Chapter 11 (1/2): You Can Have Whatever You Want

Miss Xu Nanyin’s ear twitched slightly, a tingling sensation running through her.

She glanced at the time again.

“How is it considered late at night already?”

His voice was always mature and steady, but over the phone, it sounded even more distant and deeper.

If he became a radio host, he’d surely have a large following.

She’d listen every night, too.

Miss Xu Nanyin rolled herself into her blanket, wrapping herself up.

When she and Miss Lin Zhijun and the others went to parties, they often didn’t finish until after eleven.

That was what she called late.

Could it be that he’s very health-conscious?

No wonder he looks so good, has such a great figure, so healthy, even his muscles are outstanding.

“I just wanted to thank you.”

Miss Xu Nanyin pressed her phone to her ear.

“They said you helped out with my daddy’s issue.”

When she said the word “daddy,” her voice was especially sweet.

“It was nothing.”

Mr. Song Huaixu’s tone was refined.

“But if you’re going to thank me, just a simple ‘thank you’ seems a bit too plain.”

Miss Xu Nanyin acted on impulse, but hadn’t thought of a proper gift yet.

She really couldn’t think of anything.

“But it seems like you don’t lack for anything. Whatever I can give, you could just buy yourself.”

Mr. Song Huaixu let out a faint laugh.

“When others give you gifts, Miss Xu, do you also say you could buy them yourself?”

“Of course not, that would be rude.”

Miss Xu Nanyin denied.

“So.”

He slowly let two words fall.

Miss Xu Nanyin asked again, “The lighter I gave you, did you see it? Do you like it? Have you used it yet?”

The study was cold and quiet.

Mr. Song Huaixu sat at the desk, his finger resting on a document he’d just turned the page on.

The printed words left their mark in his eyes, but for half a minute, the page hadn’t changed.

Her string of questions was like lively musical notes.

Many people wanted to give him gifts—or themselves—but he had no interest in any of that.

Only gifts from elders he respected would he accept.

From someone younger than him, this was the first time.

Mr. Song Huaixu: “I’ve used it.”

Miss Xu Nanyin: “I don’t know what kind you used before. There’s an instruction manual inside. Sa said you’ll need to change the flint in the future.”

After saying that, she lowered her voice.

“Mr. Song Huaixu, was helping with my daddy’s issue troublesome?”

Mr. Song Huaixu replied slowly, “Not really troublesome.”

Miss Xu Nanyin had no idea what would actually count as troublesome for this man.

“I’ll bring your gift to you next time I go to Ning City.”

Mr. Song Huaixu glanced at the watch on his wrist.

The hands moved tirelessly, accompanied by the metallic ticking.

Today’s date on the calendar: the 6th.

He wondered when her “next time” would be.

***

After leaving a “good night,” Miss Xu Nanyin ended the call.

Almost at the same time, another call came in.

It was from Xi Jingsheng.

On the other end, Xi Jingsheng teased, “Mr. Xu and Madam Xu have returned safely to Port City. I wonder if Song Sir is satisfied?”

He didn’t need to say more for Miss Xu Nanyin to know it was his doing.

Mr. Song Huaixu chuckled lazily.

“When Mr. Xi handles things, is there ever anyone dissatisfied?”

“Oh, there are.”

But Xi Jingsheng always took care of them.

“You didn’t get to meet me last time you came to Port City. I handled something for you in advance. Next time, come to Macau for some fun.”

Hearing “next time” for the second time in just a few minutes, Mr. Song Huaixu couldn’t help but recall the girl’s soft voice.

He replied calmly, “Next time you come to Ning City, I’ll personally host you.”

Xi Jingsheng laughed.

“Sure. But once someone gets addicted to gambling, it’s hard to stop, unless they wake up themselves.”

Mr. Song Huaixu’s tone was level.

“That’s his own problem.”

Xi Jingsheng said, “From what I know, Mr. Xu still cherishes his wife and daughter. It shouldn’t be too hard for him to quit. It’s just that after so many smooth years with such a big family business in Port City, it’s easy to let your guard down when someone sets a trap.”

In his view, it was just a moment of foolishness.

But since the man on the other end had lent a hand, and there was some connection, of course he wouldn’t say it outright.

“For those days, he had people from Port City and also from Southeast Asia around him. I’ll have someone send the video to Song Sir later.”

***

Miss Xu Nanyin had no desire to sleep, so she got up and went into the Jewelry Room.

Over the years, the gifts sent from the Song Family had all been organized by A Li and placed in a separate glass cabinet, taking up an entire wall.

A Li said, “Good thing you never really wore them. Otherwise, wearing the same style as someone else would be disgusting.”

It wasn’t just that she hardly ever wore them, Miss Xu Nanyin could count on her fingers the number of times she did, and that was only because she really liked them.

Sometimes she found it strange.

If he had no interest in her at all, why did he send her such exquisite gifts every year?

Because they were valuable items, it took the servants and A Li until eleven just to pack part of them.

The rest would be done tomorrow.

Miss Xu Nanyin remembered something, went back to her bedroom, and turned over the Butterfly Specimen that had always been on display on her cabinet.

This Butterfly Specimen was something she’d brought with her when she left Ning City years ago.

A Li knew this one was special.

“Zhuzhu, are you returning this to his family too?”

Miss Xu Nanyin’s lashes lowered gently, and she replied, “We’ve already broken off the engagement. Of course everything should be cut clean. Nothing left behind.”

During her time living in Ning City, she was still quite young, so many memories were fuzzy.

Only the Butterfly Specimen she never forgot.

When she was little, her school in Ning City had science class, and the teacher asked them to make a butterfly specimen by hand.

Her family was busy with business and didn’t supervise her much, so she and a few classmates went to a mountain near Ning City to catch butterflies.

Miss Xu Nanyin got separated from her friends while chasing a butterfly.

The mountains weren’t as developed back then—no signs every few steps.

If not for the butterfly specimen project, she wouldn’t have gone there.

She got lost in the mountains.

That night, she almost thought she’d be eaten by wild animals.

She even got stung on the eye by a bee, swelling it so much she could barely open it.

She had to rely on her ears to distinguish sounds, tense and frightened, thinking every noise could be a wild beast.

The sound of insects overlapped all around, and apart from that, there was nothing else.

She didn’t know how long had passed before she finally heard footsteps.

A beam of dazzling white light shone on her face, then shifted, the light landing beside her.

Miss Xu Nanyin struggled to open her eye, and after a long while, could barely make out the white light and the tall figure.

It wasn’t a ghost, nor a man-eating beast.

“Lost?”

Miss Xu Nanyin could never forget those three simple words.

The man walked toward her, backlit, stepping on fallen leaves.

He was tall and upright, the night behind him black as ink. He half-squatted down.

Miss Xu Nanyin couldn’t see him clearly.

He raised his hand to gently pinch her chin, his fingertips landing on a clean spot.

He turned her face lightly, as if checking her injury.

She looked a mess—her once smooth black hair tangled by branches, bug bites all over, tear stains on her cheeks, her eyes red and swollen, looking both pitiful and a little funny.

The stung spot started to itch again. Miss Xu Nanyin couldn’t resist reaching up to touch it.

“Don’t touch.”

Her wrist was caught.

That voice left no room for refusal.

Miss Xu Nanyin didn’t know who he was, so she obediently asked, “Big brother, can you take me home? My family has money. You can have anything you want.”

“Mm.”