“Master, Madam, all the luggage has been packed.”
The housekeeper stood at the study door, bowing slightly.
“Good, thank you for your hard work.”
Gao Hongzhi nodded.
A map of Linchuan County in Dongling Province was spread across the desk.
Ordinarily, mobile navigation would be sufficient in this day and age, but Gao Hongzhi was the type of man who accounted for every detail.
He had considered everything, including the possibility of his phone dying or losing signal in the deep wilderness.
“What time is the flight?”
“Master, it takes off at 1:00 PM today.”
Gao Hongzhi rolled up his shirt sleeves by half an inch and glanced at his Patek Philippe Calatrava.
The hands currently rested at exactly 8:00 AM.
“Are you thinking about using this time to head to the office for a morning meeting?”
A gentle voice came from behind him.
A slender hand rested lightly on his shoulder, bringing a familiar warmth.
Ya Xinyao was Gao Hongzhi’s wife.
Their fathers had been comrades in the business world for many years, and the two had been childhood sweethearts.
They had known each other since infancy; their relationship had grown from the heart-fluttering days of youth to their walk down the aisle and the building of their family.
They had almost never quarreled.
They were each other’s first loves and each other’s most steadfast support.
“I was indeed thinking that,” Gao Hongzhi admitted.
“During the time I’m in Linchuan, if any special circumstances arise at the company, I need to have planned countermeasures in advance.”
Ya Xinyao chided him slightly.
“Dear, you’re about to see your own flesh and blood. Are you still worried about business?”
“The harder I work, the easier our child’s life will be,” Gao Hongzhi said plainly.
“You really are something.”
Ya Xinyao slowly leaned down and kissed him.
The moment the kiss landed, the housekeeper vanished silently, leaving not a single footstep behind.
The sound of a piano drifted over from the living room, the melody cold and restrained.
Death and the Maiden.
It was Gao Hongyi practicing.
She didn’t have school today; Gao Hongzhi had already requested one week of leave from the school on her behalf.
Whenever they heard their daughter’s playing, Gao Hongzhi and Ya Xinyao would become deeply entranced, as if they were in a fairyland.
When their daughter played, the melody would sometimes make the couple feel empowered, and other times make them want to weep under the weight of the tragic notes…
“It sounds so beautiful…” Ya Xinyao whispered as she listened to the music.
“When I think about how Hongyi isn’t our biological daughter, it feels like a bit of a pity.”
“I feel the same way.”
Ya Xinyao suddenly smiled.
“But thinking about it, I really couldn’t have given birth to a child as beautiful as Hongyi. She has been sparkling like a star since she was a little girl.”
“Silly woman.”
Gao Hongzhi’s palm brushed through his wife’s hair.
“You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, many times better than those stars on television.”
“Thank you, dear.”
“What is there to thank me for? I’m just stating an objective fact. You know I speak literally,” Gao Hongzhi said, intentionally adopting a serious tone.
“You know I’m not thanking you for that sentence.”
Ya Xinyao looked at him, her eyes swirling like a rising tide.
“You know exactly what I’m thanking you for.”
Gao Hongzhi did know.
When he first learned that Gao Hongyi had no blood relation to him, he didn’t instinctively suspect Ya Xinyao of being unfaithful.
Instead, he calmly deduced the situation and found the most logical explanation.
He had attended Donghai Jiao Tong University while Ya Xinyao studied abroad at Yale University.
They had spent many years in a long-distance relationship, supported not by sweet words, but by a nearly paranoid level of unconditional trust.
“Our child…”
“I’m really looking forward to it,” Gao Hongzhi said with a smile.
At that moment, their gazes met, as if they had briefly returned to their youth.
They were back to the first time their hearts raced out of control, back to their first clumsy but happy kiss, and back to the flustered excitement of being close.
Those memories revived in an instant.
“Sigh, this won’t do.”
Gao Hongzhi suddenly seemed to ring an alarm bell for himself, standing up with forced nonchalance.
“If I stay immersed in this any longer, I’ll become a useless man.”
“Good luck, dear,” Ya Xinyao said with a smile as she saw him off.
As he passed through the living room, Gao Hongzhi saw his daughter sitting upright at the piano, her back straight and her fingertips striking the keys with precision.
His mood was so good it felt as if his heart were overflowing.
‘I really am happy right now.’
But happiness was sometimes like fine sand; if you gripped it too tightly, it would quietly slip through your fingers.
Gao Hongzhi wasn’t entirely without nerves.
There were even moments when he couldn’t help but wonder — was searching for his biological child truly the right decision?
Whenever the information ‘the biological child might be in Linchuan County, Dongling Province’ surfaced, his mind inevitably sketched a dark silhouette — a hysterical youth in an internet cafe with nothing but foul words in his mouth; someone who didn’t know how to respect others or himself; wearing cheap loafers, tight pants, and hair dyed yellow and longer than a girl’s; a temper that exploded at a touch, resorting to violence over the slightest disagreement; maybe he had even stabbed someone or been to juvenile detention.
‘Poverty breeds guile, while wealth fosters a conscience.’
What if that child returned to this well-to-do family and brought destruction instead of a reunion?
What if he stared at Hongyi with those dirty eyes?
What if he had no concept of ‘family’ in his head and only focused on money and inheritance, even hoping for an early death to get his hands on the estate?
Those thoughts were like a persistent parasite; once they attached themselves, they couldn’t be shaken off.
Precisely because he least wanted his biological son to be in Linchuan County, Linchuan had been scheduled as the final stop.
Arriving at the company, Gao Hongzhi’s expression changed instantly.
In the professional world, he was never a tender man, but rather an authoritative presence.
“I will be away for a few days. During this time, the company will operate under wartime standards,” he said, his voice steady and every word clear.
“The Finance Director will be responsible for the capital line, with reports twice daily — at 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM. In the event of any abnormal fluctuations, shrink exposure according to the contingency plan, prioritizing cash flow.”
“Vice President Lin will follow up on project progress. Key project milestones will proceed as scheduled. If you encounter government approval bottlenecks, use the secondary contact. I will sign remotely if necessary.”
“In addition, while I am away, the company will not accept any impromptu interviews or release any vague statements. All communication must be unified: the company is operating normally.”
In the conference room, the sound of turning pages and scratching pens gradually stopped.
The employees closed their folders and looked up at him.
Gao Hongzhi softened his tone slightly.
“In short, thank you for your hard work over the next few days.”
“Please rest assured, President Gao.”
He was indeed the kind of leader who ‘won the hearts of the people.’
He expected much from the capable, but he never made empty promises; once a promise was made, it was always kept.
He didn’t abuse his power or treat his employees like tools.
He was always willing to listen to his employees’ difficulties and use his resources to solve them.
In his eyes, they were allies in the same boat, not replaceable parts.
After the last group of people left, his assistant ran to catch up.
“President Gao, the airport VIP passage has been confirmed. Madam and the young lady are waiting for you in the car.”
“Good, thank you for your hard work, Xiao Wang.”
In the underground parking lot, a black Lexus LM was parked quietly in its reserved spot, its body looking like a steady block of ink.
Ya Xinyao and Gao Hongyi sat in the back row, looking down at their phones.
Gao Hongzhi opened the car door and asked with a smile as he got in, “Little princess, what are you looking at?”
He wasn’t worried about his daughter becoming addicted to the virtual world.
Children from wealthy families rarely developed a true internet addiction because they had access to ‘higher-level’ entertainment than a phone.
Travel, concerts, equestrianism, skiing, collecting antiques… these things were more captivating than a screen.
He was only worried that her frequent viewing would strain her eyes.
“I’m reading a novel,” Gao Hongyi said without looking up, her voice flat.
“By your favorite author? Walking Alone at Midnight?” Gao Hongzhi asked.
“Have you read it, Dad?”
“I haven’t had the chance yet.”
Gao Hongzhi rubbed his nose awkwardly.
“I’ll definitely read it when I have time.”
Gao Hongyi gave a soft “mm” and continued scrolling through the screen.
She didn’t look like she was reading; it was more as if she were using the words to find a shadow hidden between the lines.
Speaking of which…
The name of that boy in Linchuan County and the pen name of the internet novel author Hongyi liked did have a certain connection.
Was it a coincidence?
Whatever, how could that be possible?
Gao Hongzhi shook his head, feeling that his thought was a bit absurd.
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