Chapter 3

It was March in Europe. The chill of early spring still lingered in the air, and a fine misty rain shrouded everything in a hazy veil. This year, Cyprus was the rotating presidency country of Europe—a Mediterranean island nation located in the northeastern Mediterranean Sea. Surrounded by water on all sides, it was known as the “warm jade in the palm of the Mediterranean.” The talks and negotiations were scheduled to take place in Nicosia, a beautiful yet contradictory city. As the plane descended, the first thing they saw was an emerald-colored sea. From a closer distance, algae teeming with life could be seen growing around the continental shelf. After a short drive, they arrived at the Ritz-Carlton, where they would be staying. Su Qing quickly freshened up and prepared to attend a small meeting in the conference room. Before leaving, she gently touched Wen Ruan’s head. “The hotel has been booked exclusively for the conference, so it’s very safe. If you want something to eat, go to the restaurant. If you want to walk around, that’s fine too, but don’t leave the hotel. English is spoken here, though there are a few areas where Greek and Turkish are commonly used. That shouldn’t be a problem for you.” Wen Ruan nodded. She took the textbooks and review papers she needed from her bag and began studying for the day. The weather was beautiful. Outside, the sky was a deep, rich blue, as though it had been painted with layers of color, without a trace of impurity. Sunlight passed through the thin atmosphere, carrying with it the distant sound of waves crashing against the shore. Faced with the English examination paper, Wen Ruan could almost identify the correct answers at a glance. She didn’t even need to read the passages carefully; a quick scan was enough. It was almost like reading a novel. Thanks to her mother’s language education since childhood and her years of accompanying her abroad, Wen Ruan’s English vocabulary and grammar were nearly as natural to her as her native language. Everything came effortlessly. She checked the answer key. Every answer was correct. Outside the hotel room was a stretch of soft white sand. A small concert was taking place nearby, and the melody of a saxophone drifted through the air. Locals dressed in traditional clothing sang and danced, moving freely to the music. Wen Ruan picked up a mathematics paper, her phone, earphones, tissues, hand cream, and a water bottle and put them into her bag. She slung it across her body and left the room. By then, quite a few delegations from other countries had already arrived in the hotel lobby. Some people were making phone calls, some were meeting old friends, and others were drinking coffee. Wen Ruan found a quiet corner. “Well, well, isn’t this our little Wen Ruan?” Before long, a young man came striding over. He swung his legs casually and dropped himself into the seat opposite her. “What? We haven’t seen each other for half a year, and you don’t recognize your cousin anymore?” Wen Ruan looked up and blinked. It was her cousin, Wen Xu. “What are you doing here?” “Obviously, I’m also one of the members of the delegation.” Wen Xu grinned and held up his conference badge for Wen Ruan to see. **Affiliated Organization: Changsheng Guangyao Semiconductor Co., Ltd.** Seeing his little cousin staring blankly at him, he lifted his chin proudly like a peacock showing off its feathers. “Well? What do you think?” “Are you here to negotiate the direct purchase of semiconductor equipment, or are you negotiating technology cooperation?” Wen Ruan blinked. “I remember our technology isn’t mature enough yet. There was another company that came to Europe to negotiate semiconductor cooperation before, but the negotiations eventually fell through.” “You even know about that?” Wen Xu nodded. “But this is a business secret for now. Don’t go poking around.” Wen Ruan looked at Wen Xu. He was nearly seven years older than her and was twenty-five this year. There were quite a few younger members of the Wen family, but everyone was busy with their own affairs, so family gatherings were rare. She had heard that Wen Xu had also been an exceptional student when he was in school. Later, he went to the United States to study. After returning to China, he hadn't relied on the Wen family's influence and instead had built his own career from scratch. She hadn't expected him to establish a connection with the Qi family. There had to be more to it than met the eye. Wen Ruan lowered her head and began working on her paper. It was a senior-year mathematics mock examination designed for final preparation. She could determine the answers to the multiple-choice questions simply by reading the questions. Wen Xu raised an eyebrow. When she moved on to the fill-in-the-blank questions, she barely thought for half a minute before writing down the answers. The corner of Wen Xu’s mouth twitched. He put his phone aside and watched as Wen Ruan began working through the more difficult problems at the back. Her handwriting was neat, her calculations were clearly organized, and she completed each solution smoothly without hesitation. “You’re not just making these up, are you?” He grabbed Wen Ruan’s test paper. Although he had graduated years ago, even he could still tell how ridiculous this was. She was solving high-school mathematics without scratch paper, writing everything directly on the test—and barely even thinking. What was this? Had she memorized the answers? Just as he was studying the paper in amazement, someone called out from about a dozen steps away. “Wen Xu.” Wen Ruan looked up. At the front of the group stood a young man around the same age as Wen Xu. He was dressed in a suit with sharp, clean shoulder lines, every inch seemingly tailored to perfection. Behind the lenses resting on the bridge of his nose, however, was a pair of eyes that radiated a bone-chilling intensity. Wen Xu immediately put down the test paper and hurried forward, his manner instantly becoming polite and respectful. Wen Ruan: “…” Anyone capable of making a young master like Wen Xu, a well-born heir from Beijing, bow his head in such a manner had to be a member of the Qi family. As Wen Ruan was making her guess, her eyes met the man’s. There was no discernible emotion in his eyes, yet in that brief moment, she could clearly sense the aura of someone who had long occupied a position of power. Despite his young age, he already possessed enough authority to inspire awe. “Young Master Qi, that’s my younger cousin.” Wen Xu lowered his voice. “Her mother is Su Qing, the Chinese diplomatic representative for this delegation.” The man did not respond. He simply nodded once before turning and walking toward the entrance. Wen Xu waved at her, and the group accompanying him soon left. Wen Ruan picked up her cup and took a sip of water, her eyes falling on the final two questions of the test. She had to admit that this practice exam was somewhat difficult. The final questions involved conic sections and required the application of numerous formulas and theorems, demanding a strong mathematical foundation and logical reasoning ability. Her brain had already begun processing the problem at full speed. She took a sheet of white paper from her bag and began laying out each step of the solution, preparing to put pen to paper. “Ruanruan, come on. Your brother is taking you out for some good food.” Wen Xu had returned with a bright smile. “Running into my own little sister in a foreign country—of course I have to take good care of you.” Without giving her a chance to refuse, he began clearing the things off her table. “How about some authentic Turkish barbecue?” Wen Ruan: “…” He had already packed everything up for her and was still asking if she wanted to go. Was this some kind of extra step in the process? Following Wen Xu, Wen Ruan picked up her phone and sent her mother a message to let her know where she was going. A Ferrari Portofino M was already waiting outside the hotel lobby. Wen Xu practically shoved Wen Ruan into the passenger seat, then slammed his foot on the accelerator. The roar of the engine surged to its limit, blending with the crashing sound of the waves until the noise made her ears ring. They were heading to a barbecue restaurant in Egkomi, the embassy district of Nicosia. The restaurant featured white Mediterranean-style buildings. Just inside the entrance was a huge swimming pool. To the left was a lawn surrounded by palm trees, while in the center, barbecue grills and roasting pits were already sending delicious aromas into the air. Several local barbecue chefs were turning the food over the flames and brushing it with fragrant spices. “Come on in.” Wen Xu waved and led Wen Ruan inside. A faint aroma of red wine lingered in the air. Several people were seated in the spacious reception room, some young and others middle-aged. The moment Wen Xu and Wen Ruan entered, the conversation stopped. Everyone’s eyes turned toward Wen Ruan. “Your sister?” “The real deal.” “You’re kidding. Where did you suddenly get a sister, Wen Xu? We came here to work with Young Master Qi. Don’t bring random outsiders in here. Whoever she is, send her back. Young Master Qi is upstairs in a video conference and doesn’t even know about this yet. Take her away, quickly.” The man swirled the red wine in his hand, frowning at Wen Ruan as though she were an unwelcome guest. Wen Xu slapped the wineglass out of his hand. “My biological cousin.” “I don’t care whether she’s your real sister or a fake one. There can’t be any outsiders here today. Understand?” “Are you out of your mind today, Hao Junqi?” Wen Xu’s expression turned cold as well. He strode toward him, his voice carrying a hint of anger. “Who the hell do you think you—” “Brother, give me the car keys. I’ll go back to the hotel myself.” Wen Ruan’s temple twitched twice. Apparently, she hadn’t checked the almanac before leaving today. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have run into such an irritating situation. Everyone capable of working alongside the Qi family was undoubtedly someone extraordinary. There was no need to make things unpleasant. She could drive, but she was still underage and hadn’t obtained her driver’s license yet. She reached out toward Wen Xu and tilted her head slightly. Her expression remained calm, while her tea-colored eyes carried a hint of innocence. Wen Xu slipped one hand into his pocket and raised the car keys in his other hand. “I’ll go back with you.” “Where are you going?” Footsteps slowly descended from above, echoing beneath the high vaulted ceiling of the spiral staircase. Qi Yuchuan’s tall, slender figure came into view as he stopped on the steps. Beside him, Hao Junqi gave a quiet chuckle and was just about to speak when Wen Ruan cut him off. “Sorry. I came here without an invitation and broke the rules. I’ll leave right away.” She quickly took the keys from Wen Xu’s hand and turned to leave. “Since you’re already here, Miss Wen, why don’t you stay and have dinner with us?” Qi Yuchuan walked down the stairs. Perhaps it was because he had changed into casual clothes. Compared with the cold, aloof impression he had given off earlier in his formal suit, he now seemed much more approachable.