Su Minguan was speechless, motionless like a wooden sculpture, his heart suddenly twisting with pain, then abruptly losing all five senses, as if floating in a colorless ocean, with only a pair of hands beneath his ribs, supporting him, constricting his breathing.

He gripped half a bottle of whiskey, the glass bottle neck warmed by his palm. Each word she spoke was like a bullet, riddling the steel dam in his heart that had been so painstakingly maintained, shooting it full of holes.

“Miss Lin,” his mouth was dry, his voice hoarse as he struggled desperately, “what madness has come over you…”

Several crumpled papers fluttered to his feet.

Chanjuan. Luna.

Luna.

Two small syllables, from the base of his tongue to its tip, the lingering breath rushing past his lips was desire too blatant to hide.

His pupils contracted sharply, his cheeks burning, his breathing disordered as she mischievously patted his chest, testing his heartbeat.

That Victor was more trouble than he was worth. Su Minguan gritted his teeth, thinking, when he had money, he’d hire a Cossack regiment sooner or later, fight to St. Petersburg, sweep Nevsky Prospect clean, find his house, and bomb it to ruins.

But what did it matter? He had already lost, utterly defeated, all lies shattered. No matter how clever his mind, he couldn’t think of any excuse to explain himself.

He sighed softly, covering her hand as if in self-anesthesia, once again swallowing his harsh words. It seemed like barely half an hour, creating a new record for his lack of trustworthiness.

He slowly turned around, embracing face-to-face that small body he had longed for day and night. With a forceful pull, he held her so tight her breathing became irregular. The lustrous jade pendant swaying on her small earlobe was one he had chosen for her; her neck carried a fragrance, as if it still retained the warm, lightly smoky scent from the private room at last year’s New Year banquet. Her shoulders trembled lightly; perhaps she was still sobbing. He dared not look down, carefully extending his thumb to touch her smooth cheek, tracing her narrow little chin – he could hold her entire face in one hand…

This little fool, who, to repay his small favor, rashly took silver to the yamen to bail him out. This naive child, when his life hung in the balance, took up his gun and stood guard beside him. This little troublemaker, who, facing accusations from fellow disciples, unconditionally stood by his side every time, helping him argue with others. This thoughtful girl who bore difficulties alone, too stubborn to ask for his help, yet remembered he liked sweet foods…

How could he bear to hurt her with harsh words?

Suddenly from outside the window came a dockworker’s shout: “The deck’s all cleaned up too – hey, anyone know where to collect wages?”

Su Minguan’s whole body shook, momentarily panicked, breaking from her embrace, saying in a low voice: “Draw the curtains.”

With a crash, the bottle slipped from his hand, filling the room with a strong fragrance as it shattered.

Su Minguan was so angry he gritted his teeth. He had never been so flustered before.

“Afraid of gossip?” Lin Yuchan looked at him teasingly instead, stepping back two paces to avoid the spreading liquor, saying softly: “I think I’ve saved up enough capital that a few loose tongues gossiping won’t scare me… provided the debtor doesn’t default on payment…”

Su Minguan reached out to pull her back, “Don’t move!”

Glass shards covered the floor. Several pieces had pierced his leather boots but hadn’t cut through, leaving white marks. She was wearing small cloth shoes and still wandering around.

That loud-mouthed dockworker had walked away. He hesitated a moment, then bent down to pick her up, placing her in a corner of the room.

He didn’t want to call anyone in. He found a broom himself and slowly cleaned up the mess.

Lin Yuchan watched with a smile.

She thought herself truly foolish to have been deceived into such turmoil by his few words.

Having experienced much treachery these past two years, she had long understood a principle: when judging people, don’t look at their words, look at their actions.

Boss Su was unscrupulous in business, a master of lies and deception – she wasn’t unaware of this. But his heartbeat couldn’t lie, his body temperature couldn’t lie, his earnestness when practicing shooting with her couldn’t lie, his repeated visits when she was ill couldn’t lie, and that night when he burst into her room thinking she’d met with disaster, his voice cracking with emotion couldn’t lie.

Of course, she thought, it would be even better if there were a few more truths mixed in.

Su Minguan collected the bottle fragments into a dustpan, his hands somewhat disobedient, taking several sweeps to clean properly.

Earlier when he’d purchased the Guangdong, negotiated the dismantling agreement with the iron works, sold the Swallow, then bought the Mississippi, with tens of thousands of taels in silver notes flowing in and out, finally signing the renaming application – even when signing his hand had trembled, but never as badly as now.

The sharp glass reflected prismatic light, like curved mirrors reflecting ridiculous shadows.

He couldn’t help but feel confused. Is this me?

This cunning, ruthless merchant, who had cheated countless people, this penny-pinching, selfish, stubborn fool, could have someone who, after seeing through his true face, would still like him.

Stepping on the glass shards he had deliberately scattered, walking step by step into the depths of his heart, finding that lonely, fragile little boy, and opening her arms to embrace him.

Suddenly, he gasped, dropping a blood-stained piece of glass.

Lin Yuchan hurried over, taking his hand to examine it.

Fortunately, he’d moved quickly; the wound wasn’t deep, just that the high-proof alcohol had seeped in, making his brow furrow with pain.

“You are something.” She always kept a clean handkerchief in her pocket, quickly bandaging him, “Convenient disinfection too. Blow on it, don’t be afraid.”

Su Minguan obediently let her manipulate his hand. He didn’t know what soap she used to wash her hands – her palms carried a faint sandalwood scent.

He said softly: “I’m sorry.”

“Think nothing of it. No need for ceremony.” Though tears still clung to the corners of her eyes, her heart had already forgiven him. She deliberately put on a stern face, warning him: “No being mean to me in the future.”

She thought, now he should count as her boyfriend, right?

Unfortunately, in the traditional moral system, there was no concept of “dating” whatsoever. The closest descriptions would be “adulterer and adulteress,” “fleeting lovers,” “illicit union without matchmaker”…

This last time, since he hadn’t managed to drive her away, it was tantamount to accepting these vulgar relationships.

Su Minguan dared to cut his queue and rebel, dared to force foreigners to serve as compradors, but accepting this point would probably require overcoming considerable psychological barriers.

The Internationale hadn’t yet been realized. One should be tolerant of the ancients.

She had so many quirks, how many times had she made the young master so angry that smoke came from all seven orifices, how many times had she seen him secretly furrow his brow, but in moments he would turn back around with helpless, indulgent smile, joining her in mischief.

This time, it was her turn to be patient.

She carefully cleaned up the remaining glass fragments, smiling: “Would Boss Su do me the honor of giving me a tour of the steamship? I missed all the excitement of the new ship’s christening earlier.”

Su Minguan felt even more guilty. Why hadn’t he invited her? As owner of the first Chinese merchant steamship, he would inevitably become known outside the industry sooner or later, and she would find out eventually anyway.

That minor official who came to congratulate had praised at length, quoting classics, saying the ship’s name was cultured. The English sounded good too, wouldn’t be laughed at by foreigners when spoken abroad.

At the time, he had sneered inwardly. Yet felt some forbidden satisfaction. They didn’t understand.

This was his secret alone.

This was his first ship. Light, swift, beautiful, resilient, extraordinary. The most stunning, eye-catching girl in all of Shanghai harbor.

He had planned to take her and remain a lonely ghost for life.

His palm warmed as the young lady gently took his hand. The most stunning, eye-catching girl on the Shanghai Bund stood before him, softly pleading: “No keeping secrets, take me to see.”

He smiled slightly, gently, and steadily, making a gesture of invitation.

The steamship was enormous, with numerous compartments. Newcomers unfamiliar with ships could easily get lost in a maze.

But he walked confidently. After all, in his past daydreams, he had led her through many times already.

The outer deck had indeed been cleaned, rust scrubbed until it gleamed, the “Russell & Co.” signboard removed cleanly. Workers were hammering nails, hanging up “Yixing” merchant signs, slowly raising new flags.

Lin Yuchan looked up and burst out laughing.

“How…”

The British Union Jack with double copper coin emblems below – East meets West with excellent results, magnificently imposing. Those unaware might think it was the London branch of the Heaven and Earth Society.

Su Minguan smiled: “For inaugural voyages inland, we need tax-exempt tickets and must fly foreign flags. No choice – who told me I’m money-obsessed?”

Lin Yuchan followed him below deck, offering a reminder: “Careful that Mr. Hede doesn’t wise up and severely settle accounts with you.”

“Don’t worry. Half the Chinese shipowners operate this way now. The law doesn’t punish the masses – he wouldn’t dare.”

In the lower hold, the coal bunker for fuel occupied considerable space. Pushing through two sets of doors revealed the steam engine core. There were cylinders, boilers, layers upon layers of pipes, and mechanical components. The main engine bore the engraved name of the foreign manufacturing company.

Su Minguan introduced everything like a proud parent: “The ship has a captain and first mate, an engine chief called ‘lao gui’ in sailor slang, plus hired experienced engineers and mechanics, mostly men who’ve worked on foreign steamships…”

Thick English-German bilingual operation manuals hung on the wall. Opening them revealed numerous notes in Su Minguan’s handwriting.

So many experienced sailors, each responsible for their specialized part, together could operate a giant steamship through coordinated effort.

But Su Minguan was not satisfied with this. He was ambitious, wanting to understand everything himself. Completely.

Without a systematic engineering education, relying entirely on humble requests for instruction plus innate intelligence and sensitivity, he explored his Luna bit by bit.

However, he hadn’t completely mastered it yet.

Lin Yuchan was delighted. She couldn’t handle complex machinery, but this 19th-century simple steam engine principle was barely high school physics level – she hadn’t forgotten yet!

She declared boldly: “Ask me anything you don’t understand!”

He looked at her with a soft smile, immediately flipping to a certain page in the manual, giving her a reality check: “A tandem piston adjusts the steeple compound process by… A’Mei, I can’t figure out why the pressures differ. Even the ship’s chief engineer can’t explain clearly.”

Lin Yuchan blushed: “…”

English plus physics – at least give her some time to read the question!

She sadly discovered that those mechanical models in physics exams were simplified children’s versions. This 19th-century steamship’s internal structure was already bewilderingly complex, with nine out of ten components whose purpose wasn’t immediately obvious. Having her compete with an ancient in learning operational principles, it was hard to say who would win.

Su Minguan laughed heartily. If ship knowledge could be learned by everyone on the first try, foreigners wouldn’t have worked so hard to keep them out.

He led her through another door: “I plan to use Chan…”

“Chanjuan” was his chosen ship name, but saying it in her presence felt embarrassing, so he changed to another language to reduce that blush-inducing intimacy: “Use Luna to transport your ripe tea. I’ll give you special privileges – pick the best cargo hold.”

The doorframe was narrow, the stairs steep; he supported her arm, afraid she’d fall.

After she stepped through, he didn’t let go, and she naturally turned to hold his hand with two fingers, avoiding the injured spot.

Su Minguan smiled bitterly inwardly, letting her have her way.

Adulterer and adulteress, it is then. If she wasn’t afraid of public opinion, why should he retreat?

Western steamships were indeed different. Though the interior was also wooden planking, moisture and waterproofing measures were complete, much more sophisticated than ordinary Chinese sand ships. The internal partitioning was also more scientific. Lin Yuchan calculated roughly – the same volume could carry thirty percent more cargo. Safety was also somewhat superior to ordinary sand ships.

Lin Yuchan eagerly explored everywhere. This cargo hold had also been shown to visitors earlier and had some goods piled up, with cigarette ash and water stains still on the floor.

But she enjoyed VIP private tour guide service that none could match.

She couldn’t help saying: “Such a fine ship with almost no wear – the Americans were willing to sell it too.”

Su Minguan smiled proudly, very pleased with the bargain he’d found: “The American North-South war is frequent, Southern cotton can’t be sold, causing global cotton prices to rise. Chinese cotton merchants have had very comfortable lives these past two years. Naturally, foreigners are also envious of these profits. The money from selling this ship will be used to hoard cotton inland – estimate it could double in a year or two. They’re not fools either.”

Doing business requires understanding world affairs. Lin Yuchan sighed a few words, then suddenly realized-

“Chinese cotton prices have also risen?”

The cargo hold was low with only one small kerosene lamp hanging. Su Minguan’s head nearly touched the wooden beam, forced to stand slightly hunched, just seeing the bright gleam in her eyes.

A thought suddenly flashed through his mind. This scene, even in dreams, he hadn’t dared imagine fully.

For months, he had been unable to eat or sleep peacefully, like a drowning person, struggling with all his might just to gasp one breath.

Yet just moments ago, someone had gently taken his hand, letting him suddenly escape the abyss and see the bright moon.

She didn’t care…

He cast aside those mood-killing thoughts, picturing her expression in a moment in his mind, calmly saying: “Miss Lin, your ripe tea shipments will pass through quite a few cotton-producing regions.”

Lin Yuchan gasped, leaning against the cargo hold wall, nearly sliding down.

“I… I understand… thank you…”

She leaped up, hugging his neck. Su Minguan was prepared, catching her waist in one motion. Her feet left the ground momentarily, feeling like she might fly.

Unfortunately, the dizzy feeling of romance lasted less than a second. Su Minguan set her down, whispering in her ear: “Miss Lin, does this statement cover my debt?”

“In your dreams,” she retorted without thinking, “Is an advertisement flyer from Qiji Iron Works enough for half ownership of your Luna?”

Doing favors should look like doing favors – they should be given without expecting return. Otherwise, if she calculated all the free favors she’d given him before, Yixing would probably go bankrupt immediately.

Su Minguan smiled it off. He hadn’t expected her to forgive the debt anyway. But business negotiations were like this – the first sentence blows the horn as loudly as possible. If you happened to meet some sucker or hothead who agreed immediately, wouldn’t that be pure profit?

Lin Yuchan headed upstairs, saying, “Let me investigate more thoroughly and give you a conclusion. When does the next voyage depart? Before then, I’ll bring a contract to find you.”

She had long been seeking alternatives to the tea business. Established tea houses had decades of accumulated tea farmer connections, able to suppress prices at will. She could only rely on the low-cost advantage from Rong Hong’s three-nation passport. If Rong Hong’s tea supply was interrupted, cotton seemed like a good choice based on current circumstances. The American Civil War would continue for several more years.

When the war ended and Southern slaves were freed, those cotton plantations’ production capacity would be paralyzed – not something that could recover in a year or two.

This also meant she would have to start from zero, learning an entirely new industry.

This didn’t frighten her. Hadn’t she also started learning tea from nothing initially?

When learning, she had to be secretive, couldn’t eat full meals, and study while being bullied.

Su Minguan said there was no rush. These were business opportunities already developed by foreigners with mature markets – no need to fight for every second, but rather doing adequate homework and preparation to claim a share.

Lin Yuchan toured all the cabins, lifting everything that could be lifted, pushing every door that could be pushed, fully satisfying her curiosity before reluctantly returning to the deck to breathe the cold, sharp air.

The earlier brilliant sunshine had slanted away, clouds drifting across the sky, casting the steamship’s steel plates in cold, muted tones.

She looked up at the high lookout platform, rolled up her pant legs, and eagerly began climbing.

What a rare day of leisure. Touring a steamship!

Su Minguan: “Hey…”

This girl simply had no ladylike manner whatsoever.

He shook his head and could only follow.

The ladder rungs were spaced far apart, originally designed for tall Western sailors. For a petite young woman, climbing was quite inconvenient.

Fortunately, she was nimble, trained by climbing up and down, moving tea at Defeng Trading.

Only after reaching the top did she realize: “Good heavens, so high.”

Living in an ancient society for a long time, one easily loses the concept of height. Most places visited were flat ground, and even going upstairs rarely meant more than a few floors. No opportunities to climb mountains or skyward ladders, making thinking somewhat two-dimensional as well. Sometimes, deliberate reminders and training were needed to maintain an adequate “big picture perspective.”

The steamship’s lookout platform was as high as the grand foreign buildings on the Bund, taking in the entire expanse of water.

Even the Customs House appeared small, the Suzhou River contracted to a thin line. The busy boat traffic on the river surface, seemingly randomly distributed, now clearly reveals navigation routes and traffic patterns. Pudong’s rural waterways were intricate, dotted with residences and ancestral halls, faintly showing traces of war damage.

Those Westerners who came to the Far East on warships saw this ancient, declining land from this very height.

And beneath their feet, proud subjects of the Chinese Empire, chests full of Confucian teachings, whispered together, looking up with laughter, discussing what exquisite treasures the barbarians had brought as tribute this time.

A gust of wind made Lin Yuchan feel unsteady underfoot, nervously gripping the wooden railings.

Su Minguan also climbed up, closing the small gate behind him, looking at her reproachfully: “Let’s see how you get down later.”

Though he spoke critically, restrained laughter hid in his eyes. The light breeze lifted his clothes, making him seem three parts lighter. The deep melancholy and pain that had filled his eyes for months finally began to dissipate, revealing his proud spirit once more.

He leaned against the railing, eyes downcast. From this angle, the Western steamship appeared level and symmetrical, every edge solid and sharp – truly stunning from any viewpoint.

Lin Yuchan stared at his curved eyes, suddenly saying: “You haven’t been here either.”

Su Minguan: “…”

He hadn’t even familiarized himself with the ship’s lower levels yet. It wasn’t an ocean voyage – who would climb this high for no reason?

Lin Yuchan: “Good boy, don’t be afraid.”

He nearly jumped straight down in anger. This girl was definitely up to no good, getting revenge for his earlier attitude toward her.

The sky grew darker, the horizon gradually blurred, then suddenly a few spring raindrops drifted in, dampening the wooden floor and wetting the railing surfaces.

Su Minguan maintained his stern expression, gloating: “The ladder’s slippery now, can’t get down.”

She hunched her shoulders, stuck out her tongue tip, then settled down to sit, letting the railing shield her from rain.

She smiled: “Hope your crew doesn’t think the boss has vanished and sail off to sell the ship directly.”

He looked down. The rain wasn’t heavy, and early spring showers wouldn’t last long. When it stopped, he could shout down for someone to help dry the ladder.

So he also sat down, diagonally across from her. The lookout platform was cramped; when he stretched his legs, he touched a pair of soft small cloth shoes, then quickly pulled back two inches. Unable to straighten his legs, he had to hug his knees.

Su Minguan glanced down, suddenly saying, “Steamships can’t dock in the Suzhou River. I’ve rented this area – it’ll be Yixing’s second wharf in the future. Today’s the new ship’s maiden voyage. After loading cargo, we’ll depart. I’ll go along for a month. During this time, find the duty clerk for business matters, and find Shi Peng for association affairs.”

Lin Yuchan made an acknowledging sound.

He rarely accompanied ships personally lately. This month-long absence made her reluctant to part.

Moreover, if she hadn’t happened to seek him out, he probably would have departed without farewell again.

She couldn’t help feeling wronged: “You haven’t paid attention to me since the New Year.”

Su Minguan lowered his eyes with a melancholy smile, wiping away raindrops from his temples.

“A’Mei, are you going to mention this every day from now on, making me feel bad every day?” he said softly. “Or do you still not forgive me?”

Lin Yuchan startled, quickly shaking her head: “No…”

Having said she forgave him, it meant forever forgiveness. She wasn’t some elementary school pupil in first love – why be petty and keep opening old wounds?

She declared imperiously: “But I want revenge – next month I’ll ignore you for a whole month too.”

Without instant communication devices, she could keep her word.

Su Minguan smiled with curved eyes, seeing her generously pat the floor space beside her.

That spot was sheltered from the wind, less rain.

He was in no hurry to go down anyway.

The tall lookout platform stood unique; even the tallest person, climbing to the top, looked like a tiny bird. Even if someone looked up from below, they could only see a vague shadow.

Even if he removed his disguise and quietly revealed his treasonous buzz cut, no one would climb up to make trouble.

Even if he acted improperly, scandalously intimate with a young lady, no one would point fingers and spit at him.

He hesitated only one second before sitting beside her, instinctively putting his arm around her.

She was also lightly dressed, her hem edges somewhat wet and cold, her body temperature low, making him want to tighten his arms and warm her to match his temperature.

But at this height, she’d probably be frightened, right?

She had climbed until her arms ached, unconsciously rubbing her shoulders. He moved her hands aside and massaged for her instead. Following the bone structure, his fingertips pressed gently and softly.

Her arms were slender but not soft, even having adorable little muscles, firm and elastic with youthful vitality.

Seeing her comfortable enough to nestle closer, leaning against his shoulder while saying, “No need.”

Su Minguan’s hands didn’t stop.

Somehow, he just wanted… to please her.

A few spring raindrops fell on her face; she was too lazy to wipe them away. This created the illusion that her smooth cheeks still hung with tears.

He was a cold-hearted bastard, knowing full well he wouldn’t marry her home, disappointing the girl’s sincere heart.

But… still wanted very much to please her.

His heartbeat was unsteady, his thoughts extremely scattered, suddenly asking: “Later, did that big-nosed fellow treat you improperly?”

Lin Yuchan burst into laughter, deliberately looking wronged: “Yes. He and I faire la bise.”

The French cheek kiss – she couldn’t translate it properly. Calling it a kiss wasn’t right either – it was cheek to cheek, making a kissing gesture, popular among European men and women. Victor, terrified of surveillance, didn’t dare be too presumptuous, choosing what seemed to him a reasonably normal farewell gesture.

Though Su Minguan had learned English as a child, unfortunately he’d never had opportunity to practice la bise with Western young ladies. Hearing this, his face darkened as he asked: “Where?”

She was even more amused, seeing his threatening expression. She emerged from his embrace, saying: “I’ll teach you.”