"Dad, what did you say?" Mei Mengran shot up from her seat, clenching her teeth. "You can't get the invitation?! You were so confident before, saying there would be absolutely no problem!"
Being questioned like this, Mei Qingyuan found his old face hard to keep up. He cleared his throat lightly, "Ranran, what kind of attitude is this? Who do you think you're talking to?"
"Daddy..." A seemingly suppressed sob came through the phone, "How could you do this? You promised me so well. How can I..."
Mei Qingyuan was someone who responded to softness rather than hardness. Upon hearing this, his ears softened, and with the fact that he had boasted beforehand but failed to deliver, he felt a bit guilty deep down, "It's like this. My friend does have an invitation for the Hong Kong Autumn Auction. But what you want is the highest-level 'Exploration Hall' session. I've made inquiries. To get that invitation, you need a net worth of at least ten figures."
Mei Mengran fell silent for a moment, "Did you try approaching my Uncle? He's sure to have one!"
Initially, she also thought her adoptive father's confidence was because he was counting on Uncle Mei Hongyuan, so she felt assured.
Mei Qingyuan sighed, "I asked. But he said he doesn't have any extras available right now."
Truthfully, he had swallowed his pride just to ask his elder brother this favor. Though they shared half the same blood, their circumstances now were like cloud and mud — vastly different. If it weren't for fearing his daughter might throw a tantrum in front of the old lady, causing endless nagging and worry, he wouldn't have lowered himself so much to beg.
Not only was he begging, but things also fell apart. Now he was neither accepted here nor there — truly humiliated. Was he truly so foolish, with his heart smeared by lard, to agree to this back then? Now here we are: swollen face, yet can't pretend to be strong. Mei Qingyuan inwardly regretted.
Just as he was about to say a few more words to comfort her, the phone went dead from the other end. He was stunned for a good long while, unable to snap out of it.
The old lady had doted on him from childhood, turning him into a soft, squashy person, often thinking of squeezing him all day, causing even his two sons to look down on him. Now even this adopted daughter was beginning to disrespect him, practically climbing over his head! Mei Qingyuan suddenly stood up and slapped himself hard, "Damn it! Living a life like this, what hope is there?"
"Worthless!" Mei Mengran casually threw her phone onto the table with a cold laugh, "Serves him right for never amounting to anything in his life!"
The newly arrived assistant, adept at reading people's faces, quickly poured a cup of tea for her, lowering her gaze obediently, "Ran Jie, please calm down."
"What happened?" her manager asked.
"That invitation matter," Mei Mengran's gaze had dropped to freezing point, almost as if her eyes were about to crack, "Fell through."
Cen Chen listened thoughtfully, and after a long pause said, "I do have one lead, just not sure if you're willing."
"What?" Mei Mengran seemed to grasp the last straw.
"Do you remember that property developer, Boss Zhao? He has an invitation, but with a condition. You need to have a few drinks with him."
At the mere mention of that name, goosebumps rose all over Mei Mengran's body. Immediately, the image of that man flashed into her mind: his short, dumpling-like stature; his narrow, elongated eyes that always looked at people in a lecherous way; his smile revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. She instantly felt disgusted and nauseous, "I'm not going!"
Her manager shrugged, "Then I'm out of options."
The new assistant, Xiao Lin, stood to the side, her eyes flickering. She stepped forward, "Ran Jie, I have an idea..."
***
The autumn auction was the day after tomorrow. Fu Shijin and Mei Ran arrived in Shenzhen a day early, planning to depart through the Henggang port.
It was the peak of the October Golden Week holiday, and the crowd at the port was packed shoulder-to-shoulder, a description not at all exaggerated. Yet the man beside her held her hand, leading her forward with an unhurried pace, seemingly not the least bit anxious — his usual style.
Every now and then, someone clumsy bumped into them. He simply wrapped an arm around her waist, pressing her close to himself, his long fingers loosely encircling her, carving out a small space.
Though a very minor action, Mei Ran, witnessing it, felt inexplicably sweet. If a man considered you thoughtfully in every way, then... as Yu Sheng's original words went: You can marry him right away!
His earlier words echoed clearly in her ears. Not only sharing the same room but also sleeping in the same bed. Though she wasn't sure how much of it was a joke, Mei Ran's heart had long been prepared, and she somewhat looked forward to further breakthroughs in their relationship.
Although they hadn't been dating for very long, once young men and women fell into passionate love, their yearning for each other would grow increasingly intense. Even with someone like him, whose inner thoughts seldom showed outwardly, she had glimpsed that stirring, unusual emotion in his eyes several times...
If it were him, she was willing.
"Ah!" Mei Ran quickly apologized, "Sorry, sorry."
The young girl she had stepped on waved her hand, "It's fine."
Her gaze drifted past Mei Ran to the man beside him, couldn't help but linger for a few more seconds, suddenly bursting with surprise, "Ah! You are..."
Fu Shijin gave her a faint glance and quickly withdrew his gaze, "Let's go."
Only after the two figures disappeared into the crowd did the girl, as if waking from a dream, pull her phone from her pocket, "I just saw my idol! Really! Not lying, it was actually Fu Shijin himself! There was a woman beside him, quite beautiful..."
Whatever her companion said next, she threw back her head and let out a frustrated cry, "Damn, damn! So excited, I actually forgot to take a photo!"
"Could that person just now be your fan?"
The man chuckled lightly, "Jealous?"
Mei Ran's already slightly flushed face grew redder under his warm breath, "No."
He tightened his grip on her hand, his smile deepening, "I understand."
Understand... what? He said it so meaningfully. Mei Ran felt embarrassed. She really was just asking out of curiosity.
Entering the special channel, they quickly finished the border clearance procedures. Someone was already waiting on the other side, directly taking them to their hotel for the night.
At the front desk during check-in, Fu Shijin suddenly turned and asked, "One room?"
The receptionist immediately cast an ambiguous look toward Mei Ran. She took a deep breath, calmly meeting his scorching gaze, smiling as she nodded, "Yes."
The room was pre-booked — the presidential suite on the top floor, excelling in its excellent view, able to overlook the entire night scene of Hong Kong Island.
After setting down their luggage, Mei Ran sat on the sofa, rubbing her temples.
"Tired?" The man sat beside her.
Mei Ran softly "Mm-hmm"-ed and leaned on his shoulder, covering her mouth for a careful yawn, "Didn't sleep well last night."
"My words made you tense?" His low chuckle reached her.
Mei Ran kept silent. He laughed even more contentedly, with sheer pleasure written even on his eyebrows, "Rest assured, without your agreement, I won't act rashly."
Of course, if she agreed, that was another matter entirely.
"No," Mei Ran lightly fiddled with the buttons on his shirt, lowering her gaze, "I just had a dream last night."
She dreamt that she and he had never known each other, living as two strangers in parallel worlds. In the end, she married someone else, and he formed a family with another woman. Until they grew old with gray hair, their paths never crossed... In her dream, she was deeply, deeply sad.
After waking, she couldn't fall back asleep, staying up in bed until dawn.
Was the beautiful life she currently possessed also destined to be lost one day? Even with a father who loved her mother so deeply, they couldn't stay together until their hair turned white.
To possess and then lose is crueler than never possessing at all.
Women in love always tend to become sentimental. Besides, for her, he was an unexpected surprise in life.
"Will we be together forever?"
The man's lips suddenly pressed against her ear, planting a light kiss as he answered with tender, earnest words, one by one, "We will. Definitely."
His strong arms enveloped Mei Ran tightly, and he leaned over, kissing her on the sofa.
In that vast space, only the sound of lips and teeth conveyed the thick sweetness of affection to each other.
Twilight slowly descended, rain began falling outside the window, splashing the city's prosperity to its fullest.
Dinner was ordered directly from room service. Besides steak, pasta, and red wine, most dishes featured local specialties: puddings, crab roe shumai, egg waffles, etc., and also a serving of pineapple ice cream.
Mei Ran usually didn't eat much for dinner. She sampled a bit of each. She had visited Hong Kong several times before, almost sweeping through every street food with Yu Sheng. Yet for some reason, everything tasted exceptionally sweet at the moment.
Was it because the person accompanying her was different? She laughed inwardly. Would Yu Sheng accuse me of "abandoning friendship for love"?
But honestly, faced with such strong allure, any woman would be powerless to resist. Especially since she liked him so much.
This man was truly handsome. Deep eyes, thin lips, a straight nose bridge, features perfectly proportioned — the most flawless contours she had ever seen.
The collar of his white shirt was slightly open as well, faintly revealing graceful collarbones. Mei Ran felt a tinge of regret: why hadn't she tugged it open a bit harder just then?
She had only taken a few sips of wine, yet she felt as if she were thoroughly drunk.
"Good?"
She nodded blankly. The person opposite suddenly leaned closer, his voice clear as spring water, "May I have a taste?"
Lights from the boats in Victoria Harbour danced in the rain. The sound of rain came from afar, both clear and hazy.
At this moment, outside, torrential rain slanted, and they stood at the heights of this city, trampling all noise and prosperity underfoot. They gazed deeply at each other, their gazes intertwined, woven together like rain curtains.
Mei Ran's laughter was soft, "Just a small sip."
The man still watched her quietly, picking up her wine glass to take a sip. As the lights glimmered, his clear silhouette suddenly shifted closer. Mei Ran widened her eyes; her mouth already overflowed with the sweet fragrance of red wine.
He used two fingers to gently lift her chin, parting her lips and delivering the liquid into her mouth, then lightly hooking it bit by bit back. Mei Ran whimpered softly, hands tightly clutching his shirt cuffs.
"Accidentally drank too much, sharing some with you."
He kissed passionately, holding nothing back, pouring out his chest full of affection drop by drop, gently scattering the small unsettledness and confusion in her heart with his tenderness and meticulousness, refilling it anew with his affirmation and his beautiful expectations for their shared future.
Mei Ran clearly sensed that something was about to happen. She tightly closed her eyes, eyelashes trembling lightly.
Sure enough, his tongue retreated, gently nibbling on her lips, then he picked her up and placed her on the large bed.
The sheet bearing the weight of two people bloomed a densely wrinkled white flower.
The man's Adam's apple moved slightly, his gaze growing increasingly scalding. The person beneath him was like the world's most beautiful jade — gentle, smooth, glowing all over, almost blinding him. All he could use were his hands, his lips and tongue, cradling and gathering her piece by piece, cherishing her utterly into his palm and lips.
The more he kissed her, her pure, dark eyes grew even brighter, as if hiding the brilliance of the entire starry sky within.
A golden wind meeting with jade dew, surpasses countless earthly gatherings.
Suddenly, a fine layer of sweat surfaced on Fu Shijin's forehead.
No.
It was still not right.
Though her heart had accepted him, her body was not yet fully prepared. And he... couldn't bear to harm her in the slightest.
He took a deep breath and lay down beside her.
"Why..." Mei Ran's hand rested on his arm, her voice barely audible, "Not continue?"
Under the soft orange lamplight, that beautiful face was already flushed crimson.