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Chapter 3 — “Sir, are you going to crash into her again this time?”

The night at the estate was quiet and tranquil. It seemed like the rain would fall until dawn.

Wen Qi went up to the second floor without saying how long he’d be. Shen Tang waited outside for a while. The weather at the end of June wasn’t cold, but she was still recovering from an illness.

She turned back to the reception room to get her bag and messaged Wen Qi to ask for an update.

Meanwhile, on the second floor, that tall, dark figure still stood silently by the window. The red tip of his cigarette slowly dimmed as he quietly took in the entire scene below.

Wind brushed over treetops, and droplets spilled noisily from leaves and branches.

The corridor was long and winding. Shen Tang hadn’t received a reply after sending two messages. She checked the time and realized it was nearly curfew at home. She was about to text Wen Qi again to let him know she’d head back first—

When someone suddenly darted out from behind the corner and bumped into her shoulder.

A sharp crash of glass hitting the ground followed. Champagne spilled over her dress, cold and sticky.

Before she could react, a pair of hands steadied her.

“Miss Shen, are you alright?”

The man who bumped into her was Xiang Hao—Wen Qi’s good friend and one of the young men in the reception room tonight.

His family was in the shipping business. He was known for his high-profile lifestyle and playboy reputation. Rumor had it he never failed to get any girl he set his sights on.

The sticky sensation on her shoulder and the heavy smell of alcohol and smoke from him made Shen Tang feel slightly uncomfortable.

She instinctively stepped back, putting distance between them.

“I’m fine.”

Xiang Hao’s gaze was shameless, and this particular corner was quite secluded—few people ever passed by here.

He took a step forward.
“Your dress is soaked, Miss Shen. Why don’t I help you change into something else?”

His sudden advance clearly overstepped the bounds of social decorum.

Even if Shen Tang had been slow to notice, she instantly realized his intentions now. She immediately said,
“No need. Wen Qi is still waiting for me.”

She brought up Wen Qi, hoping it would make Xiang Hao back off.

But Xiang Hao wasn’t deterred in the slightest.
“Wen Qi was called away by his Ninth Uncle. He won’t be coming back for a while. Miss Shen, you’re quite the little liar.”

Shen Tang froze.

A chill crept through her—how long had this man been lurking and watching?

Seeing her fall silent, Xiang Hao chuckled with deeper implication, his eyes shamelessly roaming across her face.

There was no shortage of beautiful women in their circle, but Shen Tang’s temperament was unique. Her features were delicate and graceful. Even when she wasn’t doing anything, she exuded a calm, natural charm. But her eyes were always clear, revealing a quiet inner resilience beneath her soft and obedient exterior.

That contradiction was what made her so captivating.

“You must know Wen Qi still has someone he can’t forget—his little white moonlight,” he said bluntly.
“Why not come with me instead?”

He reached again to put his arm around her shoulder, but Shen Tang dodged him.

The colder the situation, the clearer her mind became. She calmly said,
“Sir, if you keep this up, I’ll call the police.”

Xiang Hao merely laughed, unfazed. He used his strength to snatch the phone from her hand.
“How will you call now? Let’s not make this ugly—it won’t benefit either of us.”

“Why don’t you add me on WeChat and think about it? Everything’s negotiable.”

From his point of view, the Shen family was a declining household. Even if they sold everything, they couldn’t match the value of two of his family’s yachts—let alone Shen Tang, just an adopted daughter. She couldn’t stir up any real trouble.

That’s why he acted with such impunity.

Xiang Hao advanced shamelessly. Given the clear disparity in strength, Shen Tang struggled to break free. In the scuffle, her foot slipped on the broken glass littering the floor.

In the next moment, her body tipped backward—falling straight into—

Thud.

It was like she had crashed into a solid chest, the impact dull and heavy.

Shen Tang’s long lashes trembled slightly. The first thing she saw was a man’s pale, well-defined hand, with refined, intricate cufflinks.

That warm, lingering sandalwood scent enveloped her again, offering a strange sense of calm. She had smelled it somewhere before.

On the other side, Xiang Hao, who had just been acting so bold, suddenly looked like he’d seen a ghost. His expression flickered before finally settling into a sheepish, slightly reverent smile.

“Mr. Wen.”

Shen Tang snapped back to her senses and tried to pull away from the man’s arms, but the floor was still slick with champagne.

The next moment, her slender shoulder was lightly supported by the man’s hand.

A few strands of her long hair brushed his wrist, two tiny raindrops landing on him, warm turning instantly cold.

A gentle, deep Cantonese-accented voice spoke from behind her,
“Miss, be careful.”

It was him.

Shen Tang’s heart sank. She quickly stood up straight.
“Thank you.”

The wall lamp glowed dimly. The man’s expression was calm, but he carried an unmistakable air of authority.

Xiang Hao didn’t dare leave. He cursed his bad luck internally while forcing a smile.
“Mr. Wen, I didn’t know you were here. Sorry for disturbing your peace.”

Wen Hezhi’s expression didn’t change. There was a casual indifference to him, but from deep within came an unmistakable sense of control.

“You should be apologizing to this young lady instead,” he said.

Shen Tang’s lashes lowered slightly, and she stood quietly.

Xiang Hao clenched his teeth, reluctantly holding out the phone with both hands.
“I’m sorry, Miss Shen. I had too much to drink and wasn’t thinking straight.”

The atmosphere grew tense. Xiang Hao couldn’t keep his spine straight anymore.

After a long dozen seconds, Shen Tang finally pursed her lips and took back her phone with one hand.

The farce was over. Xiang Hao scurried off in embarrassment.

Staff arrived to clean up, and the banquet resumed its lively atmosphere. But occasionally, one or two curious gazes would flick over toward the corridor where the two stood.

During the earlier struggle, Shen Tang had unknowingly ended up near the edge of the corridor. Rain, carried by the wind, landed on her long lashes.

Most of her dress was wet. A breeze blew by, making her shiver. In front of her, the man stood tall on the dark wooden staircase. Half his face was cast in warm light from the wall lamp. His tailored dark suit fit impeccably. He stood there casually, no longer cold, his eyes calm and gentle.

“It’s getting late,” he said, glancing at his watch. “Would you like me to have someone drive you home?”

It was indeed difficult to get a ride from here, and only thirty minutes remained until her curfew. He had helped her twice tonight. Shen Tang hesitated, then decided to accept his offer.

“Then… thank you.”

Wen Hezhi adjusted his glasses with a graceful hand gesture. His voice remained steady and warm.

“A small favor.”

—

The Rolls-Royce drove quietly along the coastal road. In the distance, the sea and sky blended into one. The air smelled of rain and salty ocean mist.

Inside, the temperature was just right. The man in the back seat rested a tablet on his lap and participated in an international meeting. The night was deep; the screen’s glow reflected off his sharp features. He sat leisurely, occasionally making a few comments in a low, magnetic British accent that carried a sense of effortless control.

Shen Tang sat beside him, a blanket over her knees. Her posture was unconsciously upright and proper.

Earlier, he’d said he would have someone drive her home.

She hadn’t expected him to personally take her.

Her phone buzzed slightly. She opened it—it was a message from Wen Qi.

Wen Qi:
Sorry, Tangtang, I got a little tied up just now. [Image]

She clicked on it—an image of a black oak table covered in scattered documents and reports.

Wen Qi:
My brain’s about to explode. No idea what got into Ninth Uncle tonight—he’s torturing me. 😭

Shen Tang chuckled and replied with a hugging emoji.

Two seconds later, Wen Qi replied again.

Wen Qi:
Are you home already? Need me to pick you up?

Her fingers paused. Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at the man beside her. Shen Tang hesitated.

A few seconds later, she slowly typed into the input box.

Shen Tang:
No need, I’m almost there.

Wen Qi:
Did you call a ride?

Shen Tang lightly bit her lip and replied:

Shen Tang:
Mm.

Beside her, the man tapped the tablet screen and ended the video call with a soft beep.

Shen Tang quickly turned off her phone and sat up straighter.

Raindrops slid silently down the car window. The interior returned to silence.

Only five minutes remained until Shen family’s curfew.

The rain had stopped. Outside the Shen villa, Shen Moshang stood stern-faced at the gate, ready for confrontation, while his second daughter, Shen Shiying, stood beside him—clearly upset but also ready to enjoy the drama.

The Rolls-Royce wound its way through the city and finally stopped in front of the villa.

The streetlamp overhead was bright. Luxury cars were common in this area, but one with Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macau triple license plates? Only that man could drive it.

From a distance, Shen Moshang saw Shen Tang get out of the car, and his expression subtly changed.

Her dress was soaked. Shen Tang gathered the blanket around her and thanked the man again, saying she would dry-clean it and return it later.

Wen Hezhi smiled, his tone noble and relaxed.
“Alright.”

Shen Tang turned toward the villa, but the car didn’t leave right away.

At the door, Shen Moshang’s expression changed again. His eyes crinkled slightly as he gave a rare smile.
“Tangtang, why are you wrapped in a blanket? Were you cold?”

Such a gentle, concerned tone made both Shen Tang and Shen Shiying freeze for a moment.

Shen Tang recovered first. She assumed Wen Qi had already called to explain the situation—and that Shen Moshang had finally cooled off.

---

Her heart relaxed slightly as she explained, “I got caught in the rain on the way, nothing serious.”

“Then come inside quickly,” Shen Moshang said, unusually kind, “It’ll be troublesome if you catch a cold.”

“Alright.”

Shen Tang bent down to change her shoes and entered the house.

Outside, Shen Shiying’s indignant voice rang out:
“Daddy! You’re just letting this go like that?”
“Didn’t you say you were going to teach Shen Tang a lesson? She made you lose face in front of your business partners!”

“Enough!” Shen Moshang snapped.

Only after watching the Rolls-Royce drive away did he finally turn to scold his precious second daughter:
“From now on, you’re not allowed to say things like that.”

“Daddy!” Shen Shiying’s eyes instantly reddened, clearly upset.

But Shen Tang knew none of this.

She returned to her room, changed out of her damp dress, turned on the hot water and took a shower. The warm flow washed over her skin, rinsing away the exhaustion of the day.

After drying her hair, it was already quite late. On tiptoe, she tried to place the hair dryer on the top shelf of her bookcase, but accidentally knocked down a book beside it. It thudded to the floor.

She bent down to pick it up.

A bookmark had fallen out too. Shen Tang had always disliked flashy things—this one was a simple pale green, clean and minimal. On the back was a single handwritten line:

—Save money, leave the Shen family, pursue graduate studies at Columbia University.

The writing was small and inconspicuous—easily missed at first glance. Just like her plan: something she only dared to carry in her heart and quietly execute, no matter how long it might take.

Shen Tang slipped the bookmark back into the book and placed it on the highest shelf. Then, she turned off the lights and went to bed.

She slept dreamlessly through the night.

—

The next morning, her cold had worsened.

Shen Tang felt sluggish the whole day. By the afternoon, it was affecting her work so much that she ordered some cold medicine through delivery.

Her submitted article was rejected. Xu Fuli’s beautiful face wore a mocking expression. Even after several revisions, she continued nitpicking.

Linda commented that Xu was clearly targeting her on purpose.

Shen Tang also found it puzzling.

It wasn’t until three days later, during the morning meeting, that Shen Tang finally understood why.

“The upcoming interview next week is important to the station,” said station director Zhao Zhikun, wearing glasses, his tone serious. “Everyone seems quite enthusiastic and eager to try. But let me remind you: no matter the size of the story, what matters is doing the work well. Perfection in execution—that’s your job.”

His eyes swept across the room, finally landing on Shen Tang in the corner.
“Xiao Shen.”

Shen Tang looked up a beat late, surprised to hear her name.

Since her internship began, she had only seen the director a few times at meetings and had never spoken with him directly.

So being singled out was unexpected.

Zhao Zhikun gave the assignment directly:
“The interview has been changed to an off-site shoot on short notice. You and Linda will handle it.”

“The subject is somewhat challenging, so work closely together. My assistant will email you the time and location later.”

No one expected it. Xu Fuli had been vying for that interview for over half a month, and now it had suddenly landed in the hands of an intern.

There was a ripple of hushed whispers around them. Shen Tang froze briefly but quickly composed herself.

She exchanged a glance with Linda and responded promptly,
“Understood. We’ll head out immediately.”

Shen Tang’s internship was nearing its end. She’d been out in the field multiple times already and could independently handle the tasks of both reporter and editor. Her professionalism and on-the-spot skills were solid.

Linda had joined the station two years earlier and was even more experienced.

Although they were both surprised by the director’s assignment, they quickly shifted into work mode.

They hailed a cab to the Wen Zhou Group at Junyue Building, as indicated in the email.

The interview subject: Wen Zhou Group’s CEO, Wen Hezhi.

When she saw the name, Shen Tang’s brows twitched.

She opened her laptop to search. The elusive Wen family figure was famously low-profile—few photos of him existed online, though there were plenty of rumors.

She filtered out the useless gossip and selectively gathered reliable background info. During the taxi ride, she finalized the interview outline.

Forty-five minutes later, they arrived at Junyue Building.

Shen Tang had just finished drafting the outline.

Linda glanced at it and was full of praise:
“That efficiency! That content quality! Tangtang, no wonder you’re the superstar of our HKU journalism program. The director chose right—feels like I won’t even get a chance to shine!”

Having worked at the station for two years, Linda could somewhat read leadership’s intentions. Shen Tang’s abilities had been consistently recognized—from her internship until now. She was capable, meticulous, and always seized opportunities. A truly promising talent.

And far more dependable than those with ulterior motives.

Looking at the girl’s calm, clean profile, Linda teased:
“Tangtang could make it just on looks, yet you insist on winning me over with competence.”

“Come on, I’ll hold the umbrella for you.”

Flustered by the praise, Shen Tang replied shyly,
“Thanks.”

The appointment was at 10 a.m.

They arrived an hour early.

At the reception desk—

The front desk lady glanced at the visitor list and offered an apologetic but professional smile.
“I’m terribly sorry. A journalist from Hong Kong TV already arrived 20 minutes ago. Unfortunately, we have a policy of not letting additional parties in without approval.”

Shen Tang and Linda both froze.

Turning around, they spotted Xu Fuli sitting elegantly in the reception area, wearing a smoky gray off-shoulder gown with flawless makeup. She looked at them with open provocation.

Interview subjects usually didn’t care who the station sent. Internal arrangements were the station’s responsibility.

Linda was livid.
“I knew it—Xu Fuli just can’t let it go!”

Shen Tang held her back.
“Let’s just wait here.”

Not every interview went smoothly. Field reporters sometimes needed to adapt on the spot. Since neither party had seen the interviewee yet, nothing was finalized. Patience was their best chance of winning this one.

Outside, it had begun to rain. That one hour of waiting dragged on longer than usual.

At 10 a.m., the receptionist took a call and returned to say politely,
“Apologies. Mr. Wen’s international meeting is still ongoing. Perhaps it’s best if you head back.”

Shen Tang asked, unwilling to give up,
“What about another time?”

“Mr. Wen’s schedule is packed for the day.”

The receptionist then went in to relay the message to Xu Fuli.

Xu picked up her bag and exited decisively. When she passed by Shen Tang and Linda, she paused.

The gossip about Shen Tang’s rich boyfriend had spread through the station. Out of all the interns, she had been entrusted with this high-profile assignment. Xu Fuli, of course, assumed the worst about how she got it.

Sneering, Xu glanced at her.
“Whatever method you used to get this interview, I don’t care. But as your competitor, let me remind you—Wen Hezhi isn’t someone just anyone can handle. You’d best consider whether you’re up to the task.”

Shen Tang replied calmly,
“Seems you’re quite confident in yourself.”

…What was that supposed to mean?!

Before coming today, Xu Fuli had felt nothing but superiority—believing her beauty and polished hosting skills would leave Mr. Wen impressed. She had even bought a new designer dress, done her hair, and made sure every detail was perfect.

But Shen Tang wore a plain white shirt and jeans with just a touch of base makeup—still looking like a fresh-blossomed begonia, beautiful in a way that almost felt unreal.

The more Xu looked at her, the worse she felt—like a clown overdressed for a party.

“Of course I’m confident,” she snapped, raising her chin like a proud swan to hide her faltering nerves.

Shen Tang gave a sincere-seeming smile and said blandly,
“Then I wish you success.”

As Xu stormed off, Linda leaned over with admiration.
“You’re amazing, Tangtang—just a few words and you had her fuming.”

“I never knew you could be so savage. Teach me next time!”

Shen Tang replied modestly with a smile,
“Only if you pay tuition.”

They walked out of the building.

This area was the city’s bustling CBD. Across the street was Victoria Harbour. The gray sky met the sea in a seamless line. A cruise ship’s horn echoed gently through the rainy morning.

They had left in a rush and hadn’t brought umbrellas. Walking to the subway would get them soaked, so they opened the app to hail a ride.

In the rainy season, the downpour came fast and heavy. Fat raindrops exploded on the pavement like fireworks, vanishing instantly.

Nearby, a black Rolls-Royce was slowly pulling into the basement garage.

The driver, sharp-eyed, noticed Shen Tang and Linda waiting at the entrance.

He asked tentatively,
“Sir, that seems to be Miss Shen. Should I go over?”

In the backseat, the man paused his video call. Behind his gold-rimmed glasses, his eyelids lifted slightly.

In the pouring rain, the girl stood waiting for a ride. She wore a plain white shirt, her figure so slim it looked as if a gust could break her. The rain reached her feet, and though she didn’t hold an umbrella, she showed no sign of leaving.

Wen Hezhi remembered the interview he had postponed. He could see her predicament.

His thin lips parted.
“Bring her an umbrella.”

His assistant, Zhou Yue, was a second slow to react.
“Understood.”

He exited the car, circled around to grab an umbrella, and was just about to deliver it—

When a red taxi pulled up steadily in front of the building.

They could only watch as the girl climbed in and shut the door.

The taxi sped away.

Inside the car, the atmosphere grew oppressively still. After a long silence—

The driver asked softly,
“Sir, should we crash into her again this time?”