Chapter 72: What, are you planning to give me a birthday present?

Ye Shenghan was taken aback. "He's jealous."

In that moment, she looked up at him beneath the snow-filled night, the endless white shimmer cascading under the streetlights like a host of crystalline spirits dancing, their extravagant brilliance piercing the shadowed depths of darkness.

Lily of the Valley gazed at him like that—what about him? Why had he kissed her? Did he realize that this sudden kiss had swept away her every thought, leaving her dizzy, her world spinning?

She looked at that familiar face and remembered summer nights years before, when the sound of basketballs echoed from the orphanage’s court. She knew he was there, and she would run to the edge of the court, watching him stride, pass, sprint, and leap, his white shirt fluttering lightly in the breeze, dampened by sweat.

She could never forget the way he turned and jumped for a shot. Often, she found herself reminiscing about the boy he once was. Even in college, after a day of classes, she loved sitting courtside, chin propped in her palm, watching the fierce defense and the friction of fists on the court, imagining that boy in white making a three-point shot from afar and then turning to offer her a gentle smile.

Memory, tinged with a yellowed glow, pulled her back. The youthful face before her overlapped with the one in her mind. This was the man she had secretly loved for seventeen years. She trembled slightly. He said she had taken shortcuts.

But it was because she loved him—loved him enough to risk everything, even to take dangerous chances. Would he stop her for that? It felt as if she were waiting for an answer, and what she got was him bending down, offering his hand. "Come on, get up."

The blinding white headlights cut through the night. Lily of the Valley instinctively squinted; danger was near. Ye Shenghan turned sharply, wary, trying to see who it was. The headlights switched off and a man stepped out from the driver’s seat. When she saw who it was, Lily of the Valley let out a breath—it was Bai Yuchen.

"What are you two doing out here?" Bai Yuchen approached. "Standing in the snow on a cold night like this—aren’t you afraid of catching a cold?"

Ye Shenghan turned and only then noticed that she was dressed too lightly, not even wearing a coat. He immediately helped her up, brushing the snow from her back. "Let’s talk upstairs."

Inside, the warmth was a balm.

As soon as Ye Shenghan entered, the scent of porridge filled the air. He glanced around and spotted a phone lying on the fabric sofa. But Bai Yuchen was faster, picking it up first. "Whose is this?"

Lily of the Valley turned and saw it—it was that man’s. "Mo Zhi City must have left it."

She was about to retrieve it, but Bai Yuchen unlocked it instead. "This is a good chance. We can crack the secrets in this phone."

"Yuchen, don’t be too hasty. Mo Zhi City still doesn’t fully trust me." She was alert; the phone certainly contained much confidential business data, but knowing Mo Zhi City’s cautious nature, he would never leave something important behind lightly. "Don’t startle him."

Bai Yuchen’s impatience showed. "Lily, you haven’t been in Sky City for just a short time."

Even as he spoke, she caught his implication—he was pressuring her, perhaps thinking she had lost focus at Sky City. She stared at Bai Yuchen, asking, "What do you mean?"

"What do I mean? When Young Master Ye was shut out by the old guard, what were you doing? Vacationing in Bali? You’ve been at Sky City for months now—what have you actually accomplished?" Bai Yuchen’s temper flared for reasons he didn’t understand, his words sharp and unyielding.

The air was thick with tension.

"Bai Yuchen, enough," Ye Shenghan said, already troubled. The two of them were butting heads. He pulled Bai Yuchen aside, letting him cool off.

But Bai Yuchen snapped, throwing the phone onto the sofa. "Am I wrong? Ye Shenghan, you might be able to stand it, but I damn well can’t! She was in Bali, you texted her, and she still hasn’t replied."

"I was on vacation, not working?!" Lily of the Valley blurted out, a bitter laugh escaping her, her eyes filling with helplessness and grievance. She stepped back, turned to the safe, and pulled out a half-shredded contract she had painstakingly pieced together. "Bai Yuchen, I spent half a month reconstructing this confidential contract from a pile of scraps."

She tossed it on the table, her accusation shattering the silence. Every night for the past two weeks, she had worked on it, sometimes past midnight.

Lily of the Valley breathed hard. Piecing together information of value from those scraps was no easy feat, and more than that, Ye Shenghan was involved in this project. The document contained Sky City’s base bidding price. If she could have known that price in advance—if only—so many ifs flashed through her mind. Suddenly, Lily of the Valley froze. Wait! What had Bai Yuchen just said?

Her gaze sharpened, as if recalling something. She turned to Bai Yuchen, asking, "When did you say Young Master Ye texted me, and I didn’t reply?!"

Her sudden question caught Bai Yuchen off guard. Something was off. The argument cooled instantly, like cold water poured on a flame, solidifying into ice.

"Bai Yuchen, answer me," she urged, unable to contain herself, her voice low and hoarse. "Say it!"

Bai Yuchen turned to Ye Shenghan. "You tell her."

The man looked away, a shadow of worry in his eyes as he watched Lily of the Valley’s changing expression. "Lily, what is it? Did you remember something?"

"Young Master Ye," she stepped forward, gripping his arm, her anxiety evident, "when I was in Bali, when did you send me the message? I never received it."

"I remember it was seven in the evening, probably a Friday."

Lily of the Valley tried to recall, pressing her aching forehead. Half a month ago, seven in the evening, Friday—Jimbaran Beach, dinner under the night sky, they had danced together. After the music, she had gone to the restroom.

Suddenly, it was clear.

"I never received it, or… did Mo Zhi City delete it?!" Realization dawned. She looked up at him. "Young Master Ye, what do we do? He saw it! If he traces the number and finds you, my identity will be exposed. What should I do?"

Ye Shenghan hesitated, then squeezed her arm to calm her. "Don’t panic."

"——"

Only now did Bai Yuchen realize the seriousness of the situation. Every trace of anger vanished.

Ye Shenghan pondered, patting her shoulder gently. "They won’t find out."

She was surprised. Ye Shenghan continued, "I anticipated this, so I never used my real identity for the phone number. Even the SIM card wasn’t registered under my name."

"Then—"

Noticing her confusion, Ye Shenghan explained, "With money, these things can always be arranged. Lily, don’t worry."

She finally exhaled in relief. "Was there anything important in the message?"

"I was just worried about your safety. I didn’t disclose anything else." Ye Shenghan was cautious about that as well.

She nodded. "That’s good." Her gaze fell on Bai Yuchen. "Yuchen, do you understand now what it’s like for me to be by Mo Zhi City’s side? It’s like sitting on pins and needles, constantly anxious, as if I were a vampire hiding in the dark, never able to see the light, always afraid he’ll notice the slightest disturbance."

She sighed quietly, leaning on the sofa, sitting down weakly, her head bowed. She didn’t tell him that what made that man truly formidable was not his coldness, but the way he wielded both indifference and tenderness. One moment he tormented her, forcefully kissed her, stealing the very breath from her lungs; the next, he was full of gentle affection, warm and soft, as if fire and ice combined, leaving her nowhere to turn. He always knew just when to be good to her, always maintaining control over the distance between them. She, meanwhile, was always passive.

Ye Shenghan watched her trembling form. He knelt beside her, cradling her arms, and only then noticed her clothes were wet through. Trying to steady her shivering, he called softly, "Lily, look at me. Look at me."

Slowly, she raised her eyes. In his dark gaze, she saw her own pale reflection. Her voice was hoarse. "Young Master Ye—" She had been holding her final line, afraid of losing everything. He couldn’t stop, and bitterness rose in her throat.

"Lily, if you want to stop—"

"I’m fine, Young Master Ye." Realizing what he was about to say, she cut him off. "I just got a bit cold from the snow downstairs." She forced a faint smile out of her sorrow.

——

"Ah-choo—" She wrinkled her nose. As expected, after the snowstorm, she had caught a cold. "Ah-choo—"

Lily of the Valley reached for her phone in her pocket, glancing at Mo Zhi City’s office. He always came in early on Mondays for the weekly meeting. Some colleagues nearby were whispering, "The boss’s birthday is coming up."

"Is it?" The two of them chatted quietly. "Surprised you remember every year."

"How could I forget? It’s always snowed on his birthday the past two years. He was born in the winter months, so it sticks in my mind."

"For his birthday, the managers of all three project teams won’t just sit back, especially since competition is fierce this year. Don’t be fooled by the calm on the surface—underneath, it’s a ruthless battle for performance."

"Pity us underlings, racking our brains this year. Project Team One just landed Jiang Min, and I hear she’s incredible. She landed a big contract as soon as she joined. Her results speak for themselves. Lily of the Valley only just joined Sky City, but she’s already at the top. I can sense there’s a rivalry brewing between those two. The boss’s birthday—let’s see what tricks they have up their sleeves."

A soft laugh. "You love gossiping. If you put this much effort into your work, you wouldn’t be bottom of the rankings every year. Be careful the boss doesn’t fire you if he gets annoyed."

"You’re smug."

Lily of the Valley quietly looked away. His birthday? After the meeting, taking advantage of a free moment, she knocked on his office door.

"Come in."

He was as busy as ever. Lily of the Valley placed the phone and the freshly laundered handkerchief before him. "Boss, you left your phone yesterday. And, I washed your handkerchief for you."

"Thank you," he answered softly, pausing just long enough to add, "Thank you."

"Your birthday is coming up soon."

Mo Zhi City’s hand paused on his pen. "What, are you planning to give me a gift?"