Chapter 36

As the city lights flickered on, Xie Jinxing’s plane finally landed in the western corner of China.
A small border town, Nan Cheng.
Because this province borders three countries, most of the cities near the border face public security issues. In recent years especially, with the rampant rise of telecom scams and gray-market industries, the likelihood of accidents has shot up. Nan Cheng wasn’t the city closest to the border, but entering and leaving still required extra caution. At this point, the city was almost in a dormant state.
Under the strict escort of security personnel, Xie Jinxing got into a special vehicle.
Of course, he wasn’t here to expand business in the northern Myanmar zone as Gu An’an had imagined. The Xie family was cooperating with the government on a confidential construction project: to build a complete medical and transportation system in Nan Cheng. While improving daily life for local citizens, the main objective was to establish a secure defensive line along the border.
Funding came directly from the top, and expectations were high.
This was not a job just anyone could take. First, the behind-the-scenes connections were complex; without real strength, you couldn’t get it done. Second, the scale of the project was large, and ordinary people couldn’t manage it. Naturally, the Xie Group, a leading company in Beijing, took on the project.
The airport in Nan Cheng was still some distance from the city center; the drive would take at least forty minutes.
Incidentally, news of Xie Jinxing possibly coming to Nan Cheng was not publicly disclosed.
Once the Xie Group had confirmed the project, it quickly made headlines online. The Xie family generally kept a low profile; apart from the eldest daughter who was involved in the fashion industry and faced the media, no other family member’s face had ever been exposed online. Yet this didn’t stop journalists from being intensely interested in the Xie heirs.
After all, this cooperation was also part of a publicity strategy. It was semi-public welfare in nature, so proper promotion was necessary.
The Xie Group couldn’t do all the work and spend all the money without earning some prestige.
Xie Jinxing’s rare ambiguous attitude caused a media frenzy, like sharks smelling blood.
For two days, the online world praised the Xie Group for strongly supporting the national cause. The family, with military backgrounds, was now in business but remained free of commercial greed, following the nation’s path with integrity and exemplary conduct.
After two days of intense reporting, the internet, being a place for everyone to watch the spectacle, started generating all sorts of gossip.
Rumors had circulated before that the current leaders of the Xie Group were very young.
Entertainment media had subtly hinted that the heirs of this generation were unusually handsome. Not only well-born, but also highly intelligent and Ivy League graduates. If they appeared publicly, they could easily outshine a bunch of shallow celebrities.
This caused a stir among fans, who rushed to the Xie Group’s official social media accounts to dig for information on this boastful rich heir. But they couldn’t find any personal photos of Xie Jinxing, and some search terms were even blocked.
In the end, they could only pry into the Xie Group’s industrial holdings, discovering the massive scale of its operations. Suddenly, they became obedient, surfing quietly.
Under the absolute wealth of this “sugar daddy,” everyone was on their best behavior. No one dared to speak recklessly.
Some speculated that Xie Jinxing, as the newly appointed heir, might personally appear in Nan Cheng to solidify his position. Others joked about going there in groups to stake out the city, hoping for a Cinderella-and-prince story.
Whether Xie Jinxing’s return, prompted by his father’s illness, was about consolidating power or not, the very thought of a Cinderella-and-prince scenario made him instinctively think of Su Ruan.
However, the people watching Su Ruan had already reported that she was currently taking care of her mother during her post-surgery recovery.
Xie Jinxing lowered his gaze, recalling the little girl who had stared at his wrist for so long the previous night.
She seemed clueless, yet unusually alert at critical moments. He crossed his legs slowly, silently thinking: if by some extreme misfortune something went wrong, Gu An’an couldn’t fail him at the crucial moment…
Meanwhile, the cold hadn’t fully broken, yet she had to finish her assignment. Gu An’an, standing beside the artificial lake at Jingchuan, half-squatting to film her pure-school-campus-romance project, sneezed violently.
She rubbed her nose and shrank her neck.
This was no autumn weather; Jing City in November was truly deadly cold!
“Xia Min, make your crying look better!” Gu An’an couldn’t help her hair standing on end, frustrated. “You’ve done this scene so many times, and it’s still not right! With your old, shriveled gourd face, if I were the male lead, I’d want to punch you.”
Xia Min looked genuinely struggling. As an arts student passionate about film, managing to cry at all was already an effort.
“The onion is really spicy; I can’t help it.”
The black-skinned sporty male lead struggled too; Xia Min’s onion accidentally got in his eyes, making it hard to open them. He grabbed his T-shirt hem to wipe them.
Earlier, when Xia Min had hugged him, the onion’s pungency had soaked into his chest, making it even more painful.
“Director, maybe you should get her a tutor. If you want her crying to look better, she needs a model to follow,” the sporty male lead suggested.
A model? Gu An’an thought, isn’t there plenty of that on TV?
Just as she considered scrapping the crying scene, she remembered: “Su Ruan, remember? Cry like her.”
Though this seemed abstract, Xia Min had studied Su Ruan’s crying carefully, since she was an art student and knew her well.
Previously, to study human anatomy, she had closely observed Su Ruan crying with pear-flower-tears style: “I get it. Keep the face stiff, corners of the mouth trembling slightly, then let a single, sorrowful tear slowly fall…”
She followed through, and the crying scene came out beautifully.
Gu An’an didn’t fully understand, but she was shocked. At the very least, Su Ruan’s crying was genuinely impressive.
After filming all morning, continuing would fry their brains.
Gu An’an waved her hand, announcing dismissal, to meet again at the cafeteria on the second floor in the evening, taking her filming equipment back to the rental.
While editing in her room, she couldn’t help but check Xie Jinxing’s health-monitoring page a few more times.
No change at all.
This person’s emotional stability was over the top.
…
Online, opinions were divided. While media made a fuss, Nan Cheng’s upper-class society was even more stirred.
Everyone knew the Xie Group would send someone. Opportunists couldn’t restrain themselves, always trying to find a chance.
So, within ten minutes of Xie Jinxing appearing in Nan Cheng, the contact emails and reachable methods of his secretaries were already bombarded by local opportunists.
A super-rich heir from Beijing leaking even the slightest detail was enough for some to profit. In smaller cities, people were even more practical: Xie Jinxing was young, unmarried, single. Those with daughters got excited. Even if he were older or married, it wouldn’t matter. Money was all that counted.
The drive from the airport to the hotel took forty minutes. During this time, Xie Jinxing’s secretaries never stopped receiving calls.
Many tried sending invitations, hoping for a lucky break.
Even the driver was annoyed.
Xie Jinxing quietly sat in the back seat, silent.
This young Beijing heir exuded an aura that made belittling him impossible. Even sitting still, his natural noble aura was enough to intimidate.
This calm and indifferent demeanor made the city officials uneasy.
Small-town social interactions were very different from Beijing’s. For a wealthy heir like Xie Jinxing to arrive in Nan Cheng, it took less than ten minutes before he was overwhelmed by intrusive calls.
Their negligence risked leaking information about a distinguished guest, casting doubt on their competence.
“Sorry, it’s the subordinates who mishandled things,” Secretary Ye said, embarrassed.
Xie Jinxing made no further comment. A successful businessman, he knew when diplomacy was necessary and didn’t need to critique others’ work.
But Secretary Ye looked at Xie Jinxing’s professional, orderly team and then at her own messy crew, feeling her side like an amateur operation. “This won’t happen again, Mr. Xie. Please rest assured.”
Xie Jinxing merely smiled.
This trip didn’t involve few people. Special Assistant Li always accompanied him, along with legal counsel Lily and her team, Secretary Wang handling social issues, and Secretary Yang in charge of image management.
For the city government, Xie Jinxing’s visit was top priority. They arranged for the best hotel with local security and assigned four bodyguards to accompany him at all times.
Once he entered the residence, the secretaries took over.
Before formal talks, the city had prepared numerous activities: city inspections, one-day tours of local landmarks, and other essentials for official visits.
They also arranged entertainment, local nightlife, and dinners.
However, upon seeing Xie Jinxing in person, Secretary Wang immediately canceled the nightlife activities.
The flashy nightlife did not suit Xie Jinxing. Following the original plan would likely lower his opinion of the city officials’ competence and style.
Tonight, only a meeting dinner was scheduled.
The city staff, considerate, said they would not bother him further, allowing him to rest after seven hours of travel. They would pick him up in an hour.
Secretary Wang specifically noted that tomorrow, leaders would host a banquet at the International Trade Building downtown and hoped Mr. Xie would attend.
Xie Jinxing smiled, agreeing to cooperate and be punctual.
The secretary, satisfied with the confirmation, instructed the staff to treat the guest well before leaving.
Once he left, Xie Jinxing put away his fake smile and took clean clothes into the bathroom.
…
Meanwhile, in the hotel’s first-floor staff lounge, Su Ruan, wearing a room service uniform, was being scolded by the floor supervisor.
She had worked at the hotel for a week. Because she was clumsy and ineffective, she got scolded every few days.
After news of Xie Jinxing’s impending appearance in Nan Cheng broke, Su Ruan took action.
She spent nearly half her savings to hire a caregiver for her mother, while secretly traveling to Nan Cheng alone.
Although her mother found it strange that she insisted on coming, Su Ruan had been taking care of her for years. Her mother didn’t question her motives.
The city where her mother’s surgery took place was adjacent to Nan Cheng, but still six hours away by car.
Those six hours weren’t enough to stop Su Ruan from getting close to Xie Jinxing.
She invested all her effort into getting this man. Upon arriving in Nan Cheng, she quickly located Xie Jinxing’s residence and, under the pretense of earning university tuition, secured a room service position at the hotel.
Her mother’s donor situation had indirectly helped her. Initially, Su Ruan hesitated between keeping the donor or leaving Beijing, but ultimately, she chose the donor, resentful of the person who forced her hand.
As her mother’s health gradually recovered, the benefits became apparent. Her system, previously weakened, slowly regained energy. Some advantages, like locating Xie Jinxing’s general whereabouts, became possible. Exact floors, rooms, and arrival times remained unavailable, but general location and approximate time windows were enough.
Elated, Su Ruan rushed to Nan Cheng and secured the room service job. Originally, she aimed for the front desk, which would have provided better access to guest lists, but the hotel didn’t hire high school-level staff for the desk.
Room service was the next best option for getting close to the VIP.
Su Ruan got scolded but couldn’t fight back.
Because the supervisor was a woman, a middle-aged lady with heavy family burdens and an unhappy marriage.
They could sympathize with a young girl like Su Ruan, working to earn tuition, willing to give her a job opportunity. But they couldn’t tolerate her repeatedly failing to do her work properly.
The person was hired by the supervisor; if Su Ruan messed up, the responsibility fell on her.
The supervisor’s sympathy wasn’t enough to let her guarantee Su Ruan’s mistakes with her own work. And in the supervisor’s eyes, as long as someone wasn’t disabled or mentally impaired, they should be able to handle service and cleaning duties.
Su Ruan failing simply meant the girl didn’t have the heart for it.
This person wasn’t here to work, she was purely here to fish for rich people. Conveniently, everyone staying at this hotel was either rich or noble.
The supervisor berated Su Ruan mercilessly, pointing at her nose, telling her that if she couldn’t do her job today, she should leave.
Su Ruan wiped her tears for a long time, the teasing glances from her colleagues making her feel utterly humiliated. Her head hung low, her face pale and bruised, struggling to maintain a pitiful expression.
At that moment, the front desk phone rang.
It was about a VIP who had just checked into the penthouse presidential suite. This guest was highly important, and the service had to be impeccable. The room staff was instructed to prepare fresh fruit and drinks and deliver them promptly.
The supervisor immediately took it seriously.
In fact, besides the front desk’s detailed instructions, the supervisor had already received a private reminder from management. They had emphasized the importance of this task. She didn’t delegate anyone from the break room, she personally washed the fruit and prepared the drinks.
Su Ruan, noticing the supervisor’s sudden seriousness, sensed something and asked her system.
The system, now capable of sensing Xie Jinxing’s presence up close, confirmed it. Su Ruan’s eyes lit up.
She no longer cared about the earlier scolding, and with small, quick steps followed: “Sister Zhou, let me wash the fruit! You go get the drinks; I’ll prepare the trolley. I know I’ve troubled you with my clumsiness, but I’ll change. I really will. Don’t worry, I’ll deliver this perfectly this time.”
The supervisor couldn’t possibly pay attention, Su Ruan had been here a week, wandering around VIP rooms like a clueless ghost, constantly receiving complaints. If her promises meant anything, the supervisor would have eaten the sink by now!
“Move away. Don’t loiter around me.” The supervisor cut her off, personally delivering the service upstairs.
Su Ruan’s attempt failed; she bit her lip until it almost bled.
She watched the dedicated service elevator go up to the penthouse, letting out a deep sigh of relief.
On the top floor.
…
It was now 8:40, almost 9:00.
Xie Jinxing emerged from the bathroom, changed into a formal outfit. This time, he brought several suits, assisted by his personal image secretary. Just as he finished changing, Secretary Wang called.
Assistant Li inquired when Xie Jinxing would come downstairs; receiving the answer, preparations began immediately.
Dining with government officials was exhausting. These people were skilled at scheming; they spoke in circles. Xie Jinxing’s casual words could be interpreted in hundreds of ways. He spoke sparingly, and every word was carefully considered.
After dealing with them, he’d return to the hotel near midnight.
By this time, the hotel staff had changed shifts, the night team was on duty, and it was quiet everywhere. Xie Jinxing never expected to run into Su Ruan in a hotel hallway in a small city at this hour.
The girl who had previously been focused on caring for her recovering mother now stood before him in a housekeeping uniform.
Their eyes met, and even with all his composure, Xie Jinxing nearly swore. Even more shocking, this time he lacked resistance, he actually stepped toward Su Ruan.
And in front of his stunned subordinates, he actively asked about her well-being.
After he asked, Su Ruan, unsurprised, rushed into his arms like a fledgling bird returning to its nest, sobbing.
She cried pitifully and beautifully, her delicate voice choked with tears, like tiny cat paws scratching at him.
Having recently suffered real humiliation, she no longer maintained her usual restrained and heart-grabbing composure. Without Xie Jinxing asking, she poured out her fears of the past days.
She spoke of being bullied by bad people, forced to leave school, and having to flee her hometown with her seriously ill mother. They had nowhere to go, hiding in the corners of a small city.
“Mr. Xie, Mr. Xie, is this a dream?”
Sniffling, her words were more exaggerated than any melodrama from decades ago. “I’m so scared this is a dream. That when I wake up, you’ll be gone. Can you tell me this isn’t a dream?”
Normally, anyone would scream at this.
Xie Jinxing was silent for about three seconds, then, with a disgustingly gentle tone he had never used before, said: “Meeting you was a beautiful accident.”
The words were like a glass dropped to the floor, shattering unexpectedly, heart-pounding.
Setting aside the stunned expressions of Assistant Li and Lily, his subordinates watched in disbelief as their usually unyielding, territory-obsessed, and perfectionist boss allowed a messy, crying girl to cling to him, tears and snot soaking his expensive shirt. They felt unprecedented confusion.
Lily even wondered if working overtime had made her stupid, was the boss’s cruel contract just part of a play?
Next moment, realizing she shouldn’t intervene, otherwise, the “bad person” the girl mentioned would be exposed, the girl ignored her completely, crying out words even more heart-shattering.
“Mr. Xie, I can’t take it anymore. Every day I’m bullied. Can you take me away, take me far into the universe, to a place where no one can find me…”
Lily: “…”
Assistant Li: “…”
Did this girl just start singing?!
They thought their obsessive, perfectionist boss would snap back to reality upon hearing such an absurd request.
But he didn’t push her away. Instead, he followed her words: “Tell me, who bullied you?”
And then: “….”
No words.
Meanwhile, Gu An’an was awakened by the sharp ringing of her phone.
It was the special alert she had set for Xie Jinxing. To protect her uncle’s precious chastity, she had perversely chosen a siren ringtone. Even a comatose person would wake up to it.
Squinting, she saw that Xie Jinxing’s heart rate had shot up to 190.
If he didn’t have coronary disease, he’d be dead the next second. No healthy man’s heart could beat that fast.
Gu An’an didn’t hesitate, sending a voice message.
This message had subtle clicking effects and strong vibrations, specially designed. Xie Jinxing even set it so she could connect automatically without him tapping.
Next second, from his wrist came Gu An’an’s drowsy, startled voice.
“Xie Jinxing! Uncle! Do you have coronary disease? Or ventricular tachycardia? I just calculated, it can only be one of these two. Are you about to die?”
Her loud voice echoed through the quiet corridor. “Tell me you’re alive! If you are, say something, I have my hand on 120 already. Speak, or I’ll call 120 to get you!”
“Alive.” Xie Jinxing withdrew the arm draped over Su Ruan’s shoulder, the intense control relaxing but still present.
Now he could speak on his own.
Su Ruan’s frail body stiffened, sensing she was being pushed away from the warm embrace.
Tears welled but didn’t fall as she watched Xie Jinxing raise his wrist, a black sports watch, odd with his suit. The voice came from the watch: Gu An’an.
“Awake?” His calm, gentle tone was intimate, as if no outsider could intrude.
Their conversation could easily be misinterpreted as a romantic exchange.
Su Ruan was struck dumb, almost mad. It felt as if she suddenly understood something that had eluded her for lifetimes.
The thick fog lifted, revealing a fragment of truth.
She had never understood why in past lives, whenever Gu An’an was in trouble, Xie Jinxing would appear, either directly or indirectly.
Why he always located Gu An’an with such precision, even exposing her to others.
Why her presence neutralized his influence over Gu An’an.
Did Xie Jinxing have someone else he loved?
Did he like Gu An’an?
Impossible! Absolutely impossible. Why would Gu An’an!
No one around knew what Su Ruan was thinking; her face instantly drained of color. Her hollow gaze on Xie Jinxing resembled a betrayed wife discovering her husband’s affair. Even Lily felt sympathy for her.
Xie Jinxing still wanted to care for Su Ruan, but he restrained himself: “Get up now that you’re awake.”
“I’ll have Assistant Li book your ticket.” Saying this, he ended the call.
He calmly turned and walked toward the room.
The guards immediately followed, as did Lily and Assistant Li.
On the phone, Gu An’an, disheveled and dragging her suitcase, ran down the street like a madwoman. Damn, Su Ruan really wouldn’t leave! Couldn’t she stop appearing late at night, making others work overtime with her?
Girl, behave yourself!
Uncle, I’m coming to save you!!!