thing?”
Zhang Chengwan cleared her throat, then gently cupped her hand to Ying Yin’s ear. “Erectile dysfunction.”
Ying Yin nearly sprayed out her water. It took every ounce of her lifetime of expression-management skills to hold it in.
She grabbed a tissue to wipe her mouth, not daring to look at Zhang Chengwan. “Huh? … How do you know?”
“It was in the newspapers,” Zhang Chengwan said, pulling out her phone. “I even took a picture of it.”
Hong Kong’s entertainment tabloids had lost none of their sting. Same old recipe, same familiar flavor.
[No wonder she married untouched! Not working? Erectile dysfunction?! A torrential downpour?! The hidden pain of men – Young Master Shang suffers in silence!]
The words in the middle were enlarged, bolded, and thickened – crude yet somehow hilarious.
Ying Yin’s heart pounded. But her eyes didn’t focus on that at all. Instead, they went straight to a photo.
It was very blurry, taken from who knows where, with pedestrians and cars in the streets between. He had his arm around a girl’s shoulder, the two of them walking under the arcade of a row of shops. Beside them was the sign of a very famous tea house.
The girl was wearing a white mask, looking so small in his embrace. Perhaps sensing the paparazzo’s lens, he turned his face slightly toward the camera. The lingering trace of a smile from looking at the girl still remained on his face, but his eyes were full of stern warning.
For a moment, she didn’t know which thoughts to untangle.
For instance – every time he appeared before her, he was always in a suit and leather shoes, accompanied by a butler and bodyguards. She hadn’t expected that he would accompany his girlfriend down such an ordinary little street.
Or for instance – he always seemed so aloof, so polite yet full of boundaries, yet it turned out he could casually drape his arm around his girlfriend’s shoulder like that.
His entire body was relaxed, at ease, joyful, unguarded.
Ying Yin understood. Every time he appeared before her, he was the heir, the young master, the powerful and inscrutable figure. But when he appeared before his girlfriend, he was, unlike ever before, simply a “person.”
Not Young Master Shang, not Mr. Shang, not Chairman Shao. Just Shang Shao.
“Are you done reading? You’ve been looking at it forever.” Zhang Chengwan lightly pinched her arm.
Ying Yin looked at the text, then back at Zhang Chengwan: “‘Married untouched’ -who is that?”
“His ex-girlfriend.”
“How do they know?”
Zhang Chengwan clicked her tongue impatiently. “Where have you been looking all this time? There’s a silhouette of a woman with long hair right there. She gave an anonymous interview. She’s about to get married and is still a virgin. The media wrote that it’s because he can’t perform.”
She gave a charming smile, as if gossiping lightly. “Honestly, I think she’s an idiot. One vibrator could solve that problem. Giving up thousands of billions in family assets for this? Men – does it really matter whether they can ‘perform’ or not?”
Ying Yin said, “…Sister Wan, you almost sound like you’re saying Zeng Meng can’t perform either.”
Zeng Meng was also a second-generation heir, younger than Zhang Chengwan. The two were already engaged.
Zhang Chengwan swatted her. “Hiss!” she said. “Don’t talk nonsense.”
Ying Yin returned the phone to Zhang Chengwan: “You know how Hong Kong entertainment reporters are. Besides, his ex-girlfriend wouldn’t be that stupid – to come out and say something like that would just be offending him.”
She analyzed it quite pragmatically.
“He loved her. Didn’t you read the article? It said he lost the one he loved. She was loved, so she’s not afraid of offending him.”
Ying Yin fell silent. She quietly turned these words over in her mind and suddenly understood.
Loved, so not afraid of offending. Those who understand gratitude are precisely the ones who are not loved.
Ying Fan had taught her from a young age to understand gratitude and read the room, because Ying Fan had never been loved by fate.
“You’re right.” She lifted her face and smiled at Zhang Chengwan. “But if he really has that kind of problem, I’ve never heard about it in the circles.”
“Give me a break. Last time you couldn’t even recognize a person, and you’re talking to me about ‘the circles’? And here I thought you were so well-versed in high society.” Zhang Chengwan gave her a scornful look. “I’m telling you – a man at his level, in his mid-thirties, with zero tabloid scandals involving Miss Hong Kong or young models? How could that be because he keeps himself pure? It’s definitely because he’s got issues.”
Ying Yin let out a deep breath. “Well, that’s even better.”
“Huh?” Zhang Chengwan didn’t understand.
Ying Yin thought to herself: last night, when he said he wouldn’t do anything to her, he meant it literally.
…It sounded like this hundred-million deal was even more of a sure win.
The host’s afternoon tea still hadn’t started, and Ying Yin was on the verge of passing out from hunger. So she pushed open the lounge door and planned to ask the hotel to get her something to eat.
This was a very well-known top-tier business hotel. Not only was it the top choice for successful people’s business travel and meetings, but because the restaurant had excellent food and the banquet halls were grand enough, it had also become a very popular venue for wedding banquets.
Ying Yin put on a mask and planned to take the elevator to the executive lounge to ask for some snacks.
Getting into the elevator on the fifth floor with her was a young couple. The people accompanying them wore uniforms with name badges on their chests – they were likely the hotel’s client managers.
“The banquet hall on the fifth floor is currently our largest, accommodating up to two hundred tables. I’ll now take you both to see the executive lounge. If you’re considering a tea break, the view and atmosphere there are excellent.”
“Sure. Sam, what do you think?” the young woman in the couple asked.
She was very thin – maybe only around forty-five kilos – but she didn’t look emaciated. Instead, she seemed very healthy and capable. Her skin was tanned, with long, straight black hair parted down the middle. When she spoke, her makeup-free face lit up with a smile that reminded one of tropical sunshine, and her eyes were very black and bright.
In short, this was a woman with a very straightforward, healthy image. One could tell at a glance that she was likely a returnee from abroad or an ABC (American-born Chinese) type of Chinese.
Ying Yin had no particular interest in observing others, but the elevator doors were so polished and bright that no one could escape being reflected.
After more than ten seconds, the elevator finally arrived, and the four of them stepped in together. The client manager pressed 23, then asked her, “Which floor, miss?”
Ying Yin didn’t speak. She just gave a slight lift of her chin, indicating that she was also going to the 23rd floor.
The client manager glanced at her a few more times, noting that her long legs and tall figure were quite striking. With her hands in the pockets of her white suit trousers, she exuded a very cool, unapproachable aura.
The elevator went up quickly, bringing with it a slight sense of weightlessness and dizziness from the pressure change.
The moment the doors opened, Ying Yin thought she was hallucinating.
The man who had just been gossiped about by Zhang Chengwan as “dysfunctional” was at that very moment stepping out of the elevator directly opposite hers. He was still in his suit and leather shoes, phone pressed to his ear, striding forward with his long legs – though not hurriedly. The only difference was that a dark blue guest badge hung from his lapel.
It must have been a very important event, because even the guest badge itself was quite elaborate – the strap was thick and tightly woven, attached below to a dark metal buckle from which the ID card hung. It wasn’t a transparent plastic sleeve but a textured acrylic plate, with the guest’s name and title clearly printed on it.
Special Guest: Shang Shao
Executive Director of Shangyu Group
Vice Chairman of the Summit
He was so proper and dignified that even an ordinary badge like this was neatly tucked under his shirt collar, complementing his dark tie.
Ying Yin froze for a moment. The elevator doors on their side had just opened, but Shang Shao was absorbed in his phone call and didn’t notice.
As she hesitated over whether to greet him, she heard a voice beside her say, “Ah-Shao.”
Everyone’s footsteps stopped simultaneously.
The elevator doors slowly closed behind Ying Yin, sinking heavily.
In the moment Shang Shao looked over, Ying Yin had nowhere to hide.
The hotel manager, unaware of the situation, smiled and asked, “Miss Yu, have you run into an acquaintance?”
“Mm.” Yu Shasha looked at Shang Shao, nodded, then smiled up at her fiancé. “He was my classmate back in the UK.”
Her fiancé, Sam, had clearly already seen the details on Shang Shao’s badge. Setting everything else aside, just the two key words – “Shangyu” and “Executive Director” – were enough to change his expression.
He pulled his hands out of his pockets, straightened up from his languid posture, and then bent his back just the right amount.
His business only went as far as dealing with deputy department heads of the Shangyu Group.
Old classmates reuniting – what did that have to do with her? Ying Yin braced herself and wanted to leave, hoping Shang Shao hadn’t recognized her.
The hope was in vain.
Shang Shao hung up the phone and said coldly, “Stop right there.”
Yu Shasha was a little confused, until she heard the click-clack of the high heels of the woman who had ridden up in the same elevator come to an abrupt halt.
She turned to look and felt a pang of discomfort. Because even though the woman was wearing a mask, she was simply too beautiful – the kind of beauty that almost made people afraid to look directly at her.
But Shang Shao looked directly at her, his expression blank, his dark eyes heavy as if shrouded in mist.
The hotel manager noticed, with some surprise, that the woman who had just exuded such a strong, aloof aura had suddenly, inexplicably, become very much like a little girl.
One could almost imagine the expression beneath her mask – she was probably pressing her lips together very hard…
Every nerve in Ying Yin’s body tensed. She thought, No way. I’ve had a total makeover today. Even Ying Fan might not recognize me. How could Shang Shao? And come on – his old classmate is right there waiting to catch up. Why would he be paying attention to me?
She closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, and tiptoed lightly, trying to slip away as if nothing was wrong –
Shang Shao narrowed his eyes and called out to her slowly and deliberately, “Ying…”
The moment the word “Ying” left his mouth, Ying Yin immediately snapped to attention and bowed at a perfect ninety-degree angle –
“Greetings, Chairman Shao!”
Shang Shao: “…”
Ying Yin kept her head down. “The summit is requesting your presence over there. I’ve delivered the message, so I’ll leave you to it, sir!”
Shang Shao replied calmly and coolly, “The summit just ended and everyone has dispersed.”
Ying Yin: “…”
Couldn’t you just play along? I’m a public figure, for heaven’s sake!
She remained bowed, unaware of when the man across from her had slightly curled his lips, as if suppressing a smile.
After a moment, his deep, cool voice spoke, “Then I’ll trouble you to lead the way.”
Ying Yin: …Huh? I don’t want to lead the way. I want to eat something!
While undercurrents swirled on their side, things were also quiet and restrained on the other. Yu Shasha quietly observed their exchange from start to finish before calling out to Shang Shao again.
“Ah-Shao,” she said. “Long time no see.”
This time, Shang Shao finally lifted his gaze from Ying Yin’s face and looked at Yu Shasha and her fiancé.
Yu Shasha’s taste in people was naturally good – her fiancé was a wealthy man in his own right, with assets of several hundred million at the very least.
But at this very moment, her fiancé was simply waiting for Yu Shasha to make the introduction so he could step forward, warmly exchange business cards, exchange pleasantries, and at the next Shangyu Group supplier conference, casually drop a line like, “When I met with Chairman Shao the other day…”
Shang Shao’s gaze was utterly unruffled. He merely gave Yu Shasha a slight nod. “Long time no see. I have important matters to attend to, so I’ll excuse myself.”
“We haven’t seen each other in so long…” Yu Shasha raised her voice, but when she saw Shang Shao stop, her tone and volume dropped back down. “Not even a chat?”
Shang Shao smiled at her then. It was a very warm, gentlemanly, yet businesslike smile.
“I truly don’t have time today. She’s still waiting for me.”
As he said “she,” his gaze shifted back to Ying Yin, with a faint hint of amusement in his eyes.
Everyone’s eyes immediately moved to Ying Yin’s face in unison. Ying Yin had no choice but to stand there like a professional PR person, pitching her voice higher as she gave Shang Shao a fake smile. “Chairman Shao, we really should hurry, okay?”
Unfortunately, she couldn’t pull it off. Since when did Tina use filler words like “okay” when working? It sounded like she was being coy.
Shang Shao was afraid she’d blow their cover with her next sentence, so he decided not to waste any more time. He gave Yu Shasha an apologetic look. “Sorry, Shasha. How about we meet up another day when we have the chance?”
Yu Shasha hadn’t expected to hear him say “Shasha” again. For a moment, she was stunned.
She knew this was merely Shang Shao’s way of saving face for her. Otherwise, if he’d used the cold, formal “Miss Yu,” her claim that they were “old classmates” would have fallen apart instantly.
She curved her lips into a smile, her bright, dark eyes fixed intently on Shang Shao, adopting the expression she knew he was familiar with and liked.
“Bye.” She took a deep breath, swallowing. The hint of disappointment on her face was just right – like an ellipsis at the end of their story, leaving one wanting more.
Shang Shao no longer looked at her. He walked directly to Ying Yin’s side, looked down at her, and extended a hand. “After you.”
Ying Yin had no choice but to follow him into the executive lounge, racking her brain the whole way about how to keep up the act in front of his old classmate. Just then, a waiter came up to them. “Mr. Shang, your private lounge is ready.”
Shang Shao nodded, and the two entered the room. The door closed behind them, shutting out the gazes of Yu Shasha and her fiancé.
Ying Yin hooked her mask down and let out a long, deep breath.
Shang Shao sat down on the sofa, crossing one leg over the other. He tilted his head slightly and cupped his hands to light a cigarette.
“Miss Ying, I wasn’t prepared to see you today.”
Ying Yin thought to herself, Neither was I. I just found out you have erectile dysfunction!
Seeing that she was still standing, Shang Shao gave a light lift of his chin. “Sit.”
He was very cold today – a completely different person from before, carrying an obvious impatience and arrogance.
Ying Yin thought to herself, What’s a dysfunctional man like you acting so high and mighty for?
…She sat down obediently.
Shang Shao held the cigarette between his lips, making no move to explain the encounter that had just happened. He simply looked her over from bottom to top.
Finally, he took the cigarette from his lips, exhaled a puff of smoke, and gave a tired, faint smile. “You look very different today.”
That was probably a compliment.
But today, perhaps worn out from all the socializing, he exuded a languid, world-weary coldness.
Ying Yin’s instinct was to stand up and leave, but she seemed pinned in place by the man’s gaze.
Like a butterfly, its gorgeous, fragile wings easily caught between his fingers. Unable to escape, all she could do was wage a silent resistance against the storm deep within herself.
The smoke swirled faintly. Shang Shao lightly tapped off some ash. “Why are you here?”
“Brand event,” Ying Yin answered.
“I mean,” Shang Shao’s tone grew slightly heavier, “why are you on the executive floor? Isn’t your salon on the fifth floor?”
So he had known all along that she was here for an event.
Before she could answer, Shang Shao seemed to see right through her and asked, “Are you hungry?”
Ying Yin’s rebellious streak always appeared at the wrong time. Stubbornly, she said, “I’m not hungry.”
Shang Shao smiled and pressed the service bell. A waiter came in. “What signature afternoon tea items do you have?” he asked.
“Salmon and mustard tarts, freshly baked. Also red velvet cake and rose milk mousse,” the waiter replied.
Ying Yin had already turned her back to the waiter, pretending to study a commercial oil painting on the wall intently. Only when she heard the door click shut did she turn back around.
Shang Shao gave a rather cold, half-teasing laugh. “Dealing with you seems quite troublesome.”
Ying Yin: “…”
She thought to herself, You with your dysfunction – if you regret it, it’s still not too late to cancel the order.
“Dealing with paparazzi, avoiding being followed, and also guarding against what you mentioned last time?… Sasaeng fans?” Shang Shao propped his forehead on one hand, his gaze and tone unreadable. “Anything else, Miss Ying? You might as well tell me everything.”
Ying Yin’s face was expressionless. “You should be quite experienced with paparazzi by now. Weren’t you photographed with your last girlfriend?”
That morning, Shang Shao had received a message from his sister, Shang Mingbao, informing him that a Hong Kong entertainment tabloid had once again fabricated a story about him, complete with the only photo ever taken of him and Yu Shasha together.
The Hong Kong entertainment industry had long been in decline, and the entertainment media was struggling to survive, resorting to sensational, ambiguous gossip to grab attention. The major wealthy families in Hong Kong and Macau were few, and the over-the-top love lives of those high-profile heirs with Miss Hong Kong contestants and young models had already been written to death. He was the only exception – decades on, still without a single scandal.
Over time, the Hong Kong media seemed to hold a grudge against him. They couldn’t get a photo – so they made up that he had physical problems. They got a photo but couldn’t dig up anything else – still, they made up that he had physical problems.
In short, when in doubt, Shang Shao had functionality issues.
Such intimate gossip generated a lot of buzz and clicks. Actually pursuing legal action would only make it seem true. Fortunately, the influence of those tabloids was limited – they only circulated in the streets and alleys of Hong Kong – so there was no need to take them too seriously.
What Shang Shao hadn’t expected was that Ying Yin would also read such newspapers.
He gave an enigmatic half-smile, propped his cheek on his hand, and just looked at Ying Yin without speaking.
Ying Yin crumbled under his gaze.
Slowly, she realized that in her momentary slip of the tongue, she had also revealed the fact that she knew about his dysfunction.
This can’t be!
Knowing about it privately was one thing. Being known by the person involved that she knew – that was a completely different matter, and a hundred times more serious!
Ying Yin lowered her head, scrambling to cover her tracks with vague words. “I don’t know anything…”
“Your look seems quite sympathetic,” Shang Shao said, his tone unreadable, his emotions impossible to discern.
The young master is angry again!
Ying Yin snapped her head up. “It can be treated! It can be treated!”
Racking her brain on an empty stomach, she continued, “There’s nothing that can’t be cured. Besides, Mr. Shang, you’re handsome and dashing, powerful and influential, elegant and gentle as polished jade, well-spoken, extraordinarily learned, hugely talented – you have a good body, long legs, um…”
She gritted her teeth and forced a smile. “It’s just a tiny little problem, nothing serious. Your strengths are as many as the stars… your weakness is just a small speck of dust…”
Shang Shao finally couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
He lowered his head, laughing, the cigarette between his fingers trembling ash onto the floor.
“Miss Ying, you’ve gone to such trouble using so many compliments on me. I’m flattered.”
Ying Yin’s face was bright red. She was dressed too sharply today, like a striking vase with a fierce kind of beauty. Now, flustered and annoyed, she finally became somewhat interesting – like a wild rose blooming out of that vase, unexpected, her true nature slipping through.
Shang Shao’s smile was enigmatic, but as his gaze slowly settled on Ying Yin, his eyes grew darker and darker.
The truth was, he had been in meetings all day – speaking, giving presentations, listening, socializing – endlessly bothered, even more exhausted than the night before.
But last night, he had dozed off for a while in that fragrant cigar chair. When he woke up, his arms felt heavy with a certain weight.
It was a weight that felt comfortable in his embrace.
He was just as tired now, and so the craving for that weight, that warmth, silently crept up on him again.
He vaguely remembered holding her waist tightly last night.
Such a thin person, yet with a firm, fleshy feel.
Shang Shao exhaled the last drag of his cigarette and stubbed it out in the ashtray. When he looked up again, his expression had returned to that inscrutable one.
He watched her from a short distance away, then asked abruptly, “Did you sleep well last night?”
Just that one short, offhand sentence plunged Ying Yin into a soft, muddy bog.
It was a very simple question. In an ordinary context, it would be nothing more than small talk. But under his deep, intense gaze, Ying Yin felt a hollow emptiness spreading from the soles of her feet.
He was telling her, so casually, that he also remembered. That he hadn’t let it go either.
They had quarreled, said harsh, hurtful things.
They had kissed, out of control.
In an instant, that single question dragged them both back to last night.
The dark green cigar chair, the rich floral scent on the side table, and the lingering sweetness of their intertwined lips and tongues.
He had sucked on her lips, hard, his tongue pushing past her teeth, accepted by her without resistance.
Ying Yin didn’t dare meet his eyes again. Her lashes fluttered. She looked away and changed the subject. “You left your watch behind last night.”
“Intentionally.”
Ying Yin’s heart tightened. The palms of her hands and the depths of her body felt damp, as if after rain – tingling with an itch like spring flowers and moss sprouting.
“Miss Ying, are you planning to return it to me?” Shang Shao’s gaze remained fixed on her face. His expression was light, but his eyes were deep.
Was he asking whether she planned to return the watch, or whether she planned to see him again?
Ying Yin didn’t know. She felt like she was being pinned down by a beast from the jungle. It was too powerful. Most of the time, it was calm and composed. Only in moments like this did it lose control, revealing a fleeting, bloodthirsty, restless determination.
It flashed and vanished again.
Ying Yin stood up from the sofa. She was still for a long time inside. Then she extended her hands from the impeccably tailored pockets on either side of her blouse.
In her right palm lay a brown men’s tourbillon wristwatch.
“Mr. Shang.” She looked at him. The watch face had long been warmed by her palm.
“I’m ready at any moment.”
To see you again.
