The dinner was plentiful but not exactly delicious; Xia Lei ate happily. Zhou Xiao-Hong’s parents were simple farmers and Xia Lei felt like he had returned to the times at the construction site with their talk about rice, oil and salt; it was a warm dinner table.

Cherishing the past enabled one to cherish the present. He was not the sort who would think highly of himself now that he had gained some power.

After dinner, Xia Lei and Zhou Xiao-Hong discussed what they would do tomorrow when going to the government office to talk about investing in the factory. The discussion stretched for two to three hours and Zhou Xiao-Hong left the room, citing the late hour. Xia Lei removed his clothing and lay on the bed but he could not get to sleep.

‘What does Gu Ding-Shan stand to gain from personally killing off my small company? He’s already a billionaire - He wouldn’t care about the money even if I sell the company to the Gu clan. Was it because I ruined Gu Ke-Wu’s chances with Shentu Tian-Yin and humiliated his daughter? People of his calibre are not likely to seek revenge for the smallest grievances, are they? It’s understandable if it was Gu Ke-Wu and Gu Ke-Wen behind it but for Gu Ding-Shan to personally take action, and such big actions too…’ Questions surfaced in Xia Lei’s head when everything was quiet. He felt it rather odd but he could not figure out why after pondering the question for quite a while.

Rain fell outside the window and raindrops rolled along the lines of the eaves, dropping to the ground with a pitter-patter. The climate in the basin was strange - the rain did not wet clothing but when it started it seemed it would go on for the whole day without end. The sound of rain was hypnotic and slowly, gradually, Xia Lei closed his eyes and went to sleep.

Perhaps it was because he had drunk some alcohol or perhaps it was his prior sleepless night, but he was in deep slumber once he slept. His sleep was dreamless and he was deaf to the sound of the rain outside the window.

Through his befogged state, he suddenly felt some movement under his blankets and something peck his cheek. Something soft and cool traversed his body, finally stopping at his most sensitive place.

Xia Lei opened his eyes immediately and was shocked. He saw Zhou Xiao-Hong’s face up close, scant millimetres away from his own. The warm breath from her nose and mouth puffed against his face, ticklish yet fragrant. She was curled up under the blankets with not a scrap of cloth covering her, naked and smooth as a freshly-peeled hard-boiled egg. Her soft breasts were pressed to his chest sending strong, electrifying signals of desire and fantasy.

There was no light in the room and everything was inky-black but Zhou Xiao-Hong sensed that Xia Lei had awoken. She was already nervous but she became even more so and her voice shook when she spoke. “Big Br, Brother Lei, let me sl, sleep with you.”

Xia Lei snapped back to his senses and was nervous too. “What are you doing, Xiao-Hong?”

“Big Brother Lei, you are my family’s great supporter, our great benefactor… I, I don’t have anything I can pay you back with. Let me sleep with you. M, my body is clean and has never been touched before.” Zhou Xiao-Hong’s ears were red and her hands were trembling.

Xia Lei was panicking too. “Don’t be like this, Xiao-Hong. I’m not the sort of man who wants you to pay me with your body if I help you.”

“Big Brother Lei, I… I won’t cling on to you. I just want to serve you, repay you. J, just sleep with me.” Zhou Xiao-Hong was so anxious that she was about to cry.

The softest part of Xia Lei’s hardened heart was touched. Only a kind and simple woman like Zhou Xiao-Hong could say something like this. She did not want anything but to serve him and give him the pleasures men liked as a way to repay his kindness. However, he was not that sort of man and he could not take a woman’s body like this for a moment of pleasure.

“Don’t do this, Xiao-Hong.”

Zhou Xiao-Hong darted forward and kissed Xia Lei on the lips, preventing him from saying more.

Warm, moist, soft, and fragrant sexy lips. Xia Lei’s body stiffened. Zhou Xiao-Hong’s hand wandered about under the covers, searching anxiously for something. The woman was a natural at this - she knew what to do to a man even though she had not experienced this sort of thing before.

Xia Lei was like a dam while this was going on and Zhou Xiao-Hong a strong, flooding torrent of desire; she attacked this dam relentlessly.

Xia Lei’s sense of reason was being tested rigorously. Two thoughts warred in his head - rejection and obeying his body’s instincts. Just as one was about to triumph over the other, he abruptly jumped off the bed and escaped.

Zhou Xiao-Hong was disappointed and felt at a loss. She hid in Xia Lei’s covers and did not dare look at him.

Xia Lei was a comical sight - the triangle he wore had a 90-degree protrusion full of penetrating power. There was no way for him to hide it. Fortunately, Zhou Xiao-Hong did not have night-vision like him and she probably could not see what state his underwear was in.

Out of the warm covers and Zhou Xiao-Hong’s clumsy clutches, Xia Lei’s mind gradually cleared up. He said gently, “Put your clothes on, Xiao-Hong.”

“I knew it. You find me ugly.” Zhou Xiao-Hong was frustrated.

Xia Lei smiled wryly. “You’re very pretty, really, but… I really am not that sort of person. You know that I’ve just had my heart broken too.”

“I’m not going to fall in love with you.” Zhou Xiao-Hong pursed her lips.

Xia Lei was speechless.

The atmosphere in the room was heavy and awkward with silence. The two of them stayed in frozen wordlessness. One hid under the covers, naked, while the other stood at the foot of the bed in briefs. The temperature was low in winter and Xia Lei’s hands and feet were stiff with cold in under a few minutes.

“Um…” Xia Lei wanted to say something but could not find the words. He slowly moved towards the clothes he had left by the bed and he had just grabbed his trousers when Zhou Xiao-Hong suddenly threw the covers off and got out of bed, then walked to the door buck-naked.

Xia Lei instantly wanted to call out to her but he swallowed his words before they got out.

What was he going to do if he called her back? Have a heart-to-heart? There were temporary pleasures to be had but what about what came next? She was a kind and simple woman and he did not want to stain her.

Xia Lei could not sleep for the rest of the night. His head was full of Zhou Xiao-Hong’s smooth body…

He got up the next day before it was light. The fine drizzle had finally stopped so he went to the yard to practice his Wing Chun.

“Morning, Big Brother Lei.” Zhou Xiao-Hong had got up early too. Her eyes were red and it was obvious that she had not slept well either.

Xia Lei stopped practicing and greeted Zhou Xiao-Hong somewhat awkwardly. “Morning, Xiao-Hong.”

Zhou Xiao-Hong went to Xia Lei’s side with her head lowered, not daring to meet his eyes. “Big Brother Lei, last night, I…”

Xia Lei chuckled. “What about last night? I drank too much and only awoke at daybreak once I closed my eyes. I know nothing. You didn’t have a burglar enter your home, did you?”

Zhou Xiao-Hong’s face was red. “A burglar did come in but nothing was stolen. I think that burglar’s very kind and couldn’t bear to steal.”

Xia Lei couldn’t help laughing. Zhou Xiao-Hong cracked jokes too but it was fortunate that she could joke about something like this. Last night was in the past and everyone was going to pretend nothing happened - this was good.

After breakfast, Xia Lei went with Zhou Xiao-Hong to the local government office. Once they stated their reason for coming, the official responsible for investment promotion immediately smiled widely and received them warmly. The economy was in recession and few businesses were moving to expand. It took considerable effort on the government’s part to get investors interested but Xia Lei had come knocking all on his own so it was a happy event for the local government.

The official in charge of taking care of Xia Lei and Zhou Xiao-Hong was a man called Shang Hai, the director of the local development office. After gaining an understanding of their situation, he said, “If you’re opening a branch company, you just have to do some simple procedures. I can help you finish it all today if you have all the materials ready. It will take longer if you’re starting a brand new company, but it won’t take more than three days.”

Xia Lei had also been wavering between a new company or a branch company. He thought for a bit and asked probingly, “I’ll be honest, Director Shang. I want to move my company somewhere else because someone is throttling my business back home. Will people from the Trade and Commerce Bureau come seal my factory off if I build one here?”

Shang Hai looked blankly at him, then laughed. “Are you pulling my leg, Mr Xia? Our industrial development zone is a project which was re-established after a catastrophe. These benefits are also from the government - who dares mess with it unless he wants to have his meals in a prison cell? You can rest assured, Mr Xia. As long as your company is running a legal business I can guarantee that no one would dare make trouble for you here.”

This was just a verbal promise but Xia Lei relaxed quite a bit when he heard it. “Good then, it’s decided. I’m going to open a branch company. The procedures are simpler too if I do it this way. I actually already have my eye on a piece of land in your industrial development zone. I prefer things to be straightforward too so let’s get started on those procedures.”

Shang Hai got up and shook hands with Xia Lei, then said, “Please hold on, Mr Xia. I’ll give our Mayor a call.”

“Please, go ahead,” said Xia Lei politely.

After Shang Hai left the room, Zhou Xiao-Hong said, “Aren’t you going to think about it more, Big Brother Lei? It’s a big decision.”

“There’s nothing to consider. There are excellent benefits here and it saves money and trouble. I was going to open a branch company anyway so why not here? It’s close to your home too so you can take care of your family when you work here,” said Xia Lei.

“Will you still come here?” asked Zhou Xiao-Hong in a small voice.

Xia Lei smiled. “This is my company so how can I not come?”

Zhou Xiao-Hong smiled then. “I’ll be here watching over your company then.”

“I’ll get Yin Hao to come here to help you. You’re the head and he shall be your deputy. He is capable and you can just manage him. You understand what I mean?”

“Yes, I understand.”

“I’ll be leaving tomorrow for Hai-Zhu. Call me if anything happens here. Remember - be quick. Ask the government to help us find construction companies, recruit workers and so on. Make use of all the government’s resources, got that?”

Zhou Xiao-Hong nodded, afraid to miss any word of his.

Just then, Shang Hai walked in with a smile on his face. “Mr Xia, let’s go view the piece of land you have your eye on. Our Major is already on his way to the industrial development zone.”

Xia Lei stood. “All right. After you.”