---

Chapter 21 – A Very New Kind of Play (Catching…)

The name Chen Songxian had recently become the main source of Cheng Wanting’s frustration.
And yet, it kept coming up again and again.

He could forbid anyone in the corporation and in the villa from mentioning it, but he had no grounds or reason to stop a woman who deeply loved Chen Songxian from bringing it up.
After all, he himself was just a fake fiancé. If he reacted too strongly to the mention of Brother Songxian, Lin Keying might sense something was off.

At this moment, hearing A-Mei’s report and seeing the shadowy figure in the living room, Cheng Wanting could still hear Lin Keying’s earlier question echoing in his ears.

“Who is Young Master Chen?”

Her fair face was full of curiosity, and her clear almond-shaped eyes were about to follow his gaze into the living room.
And the man in that living room… was the fiancé she had been pining for and loving unwaveringly.

“Someone unrelated.” Cheng Wanting spoke coldly. Turning to look at Lin Keying, his gaze carried a hint of ruthlessness, and his thin lips parted slightly as he left no room for doubt.
“You go have dessert with Aunt Hua and the others first. I have something to talk to him about.”

“Okay.” Lin Keying, aware that wealthy families often had confidential matters, tactfully agreed.
“Aunt Hua, A-Mei, come try the dessert!”

Following Aunt Hua and the others to the servants’ quarters in the villa’s side wing, Lin Keying left Cheng Wanting’s sight. Only then did he turn and enter the living room.

Chen Songxian had been waiting in his cousin’s living room for about ten minutes when he started sensing something was off.
A woman—there were traces of a woman’s presence here!

The main villa, usually cold and empty, was only inhabited by his cousin. Everything was sparse and minimal, as lifeless as could be.
But now, things were different.

There were two vases of fresh flowers in the living room. Roses, vibrant and full, bloomed from a white porcelain vase on the TV stand; the dining table was adorned with blooming roses in a glass vase.
Not only that, there were newspapers about Hong Kong’s women’s fashion casually placed on the side table next to the sofa—and a bottle of women’s face cream scattered on the coffee table!

Something was off—way too off!

Feeling like he’d stumbled onto a huge scoop, Chen Songxian wanted to ask Uncle Zhong and Aunt Hua about it, but they brushed him off with claims of knowing nothing. Even the youngest servant, A-Mei, had no idea.

Frustrated, Chen Songxian didn’t understand how his cousin trained his servants to be even tighter-lipped than police officers.

When the door finally opened and sunlight spilled over the man’s broad shoulders, Chen Songxian squinted, retracted his wandering gaze, and rushed forward enthusiastically to hug him:

“Cousin! Long time no see! I missed you!”

His enthusiastic hug was ruthlessly blocked, leaving his arms awkwardly hanging in midair.

Chen Songxian withdrew his hands sheepishly, comforting himself—his cousin had always been like this, cold and distant to everyone and everything.

Having finally snuck up to the Mid-Levels villa to see his cousin, Chen Songxian first poured out his grievances about his month-long experience in Africa, then earnestly vowed that he would no longer live as a carefree playboy. He promised to work hard and shoulder the Chen family business in the future.

Although the Chen family was a prominent name in Hong Kong’s fashion industry, they were still far behind the Cheng family. Their rapid development over the years had also been thanks to the Cheng family’s support.
Thus, everyone in the Chen family respected the Chengs, especially the true head of the Cheng family now—Cheng Wanting.

After his heartfelt confession, even if he might not follow through, his attitude was clear.
But while Chen Songxian spoke with passion, his cousin remained indifferent, not showing the slightest reaction.

“Cousin…” Chen Songxian’s heart pounded nervously. He keenly sensed that his cousin’s attitude towards him had changed; his gaze now held an extra layer of scrutiny.
Had he done something to offend his cousin?

Impossible! Even with ten times the courage, he wouldn’t dare!

“Were you always like this as a child?” Cheng Wanting scrutinized his cousin—decent looks, mediocre character, glib tongue, frivolous, useless, only knew how to spend money…
And yet such a person had been remembered for over a decade?

Hmph.

“Huh?” Chen Songxian hadn’t expected his cousin to suddenly bring up childhood.

He’d lived on the mainland before age ten, then fled to Hong Kong with his family that year. His mother’s elder sister had smuggled into Hong Kong thirteen years ago, and the two sisters reunited there—only then did Chen Songxian meet his cousin.

Ever confident and showy, Chen Songxian boasted:

“Cousin, you’ve never seen me before I was ten. I was doing great on the mainland—lots of little brothers followed me around, and lots of little girls liked playing with me. A few even said they wanted to marry me when they grew up…”

As he spoke, the air around him seemed to cool—it got eerily cold.

“You’ve never been serious since you were a kid.” Cheng Wanting curtly interrupted.

“Heh heh.” Wearing his handsome smile, Chen Songxian proudly declared,
“Cousin, you don’t understand—women love guys like me, the charming young master~”

He didn’t notice how his cousin’s expression grew colder. Unafraid, he continued babbling:

“By the way, cousin, that child bride of mine is gone now, right? Did she cry and cling to you, begging to marry me?”

The moment those words fell, a cold, sharp glare shot over, chilling him to the bone.

“Oh?” Cheng Wanting’s thin lips curled into a frosty smirk. He sounded casual,
“She was overjoyed when she heard she didn’t have to marry you. She left happily.”

Chen Songxian: “…She really has no taste.”

Well, it was fine that she left.

“You remember this clearly,” Cheng Wanting fixed his gaze on his cousin, showing none of the warmth between blood relatives and instead exuding a harsh warning,
“There was never any child bride who came to Hong Kong. Otherwise…”

“Right, right, cousin, you’re absolutely right!” Chen Songxian almost clapped in agreement. That record of the child bride had to be erased. If Grandpa ever found out, it would be a huge mess.

“Now leave.” Cheng Wanting delivered the eviction coldly,
“If I ever find you sneaking into the Mid-Levels villa or coming to my company again, I’ll break your legs myself.”

Chen Songxian was shocked:

“Cousin, with our relationship, do I have to make an appointment to see you? Cousin, cousin—”

“One more word of nonsense,” Cheng Wanting’s indifferent gaze swept over him,
“and you can go back to Africa and toughen up for another ten years.”

Chen Songxian: “…”

++++

Chen Songxian’s departing figure from the Mid-Levels villa was quite dejected. He didn’t understand how his cousin had changed, acting like he had a deep-seated grudge against him.
He didn’t even get to ask about the possible woman in his cousin’s life before being thrown out.

But thinking about how his cousin could be so heartless and cold even to a family member, Chen Songxian quickly dismissed the idea.
No woman could possibly tolerate a man as cold as his cousin!

Impossible—absolutely impossible! Maybe those traces of a woman were left by Cheng Min when she visited her older brother.

…

Inside the side villa, everyone had finished the desserts Lin Keying brought back and showered her with thanks.

In the past, the young master rarely stayed home, and even if he did, he never ate desserts. Since Miss Lin moved into the villa, her love of delicious food and all kinds of sweet treats had fed everyone well.

After Aunt Hua finished a bowl of red bean soup, she saw the young master walk in and tactfully signaled for the others to leave.

The servants dispersed, leaving only Lin Keying in the dining room, quietly enjoying her chilled mango coconut sago dessert.

It was a new product she’d developed together with Sister He.
Lin Keying, of course, had eaten sago in the modern world, but it hadn’t yet been widely sold in present-day Hong Kong. Since Sister He had experience cooking sago, they’d decided it was the perfect time to introduce a new dessert.

The white takeout bowl was filled to the brim—the milky coconut milk mixed with regular milk gave off a rich, fresh aroma. Tiny, pearl-like sago pearls were densely scattered inside, contrasting beautifully with chunks of golden mango flesh.

It looked stunning and tasted sweet and refreshing. Lin Keying savored spoonful after spoonful of deliciousness, feeling the cool air in the air-conditioned room and enjoying the comfort.

The man’s footsteps stopped. Lin Keying turned around and called to her fiancé:

“Come have some dessert—the sago is saved just for you.”

The untouched takeout bowl was sealed tightly and hadn’t been touched.

“I don’t really like these things. You eat it,” Cheng Wanting, as always, had little appetite for food.

Lin Keying couldn’t understand—how could there be someone in the world with no desire for delicious food?
Clearly a rich, powerful mogul who could have anything he wanted—why didn’t he enjoy eating? In fact, he seemed to have no appetite or desire for anything fun. He was practically an emotionless money-making machine, wound tight and never resting.

While eating the delicious mango sago, Lin Keying casually asked:

“Young master, do you not have any desires at all in this world?”

She hadn’t expected him to answer—she was just making conversation. But with the surroundings quiet and the servants tactfully gone elsewhere, Lin Keying glanced sideways at him.

To her surprise, in that glance, her gaze met his dark eyes head-on.
He said nothing—just silently stared at her.
It was as if he hadn’t answered her question… but also as if he had.

——

The next day, Lin Keying sat watching the stock trends on TV, deeply troubled about whether she should sell her Kowloon Wharf shares.

Rumor had it that recently, a fierce battle for control of Kowloon Wharf was raging. Jardine Matheson and Huanyu Group were evenly matched, and ownership of the multibillion-dollar Kowloon Wharf would be determined at the shareholders’ meeting in two days.

With the battle looming, the stock market was turbulent. Retail investors saw Kowloon Wharf’s stock price soaring due to both sides buying up scattered shares—some greedily wanted to bet it would rise more, others prepared to sell for fear of holding a collapsing stock… it was chaos.

Lin Keying had bought 1,000 shares of Kowloon Wharf with a tip from her fiancé, later buying another 9,000 as her savings grew, rounding it out to 10,000 shares.
She’d already made a hefty profit—if she sold now, she’d get 48,000 dollars.

Should she sell quickly before ownership was settled and secure her profits? Or gamble that if Huanyu took over, the stock would skyrocket?

It was a real dilemma.

The morning news continued covering the Kowloon Wharf battle. Deep in thought, Lin Keying quietly approached Secretary Yang while her fiancé was out in the garden hearing Uncle Zhong’s report.

“Secretary Yang, do you think Kowloon Wharf’s stock will go up or down in two days?”
She’d just overheard Secretary Yang and her fiancé mentioning looking for some director—Guo Changda? It seemed related to the fate of Kowloon Wharf’s biggest shareholder.

Yang Minghui had also been uneasy lately. This was a battle over billions, and the young master had invested heavily, determined to win. But with many uncertainties, neither Jardines nor Huanyu had absolute confidence.

“Miss Lin, I really can’t say.” Secretary Yang, aware she held some shares herself, grew curious,
“Are you planning to sell your Kowloon Wharf shares?”

Lin Keying gave an awkward smile:

“No, no—I still think Kowloon Wharf stock has value.”

After all, it was her fiancé who had tipped her off. She couldn’t admit she wanted to sell now.
Oh well—if she lost money, so be it. It was his money anyway.

With two days left before the shareholders’ meeting, Yang Minghui accompanied Cheng Wanting as they continued negotiating with major shareholders. Seeing that Director Guo Changda was still nowhere to be found, Yang Minghui sighed:

“Young master, looks like we can’t secure Director Guo.”

“If we really can’t find him, we’ll go head-to-head with Jardines,” Cheng Wanting, ever fearless, replied,
“Balance the scattered shares and get HSBC involved. At worst, we’ll match Jardines evenly.”

“Yes.” Though still hoping to find Guo Changda, Yang Minghui knew if they secured his shares, Huanyu would have a sure victory.

Speaking of stocks, seeing a trace of weariness between his young master’s brows, Yang Minghui deliberately mentioned what had happened that morning:

“Miss Lin has great confidence in you, young master. She firmly refuses to sell her Kowloon Wharf shares—clearly convinced you’ll take it. Looks like she truly cares deeply about you.”

“You talk too much.” After days of nonstop work, Cheng Wanting’s temples ached faintly. Hearing that, he merely cast Yang Minghui a mild glance.

Yang Minghui: “…”

---

After a brief rest, Cheng Wanting took Yang Minghui to meet with the two major directors at HSBC. Since HSBC held shares in Jardine Matheson, they naturally needed to be involved in the Kowloon Wharf matter.

Just before entering the VIP room, Yang Minghui followed behind the young master and casually heard him murmur,
“There’s been a lot going on lately. You’ve done well. Your bonus will be doubled this month.”

Yang Minghui quickly responded, “Thank you, young master!”

—

The battle over Kowloon Wharf shares had already become the talk of the town. Since practically everyone in Hong Kong was dabbling in stocks, any news that could affect the market attracted widespread attention.

In the blink of an eye, the Kowloon Wharf shareholders’ meeting arrived and would determine the outcome this afternoon.

Last night, Cheng Wanting did not return to the Mid-Levels villa. Lin Keying figured Huanyu Group was making its final efforts.

After breakfast, she watched the morning news on the Tricolor TV station. A large number of media reporters were stationed outside both Huanyu Group and Jardine Matheson headquarters, closely monitoring this “war.”

While eating noodles, Lin Keying silently wished her fiancé success. After breakfast, she supervised some renovations at the Mid-Levels villa, then soon caught a taxi to the dessert shop, leisurely sipping mung bean soup and listening to customers discuss the stock market.

Several office workers who also held Kowloon Wharf shares were debating its fate — would the stock rise or fall?

Lin Keying, entertained by the gossip, gathered that Huanyu was currently slightly at a disadvantage, though the gap wasn’t large.

The office workers eventually concluded that the shareholders’ meeting had already begun and Huanyu seemed to be one step behind. Consequently, Kowloon Wharf’s stock was slowly declining, and once the result was out, it would likely plummet.

The few workers, originally hoping to gamble on the outcome, were now anxiously debating whether to sell quickly before the result was finalized to minimize losses.

“A young lady listening to stock chatter? Boring. Come, let’s go fishing.” A couple entered the dessert shop — it was Uncle Da and Aunt Feng.

The elderly couple seemed to have no need to work and spent their days leisurely. Whenever Lin Keying saw them, they were either enjoying desserts or about to go fishing. The fishing spots changed every time, and somehow, the couple always managed to find quiet places free from disturbance.

Sitting by the riverside, the cool breeze carried moist air, blowing through Lin Keying’s curled hair, giving her serene face a pensive expression.

“You’ve started buying stocks too?” Aunt Feng, dressed in clothes worth no more than 30 dollars, looked at the distracted Lin Keying.

Indeed, Lin Keying was lost in thought — fishing by the river was perfect for daydreaming.

She thought of the office workers’ discussion in the dessert shop. Perhaps if Huanyu lost this time, Kowloon Wharf stock really would fall.
“I bought some Kowloon Wharf shares too. I was just listening to their lively chat.”

Uncle Da reeled in a big fish beside her, beaming as he asked,
“Then who do you hope wins?”

“Of course Huanyu!” Lin Keying answered without hesitation.

Aunt Feng helped her husband unhook the fish and tossed it into the bucket, splashing water everywhere.
“Why?”

“I…” Countless thoughts flashed through Lin Keying’s mind. After hesitating for a moment, she smiled slightly.
“Of course, because I bought Kowloon Wharf stock. If Huanyu wins, I won’t lose money~”

Uncle Da laughed heartily,
“You really are a money-lover.”

Aunt Feng seemed to like Lin Keying’s candor.
“There’s nothing wrong with loving money. Having money doesn’t guarantee everything will go your way, but without it, most things definitely won’t.”

“Aunt Feng, you and I think alike,” Lin Keying grinned. She thought of the things she’d heard lately. Since the shareholders’ meeting was already underway, the outcome was probably set. She began rambling about her busy fiancé’s efforts,
“I heard Huanyu is slightly behind Jardine in shareholding. Both sides are collecting scattered shares, but it’s not making much difference. The only way to win is to buy stock from Kowloon Wharf’s former major shareholder. But that mysterious Mr. Guo is really hard to find…”

Aunt Feng glanced at her husband, who was focused on fishing, then looked back at Lin Keying,
“You sure know a lot.”

“Yeah! I heard Mr. Guo is very mysterious. Oh, by the way, my shop property is still under his name — technically, he’s my landlord.” Lin Keying sighed regretfully,
“If I could meet him, I’d definitely sell Huanyu a favor. Then their boss would owe me big time~”

Uncle Da caught another big fish. As he unhooked it, he feigned anger,
“You little girl, trying to use me to curry favor? How sinister.”

Lin Keying: “…?”

Hearing this, she suddenly realized something.
Uncle Da? Guo Changda?

—

At 1 PM, the Kowloon Wharf shareholders’ meeting officially began.

Cheng Wanting, representing Huanyu Group, sat on one side of the conference table with allied shareholders, while the other side consisted of representatives from Jardine Matheson, Kowloon Wharf’s original largest shareholder.

The two sides faced off — a war without smoke was about to ignite.

Despite searching all over Hong Kong, they couldn’t find Guo Changda, the other shareholder of Kowloon Wharf. Yang Minghui, following the young master’s orders, continued acquiring scattered shares, locked in a tug-of-war with Jardine.

The situation was volatile. Especially since the young master still had one last card to play — a final gamble if necessary.

Inside the meeting room, tension was thick. Outside and around the building, armed forces from both sides waited.

In Hong Kong, the lines between legal and illegal were always blurred. Most of the established companies had deep ties to both sides. Even business negotiations like this were armed standoffs, with both parties ready at any moment.

Seeing the urgent situation, Yang Minghui caught a seemingly casual look from the young master — an order. He hurried out and called his men, preparing to personally retrieve crucial documents — the last hope of turning the tide.

Driving through the chaotic Kowloon Walled City, Yang Minghui picked up a manila envelope. He quickly opened it, flipped through the documents, and after confirming the information, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

With this document, the deadlock would be broken! The young master would have a 60% chance of victory!

As his car sped along the road, Yang Minghui rushed back to the shareholders’ meeting. But suddenly — bang bang bang — loud noises struck the car body.

Gunshots rang out. Bullets dented the car frame. Yang Minghui drove with one hand, drew his gun with the other, and returned fire, the car swerving toward Central…

Meanwhile, Lin Keying found a public phone booth and dialed Cheng Wanting’s mobile. His bodyguard answered.

The negotiation was tense; the call lasted only two minutes.

Her second call went to Secretary Yang. As the line connected, Lin Keying heard his hurried breathing as he fled.

“Secretary Yang…”

“Miss Lin, I’ve left important documents at the dessert shop. Please help me bring them to Jardine Matheson’s headquarters!”

…

Time ticked away second by second. Inside the 25th-floor conference room at Jardine Matheson headquarters, tensions were at a breaking point.

HSBC, holding shares in Jardine, also had close ties with Cheng Wanting’s Huanyu Group.

As a third party, HSBC sent representatives to assist in mediating the battle over Kowloon Wharf between Jardine and Huanyu.

After much scheming and trading, especially as the stock price soared, both sides had absorbed scattered shares. As of now, Jardine held 39%, Huanyu held 38%, Guo Changda — who both sides had been desperately searching for — held 13%, and the remaining 10% was in the hands of small shareholders.

Director Wan from Jardine smugly spoke,
“President Cheng, we must concede this battle. Congratulations — Huanyu will now be the second-largest shareholder of Kowloon Wharf.”

Although Director Wan smiled and spoke politely, anyone could hear the hidden mockery and hostility in his words.

Everyone turned to Huanyu’s Cheng Wanting. Despite the apparent defeat, he showed no anger or discouragement.

Expressionless, calm, his black suit slightly open, white shirt crisp, black leather shoes firmly on the floor — his appearance was immaculate.

His slender fingers tapped lightly on the table as he looked at Director Wan with meaning,
“Director Wan, the outcome is not yet decided.”

“Oh?” Director Wan laughed, his voice sharp and piercing,
“I wonder what last trick you have? Your secretary rushed off — he might not make it back in time.”

Director Wan knew Cheng Wanting and his secretary’s movements well, and with his own men dispatched, he was confident.

Cheng Wanting leaned forward, his broad back outlining a commanding silhouette,
“Director Wan, just wait and see.”

Several Jardine directors scoffed and interjected:
“President Cheng, it’s best not to put on a brave front.”
“Winners are kings; losers are nothing. Don’t struggle pointlessly.”

— Knock knock knock

A knock on the door interrupted the tense meeting.

Director Wan frowned and snapped at the guards,
“This is a shareholders’ meeting — how dare someone disturb us?”

As his words fell, someone suddenly burst into the conference room.

A graceful figure appeared at the doorway. A tall, unfamiliar woman with striking beauty entered. Her long hair cascaded over her shoulders; she wore a white blouse under a black suit jacket, a black pencil skirt over her straight legs, and black high heels clacked as she rushed in.

“Who dares barge into a shareholders’ meeting?!” Director Wan roared, on the verge of victory. “Remove her!”

The bodyguard at the door nervously replied,
“Director Wan, this lady claims to be President Cheng’s secretary.”

Everyone knew Cheng Wanting avoided women, and his secretary was famously male.

Everyone in the room knew this was a lie.

Just as Director Wan was about to lose his temper and expel her, they heard the woman call toward the man at the far end of the room,
“President Cheng, your documents have arrived!”

All eyes followed her gaze to Cheng Wanting, who stared intensely at her, his eyes deep and unreadable.

A moment later, his thin lips parted,
“Secretary Lin, come here.”