Chapter Thirteen: Cufflinks

Page (1/3)

Shang Jiuxu said lightly, “I haven’t seen her for two years. She may well have grown distant from me. If she were to find herself in danger, and I happened to return to her side in the role of her protector, her hostility toward me would probably lessen considerably.”

Both the assailants and the protectors were his people. He had personally calibrated the degree of danger, and those carrying out the plan had rehearsed it more than twenty times.

He had prepared for every contingency, waiting only for the poor little lamb to fall into the trap he had carefully laid for her. The sole unexpected turn was that he had never imagined the clever little fox would willingly put herself in danger.

He knew Su Mian would notice that something was wrong with the drink. He had taught her those skills himself and understood her better than she understood herself.

At first, Shang Jiuxu had merely wanted to warn her that danger was near, so that she would not be frightened when the operation became real. As it turned out, she had made things easier for him—she had collapsed right at the appetizer.

The savior effect!

To think he had schemed against a young lady like this, even going so far as to place her in danger.

Lin Chu drew a cross over his chest and prayed to God that, simply because he had learned of Mr. Shang’s scheme, he would not be denied entry into heaven. Then he suddenly remembered Lin Youfu, who had been driven out.

“Then why didn’t you tell your assistant that you suspected him?” If he had given Lin Youfu some warning, he would not have frightened Mr. Shang.

Shang Jiuxu shook his head. “He is utterly loyal and has never entertained a second thought about the Shang family. But he was selected from among the very best by the Shang family, has been at my side for many years, and is an orphan. Dealing with him would be troublesome.”

“Then why tell me?” Lin Chu trembled. Why was a man with wealth and power being so ruthless toward himself merely to scheme against Miss Qing?

Shang Jiuxu lowered his lashes slightly. The curve of his lips resembled a tear shed by Satan. “Because you are much easier to deal with than he is.”

That word—“deal”—sent a chill down Lin Chu’s neck. He nearly wet himself on the spot.

He knew something about the Shang family. They had influence in both the legitimate and criminal worlds. If anyone else had said such a thing, he would probably have laughed it off. But the head of the Shang family did not joke with him. He had seriously considered how to dispose of Lin Chu.

Poor Miss Qing.

Lin Chu drew another cross.

The Grand Hall Concert Auditorium.

It was half past nine in the evening, and the performance had reached its climax. The orchestra was playing the lively, rapid Chatter Polka. Under Silvanor’s direction, the musicians moved swiftly without falling into disorder, steadily raising the atmosphere to its peak.

Su Mian was thoroughly enjoying the musical feast, though after listening for so long, she was beginning to feel tired. As she wondered how she would communicate with Director Han backstage later, her thoughts gradually drifted away amid the majestic sound of the full orchestra.

Four years earlier, the Xu family’s birthday banquet had also brought together a gathering of distinguished guests, with influential figures assembled under one roof.

She had only just turned eighteen then, eagerly plotting how to win Shang Jiuxu’s heart. She feared both that he might discover her feelings and that he might fail to realize she liked him. Adolescent unrequited love was always so contradictory.

Grandfather Xu had celebrated his seventieth birthday in Su City, where the Xu family headquarters were located, and the Shang family had come to offer their congratulations.

Su Mian was close to Xu Wanjun, but as an adopted daughter, she was not strictly required to attend. Worried that she would not take proper care of herself alone at home, Shang Jiuxu had brought her along to Jiangnan.

Jiangnan was beautiful.

On the evening before the birthday celebration, Su Mian refused Shang Jiuxu’s suggestion that he take her out to admire the scenery.

Page (2/3)

“Sunrise over the river paints the flowers redder than fire; in spring, the river is greener than blue.”

Even such sights had lost their appeal. The Xu family banquet reminded her of the enormous gulf between herself and Shang Jiuxu, filling her with an indescribable sense of disappointment.

Su Mian curled herself into a ball beneath the blankets, covering even her head.

Standing beside the bed, Shang Jiuxu raised an eyebrow. He had no idea what had put the girl in such a mood. Hadn’t she always loved going out to play?

Afraid she might suffocate, he reached over and tugged lightly at the blanket. “Show me your head.”

Instead, Su Mian caught his hand from beneath the covers.

They both froze.

Her hand had been warmed beneath the blanket. Soft yet resilient, it clasped Shang Jiuxu’s hand, sending a sweet, tingling warmth through his heart. He let her hold on and did not pull away, his voice softening as well. “What is it?”

Su Mian’s hand moved upward until it reached his wrist. At the cuff of his shirt, something hard pressed against her fingers, and her movements stopped.

It was a cuff link.

Made of eighteen-karat gold in the shape of a maple leaf, with a circle of tiny diamonds around the edge.

Shang Jiuxu had not expected even a cuff link to catch her interest. With one hand, he removed it from his cuff. “Like it? You can play with it.”

Su Mian gave a muffled hum beneath the blanket and withdrew her hand, turning away. Did he really think she wanted the cuff link? What she wanted was him.

That heart-wrenching sensation returned. She reminded herself not to push her luck.

“Go out for now. I need to wash up.” She had been sweating, and her hair must have been a complete mess. She did not want Shang Jiuxu to see her like that.

Shang Jiuxu removed the other cuff link as well and placed both on the bedside table. Then he dimmed the lights so that the glare would not hurt her eyes when she emerged from beneath the covers.

“I’m next door.”

The following evening, there were many guests at the Xu family’s birthday banquet, all of them people of considerable wealth.

After dealing with several society ladies who had approached her in hopes of striking up a conversation with someone from the Shang family, Su Mian stood beside the champagne table and listlessly ate tiny cakes whose portions were pitifully small.

One could eat ten of those little banquet desserts and still be only thirty percent full. They were like the sample portions offered in pastry shops.

After eating two, she felt too embarrassed to take more. Since Shang Jiuxu had also warned her not to drink, Su Mian began turning the cuff links he had given her the day before between her fingers.

Amid the fragrant clothes and gleaming jewels, she saw Shang Jiuxu standing on the raised platform with Grandfather Xu, chatting happily.

Shang Jiuxu wore a pure black suit. Its expertly tailored cut accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow waist. The jacket had an irregular velvet texture, while a discreet black bow tie rested at the collar of his black shirt. A white pearl brooch shaped like a camellia leaf adorned the turned-up lining over his left chest. He stood there tall and straight, a smile playing at the corners of his lips as he nodded and spoke with the people beside him.

He had the commanding presence of a member of the host family, yet his flawless courtesy ensured that he never overshadowed anyone else.

Su Mian rubbed the maple-leaf pattern on the cuff link. The cool, smooth metal soothed her fevered thoughts. Suddenly, she wanted very badly to drink.

There were unattended glasses on the champagne table, all prepared for the guests.

The pale golden liquid shone crystal-clear beneath the chandeliers, and anyone could help themselves.

Page (3/3)

Su Mian held herself back for a moment, then shifted her gaze to the raised platform again. Many of the guests were looking in that direction as well.

Xu Wanjun, the Xu family’s granddaughter, had appeared.

She wore a black velvet strapless dress with a fitted waist and a slit. A band of matching sheer fabric, a palm’s width, covered her right shoulder and left elbow, lending her an elegant maturity that seemed to invite and refuse at once.

That effortless sensuality was something eighteen-year-old Su Mian had never experienced.

When the guests saw Xu Wanjun appear, they instinctively made room for her beside Grandfather Xu.

Grandfather Xu gazed at his granddaughter with affection and welcomed her toward the center of the platform. She took her place between him and Shang Jiuxu.

The handsome man and beautiful woman looked striking together, their matching velvet outfits making the unspoken harmony between them even more apparent.

With a poised smile on her lips, Xu Wanjun raised her glass and said something before offering a toast to Shang Jiuxu.

Shang Jiuxu slipped one hand into his trouser pocket, picked up a glass from the ceremonial table, and returned the toast, taking a small sip.

Grandfather Xu’s smile grew even broader. Though she stood so far away, Su Mian could still sense the warmth and happiness surrounding them.

Beside her, a dignified and graceful woman sighed, “The Xu family will surely rise even higher in the future. They have raised such a wonderful granddaughter. I hear the Shang family intends to marry her and make her the future mistress of the household.”

Someone gazed enviously toward the platform and echoed her words. “Indeed. Look at the Shang family’s heir—such an extraordinary man. Only the Xu family’s granddaughter could possibly be his equal. Their family background, appearance, and character are all absolutely first-rate.”

Su Mian clenched the cuff link so tightly that it dug into her palm and left a mark.

She exhaled deeply and stared at the glass of champagne.

She did not want to endure it any longer.

She wanted to be reckless, if only for a fleeting moment.

The person who had taught her order would eventually be the one to take it away.

She lifted a champagne flute and, in a thoroughly unladylike fashion, drained it in one gulp.

She was caught off guard by the sharpness of the drink and choked. Only after her face flushed did she manage to stop coughing.

This was the first time in her life that the strictly controlled Su Mian had ever drunk alcohol.

If she had known that her tolerance was so disastrously poor, that drinking this glass would lead to such serious consequences and open the door to the dream of her passionate summer romance, she would never have chosen to take that first sip.

Unfortunately, there is no remedy for regret.