Chapter 20

The snow continued to fall heavily, covering the fresh bicycle tracks left behind by the departing bike.

Shang Mingbao couldn’t stop sneezing, and Liao Yunuo quickly pushed her inside, saying with a hint of jealousy: “You knew him earlier, and you didn’t tell me? I spent so much time talking about Xiang Lianqiao to you.”

“He’s surnamed Xiang, but I didn’t know his grandfather was named Xiang Lianqiao.”

When she went to Fang Suining’s place for summer vacation years ago, Fang Suining had only modestly mentioned that her grandfather was a university professor teaching international relations and politics. It wasn’t until later years that Shang Mingbao realized how her parents could not have casually sent her to a summer camp friend’s home they had just met. From the beginning, everything had been carefully selected and arranged.

Even so, Wen Youyi’s outburst about her two episodes of supraventricular tachycardia left her deeply regretful and fearful. After that, for the next two years until her surgery, Shang Mingbao never experienced such carefree and free time again.

Seeing that she didn’t seem to be lying, Liao Yunuo muttered: “Really? It’s not to prevent me from doing something?”

Shang Mingbao was puzzled: “Prevent you from what?”

Liao Yunuo fiddled with her hair: “Prevent me from making a move on him, of course.”

Although Liao Yunuo’s family background was not as illustrious as the Shang family’s, it was still prominent, having made its fortune in shipbuilding. Liao Yunuo was the youngest among her four granddaughters and six grandsons, but the business her father inherited was not the core of the Liao family’s interests, and her mother’s marriage was a typical arrangement for mutual benefit. Her maternal family had later declined, so her immediate family gradually became somewhat marginalized within the extended family. Her mother, who spent her days playing cards, was increasingly overwhelmed by the marriage, and as she entered middle age, she became embarrassed by her husband’s various mistresses and rumors, constantly chased by paparazzi asking about Liao Tai and this and that.

Liao Yunuo admired her father greatly and feared losing his love, so she acted out like a child craving affection, causing a stir just to get her parents’ attention.

When her antics became too much for the family to bear, she was sent off to the United States to study fine arts.

New York felt like a tropical aquarium—mesmerizing, colorful, where money was king, and excitement was overwhelming. Liao Yunuo’s self-indulgence and rebellion became justified and brave here, so she fully embraced her new lifestyle and accumulated notable “achievements.”

Shang Mingbao had no doubt about Liao Yunuo’s tactics with men, nor did she question her determination. It was the kind of fierce and unrelenting spirit that said if a sister wanted someone, they’d be stuck with her.

She said seriously: “Cheese, that’s not acceptable.”

“Cheese” was Liao Yunuo’s cute nickname because “Yunuo” sounded a bit like “cheese” in Cantonese.

Liao Yunuo poked her chest: “Why? Are you reluctant? But I’ve never had a chance with this type. Aren’t you going to help me?”

Shang Mingbao, clutching her shawl, said earnestly: “You should look for someone who can play along. He can’t.”

Liao Yunuo dismissed her: “How do you know? He looks like he’s good at playing.”

Shang Mingbao was momentarily stunned, “Don’t talk nonsense.”

Liao Yunuo’s face broke into an ambiguous smile: “Do you know what the point is with someone like him? He looks all serious and immaculate in a suit, but maybe he still has the marks of the last woman who scratched him before he left the house.”

Shang Mingbao’s face turned crimson, desperately trying to banish the images from her mind: “You mustn’t say that anymore!”

Liao Yunuo laughed heartily: “Alright, alright, you’re the baby, I won’t talk about it anymore.”

“Promise me, you can’t.” Shang Mingbao insisted on a commitment, even if it was just verbal.

Liao Yunuo rolled her eyes: “Alright, I, Liao Yunuo, wouldn’t be so low as to hit on your man. I’d rather become a nun, okay?”

Shang Mingbao’s ears turned even redder: “I didn’t mean that. He’s not my—”

She couldn’t bring herself to say the word.

She said seriously, but quietly: “He’s like an older brother to me. I just don’t want him to be hurt by you.”

Liao Yunuo asked: “With such a connection, why didn’t he offer to take you home? It would have been a good chance to catch up.”

“No, I asked him earlier…”

She had asked Xiang Feiran if he could take her home since she had drunk too much and her family hadn’t arrived to pick her up.

Xiang Feiran had taken out his keys from his jacket pocket and calmly said: “No because it’s a bicycle.”

“Bicycle?” Liao Yunuo was shocked. “The one we saw earlier?”

She had glimpsed it through the Bentley’s window.

Shang Mingbao nodded.

“Cool.” Liao Yunuo’s reaction was similar to Mrs. Wu’s: “He must find riding a bicycle in Central Park during the snow quite unique.”

Shang Mingbao hesitated, thinking that he needed to borrow two hundred yuan from her to cover medical expenses, worked part-time at a café, and temporarily stayed in a band rehearsal room and warehouse. The reason he rode a bicycle could only be that—

He could only afford a bicycle.

Yet, Xiang Lianqiao was indeed a former ambassador and a prominent figure in Chinese diplomacy, a vice-ministerial-level diplomat who made significant contributions during the post-reform era. Shang Mingbao was worried there might be a mix-up, and she had searched Xiang Lianqiao’s name earlier. The elderly man she saw matched the one she met during the summer camp.

If he wanted to, he could immediately live a different life.

Liao Yunuo noticed something was off: “But wait, why did you say your name was Becca earlier? Were you using a false identity when you interacted with him before?”

“No…” Shang Mingbao hesitated: “He just happened to see me smoking with Alan…”

A bit frivolous.

Liao Yunuo realized: “You didn’t want to ruin the image he had of you?”

Shang Mingbao nodded: “At that moment, my mind was blank. I couldn’t think of any other way.”

“Silly girl.” Liao Yunuo said, giving her a playful tap on the head: “What about now? Are you going to stop interacting with him to keep up the image of a well-behaved girl?”

“No!” Shang Mingbao decisively refused.

Liao Yunuo shrugged: “Then you’ll eventually slip up.”

Shang Mingbao could only accept her fate: “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it…”

Maybe, by then, if her favorability was high enough, even if the truth came out, it wouldn’t matter

The snow-covered Central Park was eerily quiet. By the East Meadow’s chapel, Xiang Feiran stopped his bike, casually leaning it against a bench, and smoked for a while.

It was still early. He was supposed to head back to the downtown bar to replace the drunk black drummer, but he didn’t want to do that.

He quietly replayed each moment from their encounter in the attic. The world was so quiet that even the sound of falling snow seemed to tint his memories.

His phone vibrated with a new message from WhatsApp.

Shang Mingbao: “Have you gotten home yet?”

Xiang Feiran: “Not yet.”

Shang Mingbao: “It’s quite far, huh?”

Xiang Feiran: “I’m at East Meadow.”

He lived near West 96th Street, and getting back from the Wu’s only required crossing Central Park diagonally, so it wasn’t that far.

Shang Mingbao asked: “What are you doing?”

Xiang Feiran: “Just hanging out.”

Shang Mingbao felt frustrated with his cold demeanor, sulking in the car on her way back to the apartment.

Sophie and the driver came to pick her up, noticing her low mood, and asked: “Who made you unhappy?”

Shang Mingbao clutched her phone, looking dejected.

A few minutes later.

Xiang Feiran: “What about you?”

Sophie saw her mood brighten up again.

Shang Mingbao typed her response as if reporting her whereabouts:

“Just finished the banquet, on the way back to the apartment.”

Xiang Feiran: “Get some rest early.”

Shang Mingbao: “…”

Was this how he intended to end the conversation?

“She doesn’t believe in superstitions; instead, she subtly and persistently guides and persuades, both openly and behind the scenes.”

“Do you always talk so little?”

Xiang Feiran: “It’s more than usual when it’s with you.”

Sophie was curious to see who the young lady at home was chatting with, noting the way her mood fluctuated and her expression changed. Unfortunately, Shang Mingbao was lazily nestled in a corner of the seat, with a blanket covering the screen thoroughly.

Shang Mingbao took a screenshot of the chat log and sent it to Liao Yunuo for analysis.

Liao Yunuo responded sharply on the screen:

“Stay away from him!!!!!!!”

Shang Mingbao: “?”

Liao Yunuo: “He’s a master! You can’t compete with him!!!”

Shang Mingbao: “…Are you sure?”

Liao Yunuo: “Just admit it, are you feeling uneasy?”

Shang Mingbao reflected for a moment and quickly smoothed her expression:

“That’s my issue. I cared first, and his speaking style is just like that. He’s not deliberately trying to hook me.”

Liao Yunuo was speechless: “Good luck to you.”

A moment later, she sent two more messages:

“He’s definitely been trained by other women.”

“Definitely!”

Shang Mingbao exited Snapchat and returned to WhatsApp. There were no new messages or signs that the other party was typing.

After thinking for a while, Shang Mingbao took the initiative to ask:

“Have you said this to many people?”

On a snow-covered bench in Central Park, Xiang Feiran furrowed his brows slightly. Was she misunderstanding him?

He simply replied: “No.”

When he said no, it meant there was no, and there was no need for oaths or vows to prove his innocence.

But Shang Mingbao’s question came again:

“So why do you talk more with me?”

Xiang Feiran rubbed his face and exhaled a puff of white air.

Miss, don’t you understand yourself?

He could only reply with a string of ellipses: “……”

Shang Mingbao: “Is it because I’m pretty?”

Xiang Feiran: “Not exactly.”

Shang Mingbao: “……”

What do you mean, “not exactly”? Does it mean she hasn’t reached that level of beauty?

She sent it to Liao Yunuo again.

Liao Yunuo, the strategist:

“He’s pua-ing you! See, he’s already started pua-ing you so quickly! You really can’t have a filter on men!”

Shang Mingbao asked skeptically:

“No way, he doesn’t seem like that kind of person.”

Liao Yunuo replied sharply: “Why do you always defend him!”

Shang Mingbao didn’t reply, as a new message from Xiang Feiran popped up in the notification bar.

Xiang Feiran: “You look very much like a younger sister I had before.”

Although it’s unclear what motive, reasoning, or top-level wisdom made Shang Mingbao pretend to be someone else in front of him, in any case… she had her (perhaps unfounded) reasons.

Before this (perhaps unfounded) reason was understood, Xiang Feiran didn’t plan to expose her recklessly. If she was just playing this game out of some interest, he didn’t mind being an NPC in the game, and when she said “bazinga” one day, he would give the most appropriate surprise and smile.

However, before that, he thought it necessary to help her fix the loopholes in this game. For instance, he couldn’t completely ignore her appearance.

Xiang Feiran tactfully added:

“If a perfect score is ten, you two are nine out of ten alike.”

If Shang Mingbao could catch the hidden meaning, now would be the best time for her to reveal her identity.

Shang Mingbao’s heart was pounding:

“So… is it because I look like her that you talk to me more?”

Xiang Feiran: “…”

It seemed she was determined to play this game.

On this cold winter night, he couldn’t help but sigh again and quickly typed one word:

“Yes.”

Shang Mingbao: “So is it also because of this reason that you added me so readily?”

Xiang Feiran: “Otherwise?”

The car stopped by the roadside, and Sophie reminded: “Miss, we’ve arrived.”

Shang Mingbao felt that they had only turned two corners. How did they arrive so quickly? She hadn’t finished chatting.

Her bare feet rested on the champagne-colored heated seat, and the long fleece blanket slid off her legs without her noticing. Her body didn’t even shift.

Sophie, holding her coat, waited for a long time. Seeing she had no intention of getting out, she couldn’t help but ask: “Aren’t you leaving?”

Shang Mingbao didn’t lift her head, her teeth nibbling on her lips: “Wait a moment, wait a little longer.”

Shang Mingbao: “Then why don’t you chat directly with your sister?”

“…”

Xiang Feiran: “Good question, I’d like to know too.”

They couldn’t chat any longer; if they did, it would be fatal—referring to him freezing to death.

Xiang Feiran: “Have you reached home?”

Shang Mingbao: “Just arrived.”

In fact, they had arrived more than ten minutes ago. The driver and Sophie were quietly waiting, drowsy from the warmth inside the car, while the yellow hazard lights flashed on the snow-melted wet street.

After sending “Sweet dreams”, Xiang Feiran stood up from the bench, brushed off the snowflakes on his clothes, sighed deeply, and took his cold-resistant gloves out of his pocket.

The phone buzzed again.

Shang Mingbao: “Why say goodbye so quickly?”

Xiang Feiran, holding a pair of gloves, typed with a finger that had turned pale: “You’ll freeze to death.”

Shang Mingbao suddenly realized he had been in the East Lawn all this time, with temperatures approaching freezing, and he wasn’t even wearing a down jacket! She quickly straightened up and hurriedly typed an apology. Xiang Feiran briefly replied, telling her not to worry about it.

He bent down to lift the bicycle handle, long legs supporting him on the ground. When Shang Mingbao asked him when he would be home, he gave a clear answer: [In twenty minutes].

—

After spending too much time outdoors, as soon as he entered the apartment door, the warmth made him sneeze, and the snow on his cold hat and clothes quickly melted into cool vapor.

The doorman, who had been asking him to pick up fallen leaves from the botanical garden and the park, greeted him. Noticing the involuntary smile on his face, he said, “Looks like you had quite a nice evening.”

Xiang Feiran smiled back, noncommittal: “Maybe.”

From the elevator to the apartment door, he sneezed several more times, leaving Simon, who was opening the door for him, surprised: “You, who never get sick, finally caught a cold?”

Xiang Feiran took off his gloves and pressed them to his forehead, feeling nothing in particular. “I’ve been outside for too long.”

It seemed like his head did have a bit of a dull ache.

But he had a strong constitution; after so many years of staying up late, he rarely caught colds or felt unwell, so he expected this time would also pass directly.

During his two years in America, he had a clear routine: the first thing he did when returning to the apartment was to take a hot shower. Then, he would pour himself half a glass of whiskey, check for new emails, and update the to-do list and meetings for the next day. After finishing all this, he would dry his hair, go to bed, and open the high-quality literature downloaded over the weekend, quickly skimming through abstracts and conclusions to decide if he needed to spend an entire day on it the next day.

In short, efficient and boring.

But Simon clearly noticed that his showering speed was much faster this time. After coming out, the first thing he did was to pick up his phone from the cabinet outside the bathroom.

Bad news—his usually aloof roommate was dating.

This was unacceptable; he had been an iron-hearted scholar just this afternoon.

Worse news—his previously pristine roommate had been tainted by the dating scene.

Xiang Feiran completely ignored his roommate’s meaningful and sorrowful glance, glanced at WhatsApp, and saw a new message from Shang Mingbao: [Brother Feiran, do you have any plans this weekend?]

Weekend? Dr. Xiang didn’t have weekends.

Although Professor Tryon appeared very amiable and hadn’t set strict regulations for the lab, such as clocking in, or requiring a set number of hours per week, he was ruthless when assigning tasks and very strict, not giving his subordinates many chances to make mistakes. There was a British doctoral student who failed to keep up with the progress of a certain part of the samples, leading to damaged copy data discovered three months later, and since the sequencing company had cleared the samples and data according to the timeline, Professor Tryon’s response was to send him back to Britain.

Xiang Feiran currently supervised two master’s interns. He had just completed an article validating the hybrid origin of the Gentianaceae family from nuclear and chloroplast gene heterogeneity and was waiting for feedback. Considering that Professor Tryon was currently in a good mood celebrating his golden wedding anniversary, Dr. Xiang conservatively estimated that taking a breather this weekend should be excusable.

After checking the schedule again, he replied to Shang Mingbao: [Free from 1 PM to 7 PM on Saturday].

Shang Mingbao: [……]

Xiang Feiran: [What’s wrong?]

Shang Mingbao: [You’re so busy, I feel embarrassed.]

Busy? He had cleared a full six hours for this, which was a very ample time, enough for him to handle three sets of annotations simultaneously.

The last time he spent so much time on personal matters was… never mind, it was too long ago.

Xiang Feiran considered replying [Just these six hours are confirmed free; I might be free before and after, but can’t guarantee], but thought it was too verbose, so he deleted that line and replied:

[Not busy, free]

Shang Mingbao, instead of sitting on the nice sofa or lying on the bed, sat on the wool carpet by the end of the bed, contemplating for a long time, and asked: [Can you help me move?]

Sophie was organizing her wardrobe, as her expensive dresses were too valuable to be entrusted to others. With Shang Mingbao’s current financial situation, her belongings were even more crucial.

Just as she finished labeling a set of old embroidered short jackets, she heard Shang Mingbao call.

“What’s up?” she walked over to listen to her instructions.

“Find me a 1b1b apartment, not too expensive or too luxurious, something that a typical international student can afford. Oh, a bit older or more run-down is fine.”

Sophie: “…”

She pushed her glasses down and asked sternly yet helplessly: “Miss, what on earth are you trying to do?”

“I want to create a fake identity.”

“What?”

Shang Mingbao pressed his hands on the long-pile carpet: “Experience life, Mom said that a master told her that my life is full of wealth and it’s prone to accidents, so why should I live in a $40 million house! Too expensive! Now my monthly budget is only 150,000 RMB! Even if it’s Hong Kong dollars, not US dollars! How can I live in such a big house? I would feel guilty!”

Sophie: “…”

She finally realized something was wrong: “Babe, tell me the truth, what happened tonight? You didn’t even have the energy to raise your eyebrows when you went out, and now you want to experience life?”

Compared to the past three months, she looked radiant tonight.

Shang Mingbao’s arrogance subsided, and his gaze became erratic: “Nothing… Just feel like it can’t go on like this, you and Mom will worry…”

“Then I need to consult with the lady.”

“No, no!” Shang Mingbao immediately waved his hand: “Mom told me to spend less money, not to suffer! She will be heartbroken!”

“You also know that living in a 1b1b apartment would make her heartache? I’ve never lived in such a small apartment!”

Shang Mingbao pondered for a moment: “Well, I could use it occasionally when needed?”

Sophie found herself helpless against this. She doubted whether there was anyone in the world who could really handle her because she was so naturally charming, as if all the principles and luck in the world were on her side. If you went against her and made her face look disappointed, it would be considered a grave sin; she’d hate herself for it and feel the need to slap herself awake in the middle of the night.

In Sophie’s judgment, this was just another of Shang Mingbao’s whims or a ploy for sympathy—like when her second sister or elder brother came to Manhattan next time, she could move in and play the victim to get them to generously forgive her debts, give her a few hundred thousand as pocket money, or benevolently take her on a VIP shopping spree for a day.

At the suggestion of the agent, she finally found an apartment near 56th Street in the Upper West Side, renting a 35-square-meter 1b1b apartment for $3,000 a month.

The keys were handed over to Shang Mingbao on Friday, and her temporary luggage had already been placed at Liao Yunuo’s place.

On Saturday at 12:30 p.m., Shang Mingbao met with Xiang Feiran again.

She was dressed like an American high school girl, wearing a large hooded sweatshirt over a dark blue baseball jacket, a short skirt, and tall riding boots. Standing next to a pile of snow, she looked both pale and flushed from the cold.

Xiang Feiran had just come from Columbia’s library, having stayed up all night working on data. This morning, he was a bit weary, and it took a cup of coffee and a cigarette to perk him up.

Seeing her in the snow made him feel like he’d see her every time it snowed.

Even though he had already seen enough of her smoking, he merely glanced at her briefly and said directly, “Let’s go upstairs.”

Shang Mingbao clenched her small fists, feeling displeased: “Aren’t you going to ask if I’m cold?”

Xiang Feiran replied bluntly, “Wear more next time.”

Shang Mingbao followed his steps and said oddly, “You’re so busy, will there even be a next time?”

Xiang Feiran pressed the elevator button, glancing at her with amusement: “Depends on you.”

Liao Yunuo, who lived in a new high-rise building, was waiting on the floor. As soon as the elevator doors opened, she whistled upon seeing them.

This was the first time she saw Xiang Feiran dressed in a sweatshirt and a parka. While they were entering the apartment, she couldn’t resist whispering into Shang Mingbao’s ear, “You little sister, sneaking around with him behind my back?”

Shang Mingbao, afraid that Liao Yunuo’s volume might let Xiang Feiran overhear, pinched her waist discreetly and said, “Don’t talk nonsense, he’s like a brother.”

Liao Yunuo bit her lip and teased, “Does he also call you ‘sister’ in bed?”

Shang Mingbao’s face turned bright red from head to toe. She thought, why does she always fill her head with such nonsense!

Shang Mingbao’s “luggage” was minimal—just two boxes and a suitcase. Xiang Feiran carried the two boxes, which surprisingly weren’t very heavy. Shang Mingbao dragged out the suitcase and pretended to say goodbye to Liao Yunuo.

Once they were in the elevator, Xiang Feiran asked, “Your friend’s apartment is in a good location with good management and security. Why are you moving?”

Shang Mingbao answered calmly, having prepared a statement: “Because it’s too expensive. I actually can’t afford it. I’ve been paying a 30/70 split with her for the rent, but it’s not fair to keep taking advantage of her.”

“Too expensive”

“Can’t afford”

“30/70 split”

“Taking advantage”

Xiang Feiran: “…”

Even if she didn’t know that he had caught a glimpse of her family background through the evening news, she should remember that she once casually thanked him with a million. Is she planning to tell such lies without any intention to back them up, or is she planning to play dumb when the time comes?

Xiang Feiran had to subtly point out another inconsistency: “You attended the Wu family’s banquet that day and were a guest of Wu Baiyan. That shouldn’t be the case.”

Shang Mingbao immediately tried to cover up this inconsistency with a pitiful look: “That was just a facade of prosperity. My family is no longer as affluent as before and is undergoing bankruptcy liquidation.”

Be careful with what you say; it might come true. She said sorrowfully, “I forgot to mention, my surname is Qian, and I’m now the ‘Qian’ without money.”

…

Dr. Xiang really wanted to change his research topic from the hybrid origin of the Gentianaceae to “What exactly is in Shang Mingbao’s head?”