Lin Yuchan leaped onto the deck like a rabbit, not needing his help at all.

Yixing’s steamship! A real steamship!

Her excitement temporarily offset the cold attitude of the person beside her.

Lin Yuchan enthusiastically crouched down to touch the deck, then pretended to hug the big smokestack. Suddenly remembering something, her smile froze as she asked Su Minguan:

“But… but foreign merchants are collectively boycotting you, not allowing Chinese merchants to own steamships. Even if you had money, why would they sell you this one…”

Su Minguan let out a cold, quiet laugh.

“Indeed, my face has become the Bund’s public enemy. Who would sell me a ship?”

There were still quite a few other people on the ship. Several sailors were doing maintenance, a dock worker was organizing cables, someone was loading cargo into the cabin, and several fellow merchants were touring, with sounds of amazement occasionally coming from the cabin.

Suddenly, footsteps came from the engine room, and a blonde young man rushed out, quickly adjusting his suit.

“Lin…”

Victor smiled broadly, waving repeatedly at Lin Yuchan and deliberately blinking twice.

Lin Yuchan: “…”

Why was this person randomly showing up everywhere?

Su Minguan stepped forward two paces, shook hands lightly with Victor, and asked coldly: “I haven’t withheld your wages, have I?”

Victor: “No… no… but Lin…”

“Then you can go. The contract ends here.”

Victor looked miserable as he held onto his feet, not daring to run to Lin Yuchan’s side, only able to secretly blow her kisses and blink twice forcefully.

“Mr. Victor Levin, temporary chief comprador for Yixing Shipping.” Su Minguan’s tone was flat as he formally introduced him to Lin Yuchan. “Term of service: one hour. Performance excellent.”

Foreign merchants used Chinese to control Chinese, hiring Chinese compradors to deal with Chinese people. Now, a Chinese merchant was following their example, hiring a foreigner to show face and trick them into a monopolized steamship. When the seller discovered this foreigner represented not a foreign merchant but had colluded with Chinese people, it was already too late for regrets.

No wonder Victor looked thoroughly unhappy, with the dejected appearance of someone who’d lost sovereignty and humiliated the country.

Lin Yuchan snorted with laughter, watching Victor dawdling toward shore while still winking at her – exactly two blinks, no more, no less.

“Miss Lin, if you’ve been kidnapped by this villain, just blink twice.”

Remembering Victor’s words, she couldn’t help but smile, whispering to Su Minguan: “He must have some major weakness you’re holding over him.”

“At least he thinks so.” Su Minguan didn’t laugh along, waving Victor away dismissively. “Cost me twenty taels of silver. Hourly wages are much more expensive than Chinese compradors.”

That day, Su Minguan had tricked Victor with one mention of “Tianxiang Tower,” scaring him into not daring to go out carousing for a week, thinking he’d encountered Shanghai’s mafia, the Far East’s Robin Hood. Walking the streets, he felt needles all over his body, fearing that Big Brother’s spies were everywhere.

So when Su Minguan found him and asked him to be a puppet, representing Yixing in steamship negotiations, Victor could only nod in agreement, not daring to say another word.

Victor adjusted his mindset, straightened his hat, and disembarked with grace.

As he brushed past Su Minguan, Victor finally couldn’t help but lean close to his ear and say: “I can bow and scrape to you today. But don’t forget – your country can only bow its head to mine. Mr. Su, no matter how capable you are, you can’t change this simple fact.”

Su Minguan’s expression turned stern. After a long moment, he said coldly, “We have an employment relationship. My money didn’t buy your knees, Mr. Levin.”

Victor didn’t immediately understand his meaning, gave a cold laugh, and strode away.

Su Minguan said nothing, walking past the huge paddle wheel into the pilot house. Ship documents were spread there, some scattered. He gathered them one by one.

The ship was second-hand, and because he’d bought it urgently without time to clean it, traces of its previous owner remained scattered throughout: several Russell & Co. trademark wooden signs, a row of old bulletin stickers, ash in the crevices, rusty wrench tools soaking in a water-damaged box. The locker still hid half a bottle of liquor left by American sailors, along with several dirty glasses.

But now this ship was his. It had to be spotless.

Su Minguan slowly tidied the cabin clutter, not lifting his eyes as he said: “Though the money broke even, hiring experienced sailors and technicians to operate it, plus fuel and maintenance costs, have all risen with the tide. Moreover, interested foreign companies probably won’t give up and will continue causing me trouble. So the debt temporarily can’t be completely cleared. I’ll pay it off as quickly as possible according to debt priority. Miss Lin, you’ve toured and should feel confident about my repayment ability. If there’s nothing else…”

He continued speaking to himself, suddenly noticing the other side had been quiet for a long time. Glancing over, his heart trembled slightly.

The little girl was staring fixedly at him, face white as autumn moon, but with a ring of red around her eyes that grew from light to deep, spreading to her brow edges. Her thin, pale lips were pressed into a line, corners trembling slightly, desperately holding back something.

Exactly like her appearance after being wronged at the Chartered Bank that day.

The forced cheerfulness and nonchalance were like the red flame on a thin match, pressed against his body full of frost, struggling to burn until finally exhausting its heat, leaving only bitter black fragments.

But she was proud, not allowing herself to cry in front of others, only slightly turning her face away, casually looking at the pipes and boards on the wall to redirect her attention.

Su Minguan felt an indescribable guilt, tearing paper scraps from the wall as if nothing had happened: “Did I say something wrong?”

A long steam whistle sounded from a neighboring ship on the river. When that sound passed, only her light breathing remained in the cabin.

After a long while, she finally suppressed her emotions and said quietly: “Don’t be so fierce to me.”

“I’m not.” Su Minguan immediately retorted. “I always talk this way.”

“You can be aggressive toward others, but to me…”

“Same with you. When Defeng Company first discussed tea orders, I used this same tone.”

He complained first, rushing to finish speaking, suddenly thinking how good it would be if his relationship with her could return to their first meeting in Guangzhou, that nodding acquaintance relationship…

Ever since last year’s Lantern Festival when he accidentally held her hand, or perhaps earlier when she called herself a little widow and he hadn’t been furious or corrected her – maybe the boundary crossing began then. He had allowed this dangerous relationship to grow wildly until it was almost uncontrollable…

He was a heartless bastard.

He suddenly realized she hadn’t come on business today – there wasn’t a trace of aggression about her. She wore casual foreign cloth, all in plain moon-white with a lively sky-blue cotton cloak over it, as if just going out to see lanterns during a festival.

A kind, just-turned-seventeen southern girl. She hadn’t come to collect debts today, not to curry favor, not as a journalist for interviews, nor like other fellow merchants with ulterior motives inspecting his new property. She’d come purely to share in his joy.

Su Minguan forced himself to look away, also picking an unremarkable corner to stare at, still in that cold, hard tone: “Miss Lin, sorry for hiding things from you before. In terms of private virtue, I’m no good sort – I most enjoy randomly attracting women. Now I’m reforming and starting anew. If you hate me, I have nothing to say. But… anyway, we still need to do business together. In money matters, I’m still reliable, won’t cheat you. Hope you won’t write me off completely…”

The two stood as far apart as possible in the limited space, separated by a hardwood ship’s wheel with an ivory crucifix hung on it by some sailor. The half-naked Jesus swayed in the air, his kind, melancholy face looking this way and that.

Lin Yuchan suddenly felt his words seemed familiar. Just last year, when Yixing Shipping still reeked of blood, she had opened her heart to Su Minguan, saying she might seem improper in his eyes, but her character was good in other respects…

How had he answered then? She forgot the exact words, but it was quite perceptive, giving her sudden enlightenment.

Now it seemed he was just as clear-sighted as an observer. When it came to himself, complete confusion.

Just not marrying for life – what was so terrible about that, as if the sky was falling?

If he acted like an old scholar, insisting on marrying her home because he’d touched her feet and seen her in a slip dress, then she’d be scared enough to hide as far away as possible.

She stepped forward, took down the crucifix, and also went to the wall, peeling off old papers bit by bit. The glue was strong, making tearing sounds and leaving white marks.

While coldly laughing: “Didn’t you get along well with Aunt Hong and the others? Didn’t you also advise me not to marry so my property wouldn’t fall into others’ hands? Young Master Su’s words and actions are consistent – I see no need to reform.”

Su Minguan’s ears reddened, his fierce expression nearly crumbling. He gritted his teeth lightly, saying coldly: “I was being selfish, just talking.”

He was indeed very selfish. At the time, he’d only thought – if you don’t marry and I don’t marry, we’ll have opportunities to meet often in the future.

Who knew human hearts were never satisfied? As time went on, he was no longer content with “meeting often.” He wanted more.

His lips curved in an indifferent, cold smile as he told Lin Yuchan, “If you want to keep your dowry in your own hands, there are some feasible operations. Write a few contracts and documents – just a matter of processing fees. Done well, ordinary in-laws won’t arbitrarily control you. If you’re interested, I’ll find some experts to explain the details later.”

Lin Yuchan was stretching on tiptoe to reach a Russell & Co. wooden sign, just short of reaching it, her right hand nearly cramping from stretching. Hearing this, her chest hurt even more from anger. She simply jumped up and yanked it down. The sign came unhooked and clattered to the floor.

This sound startled Su Minguan for a moment. He thought Miss Lin should be furious now, but throwing something was mild. Best if she slapped this beast in human clothing a few times, then kicked him into the water to settle all the advantages he’d taken before.

But she was unexpectedly calm. After being startled, she actually laughed softly, picked up the wooden sign, and casually threw it out the window into the river.

“Of course I won’t marry anyone, especially not you! You borrowed eight hundred taels of my hard-earned money. If you married me, this debt wouldn’t need repaying – written off immediately! Su Minguan, dream on. I thank you for not marrying me!”

Sharp-tongued words came one after another while she sniffled, glaring at him defiantly, as if determined to surpass him in being “shocking and unconventional.”

Su Minguan was first stunned, almost impulsively asking: “What about after I’ve paid off all debts?”

He managed to restrain himself. She began struggling with the second wooden sign, still falling short by three to five inches in height. Afraid she’d be hurt by the hook, he walked two steps behind her and easily reached up to remove it.

Suddenly, a slender hand climbed up and grasped his wrist.

Su Minguan’s teeth made a clicking sound.

He’d been fine, hibernating in the dark, comfortable abyss, but this female bodhisattva had nothing better to do than drag him around for salvation!

She didn’t turn around, slowly pulling his hand down, asking softly: “Why did you make that vow? Can you tell me?”

She gripped tightly, so he gave up struggling, saying coldly: “Life is short, too troublesome.”

Knowing she wouldn’t believe this lie told without conviction.

Sure enough, he heard her soft hum as she turned around.

An exquisite face, slender waist – just one step closer and he could gather her in his arms. This was his ship, his private space, accounts settled, no one outside the windows.

Su Minguan stood motionless, even affecting an impatient tone: “Satisfied?”

But she wasn’t scared off by this coldness, still looking at him tolerantly, saying: “There’s something I don’t understand. Between two young people, from strangers to a married couple, there are many other relationships in between. Being acquaintances, friends, very good friends… not necessarily having to go to that final step. If we don’t discuss marriage, that’s fine, but why must you push me back to the position of ‘strangers’ – I’m not happy about it.”

Su Minguan looked at her quietly, feeling somewhat ashamed for a moment.

When she was unhappy inside, she said she was unhappy, frank as a clear, transparent spring. Unlike him, this scheming, calculating black-hearted merchant who devoured people without spitting out bones.

For that instant, he dropped his outermost mental defense, asking hoarsely: “Then where should I put you?”

Acquaintance, friend, or…

“Follow your heart – haven’t forgotten that, have you?” Lin Yuchan smiled. “Don’t force yourself.”

She placed her left hand over his, two slender white hands covering his, gripping firmly. Her skin was slightly cool.

She asked with a smile: “Not disgusted?”

Su Minguan: “…”

“Good friends can do this too.” She smiled again, suddenly reaching up to scrape his nose. “Not disgusted?”

Su Minguan jerked around, giving her his back.

This girl was young and ignorant, led astray by those lawless foreigners at customs. These heretical ideas were unacceptable to traditional Chinese people. How could unrelated men and women be “good friends” as she suggested?

Either strangers or having an affair – there was no gray area. People like them, once exposed, would be judged by a hundred upright officials, with ninety-nine condemning them for “illicit relations,” deserving to be taken home and beaten.

The hundredth might be more merciful, probably making them bow to each other on the spot to make up for past moral failures.

She was a girl who didn’t understand, taking pride in calling herself modern. If he, a man who’d seen the world’s darkness, went along with her nonsense, he’d eventually harm her.

The ceramic pen holder in his pocket was hard and uncomfortable. He carried it to remind himself of the consequences of crossing boundaries.

Workers at the shipping company were already gossiping, saying Boss Su was flirting with Miss Lin without marrying her, probably looking down on her background and only wanting a concubine, truly despicable and inhuman. Though he’d immediately nipped that rumor in the bud and severely docked the worker’s wages, making him swear to be mute in the future, where there’s one, there’ll be two. Hard to guarantee no worse talk later.

He decided to end those past absurd affairs. So he quickly walked away, returning to that ash-covered corner. His eyes lowered, then raised, shaking off those briefly sprouting feelings, leaving only distant coldness.

“Miss Lin, sorry for making you read too much into things.” He curved his lips in a cruel smile. “Doing business with you brings me profit, that’s all. Having never done business with women before, I was curious, so I played around with you more. Anyway, you didn’t want me to take responsibility… Today, my conscience awakened. I’m telling you the ugly truth, giving you a chance to turn back. If you can’t bear to leave me, come back to Yixing with me now. Don’t leave tonight.”

Anyone could speak scoundrel words – he could say even worse. With a trace of painful satisfaction, he watched her shocked retreat, the warm smile disappearing from her face, pale red creeping around her eyes again.

“Xiaobai,” she bit her lip, trying to look at him sternly, “I came happily today to congratulate you. I don’t want to hear lies.”

Su Minguan pointed forward: “The door’s over there. I’ll count to three.”

Lin Yuchan said quietly: “You’re not allowed to lie to me!”

Now, even debtors were so arrogant? Was this something he could say?

Su Minguan was extremely defensive, usually mixing truth and falsehood, hiding genuine words in jokes – she knew this. Her ability wasn’t enough to give him a lie detector test. She could only stare intently at his expression, trying to find evidence he was talking nonsense.

But his face showed no flaws, casually glancing at her like looking at an insignificant roadside wildflower.

As if she were some foolish girl who fantasized randomly and let people take advantage of her!

She gripped the ship’s wheel railing hard, saying tremblingly: “You always saw me this way… I thought you were different…”

“Miss Lin, let go. Don’t damage my ship.”

Lin Yuchan was so angry she was slightly oxygen-deprived, saying sarcastically: “Your ship is much more important than me. Glory of Chinese merchants, sensation of Shanghai – you had no time to tell me.”

She fumbled in her chest with trembling hands, took out a small red envelope, and threw it at his feet.

“Congratulations. Great prosperity.”

Su Minguan bent to pick it up, opened it to see the amount inside, and said quietly: “Thank you.”

She gritted her teeth and stormed out.

This was the Qing Dynasty. The Qing Dynasty couldn’t tolerate freaks.

She thought she’d luckily met someone unconventional, only to have him turn around and tell her that this past year was just indulging her quirks, playing around.

All her wishful thinking.

How ridiculous.

The bitter wind blowing across the river cooled her burning cheeks somewhat. She wiped tears from her eyes, looked around confusedly at the busy sailors and workers, adjusted her pace, and prepared to have someone lower the gangplank.

Such a small matter – just losing one friend.

The gangplank suddenly lowered from the other side. A tall figure leaped up lightly. Blonde hair, blue eyes, big nose.

“Miss Lin!” Victor dramatically extended both arms toward her, suddenly glanced at the pilot house, then retracted them quietly, “Oh, what’s wrong with you? Who upset you?”

The little girl’s eyebrow tips were all red. Her lower lip had teeth marks, eyes freshly dried from tears, wet and making one want to kiss them.

Victor took one look at her expression and decoded about seventy to eighty percent, sighing: “I told you before – men turn bad when they have ships. Chinese men aren’t worth it. There are plenty of others who’d be good to you in this world. Why circle a dry well? Come on, I’ll take you to play billiards.”

Lin Yuchan was amused, eyes still red but curved slightly.

“What’s your business anyway?”

Returning after leaving, not for a passionate farewell with Su Minguan.

Victor grinned sheepishly, raising his hand with a stack of crumpled papers.

“Some document copies I forgot to return to him. They’re useless to me.”

Lin Yuchan stepped aside to let him pass the gangplank.

Victor glared resentfully toward the deck but didn’t move.

“Forget it. You deliver them for me. I don’t want to deal with that monster again.”

Lin Yuchan thought: neither do I.

But Victor moved faster than her thoughts. Taking advantage of her distraction, he stuffed the documents in her hands, then quickly bent down, bringing his face close to hers for a light kiss, achieving his long-dreamed-of French cheek kiss.

“Goodbye! Come find me when you’re free!” Feeling he’d planted some grass on the monster’s head, he ran away, satisfied with a quick escape, quietly mocking: “Really nothing better to do. If you’re buying a ship, just buy it. Why bother changing the name? Mississippi was fine. Made me run extra trips… Don’t look for me for this stuff in the future…”

Lin Yuchan spat. Mississippi indeed – would make Chinese tongues twist just pronouncing it.

She unrolled the documents, formed them into a tube, stood on tiptoe, and was about to throw them through the pilot house window.

Suddenly, several lines caught her eye.

Su Minguan’s handwriting. A ship renaming application with minor flaws, so it was voided and another submitted.

The document was bilingual, Chinese-English. His English was also flowing and elegant – the writing revealed a refined scoundrel’s handsome facade.

Especially with comprador Victor Levin’s rough signature below for contrast, like comparing fine flowers to dog-tail grass.

Lin Yuchan’s cold smile froze on her lips. Suddenly, her breathing stopped.

……..

Former ship owner: American Russell & Co.

Current ship owner: Shanghai Yixing Shipping

Ownership certificate and operating license obtained, inspection passed, all fees paid, valid until December 1863

Former name: Mississippi

Current name: Luna

……..

Lin Yuchan slowly withdrew her hand. It seemed like a thousand conch shells were humming in her ears, making her dizzy.

The second Chinese application is, same format and content. Ship name—

This ship – reincarnation of Guangdong ship, product of his scheming and calculation, his hundred strategies and thousand plans, surviving foreign merchants’ united boycott, risking bankruptcy, exhausting all connections, seizing Shanghai’s first Chinese-owned steamship – he named it:

Chanjuan.

Su Minguan had tidied the pilot house, casually opened the liquor locker, took out that half bottle of whiskey, shook it, uncertain if it was still drinkable.

That was close.

Just barely. Almost gave up.

Fortunately, the world will be peaceful from now on.

He sighed softly and pulled out the cork.

Just then, light footsteps sounded behind him. Then the door closed. Before he could turn around, someone hugged him from behind.

Having blown in the cold wind outside, her cool little head pressed against his shoulder. A pair of slender, strong hands circled his waist.

He suddenly went rigid all over, fire burning from his feet upward, consuming him to the top, his heart nearly breaking free. Just like the first time she hugged him, no improvement whatsoever.

“Su Minguan,” the familiar voice pressed against his back, calling his full name with a trembling voice, “you’re so childish.”

“You’re older than me, but wasted all those years like a dog.”

“You made me very sad today.”

“It won’t happen again.”

“I like you too.”