Chapter 63

In Deep Water Bay, the commercial estate covers over 6,000 square meters, with each child having their own building. These buildings are connected by internal and external corridors to the main structure and feature gardens, lakes with fountains, landscaped areas, and guest reception areas, forming a vast and well-organized complex. Although the adult children of the business family still live here, they are spaced out enough that they do not often disturb each other in their daily lives.

In the dead of night, when Shang Mingbao, dressed in white, was seen, Shang Shao’s first reaction was that he had seen a ghost.

He had just come out of his study after practicing calligraphy, dressed in homewear and looking ready to rest.

Shang Mingbao was wearing a nightgown, her calves bare, her hair disheveled, and she tearfully called out to him, “Big Brother…”

It was clear from her tone that she was up to no good.

Shang Shao’s butler, Lin Cunkang, accompanied her and said with polite and slightly mocking tone, “Third Lady said she suddenly dreamed of Young Master and misses him very much.”

This ridiculous statement was probably only believed by her.

Shang Shao felt no emotion at all and gestured for Uncle Kang to leave, asking calmly, “What is your request?”

Shang Mingbao fidgeted, twisting her fingers, “I want to go down the mountain for a drive.”

As a young person with no rights, she lived closest to her parents’ quarters, and with Sophie not around, she wouldn’t dare drive down the mountain by herself even if she had a hundred chances.

Shang Shao, having finished his calligraphy and in a good mood, was quite patient. It was 12:40 a.m., not too late. Considering she had just had a fight with her boyfriend, he agreed, “Go change your clothes.”

Shang Mingbao was overjoyed. After a quick run back to her small villa, she quickly applied light makeup, combed her hair, and ran to the closet to change.

Hurrying like a fluttering butterfly.

She opened the glass cabinet and, by sheer coincidence, saw the nightgown that Wen Youyi had given her. She had brought it back from New York and kept it in her suitcase, feeling embarrassed every time she thought of wearing it.

It was just sexy, not vulgar, but because it carried the significance of an adult gift, Shang Mingbao didn’t dare wear it casually.

As the hanger clattered, the soft silk of the gown slid down into Shang Mingbao’s outstretched hands and wrists.

The quiet in the dressing room was infused with fragrance, the scent spreading like threads of rain under the crystal chandelier. Shang Mingbao put on the nightgown, twirled on the pure white long-pile round carpet, letting the fragrant rain fall on her.

Afterward, she picked out a summer trench coat and hid the nightgown inside it.

When she went downstairs, Shang Shao had already lit a cigarette in the driver’s seat and had been resting his eyes for a long time. As he was running out of patience, he finally heard footsteps. He opened his eyes and scanned Shang Mingbao from top to bottom as she came running: “…”

Shang Mingbao mirrored him: “…”

Shang Shao: “Are you playing me?”

Shang Mingbao clasped her hands together and said, “I’m sorry!”

Shang Shao, using his busy mind, could only come up with one possibility: “What, do you have a boyfriend in Hong Kong?”

Shang Mingbao: “…”

To prevent him from going back on his word, she opened the car door, got into the passenger seat, fastened her seatbelt in one go, and clutched the strap tightly, “It’s Brother Feiran coming. You must keep your word!”

Shang Shao said slowly, “I only agreed to take you down the mountain for a drive.”

“Going to Spring Corner is also a drive!”

Even Shang Shao felt a bit incredulous: “Where?”

Shang Mingbao whispered, “He booked a room at Big Sister’s hotel…”

Qilu Entertainment and Hotel Group is an independent business spun off from the Shangyu Group, managing entertainment venues and resorts. It is now fully managed by the eldest daughter of the Buisnessman Monica. Spring Corner Chuon Kok is the group’s new flagship and has set a new standard for luxury hotels in Hong Kong. It was expected that Feiran would book a room there.

Inside the car, an eerie silence spread.

“It’s all your fault. If you had reminded me earlier, I wouldn’t have fought with him. He wouldn’t have canceled his flight to New York and changed it to Hong Kong, and wouldn’t have booked a room at Big Sister’s hotel. You wouldn’t have had to drive me down the mountain in the middle of the night…” Shang Mingbao felt she was very reasonable, but didn’t dare speak loudly in front of Shang Shao. After weakly stating her case, she pleaded, “You’re an adult, you need to take responsibility for your actions.”

Shang Shao: “…”

A misery.

In the dead of night, the electric sports car drove down the mountain road under the streetlights, cutting through the sea breeze, mist, and neon lights, heading towards Spring Corner.

Shang Shao didn’t accompany her out of the car, and Shang Mingbao made no move to have him see her off. She was as decisive getting in as she was quick getting out.

After slamming the car door shut, Shang Shao lowered the window to call out to her, asking, “When will you be back?”

Shang Mingbao replied, “… Tomorrow?”

Shang Shao rolled the window back up, giving a quick, dismissive gesture like shooing away a child: “Be careful.”

The management is strict, emphasizing guest privacy. Guests who haven’t registered at the front desk can’t access the guest room floors—except for the owner’s family.

Shang Mingbao contacted the highest-ranking manager on duty that night and showed her ID.

The vice president who came to meet her was surprised: “Miss Shang…?”

“Shh.” Shang Mingbao instructed, “Get me a room, don’t ask questions, and don’t tell Monica. Otherwise, I’ll speak ill of you in front of her.”

The vice president: “…”

The front desk provided her with an executive suite, handing over the room key card with both hands.

Shang Mingbao took the card and said, “Also…”

The vice president listened attentively.

“Find the guest in Room 2024 tomorrow and inform them they’ve won a prize: a full refund of the room fee and a lifetime free stay at Qili.”

The vice president was speechless.

Shang Mingbao thought for a moment: “Is that too fake?”

The vice president nodded vigorously.

Shang Mingbao showed mercy: “Then just refund the room fee for now. We’ll discuss the rest later.”

No one knew that the elevator didn’t go up to the executive floor but stopped on the floor with the premium rooms.

When the doorbell rang, Xiang Feiran was on the balcony smoking. This resort, nestled against the mountain with a sea view, was top-rated. Qili’s reputation was indeed well-known. The cost of one night’s stay could cover a flight to New York in economy class—a lavish expense.

However, tonight, with the darkness so thick and the sea surface black, occasionally lit by boat lights and bioluminescence, there was not much to see.

Hearing the bell, Xiang Feiran stubbed out his cigarette in the glass ashtray on the round table and returned to the room.

At the moment he opened the door, her fragrance told him she was her.

Shang Mingbao’s hair was disheveled as she hugged him, looking up at him as if to confirm his reality.

The hallway light was too bright, making her face and gaze warm. She extended her fingers, lightly tracing the contours of his sharp features, and when she reached his Adam’s apple, he pinched her fingertips, asking, “A kiss? Or should we talk first?”

His question was cold and heavy, but before Shang Mingbao could answer, he pressed her against the dressing mirror, lowering his face so that the warmth from his palm misted the mercury mirror.

Shang Mingbao tiptoed to kiss him, but Xiang Feiran moved his lips away, his gaze impassive.

“…”

She bit her lip, her eyes full of grievance.

“Is this all it takes to appease me?” Xiang Feiran’s eyes were downcast, “Not really.”

Shang Mingbao looked at him more timidly, saying, “The ticket change fee is so expensive.”

“No change; just a refund.”

“Why?”

Xiang Feiran’s gaze was calm like a deep pool: “I’m not sure when you’ll manage to appease me.”

Under his stare, Shang Mingbao pressed against the mirror. Hong Kong is hot, but the indoor air conditioning is always relentless; the mirror felt like ice, and Shang Mingbao shivered as she pressed against it.

Summoning her courage, she placed her hand on his shoulder through his T-shirt, caressing his solid back, and tried kissing him again.

This time Xiang Feiran did not dodge, letting her lips touch his but remaining indifferent, his eyes hidden beneath dark lashes.

Shang Mingbao’s effort was in vain; she stopped tiptoeing, feeling a mix of frustration, embarrassment, and a touch of coaxing: “Just kiss me…”

The man’s palm left a steaming mist on the mirror, but his face remained expressionless and cold: “With such little effort, how can you be so confident you’ll make me feel better?”

Her audacity almost made him laugh.

All the talk about focusing on writing her paper and waiting for her return to New York… by the time she returns, the flowers will have withered.

He wouldn’t allow their issues to carry over to the next day.

Shang Mingbao puffed up her cheeks, “I was planning to invite you to take a helicopter ride when I got back to New York.”

Xiang Feiran frowned slightly, as if not understanding: “What?”

“To invite you to take a helicopter ride and see the Manhattan nightscape, the Statue of Liberty, the Hudson River, the Financial District, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the Empire State Building.” Shang Mingbao looked up earnestly.

Xiang Feiran’s single word was cold: “Soil.”

Shang Mingbao asked, “Soil? I thought about it for a long time.”

Her hand withdrew from him, and with a rustling sound, she undid the bow on her white windbreaker.

The fragrance she had been holding in was now released, competing to escape, enriched by her body’s warmth.

Xiang Feiran’s gaze lingered on her in her pink robe.

It was a short robe that covered her upper legs, with a style that cinched at the waist. Shang Mingbao had tied it loosely, and the overlapping collar swayed.

Wearing this, Shang Mingbao earnestly apologized, “Xiang Feiran, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have had my older brother send you money, shouldn’t have lost my temper, shouldn’t have ignored your calls, shouldn’t have said you were ungrateful—”

Before she could finish, she was abruptly picked up by Xiang Feiran—lifted vertically, her legs held together, her upper body folded over his shoulder.

Facing such an appearance, to still act like a gentleman was indeed ungrateful.

The robe, already short, seemed even more inadequate now.

The white branches and flowers entwined like lace; Xiang Feiran’s fingers hooked it, tearing it off entirely.

Shang Mingbao’s eyes widened suddenly, stunned by his assertiveness and smooth movements.

The main light in the guest room was off, with only a few spotlights providing dim, yellowish light that cast mountain-like shadows on the wall, making Shang Mingbao’s skin look honey-colored.

The bed linens were unique, with strong support and a soft padding. When Shang Mingbao was tossed onto the bed, her closed eyes spun as if the world was turning upside down.

She was shocked by Xiang Feiran’s silent efficiency, realizing that he might be serious today.

“Fei, Feiran Ge…” Shang Mingbao swallowed, her pupils wide.

Xiang Feiran steadied himself, leaned down, and came close to her, his breath falling on her face.

“Kiss me.” His two words were not a command but a statement.

Shang Mingbao’s heels pressed against the sheets, her gaze dimmed, and she half-closed her eyes. After pressing her lips together, she propped herself up with her elbows and tilted her neck to kiss him.

Before she could support herself for even a second, Xiang Feiran pressed her back down, sinking her into the mattress and soft cushions.

All the restless feelings she had endured and the discomfort she had felt all night were resolved in this intense, fierce kiss. Shang Mingbao closed her eyes, feeling the warm, wet sensation that she was familiar with and liked. Her tightly closed eyes conveyed either unbearable pain or a desperate longing, with her lashes trembling in response to his varying pace and pressure.

The silk-like sheets were too slippery to bear any weight.

Feeling drowsy, she seemed to hear a sigh of laughter from him amidst his skillful actions: “Who is coaxing whom after all?”

She had no idea where he had produced the protective measure from.

When she heard the sound of plastic film being torn, her heart climbed up to her throat.

A simple person like her had bought something like this, which was colorless and tasteless, without any function. But this size was indeed hard to find, so she had run to three 24-hour convenience stores.

Shang Mingbao’s lips were reddened from the kisses, and a dark red scab had formed at the corner of her mouth, moistened by the saliva from their recent kiss, appearing as if it were flower-like in its decay. Xiang Feiran suddenly rubbed the wound and asked, “Did your family ask about it?”

It would have been better if he hadn’t mentioned it. Once he did, Shang Mingbao blamed him.

“Yes.”

Wen Youyi had asked if she was not adapting to the highland climate, causing dryness and heat. Shang Mingbao could only stammer and admit it.

Wen Youyi then advised her to take vitamins and instructed the kitchen to prepare soup that would cool down the heat and protect the liver.

Shang Mingbao recounted everything, making Xiang Feiran chuckle lightly: “So, has it cooled down?”

“…”

Xiang Feiran’s gaze was gentle yet meaningful: “It doesn’t seem to have.”

Shang Mingbao didn’t hear, her ears red.

When the sound of unwrapping stopped, Xiang Feiran looked into her eyes, clear and bright: “No alcohol, do you want some?”

“…” Shang Mingbao was already dizzy, her mind clouded, like taking an exam without having studied.

“Do you want it?” he asked her one last time.

Shang Mingbao woke up in a panic, shaking her head vigorously, her lips tightly pressed, her eyes wide with alarm, and she urgently tried to escape from his embrace.

Xiang Feiran allowed her to escape just to the right spot, holding her ankle, his warm body enclosing her once more.

“Look at me.” He ordered in a deep voice.

Shang Mingbao forgot to swallow, her gaze instinctively moving to him when he said to look.

Xiang Feiran remained calm, but he took Shang Mingbao’s hand and placed it on his chest, through his T-shirt.

Beneath the textured, solid chest was an incredibly fast and heavy heartbeat, beating under Shang Mingbao’s hand.

“I’ve heard that saying ‘I love you’ at this moment is a mood killer,” he looked at Shang Mingbao without a moment’s hesitation, “so let my heartbeat say it. Let it tell you that this person in front of you makes your heart race and your mind uneasy. It hasn’t beaten like this even in the final International Olympiad. You did that. I…”

He paused, his lips curving slightly, as if reconciling with a part of his past.

“—Love you.”

Shang Mingbao’s pupils stopped moving, as if in disbelief. She let out a short, breathless laugh, and tears immediately streamed down her face.

Xiang Feiran wiped away her hot tears. Due to the light and shadow, his face appeared both bright and dark, with a determined calm.

Indeed, his strength and power were never flaunted; they were hidden in his calm demeanor.

His hand grasped Shang Mingbao’s chin, his lips close to her ear, his voice low: “I want you.”

Shang Mingbao closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around him, leaning into his kiss. All the chaotic thoughts in her mind vanished; she melted into his embrace.

The robe Wen Youyi had given her, though it had become loose and unbuttoned, was easily removed by him at this moment.

His incredible life, the gift from the heavens, the last firework before the solitude returned to the mountains, was so beautiful, blooming for him.

In the next moment, Shang Mingbao uncontrollably cried out, gasping for breath, tears streaming down.

As moved as she had been, now she felt like cursing. Cursing him: “…You bastard!”

Xiang Feiran remained unmoved, repeatedly kissing her wet palms, forehead, and eyelashes.

He was so adept at kissing, putting all his knowledge and skills into it. Shang Mingbao was kissed into a daze, forgetting whether the world was round or square, and forgetting the present moment—until a drop of Xiang Feiran’s sweat fell from his chin onto her skin.

Shang Mingbao shivered, her lashes fluttering. The man in front of her had thin lips pressed together, sweat dampening his black hair tips, and with furrowed brows, his narrow, slightly raised eyes looked down at her from the distance between their eyelashes.

He lifted Shang Mingbao’s hand, pressing her palm tightly against his sweaty cheek, saying word by word: “Babe, I will give you the best.”

Those were the words of confession on Christmas Eve in the apartment on West 56th Street, and he would always remember them. Everything at its best—including his own body.

Shang Mingbao hadn’t fully realized what was happening when she felt as if a nerve in her head was being pulled—

Her head felt like it was about to fly off, and it was painful.

In the room, only the sounds of heavy breathing remained. If she listened more keenly, she could hear the man’s heartbeat as well.

He didn’t give her time to react to the pain. As he kissed her deeply, he adjusted his angle, turning the momentary pain into a spreading, bone-deep ache.

Shang Mingbao relaxed her grip on the pillow, opened her eyes, and through the tear-dappled light, looked at him. She wasn’t aware that her breathing rhythm had changed, shifting from tight pain to exhaling sweet, intoxicating fragrance.

Immersed in and enduring the desire, he was incredibly sexy.

She painted this man, who was as pure and distant as a morning mist in the mountains, a man removed from all fame and spotlight, with the colors of confusion and dim shadows.

Soon, she couldn’t look at him anymore because the sensation moving through her body was so unfamiliar that she felt like a boat at sea, tossed by the waves and at risk of losing control. She had to tightly close her eyes, clutch his veined arm, drawing warmth from him to confirm her own existence.

She didn’t realize her voice had completely changed, from a clear and bright tone to a husky, sweet, and familiar one, filled with drowsy numbness. She was also concerned about whether Xiang Feiran would notice, feeling that she probably didn’t look very beautiful at that moment.

But Xiang Feiran told her not to hide and said, “Baby, you’re so beautiful.”

That day, Shang Mingbao saw the sunrise over the Spring Creek Bay and heard the morning news on the television.