Chapter 8
The next day, Sunday, the weather was clear and sunny. Unfortunately, the temperature had dropped to around minus ten degrees Celsius. Li Shanshan finished packing, checked out of her room, and Wu Yue arrived as promised to pick her up. Wu Yue helped carry her luggage to the Ronghua Hotel, which was not far away but boasted a better location, a larger area, and more luxurious facilities.
Glancing up at the magnificent revolving glass doors, Li Shanshan slowly lowered her eyes. In her previous life, every time she visited her father’s home, Zhou Yuqi would accompany her to stay in the hotel’s presidential suite. Drawing back the curtains, they could see half of Fengcheng through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Wu Yue led her inside to the front desk to check in. Li Shanshan took out her ID card. Wu Yue glanced at it and exclaimed in surprise, “Shanshan, you’re not even eighteen yet?”
Li Shanshan had never mentioned her age since her rebirth. She smiled with two dimples, “According to my ID, I’ll be eighteen on August 8th. Legally, I’m an adult now!”
As for her real age, she kept it to herself—who else would know? Compared to girls her age, there was less awkwardness at the corners of her brows and eyes; her demeanor was more composed. Her English proficiency even surpassed that of some university students. Wu Yue couldn’t tell that she hadn’t yet turned sixteen.
“You’re truly young and talented,” Wu Yue said sincerely.
After completing the check-in formalities, they settled into a standard double room. Li Shanshan shared the room with a thirty-year-old female translator, Xu Huihui, whom Wu Yue briefly introduced.
After a colleague was injured and couldn’t work, Xu Huihui grew curious about this young girl with exceptional English skills. When she finally saw Li Shanshan without her hat and scarf, she gasped inwardly.
My goodness!
This girl is stunningly beautiful.
Double eyelids, almond-shaped eyes, bright and clear gaze, with a natural charm. Though she hadn’t fully blossomed and still carried a hint of innocence, her elegance began to shine through. Given time, she would surely become breathtaking.
The room was warm, and Li Shanshan took off her down jacket, politely greeting, “Sister Xu, pleased to work with you.”
“Mutual learning, mutual learning,” Xu Huihui replied, her eyes lingering on Li Shanshan’s face, reluctant to look away. “Shanshan, I heard you’re still in high school. Is your English really that advanced?”
Li Shanshan answered seriously but falsely, “I self-study outside of class.”
No one would question that.
Wu Yue handed Li Shanshan some materials. “This time, Fengcheng’s investment promotion department is hosting a large inspection delegation from Hong Kong. The city is taking it very seriously because it concerns whether a large electronic manufacturing plant will settle in Fengcheng. If the deal goes through, establishing the industrial park will greatly benefit Fengcheng’s future economic development and drive growth in surrounding industries. That’s why even provincial leaders are here. Many top-level members of the inspection team are foreigners, so English is the common language. We need many translators to accompany them. Your job is simple—serve as a liaison translator for our staff. Which leader you’ll be assigned to depends on the arrangements.”
She had no say in the matter.
Li Shanshan nodded in understanding and then opened the file on the inspection delegation.
In her previous life, she hadn’t heard of any large electronics factories settling in Fengcheng; instead, many local workers went out to work in places like Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Suzhou, mostly entering electronic factories.
“Kylin Technology? Why would Kylin Technology be coming?” Li Shanshan murmured.
“Is there a problem?” Wu Yue asked.
Li Shanshan clenched the materials in her hand. “Kylin Technology is wholly controlled by Hong Kong’s Zhanhong Group, isn’t it?”
Zhanhong Group was the family business of Yang Hailin, Zhou Yuqi’s ex-wife.
It ranked among the top ten in Hong Kong.
Wu Yue was surprised. “You haven’t even read the materials and yet you already know Kylin Technology is 100% owned by Zhanhong Group? That’s correct.”
Li Shanshan was stunned. “100% ownership?”
That’s not right!
She distinctly remembered that Zhanhong Group held 51% of Kylin Technology, and the Zhou family’s Changning Holdings owned the other 49%. The Zhou family’s smaller share wasn’t due to lack of financial strength but because the two family heads were close friends and intended to unite their families by marriage. Out of respect for this, the Zhou family stepped back.
Her mother-in-law had told her this personally.
The elder worried about outsiders spreading rumors.
After marrying Zhou Yuqi, Li Shanshan often heard people talk about Kylin Technology’s history, claiming it was jointly founded by Zhou Yuqi and his ex-wife Yang Hailin after they fell in love. The name “Kylin” combined their names—“Qi” from Zhou Yuqi and “Lin” from Yang Hailin. They decided together to build a factory on the mainland. Even after their divorce, their cooperation remained unbroken, working hand in hand to turn Kylin Technology into one of the world’s top electronic manufacturing service providers, ranking within the top 100 of the Fortune Global 500, enduring through the years.
Yang Hailin came from a wealthy background and graduated from a prestigious school, which only highlighted Li Shanshan’s humble origins and limited education. Gossip columns often compared them, labeling Zhou Yuqi a man who cared only for beauty.
Many said he was unfaithful and had wronged Yang Hailin.
They called Li Shanshan the other woman.
In truth, Li Shanshan met Zhou Yuqi two years after his divorce from Yang Hailin. At that time, Zhou Yuqi was single and held no position in Kylin Technology.
Yang Hailin, however, remained chairman of Kylin Technology.
She was capable and known as a formidable woman.
In her previous life, Li Shanshan gave birth to her eldest son in 1999. Her parents-in-law were especially pleased and immediately gifted her 10% of Kylin Technology’s shares, which paid generous dividends annually, increasing over time.
How could Kylin Technology now hold no shares for the Zhou family?
This was a golden goose laying golden eggs!
Where had things gone wrong?
The more Li Shanshan thought about it, the more uneasy she felt. She hurriedly examined the documents again and found that Kylin Technology was founded solely by Hong Kong’s Zhanhong Group in 1980. Their mainland factory began operations in 1984—two years earlier than in her past life. It was currently managed by Yang Hailin, the youngest daughter of Zhanhong Group’s chairman, Yang Zhanhong. The general manager was her college classmate, first love, and husband, Xiang Hui.
They had been married for ten years with two sons and two daughters, living a happy life.
Li Shanshan was dumbfounded.
No, no.
After divorcing Zhou Yuqi in her past life, Yang Hailin had returned to her first love, but that first love was Mao Yixuan, a rising star in 1990s Hong Kong—not this stranger named Xiang Hui.
Li Shanshan often encountered Mao Yixuan at social events; they were a loving couple.
Mao Yixuan came from a public housing background and a poor family. Yang Hailin had dated him in high school before her family separated them. She was quickly sent abroad to study, then, following her parents’ wishes, married Zhou Yuqi. Yet she never forgot Mao Yixuan, often staying out late at work and never having children, much to her mother-in-law’s displeasure.
Mao Yixuan worked hard, went abroad after her marriage, and made a fortune worth hundreds of millions by the time he was under thirty. He returned home with honor and became a valued guest of the Yang family. He also became the catalyst for Yang Hailin and Zhou Yuqi’s divorce.
Everything was in chaos.
Yang Hailin was still married young, but the groom was neither Zhou Yuqi nor Mao Yixuan.
What on earth was happening?
Even more astonishing, the leader of the inspection delegation they received that afternoon was none other than Xiang Hui!
In his thirties, about 1.8 meters tall, dressed in a bespoke black suit with a gray wool overcoat. Thick eyebrows, prominent nose, wide mouth. His appearance was decent but far less handsome than Zhou Yuqi or Mao Yixuan. Yet his brows and eyes held an air of boldness and disdain. Surrounded by many followers, he immediately became the center of attention.
Li Shanshan had lived in Hong Kong for thirty years but had never seen this man before.
The translation agency had provided no detailed information about Xiang Hui. Li Shanshan couldn’t guess his background. She saw their side’s leaders greet him warmly, but he merely nodded arrogantly. Though they shook hands, he still seemed somewhat rude.
The leaders smiled all the same, exchanging pleasantries with Xiang Hui before shaking hands with other senior members of the delegation and welcoming them.
Li Shanshan was assigned as the personal translator for one of the older leaders who didn’t speak English at all, so her presence immediately stood out.
Beautiful young women always attract more attention.
Even though she dressed very modestly in a short black down jacket, wore no makeup except lip gloss.
Seeing her, Xiang Hui suddenly shivered and blurted out, “Zhou... Li Shanshan!”
A flicker of surprise crossed Li Shanshan’s heart.
How did he know her?
“Mr. Xiang, do you know me?” Li Shanshan feigned curiosity.
Xiang Hui snapped back to himself and quickly said, “Your name is Li Shanshan, right? I’ve seen you before when I came to the mainland. I’ve heard your name called out, but you probably didn’t notice me.”
Impossible!
That was Li Shanshan’s first reaction.
Since her rebirth, she hadn’t left Fengcheng. Xiang Hui was visiting Fengcheng for the first time. Where could he have seen her?
Moreover, one week ago, her face and hands were in terrible condition, very plain. Even if he had seen her before, he wouldn’t associate her with her current appearance.
Xiang Hui also mentioned the surname Zhou. Was that Zhou Yuqi’s Zhou?
A leader from the investment promotion department chuckled in English, “Xiao Li is an excellent translator in our Fengcheng. Of course, Mr. Xiang wouldn’t forget having seen her.”
Li Shanshan pushed down her doubts and curved her almond-shaped eyes into a charming smile. “Yes, it’s an honor to be remembered by Mr. Xiang. Welcome to Fengcheng. I hope our beautiful, simple, and genuine Fengcheng leaves a deep impression on you and that you and all our esteemed guests bring even more vitality to Fengcheng.”
Xiang Hui waved his hand nonchalantly, “Not at all, not at all.”
The leaders felt relieved and invited the delegation into their prepared cars, heading toward the Ronghua Hotel.
Li Shanshan didn’t try to get closer. She quietly sat in the back of the car with the group, her eyes watching the scenery flash by outside the window as she kept pondering Xiang Hui’s origins.
She had a suspicion.
She suspected that Xiang Hui, like herself, was also a reborn.
Because before her rebirth, her name in Hong Kong, with her married surname, was Zhou Li Shanshan!
In this life, she had no contact with Zhou Yuqi. A stranger who had never met her before calling her by her married name must know about her past marriage.