After the lively hustle and bustle of Lunar New Year's Eve and two subsequent days filled with social obligations—house visits on the first day of the new year and hosting relatives on the second—Simon and Lin Su finally had a quiet day to themselves on the third day of the Lunar New Year.
It was also Simon's last full day in China during this trip.
That morning, the two of them strolled around the scenic areas surrounding West Lake. They also stopped by a five-hectare plot of land on the lake's northern shore that Simon had acquired the previous year to check on the progress of a traditional Chinese-style estate being constructed there.
After lunch, instead of continuing to explore the city, they opted for a more leisurely activity: boating on West Lake.
"From the Qing Dynasty onward, my family has been considered a prominent one," Lin Su said as she leaned against Simon in a cozy corner of the second deck of a traditional red-lacquered wooden boat. The two sat by a window, gazing out at the lake's tranquil scenery. "Grandfather often spoke about a library our family used to have, filled with tens of thousands of ancient books. Sadly, for various reasons, most of them were lost over the years. This Qingbai Leichao that you're holding now is one of the few pieces that survived, though even it is incomplete. One section that remains, the 'Objects Volume,' has two lines of poetry that Grandfather loved. You've flipped through it just now—can you guess which ones?"
Simon didn't miss a beat. "'When will I walk with a cane to see the southern snow, as I and the plum blossoms both turn white-haired?'"
Lin Su blinked in surprise. "How did you guess so accurately?"
"I'm a man of culture too," Simon replied with a sly grin. "Literary people tend to have the same sentimental outlook—mourning spring and lamenting autumn."
"You're not a man of culture," Lin Su teased. "You're a capitalist tycoon."
Simon chuckled as he turned another page of the Qingbai Leichao.
Lin Su glanced outside the window for a moment before falling into a pensive tone. "I spent much of my childhood in the countryside. My parents stayed in the city for work and couldn't keep an eye on us. It was Grandfather who looked after me and my siblings, and he was very strict. Every night, he'd stand over us with a cane, making sure we studied. If we disobeyed, he'd smack our palms. As kids, of course, we just wanted to play and thought studying was pointless. Looking back now, the reason all of us managed to get into top universities was thanks to Grandfather's discipline.
"Lin Lan," she continued, referring to her younger sister, "once tore up one of his books in a fit of defiance. Grandfather was heartbroken—he even cried. My father rushed home that night and gave her a beating. After that, she straightened up and started behaving."
Simon listened attentively before teasing, "Are you sure it wasn't you who got in trouble and now you're blaming your sister?"
"Of course not!" Lin Su retorted, laughing. "I was always the obedient eldest daughter!" She glanced at him and added, "Besides, Lin Lan still has that fiery temper even now. You've probably noticed it yourself. But really, she's not a bad person—just a bit… spirited."
"Got it. She's the counterpart to Chen Qing," Simon said with a knowing smile.
"Exactly!" Lin Su nodded. "She even admitted it herself—she calls herself Daji and claims she never does anything good. She recently had a jade pendant carved into a nine-tailed fox and wears it everywhere."
"Speaking of jade," Simon said, turning to her with a mischievous glint, "what about yours?"
"I don't have one," Lin Su replied quickly.
"I don't believe you. You must have hidden it somewhere. Let me check."
"No, stop it! Someone might see us!" Lin Su protested, glancing nervously toward the shore where a few people seemed to be looking their way. Before she could stop him, Simon leaned in and stole a kiss.
Blushing, Lin Su leaned against him like a contented cat, her body soft and warm. After a moment of quiet intimacy, she whispered, "About the last few days… my father's behavior… I hope you don't mind."
Simon knew exactly what she was referring to.
Over the past few days, especially during the New Year celebrations, Simon had been approached by an endless stream of people, many of whom were obviously arranged by Lin Su's father to establish connections or seek favors.
Simon pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I don't mind. I'm not someone who's out of touch with reality."
Lin Su looked visibly relieved but still felt the need to explain further. "Our family is large. My father is the third sibling, but he's the one who's achieved the most and is responsible for looking after everyone. Lin Lan often complains about this, but… well, it's true. My father's position in the city isn't particularly high-ranking, but it's not easy for him to manage everything."
"I understand," Simon said softly.
Lin Su sighed, then continued, "That's why he's so happy you're here. At least now, no matter who he meets, he can hold his head high. He doesn't have to lower himself or constantly second-guess others' intentions."
Simon was reminded of a poem and recited it quietly:
"In life, eight or nine things rarely go as planned; only two or three can be shared with others.
Since meeting Jingmen's talented son, I dream of riding iron horses in battles south of the city walls."
Lin Su listened to the first two lines, and her heart resonated with the sentiment. She nuzzled his shoulder in quiet agreement. But after mulling over the last two lines, she gave him a light slap on the arm.
Simon turned another page in the Qingbai Leichao, grinning as he realized what had upset her. "That's just how the poem goes—I didn't write it. And it's not meant to be mocking. It's an aspirational poem. Besides, your father is retiring next year, so he definitely won't have the chance to 'ride iron horses into battle.'"
Lin Su pouted playfully, like a young girl. "So you're saying you won't care about my family after he retires? What about my sister?"
Simon replied firmly, "I'll take care of everyone. Your sister included."
Satisfied with his answer, Lin Su smiled and asked, "Whose poem was that, by the way?"
"Li Bai's," Simon said confidently.
Lin Su narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "You're lying. Li Bai wouldn't write something like that. It sounds more like a late Tang Dynasty poem, maybe closer to Du Fu's style."
"Ah, then it must be Du Fu's," Simon replied, unfazed.
"..."
Pulling her closer, Simon kissed her on the lips before joking, "Here's a tip: whenever you don't know the source of a poem, just say it's by Li Bai or Du Fu. People will think you're a literary genius."
Lin Su let him kiss her, then lightly scolded, "You're so full of nonsense."
The cabin was warm and cozy, and the golden glow of the setting sun shimmered like scales across the rippling lake. The beauty of the scene was breathtaking, even in winter.
As they enjoyed the moment, Simon decided he would have a larger, more luxurious boat built in the future—but not for West Lake. The lake was too small. Instead, the boat would be placed on Taihu Lake in nearby Suzhou.
The next day, February 10, marked Simon's final day in China. He had spent a full week here, and while part of him wanted to linger, he knew he couldn't stay indefinitely.
Before leaving, Simon spent his final morning squeezing in some business meetings.
Several high-ranking executives from Westeros System's China operations had flown into Hangzhou the previous day to meet him. Early in the morning, they gathered at the West Lake villa for brief one-on-one discussions with their boss, each session lasting only 10 to 20 minutes.
In the study of the villa, Simon sat on a couch, flanked by three of his top executives: Jared Buckley, head of Apollo's China operations; He Zaiyuan, president of Levison Group's China division; and Jill Pecket, who had been sent to China last year to oversee various projects.
After some light encouragement, Simon got to the main point. "Jared, your work on the Evergrande and Country Garden investments has been excellent. He, the progress on the Levison International Center and the Xiangshan Golf Project is also impressive. And Jill, securing the Rose Garden Villa project was a great achievement, but remember, this is only the beginning—you still have much to learn."
Simon then turned to the larger issue. "The real reason I called you three together is collaboration. China's real estate tightening measures have been in place for four years now, and we can expect a policy shift in the next two years. When that happens, I'll be significantly increasing investments in this sector.
"The problem I've noticed," Simon continued, "is a lack of communication and cooperation between your teams. I won't
get into the details—you know what I mean. But I expect you to work as a cohesive unit, supporting one another. The Chinese real estate market is still in its infancy, and the opportunities are vast. If you want to achieve something substantial, you need to think big. Focusing only on your small patch won't get you far..."
As Simon spoke, Lin Su quietly entered the room with a pot of tea. She nodded politely to the group, set the tea down, and left without interrupting.
Outside the study, she encountered a familiar figure—Feng Chuo, formerly known as Feng Cairan. After her dramatic incident in Manhattan, Simon had left it to Lin Su to find a suitable arrangement for her. Feng Chuo had been given two options: a stable government job in China or a position under Ran Yueming, Lin Su and Chen Qing's trusted assistant in China.
Feng Chuo had chosen the latter, unwilling to relinquish her recently acquired U.S. citizenship for a government post.
Now standing before Lin Su with a document in hand, Feng Chuo hesitated before handing it over.
"It's a list of photography equipment," she said softly.
Lin Su took the document and glanced at it casually. "How are you doing these days?"
"Not bad," Feng Chuo replied. After a pause, she added, "Thank you, Lin Jie."
Lin Su caught the flicker of longing in Feng Chuo's gaze as it darted briefly toward the study door. Understanding the unspoken emotions, Lin Su simply said, "Focus on your work. Live your life well. You're free now—no one will interfere with you anymore."
Feng Chuo hesitated, then lowered her eyes. "I understand."
Before leaving, Lin Su added, "Oh, and prepare a box office report for Keep Cool. Bring it to me in ten minutes."
"Got it," Feng Chuo said, before walking away.
Meanwhile, the discussion in the study moved on to other topics, including Simon's latest television project initiatives. Though his trip to China was coming to an end, the groundwork he had laid here promised to bear fruit for years to come.
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