Chapter 4: The Birthday Gift

Silent love, quiet joy.

Late at night, Lu Huaining’s office remained brightly lit. Chu Ci stood before his desk, ready to take orders, meticulously noting down every task he assigned.

After listening to Lu, Chu Ci noticed his slight cough and furrowed brow. She turned to pour water into his glass and handed it to him, gently advising, "Mr. Lu, you should take a break. The Wang family’s recent maneuvers are merely the death throes of a failing cause; there is no need to exhaust yourself like this. Biologically speaking, even a gutted fish will twitch a few times before it dies. Rest assured, they cannot succeed; let the subordinates handle it."

Lu Huaining took a small sip of the warm water, his fingertips tracing the rim of the glass. "Chu Ci, I cannot do everything myself; I am simply troubled. Furthermore, even though we are in the final stages, nothing is certain until the dust has settled. There is no telling what schemes someone might employ at tomorrow’s shareholders' meeting."

Chu Ci sighed. Lu added, "You have worked hard during this time. Go home; you don't need to stay with me. I still have matters to attend to."

Chu Ci looked at him and nodded. Just as she reached the door and pulled it open, she saw Su Yi and Liang Feili. "Young Master Su, Young Master Li."

"Hello."

The three exchanged greetings and went their separate ways.

When Liang Feili and Su Yi entered the office, they found Lu Huaining taking a pill with warm water.

Looking at his perpetually unhealthy complexion, Su Yi frowned and scolded, "What is going on with this recurring stomach ailment of yours? Why not go to the hospital? The medicine the doctor prescribed isn't having the intended effect. At such a critical juncture, what will you do if something goes wrong?"

"Nothing will go wrong unless you keep cursing me behind my back," Lu Huaining replied with a faint smile.

For once, Liang Feili sided with Su Yi, adding his own earnest advice: "He has a point, Huaining. The strategy is mostly in place. Remember to take care of your health; don't destroy yourself just as you defeat your enemy."

"I understand."

"The evidence I submitted to the Judicial Bureau is enough to keep Wang Chongxi in prison for the rest of his life. The police are already in contact with the Wang family. Their downfall is inevitable, so what are you so anxious about?" Seeing Lu Huaining reach for a cigarette case, Su Yi snatched it away. "Still smoking? Do you really have a death wish? At the hospital last time, the doctor told you to avoid tobacco and alcohol. I think you’ve truly lost your mind."

Lu Huaining rubbed his temples, which were throbbing with a dull ache. He frowned and said quietly, "I just wanted to stay alert."

"If you want to stay alert, drink more tea. You haven't let that two-liang gift of authentic Wuyi Mountain Da Hong Pao go moldy, have you? That stuff is worth more than a person—I swiped it from the old man’s collection..."

Lu Huaining could no longer hear Su Yi’s rambling. His heart pounded wildly as he remembered that she, too, was an expert at brewing tea. It was a pity he had once been dismissive of that fragrant, clear tea. Indeed, Heaven’s sins might be forgiven, but those one brings upon oneself cannot be escaped.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong with you? Are you alright?"

Lu Huaining snapped back to reality, looked up, and forced a smile. "I'm fine. Thank you both for everything during this time."

Su Yi shrugged nonchalantly. "It was no trouble; you did all the planning. You look terrible. Get out of here and go to sleep."

Lu Huaining shook his head. "It’s not work-related stress. Things have eased up this week. It’s just that some matters remain unclear—as if there are thousands of tangled threads with no beginning to be found..."

Liang Feili consoled him, "The doctor said that, besides avoiding exhaustion, you must keep your emotions stable. You..." As an outsider, he understood what was causing his anxiety. There were too many questions needing answers, yet that woman had woven everything into a mystery only she could unravel.

Lu Huaining remained silent for a moment, suppressing the churning in his stomach, his brows furrowed. "Don't worry. Just bear with it a while longer; everything will be fine."

The next day, in the executive conference room of Shengtian International, a suffocating tension filled the air. The moderator professionally analyzed the shareholdings of the major stakeholders. Wang Chongxi’s hand, clutching a pen, tightened with every rise and fall of the voice; his palms were damp with sweat. Last night, his daughter had told him that a mysterious individual would appear at today’s board election meeting. This mysterious backer held 17% of the shares, enough to overturn the victory Lu Huaining thought he had secured. For a moment, Wang felt a mix of excitement and unease, and cold sweat began to bead on his forehead.

Finally, as the moderator finished speaking, Lu Huaining, sitting at the head of the table, lifted his hawk-like eyes. His calm gaze swept the room before landing on Wang Chongxi. A mocking curve touched his lips. "Uncle Wang seems quite anxious. Secretary Fang, have someone bring a cup of herbal tea for Director Wang."

Fang Qing left her seat and pushed the door open. She was a newly promoted executive secretary in the secretariat, having finally achieved some success after two years of hard work.

Wang Chongxi tried to force a smile, but his expression was stiff. Just as the moderator was about to announce the final results, a clear, elegant female voice leisurely interrupted the proceedings.

"Who is this lady?" someone at the table asked.

"Apologies, I am indeed an intruder," Xue Zhuining said, removing her sunglasses. Her gaze flickered, adding to her allure.

Someone at the table frowned. "I didn't expect someone to cause trouble here. Where is security..."

Chu Ci wanted to explain her identity but was unexpectedly stopped by Lu Huaining. Xue Zhuining clearly did not care about the stares. Her high heels clicked against the polished floor. She rested a hand on the back of Wang Chongxi’s chair and leaned down to whisper, "Do you want to know who I am?"

Wang Chongxi looked up, only to hear a soft laugh in his ear. Her red lips parted to utter five words: "You are not worthy of knowing."

Just as the man glared in anger, the conference room door was suddenly pushed open again. The three people who walked in caused the entire room to fall into dead silence.

A man in a crisp police uniform saluted the group and presented his credentials. As Wang Chongxi watched them walk toward him, his legs gave way. He tried to stand but collapsed back in a pathetic heap.

"Are you Mr. Wang Chongxi?" The lead officer produced a warrant. "The police suspect you of being involved in a disappearance case from four years ago. Please cooperate with our investigation." With that, he signaled for his companions to place him in handcuffs.

Xue Zhuining watched Wang Chongxi being led away, her heart a storm of conflicting emotions. Yet, she sat in the vacant seat with a calm expression. Amidst the curious stares, she smiled suddenly. "Surely 17% of the shares is enough to grant me this seat?"

Everyone was shocked. Even Chu Ci doubted the veracity of her claim. But when Xue Zhuining’s associates placed a photocopied share delegation agreement before them, all disbelief turned into fact.

The moderator, faced with this dramatic turn of events, quickly adjusted the results with professional poise. After the announcement, everyone signed the legally binding documents.

In the moment she signed, Xue Zhuining hesitated. She, ultimately, could not return to being her true self.

After the meeting, the group dispersed as if by unspoken agreement. Soon, only two people remained in the large conference room, the atmosphere between them strange.

Xue Zhuining expected him to speak, but silence enveloped them. After a long while, she finally spoke first. "Congratulations."

Lu Huaining crossed his arms, his gaze locked on her. "You should congratulate me."

"Since that is the case, my respects have been paid. Farewell." Xue Zhuining stood to leave. The atmosphere was so stifling it felt like suffocation. She would have preferred he shout and question her, yet she feared that in such a situation, she would waver and lose her composure.

Just as she tried to escape his sight, his indifferent voice stopped her.

"Are you interested in a wager with me?"

Xue Zhuining turned, hesitant, and saw that he had produced a coin. Remembering that day, she couldn't guess his intentions. Not wanting to complicate matters, she instinctively refused. "I don't like losing to the same person twice..."

"Why do you think I will definitely lose?" Lu Huaining asked mockingly, flicking the coin with his fingertip. "Heads, you win; tails, I lose. Do you dare?"

While Xue Zhuining was still questioning the man's sanity, she watched the coin trace a silver arc through the air, landing on the black tabletop. It didn't settle immediately but spun in circles.

Finally, the coin stood upright on the table.

"It seems I have won." Lu Huaining’s gaze moved from the coin to her surprised expression. "If you bet, you must be prepared to lose."

"What do you want?" Xue Zhuining picked up the coin, finding nothing unusual about it.

As Lu Huaining stood up, he firmly grasped her hand. "Come with me."

As she stumbled along, Xue Zhuining felt as though she were seeing scenes from the past. She should have refused, but she couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation for what was to come.

When the car stopped at the beach that had buried countless secrets, Xue Zhuining hesitated. On that day four years ago, her desperate pleas had vanished into the air; the car plunged into the sea, and as it rolled, the shattered glass pierced her flesh like knives. She had struggled and curled up to escape the cabin, only to be swept into the deep by the dark tide. Now, having "died" once already, she found herself revisiting the site, not knowing how to face it.

On the sea, the sunlight was perfect, gilding the blue, rippling water in magnificent gold.

Standing side by side, the two faced the sea in silence. A thousand words remained, ultimately dissolving into the peace of memory.

Xue Zhuining closed her eyes, tilting her head back to breathe in the sunlight. Suddenly, she felt rough skin brush against her cheek. She opened her eyes to meet his gaze.

She stepped back, her fingers brushing the skin on her face that was suddenly burning with heat. "It’s getting late. I should go."

"Wait..." Lu Huaining reached out and grabbed her, seeing her wanting to flee like a startled kitten. "Why are you afraid to face me?"

"I'm not." Xue Zhuining tried to pull her hand back, but his grip only tightened.

Finally, with a tug, Lu Huaining pulled her toward him until she was pressed against his chest. Warm breath brushed her neck. "Answer me one question, and I will let you go."

Xue Zhuining looked up suddenly. Could it be that he won just for an answer?

Lu Huaining looked at her questioning expression, his voice growing hoarse as he finally asked the question he had suppressed for four years: "Why did you hide your pregnancy from me back then?"

Xue Zhuining felt a tremor in her heart, as if the softest part of her soul had been struck. Yet, she veiled her sorrow. She looked at the man. "Do you know what day April 3rd is?"

"My birthday."

"And didn't you want a birthday gift?"

Lu Huaining felt his blood freeze at her answer. Xue Zhuining looked away and stepped back. As she turned, a hot tear splashed onto the back of her hand. *Lu Huaining, is this the question that made you doubt my heart time and time again?* The dampness in her palm intensified, making her unsteady footsteps quicken.

Her figure blurred in his vision. Lu Huaining watched her, the physical pain he felt far less significant than the agony in his heart. *Indeed, I used this method to push her out of my world once again.* He stepped backward, forcing himself to the edge of the cliff. "It’s good... Cat, don't look back. Don't give me hope again..."

The moment his body left the ground, he seemed to see scenes from the past—she must have been afraid back then. But he had never found her...

Icy seawater invaded his body from every direction. Lu Huaining slowly closed his eyes, feeling everything come to a standstill. He began to count down in his heart: ten, nine, eight...

But a second before the final number, a pair of warm hands suddenly gripped him, pulling him with all their might to break free from death, swimming toward the surface where there was air and sunlight.

When Xue Zhuining dragged him onto the beach, she was utterly exhausted. Yet, ignoring her own disheveled state, she knelt beside the man with his eyes closed, checking his pulse, and then pressing repeatedly against his abdomen and heart. There was no response.

"Lu Huaining, don't scare me. Please, don't leave me behind..." Tears fell uncontrollably, mixed with the bitterness of the sea, blooming on the man’s soaked shirt.

She breathed warm air into his mouth, crying as she performed CPR. Just as she exhausted the last bit of air in her lungs and lifted her head to breathe, a large hand suddenly clamped onto the back of her head, pressing her back onto him.

Xue Zhuining struggled to push away his burning chest, sitting up in resentment. "Lu Huaining, you lied to me!" How could she be so stupid, falling for this man’s tricks time and again? He clearly had a heartbeat, so why was she so nervous?

Lu Huaining stood up, bracing himself against the ground. Watching her furiously wipe her lips and turn to leave, he hugged her from behind without a second thought, his voice almost pleading, "Don't go. Stay with me..."

"Let go."

Lu Huaining forcibly turned her face to look at him, staring deeply into her eyes. "You still care about me."

"You liar!" Fueled by shame and anger, Xue Zhuining kicked his leg. As he winced and loosened his grip, she pushed him back into the shallow sea and ran.

Lu Huaining sat in the water, watching her footprints fade into the golden beach. *With such an answer, shouldn't I be happy?*