Surrounded by Wolves
Moonlight spread and stretched across the sea, scattering golden ripples that shimmered in the clear water.
Inside the overwater villa, the rising and falling white noise of the waves could faintly be heard.
Jiang Wu’s thoughts kept sinking, growing heavy.
She dreamed of when she was six years old and began sleeping separately from her parents, moving from the children’s room on the second floor of the Huo family’s main residence to the room beside Huo Qingzhi’s on the third floor. They said this would also make it easier for Eldest Brother to take care of her.
But she was not used to it. Before, Jiang Yaping had always coaxed her to sleep. Now that she had to sleep by herself, she could not fall asleep and did not dare turn off the lights.
Sometimes, when she was truly bored, she would climb out of bed and inspect all her princess dresses. Then she would change into one, lie back on the bed, and cosplay as Snow White, waiting for the prince to come kiss her awake.
As she waited and waited, she would always end up falling asleep.
Such days continued for a while, until one day, when Jiang Wu was picking out a princess dress, she discovered the passage in the walk-in closet that led to the next room.
She walked through and found herself face-to-face with Huo Qingzhi, who had just finished his homework and was preparing to sleep.
Both of them froze for a moment. Then Jiang Wu’s eyes immediately lit up, and she turned back to look seriously at the hidden compartment. “So, this leads to your room.”
Before Huo Qingzhi could even react, he saw the little girl happily run back, then run over again holding her pillow, muttering to herself as she climbed onto his bed, “What a coincidence, Eldest Brother, you’re going to sleep too, right? Let’s sleep together.”
By the time Jiang Wu finished speaking, she had already arranged her pillow and turned back to look at Huo Qingzhi. She even enthusiastically patted the spot beside her.
The young man’s already handsome brows furrowed. “Go back. Sleep in your own room.”
Jiang Wu sat on his bed in a daze for two seconds, her big, watery eyes, like purple grapes, welling up with tears. “But I can’t sleep. “That room is so big. I’m scared. There are so many rooms, but I’m the only one…”
Huo Qingzhi looked at her, frowning deeper, but in the end, he still could not refuse. “Just this once.”
“Okay!” Jiang Wu immediately smiled and placed her picture book in front of him. “Eldest Brother, tell me a story so I can sleep.”
Huo Qingzhi had never done anything like telling stories to coax someone to sleep. Unskilled, he picked up the picture book and opened it. He did not know whether stories were truly useful, or whether having someone beside her was what helped.
Before Huo Qingzhi finished even one story, he heard the even breathing beside him.
The little girl’s exquisitely carved, jade-like cheeks looked even more delicate beneath the lamplight. Her forehead leaned against him, like a tiny doll.
Huo Qingzhi gently and carefully turned off the lights.
With all things, once there was a first time, there would be a second. And once there was a second, there would be countless more.
Huo Qingzhi wanted to seal the hidden passage, but Jiang Wu would not let him. He was very helpless. “But you’re six years old. You have to learn to sleep by yourself.”
Jiang Wu did not understand. “Why? Can’t I always stay with Eldest Brother?”
Near noon, a thunderstorm by the sea stirred up a sudden burst of rain. Jiang Wu woke from her dream amid the pattering rain, curled her body beneath the blanket, and felt a terrible headache. She never wanted to drink too much again.
After a while, she groggily got up. She went out to pour water and happened to see Huo Qingzhi sitting in the living room, coffee in hand, reviewing some documents. “Awake?”
For some reason, Jiang Wu felt a bit awkward. Although she had forgotten roughly what had happened, she still vaguely remembered that Eldest Brother had been the one to bring her back. Watching a hunk show, drinking herself drunk, and being brought back by her eldest brother…
Jiang Wu gave a vague “Mm,” then hesitated and said, “Last night… I drank a little too much.”
Huo Qingzhi nodded. “So, you do know.”
Jiang Wu’s expression was complicated. “Did I say or do anything bad?”
“Not really.” Huo Qingzhi closed the documents in his hand. “You only said that you would never watch a hunk show again.”
Jiang Wu gave a soft “ah,” her mouth moving faster than her brain. “Then that was just drunk talk.”
Huo Qingzhi raised his eyes.
Jiang Wu fell silent and smiled.
Huo Qingzhi lowered his gaze. “Drinking yourself into that state. You really aren’t afraid of being targeted.”
“Wasn’t Sister Xiaoyue there? Who would dare cause trouble at her event?” Jiang Wu walked over, leaned on the back of his sofa, and rested her chin on her hands, trying to charm her way out of it. “And besides, weren’t you there too?”
Jiang Wu’s curled hair fell into the corner of the man’s vision, carrying a faint, tickling breeze.
Huo Qingzhi leaned steadily against the back of the chair, his distinct, well-shaped fingers turning another page of the document.
Jiang Wu took the opportunity to sit on the sofa beside him. “Besides, this is a private island. How could bad people get in so easily?”
She picked up one of the magazines beside him and flipped through it, her legs crossed, feet resting on the ottoman.
Huo Qingzhi’s gaze was hidden beneath his gold-rimmed glasses, calm and unruffled.
Only, silently, he thought: Ah Wu was still so disobedient. Still so playful. She drank until unconscious outside with strangers. What if she gets taken advantage of?
She ought to learn what could happen after getting drunk. Not so drunk that she’s unconscious, but drunk enough to lose control, to be controlled. Then she wouldn’t dare drink with strange men again. No matter how she cried or fussed, she would have no room to resist. Then she would never again dare drink with men outside.
Huo Qingzhi’s gaze darkened as he turned another page of the document. Unfortunately, he was only her eldest brother. An eldest brother could do nothing. He did not even have the right to stop her from going to watch men.
Jiang Wu briefly flipped through the travel magazine, set it aside, and caught sight of the pinky ring on Huo Qingzhi’s little finger. Curious, she leaned over and directly held Huo Qingzhi’s wrist.
Huo Qingzhi paused and lowered his eyes to look at her.
The lines of Huo Qingzhi’s wrist bones and tendons were prominent. Jiang Wu could not encircle it with one hand. It was heavy and solid, and in that instant, she also felt his guardedness.
She smiled at him, held his forearm, and nodded toward Huo Qingzhi’s pinky ring. “This is so special. Can I see it?”
Huo Qingzhi’s deep thoughts surfaced, settling on her. Perhaps he felt that his defensiveness over that ring had been too obvious, so he opened his hand and allowed Jiang Wu to take it off.
Jiang Wu played with his pinky ring and asked leisurely, “Where did this ring come from?”
Huo Qingzhi explained, “It’s just an ordinary ring.”
“How is it ordinary?” Jiang Wu leaned to the side. “It has the Five Precepts symbol and the Heart-Sutra Mantra on it. Did you obtain it from a Buddhist temple?”
The craftsmanship looked old. It would not be an exaggeration to call it a small antique. It was probably fairly old even within the Buddhist temple, likely something that had been blessed.
Huo Qingzhi remembered that Jiang Wu was now a specially hired cultural relics restorer at the Hong Kong Museum. Having a photographic memory for patterns of all sizes from various historical periods, domestic and foreign, was merely the most basic professional quality for her.
“This is a Buddhist restraint ring. Worn by those who have committed terrible mistakes.”
Jiang Wu looked curiously at Huo Qingzhi. “Eldest Brother, what terrible mistake did you make?”
Outside the overwater villa, thunder rolled again and again. But the sea remained calm and waveless.
Huo Qingzhi stayed silent for a long time, making no move to answer. He did not intend to answer this question and wanted to ask for the ring back.
Just as Huo Qingzhi leaned over, Jiang Wu dodged aside, playing with the pinky ring and trying it on her own little finger. “Why won’t you answer me?”
The pinky ring hung loosely on her little finger, unable to fit snugly.
Jiang Wu casually took it off, then placed that ring, which concealed and wrapped up all his chaotic, filthy thoughts, onto the place where a wedding ring would sit on her ring finger.
It fit perfectly.
A crack of thunder boomed!
Lightning split across the calm water, sending thick waves crashing onto the terrace outside again and again.
Huo Qingzhi’s eyes, deep as a cold pool, sank slightly. Reflected in their depths was the endless storm outside.
Jiang Wu was startled by the sudden surging waves. The waves struck the glass wall, as though even she had been soaked by them. She watched them howl toward her, as if they wanted to sweep her away, drag her into the depths of the sea, knead her at will, submerge her, and possess her alone.
Hesitantly, Jiang Wu pulled over the nearby blanket, deliberately covering herself to hide from that fiercely invasive storm.
“Why is today’s thunderstorm lasting so long?” she murmured.
The two of them sat for a while longer. Only then did Huo Qingzhi feign calm and ask Jiang Wu for the ring back, rising and leaving the living room, careful not to let his turmoil show.
The Banhe Mountain Temple in Hong Kong had been funded and built by the Huo family. The Huo family ancestral hall was set in a quiet part of the temple.
Five years ago, after Jiang Wu asked him to help change her name and move her household registration away, Huo Qingzhi stayed in the ancestral hall for several months. When he came out, he wore this ring to control those thoughts of his that could not see the light.
But the ring only served as a constant, painful reminder: he had harbored forbidden feelings for the sister he had raised with his own hands, and that made him profoundly guilty.
~~
Three days later, Jiang Wu received a message from the Hong Kong Museum asking for her cooperation with a materials review, so she returned home. She contacted her private secretary, Cherry, to compile her initial application materials and resubmit them for approval.
While Jiang Wu was still on the flight back, Cherry sent her a message.
[Delivered. Don’t worry.]
[In a couple of days, they might notify us to go in for an interview.]
Jiang Wu looked at that line of words and smiled helplessly.
[I know.]
It was not as if she had never been through this before.
[There have been complaints and reports lately about the museum violating hiring regulations. They’re going to launch an investigation.]
[But don’t worry. We were hired through proper channels.]
Jiang Wu propped up her chin, her finger tapping against the screen as she typed a few words.
[Not worried.]
After replying, Jiang Wu leaned back in her seat, lost in thought. She was familiar with this process. Perhaps a few years ago, she would still have hugged her phone, helplessly waiting for news. She would have wildly wondered whether the people filing the complaints and reports had some business rivalry with the Huo family. But now, to her, it was no longer a big deal.
Besides, judging from last time’s experience, the complainants had nothing to do with the Huo family at all. They were just internet trolls, swarming her social media, urging everyone to report her to the authorities, questioning whether she had obtained the opportunity through improper means. Even her leaders and superiors were dragged into scrutiny too.
They were merely enthusiastic netizens who loved watching people high above fall into the abyss. The harder she fell, the better.
Jiang Wu was used to it, but she would still be unhappy.
She sent Cherry another message.
[Come pick me up after I get off the plane. Let’s go soak in a hot spring.]
The moment Cherry saw it, she knew this little princess was in a bad mood. She swiftly packed her things and went to pick up Jiang Wu.
Near evening, Huo Qingzhi’s Gulfstream G700 landed at Hong Kong Island Airport. As soon as Jiang Wu got off the plane, she saw Cherry holding a large bouquet of tulips, smiling as she came to pick her up.
Jiang Wu pouted, and her low mood lifted a little when she saw the tulips. In a soft, spoiled voice, she took them. “Thank you, babe. Let’s go.”
“Okay.” Cherry took Jiang Wu’s handbag and followed behind her.
Only after Huo Qingzhi watched them leave did he get into the car heading to the company.
Lu Heng asked, “Are you not going home to rest first?”
Huo Qingzhi simply adjusted his cuffs. “Have you looked into the media outlets that violated regulations and their deep ties with Zhengda Group?”
Lu Heng understood and answered, “Everyone has already received the information.”
He had some impression of this man surnamed Zheng, a rising figure in the business world. His main business was in the information sector, and over the past five years, his development had advanced by leaps and bounds. Very quickly, he had squeezed into elite circles.
When competition in that sector intensified, he pivoted to the new energy industry, a field where the Huo Group in Hong Kong held significant market share and influence. Moreover, his ambitions were not small. When he first rose, news articles had touted him as “the next Huo Yuande.”
That was Old Master Huo’s name.
Add to that the fact that they were directly connected to the exposure of the paternity test this time. Because of this, Huo Group’s stock price and market share had fallen sharply. After many partners terminated their contracts, they turned around and went to Zhengda.
It was obvious who the most direct beneficiary was.
But in truth, the damage was only a fraction of what the Huo Group could endure. Zhengda still thought that it was about to bring Huo Group down.
Lu Heng asked, “Should we make a move now?”
Huo Qingzhi did not answer directly. “Call a meeting today.”
“Understood.”
“President Zheng of Zhengda is about to celebrate his fiftieth birthday. I’ll send him a birthday present.” Huo Qingzhi’s tone was perfectly ordinary, but what he said was, “I hope he still has the chance to celebrate his sixtieth.”
~~
Jiang Wu was in a bad mood, so she spent a few days at a resort hotel, then went shopping in Central to amuse herself. She ordered herself a custom Hermès Kellydoll for her birthday three months later. After that, she met the store manager of France’s Berko at a café to choose the cake design for her birthday.
The café was inside the luxury-goods store and belonged to a private venue. It had two floors in total, and the different exits on each floor all led to luxury boutiques without a separate entrance to the outside. So, entry here was membership-only.
Jiang Wu sat on the second floor, looking at the new product catalogue the manager handed over.
Out of nowhere, she heard a familiar name. “Ciying, why didn’t you buy anything? Has your family not opened a card for you yet?”
Jiang Wu turned her head to look. She saw several young ladies enter from the Marc Jacobs entrance on the first floor, walking ahead in high heels.
Wen Ciyin stood out among them, dressed in a casual, indifferent style, a white tank top, loose black shirt, sleeves rolled to her elbows, looking ready for a fight.
Probably everyone noticed this difference, including themselves.
Wen Ciying excused herself to the restroom, while several heiresses chose seats and sat down, muttering in Cantonese.
“How did she come out dressed like that?”
“Their family is such a huge joke. They got rid of Jiang Wu, that little thief, and found a country bumpkin to bring back.”
“I heard she used to work at a ramen shop.”
Before long, Wen Ciying returned, and they still chatted and laughed without avoiding her. Probably because they knew Wen Ciying did not understand Cantonese.
One of them gestured for Wen Ciying to sit, seemingly taking care of her but actually carrying a bit of arrogant teasing. “Ciying, sit here. We saved it specially for you.”
Everyone laughed.
“Ciying’s a celebrity these days.”
Jiang Wu felt uncomfortable and, with a snap, tossed the catalogue onto the table. The Berko manager opposite her was startled.
The glass light reflected in Jiang Wu’s eyes, bringing out a rare hint of seriousness.
Jiang Wu folded her arms and leaned back against her chair, looking through the glass at the scene downstairs. That group of people was treating Wen Ciying like a clown, letting her entertain them.
Actually, it was not Wen Ciying’s embarrassment they wanted to watch. It was the Huo family’s and Jiang Wu’s embarrassment.
Wen Ciying did not refuse either. She casually pulled out the seat and sat down, placing her hand on the table.
Someone spoke. “Hey, are you still working at the ramen shop now?”
Wen Ciying answered simply and directly, “I’ve never worked at a ramen shop.” She had only fought there.
“Don’t be embarrassed. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. My parents are always trying to make me work at the group too. They only give me one million a month, and when I don’t want to go, they still scold me.”
“One million isn’t little.”
Someone chimed in, “Exactly. I heard ramen shops only pay three or four thousand a month. Don’t you think that’s too little, Ciying?”
Zheng Huayi pouted. “It is little. It’s not even enough to buy this necklace of mine.”
Jiang Wu narrowed her eyes. This tone sounded very familiar. She remembered that these people were the same sister group who had invited her earlier and then gossiped about her in the sisters’ group chat.
The one leading them seemed to be surnamed Zheng. Her family was a small group that had only risen in recent years. After all, Jiang Wu had never seen her before. They seemed determined to squeeze into the leading position in Hong Kong Island’s business circle, so they appeared on every occasion.
Wen Ciying looked at the people opposite her singing in harmony and followed along by asking, “How much is that?”
“You don’t know? Huayi’s necklace must be worth three million.”
Zheng Huayi wound a finger around her necklace. “It was bought for five million back then. Mommy gave it to me as my coming-of-age gift.”
Wen Ciying understood, the black stud in her earlobe flashing faintly.
Zheng Huayi caught sight of Wen Ciying’s black stud earring and inspected it for a moment. “That earring of yours… it looks fake, doesn’t it?”
“The quality is poor; there are lots of impurities. It looks a bit like plastic.”
Wen Ciying did not avoid it at all. “It is plastic.”
The people around them all revealed faintly contemptuous smiles.
Jiang Wu took a deep breath, called over a café server, and whispered a few things to him. The server glanced twice at the seats downstairs, then respectfully left.
“Oh, it’s fine. Order whatever you want today. My treat.” Zheng Huayi said lazily, “Once the Huo family gives you Jiang Wu’s shares and opens a card for you, you won’t need to wear these fakes anymore.”
Someone laughed. “You can keep those fakes for Jiang Wu to wear, hahaha. She might need them in the future. And don’t forget to introduce her to that ramen shop job too.”
They burst into laughter together.
Wen Ciying’s hand remained on the table, her knuckles tapping idly against the flimsy surface.
Suddenly, there was a loud crash inside the café.
The server Jiang Wu had called had only walked halfway when he froze in place.
He watched as Wen Ciying casually flipped over that little table, sending the vase and everything else crashing messily to the ground.
Screams rose one after another.
“My dress!”
“Wen Ciying, what are you doing?!”
Jiang Wu, who had just reached the bottom of the stairs, was also so shocked that she stopped in her tracks.
Wen Ciying sat in her seat, unmoved by the eight winds, watching them scream and panic. “Your mouths are filthy.”
She was so calm it seemed as if she was not the one who had flipped the table. Or perhaps she did this sort of thing often.
Zheng Huayi’s dress had been soaked by the vase water. She stood up and glared at Wen Ciying. “You, country bumpkin! You!”
“I only pitied you because no one was taking you out to play. I didn’t expect you to be so shameless when given face!”
Someone, after all, was wary of Wen Ciying’s current identity and could not help pulling Zheng Huayi back.
Zheng Huayi flung her off. “Just wait! I’m going to tell my dad and let him see what kind of person your family brought back! To be honest, Jiang Wu is much better than you. No wonder people like her. You’re just crude and vulgar!”
“Let’s go.”
The moment Zheng Huayi turned her head, she suddenly saw Jiang Wu leaning by the counter, finishing the remaining half cup of coffee in her hand.
“What a coincidence.”
They all froze. They did not know how long Jiang Wu had been there and could only brace themselves as they walked out. But when they reached the entrance, they were suddenly stopped by a server.
“Ladies, your coffees are ready.”
“I don’t want it anymore.”
“Then please pay the bill.”
Zheng Huayi took out her card and tossed it onto the table.
“I’m sorry, Miss. You have been blacklisted by our establishment. Your credit card cannot be used for payment.”
“Blacklist? Impossible!” Zheng Huayi’s face reddened with anger. “Call your manager over!”
The servers looked at one another, then all turned toward Jiang Wu.
The girls’ faces stiffened, and a terrifying realization slowly surfaced. They all remembered at almost the same time that this mall itself belonged to Huo Group’s Shenglong Holdings.
And this private café…
Jiang Wu curved her eyes and smiled at them. “Why are you looking at me?”
The café fell silent for an instant.
The corner of Zheng Huayi’s mouth twitched. “You… you, what right do you have to blacklist my credit card?”
“Because you insulted me,” Jiang Wu said, twirling her hair. “You called me a thief in my own place.”
“Public insults constitute a general violation of the law and an infringement of rights,” Cherry added. “Once trust has broken down, the owner has the right to restrict a customer’s services to maintain business order.”
Jiang Wu kindly reminded them, “But you can still choose to pay in cash. The shop can’t refuse cash, after all.”
Zheng Huayi was about to go mad from anger. “Who carries cash when they go out nowadays?”
The things they bought were often worth millions. Wouldn’t carrying cash be insane?
A smile spread across Jiang Wu’s lips. “If you don’t have cash, then beg someone who can pay.”
“For example, me.” Jiang Wu looked toward Wen Ciying beside them. “Or her.”
Wen Ciying lifted her brows.
“But from the look of it, my temper seems a little better than hers.” Jiang Wu smiled even more happily. “Say something nice. Beg me.”