Chapter 10

The two met face to face, and before either could speak, Shang Mingbao took the lead with a joyful exclamation: “Big Brother!”

Shang Shao nodded to the young man in front of him and extended a hand for a self-introduction: “Hello, I’m Shang Mingbao’s older brother, Shang Shao. You can call me Leo. Nice to meet you.”

His extended hand was slender and bony, like a jade fan bone, with a white shirt cuff visible at the wrist, fastened with a modest gem button.

Xiang Feiran immediately perceived his privileged upbringing and dignified demeanor, and shook his hand: “Nice to meet you, Xiang Feiran.”

There was also a slightly older man following behind, dressed in a suit with a distinguished air. Xiang Feiran couldn’t help but speculate that he was at least a relative of Shang Mingbao. However, until Shang Shao entered the hospital room, he hadn’t been introduced, and the man simply followed Shang Shao’s lead, seeming accustomed to blending into the background.

Xiang Feiran understood that even someone of this demeanor was just a subordinate to the eldest son of the Shang family, and there was no need for an introduction.

Although the windows and doors were open, and the air circulated, the “atmosphere” in the room remained distinct to someone newly entering the space. He watched the expressions of the two men with subtle interest.

To his surprise, neither of them furrowed their brows or showed any sign of deigning themselves to the occasion.

Shang Shao stood there, and before he could speak, Shang Mingbao sweetly said, “Big Brother, please sit.”

She added, “Uncle Kang, you sit too. Big Brother can sit by the bed, and Uncle Kang can sit in the chair.”

She was mindful of the distinctions of seniority and familiarity.

The middle-aged man addressed as Uncle Kang smiled, “Third Miss, there’s no need to be polite. I’ll stand.”

As Shang Shao’s butler, it was only natural for him not to take a seat.

At that moment, the small hospital room seemed more cramped than ever. Xiang Feiran said at an opportune moment, “I’ll step outside to make a phone call. Call me if you need anything.”

After he left, Shang Shao carefully examined Shang Mingbao’s face and confirmed that her vitality had noticeably improved.

“Now, tell me, what triggered this?”

Despite his calm demeanor and gentle tone, Shang Mingbao shivered inexplicably, and her energy seemed to wane.

Although she had boasted about her brother’s extraordinary abilities and flawless demeanor in front of Fang Suining, facing him was like a cat encountering a tiger, with suppression ingrained in her very being.

“It just happened suddenly…” Shang Mingbao mumbled, trying to evade the question.

She couldn’t let him know it was because of half a cup of coffee, or her freedom would vanish!

“You’ve only had two episodes in the past year—one because you found out a good friend was speaking ill of you, and another because of an idol’s scandal. So what about this time? Who upset you?”

“What history!” Shang Mingbao pouted, “It’s not like that…”

“Did the person you just saw upset you?”

“What?” Shang Mingbao was confused, not understanding her brother’s logic: “Of course not. Don’t wrong good people.”

“You don’t need to cover for him. I’ll deal with him properly,” Shang Shao said indifferently, unaffected by her denial.

“What?!” Shang Mingbao was incredulous, her brows furrowed tightly. “When did you become so self-righteous? It’s not his fault at all. I drank half a cup of coffee. He’s the one who saved me, don’t you understand?”

After saying this in one breath, she froze, reflecting, and realized with exasperation: “You tricked me into revealing the truth!”

Shang Shao remained unmoved by her accusation, gently nodding: “So it was because of the coffee. Why?”

Shang Mingbao wrinkled her nose and turned her face away, playing dead.

“Didn’t the doctor tell you not to touch coffee?” He asked in a relatively mild tone.

“I didn’t know it would take effect so quickly. I only drank a little…” Shang Mingbao held up her index finger and thumb, showing a two-millimeter gap. “Just a tiny bit.”

Inconsistent and illogical, Shang Shao couldn’t be bothered to point out her earlier claim of half a cup. Seeing her spirits were still good, he stopped pursuing the matter and asked Uncle Kang: “Is everything arranged over there?”

Uncle Kang confirmed, and Shang Shao stood up, “Arrange for a caregiver and send Babe to the parking lot.”

Shang Mingbao pressed her hands tightly on the quilt, confused but alert: “What for? Are you taking me back to Hong Kong?”

Shang Shao indeed planned to take her back, as the conditions here were hardly satisfactory and felt like suffering for Mingbao. However, seeing her reluctance was a bit surprising. Mingbao was like a bird reluctant to leave the nest. Though the Shang family had “enclaves” around the world, she preferred staying in Hong Kong. If she had to leave, she needed familiar people and things around her to feel at ease.

Wen Youyi had made her attend summer camp and had used both soft and hard tactics, even giving her a brand ambassador status for three months for a small idol she recently liked. Normally, she would be thrilled to return to Hong Kong, jumping out of bed immediately.

“Otherwise?” Shang Shao asked, “You don’t want to go back to Hong Kong and would rather stay here?”

“No…” Shang Mingbao said glumly, then added, “Returning to Hong Kong is fine… but…”

“But what?”

She hesitated. The days and nights in the mountains seemed to have lost their magic in the few hours since she returned to the city. The place was dull, boring; the wind, bird songs, and verdant mountains were worthless. Why stay there? With her illness, saying goodbye to Fang Suining and inviting her to visit at Deep Water Bay later would be more enjoyable than these few days. And Mom wouldn’t mind; she could just throw a tantrum—Mom was tough on the outside but soft on the inside.

Fifteen days of summer were short, but she realized she didn’t actually have fifteen days.

Perhaps she didn’t even care about having those fifteen days.

A caregiver brought a wheelchair through the ever-chaotic corridor filled with IV bottles, disinfectant, and moaning sounds, passing by the young man who was looking down at his phone while leaning against the wall.

He seemed to sense something, lifting his face and silently watching as the nurse entered the room.

Lying down was fine, but any movement made Shang Mingbao feel weak all over. She was gently helped into the wheelchair by the caregiver and had a cashmere blanket placed over her legs.

“Can I say goodbye to my friend?” Shang Mingbao asked reluctantly. She meant Fang Suining.

Shang Shao agreed, “Do you want to say goodbye in person or over the phone?”

“She’s still in class, so a phone call will do. Let’s invite her over to our home for a visit this weekend, okay?”

“Alright.”

“And the person earlier?” Shang Shao asked.

Shang Mingbao had deliberately avoided thinking about it, but her brother easily exposed it, forcing her to confront it.

“You need to reimburse his medical expenses,” she said first.

Shang Shao couldn’t help but laugh, “Of course.”

“And thank him.”

“That’s also certain. How would you like to thank him?”

Shang Mingbao thought for a moment: “Give him a million.”

“What?” Shang Shao frowned.

“My life isn’t worth that much? Although I probably wouldn’t have died without him, he gave me a great sense of security,” Shang Mingbao said firmly.

“Your life cannot be measured in money, so I can’t give him a million.”

On the hospital bed just a curtain away, the uncle stared with wide eyes, not daring to make a sound, suspecting they were talking about something trivial.

“Why?” Shang Mingbao didn’t understand. “You have to give it to him; are you reluctant? Take it out of my trust.”

She couldn’t say he was short on money, not even able to come up with a thousand. Thinking about it, she shouldn’t have let him treat her this afternoon. That cake… the one he gave her, she hadn’t even had a chance to taste it yet.

She wondered what it tasted like.

A million was a carefully considered amount. Ten thousand was too little, and hundreds of thousands seemed overly meticulous. Eight hundred eighty thousand suited the Hong Kong character, but it was too vulgar for him, so a million would be better.

Any more might scare him off, making him reluctant to accept it.

If Shang Mingbao could afford it, Shang Shao wouldn’t have any reason to hold back. He leaned forward, his hands resting on the armrests of the wheelchair, and looked at her seriously. “Babe, you must remember never to repay kindness with money. Don’t reduce moral obligations to a matter of price.”

After a pause, he added, “I will make a promise to him that he can come to me for help in the future, no matter what difficulties he faces. I and the Shang family are at his service.”

Shang Mingbao blinked in confusion. “I don’t understand. Isn’t it just a matter of repaying whatever someone needs? Isn’t that straightforward?”

Since she had spoken to this extent, Shang Shao remained silent for a while, letting her be.

Perhaps she didn’t value this acquaintance, and it was his mistake in judgment. She might only want a clean break.

With this thought, Mingbao’s choice seemed quite reasonable. Though somewhat indifferent, it was undoubtedly the most efficient way to quickly sever a complicated relationship.

Shang Mingbao continued to observe his expression and, seeing it clear up a bit, cheerfully asked, “Did you agree?”

Shang Shao nodded, signaling the caregiver that they could leave.

The slightly ajar door was opened, and Xiang Feiran, sitting on a silver bench across the way, also looked up at this moment.

Shang Mingbao was in a wheelchair, a moon-white cashmere blanket neatly covering her legs. The caregiver was beside her, with Uncle Kang personally pushing her wheelchair.

For some reason, despite her height of over 1.6 meters, she always seemed small in Xiang Feiran’s eyes. Perhaps it was because she had worn his jacket before, and the empty garment made her seem smaller.

Or maybe it was because she was too thin, like a delicate flower, a single bloom standing out.

Xiang Feiran stood up, and the medical staff and patients with IV stands moved between them, breaking the moment when their gazes should have met.

When he reached them, Xiang Feiran naturally asked, with his hands in his pockets, “Is she gone?”

Shang Mingbao prepared herself before looking up at him and smiled. “Yes, she’s gone.”

Xiang Feiran remained calm, meeting her gaze, crouching slightly with his shoulders broad and straight, one hand resting on his knee, just as they had first met in the specimen room.

His lips curled into a gentle smile, softer than his usual cold demeanor. “Take care of yourself, and don’t drink coffee anymore.”

After a brief pause of a few seconds, he spoke with a casually serious tone:

“Goodbye, Shang Mingbao.”

Shang Mingbao kept smiling, nodding earnestly. “Goodbye, Brother Feiran.”

In total, they had exchanged only a few words, and after bidding farewell, their relationship ended on a good note.

Shang Shao signaled Uncle Kang to take Babe to the car. After they entered the elevator, he took out a cigarette and said, “Mr. Xiang, may I have a word?”

Xiang Feiran took the cigarette and followed him to the smoking area under the green outdoor canopy.

However, neither of them smoked; they just stood and talked.

“Mr. Xiang, today my younger sister caused you a lot of trouble,” Shang Shao began. “Mingbao is my youngest sister, spoiled since childhood. Your help is very important to our whole family.”

Xiang Feiran listened quietly, not agreeing, waiting for him to continue.

Shang Shao skipped further preamble. “My parents originally planned for her to stay here for fifteen days, but clearly, we both overestimated ourselves and Mingbao. My parents are currently on their way back. Before they return, Mingbao asked me to express her thanks to you.”

Xiang Feiran didn’t expect the next sentence and merely smiled casually. “It was a small favor, no need to be so formal.”

Shang Shao delivered the final part of his message: “Later, my subordinate will give you a check for one million. If you need it, we can also exchange it for foreign currency.”

A shallow crescent mark appeared on the white cigarette.

Xiang Feiran’s expression didn’t change, but he furrowed his brow and laughed with a hint of disbelief. “One million?”

He wasn’t sure if he had heard correctly or misunderstood.

“Yes, it’s Babe’s intention. Thank you very much.”

Shang Shao emphasized two terms: life-saving grace and “an afternoon’s effort.”

Effort. Still, he wanted to say busy running around?

Xiang Feiran’s smile widened, and he actually laughed. He held the unlit cigarette between his fingers, shaking his head while laughing.

“Mr. Shang.”

He didn’t use his earlier self-introduction, Leo, but met Shang Shao’s gaze calmly.

“Your sister’s life might be valuable, but what I did is insignificant, so there’s no need.”

He spoke lightly, his smile composed.

His refusal did not surprise Shang Shao.

Few people can immediately accept a million as a reward because it’s unusual and beyond the norm. After hearing this, Shang Shao didn’t persuade further but took out a business card holder—one he had specially asked Uncle Kang for—and handed a card to Xiang Feiran. “If you change your mind, contact me anytime, anywhere.”

Xiang Feiran took the card, giving a small nod with his fingers and a faintly sarcastic smile. “Sure.”

After he left, Xiang Feiran went to the trash can and expressionlessly threw away both the card and the expensive, unlit cigarette he had just been given.

The Bentley SUV with dual registration plates drove across the long and winding Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. As dusk fell, the sea on both sides was pitch black and boundless, with a few scattered lights on the ships, like lonely tacks on a black curtain.

The choice to drive back instead of taking a helicopter was due to the noise, which was thought to be detrimental to Shang Mingbao’s recovery.

Shang Shao called his mother, Wen Youyi, and learned that their private jet had already passed through the Middle East and was about to enter national airspace. Shang Mingbao took the phone, answered politely, and reassured her not to worry. After that, she spoke with her father, receiving his stern criticisms and concern.

After a long phone call, they still had not crossed the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.

Shang Mingbao returned the phone to her older brother and adjusted the blanket on her legs. After a few casual remarks, Shang Shao advised her to rest while he himself closed his eyes to relax.

Deep Water Bay was ready to welcome the third miss back, with hot soup, hot water, and everything she was accustomed to—orderly and exquisitely prepared.

After a long period of silence, so quiet that Shang Shao thought she had fallen asleep, and so long that he was nearly asleep himself, he suddenly heard a soft, disjointed utterance:

“Big Brother, I want to eat blueberry cake.”

“What?” Shang Shao opened his eyes.

Shang Mingbao kept her head lowered, her black hair falling from her ears to her neck, hiding her unusually well-behaved face.

She quietly repeated, “I want to eat blueberry cake.”

With the partition up, neither the driver nor Uncle Kang could hear, so Shang Shao had to pick up his phone and dial the home service extension at Deep Water Bay: “Hello, it’s me. Tell the Western kitchen that Babe wants—”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence because he heard a soft sob next to him. It was a sound that had been suppressed for a long time, trapped behind walls of bronze and iron, yet easily escaped like breaking through a layer of rice paper.

The interior of the car was so dark, with only the streetlights on the bridge passing endlessly by the window. Shang Shao’s heart sank. He hung up the phone, turned on the overhead light, and gently brushed aside Shang Mingbao’s long hair with his fingertips.

He saw his sister’s tear-streaked face.

“Why are you crying for no reason?” He offered her a tissue. “If you want blueberry cake, I’ll have the kitchen make it, or tell me what flavor and brand you want, and I’ll have someone buy it.”

He approached the situation with a serious attitude, trying to resolve it practically, but he didn’t expect that the more gently he tried to comfort her, the more fiercely her tears flowed.

In the intermittent light and darkness between the streetlights, her eyes were washed so bright, with tears crystal clear.

She couldn’t cry anymore; otherwise, it might trigger another episode of supraventricular tachycardia at any moment.

Shang Shao realized this too, his expression turning serious. He reached across the center console to hold her shoulders. “Babe?”

He wanted to ask more, but no matter how skillful the questioning, it was like the mountain moon not knowing the heart’s secrets.