Surrounded by Wolves
It was the kind of wary question a frightened little lamb would ask. Huo Qingzhi looked at her. “For example?”
Jiang Wu couldn’t exactly spell it out. “If you go too far, I’ll kick you out of my room.” Then she added, “Leave the cake.”
Huo Qingzhi nodded, still perfectly calm. “If that’s what you want, Bingbing can become a kitten without a father.”
That sounded even stranger. Jiang Wu hesitated. “Don’t threaten me with Bingbing.” But once she said it aloud, it sounded suspiciously like, Don’t threaten me with the child.
Huo Qingzhi continued tidying up without answering her question. “So, go back to your room tonight. I’ll wait for you. If I keep waiting and you don’t come…” Huo Qingzhi looked at her steadily for a moment. “I can’t guarantee what I’ll do.”
With that, he picked up his things and left the tea room. Jiang Wu had noticed that he seemed to be becoming more and more unrestrained. She stood there for a while, torn over whether she should go back that night. If she did, it would feel like she was obeying him too easily. But if she didn’t, she was afraid…
Jiang Wu couldn’t reach a conclusion. Just as she was about to leave, she noticed a slice of chocolate ice-cream cake on the tea table. It had been placed on her special pink kitten-shaped plate. It was clearly for her.
Jiang Wu was stunned for a moment. He always seemed to know what she wanted. Even when she lied to him.
~~
After dinner and seeing Aunt’s family off, Jiang Wu stayed in Wen Ciying’s room until bedtime, but eventually took her pillow and returned to her own room.
Huo Qingzhi had already showered and was sitting on her bed in his pajamas, waiting for her. Jiang Wu saw him, tossed her pillow onto the bed, and went straight into the bathroom to wash up.
Huo Qingzhi picked up her pillow. He knew she had only come back because he had pressured her into it and that she was still annoyed. But it wasn’t a serious problem. The two stayed in the same room without speaking.
Jiang Wu changed into her nightdress and came out of the bathroom, then slipped under the covers. Huo Qingzhi remained focused on the book in his hands and didn’t look up.
Jiang Wu switched off the room light with a click. Huo Qingzhi’s vision went dark. He turned toward the person beside him. He knew she had done it deliberately. This was her territory, and she was declaring her authority over it.
Huo Qingzhi accepted it without protest, put down his book, and prepared to sleep. He could sleep now anyway. But he knew Jiang Wu’s schedule wasn’t nearly that regular.
Sure enough, half an hour later, Jiang Wu still couldn’t sleep and secretly took out her phone. The faint blue glow of the screen illuminated half her face. She quietly glanced toward the man beside her, observing that he was probably already asleep. Only then did she open her social media app and start scrolling to pass the time.
Recommendation algorithms always pushed similar content based on recent searches. Jiang Wu hadn’t realized that yet. So, when the first post appeared, she wasn’t on guard.
It was written like a diary. The beginning was normal enough:
[My stepfather brought home this little troublemaker who follows me around calling me “Brother” all day. So annoying! Still calling me that? I already told you not to call me Brother.]
Later:
[The little troublemaker changed boyfriends again. This one seems pretty decent. Another one. Why does she have so many men around her?]
Somewhere along the way, the tone of the diary abruptly became inappropriate. By the time Jiang Wu realized where it was heading, it was already too late. She sucked in a breath and was just about to close it when a large hand reached over from behind her and took her phone away.
Jiang Wu screamed inwardly and immediately lunged to grab it back. Huo Qingzhi switched on the bedside lamp, seemingly not expecting such a strong reaction. When the light came on, Jiang Wu suddenly realized and found herself already on top of him in her attempt to retrieve the phone!
The bedside light was dim and warm. Jiang Wu didn’t care about anything else. She braced one hand against his chest and reached for her phone with the other. She still couldn’t reach it. “Why did you take my phone?”
Huo Qingzhi observed her reaction. “Using your phone in the dark is bad for your eyes. If you want to use your phone, turn on the light.”
“You could’ve just told me that.” Jiang Wu certainly didn’t dare let him discover what she had just been reading. “Give me my phone back.”
But Huo Qingzhi had already noticed something was off. “What were you looking at just now?”
“Nothing.” As Jiang Wu spoke, she leaned over him again, trying to grab her phone.
When people were anxious, they tended to ignore a lot of things, like how close they were or the warmth of his breath near her neckline. He glanced down at the scene before him. He lowered the phone to a height she could reach and handed it back to her.
Jiang Wu was still puzzled when she suddenly noticed how close the two of them were. She was wearing a thin-strapped nightdress, and in her rush to grab the phone, one strap had slipped from her shoulder. The soft curve of her chest was faintly visible, trembling with her movements as she pressed against him.
Jiang Wu’s face instantly burned. She hurriedly pulled up her strap and scrambled away from him.
Huo Qingzhi didn’t move for a long moment. He neither avoided the situation nor pretended he hadn’t noticed anything. But Jiang Wu could still hear something unusual in his slightly hoarse voice. “Take me off your blacklist.”
Still hiding beneath the covers in confusion, Jiang Wu agreed. She removed him from the blacklist. The bedroom fell quiet again.
Huo Qingzhi asked, “Still playing?”
“No.”
Jiang Wu secretly locked her phone and hid it beneath her pillow. Huo Qingzhi reached over and switched off the bedside lamp. The room fell into darkness again, making every sound around them seem unusually clear.
After a long silence, he said, “Don’t block me again whenever you feel like it. And don’t casually sleep in separate rooms or run away whenever you’re upset. If something’s wrong, talk to me. Understand?”
No. Jiang Wu thought rebelliously. Before she could finish that thought, he pressed a hand to her shoulder and asked again, “Understand?”
All Jiang Wu could see was the dark outline of the man before her. Gathering her courage, she grumbled, “When we got married, you never told me you’d have this many rules.”
“You can make the same demands of me.” Huo Qingzhi exchanged terms with her. “That’s fair. Whoever breaks them gets punished.”
Jiang Wu asked strangely, “What punishment?”
The darkness concealed Huo Qingzhi’s expression. “I have my punishment. You have yours.”
Jiang Wu suggested, “Then can I punish you by making you stop sleeping with me?”
But she was refused mercilessly. “No.”
Jiang Wu muttered that this wasn’t very fair at all, then turned her back to him and prepared to sleep. The mattress dipped behind her. Huo Qingzhi leaned over and pulled the blanket properly around her, tucking her exposed arm inside as well.
His arm rested against the edge of the blanket beside her, holding it in place. Jiang Wu couldn’t understand why even being tucked in made her feel like she could barely move.
Then his voice sounded close beside her ear. “You used to cling to me and insist on sleeping with me. How come now, even when I ask, you won’t?”
Jiang Wu’s fingers tightened slightly around the blanket. He looked at her for a moment, then said softly, “Good night, bb.”
Then he got up and went into the bathroom. Jiang Wu found his Cantonese voice unusually hard to ignore, low and husky. But she had no idea why Huo Qingzhi said good night and then went off instead of sleeping. He stayed there a long time. Long enough that Jiang Wu fell asleep before he came back.
~~
The painting Snow Over the Northern Frontier entered Hong Kong. Jiang Wu accompanied the receiving team and checked the condition of the piece. Many Hong Kong reporters were gathered outside the airport, frantically pressing their shutters through the glass. Long-range lenses zoomed in again and again until the figure in proper work attire appeared on their screens.
Her long hair was tied into a ponytail behind her, and a pair of sunglasses covered most of her face. She had the kind of looks that could easily belong in the entertainment industry. A blue work lanyard and ID badge hung around her neck. Clean and professional.
Because they were separated by such a long distance, Jiang Wu, inside the airport, barely noticed any of it. She remained focused on her work. The returned painting had not been switched again. It was still the original.
Entering customs required a second appraisal and protective processing. Jiang Wu spent three days in the appraisal room before the work was considered complete. Of course, she wasn’t alone. The museum had also sent three appraisers with many years of experience.
As Jiang Wu came out, she heard one of the men quietly say to his colleague, “She’s that young and already gets to lead a project like this?”
“You don’t get it? Look who she is. She has connections.”
“See the media outside? They’re all waiting for her.”
The moment they saw Jiang Wu emerge, they immediately pretended they hadn’t said anything and walked away as though nothing had happened.
Jiang Wu, likewise, acted as though she hadn’t heard them. There really were reporters outside. But not many, and security had already driven quite a few away.
With this project temporarily finished, the museum gave them three days off. Cherry looked even happier than she did. She stuffed flowers into Jiang Wu’s arms and escorted her into the car. As they left, they could still see reporters conducting interviews around the perimeter. The news was broadcast in real time and quickly spread online.
At Wynn Resort in Macau, a group of wealthy young men sat around a gaming table as the Prosperity Dragon performance began. The lighting was dazzling and extravagant, while the golden leaves of the Tree of Prosperity shimmered until they were almost dizzying to look at.
No one knew who first came across the Hong Kong news. Someone laughed and showed it to the person beside him. “Isn’t this your cousin?”
Huo Chengxi glanced at the photo on his friend’s phone. At first, he paid it no attention and continued playing his hand. A moment later, something clicked. With a cigar between his teeth, he turned his head. “Jiang Wu?”
“Yeah.” The young man handed him the phone. “Wasn’t she kicked out by your family a while ago? How is she still doing so well?”
“You call this doing well?” Huo Chengxi glanced at it disdainfully. “A few reporters take a couple of photos, and suddenly that means she’s doing well?”
“Maybe she hired the media herself. Putting on a show, pretending everything’s fine.” Huo Chengxi leaned back. “My dad said the family didn’t leave that little liar anything. Even the antiques she schemed to take back then were reclaimed. What does she have to show off about? She didn’t even dare come to our last family gathering.”
The people around him laughed. “Seriously? You guys were that ruthless? Rumor used to say she was the most pampered one. If you left her nothing, how’s she supposed to live?”
“Oh, right. Isn’t Jiang Wu’s birthday in a couple of days? Her birthdays used to be such a big deal that practically all of Hong Kong knew about them. What’s she doing this year?”
Huo Chengxi curled his lip and joked, “What, you guys want to throw one for her?”
“If she really can’t manage one herself, we can give her some face and let her come hang out with us.” The idle rich kids who spent their time with Huo Chengxi loved finding ways to amuse themselves. “Wouldn’t want her birthday to be too miserable. The contrast would be too harsh.”
Listening to them, Huo Chengxi also started finding the idea entertaining. “Fine. When we go out, we’ll bring her along.”
The others jostled him. “Call her. Right now. Let’s see if she comes.”
Amid everyone’s jeering, Huo Chengxi took out his phone and called Jiang Wu. After several rings, a soft, clear voice came through the receiver.
“Hello?”
The surrounding table quieted down. Huo Chengxi still remembered to be polite. “Congratulations. I just saw the report about you. Work settled down?”
Jiang Wu answered simply, “It’s all right. I’ve only been there a few days. I wouldn’t call it settled yet.”
“Your birthday’s the day after tomorrow. Want to come out and celebrate together? I’ll bring a few friends. You know them already.”
The people around the table exchanged glances, all waiting with interest for Jiang Wu’s answer. A few of them had already started a small bet.
“I say she won’t dare come. Jiang Wu cares too much about appearances. No way she’d let us watch her embarrass herself.”
“Maybe she will come and give us something to laugh at.”
“I bet a hundred she won’t dare.”
Not long after, Jiang Wu’s lazy voice came through the phone. “Sure. Where?”
A faint chorus of teasing immediately rose around the table, then quickly quieted again.
Huo Chengxi answered, “Victoria Harbour. I’ll send you the address once we decide on the place.”
Jiang Wu’s voice sounded faintly cheerful. “Then thank you.”
She hung up. The table immediately erupted in reactions. The ones who had lost the bet remained stubborn.
“Even better if she comes.”
“She only ever joined us once before, and that time she acted like we weren’t worth her time.”
“Now she’s willing to come again. Guess she really has fallen on hard times. Anyone with a grudge can settle it.”
Everyone laughed and talked over one another. Huo Chengxi joined in. After all, Jiang Wu had always looked down on him. She had always been an extremely particular younger cousin, and he never knew what airs she thought she was putting on.
Once, when he smoked a cigar at their house, she had insisted he go outside, or she would throw it away, embarrassing him in front of everyone. With such a good opportunity to see her humiliated, Huo Chengxi certainly wasn’t going to pass it up.
Many of the wealthy young men and women around him had never been able to get close to Jiang Wu before. They had been waiting for a day like this. Several of the men had pursued Jiang Wu in the past. Without exception, none of them had even managed to get her contact information. One idiot among them had once been completely infatuated with her.
Despite constantly having girlfriends and several other ambiguous relationships at once, after meeting Jiang Wu just once, he had broken up with his girlfriend and cut everyone else off, claiming he was finally going to settle down for her.
After making a grand declaration about turning over a new leaf, Jiang Wu still looked as sweet and well-behaved as ever and said, “Sorry. I don’t pick up trash.” The guys had been mocking “Trash Brother” over it ever since.
Two evenings later, at dusk, the neon lights of Victoria Harbour blazed in dazzling arrays, reflecting off the shimmering water. Cruise boats passed one after another. Huo Chengxi leaned against one of the yachts and messaged Jiang Wu. The yacht interior was brightly lit. His friends had arrived early, all waiting to see Jiang Wu embarrass herself tonight.
“Jiang Wu will probably dress up like crazy today. No way she’ll let herself lose face in front of us.”
“I’m not afraid of her. I even brought my mommy’s five-hundred-million ruby today. Can she top that?”
Just then, Huo Chengxi’s phone vibrated. He drawled lazily, “She’s here.”
Everyone inside fell silent and looked toward the yacht entrance. They could hear a server showing someone the way. Everyone casually adjusted their clothes and leaned back, waiting for Jiang Wu to come in. Without exception, every one of them was dressed extravagantly. They had practically pulled out the most expensive, status-showing things they could find in their wardrobes. All so that when Jiang Wu arrived, they could create the sharpest contrast with this supposedly fallen phoenix, and put her in her place.
Soon, there was movement at the entrance. The click of high heels sounded against the floor. Unexpectedly, Jiang Wu appeared beneath the lights in nothing more than a simple white satin bare-shouldered gown. The dress was soft and understated, with delicate off-shoulder sheer sleeves gathered loosely around her arms. Clean and ethereal. She wore little jewelry, only a pearl necklace around her neck.
Against the deep-blue night of Victoria Harbour, she looked like a mermaid princess stepping out of the sea, the pearls shimmering like scattered foam over the water. And that only made everyone else look even more deliberate. The vulgarity of wealth piled upon wealth became obvious.
Jiang Wu smiled and greeted everyone as soon as she came in. Then she glanced around at what they were wearing. “Wow, you all dressed up so much for my birthday. Thank you.” With that, she naturally sat down in the main seat.
One simple remark left the yacht silent for half a minute. The way Jiang Wu put it, the whole scene suddenly looked like everyone had dressed themselves to the teeth just to be worthy of attending her birthday.
Everyone looked at one another. They had all prepared plenty of sarcastic remarks beforehand, yet not one of them managed to open their mouth.
Jiang Wu even said considerately, “You really didn’t need to put in this much effort. I only wanted a simple birthday. I didn’t even care that much myself.”
Seeing no one speak, she added, “Don’t be so nervous. I don’t bite.” Jiang Wu signaled for the server to pour drinks, then raised her glass to everyone. After a few polite words to settle the atmosphere, the others finally responded, following her lead and wishing her a happy birthday.
Jiang Wu looked very pleased. The entire evening had already gone completely differently from what any of them had expected.
Huo Chengxi noticed Trash Brother staring at her again and kicked him. “Pathetic.”
For a long while, Jiang Wu controlled the entire atmosphere. Finally, someone tried to steer the conversation back on track.
“I heard you found a job at a museum?”
Jiang Wu nodded. “Yeah.”
“How much do you make a year?”
Jiang Wu frowned and asked him instead, “Don’t you know it’s very rude to casually ask someone’s salary?”
They all knew Jiang Wu couldn’t possibly earn much working at a museum. They had been ready to mock her over it. No one expected to be labeled rude first. Someone quickly tried to smooth things over. “We’re friends. Just showing concern.”
Jiang Wu nodded understandingly. “All right. Then I’ll tell you now. It’s rude. Don’t ask people that when you’re outside.” “I’d hate for you to get hit.”
Silence fell again. Someone suddenly said, “Brother Song, you don’t understand. Ah Wu got this job through an exam. Not like you.”
Someone beside him chimed in sarcastically, “Exactly. Brother Song works at his own family company. He doesn’t need to worry about salary.”
“Oh.” Jiang Wu nodded in understanding. “That’s okay. You don’t have to feel inferior just because you couldn’t pass an exam. Having a shortcut is good too.”
Once again, no one had expected that answer. Dead silence.
Huo Chengxi stepped forward. “Enough. Business isn’t easy these days anyway. It’s hardly a shortcut. Only capable people can stay in a company.”
Jiang Wu nodded. “That’s true. I also heard Third Uncle’s subsidiaries have been losing money year after year and have been involved in quite a few commercial lawsuits. Business really is difficult these days. The two cultural-preservation funds I manage also struggled to get going before.”
Huo Chengxi’s hand paused while reaching for his drink. He narrowed his eyes at Jiang Wu. If he still couldn’t tell she was doing this deliberately, then he would truly be an idiot.
Someone tried to smooth things over again. “Come on, why talk about this? Let’s drink.”
Jiang Wu didn’t know why they were talking about it either. “Exactly. I don’t know why someone comes to celebrate my birthday, asks about my job, then starts bragging about their own family companies. If you bring it up, of course I have to play along with you.”
These rich young masters and ladies were experts when it came to parties. But when the topic turned to real company business, every one of them fell silent. They could not keep up.
Jiang Wu, however, understood serious business matters as though one of the shareholder uncles or aunts from the family were sitting there.
Huo Chengxi gritted his teeth and opened a bottle of champagne. “Who told you about our family’s affairs? Huo Qingzhi?”
At the mention of that sensitive name, Jiang Wu’s expression didn’t change. Her tone remained perfectly casual. “Court information is public. You can find it with a simple search.”
Huo Chengxi sneered. “You sure know a lot.”
Jiang Wu curved her eyes sweetly. “I just didn’t expect any of you to know, yet you insisted on bringing it up.” Then, as though giving everyone a way out, she said, “Let’s not talk about this anymore. By the way, where’s the birthday cake you ordered for me? Bring it out so we can cut it and eat together.”
Birthday cake? Who had ordered her a cake? Everyone looked at one another. Eventually, all eyes turned to Huo Chengxi.
Jiang Wu even sounded a little disappointed. “So, when you said you wanted to throw me a birthday party, you only wanted to ask about my job? You didn’t prepare a cake?”
Huo Chengxi was getting irritated. They had come here to watch a show. Who would think about ordering Jiang Wu a cake? But his pride as a pampered young master wouldn’t allow him to admit they hadn’t prepared one.
Jiang Wu didn’t make things difficult for them. She felt she had already done enough. “If it hasn’t arrived yet, don’t bother. I prepared one myself.”
Jiang Wu leaned back in her seat, gently swirling the champagne glass in her hand. Before long, another yacht approached beside the rented one they were on. Even yachts had differences between them.
When the towering shadow of the six-deck AHPO drew near, the yacht they were sitting on looked like a small model beside it. Even the waves raised by the approaching vessel made their yacht rock.
Despite the distance, they could clearly see the many decorative lights across AHPO’s deck. Flowers covered the entire deck. Balloons had been arranged into the words: HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
Huo Lingyi stood on the deck and waved when he saw her. Behind him were the friends he had brought, their aunt’s younger daughter, Liang Xiaoyue, Cherry, and a group of others, all arranging gifts beside a birthday tree.
The comparison made it obvious which side had sincerely wanted to celebrate her birthday, and which side had other motives. Someone came over to escort her. Jiang Wu stood and politely told everyone, “Anyone who wants to join can come over too.” She set down her glass and left under the server’s guidance.
The group on the smaller yacht might not understand business talk, but they understood when someone was being insulted. No one went over. Only then did most of them realize that Jiang Wu had known their intentions from the very beginning.
Someone who had experienced genuine kindness toward her, how could she fail to recognize who had come just to kick her while she was down?
So everything she had said and done from the moment she arrived had been deliberate. She knew exactly what they wanted. And still managed to toy with them like monkeys. It was a warning. She simply didn’t care to waste her time on people and things that weren’t worth it. That didn’t mean she was someone they could push around.
Zheng Senze, however, looked amused. He narrowed his eyes as he watched that graceful figure walk away. “Interesting. She’s joined us twice, and both times she slapped all of us in the face.” He tilted his head and nudged Huo Chengxi with his elbow. “Does she have a boyfriend?”
~~
Jiang Wu boarded the other yacht, where Liang Xiaoyue came over to meet her. She even expressed her regret. “All three of your brothers are here tonight, so I can’t bring any handsome guys up here to entertain us.”
As Liang Xiaoyue spoke, both of them felt a sharp gaze from nearby. They turned around and saw Huo Lingyi standing not far away. He still wore a polite smile. “What are you two talking about?”
Jiang Wu quickly changed the subject. “You’re all here with me. What about Ciying?”
“Dad and Mom stayed home with her. Don’t worry. We planned everything beforehand.” Huo Lingyi led Jiang Wu toward the deck. “The house is decorated too.”
Although their parents hadn’t come, Huo Tingshan and Jiang Yaping had still sent their gifts. Inside the party hall stood a huge butterfly-shaped diamond cake.
Jiang Wu was seated in front of her birthday cake wearing a little birthday hat, making a wish before blowing out the candles. A band played on the deck to liven up the celebration, with the indoor and outdoor spaces opened into one. When dinner began, the dishes were served.
From the shore of Victoria Harbour, even from far away, the grandeur of the AHPO and the lively atmosphere aboard could still be seen. It looked like a palace floating on the sea, with the ocean breeze and the city’s brilliant lights reflecting against the glass windows inside.
Not far away, Huo Chengxi ignored the commotion over there and called everyone to keep playing. But it was obvious that the people around him had already lost much of their enthusiasm. Someone was the first to notice something unusual. “Why did the lights on Rongjin Tower go out?”
Everyone turned to look.
At the same time, the lights across the curtain walls of the buildings surrounding Victoria Harbour suddenly slowed and paused.
After only a moment, the LED display on one skyscraper changed to: HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
Then the surrounding towers lit up one after another. One HAPPY BIRTHDAY after another spread across the city. The lights flowed like golden tassels through the night, joining together until they surrounded the entire harbour.
Huo Chengxi frowned. Even without a name written anywhere, they all knew who those birthday wishes were for. Getting a single giant screen to display a birthday message was easy. But arranging for so many buildings around Victoria Harbour to light up at the same time wasn’t something money alone could accomplish.
Even from far away, they could hear bursts of astonished cries from the shore. Plenty of people were taking photos.
Meanwhile, Jiang Wu, who was resting inside the yacht lounge, hadn’t heard any of it, just like last time. She stood before the one-way floor-to-ceiling window, staring in surprise as the birthday lights from the shore surrounded her. The lights also reflected across the water, spreading outward as the yacht moved. She stood quietly, receiving one signal after another, wishing her happiness. Apart from that, all she could hear was the slightly accelerated beating of her own heart. Until the lounge door opened.
Jiang Wu turned around and saw someone she had expected. The man’s silhouette gradually became clearer beneath the broken patterns of darkness and light cast across the floor-to-ceiling window. Finally, his handsome features came into view.
Huo Qingzhi asked, “Do you like it?”
Jiang Wu moved her gaze away from him and looked outside again. She didn’t answer whether she liked it. Instead, she said, “Thank you.”
Huo Qingzhi stepped closer. “Are you thanking Brother, or Huo Qingzhi?”
Jiang Wu understood the distinction, but deliberately repeated, “Thank you.”
Huo Qingzhi slowly approached until he stopped behind her. His reflection in the window was enough to completely cover hers. Then his hand settled around her waist and drew her back a step. Jiang Wu stumbled slightly, her back meeting the cool fabric of his suit. The sudden closeness made her tense.
Huo Qingzhi lowered his voice near her ear. “If you’re thanking Brother, then it’s something Brother should do. If you’re thanking me, I expect something in return.”
Jiang Wu shrank slightly at the closeness of his voice. “You didn’t say that before…”
Huo Qingzhi’s voice came even closer. “Because Ah Wu is too clever.” He asked quietly beside her ear, “Did you make a wish this time for me to be your birthday present?”