The arrival of her paternal uncle did not bring too much trouble to Xu Si's life. Due to the vast family fortune, unlike petty profits, they were particularly patient, like dark rats hiding in the shadows, always waiting for Xu Si to let her guard down. Xu Si understood their schemes and had no time to deal with them.
Recently, a trouble-making newspaper had sensationalized her father's death on the front page of the financial section, maliciously speculating numerous reasons and painting the internal situation of the company as perilous, which caused quite a bit of turmoil. She was so busy that she holed up in the study every day, dealing with corporate decision-making, calling Anshi to the old family home for meetings that lasted two to three hours at a time. Occasionally, other internal employees of the company would join them.
Xu Si's professional ability in handling official business shocked a group of people, making them feel that the rumors were not credible. On their way back, one of the employees was still saying to Anshi, "Assistant An, Miss Xu is quite competent, not like a student at all. The marketing campaign this time was very successful—a lucky draw for a car! Wow, half of Hong Kong Island came to join in the excitement. With half the budget, buying a car, a few boxes of soap, and printing a bunch of worthless raffle tickets, the mall was revitalized just like that."
"Those previous tabloids were really full of it, saying Miss Xu was always causing trouble and acting recklessly. Seeing her with my own eyes today, it's clear those rumors were completely false."
"After such a major event, perhaps people do change a lot."
Anshi's lips twitched, his mind full of the day Xu Si had asked him to arrange the kidnapping of her paternal uncle.
I really want to tell my colleagues that although the young lady is capable, sometimes the tabloid news isn't false. Strong abilities and a fierce temper do not conflict.
But in the end, he didn't speak his mind. He just calmly pushed up his glasses, cleared his throat twice, and said in a composed tone, "Work hard. If the company does well, Miss Xu won't treat anyone unfairly."
The staff all knew that Anshi was the special assistant Mr. Xu had left for Xu Si, so they didn't dare to discuss too much in his presence. They responded with a few words of agreement, but behind his back, they spread the news in the pantry.
The Xu family's study was next to the second-floor terrace, which faced a row of towering commercial centers. On weekends, sitting on the rattan lounge chair, one could use a telescope, aided by the neon lights, to vaguely make out the passersby in suits and skirts in the buildings opposite. When Xu Si was tired, she would rest here for a while. The damp Hong Kong Island winter, with the cold wind blowing, could clear even the most tumultuous thoughts.
Butler Ge stood behind her. He took out an envelope from inside his jacket and placed it on the table. The flap of the envelope was slightly open, revealing the pattern of a stack of large-denomination bills inside. At a glance, it seemed to be worth tens of thousands of yuan.
Butler Ge spoke coldly, "Miss, this morning, one of your relatives tried to bribe a servant with this envelope of money, asking them to find out what you do all day and what you like. The servant didn't dare to accept it and brought the money to me."
In this era, money was very valuable. The average person's salary was only a couple hundred yuan. It was a significant sum to spend so much to bribe a servant. Having served Mr. Xu for so long and witnessed all sorts of schemes, Butler Ge knew what they were trying to do. He felt both contempt and anger.
Xu Si glanced up, a slight smile on her lips. "My two uncles are quite wealthy, aren't they."
"I will reinforce the training for the servants; they won't divulge your privacy, Miss."
"Butler Ge, distribute this money. Let them just take it, however much is given. Consider it a bonus for their diligent work. They don't need to bother with anything else."
Xu Si's expression was devoid of any tension or pressure, and her tone lacked anger or frustration; instead, it was so calm that it was incredible.
Butler Ge had been worried that Xu Si, being in a low period, might be easily deceived by such displays of kinship. However, seeing her clear understanding of human nature reassured him, and his expression softened with an elder's care. "Miss, don't worry. Old Ge is with you. No matter how tough it gets, we'll get through this."
Xu Si fiddled with the pen in her hand, leaning back in her chair, eyes downcast. "Thank you, Butler Ge, but I already know what to do."
She was gradually taking over her father's work. Now that the money and the company were in her hands, it was naturally up to her to decide whom to give to and whom not to. People don't fall for the same trick twice. Xu Si wasn't that foolish; there wasn't much to worry about with people like Xu Zhiqiang.
What really bothered her was her current age, having been reborn at the awkward age of eighteen. It was an age that made it easy for people to look down on her. She couldn't walk into the company with this immature, youthful face and be a truly convincing decision-maker. After her one-year leave of absence from school, she had to return.
As if recalling something, Xu Si lifted her head steadily and said to Butler Ge, "Butler Ge, isn't the parent-teacher meeting tomorrow? Have the clothes I ordered arrived?"
She placed great importance on the parent-teacher meeting. Or rather, she took everything related to Pei Zhen very seriously, not overlooking even the slightest detail. Xu Zhiqiang and the others were parasites, but not particularly troublesome ones. Pei Zhen was the one who had pressed the pause button on her life, someone who might influence the entire upper-class society in the future. She couldn't afford to be careless.
In fact, Butler Ge had wanted to ask for a while. "The clothes have been delivered and are in your room, Miss. But I really don't understand why Young Master Pei is so important to you."
Miss Xu used to hate attending such events full of strangers the most. Now that she had the chance to avoid it, she surprisingly hadn't refused and had even specifically ordered custom-made clothes. This was highly uncharacteristic of her.
From the second-floor terrace, the view was expansive, offering an unobstructed view of bustling Hong Kong Island. Xu Si sat up, picked up a slightly oxidized, crisp apple from nearby, didn't eat it, and instead tossed it to a wild spotted dove that flew over, begging for food.
She asked, seemingly casually, "Well, don't you find him interesting?"
Butler Ge shook his head slightly, not understanding what "interesting" meant. Noticing the weather changing, however, he reacted with quick reflexes, taking a huge black umbrella from the corner and covering her completely with it.
"Ah, it's starting to rain."
Sitting under the black umbrella, Xu Si, in her white cashmere sweater and green long skirt, lifted a finger so pale it was striking. She extended it beyond the umbrella to catch the fine, thread-like raindrops. A few strands of her long hair, blown by the wind beyond the umbrella, caught the moisture and danced silently. She looked just like a camellia blooming in the dim, rainy night.
After a long moment, she finally said, "I find him quite interesting. Although he seems very well-behaved now, in reality… well, anyway, I'm quite looking forward to his future. He's bound to become a formidable person. So, just consider it an investment. Butler Ge, you must remember to treat him well too. After all, the greater the investment, the higher the return."
Butler Ge didn't understand, but that didn't prevent him from doing as Xu Si had instructed.
"Miss, I will take good care of Young Master Pei."
"Mm, I trust you. Give me the umbrella."
Xu Si took the black umbrella from Butler Ge's hand and stepped toward the edge of the terrace. Raindrops pattered on the umbrella's surface, creating small splashes. Some landed on Xu Si's brow and trickled down.
Near the smooth railing, a clumsy spotted dove, its wings drenched by the rain, had fallen to the ground. She picked it up and moved it under the dry eaves. She watched the spotted dove, its neck retracted, its small, mung bean-sized round eyes filled with wariness.
Xu Si found it somewhat strange again. Even a spotted dove was like this. To Pei Zhen, she had been a stranger until very recently. Why had he trusted her so easily? She could tell the young man's current obedience and sensibility weren't feigned. Yet, she had also seen his precociousness and profound thoughts; he was hardly the naïve, simple-minded type. Past experience told her that such a person, even if forced to accept help, wouldn't be entirely without defenses.
In the darkness of the night, she murmured softly, It must be because I've been too busy lately. I need to find an opportunity to ask him the real reason.