Chapter 37: A Sip of Wine to the Moon, Refreshingly Cool

To earn money and expedite the cooperation between Chen Group and Zhou Group, Bai Yuanzhi requested some materials from Anthony and spent several days preparing three business proposals.

One was for pastry souvenir merchandise tied to Chen Group’s Wanmei Film Industry’s upcoming year-end all-star Lunar New Year comedy film “You Want It, I Want It Too.”

Another was a promotional sales plan for Zhou Group’s Western-style pastries and cakes.

The third was a joint sales proposal for Chen Group and Zhou Group.

Bai Yuanzhi possessed marketing concepts from a later era.

But in Hong Kong City in 1988,

her marketing ideas seemed overly advanced.

For Bai Yuanzhi, she actually preferred to get closer to Zhou Group, after all, Zhou Group wasn’t like Chen Group, which straddled both sides of the law, dealing in both legitimate and shady businesses.

Thus, she first submitted her marketing proposal to Zhou Group.

However, although the head of Zhou Group was upright, he was also overly conservative.

A week had passed since Bai Yuanzhi submitted her proposal, and there had been no response from them.

Of course, it was also possible that Mr. and Mrs. Zhou were angry with Bai Yuanzhi over Zhou Weihao’s matter and thus unwilling to respond.

With no other choice, Bai Yuanzhi had to hand the proposal for Wanmei Film Industry to Anthony.

And then—

That very afternoon, Bai Yuanzhi received Anthony’s reply:

“Miss Bai, Mr. Chen is very fond of your proposal. He said your proposal is excellent and comprehensive, but he asked me to convey three suggestions to you.”

“Please go ahead.”

And so, Anthony relayed Chen Shen’s three suggestions:

—In Bai Yuanzhi’s proposal, she only created related merchandise for the male lead, a top-tier superstar, and the female lead, Wanmei’s top actress, in “You Want It, I Want It Too.”

But “You Want It, I Want It Too” is an all-star Lunar New Year film, and the screen time of the male and female leads is actually similar to that of many supporting male and female actors.

Therefore, Chen Shen hoped that Bai Yuanzhi could create merchandise for all the characters in the Lunar New Year film “You Want It, I Want It Too.”

—Chen Shen felt Bai Yuanzhi’s marketing concept was very good and hoped she wouldn’t limit the cooperation’s scope to just Zhou Group’s pastries.

As long as Bai Yuanzhi could think of any merchandise, Chen Shen hoped she would pursue it, not worrying since the fans of those stars would buy them anyway.

—What Chen Shen looked forward to most was Bai Yuanzhi’s allocation of work plans.

To put it bluntly, Chen Shen really wanted to know what role his only son, Zhou Shuojin, would play in this work.

After receiving feedback from the big sponsor,

Bai Yuanzhi found herself in a dilemma.

Faced with such a large order and substantial returns,

it was hard for her not to be tempted.

But if she agreed to cooperate…

her ties with Chen Group would become very deep.

Then, in the future, would she still be able to extricate herself completely?

Bai Yuanzhi hesitated for a long time.

Finally, she sent a pager message to A Yao, leaving a note: [Do you have time to meet?]

Three minutes later, A Yao replied: [I’ll treat you to fresh shrimp and crab roe wonton noodles the night after tomorrow.]

Bai Yuanzhi let out a long sigh of relief.

However, the day after tomorrow seemed to be the sentencing day for Zhou Weihao and Duoluoxi.

As someone closely connected to the case, Bai Yuanzhi was required to attend the court proceedings on time.

Over the past half month, Zhou Weihao and Duoluoxi had both been detained.

But, just from their appearances, it was clear that their treatment was worlds apart.

Although both were dressed in identical gray prison uniforms, Zhou Weihao’s condition was noticeably much better.

—He was clean from head to toe, his hair was of a moderate length, his nails were neatly trimmed, and aside from the worried look between his brows, it seemed that with just a change of clothes, he would still be the calm and refined young nobleman.

In contrast, Duoluoxi’s condition was far worse.

—She was disheveled, her hair greasy and streaked with gray, her prison uniform filthy. Due to severe weight loss, she looked at least a decade older, with sunken eyes and a bewildered expression on her deeply lined face, which even bore suspicious-looking bruises.

The couple appeared to be from different generations.

Their lawyers were also different.

Zhou Weihao’s lawyer was a renowned barrister from Hong Kong City, around forty years old, wearing a woolen wig and a silk robe, with a medal symbolizing honor pinned to his chest.

Duoluoxi’s lawyer was a young, inexperienced, and visibly nervous Indian man. Even his suit seemed ill-fitting, and he spoke haltingly with a heavy accent, giving the impression of a university student still in training.

After the trial began,

when the barrister argued for Zhou Weihao, he shifted all the blame onto Duoluoxi, claiming that Zhou Weihao had been deceived by her.

He argued that the relationship between Zhou Weihao and Duoluoxi was neither equal nor pure, accusing the then-adult Duoluoxi of seducing the underage Zhou Weihao, taming him and robbing him of his judgment—a form of psychological crime.

He claimed that Zhou Weihao had suffered significant financial losses due to Duoluoxi’s deception and was deeply pained by the fact that Duoluoxi was already married.

He asserted that all criminal acts were carried out solely by Duoluoxi, and Zhou Weihao had no prior knowledge of them. Only afterward, still under Duoluoxi’s psychological control, did he make a foolish mistake in his statements.

Soon, the barrister called Bai Yuanzhi to testify.

—Yes, Bai Yuanzhi had accepted Mrs. Zhou’s check for one hundred thousand dollars and signed a letter of forgiveness for Zhou Weihao.

In truth, it wasn’t really up to Bai Yuanzhi to forgive or not.

The other side was a renowned Hong Kong City barrister. The actual crime Zhou Weihao committed was having Li Yongzhen impersonate Duoluoxi. But as far as Bai Yuanzhi was concerned, he hadn’t caused her any substantial harm.

So Bai Yuanzhi knew when to quit.

When Mrs. Zhou handed her the check for one hundred thousand dollars, she didn’t even bother haggling and promptly signed the letter of forgiveness.

And so,

Zhou Weihao’s verdict was announced.

—He was ordered to apologize to Bai Yuanzhi in court, prohibited from leaving Hong Kong for eight months, and required to complete 200 hours of community service.

This verdict was within Bai Yuanzhi’s expectations,

brought a long sigh of relief to Mr. and Mrs. Zhou,

and lifted a great weight off Zhou Weihao’s shoulders.

But Duoluoxi’s sentence was far from lenient.

She was charged with the attempted murder of Bai Yuanzhi.

At the time of the incident, all security personnel on duty at the Bilanting Hotel testified in court, confirming the events.

Moreover, Duoluoxi’s emotions remained highly volatile—she either cursed Bai Yuanzhi or pleaded desperately with Zhou Weihao…

Her voice was hoarse, her expression twisted,

and neither those on the bench nor the spectators in the gallery held any sympathy for her.

In the end, Duoluoxi’s sentence was also handed down.

—Life imprisonment!

The news caused Duoluoxi to collapse to the floor.

Once she regained her senses,

Duoluoxi cried out towards Zhou Weihao’s direction, “Ahao! Ahao, save me! I can’t go to prison! I can’t… These past few days in the temporary detention center, people have been beating me! They said it was arranged by Mr. Chen—”

She couldn’t finish her sentence.

A female police officer had already come over to cover her mouth and dragged her away.

Duoluoxi struggled desperately, finally breaking free from the officer’s grip. With tears and snot streaming down her face, she shouted at Zhou Weihao, “Ahao, save me! I have nothing left, only you! Ahao, please, for the sake of our relationship… Mmm! Mmm mmm mmm!”

In the end, Duoluoxi was dragged away.

The trial concluded.

Bai Yuanzhi suppressed the complex emotions in her heart and greeted Zhou Weihao, his parents, and the lawyer.

Mr. and Mrs. Zhou also had complicated feelings toward Bai Yuanzhi.

But no matter what, Bai Yuanzhi had been dragged into this mess by Zhou Weihao. The reason Zhou Weihao could receive such a light sentence was because he had obtained Bai Yuanzhi’s letter of forgiveness as the victim…

Thus, they sincerely thanked Bai Yuanzhi.

Zhou Weihao’s apology to Bai Yuanzhi was even more heartfelt.

He was also deeply ashamed.

“Ah Zhi, I have no face to see you,” the young man covered his face, tears streaming through his fingers. “I’m so ashamed. I… it was as if I were possessed, doing so many irrational things. Please forgive me, Ah Zhi!”

Bai Yuanzhi smiled and said, “Alright, Brother Hao, you’ve already apologized to me earlier, and I said from the start that I never held any resentment toward you.”

—After all, your mother paid so generously!

Zhou Weihao shook his head, “Not that kind of apology, but… an apology between friends.”

Bai Yuanzhi’s expression darkened slightly.

This was difficult for her to respond to.

Mainly… she didn’t want to.

Because she didn’t believe she and Zhou Weihao could still be friends.

After some thought, Bai Yuanzhi felt that the adult world wasn’t simply black and white.

Moreover, ever since she started working with Wanmei Film Industry, she realized one thing—celebrities could be manufactured like assembly-line products.

And Zhou Weihao, with his looks, appearance, temperament, family background, and the scandals and buzz surrounding him, could easily become bigger than top-tier celebrities with proper promotion.

So, why should she make things difficult for a future cash cow?

“Ah Zhi, can you forgive me?” Zhou Weihao asked cautiously.

Bai Yuanzhi smiled, “Of course, Brother Hao, but I don’t want to bring this up again. Let’s just move on!”

“Will we still be friends in the future?” Zhou Weihao asked again.

Bai Yuanzhi nodded, “Of course.”

Zhou Weihao said sincerely, “Ah Zhi, thank you.”

In contrast, the lawyer left the best impression on Bai Yuanzhi.

As aggressive as the lawyer had been in court,

he was now equally approachable.

“Miss Bai, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” the lawyer extended his hand for a brief, formal handshake with Bai Yuanzhi, then quickly withdrew it and handed her a business card. “If possible, I hope not to see Miss Bai again. But if a meeting becomes necessary, I hope Miss Bai won’t hesitate.”

Bai Yuanzhi was amused, accepted the card, and exchanged a few pleasantries with the lawyer.

Then, everyone went their separate ways.

Bai Yuanzhi turned back to use the restroom.

When she came out again,

She saw Zhou Weihao arguing with his parents.

Zhou Weihao said agitatedly, “…Duoluoxi just got into trouble, and you’re already forcing me into an arranged marriage? I absolutely won’t agree!”

Mr. Zhou angrily retorted, “She was sentenced to life imprisonment! Are you planning to wait for her your whole life? Then tell me, in what capacity would you be mourning for her? As her boyfriend? But she already has a husband and children!”

Zhou Weihao was at a loss, “But… she broke the law because of me.”

Mr. Zhou sneered, “If it really was because of you, why didn’t she come after you? Instead, she went to harm Miss Bai? In the end, she was afraid Miss Bai would replace her, and she couldn’t bear to let go of a big fool like you who’s naive and rich!”

Zhou Weihao was stunned.

Mrs. Zhou, her face streaked with tears, said, “Ahao, you have to think about the family too! Your father and I are getting old, we simply can’t manage anymore, and you’re unwilling to help with the family business at all! So what do you want us to do?”

“Besides, once this matter spreads, do you think our Zhou family will have any face left? And do you think you’re still some hot commodity! Ahao, we’re already thanking our lucky stars that there are still well-bred girls willing to meet you, let alone that the other party is the Sheng family!”

“As long as our families unite through marriage, even though Sheng Huiyi is a bit older, she’s still a capable person. Only then can our Zhou family continue to stand firm in Hong Kong City!”

Zhou Weihao was furious, “I don’t agree!”

With that, he shook off their hands and ran off at full speed.

Mr. and Mrs. Zhou watched their son’s figure gradually disappear into the distance, sighing with worry.

Bai Yuanzhi hid to the side, waiting until they had all left before hurriedly stepping out.

Her mood wasn’t great, so she went to night school.

Only when she threw herself wholeheartedly into studying could she avoid being distracted by other thoughts.

After finishing the heavy workload at night school,

Bai Yuanzhi hurriedly headed toward Xingfu Building.

Sure enough—

Even from a distance, she spotted A Yao’s little noodle stall at a glance!

“A Yao!” Bai Yuanzhi happily ran over.

Ming Jiayao looked up at the sound.

Seeing Bai Yuanzhi arrive,

his face lit up with joy. He put down the thick book in his hands and ran toward her.

Bai Yuanzhi ran from the east,

Ming Jiayao ran from the west,

yet the two of them suddenly stopped just as they were about to meet.

Bai Yuanzhi silently lowered her outstretched arms, placing them behind her back;

Ming Jiayao also awkwardly lowered his widely outstretched arms, one hand tugging uncomfortably at the corner of his clothes, the other scratching the back of his head.

Ah, no standing to do that!

“Ah, A Yao, your stall… did you get it back?” Bai Yuanzhi started making conversation.

But this topic almost stumped Ming Jiayao, “What getting back…”

“Oh, right!” Fortunately, Ming Jiayao remembered just in time and quickly explained, “I got it back a while ago!”

Not wanting to dwell on the topic, he hurriedly said, “You just got back now, are you hungry? Should I make you some noodles?”

Bai Yuanzhi nodded repeatedly, “Sure!”

After thinking for a moment, she added, “Make an extra bowl!”

“To take away?” he asked.

She smiled, “No… I want to treat you to a bowl too.”

Ming Jiayao was taken aback for a moment, then laughed, “That’s so nice! Today… is there something happy going on?”

This time, it was Bai Yuanzhi’s turn to be stunned.

Something happy?

No!

Being able to see A Yao had become her only solace these past few days, as she had been trapped in a living hell.

Now that she had seen him,

she was genuinely happy.

Ming Jiayao didn’t press her with questions.

He tied on an apron and focused on his task, a strand of hair falling from his forehead and covering his eyes.

Suddenly, he looked up at Bai Yuanzhi,

and seeing her staring intently at him, he couldn’t help but smile. “Sis, you must be starving, right?”

Bai Yuanzhi’s cheeks flushed slightly. She hummed in agreement and turned her head away.

But before long, she turned back to continue admiring A Yao.

Come to think of it,

A Yao had changed quite a bit.

He seemed to have grown taller and filled out more.

Especially his appearance—he used to have an androgynous, delicate beauty, but now he was gradually developing the robust vigor of a young man.

Soon, Ming Jiayao finished cooking two bowls of fresh shrimp and crab roe wonton noodles and brought them over.

The two squeezed together at a small table and began eating.

The shrimp wonton noodles were as delicious as ever.

However, the small plastic stool was too low, and Ming Jiayao’s long legs were bent, occasionally shifting forward slightly as he slurped the noodles;

Each time, it was just a hair’s breadth away…

from bumping into Bai Yuanzhi’s legs.

Bai Yuanzhi stared at his knees for a moment before taking two cans of beer from her bag. “Want a drink?”

Ming Jiayao looked at Bai Yuanzhi, then at the two cans of beer.

His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly.

After a moment, he said slowly, “Sis, I’m not of age yet.”

Bai Yuanzhi was taken aback, then suddenly laughed.

With a “pop,” she opened one of the beer cans and took a few sips, tilting her head back.

Ming Jiayao stared at Bai Yuanzhi for a while before saying, “In a few more months… sis, after January 1st, I’ll be able to drink beer.”

“Sounds good,” Bai Yuanzhi replied with a smile.

Ming Jiayao took a deep breath and asked, “Sis, has something happened recently?”

Bai Yuanzhi also took a deep breath. “Not really, it’s just… I wanted someone to talk to. By the way, do you remember that Young Master Zhou?”

Ming Jiayao nodded.

Of course he knew.

He had even disguised himself and slipped into the courtroom, huddled in a corner of the gallery, silently watching the entire proceedings.

Moreover, one of the reasons he had quietly returned to Hong Kong City this time—aside from Ah Zhi wanting to see him—

was for Zhou Weihao’s marriage.

Yes, Zhou Weihao’s marriage to the eldest daughter of the Sheng family, Sheng Qing, was something he had orchestrated. He had arranged for people to whisper in Mrs. Zhou’s ear until she finally took an interest.

—The eldest daughter, Sheng Qing, was seven years older than Zhou Weihao and had already been divorced twice.

Both times, the reason for the divorce was her husband’s infidelity.

Such things were actually quite common in high society, and most wealthy wives turned a blind eye.

But Miss Sheng couldn’t tolerate even a grain of sand in her eye.

Both of her husbands had cheated, and she hadn’t let either of them off the hook. As a result, after two divorce lawsuits, she had completely severed ties with both her ex-husbands’ families and even her own family.

Yet, thanks to her extravagant dowry and the massive wealth she had obtained from the two divorces, she had become the undisputed richest woman in Hong Kong City.

Now, Miss Sheng still longed for marriage and even hoped to have two or three children.

Ming Jiayao felt

that such a strong-willed woman was a perfect match for Zhou Weihao.

For one, Sheng Qing’s strong personality meant she would undoubtedly help manage the Zhou family’s business, which would please Zhou Weihao’s parents greatly;

Secondly, only if Zhou Weihao was married, and his wife was a woman who couldn’t tolerate any sand in her eyes, would Ming Jiayao feel secure.

As for whether Zhou Weihao liked it or was happy, that was not within Ming Jiayao’s consideration.

After all—

Zhou Weihao had done something to harm Bai Yuanzhi in order to cover up Duoluoxi’s crime,

which had already made Ming Jiayao very unhappy.

However, at this moment, Ming Jiayao didn’t make a sound, quietly listening to Bai Yuanzhi’s outpouring.

Bai Yuanzhi recounted what she had seen and heard in court today, then added, “Actually, I didn’t lose out. In just three or four months, I made two hundred thousand from this young master. But when he said he still wanted to be friends with me, I…”

“Felt very uncomfortable inside, because you were once abandoned by him, right?” Ming Jiayao said.

Bai Yuanzhi nodded.

Ming Jiayao cautiously asked, “Do you… care about him a lot?”

Bai Yuanzhi took another sip of beer, “I wouldn’t say I care. But even as an ordinary friend, it’s still quite awkward.”

Ming Jiayao felt relieved, “Since you only see him as an ordinary friend, then there’s nothing awkward about it. When you can make money from him, call him Brother Hao a few more times; when you can’t make money, just call him Little Zhou…”

Bai Yuanzhi burst out laughing.

For some reason,

the matter she had been agonizing over for so long,

after being resolved by A Yao with just a few words,

she seemed to have truly let it go.

—Who could say otherwise?

Bai Yuanzhi continued talking about her cooperation with Chen Shen and also very bluntly pointed out her concerns, “…Reason tells me I shouldn’t get too close to the Chen Family.”

“Look, Chen Shen wants to kill Duoluoxi as easily as swatting a mosquito.”

“If one day I offend him, will I… end up as miserable as Duoluoxi?”

“But given my current capabilities, I don’t even have the standing to refuse to cooperate with him…”

Ming Jiayao listened quietly.

—Chen Shen was his uncle, so of course he understood Chen Shen.

Moreover,

unless he died, Chen Shen couldn’t possibly harm Ah Zhi.

But Ming Jiayao couldn’t say that out loud.

After thinking for a moment, he advised, “For now, Chen Shen needs you—he needs you to cover up the secret that his son is a congenital eunuch, and he also relies on your abilities. He hopes to tie you and that useless Chen Shuojie together. As long as you can successfully complete this business deal, his son will gain a good reputation, proving that he is not useless and is qualified to inherit the Chen Group in the future.”

“So, since it concerns his son’s future, first, he will definitely protect your business, and second, he will definitely keep things separate in this matter—he absolutely won’t use any shady methods because he needs to pave the way for his son and also needs a complete whitewashing.”

“Don’t worry, sister, you’ll be fine,” Ming Jiayao said firmly.

At this, Bai Yuanzhi truly breathed a sigh of relief.

Actually—

it wasn’t that she couldn’t figure it out herself.

But the matter was too important,

and she still wanted to discuss it with someone.

At least talk it over.

Now, what A Yao said matched her own calculations almost perfectly.

Bai Yuanzhi completely let go of the heavy burden in her heart.

Feeling happy, she picked up the beer and took another sip.

Ming Jiayao saw the smile at the corner of her mouth and couldn’t help but laugh, “Sister, did you run into something happy?”

“Yes!” Bai Yuanzhi nodded emphatically, “Speaking of happy things, there really is one!”

“The Bilanting Hotel has a new shareholder who inexplicably organized a staff zodiac sign lottery… and then I was spectacularly called out as the grand prize winner.”

“Ten thousand yuan!” Bai Yuanzhi said delightedly.

Ming Jiayao smiled with eyes curved like crescents, “Wow, really? Congratulations! No wonder you’re treating me to noodles today…”

Bai Yuanzhi pursed her lips into a smile, “I don’t know whether to praise my own good luck or sigh at the inexplicable whims of the rich. Ah, having money is really wonderful!”

Ming Jiayao carefully concealed the smug smile at the corner of his mouth.

Yes,

He was the new shareholder of Bilanting.

After learning last time that Bai Yuanzhi wanted to enter the stock market but didn’t have enough money,

He truly wished he could just give her two hundred thousand directly!

But after thinking it over, he didn’t dare.

He could only choose an indirect approach—first becoming a shareholder of Bilanting, then racking his brains to come up with… an inexplicable way to give her money.

Actually, Ming Jiayao desperately wanted to stuff two hundred thousand directly into her hands,

But Ah Jiu and the others talked him out of it.

“Young master, if you directly throw two hundred thousand at her, what if you scare Miss Ah Zhi? Don’t let good intentions lead to bad outcomes! You have to eat rice one bite at a time, and earn money one cent at a time! For now, just give her ten thousand, then think of other ways to give her money later… Look, you can give money on New Year’s Day, birthdays, Chinese New Year… there are plenty of opportunities!”

So, in the end, Ming Jiayao spent twenty thousand just to get ten thousand into Bai Yuanzhi’s hands.

—To avoid raising Bai Yuanzhi’s suspicions, Ming Jiayao also selected two other people, giving one six thousand and the other four thousand.

Now, seeing the smile on Bai Yuanzhi’s face, even if she mocked him a few times,

Ming Jiayao still felt very happy.

Night deepened.

Bai Yuanzhi didn’t want to leave,

And Ming Jiayao didn’t want her to leave either.

But the noodle bowls were empty, and Bai Yuanzhi couldn’t find any reason to linger further, so she stood up to say goodbye, “Alright, I should head back.”

“Okay,” Ming Jiayao said calmly.

Only heaven knew how sad he felt.

But he couldn’t show it.

“…Then you should go back and rest early too!” Bai Yuanzhi glanced at him, then slowly turned and walked away.

Ming Jiayao couldn’t bring himself to say goodbye, so he just stood there, watching her walk farther and farther away.

He felt inexplicably irritable and restless.

Just dealt with Zhou Weihao, and now here comes Chen Shuojie!

So annoying!

No, he must think of a way to deal with Chen Shuojie as soon as possible.