---

Chapter 2 — Meeting the “Fiancé”

Chen Songxian was left speechless by his cousin’s questioning. His expression turned awkward and timid, so he could only keep talking to cover his unease:
“Cousin, you’re so capable — there’s nothing you can’t handle. I don’t dare let Grandfather or Mother know about this, and I don’t dare face the person myself. Please help me deal with them.”

Back then, the child bride handpicked by the old master of the Chen family had been officially appointed, and naturally, no one dared to object. Chen Songxian also didn’t dare to dismiss her recklessly now. If the old man found out in the future that he’d handled things carelessly, he would surely suffer dire consequences.

Originally, Chen Songxian planned to bring the person over and deal with it secretly himself — essentially, send her away with money. But in the past two days, he’d had a dream. In the dream, he sent her back to the mainland with a million dollars but left behind shipping records of her traveling between Hong Kong and the mainland. Years later, the old master discovered this, beat him half to death, and he woke up from the nightmare in shock.

The nightmare served as a wake-up call — he couldn’t handle this matter personally.

And the only person who could handle it flawlessly was, of course, his cousin! Only his cousin, who controlled half of Hong Kong’s shipping industry, could thoroughly erase the records of the child bride traveling back and forth, so his grandfather wouldn’t find out.

Chen Songxian thought his plan was perfect, but Cheng Wanting didn’t give a clear response.

Though he knew his cousin’s reckless attitude well, the Chen family was a large and powerful clan. As the eldest grandson, Chen Songxian couldn’t possibly marry a peasant girl from a mainland village. Cheng Wanting understood this but deliberately left his cousin hanging. Only after the meal did he vaguely respond:
“We’ll talk about it later.”

Chen Songxian really wanted a clear answer but didn’t dare press further, so he could only follow his cousin downstairs, fawning as he personally opened the car door for him. He marveled inwardly at the newly released Rolls-Royce Silver Spur.

A luxury car worth 300,000 pounds — he wanted one too, but his father scolded him as a wastrel and forbade it. Only his cousin, the true decision-maker of the Cheng family, could buy such a car with a wave of the hand — no one could say otherwise.

Inside the priceless car, Cheng Wanting rested with his eyes closed for a moment before murmuring:
“What’s the situation with Songxian’s child bride now?”

Secretary Yang quickly replied:
“I heard it was arranged back then by Old Master Chen and his wife. But in those years, the mainland and Hong Kong had no contact. After the old lady passed away and the old master fell ill, no one cared about this matter anymore. This time, it was the old butler still in the mainland who painstakingly contacted her. The message was intercepted by Young Master Chen, and the old master, resting, is unaware.”

After reporting the information, Secretary Yang asked,
“Young Master, shall we deal with it now?”

Cheng Wanting narrowed his eyes and replied coldly:
“Let him stew for a bit. If we solve it too easily, won’t he get too full of himself?”

Secretary Yang nodded, knowing full well that his young master intended to give Chen Songxian a lesson. After all, Young Master Chen was always causing trouble. If it weren’t for Young Master Cheng’s regard for his aunt, he wouldn’t have cleaned up after him so many times.

—

Watching his cousin drive away in the luxury car he longed for, Chen Songxian inwardly praised his own backup plan. Worried that his cousin might refuse, he’d already ordered Ah Hui to send the child bride directly to the Mid-Levels villa under his cousin’s name.

First, hiding her in one of his own properties would risk discovery by his grandfather or mother. Second, aside from the Cheng family mansion, his cousin most loved to stay alone at the Mid-Levels villa. Sending her there now would force him to take responsibility — a win-win.

Feeling triumphant, Chen Songxian drove his Bentley home. His car slowly pulled into the villa at Repulse Bay. Two white residences stood intertwined, harmonizing beautifully with the blue-and-white outdoor pool in the backyard.

“Songxian, that Lin…”
Uncle Chen Huagao, who could barely remember the child bride’s name from 14 years ago, called his nephew over as soon as he returned:
“Is the matter with the child bride resolved?”

“It’s handled. I sent her to Cousin’s place.”
Chen Songxian omitted his cousin’s vague reply and confidently declared,
“With Cousin on it, there’s no need to worry. She’ll probably be on a ship back to the mainland tonight.”

“That’s good.”
Aunt Song Xiujuan, who had just finished giving medicine to the old master, relaxed upon hearing this. Her elegant Western dress looked a bit bulky on her plump figure and round face. Her slanted triangular eyes showed a trace of disdain:
“Father should never have arranged a child bride back then. If Songxian really married some village girl from the mainland, the entire Hong Kong would mock the Chen family for three months!”

Chen Huagao agreed:
“Father was muddle-headed. We’re not. How could we let a peasant girl marry in!”

Song Xiujuan’s smile deepened as she echoed her husband’s words, completely forgetting that their own family had also come from the mainland a decade ago. Over the years, they’d flourished in Hong Kong and now sat on billions in assets. Countless people wanted to marry into the Chen family — how could they let a peasant girl have it so easily?

“Songxian, even if your grandfather finds out, your uncle and I will stand with you.”
Song Xiujuan knew her nephew was a womanizer who had dated countless girlfriends. She didn’t mind, but she did envy his connection to the Cheng family.
“I heard your cousin is about to marry the daughter of HSBC director Li. Will he still have the mind to handle this child bride matter for you?”

Chen Songxian waved it off confidently:
“My cousin wouldn’t even go near a female mosquito. Never mind Uncle trying to arrange a marriage — if my cousin even sweet-talks a woman for two sentences, I’ll chop my head off!”

Song Xiujuan smiled even wider, already scheming to marry a relative’s daughter into the Cheng family. After all, the Chen family was rich, but still not on par with the Chengs. If they gained that connection, it would be a huge advantage!

—

At that moment, the “village girl” Lin Keying mentioned by the Chen family was being driven into Cheng Wanting’s Mid-Levels villa by Ah Hui.

Unlike the waterfront mansions in Repulse Bay (Chen family) and Deep Water Bay (Cheng family), the Mid-Levels villa was nestled high up amid lush greenery. The white buildings overlooked the whole of Hong Kong with an air of grandeur.

In her past life, the original Lin Keying had fled to Hong Kong with her merchant family and lived in hardship with the old butler. As for the modern Lin Keying, she was an ordinary office worker who had slogged for ten years to buy a two-bedroom apartment.

And now, she didn’t even get to enjoy it.

This grand 1980s mansion dominated her vision. The sleek, elegant two-story villa shimmered white under the sunlight, glowing with a dazzling beauty.

Thinking of her tiny apartment compared to this mansion from 40 years ago — it was enough to make anyone sad.

The dark brown iron gates swung open as bodyguards let the car in. Inside, the butler and driver Ah Hui conversed in Cantonese, which Lin Keying couldn’t understand.

“Uncle Zhong, our young master has already told Young Master Cheng. We’re leaving her here — please take care of her.”

“This…”
Uncle Zhong, the butler handpicked by Cheng Wanting, was deeply loyal and knew his master’s temper well.

No one was allowed to stay here! Not even Cheng Wanting’s siblings.

Uncle Zhong didn’t dare decide on his own and quickly called Secretary Yang. Before he could speak, the line was cut off.

“Ah Zhong, is Young Master busy? Young Master Chen said—”

“Uncle Zhong, Young Master has important matters. He already knows about Young Master Chen’s request. Don’t worry about it.”

The call ended. Uncle Zhong and Aunt Hua exchanged glances — a woman was really staying in this mansion!

Lin Keying had never lived in such a luxurious place — opulent and refined, even the living room was several times bigger than a full apartment in Ning City. The two-story open hall was lit by a massive crystal chandelier, sparkling brilliantly.

She knew the merchant family was wealthy, but she hadn’t expected them to still live so lavishly even after fleeing to Hong Kong.

In the novel, there was little information about the fiancé’s family. After scouring over a million words of plot, she only knew the original Lin Keying called her fiancé “Young Master.”

Now settled in the mansion, Lin Keying waited for this Young Master to get impatient and throw some money at her — say, a million — to cancel the engagement. She’d happily agree!

But her wishful thinking fell flat after days of waiting.

She stayed three days in the villa without seeing the elusive Young Master, spending her time only with the butler, servants, and cook — all of whom only spoke Cantonese. Communicating was hard, full of gesturing and guessing.

Uncle Zhong was always smiling and kind, while Aunt Hua was brisk and authoritative. The other servants mostly lazed around — unsurprising, since no one really lived here.

She vaguely overheard Aunt Hua and Ah Mei grumbling about the Young Master not visiting for days — even the soups they made had nowhere to go.

The servants were also curious about the sudden new woman. Though Lin Keying dressed plainly — worse than even the poor folks in Kowloon Walled City — her looks were indeed beautiful.

Aunt Hua whispered wildly to Uncle Zhong:
“Could Miss Lin be a woman Young Master Chen sent to Young Master Cheng?”

Uncle Zhong shook his head:
“Chen would do such a thing — didn’t he talk last year about introducing women to him? But Young Master Cheng wouldn’t fall for it.”

Thus, the idle servants gossiped away — until, on the fifth night after Lin Keying moved in, Young Master Cheng Wanting finally arrived.

The doors opened, and Secretary Yang accompanied Cheng Wanting out of the car:
“Young Master, shall I call Uncle Zhong and Aunt Hua—”

“No need.”
Cheng Wanting’s gaze was sharp, though his brows showed displeasure. He waved his hand, dismissing the secretary:
“It’s late. I don’t need anyone to serve me. You all go rest.”

He walked alone into the main house and firmly shut the door behind him, cutting off the secretary’s concerned gaze.

Cheng Wanting liked quiet and was always considerate of servants. He rarely needed special attention. Especially tonight — after a fierce argument with his father, he was in a foul mood.

With the decline of the shipping industry in recent years, Cheng Wanting had already shifted gears, snapping up land and properties, controlling two major real estate sectors and shopping malls. But his father, Cheng Guanjie, stubbornly clung to shipping, refusing to budge. The two had clashed over this several times.

Dialing the phone, Cheng Wanting’s low voice echoed in the living room:
“Liu Zhigao is making moves. Within three days, he’ll start grabbing shares. Let’s sit back and watch them fight first…”

In the deep quiet of the night, faint sounds from the living room woke Lin Keying, who was sleeping in a first-floor guest room.

It sounded like a young man’s voice.

Her heart pounded wildly. She hid an embroidery needle in her palm (the original owner’s sewing needle), then cautiously turned the doorknob. By the faint moonlight, she vaguely saw a tall figure in the living room.

Broad shoulders like a mountain peak, lounging lazily on the sofa with the commanding air of a master — exuding a touch of dominance.

The man’s deep Cantonese voice came intermittently. Lin Keying couldn’t understand a word but wondered nervously — could this be the long-absent fiancé, the Young Master / Songxian?

She carefully opened the door, holding her breath and creeping out. But in the blink of an eye, the man who had been on the sofa vanished.

Just as she peeked out halfway to look around — a chill swept over her. An icy gun barrel pressed against her forehead like a ghost.

Behind the sleek black gun was a pair of emotionless eyes, and a cold voice rang out:
“Who are you?”

Having abided by the law for over twenty years, Lin Keying never imagined that within days of transmigrating, she’d have a gun pointed at her!

---