The autumn rain on Hong Kong Island was relentless.
Buffeted by the storm, the Xu Mansion stood resolute. Its black, twisted iron railings seemed to slice the downpour into myriad shapes. Blown askew by the wind, the sheets of rain resembled transparent white cloth, falling in relentless rows.
The entire space resembled the secret garden from a movie.
A few lamps were lit inside the villa.
Xu Si, finding them disruptive to the ambiance, turned them off again, leaving only a faint light infiltrating from outside. Leaning back against the support, she remained silent, simply shifting her gaze towards the window.
On such a rain-drenched afternoon, what could she possibly think about?
Her mind was filled with the obedient image of Pei Zhen from their youth.
Books covered in red ink certainly had a lasting impact.
She was reluctant to speculate about the pure and well-behaved boy he had once been.
But with the evidence before her, Xu Si held absolute trust in her intuition.
That measured, sensible, polite, and well-behaved young man... could he really have had such a side to him?
Did he harbor different feelings for her back then?
So many questions... They made Xu Si’s eyelids twitch.
It wasn’t that she couldn’t accept it; after all, she was with Pei Zhen now.
It was just that, having unearthed a secret, she couldn’t help but probe every detail of their past interactions, desperately wishing to find some clue.
And then she found... nothing. There were no clues at all. All her memories of the past seemed so proper, so reasonable.
She didn’t know how to handle these emotions. Just then, BRRRING! BRRRING! The telephone in the second-floor study began to ring.
Xu Si closed her eyes, her lips pressed tightly together. She subconsciously wanted to escape something, but the phone continued its incessant, clamorous ringing. Finally, annoyed, she opened her eyes and rose. Barefoot, she stepped onto the stairs, ascending step by step toward the study.
Opening the study door, she leaned one hand on the desk, picked up the black lacquer phone, and held it to her ear.
"Hello, who’s speaking?"
The voice on the phone was somewhat deep.
"Miss Xu, I am an old friend of your father. Today is Xu Sheng’s death anniversary. While it was understandable that you weren’t on Hong Kong Island before, not showing up now that you are here is hardly proper, is it?"
Xu Si, her mind elsewhere, idly flipped through a brand-new calendar. She frowned lightly and spoke in a cool voice, devoid of emotion, "Sorry, I’m not free to go."
Xu Si’s father, Mr. Xu, had held a prestigious position on Hong Kong Island, and many respectfully addressed him as Xu Sheng. In his prime, he had banished his own brothers overseas, yet he also spared no effort in helping many intelligent people overcome their difficulties.
As a result, quite a few people remained grateful for his kindness. Even several years after his death, they still conducted the death anniversary ceremony for him, making it grand and splendid.
The only regret was that Xu Si had spent four years studying abroad. She had never attended the anniversary even once, rendering the ceremony awkward and somewhat illegitimate.
The person on the other end was clearly not satisfied with this response. He took several deep breaths. The THUMP-THUMP-THUMP of a cane was audible through the phone line, reaching Xu Si’s ears along with a gruff curse:
"Damn it! Xu Sheng truly wasted his efforts raising you, girl! You’ve inherited all his wealth; can’t you at least pay your respects? Or are you really as cold-blooded as the news reports claim?"
Xu Si had indeed matured; she was far more capable of keeping her composure than in her youth.
Even while being verbally abused, she somehow found herself worrying if Pei Zhen might hear.
No matter what, she wasn’t willing to spoil today’s atmosphere.
Holding the phone, she pushed open a bookshelf and slipped into a hidden chamber.
Every mansion has its secret rooms, and the Xu Mansion was no exception. It had been constructed by her father, a hiding place for many secrets and lurid affairs—mostly photographs of women, which she had always been too lazy to examine.
The person on the phone ranted incessantly. After finishing, and noticing Xu Si’s silence, he added an insult, "Cat got your tongue? Are you ashamed? Let me remind you, if you don’t want to admit you’re an unfilial daughter, then don’t commit unfilial acts!"
Xu Si walked down the secret passage into a dark space. She had long since removed the antiques and various photographs that had once been stored there. Only the room’s original decor remained.
She placed the cordless phone on a padded table.
Xu Si’s expression was calm. Once she was in an environment where she could speak freely, her first words were sharp with impatience, "I am an unfilial daughter. I admit it all; I’ve never thought to deny it. But you old codger, are you done yelling yet?"
"What do you want? Can’t I educate you in your father’s stead? We’ve all heard about it. Xu’s Real Estate is in your hands, yet you’re mixed up with the underworld! Reputation is paramount. Countless people secretly despise you now. Are you trying to ruin the Xu Family? If you hadn’t been so ruthless, driving away your own kin, you wouldn’t be without anyone to help manage the family assets now!"
Xu Si grasped the receiver.
She felt like laughing again; the angrier she got, the more she wanted to laugh.
"Hold on a second," she said, struggling to suppress a smirk that threatened to break free. "It’s been a while since anyone dared to speak to me . Listening to your tone, which of my uncles bought you off? My Third Uncle? I heard he’s doing business on Hong Kong Island. I haven’t even met him yet. What, after a few years in business, he fancies himself capable again? Does he want to take another little dip in the sea?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Stop pretending, old sir." Xu Si propped her chin on her cool fingertips. "You needn’t worry so much about the safety of Xu’s. And tell my Third Uncle that if he thinks his horizons have broadened and he’s ready for a comeback, he should show some real skill and try to fight me. I’ll be waiting."
Suddenly, the voice on the other end of the phone changed.
"Asi, you misunderstand. I merely came to attend your father’s memorial service. I suggest you choose your words more carefully; try not to be so cruel."
"So it really is you, Third Uncle," Xu Si said, unsurprised. Her reply was smooth. "I don’t take advice; I’m quite stubborn. But you had better heed mine: don’t entertain thoughts you shouldn’t. If there’s a next time, I won’t be so merciful. For those who try to take what’s mine, I have far crueler methods."
"I just wanted to remind you, your father loved you very much when he was alive. Don’t squander the Xu family’s fortune."
Xu Si’s smile vanished instantly, her expression turning ice-cold. She idly twirled the phone cord around her fingers and threatened in a chilling voice, "Loose talk invites disaster. You’d better watch yourself lately. Say something I don’t like hearing again, and you can just wait for me to come and pay you a visit."
With that, she finally lost all interest and slammed the receiver down. Then, lifting a bare foot, she viciously smashed the entire telephone set to pieces before curling up tightly on the couch.
At that moment, she truly felt like a villain.
But there was no helping it. Some things are impossible to forget, etched into you for a lifetime, like a knife carving flesh. The memory alone could make her lose control.
An unknown amount of time passed. She closed her eyes, breathing delicately. Then, she lazily rose, straightened her dress, opened the door of the secret room, and walked out as if nothing had happened.
The sky outside seemed to have darkened. So much time had passed already.
Xu Si smoothed her long, sleek hair and opened the door to the study.
The next second, she collided with a solid, unyielding chest.
Strands of silver-white hair drifted before her eyes.
A hand suddenly snaked around her waist, pulling her into a cold embrace. The tall figure leaned down, a chiseled chin resting on her shoulder.
A low, magnetic, ethereal voice sounded in her ear.
"Where did you go? I searched the entire Xu Mansion and couldn’t find you."