Misty Nights in Hong Kong - Chapter 18

They Say You’re Lacking in That Department!

Gu Xiangsi unsurprisingly secured the position of Design Manager at Zhao Corporation.

Over the next half-month, aside from work, she made time to visit her grandmother at the nursing home. The traditional Chinese medicine treatments proved quite effective, her grandmother’s complexion had improved noticeably.

What surprised Gu Xiangsi, however, was that the Song family hadn’t come demanding money from her during this time.

November 28th, in the CEO’s office at Zhao Corporation.

Zhao Niesen rose with a warm smile, gesturing for her to take a seat on the sofa before personally brewing a pot of tea.

Clutching the porcelain cup, she asked, “Mr. Zhao, what did you want to discuss?”

“Manager Gu, fate truly connects us!” Zhao Niesen’s gaze burned with enthusiasm. “Had I not observed you these past weeks, I might’ve suspected ulterior motives behind your job switch. Excelling in both projects and design, such talent is rare.”

Gu Xiangsi’s fingers tightened slightly, rippling the tea in her cup. She lowered her eyes to steady her emotions before looking up with a smile.

“You flatter me, Mr. Zhao. Your company’s intelligent systems development is impressive, and most importantly, your salary offer was indeed more generous than Mr. Chen’s.”

“Haha, I love your honesty!”

Zhao Niesen leaned forward. “Let me be direct. I need you to draft an interior design plan to help me win over someone. Also, accompany me to a dinner tonight.”

“But I-” Gu Xiangsi frowned, about to refuse. “I’m a designer, not a PR specialist.”

“Relax, it’s just a normal social engagement.”

At the same time, in a villa atop Tai Ping Mountain.

Zhou Wanrong stood with a slender whip in hand, dressed in a Chanel haute couture suit.

She glared down at the two brothers lounging on the sofa.

On the left, Fu Jiaye sat ramrod straight, while on the right, Fu Sinian slouched casually against the armrest, one leg swinging lazily over the other.

“Fu Jiaye!”

The whip cracked sharply in the air. “A thirty-year-old executive who’s never even held a girl’s hand? Not even a girlfriend?”

The moment she finished, Fu Sinian let out a low chuckle, earning him an immediate glare.

“And you! Twenty-five years old, fooling around all day. I told you to pursue the Duan family’s daughter, what happened?”

Zhou Wanrong’s eyes reddened with frustration. “Do you know what people are saying? That my two sons look the part but-” She lowered her voice. “They say you’re lacking in that department! Tomorrow, both of you are going to the hospital for a checkup!”

“Mom! There’s nothing wrong with me!”

Fu Jiaye shot to his feet, his ears burning red.

Fu Sinian, however, lounged lazily, clearly enjoying the spectacle.

Zhou Wanrong marched over and pinched his ear. “You’re a CEO, for heaven’s sake. Wasting that face of yours.”

“Ow, Mom, that hurts! Clearly, I inherited my good looks from you!”

Fu Sinian grimaced dramatically.

Just then, a car horn blared outside the villa.

“Now what?” A man’s unsurprised voice sounded from the foyer.

Hearing it, Zhou Wanrong set the whip down on the console table and helped him out of his suit jacket. Her gaze suddenly froze.

A half-smudged lipstick stain marred his collar. Her nails dug into her palms, her lashes fluttering briefly, yet her tone remained gentle. “You must be exhausted from working so late tonight.”

“It’s fine.”

He walked past her and settled into an armchair in the living room.

At that moment, Fu Sinian’s phone buzzed with a notification. He pulled it out to see a photo from Lu Liang.

Opening it, the image revealed a woman in a beige trench coat, her hair neatly pinned up, dressed in black slacks and a crisp white blouse strikingly poised and professional.

He stared at the woman’s delicate face for a few more seconds when Fu Xianhan spoke up, “Since both of you are here, let’s have dinner together.”

Fu Sinian patted his trousers and stood up, casually spinning his phone 360 degrees. His gaze inadvertently flickered to Fu Xianhan’s shirt collar before narrowing slightly.

He then glanced at Zhou Wanrong, who was directing the servants in the kitchen to set the dishes, and lowered his voice with a dark expression, “If you’re going to cheat, at least clean up after yourself.”

Fu Xianhan frowned, “What did you say?”

Fu Sinian ignored him. Fu Jiaye pulled him back, and he paused, “Brother, I have something to take care of. I need to leave.”

“Watch how you speak to Dad,” Fu Jiaye reprimanded, asserting his authority as the eldest brother.

Fu Sinian scoffed, his eyes filled with disdain as he looked at Fu Xianhan. He had never held any respect for this so-called father.

“Brother, isn’t this just a case of ‘a crooked stick will have a crooked shadow’?”

Fu Xianhan’s expression darkened. Fu Jiaye was about to say something when Fu Sinian patted his shoulder and whispered, “The role model you’re so proud of can sometimes be more disgusting than a sewer rat.”

“Mom, I’m heading back,” Fu Sinian called out toward the kitchen.

Zhou Wanrong hurried out upon hearing him, “You brat, can’t even stay for a family meal?”

“Mom, I really have something important!”

“What could be more important than spending time with family?”

“I’m going on a date!”

With that, he strode out of the villa.

“That kid,” Zhou Wanrong muttered, watching him leave before finally turning away.

——

Zhang Mansion, located in Causeway Bay, was a high-end semi-private Chinese restaurant with floor-to-ceiling windows offering a panoramic view of Victoria Harbour.

In the private room, Lu Liang had ordered an array of authentic Cantonese dishes, starting with golden phoenix wings, morel mushrooms, and matsutake. All in all, the three of them had ordered over thirty dishes, covering the entire table.

Gu Xiangsi couldn’t help but frown at the extravagance. This was truly the world of the wealthy.

She had almost forgotten that she, too, used to order dishes with such abandon.

But now, in Hong Kong, few probably remembered that she had once been a young lady from a prominent family.

Lowering her head, she quietly masked the emotions in her eyes.

After ordering, Lu Liang asked for a pot of Longjing tea and then inquired about Gu Xiangsi’s work on yacht decoration.

Gu Xiangsi responded professionally, offering several suggestions.

Impressed, Lu Liang smiled and praised, “Miss Gu is truly remarkable, not only beautiful but also incredibly talented. President Zhao, you’ve really struck gold here.”

Zhao Niesen laughed heartily, “Indeed. Someone like Miss Gu, with both looks and talent, someone who could rely on her beauty but chooses to rely on her skills is truly rare these days.”

Lu Liang also chuckled, sipping his tea before shifting the topic, “Miss Gu, are you still single?”

Gu Xiangsi was taken aback but quickly smiled, “President Lu, are you offering to introduce someone to me?”

“Hahaha,” Lu Liang laughed. “I’m afraid the people I know might not meet Miss Manager’s standards.”

“Anyone you know, President Lu, must be exceptional. It’s more that I wouldn’t be worthy.”

After tactfully declining, Gu Xiangsi excused herself and left the private room.

As she looked down at her phone, she accidentally bumped into someone. Both exclaimed in surprise, and her phone clattered to the floor.

When she bent down to pick it up, she looked up to find Sun Shangxiang and Li Hao standing right in front of her.

To be precise, Sun Shangxiang was leaning intimately against Li Hao.

She frowned, sensing that something was off.

It was Li Hao who spoke first: “Classmate Gu, what are you doing here too?”

Gu Xiangsi tugged at the corner of her lips, her gaze shifting between the two of them: “Class President, what’s going on between you two?”

Sun Shangxiang took the opportunity to lean even closer against Li Hao’s shoulder. Gu Xiangsi clearly noticed Li Hao’s body stiffen almost imperceptibly.

“Classmate Gu, the Class President and I are dating now,” Sun Shangxiang declared loudly.

“Oh,” Gu Xiangsi responded, but her eyelids twitched involuntarily.

What had she missed during this time?

Hadn’t Sun Shangxiang just been trending on social media, with rumors about some live-streamed 1V2 incident?

And Li Hao was okay with that?

As she pondered this, Sun Shangxiang suddenly tugged at Li Hao’s arm, her voice dripping with sweetness: “I have something to discuss with Classmate Gu. Could you wait for me over there?”

Li Hao hesitated, then cautioned: “Shangxiang, we’re all classmates. Let’s talk things out properly.”

“Don’t worry.”

Once Li Hao was out of earshot, the smile on her face vanished instantly, her eyes turning cold: “That day, it was you who sent those people after me.”

Gu Xiangsi spread her hands, her tone indifferent: “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”