“Mm-hmm, fair competition – Third Brother also thinks he’s competing fairly with Zhou Cheng! You can’t be especially unfair to Third Brother by excluding him, right?”

What nonsense.

Xia Xiaolan was patronizing her, speaking as if to a child.

Jiang Yan didn’t want to talk to her anymore. After spending time with Xia Xiaolan, she sometimes struggled to control her temper.

Xia Xiaolan knew when to stop.

Learning that Jiang Yan shouldn’t have too much contact with others, Xia Xiaolan and Pan Baohua bought food and ate with her in the hospital room.

Pan Baohua wanted to celebrate with drinks, but the hospital’s strict rules prohibited alcohol in patient rooms, so he restrained himself.

Wherever Xia Xiaolan went, Pan Baohua followed, presenting quite an intimidating presence.

Even thick-skinned people like Matthew, who usually tried to get close to Xia Xiaolan, became well-behaved upon seeing Pan Baohua.

“This is my brother,” Xia Xiaolan introduced simply.

Matthew’s hands still had paint on them as he nervously greeted, “Hello, Brother!”

The people Xia Xiaolan knew were strange – was this really a brother? He looked more like a fugitive bandit!

Perhaps he was a fierce criminal who had fled from China. Matthew felt intimidated by Pan Baohua’s outlaw aura. Considering his weak otaku physique, he became as meek as a quail.

As Pan Baohua cracked walnuts with sharp sounds, Matthew-the-quail didn’t dare make a peep.

With such a figure guarding the theater, Xia Xiaolan noticed the workers seemed much more efficient.

Matthew barely made it to the afternoon before nervously asking Xia Xiaolan for leave:

“I need to go to Tina’s place – they’re also doing construction there.”

The designer needed to supervise.

Xia Xiaolan looked at Pan Baohua, who nodded.

“I’ll go with you to check the progress.”

Matthew had to admit, whether he liked it or not, that Xia Xiaolan was more capable than him. Now that she was willing to help on-site, how could he refuse? He was even grateful – though Xia Xiaolan often teased him and talked about splitting up after the internship, she still cared about him.

Matthew was touched, completely unaware that Xia Xiaolan, now backed by support, planned to approach Tina again.

The three arrived at the Upper East Side, where Tina had arrived ahead of them.

“Xia, long time no see!”

“Yes, it has been a while…”

Xia Xiaolan drew out her response. Tina didn’t know that Daniel’s warning and the bloodstained family photo had scared Xia Xiaolan away from New York for half a month, preventing any chance meetings.

“I’m in New York today and came with Matthew to check on your situation. Mind if I look around?”

Tina shook her head, “Of course not. I actually wanted you to design the renovation plan before, but you passed it to Matthew. Of course, Matthew is great too – he understands the style I want.”

Tina’s apartment was no longer a four-bedroom layout. Once the renovation plan was confirmed, workers quickly demolished the original walls and reinforced supports according to Matthew’s design. The former luxurious Victorian style was completely transformed. The floor had been stripped and releveled, leaving clean, empty rooms. The four-bedroom apartment now appeared more spacious.

Pan Baohua couldn’t understand it.

Why demolish a perfectly good house to renovate it? Was this just burning money?

While Pan Baohua didn’t know Cui Yiru’s thoughts, he had already decided Zhang Jiadong was a villain.

A villain raising someone else’s children surely had ulterior motives. Such a nice young girl, spoiled like this… Pan Baohua’s thinking was simple, completely at odds with America’s money-first, pleasure-seeking values. If his daughter wasted money like this, he’d spank her.

Tina looked curiously at Pan Baohua, “Xia, is this your bodyguard?”

Xia Xiaolan shook her head, “No, this is my brother. He’s here on business from China and came to visit me.”

Tina stuck out her tongue, “Sorry, my mistake. Does he understand English?”

Pan Baohua, feeling stuffy in the apartment, gestured his indifference.

He stood by the window, looking down.

The red car kept moving around, but it was always watching this apartment building.

Pan Baohua’s excellent eyesight caught movement in the curtains of the building across the street.

In the phone booth below, someone making calls kept looking up.

Pan Baohua stood at the window for five minutes, pretending to be interested in the apartment, looking here and there until he’d examined every corner.

The ventilation ducts contained equipment unfamiliar to ordinary people.

This house was truly under all-around protection.

If he were Zhang Jiadong, he would have arranged for his people to occupy the floors above and below too.

Though they said his younger daughter came to New York for school, away from Los Angeles, Tina remained under Zhang Jiadong’s control.

Pan Baohua slightly shook his head at Xia Xiaolan.

Xia Xiaolan understood some things couldn’t be said in this house. She stuck to her professional domain, “At this pace, the renovation will be done in a month, and all those decorations you put away can see daylight again.”

Tina sighed, “Yes, I decided to listen to Fayne and not make Mommy sad and upset. Daddy spoils Mommy so much – Fayne and I rank below her at home. If I make Mommy sad, Daddy will cut my allowance!”

“They’re truly in love!”

Xia Xiaolan complimented outwardly while feeling slightly annoyed inside.

It wasn’t that she was dark-hearted and couldn’t bear to see Cui Yiru happy – how many times a woman marries and who she marries is her freedom. But Cui Yiru and Zhang Jiadong’s passionate love made Xu Zhongyi, wherever he was hiding, seem even more pitiful.

How carefully had Xu Zhongyi lived all these years?

Unable to return home or appear in public, living not like a person but like a rat hiding in sewers, avoiding light.

Rats are born to live in sewers, already adapted to decay and dampness, but humans aren’t rats – to live like one after experiencing light and freedom… too difficult, too painful.

Tina nodded, suddenly remembering something:

“Did you receive Aunt Cynthia’s invitation? She’s hosting a ball – not a party where young people gather for fun, but where people wear proper formal wear and gentlemen invite ladies to dance… God, just thinking about that atmosphere makes me suffocate. Worse, Mommy’s attending too. What’s the point of such balls?”

Tina had been too sheltered at home. Coming to New York for school was like a bird leaving its cage – she only wanted to spread her wings and fly, not repeat boring routines.

Wasn’t High Society’s ball boring enough?

Cui Yiru was coming to New York!

Would Zhang Jiadong come too?

Xia Xiaolan had no interest in any ball, but when Cui Yiru, who had vanished for 19 years, was about to appear, her interest suddenly peaked.