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Lin Keying’s fair hand covered the back of the man’s hand. Because she pressed down hard, it only made the man’s grip on her leg tighter. Her flesh was pressed firmly against his rough palm, as if it were sinking into it.
Their palms overlapped. Lin Keying looked up at the man but caught an unreadable, dark emotion in his eyes.
“No!” Lin Keying tried to steady herself, ignoring the heat that had started burning from her ankles and was spreading through her entire body. “You… you should go upstairs and rest. The anklet is on. I really like it, and I’m going to sleep now.”
Cheng Wanting didn’t push further. He gazed deeply at her before withdrawing his mischievous hand.
“Mrs. Cheng, what perfume are you wearing tonight?” the man asked, changing the subject and dropping his previous actions.
Lin Keying was caught off guard by his question and only responded after a second’s pause. “It’s a new shower gel I bought today.”
“Mm.” The man leaned in toward Lin Keying, as if about to kiss her like he usually did, but instead, he simply moved close to her neck.
His shallow breath fell against her thinnest skin. Lin Keying trembled sensitively, a tingling current spreading across her neck.
However, the kiss she expected never came.
The man took a deep breath, then retreated a few centimeters. His eyes deepened. “Mm. You smell very nice.”
Once he went upstairs to wash up and rest, Lin Keying, still shaken, carried Ming Pao back to her room. She tossed the magazine casually by her bedside and flopped onto the soft bed, her heart pounding wildly.
As she rolled over on the bed, the silver anklet clung tightly to her ankle. That sensation, of being wrapped around, felt as if the feeling of the man gripping her ankle would be permanently etched into her bones.
She sat up and took off the anklet, placing it back in its gift box, which made her feel slightly more comfortable.
After all, the man was busy with work. There was no way he could constantly check whether she was wearing the gift he gave her.
——
The next day, as expected, Cheng Wanting left early to rush to the office to continue work.
The Huanyu Tower rose high into the sky, as if trying to split the heavens, towering and majestic.
In the top-floor general manager’s office, Cheng Wanting strategized and pushed forward various development projects of Kowloon Warehouse.
“Kowloon Port construction—container throughput must double next year. We need tighter maritime routes with Singapore and Malaysia.”
“The construction of office buildings, hotels, and freight warehouses also needs to be moved up the schedule.”
“No need to rush the Sha Tin land development. Last time, 15 plots were auctioned, and all the tycoons have already begun making moves. We’ll hold steady for now and wait for the right opportunity.”
While the shareholder meeting continued in the conference room and the sound of flipping documents echoed in the office, a knock sounded at the door. Without looking up, Cheng Wanting said, “Come in.”
“Big brother!” Cheng Min had called the day her brother returned to Hong Kong, originally hoping to invite him home for dinner. But her brother had said work was too busy, so she hadn’t dared to bother him much.
Today, however, she couldn’t suppress her curiosity and excitement and came personally to Huanyu Tower.
“Big brother, did your business trip to Africa go well? You’re so capable—it must have gone well.” Taking advantage of the weekend, Cheng Min had made abalone soup and brought it over. “Even if you’re busy with work, you have to take care of your health. I made this soup myself.”
Cheng Wanting nodded. “Leave it here. I’ll drink it later.”
Though there was a noticeable age gap between him and his younger sister, he still put down his documents and asked with concern, “I heard you did the first rebuttal in the university debate competition and performed well.”
“Mm~” Cheng Min blushed shyly under his praise, pursing her lips. “It was an English debate competition I did with some student council classmates.”
“Mm. It’s good to gain experience.”
There weren’t many common topics between the siblings. After a few pleasantries, silence fell in the air. Cheng Min lingered and, gathering her courage, asked, “Big brother… do you have a girlfriend?”
Cheng Wanting was just about to ask Yang Minghui to arrange for someone to send his sister off, but when he heard this, he wasn’t surprised. “Where did you hear that?”
After reporting that someone had seen her brother laughing and chatting with a beautiful woman in Malaysia, Cheng Min was visibly excited. “What kind of person is she? She must be amazing. Big brother, this is your first relationship!”
Thinking of the woman last night who had used every excuse to avoid wearing the anklet, Cheng Wanting’s eyes softened with a hidden smile. “I’ll introduce you to your sister-in-law another day.”
Sister-in-law?!
Cheng Min was visibly shocked. Her beautiful eyes widened—her brother had already reached the point of calling her “sister-in-law”?
Could it be that good news was near?
She wanted to pry further into her brother’s love life but, daunted by his powerful aura, she couldn’t bring herself to ask. In the end, she only heard him arrange her departure.
“Don’t mention this to anyone else. Not even our family needs to know. Just pretend you don’t know anything. If they have questions, they’ll come ask me.” Cheng Wanting didn’t trust anyone else.
Cheng Min obediently nodded. As she left his office, she ran into their second brother, Cheng Zhihao.
Cheng Zhihao sneaked up to his younger sister, eager and excited. “Amin, how’d it go? Did big brother tell you? Is he really dating? When’s the wedding? What’s the kid’s name? As the second uncle, I have to prepare a big red envelope!”
Cheng Min: “…I don’t know anything, second brother. If you’re curious, ask big brother yourself.”
Cheng Zhihao: “…Like I’d dare.”
——
Unaware that someone was already calling her “sister-in-law,” Lin Keying had been busy lately either shopping or overseeing renovations at Xitian Building.
In the morning, she went to the most famous jewelry store in Mong Kok and picked out two pearl necklaces to match her autumn and winter outfits. In the afternoon, she drove her beloved car to Xitian Building.
The workers renovating Xitian Building all knew that the owner, Miss Lin, was young, beautiful, and capable.
Her stylish car would park at the entrance, and the tall Miss Lin would always greet the workers along the way, asking about the renovation progress and often buying everyone desserts.
With dozens, even hundreds, of workers, the amount of dessert wasn’t small.
Everyone praised Miss Lin as a good boss.
“President Lin,” the business department head Yang Qiuhui handed over the signed contract with the Wang family, a major fashion group, and reported, “The Wang family is willing to open three fashion brands here. The four brands you discussed with the Xiang family have also finalized the contracts.”
Lin Keying flipped quickly through the documents. Yang Qiuhui was capable and someone she had personally selected during final interviews—very reliable. “What about the Chen family? I already agreed with Mrs. Chen.”
“The person in charge of coordinating the Chen family’s brand hasn’t arrived yet. They said three days ago they’d arrange it soon. I’ll follow up again today.”
“Mm.” Lin Keying calculated the timing, hoping Xitian Building could open by winter to catch the festive season at year’s end. “Finalize it within this week.”
“Yes.”
After graduating from university, Yang Qiuhui had tried applying to major corporations in Hong Kong but wasn’t selected. She then worked at a securities firm for over two years but clashed with a corrupt new boss, dousing him with a glass of water before quitting.
Unexpectedly, that boss was powerful and used his influence to make it hard for Yang Qiuhui to find work in the same industry. Coming from a poor family, she could only work at a nearby barbecue shop.
Not long ago, she saw Xitian Building recruiting after a major renovation. Holding on to a try-it-and-see mindset, she passed all the interviews and finally, relieved, met the building owner—thankfully, a woman.
Yang Qiuhui’s sharp business skills and prior securities experience made her very efficient and dependable for Lin Keying.
Back at her desk, Yang Qiuhui dialed the landline to contact the liaison Mrs. Chen had assigned.
“Mr. Chen, hello. This is Yang Qiuhui, head of the business department at Xitian Building. Regarding the confirmed brand entry from Mrs. Chen…”
Chen Songxian, who had a playful nature, had been partying in bars, watching operas, horse racing, and golfing ever since returning to Hong Kong—all discreetly, far from his cousin’s usual haunts.
Living by the motto “eat, drink, and be merry today,” Chen Songxian prioritized enjoyment—even if his cousin caught him later.
Naturally, the tasks his aunt had assigned had been tossed to the back of his mind.
Only after the reminder call from Xitian Building did Chen Songxian hurriedly leave Qitian Hotel and head toward Xitian Building across the street.
At the 20th-floor property office of Xitian Building, Yang Qiuhui warmly received the client and negotiated terms for the Chen family’s fashion brands—including rent, promotions, and lease duration.
Once they agreed on the contract, it was printed on the spot. Yang Qiuhui signed under Party A and pointed to the section for Party B. “Mr. Chen, just sign here.”
Chen Songxian picked up the pen and swiftly wrote his name in bold strokes.