Misty Nights in Hong Kong - Chapter 3

Have You Ever Regretted It?

“The mess the Gu family is in now isn’t worthy of our Fu family.”

“And if my mother finds out you’re his daughter, there’s even less chance for you.”

Gu Xiangsi stared at the check on the table, her nails digging deep into her palms.

Indeed, she was no longer worthy.

A sharp honk snapped her attention upward.

A black sedan pulled up to the curb, the window rolling down to reveal a man smirking at her.

“Manager Gu, need a ride?”

His gaze lingered on her soaked blouse, his lips curling into a suggestive grin.

The rain had eased slightly. Clutching her shoulder bag, she shook her head. “No need, thank you, President Zhao. I live nearby.”

Her fingers tapped randomly on her blacked-out phone screen, pretending to be on a call.

Zhao Niesen scoffed, the window rolling up sharply as the car sped off, tires splashing through a puddle. A wave of filthy water drenched her.

She didn’t flinch, merely tilting slightly to let the mud splash onto her pant leg instead.

Looking down at the dirt-streaked fabric, she suddenly crouched, fingers lightly brushing over her shoes.

These heels were one of the few old things she couldn’t bear to throw away. The heels were worn crooked, the patent leather at the toes cracked with fine lines, but the leather remained soft.

She took them off, stepping barefoot onto the cold, wet ground. Muddy water seeped over her feet, icy to the bone.

But she didn’t frown. Holding her shoes, she walked forward, step by step.

This kind of humiliation wasn’t the first time, after all.

She could bow her head, but she would never grovel.

A Rolls-Royce glided leisurely down the road, the man inside lowering his window, his gaze fixed on the woman ahead.

Her figure was slight, stubbornly walking barefoot, her pale legs casting fragmented shadows on the pavement.

Gu Xiangsi stared at her phone screen, not a single ride available in the late-night streets, and the last bus had long stopped running.

She laughed bitterly. She’d forced herself into this situation again.

A sound from behind made her turn.

A drunken man staggered closer. “Hey, beautiful, out alone this late?”

Her blood ran cold. Nails dug into her palms, her throat locked in silence, only terror and hatred flashing in her eyes.

When her legs finally obeyed, she stumbled, scraping her palms bloody.

The man snatched her bag, cursing. “Dressed nice but no money in here?”

His eyes suddenly landed on the chain around her neck, and he yanked it off brutally.

“Give it back!”

Gu Xiangsi lunged, only to be shoved hard against the dead-end alley wall.

The man, reeking of alcohol, loomed over her. She kicked out wildly, but he grabbed her ankle.

“Give it back,” she hissed, voice thick with fury.

“Let big brother take good care of you first, maybe then-”

As he lunged, she drove her right foot into him. He howled, crumpling to the ground, spewing curses.

She grabbed her scattered makeup and lipstick, shoving them into her bag before delivering another vicious kick. Snatching back her necklace, she kicked him once more for good measure, then scooped up her heels and stumbled into a run.

At the crossroads, she finally spotted a taxi and flagged it down.

Fu Sinian clicked his tongue against his molars, a faint smirk playing on his lips. She didn’t take losses lightly even knew to land an extra kick.

For reasons he couldn’t explain, he started his car, following the taxi at a leisurely pace.

Curled in the backseat, Gu Xiangsi watched the neon lights blur past outside. The dazzling glamour of the city stung her eyes.

Returning home after half a month abroad, she still hadn’t adjusted to the fast-paced clamor of the city, let alone expected to be ambushed by her aunt the moment she landed at the airport. The woman wailed and accused her father of dragging their entire family down.

“Grandma’s hospital bills are piling up, and we’re barely scraping by in this rented place…”

The words, mixed with spittle, came flying at her. Gu Xiangsi frowned in confusion. “What happened to the money I gave you back then?”

Her aunt averted her eyes. “That wasn’t enough to cover our debts.”

“Xiangsi, if you don’t give us the money, don’t even think about seeing your grandma again.”

That day laid bare the truth, her uncle and aunt were nothing but bloodsuckers. So she hid her edge and settled for a job as a project manager.

Now, the memory brought fresh tears rolling down her cheeks. She hastily wiped them away with her sleeve.

Perhaps it was just the sudden sight of him today that had stirred up these emotions.

When the car pulled up at Aohua Residence in Shau Kei Wan, Fu Sinian frowned at the modest apartment complex.

He remembered Gu Xiangsi as the wealthy young lady of Hong Kong’s elite. How had she ended up in a place like this?

A faint sigh from behind pricked at his eardrums like a needle.

“Gu Xiangsi.”

The way he called her name was eerily reminiscent of that rainy night five years ago.

Xiangsi turned around, her body stiffening as she stared at the familiar profile.

The window of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan rolled all the way down.

Half of Fu Sinian’s face was shrouded in shadow, the tear mole at the corner of his eye blurred by the dim light. His dark eyes locked onto her, his voice icy.

He asked her, “Have you ever regretted it?”

Her gaze fell on his hands gripping the steering wheel—those well-defined fingers that had once traced every inch of her skin as if she were a treasure. The last time, they had clutched her arm as he begged in a broken voice for her not to leave.

Did she regret it?

If she could go back…

“President Fu,” she heard her own voice tremble slightly. “People should look forward.”

The man in the driver’s seat suddenly laughed. He glanced at the bloody scratches on her palm, the sight jarring.

“Is this the life you wanted?” His tone grew even colder.

“Yes.”

“Good. Eight-thirty tomorrow morning, at Hong Kong Sanatorium.”

Xiangsi nodded.

“My time is precious. I hate tardiness.”

—

Only after stepping into her apartment did Gu Xiangsi allow the tension in her spine to ease.

To convince her uncle and aunt of her dire straits, she had taken up a shared living arrangement.

Her roommate wasn’t back yet.

After a quick shower, she fetched the first-aid kit, pausing as she applied ointment to the scrapes on her palm.

She covered the bleeding spots with band-aids, then noticed the blisters on her ankles from her high heels. The sting shot straight to her heart.

Maybe the pain had to be sharp enough to dull the images buried deep in her memory.

She pulled a broken chain from her bag.

The circular pendant bore the engraved initials “XS,” the edges worn smooth by time.

Running her fingers over the letters, Xiangsi’s thoughts churned. She tilted her head back, telling herself, Gu Xiangsi, you’re not allowed to cry. There’s still so much left to do.

Soon, she would see her grandmother.

As she forced her eyes shut, the sound of a door closing came from next door, followed by the muffled murmurs of a man’s saccharine words.

Her roommate, Xiaoli, worked night shifts at a club. They rarely crossed paths, so it was unusual for her to be back this early and with a man in tow.

Xiangsi frowned.

Before long, the creaking of a bed frame seeped through the wall, accompanied by a woman’s breathy moans and a man’s rough, excited grunts.

Gu Xiangsi suddenly felt something strange in her heart and quickly pulled the blanket over her ears, but those ambiguous sounds still seeped in.

She was utterly sleepless.

The next day, the reflection in the mirror showed dark circles under her eyes.

When she opened her bedroom door, she saw a shirtless man standing in the living room.

She immediately turned away. “Please put some clothes on.”

The man, holding a glass of water, walked straight toward her with a cheeky grin.

“Hey, beautiful, what’s your name? Wanna hang out sometime?”

Gu Xiangsi took a step back. The man’s unabashed gaze swept over her, making her skin crawl.

“Sorry, I have to get to work.”

She sidestepped him, quickly locked her room behind her, and hurried out the door.

At the office, her colleagues were chatting about how a drunk man had been beaten up at an alley entrance the day before.

“Word is that guy got his junk kicked in.”