As soon as she went upstairs, Xu Si headed to the study. A ring of shimmering, long-handled keys hung from her arm, jingling with each step—each a key to a different room's door.
She opened the safe, tossed the keys in, and then locked it up tight once again.
The air was suffused with the fresh aroma of paper and ink, subtly mixed with the astringent scent of wood polish.
Recalling the butler's words, she took small steps towards the black-lacquered telephone, pressing the button to play the messages.
"BEEP BEEP—!"
Wen Jiaojiao's voice leaped from the speaker. It lacked any trace of delicateness—it was raspy, with an intimate tone.
"Miss Xu, just letting you know I'll be back from England to Hong Kong Island next month for my vacation. During this time, have you made any new friends behind my back?"
It sounded like an accusation.
Xu Si pressed the button to leave a message. After a BEEP, her voice was clear and cold, yet tinged with a smile.
"Indeed. One every eight days, and each for eight days."
Wen Jiaojiao was her childhood friend. They were of similar age and kindred spirits who had witnessed each other's youth. Their bond had always been strong, both in the past and, she felt, for the future.
Hearing her friend's girlish voice once again, even briefly, stirred a faint nostalgia within her.
Her fingers, resting on the reddish-brown desk surface, twitched. A white list on the desk fluttered in the breeze and rolled onto the carpet, revealing an obscured timetable from the academy that had been beneath it.
It stated that next month, the Imperial Noble Private Academy on Hong Kong Island would also have a vacation, with an examination scheduled just before it.
Xu Si blinked slowly, a slight curve touching her lips.
An exam?
She remembered that during high school, every exam result was crucial. These results were recorded in the student handbook and sent to prospective universities upon graduation, serving as evidence of a distinguished pupil.
Since it was so important, and with too many troublesome people around the house, it really wasn't a suitable environment for Pei Zhen to study.
After a long pause, she expertly dialed a frequently contacted number.
"Anshi, find me four gutsy, cash-strapped guys from the streets to do a little job for me."
"Miss, what job?"
Xu Si's fair fingertips grazed the ironwork decoration. Her tone was casual as she said, "Don't worry, no killing."
On the other end of the phone, Anshi cracked a smile.
"Kidnapping."
Anshi's smile quickly faded.
Xu Si hung up the receiver and picked up the adoption information sheet that had been left in a corner. The young man's photograph was still firmly stuck in the top right corner.
A straight nose, a superior hairline, and thin, delicate lips.
It was as if he were favored by the goddess Nüwa herself.
During the short time they had spent together, her opinion of him had changed significantly. He wasn't a despicable person. On the contrary, he was well-mannered, polite, and quite likeable. After meals, he would even thank the servants. He was compliant and obedient—he'd stay wherever he was told and do whatever he was asked, without any young master's temper or fussiness. It gave her the audacious illusion that even if he found out she had approached him with an agenda, with such a good temper, he probably wouldn't get angry.
「Inside Imperial Noble Private Academy」
The off-white curtains fluttered in the breeze. Pei Zhen, dressed in a dark blue uniform, sat properly at his desk, writing.
Though he was the same age as his classmates, his demeanor starkly contrasted with theirs, yet he was somehow well-integrated. Anyone who approached him with a question would receive an answer. He maintained a friendly yet appropriate distance from others, which contradicted his otherwise aloof presence.
A group of people swaggered past the classrooms, drawing sidelong glances from students who made way for them, until they finally stopped at the doorway of Class One.
Chen Shihua, with a roguish air, tapped on the desk of a student by the door. His voice dripped with arrogance as he asked, "Hey, buddy, is Pei Zhen in your class?"
The student looked alarmed for a moment, then pointed to a seat in the second-to-last row at the back.
"Over there."
Following the direction, Chen Shihua's gaze met a pair of ash-gray eyes that were looking back at him with a semi-amused expression.
The veins in Chen Shihua's tense temples looked as if they were about to burst.