money player

Today is the day of the seventh day of mourning. Tonight, we will stay up all night to perform meritorious deeds for the first seven days. The daytime is when the most guests arrive. Sin Yiu Man is under the influence of "outsider's curse" and cannot get too close to the coffin. Whether it is day or night, it is best to stay away.

This is perfect. Xian Yaowen doesn't have to go to the funeral home today, so he can take a break. His son-in-law is considered one of the filial sons, and during the mourning period, he doesn't have to visit, attend banquets, or go to other people's homes. So he doesn't have to go to the Du residence either.

He was afflicted with bad luck, and Du Yuesheng was on his deathbed. It was likely that today's events would be the cause of his downfall. If he went to Du's residence now, they wouldn't appreciate his kindness; they would only beat him out with sticks.

He found some peace and quiet and sat on the rooftop enjoying the breeze.

He wasn't alone; Cai Jinman was by his side.

"How's business, little Nyonya?"

"It's great. There are quite a few Southeast Asian customers in Hong Kong. Many of them come to support us. We turn over tables four or five times at noon and seven or eight times in the evening. The number of customers is increasing every day," Cai Jinman said happily.

"The old men in Southeast Asia are all big spenders and can afford to spend money. However, don't have too high expectations. The number of customers won't keep increasing day by day. Once it reaches a peak, it will start to decline."

For guests who come every day or every few days, you need to be prepared to lose them at any time.

"why?"

"No matter how delicious the food is, you'll get tired of it eventually. Don't get too close to your customers when they come to eat. Don't talk about things like 'It's been a long time since we've been here.' When they come, just greet them. If they haven't come, don't ask them where they're going to eat. If you get too close, they'll feel pressured. If they haven't come for a long time, they might feel embarrassed to come back."

"Is it just a matter of being polite to the guests?"

“Hmm.” Xian Yaowen nodded. “As for you, have lunch every few days earlier, when there are the most customers. Order from other restaurants, and when regular customers talk to you, you can casually praise the food and recommend it to them.”

"Huh?" Cai Jinman was dumbfounded. "Turning regular customers away?"

"It's not about pushing customers away, but about relieving them of their psychological burden and preventing regular customers from feeling guilty."

Cai Jinman shook his head. "I don't understand."

Xian Yaowen was about to explain in detail, but then he thought that Cai Jinman didn't have much business talent. He was just encouraging her to open a restaurant so that she would have something to do and wouldn't be too bored. What's the point of making the business too successful?

He put his arm around Cai Jinman's waist and said gently, "If you don't understand, that's okay. Little Nyonya is a place for you to relieve your boredom, so don't work too hard."

“Sir, you said that business is business. Since we’re opening a business, we have to find ways to make more profit.”

"I have said that before, but even if a restaurant works its staff to death, the profit is still quite limited. Your family doesn't need this little bit of money, and you yourself don't need this little bit of money either. Change your mindset, and as long as you don't lose money, do whatever makes you happy."

Cai Jinman wrapped his arms around Xian Yaowen's neck. "Master, am I really that useless?"

"Don't overthink it." Xian Yaowen pulled Cai Jinman into his arms with a strong hug. "You can arrange your own time. You'll be in Singapore during the best days next month. I'll come over to meet you. We'll stay at home for a few days, and I'll try my best to get you pregnant in one go."

Cai Jinman felt a sweet warmth in her heart, "What if I can't get pregnant the first time?"

"Come again in October, until you get pregnant."

"Hmm." Cai Jinman nestled tightly in Xian Yaowen's arms and asked softly, "Master, why do we need to go to Singapore?"

“Our child will spend most of his/her life in Singapore in the future. You conceived there and had your baby there, so that the child can get used to the climate of Singapore in advance.”

"Oh."

Cai Jinman vaguely sensed that something was wrong. Why should her child be raised in Singapore instead of Hong Kong?

Sin Yiu Man stroked Choi Kim Man's eyebrows, "I've spent a lot of money in Singapore and made many investments. I'm still young and can manage it now, but when I get old, I'll have to hand over the burden to my children. Our children are the most suitable candidates."

Cai Jinman's brows relaxed, and he nodded. "Master, I understand."

Shantou.

Meeting room of the People's Savings Office.

Su Lizhen, representing Bankman Financial, a subsidiary of DBS Group in Singapore, signed a tripartite cooperation agreement with Shantou People's Savings Office and United Trading Company.

Bankman conducted remittance business in Singapore and Malaya. The remittances no longer left the local area, but were instead transferred in a matching manner. Bankman would transfer a sum of Hong Kong dollars of the same value to United Trading Company in Hong Kong, along with a list of mainland recipients, which United Trading Company would then forward to the People's Savings Office.

The People's Savings Office cooperated with the post office to transform the list of payees into individual remittance slips, which were then delivered to each payee by the postman.

The postage costs incurred were borne by Bankman and deducted directly from the exchange rate.

With the cooperation agreement reached, a crucial aspect of remittance services—receiving funds—is now guaranteed. Remitters no longer need to worry about their remittances being embezzled. If the recipient unfortunately dies during the term of the service, the remittance will return to the People's Savings Bank and become a current account, with the remitter deciding how to handle it.

In this way, Bankman could pocket 80-90% of the remittance business in the Chaoshan region.

After signing the agreement, Su Lizhen rushed to the train station to head to her next stop, Xiamen, and then crossed the Qiongzhou Strait.

Singapore.

HSBC Bank, Grace Victor Sassoon's office.

Grace was reading a document in her hand, and Narcissus He Yixin was sitting opposite her.

After a short while, Grace finished reading the document, put it aside, and said to Narcissus, "Adam said in the document that Bankman's remittances were deposited into HSBC, and HSBC would supervise the investment of a portion in Singapore and a portion in Great Britain in exchange for Bankman's right to operate publicly."

This is a great idea, but I have a question: how does Bankman handle the cross-trading funds in Hong Kong?

Narcissus calmly said, "Miss Sassoon, Bankman not only has business in Singapore and Malaya, but will also enter Siam, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, the Philippines, and any country with a large Chinese population."

Besides remittances from Singapore and Malaysia being delivered to recipients immediately, remittances from other regions are delivered as late as possible, with the funds being used for investment and to fill funding gaps in Singapore and Malaysia operations through loans or high-interest savings.

Grace nodded. "Similar to a bank's model."

"Yes."

"In which sectors do funds invested in Great Britain primarily go?"

"Steelmaking, machinery, and shipbuilding industries."

Grace said calmly, "I guess Adam will have you tell me that the investment is being made through the Dean Group."

Narcissus smiled and said, "Miss Sassoon is half right. Half of the investment control is controlled by Miss Lily of the Aldin-Clark family."

“Lily…” Grace said thoughtfully, “Support her for the election?”

"Yes."

"Adam wants me to help make this happen?"

Narcissus chuckled. "Miss Sassoon wants to invest in Bankman?"

“Very good, Adam anticipated my thoughts. Should I contact him myself?”

"of course."

"OK."

Yaodong Street.

In a classroom guarded by public security personnel.

Qi Longdao stood on the podium and said to the trainees who were standing straight, "Congratulations on passing the selection process and entering the anti-robbery special team codenamed 'Bankman Shield'. Your future duty is to protect the assets of Bankman Financial Corporation, that is, to protect the bank."

You will face the most rigorous and brutal training; you will be forged into the finest shields, but before becoming shields, you must first become the sharpest spears.

Qi Longdao turned around, wrote the words "rob a bank" on the blackboard, and then wrote the corresponding English words on a new line.

"To protect a bank, you first need to know how to rob one." Qi Longdao pointed to the right. "These are the data on bank robberies from the last hundred years. You have three days to analyze them. After that, you have a week to go out and find a bank to target and then devise a robbery plan."

You'll be in groups of three. You can form your own teams. In ten days, I'll hear your robbery plans.

Now, proceed to the CQB training grounds.

"Yes, sir!"

"Left turn!"

"Yes, sir!"

One row of team members turned left into a single row, walked out of the classroom, and came to the truck downstairs. One by one, they quickly pushed off the hanging door and jumped into the truck bed.

Before the last team member could get on the bus, the driver started the engine.

Once the car was on Qingshan Road, the driver started to cause trouble, driving at varying speeds and veering towards any uneven spots on the road. He would also suddenly brake and accelerate.

The team members in the truck bed were shaken so badly they were dizzy. One of them shouted, "That son of a bitch, I'm going to beat him up the day training ends."

Treat it as a serious matter.

On the rooftop.

Sin Yiu Man and Choi Kim Man played Malay checkers.

Malay checkers was a board game that Cai Jinman played when she was a child. She was quite proficient at it. Xian Yaowen lost two games and gradually figured out the rules and strategies of the game. In the third game, the two were locked in a stalemate.

The core of Malay checkers is to move your own seeds into your own big hole as quickly as possible, which has a rather mysterious meaning.

Cai Jinman took a step forward and said, "A classmate of mine is getting married in the next two months. I don't know if we can find the time together."

Didn't receive the invitation?

"No, she didn't mention a date in her letter, only that she would send the invitations to Singapore's home later."

“We can’t stay a few more days, and you’re not in a hurry to go back to Hong Kong.” Sin Yiu-man picked up Cai Jinman’s seeds from a small hole. “I ate these seeds.”

How much should I put in the green packet?

"Are your classmates coming to our wedding?"

"coming."

"Then it depends on how well your classmate gets married. If the groom's family is of average means, give him a larger dowry. At the banquet, you can be a little more high-profile to give your classmate some confidence."

"His family is well-off. Go back and double the dowry. At the banquet, actively try to curry favor with the groom's family. If your classmates keep in touch frequently, make sure to reach out. If you need my help, just let me know."

Cai Jinman nodded. "Are you going?"

"I can't answer you right now. I'll tell you when I receive the invitation."

“Hmm.” Cai Jinman picked up a few seeds from Xian Yaowen. “I’ll eat Master’s seeds too.”

“I have more seeds than you now, feel free to eat as many as you like.” Xian Yaowen moved his seeds, setting up a crucial array eye for the final killing formation.

Cai Jinman took a step and said happily, "Master, my elder brother has sent over the land deed you gave me."

"Both together?"

“Hmm.” Cai Jinman nodded gently, “Land on the East Coast and rubber plantations in Changi.”

“That’s perfect. When you go back to Singapore, take a look at the land and think carefully about how to build the holiday home and the cabin. As for the holiday home, I only have one requirement: it must have a study. The cabin is your childhood memory, your private little world. I won’t offer any opinions on that.”

Cai Jinman's mouth tasted sweet. "What about the rubber from the rubber plantation?"

"The rubber tree, don't worry about it now. According to the contract, the original owner can harvest this season's worth of rubber trees, and it won't belong to you until next year."

"Oh."

The two spent the morning on the rooftop. After lunch, Cai Jinman pulled Xian Yaowen to Building 5, opened the wardrobe like a treasure, and took out several sets of Kobayashi. Each set had a different color scheme, but they were all very thin and semi-transparent, allowing a hazy, penetrable view.

The same Kobayas, Sin Yiu Man saw the young man playing the pipa at the mansion pass by, picked up a set and held it up against Cai Jin Man, chuckling as he asked, "Did you make some new friends in the little Nyonya?"

Cai Jinman asked in surprise, "How did you know, sir?"

"I also know that your new friend is someone's mistress, and the man is not young."

"Huh?" Cai Jinman exclaimed in surprise, "This gentleman knows about this too?"

Putting Kobayas down, Sin Yiu Man stroked Cai Jin Man's face. "I like these clothes, but I don't like them on you. You are you, the unique Cai Jin Man. Be yourself and don't believe what others say."

Cai Jinman lowered his eyes and said, "I thought the master would like it."

Sin Yiu Man embraced Choi Kim Man, saying, “Our relationship may seem hasty, but I’ve thought it through carefully. I like Choi Kim Man the way she stands in the market, carrying a vegetable basket, not the Choi Kim Man dressed in such alluring clothes.”

Just be the Cai Jinman you're best at, the Cai Jinman who is yourself and follows your heart. Don't do things that you dislike but think you'll like.

All I need is for you to be tolerant. For example, you may not like Peipei or Yuzhen, and you can have less contact with them normally, but don't spoil the fun when the family is eating together. That's enough.

understand? "

"Mm." Cai Jinman nodded.

Xian Yaowen gently rubbed Cai Jinman's earlobe, "It's not good to go out today. I'll stay with you for the rest of the time. We'll find something to do this afternoon, and then I'll let you scream and beg for mercy on your knees tonight."

Cai Jinman's earlobes burned. "I will not beg for mercy."

"You said it, I'm waiting for you to slap yourself in the face."

"I definitely won't."

"Keep being stubborn, I'll deal with you tonight."

The two took a nap. After waking up, they went up to the balcony. Cai Jinman made beaded flat shoes, while Xian Yaowen tried out a new knitting technique and clumsily sketched out woolen gloves.

In the evening, Cai Jinman was very proactive and happy.

The next day.

According to custom, the son-in-law was not required to go up the mountain with her, but Zhou Ruoyun was pregnant and could not go up the mountain with her. She could only worship from afar at home, so he, as her son-in-law, had to stand at the end of the line and go up the mountain with her.

Once on the mountain, he was at the mercy of the geomancer, who made him avoid certain things and taboos. After being tormented by the geomancer, he went down the mountain ahead of everyone else and waited in the temporary shed in front of the Zhou family's house.

There was a ritualistic drinking ceremony at noon, which required a family member to symbolically assist. However, due to Zhou Ruoyun's pregnancy and the need for certain taboos, this unsuitable son-in-law had to take his place.

Lighting cigarettes, moving things around—it's not tiring; it's just a way to find some peace and quiet.

In the evening, the ritual of returning the deceased to the Lord is performed, which involves welcoming the soul back home for a meal. This person, who is not of the same surname, is at the end of the queue, offering incense at the altar, and then keeping a safe distance.

After returning to Christ, he held another seven-day retreat, focusing on accompanying Zhou Ruoyun and presenting silk, gold and silver paper, and a list of gifts.

During this time, Liao Kexin's family came to discuss the seventh day after her death.

On the seventh day after death, a ritual is performed, which requires a monk or Taoist priest to conduct a religious ceremony. According to Chaozhou custom, the donation money is shared by the son-in-law and the wife's brother (or brother).

Neither side was short of money, but rules are rules. Since it was a cost-sharing arrangement, it was decided that Xian Yaowen would pay the majority (80%) and the Liao family would pay the remainder (20%).

Paying money wasn't the problem; what gave Sin Yiu-man a headache was that he had to kneel and pay respects on the seventh day after the death of his daughter, meaning he absolutely had to attend, otherwise he would be considered unfilial. There were also the hundred-day celebration, the first anniversary, and the third anniversary to come, and he, as the son-in-law, had better attend them all, otherwise he would easily be criticized.

No matter how many headaches there are later, I finished what I needed to do at 10:30 p.m., rushed home, helped Zhou Ruoyun and the child get ready for bed, and then quickly went to bed.

With her large pregnant belly, Zhou Ruoyun nestled in Xian Yaowen's arms in the most comfortable position. "Master, is it taboo for us to share a bed?"

"How could it be a taboo? Couples should not sleep in the same bed within 100 days. This 'sleeping in the same bed' is a euphemism for sexual intercourse, not that they are not allowed to sleep in the same bed."

“But my sister-in-law told me that she and my brother would sleep in separate rooms.”

Sin Yiu-man asked meaningfully, "Are they having a falling out?"

"Maybe." Zhou Ruoyun sighed. "Everyone in the family knows that my brother has other women outside and even had a child with one. Before, Dad wouldn't allow him to bring them home. Now that Dad is gone, no one can stop my brother anymore. My sister-in-law must know this."

"Actually, since my sister-in-law can tolerate my brother having someone else outside, what's the difference between keeping him outside and bringing him home? Let's just bring him home."

Sin Yiu-man deliberately pretended not to know the essential difference between the two.

"There's a big difference; if you bring her home, you have to give her a proper status."

Since Zhou Ruoyun knew, Xian Yaowen simply stopped pretending and said, "Oh, about the family property dispute."

"My sister-in-law doesn't want anyone to jump out and compete with Yuming for my brother's inheritance."

"Speaking of the inheritance dispute, I must say that Dad was wise and decisive. While he was still in control of the situation, he divided the inheritance among you three siblings early on. Otherwise, given the relationship between the eldest and second eldest brothers, who knows what kind of trouble would have arisen."

"Yes, Dad nipped a crisis in the bud, so that outsiders wouldn't laugh at the Zhou family."

Xian Yaowen stroked Zhou Ruoyun's big belly, "I've been thinking about this for the past few days. The 50 yuan that Dad gave me is a bit tricky and might cause trouble. Here's what I'm planning: you ask a few members of the Zhou family to be witnesses and give the 50 yuan directly to Mom. I'll promise Dad that I'll give Mom a 5 yuan dividend every year, and we'll do it on Mid-Autumn Festival every year, not too early and not too late."

Zhou Ruoyun turned her head and asked suspiciously, "What are you thinking?"

"To be honest, I don't have a high opinion of my second brother's business acumen, nor do I have a high opinion of the future of Changjiang Textile. I am also unwilling to help him in business. 50 yuan is a disaster for me. In the future, I may have to take out 500 million yuan."

Now that I've made a clean break, I can refuse my mother's excessive demands in the future. 5 yuan a year is more than enough to afford delicacies, and a comfortable life is no problem at all.

Even in the worst-case scenario, if Mom has nowhere to live, I can provide her with a house; I will never let her suffer.

Zhou Ruoyun said quietly, "You've already planned this far ahead."

“You have to understand my difficulties. My elder brother and I have a good personal relationship and do business together. I can only keep my bottom line and not give him advice or cheer him on. If I do more, I can’t do anything else.”

"My older brother too..."

"You have to understand your older brother; he only has one mother."

Are you talking about me?

"No, you're overthinking it. I'll follow your lead regarding seniority, but as for peers, I'm sorry, I'll follow my own principles."

"Mmm~" Zhou Ruoyun shook her head. "Do whatever you want, I don't care anymore, let's go to sleep."

Xian Yaowen took a specially made silent alarm clock from the bedside table, wound it up, set the time, and placed it next to his pillow. "Go to sleep. I'll wake you up to pee."

"Ah."

The next day, while having breakfast, Wang Xiamin whispered in Xian Yaowen's ear, "I didn't have a chance to say it yesterday, but Du Yuesheng passed away the evening before yesterday."

“This is a bit of a problem. I’m still in mourning, so the Du family won’t come to announce my death. It’s also not appropriate for you to visit the Du residence again. Let me think about who can help me send some gifts over.”

"I'll go and prepare the amount of money the master intends to give."

"$2000, plus a note: the lights will never go out, the stove will never be extinguished, and spring will always be warm at home."

Wang Xiamin nodded, "I'll go and prepare later."

A little past eight o'clock.

When Sin Yiu-man arrived at Eileen Chang's residence, he knocked on the door, but it was Huang Yifan who opened it.

“Ms. Huang.” Xian Yaowen was slightly surprised.

"gentlemen."

Huang Yifan ushered Xian Yaowen into the house.

"You've come to see Ailing?"

Huang Yifan said calmly, "Miss gave me half a month off. I couldn't think of anywhere to go, so I wrote down a few place names on a piece of paper and put them in the drawer. I randomly pulled out one, and it said Hong Kong. Since I'm here, I came to take a look."

Before Sin Yiu-man could reply, Eileen Chang, who was sitting at her desk smoking, said coldly, "You don't have to come. I'm perfectly fine."

Upon hearing this, Huang Yifan nodded slightly to Xian Yaowen, "You two chat, I'm leaving."

"The car is downstairs."

Huang Yifan nodded again, turned around, and left through the open door.

Once the knocking stopped, Sin Yiu-man closed the door, went to the desk, and placed his left hand on Eileen Chang's small shoulder. "Did you two have a fight?"

"I don't have the energy to argue with her."

Sin Yiu-man glanced at Eileen Chang's face. It didn't seem like he was just saying it out of anger. Judging from the look of it, the conflict between the mother and daughter was already irreconcilable. Eileen Chang's heart had long since turned cold.

"Leaving her aside, were you waiting for me, or were you never planning to go to work in the first place?"

Eileen Chang stubbed out her cigarette, shifted her posture, and looked at Sin Yiu-man. "The company has taken a liking to my novel, 'The First Incense.' I haven't been to work these past few days; I've been at home revising the script."

"Oh."

"Does this have anything to do with you?"

“I was definitely aware that the company’s new project had been approved.”

"The company has always focused on box office performance, so why would it be interested in 'Love After Love'? I myself don't think it will be a box office success."

"Want to hear the truth?"

There's no need to tell lies.

"stand up."

Sin Yiu-man asked Eileen Chang to get up. He sat down in a chair and then had Eileen Chang sit across his lap, supporting her back with his right hand.

"Simply put, I need a film that can accommodate a lot of costumes. For the role of Mrs. Liang, I will prepare hundreds of costumes, and finally select the ten or so of the most exquisite ones as the costumes for the female lead in the next film."

"Just for picking out clothes?"

"They also select actors."

Is "The First Incense Burner" a stepping stone?

"From my perspective, yes; from the company's perspective, no, it's an experimental film used to test the acceptance level of European audiences."

Eileen Chang casually lifted the tail of her arched eyebrows slightly, "To be shown to European audiences?"

“Focus on France.” Sin Yiu-man gently stroked Eileen Chang’s thigh. “Rewrite the script according to your original ideas, maintain your style, and don’t deliberately think about what the French like to watch. The project budget will be relatively high, so use it on costumes and location shooting to highlight the beauty of Hong Kong’s scenery.”

Whose advertisement is this?

"Can't I be the one promoting Hong Kong for free?"

Eileen Chang scoffed, "Absolutely impossible."

“I own a travel company.”

"A mercenary."

"I do not deny."

Eileen Chang wrapped her arms around Sin Yiu-man's neck. "Mr. Mercenary, you didn't come here specifically to comfort me, did you?"

"The word 'comfort' is used wonderfully. It makes me feel the grievances of a wronged woman against the world, and the strong dissatisfaction of a woman surnamed Zhang, whose given name is probably 'fire' with the radical 'fire', towards her lover whose name I don't even know."

Zhang Ailing raised her chin, and in a panic, hooked the trigger. Humming sounds from the 12.7 mm caliber spilled out of her stubborn mouth without any rhythm.

With a swift movement, Sin Yiu-man took Zhang Ailing's slightly thicker lower lip into his mouth, lightly grinding his teeth together. His tongue then pushed upwards, dislodging the upper lip, before deftly slipping into the torn opening.

Eileen Chang lightly patted Sin Yiu-man's shoulder twice, slowly closed her eyes, and resignedly savored the tenderness.

The radio on the desk crackled a few times, then suddenly Gu Mei's voice came through again, "Give me a kiss, please, kiss me on the face, leave a mark of love."

Before the song was even halfway through, Eileen Chang was slumped over the desk, her hair tightly wrapped around one hand in an armband. The desk, engrossed in the music, began to creak and groan. An ink bottle without a lid performed a Thomas spin, spinning a few times before slipping and falling to the floor with a splash, scattering blue ink everywhere.

The fountain pen had never practiced dancing, but its desire to perform was extremely strong. It lay on its side, turned left and right a few times, and soon became dizzy and followed the ink bottle's footsteps.

Seeing the two villains who had colluded to commit evil fall, the book turned in the wind, playing a cheerful version of "Canon," and the manuscript paper clattered to the beat, "The Zhang family has no good women, they feed them manure early in the morning."

The radio was quite lively, and it had just raised one foot to clap when a big hand suddenly came down on it. Well, with a clang, it was shattered into pieces, and its two nostrils ended up on its tail, sizzling and crackling as a series of sparks flew out.

In this situation, the chair was so frightened that its legs went weak, it leaned back, and fell straight onto the floor.

The second hand smelled gunpowder and took off running. The hour hand huddled up, trembling. The minute hand, in a fit of sycophancy, chased after the hour hand and blindfolded it. The second hand had moved past twelve marks when it looked up and realized it was back at nine marks. Furious, it kicked the hour and minute hands that were blocking the flow of time.

Time stood still, and all three hands pointed to nine o'clock.

"Hu, hu, hu."

Zhang Ailing's right cheek was pressed against the glass table, her nostrils flaring as she breathed heavily. Fine beads of sweat on her forehead condensed into small beans, which then dripped onto the glass, blooming like ginkgo leaves. A wisp of fragrance rose from the tip of her hair.

A moment later, she was carried into the bedroom, placed on the bed, and embraced.

A lit cigarette was put into her mouth, she took a deep drag, and savored the most unforgettable taste of her life.

One puff after another, and half a cigarette was slowly burned to ashes.

She exhaled another puff of smoke and punched Xian Yaowen in the chest with her small fist. "You're so rude."

"You like it... no, you're captivated by it, aren't you?"

Eileen Chang tore off the tattered strips of cloth hanging from her body and spread them on Sin Yiu-man's chest, saying, "My favorite clothes."

Xian Yaowen glanced at it, then gathered it up and placed it aside. "You designed this yourself?"

"Yes."

"You are the best clothing designer among writers."

How do I break down your statement?

"You are a writer."

Eileen Chang's large black pupils were pushed back to the corners of her eyes, revealing a pitifully small proportion of white in her eyes, as she said, "Let's talk about design."

"You are the best artist among writers."

Eileen Chang's tone turned sharp, "Let's talk about design."

"Ms. Huang is the assistant of Fashion Week, a famous French fashion designer."

Eileen Chang turned over, her back to Sin Yiu-man.

“Alright, I’ll be blunt.” Sin Yiu-man chuckled and turned Eileen Chang back to her original position. “If there were a funeral shroud design competition, you would probably win the most daring creative award.”

Eileen Chang's almond-shaped eyes coldly met Sin Yiu-man's gaze. "You understand fashion design?"

Sin Yiu-man lifted Eileen Chang's chin. "How dare you ask me if I understand fashion design? Do you know you've kicked a hornet's nest?"

"Are you the world's most famous fashion designer?" Eileen Chang mocked.

“I wouldn’t dare call myself the most famous, but I’m certainly well-known.” Sin Yiu-man pointed at Eileen Chang. “I don’t remember the Dark Night series being sold in Hong Kong, but I do remember that this Dark Night Elf model cost almost as much as your monthly income. Tell me what motivated you to buy it.”

Eileen Chang said in a harsh tone, "I like it."

"Thank you for appreciating this; it's my work."

"you?"

"Correct."

Eileen Chang remained silent for a long while, then said, "Are you serious?"

"Don't you know I started out making clothes?"

Eileen Chang fell silent again, picked up the cigarette that was almost burning her fingers, took two puffs, picked up a crumpled piece of manuscript paper from the side, wrapped it around the cigarette butt and squeezed it a few times. Even after the embers were extinguished, she continued to squeeze and crumple the paper into a tight ball.

After a long silence, she asked softly, "Don't my clothes look good?"

"It looks a bit strange on its own, but it suits you perfectly. The design of the clothes is very suitable for you. You could redesign one."

"I thought I had a lot of design talent."

"It's actually not bad, but there's still room for improvement to reach a professional level."

"Okay." Eileen Chang ran her fingers through her hair and said resentfully, "Don't pull my hair anymore. It's already so thin it's practically translucent. If you pull out a few more strands, I'll go bald."

“I didn’t use any force.” Xian Yaowen glanced at Zhang Ailing’s hair. “You don’t need to worry. Your hair quality has improved since last time; it’s not as yellow anymore. Eat three meals a day on time, make sure you get proper nutrition, and try not to overthink things. It will get better. It’s just…”

Sin Yiu-man didn't continue.

"Just what?"

"If you temper your temper a little, calm your mind, and cultivate your character, your physical condition will be better."

Sin Yiu-man's words were somewhat perfunctory. What he actually wanted to say was "lacking the nourishment of a man," which was the truth and his honest opinion, but he couldn't say it out loud, as it would only cause him trouble.

“That sentence is meaningless.” Eileen Chang let her hair down and rested her head on Sin Yiu-man’s chest. “Coming to see me in this situation, there must be something else on your mind, right?”

“Du Yuesheng is old and it’s inconvenient for me to go there. After thinking it over, it’s most appropriate for you to go in my place.”

Eileen Chang had a profound understanding of human relationships and social customs. She fully understood what Sin Yiu-man meant. Being able to represent him at the funeral meant that he acknowledged her status as a woman, but they were not yet family, so it did not violate any taboos.

She didn't mind his way of positioning her; that was simply the truth.

"I hate this kind of thing the most."

"Okay, I'll think about it some more."

"I can make an exception for you this time."

"You don't have to agree if you don't like it; I have other options."

"Go find someone else."

"it is good."

As soon as he finished speaking, Sin Yiu-man threw off the thin blanket and prepared to get up.

Eileen Chang hugged Sin Yiu-man's waist and exclaimed, "I'll go!"

Sin Yiu-man stopped what he was doing. "Not forcing me?"

"Don't force it."

Sin Yiu-man lay back down.

Eileen Chang rested her head on his chest again, "If I don't go, will you never come to see me again?"

You can guess.

"I want to hear what you have to say."

“I don’t need you to be subservient. You can maintain your independence and personality, but sometimes you need to humble yourself and accommodate me. Needless to say, I hate this kind of thing the most.”

"I was wrong."

“There’s no need to admit your mistake. You’ll just go from one extreme to the other.” Sin Yiu-man gently patted Eileen Chang’s back. “I know you hate social niceties, but who can truly escape them in this world?”

Eileen Chang said softly, "I understand."

"Change into something suitable, go and come right back, we have a lot to do today."

"doing what?"

"What else can we do but eat, drink, and have fun?"

"All day?"

"No, a day and a night."

Eileen Chang suddenly sat up. "I'm going to wash up."

She rose gracefully, like a joyful lark, slipped on her slippers, and glided before the mirror, her beauty radiant like autumn chrysanthemums and flourishing like spring pines. (End of Chapter)