Chapter 65: N. Letters Through the Years

Su Hui stood there, stunned by these words.

He thought it was a hallucination, so he secretly pinched his palm to confirm this wasn’t a dream or a figment of his imagination.

It hurt.

He began to waver; a part of him desperately wanted to believe it was real, while another part dared not trust it.

If this were six years ago, the 20-year-old Su Hui, hearing Ning Yixiao say he liked and loved him, would have been unable to sleep for joy, wanting to tell the whole world because it was his most cherished dream. But having experienced so much, he no longer dared to imagine there was anything about him worth liking.

Moreover, after they split, every attempt he made to reach out resulted in silence—like a stone cast into the sea, never to be heard from again. Su Hui had long since lost the last of his faith in this relationship.

From the moment they reunited until now, Su Hui had been falling deeper and deeper, yet he lacked the courage to probe into Ning Yixiao’s heart. It wasn’t that he hadn’t considered that Ning Yixiao might still harbor old feelings, but he was more afraid that their future would repeat the past.

He didn’t have another heart to let be broken again.

“I…”

Su Hui tried to speak, but Ning Yixiao seemed to have seen through his confusion and fragility.

“Su Hui, I’m telling you this so you clearly understand my stance. As for what comes next, the initiative is in your hands. You can think about it slowly; there’s no need to rush to a decision.”

As he spoke, Ning Yixiao looked sincerely into Su Hui’s eyes.

“I know there are many unresolved issues between us, so I won’t force you to give an answer immediately. Besides, I can wait—wait until we can both speak honestly without any grudges, resolve those conflicts together, and then enter into a new relationship. As long as you are willing to face our feelings head-on, don’t run away.”

Su Hui nodded subconsciously, not even realizing he had done so.

Ning Yixiao pressed his forehead against Su Hui’s, his tone gentle. “Su Hui, because I met you as you are now, I have already moved on from the past. I hope you can, too. Time is irreversible; we cannot remain trapped in place, nor can we return to the past, but we can still have a future.”

Su Hui looked at him, his eyes glistening. He didn’t even dare to blink, just watching every word Ning Yixiao said, wanting to engrave every detail of this moment into his memory.

“Do you remember? That abandoned glass fish tank in your garden.” A smile touched the corners of Ning Yixiao’s mouth. “I fell asleep on the plane yesterday and had a dream. I dreamt of the butterfly fish you mentioned. I think it’s a good omen.”

Su Hui’s response was a bit scattered. “I haven’t even dreamt of my fish. What happened to it in your dream?”

Ning Yixiao laughed. “I dreamt I was back at my house in the Bay Area, intending to go for a swim. While swimming, suddenly a huge tuna appeared right beside me, as if it wanted to race me. We swam together to the other side of the pool, but the pool grew bigger and bigger, as if it had no end, like the sea.”

“Then weren’t you very tired?” Su Hui felt a pang of heartache; his work must have been so exhausting to cause such a tiring dream. He subconsciously stroked Ning Yixiao’s back.

“Right. But just as I was so tired I could barely swim anymore, a small, beautiful iron-wrought butterfly fish appeared before my eyes. It flicked its little yellow tail, as if telling me that this was the finish line and I could rest.”

Su Hui was mesmerized. “And then?”

“Then, the tuna and the butterfly fish told me they were going back to the sea and said goodbye.” Ning Yixiao gently rubbed his nose against Su Hui’s bridge. “And I returned to the pool.”

Su Hui seemed to visualize the scene, his eyes turning red as he smiled. “It sounds like a cartoon.”

Ning Yixiao hugged him tighter.

As long as he tried hard enough, he could win Su Hui back.

Su Hui buried his face in Ning Yixiao’s collarbone. “I stained your clothes.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“I want to see my butterfly fish, too.” Su Hui whispered, holding back tears.

Ning Yixiao laughed and kissed the top of his hair. “Then come into my dreams.”

In the end, Su Hui couldn’t resist. This person was simply too unfair—he always made him forget all reality, forget the pros and cons, forget the gap between them, as if everything were as simple and beautiful as embracing a dream.

All the hallucinations he had woven himself could not compare to Ning Yixiao himself.

“How long can I consider it?” he asked Ning Yixiao.

“As long as you want. Anyway, while you’re considering it, I can still kiss you and hug you.”

Su Hui bit his lip. “It’s all up to you anyway.”

Ning Yixiao’s phone suddenly vibrated. He reached out with one hand to check it and saw it was the marketing manager from his company.

Su Hui knew he was very busy, and yet he had made time to come see him. “If you have work, go deal with it first. Didn’t you say the company had some trouble?”

Ning Yixiao nodded, kissed the tip of Su Hui’s nose, and explained clearly, “I did run into some trouble. We recently launched a new product, but a nearly identical competitor suddenly appeared, engaging in malicious competition and trying to start a price war. I need to resolve it quickly, otherwise, there will be losses.”

Su Hui felt a bit pained and stroked Ning Yixiao’s back. “Then don’t be too anxious. Take your time; you’ll definitely be able to solve it. You go first, don’t worry. I’ll go home once I finish work here.”

“Okay, then I’ll…”

“Wait.” Su Hui found a tissue in his pocket, feeling a bit embarrassed. “I accidentally smeared my makeup on your face… wipe it clean before you go out.”

Seeing him so shy, Ning Yixiao found it very amusing. “It was me who kissed you into this state, not an accident.”

Su Hui didn’t dare to speak.

“You can barely stand, yet you’re still apologizing.” Ning Yixiao chuckled, “Poor little kitten.”

This was the first time he had called him that since they reunited.

Su Hui frowned, his hand stopping, his eyes looking at Ning Yixiao with a childish innocence.

“Poor little kitten.” Ning Yixiao repeated, kissing Su Hui’s forehead as if he were something precious.

Su Hui didn’t feel pitiful; he felt very lucky.

After wiping the makeup off Ning Yixiao’s face, Su Hui suppressed his reluctance to let him go and urged him, “Go quickly, make that call, don’t let anything get delayed.”

“Okay. When I’m done, I’ll take you to the Bay Area to see the sights.” Ning Yixiao held his hand, kissed it, and then left first.

Su Hui watched him open the door and leave, feeling a sense of loss in his heart.

Facing Ning Yixiao, he wanted to agree immediately, but he also felt it wouldn’t be very responsible. Even though in his heart, he had never forgotten him—not for a single day—reality was reality, and hallucinations were hallucinations. He had to be responsible; he had to seriously consider their future.

Leaving the smoking room, Su Hui ran into his photography assistant and followed him into the studio to shoot the final set.

Bella was not there; he asked around and found out that Ning Yixiao had taken Bella with him when he left, saying they had business to discuss.

After work ended, Chloe asked if he wanted to go get something to eat to celebrate. Su Hui refused; his mind was a mess, and he was exhausted. He wanted to go home and sort out his thoughts.

“Want to go get a drink?” Jing Ming popped up from somewhere.

Ever since Ning Yixiao had lectured him over the phone last time, Su Hui had been strictly abstaining from alcohol. He shook his head the moment he heard the word “drink.”

“I’m not going.”

“Then should I take you back?” Jing Ming asked again.

Seeing Jing Ming with a beautiful female model, Su Hui felt he shouldn’t ruin things for him, so he shook his head. “It’s fine, I’ll go back myself.”

Chloe packed up the equipment and offered, “I’ll drop you off, it’s on the way.”

So Su Hui rode with Chloe, silently vowing to get his driver’s license as soon as possible.

“Did Bella and Shaw go to talk about a collaboration?” Su Hui asked casually in the car.

“Sort of, but their collaborations are never normal.” Chloe rolled down the window and joked.

“What do you mean?”

Chloe glanced at the rearview mirror. “Aren’t they in a fake engagement? One wanted to split the family property, and the other wanted to get investment—they both achieved that now. Just a moment ago, when Shaw went to Bella’s office, I happened to be inside and overheard. He said, rather than keeping this ‘fake engagement’ time bomb waiting for Old Jones to deal with, they might as well use it one last time, while taking the opportunity to openly dissolve the non-existent marriage contract.”

Su Hui didn’t know the specifics of Ning Yixiao’s strategy, but since he had already planned it, there must be a viable scheme.

“Shaw is really bold in his work, very daring, and he’s also very meticulous.”

Hearing this, Su Hui nodded in agreement. “Because he’s very smart, and he’s suffered a lot, so he’s much more mature than his peers.”

Chloe nodded. “True. It’s like he never does anything unnecessary; he only makes decisions that benefit himself.”

Su Hui was skeptical about that point.

Everyone thought Ning Yixiao was a shrewd, self-serving egoist who only cared about profit, but Su Hui knew that deep down, he was very gentle and accommodating—and always selfless toward him.

“Actually, he isn’t chasing money and status, even though it looks like it.” Su Hui rarely defended him, and not even for his own sake. “He is just striving to prove his own meaning.”

A way to resist the emptiness of life.

Back home, Su Hui showered, fed Xuegao, and curled up on the sofa with him, thinking about everything Ning Yixiao had said today.

The night view of Manhattan was beautiful, much like that night six years ago when they had been lost here.

For the first time, Su Hui tried to face the past and tried to walk out of those six years. He truly hoped that Ning Yixiao could also be honest with him, to tell him all the suffering he had endured alone, instead of bottling it up inside with nowhere to vent.

While he was lost in thought, his phone suddenly rang. Thinking it was Ning Yixiao, he quickly got up to grab it, but unlocking the screen, he saw it was an unknown number.

After answering, Su Hui’s heart plummeted to the bottom. It was the hospital; they notified him that his grandmother’s condition had deteriorated due to complications and she needed to be moved into the ICU for observation.

Su Hui couldn’t care about anything else. He poured enough food for Xuegao, changed his clothes, and rushed to the hospital through the night.

Just in case, he sent a message to Ning Yixiao in the taxi.

[Su Hui: My grandmother’s condition has worsened, but it should be nothing major. I’ve already headed to the hospital. Don’t come; focus on handling your work.]

[Su Hui: I promise you, I won’t run away.]

Ning Yixiao did not see this message at first.

He was too busy. After leaving Bella’s studio, he got into his car and held a short conference call with the marketing department to reorganize the plan for the board and the investors.

Bella also agreed to his proposal, and all conditions were settled.

“I know my father; he will definitely be willing to pay for this,” Bella said.

Ning Yixiao asked, “Aren’t you afraid he’ll turn on you and kick you out of the house?”

“He won’t. At most, he’ll be angry for a few days. How little have I angered him? Besides, my mom is there to carry the load; he wouldn’t dare ignore me.” Bella only cautioned, “Anyway, you must help me get what I want. It’s a win-win.”

Ning Yixiao had never experienced such a family dynamic, so he didn’t comment. Since she agreed, he would push forward as planned.

Several investors applied pressure one after another; call after call followed. By the time dawn was approaching, Ning Yixiao had mostly handled it, temporarily stabilizing the partners. But Carl suddenly told him something else.

“Shaw, that Danny you asked me to find the other day—it seems I found her.”

Ning Yixiao’s thoughts shifted back to a few days ago, sinking into memory.

At that time, he learned that Professor White was on a solo business trip to San Francisco. Ning Yixiao went to the professor’s seminar, working in the back row, and found him after it ended to ask for a private chat.

That afternoon, he went straight to the point, talking to Professor White about Su Hui. Initially, he was worried the professor wouldn’t be willing to share, but to his surprise, the professor was very honest, telling him almost everything he knew.

He told Ning Yixiao that Su Hui’s ability shouldn’t have been limited to a lowly assistant position; it was because he lacked a green card and the qualifications to be hired. Professor White had exhausted all his efforts just to get him into that position, with the actual goal of letting him continue his studies in a different way.

“The first time I met Eddy was at a flea market. I was in Canada for an academic conference, and my wife and I went to visit a large market behind our hotel.”

“Do you know? I saw Eddy crouching in a corner at first glance. He was incredibly thin back then, practically skin and bones, and he didn’t dare to look up at people. In front of him were many things he had made—little trinkets. To avoid speaking to anyone, he wrote down his ideas for these things on paper and taped them next to each item.”

“He was incredibly talented, creating beautiful works of art out of discarded trash that nobody wanted. I thought to myself then, this is a rare talent. The creativity in him was something I hadn’t seen in a long time. So I insisted on inviting him to New York, to follow me and study, to enter this industry.”

White said: “But he was very sick at the time and didn’t want to be a burden. I remember bringing him home, inviting him for a simple meal, and asking him to stay over. But the boy didn’t dare to eat much, didn’t dare to stay long, and while we weren’t looking, he left a note and ran away. We spent half the night searching everywhere for him before we found him again. It was really like looking for a little stray cat.”

“Although he looked very destitute, his table manners were excellent, better than most young people. I thought, this young man might have fallen on hard times; he might have been from a wealthy family before, but Eddy never spoke of such things.”

“We spent a long time together, and we hired a psychologist for him—Liang Wen, you must have met him. He brought colleagues to give Eddy consultations, medicine, and he slowly recovered a lot. I tried to let him enter school for study, but he couldn’t apply for enrollment through regular channels, so it was better to be an assistant, where he could earn a salary.”

Hearing these past events, Ning Yixiao felt a profound sadness. This was just the tip of the iceberg of Su Hui’s six years, but even just hearing about it made him feel pain; he couldn’t bear to imagine more.

By the end of the conversation, Professor White gave Ning Yixiao some information he had gathered, telling him, “Eddy rarely mentions what happened before, but he did mention a head nurse named Danny. It is said she took care of him, around the same age as his mother, could speak a little Chinese, and was a woman with brown hair and blue eyes, with a red birthmark on her neck.”

Knowing this, Ning Yixiao did not tell Su Hui, fearing it would trigger painful memories, so he remained silent, simply having Carl search for this woman named Danny based on the information.

Now, she was finally found.

Carl said: “I saw her resume on a domestic service job site. The description matches everything you gave me; it should be the same person. I contacted the number she left during the day, and the moment she heard I wanted to ask about a Chinese boy, she hung up immediately. But we should be able to find her address through the site.”

Ning Yixiao nodded. “Send someone to look for her. For now, come with me to the Jones Group.”

Recalling Professor White’s words again, Ning Yixiao still found it hard to accept. In his imagination, Su Hui should have left him and gone to Europe to study; even if he couldn’t follow his dream, he should have at least been a carefree young master.

But the reality was the exact opposite; Su Hui had suffered tremendously while he was gone.

At eight in the morning, Ning Yixiao met the photographer in the underground parking garage, got the items, and went straight to Jones’s office. Mr. Jones, from the age of twenty to sixty, insisted on waking up at six every day and exercising for two hours before coming to the office—information Ning Yixiao had gathered back when he was starting his business.

Carl had booked an appointment in advance, so Ning Yixiao entered the office directly. Mr. Jones was eating breakfast and even asked if he wanted to join him.

“No, thank you.” Ning Yixiao said with a heavy expression, “Mr. Jones, I came to see you so early because of a private matter.”

Having said that, he opened the file bag in his hand, took out the photos, and placed them on Jones’s desk.

The photos showed Bella and Chloe kissing on a street late at night.

Old Jones looked at these photos, his expression instantly darkening.

“Where did this come from?” he frowned, unable to help but sigh.

“I went to see Bella the moment I landed yesterday. I originally intended to keep her company while she worked. These photos were sent to me via email by an anonymous account, saying that if I didn’t handle it, they would be sent directly to major media outlets. So I gave that person a sum of money to buy the negatives.”

Old Jones put down his knife and fork, turned away in anger, looking like he was struggling to suppress his rage.

Ning Yixiao started pouring fuel on the fire. “Actually, I had heard some vague rumors before. After all, Bella and I are alumni, and there are only so many people in this circle. Occasionally, news leaks, but I didn’t expect that we haven’t even been engaged for a month…”

After Jones listened, he sighed and looked up. “This matter is indeed her fault, and we are also in the wrong. I understand that you handled it this way for the sake of our family.”

Ning Yixiao had no expression; he was the same as always—clearly in the center of the event, yet appearing like an outsider.

“Perhaps I also have my reasons; I’ve been too busy with work and couldn’t take good care of this relationship, which led to the problem. But discovering it sooner is not a bad thing.”

Jones thought for a long time before telling him, “You’ve had a hard time lately, I know. Shaw, consider this matter as if it never happened. Leave these negatives with me. Is there anything I can help you with now? Feel free to bring it up, let’s discuss.”

Ning Yixiao, well-versed in the rules of negotiation, took advantage of Jones being on the moral low ground to deliberately propose a condition that would be difficult to accept.

“You should already be aware of the malicious competition I’ve been facing recently. I think, if possible, you could invest a larger sum of money…”

“That is not something I can decide, Shaw.” Mr. Jones rejected this proposal.

Ning Yixiao nodded. “Of course, I understand.”

He sat down, placed the file bag aside, removed his glasses, and rubbed the bridge of his nose. After a moment, he gave a new proposal. “How about this? Previously, you wanted to purchase one of our AI service systems to use in your company’s automotive product line. I declined at the time because the technology wasn’t mature enough. If you still need it, I can share this system with you.”

Compared to the previous one, this was much easier to accept.

“And the condition?” Jones asked.

“The condition is, I need the social network called Edge that the Jones Group recently acquired. Let my new products link directly to the site’s users; they can log into the product directly through this social software.”

It wasn’t that Jones didn’t understand his intention. User stickiness in social networks is often a tool for profitability. Many communities begin developing their own products only after they have grown, just to utilize the existing user base.

But compared to this small social network, the AI system was something he had always wanted. Besides, his daughter had poked a hole in things, and it would be hard to handle if he didn’t provide some compensation.

“Have you talked to Bella?” Jones asked.

Ning Yixiao nodded. “We talked on the phone on the way here. She wants to dissolve the engagement.”

With that, he played a pre-prepared recording of a phone call, in which Bella’s voice was heard.

[I just don’t like you. Getting engaged to you was actually just to get the assets I deserve. I’m certainly not going to marry you, and the engagement has no legal meaning anyway…]

“That’s it.” Ning Yixiao looked at Jones.

Half an hour later, he walked out of Jones’s office. It was already 10:30 AM. Carl was worried and hurriedly asked about the situation.

“He agreed. Contact the technical department immediately to interface with the Edge workgroup and complete the system upgrade within these two days. Edge’s users are a young demographic, highly sticky, and very active. Their user profile aligns perfectly with our target audience. Contact the marketing department and conduct market advertising using this social network as the core. Find some high-traffic influencers to promote it.”

He then emphasized, “The target keyword is ‘customer experience.’ Because our smart wearable is prioritizing user service as the highest priority—not just AI responses, but also paying attention to customer emotional perception and psychological experience. So, bring out the advantages in this area and find a new advertising planning team. Didn’t I start a foundation for adolescent mental health earlier?”

“Yes,” Carl said. “It’s still operating, and we cooperate with many hospitals.”

“Add one more thing: every user who buys the product will donate to this charity foundation and receive an electronic certificate, and they can also obtain one hour of psychological consultation from our partner hospitals for free.”

“Shaw, the cost is very high.”

“It doesn’t matter. The point is to establish the product image, and besides, it can help people.”

Carl busily wrote down everything he said. As he entered the elevator, his phone vibrated. He glanced at it; it was from Danny, the woman he had tried to reach but who had refused to communicate.

“Hello? Are you Danny? I’m…”

Danny didn’t let him finish, only saying, “Who are you? Send me your name. If you are Chinese, please send it in Chinese.”

Carl felt it was strange but relayed the odd request to Ning Yixiao.

Ning Yixiao paused, vaguely sensing something.

“Give me the phone.”

Ning Yixiao took Carl’s phone and edited his name to send it over.

Soon, he received a text message reply from Danny.

[Please give me your address. I have something I want to send to you—it’s his. Regarding what happened all those years, I am deeply sorry.]

On the afternoon of the next day, Ning Yixiao received the package from Danny. It wasn’t big, but it felt heavy.

His heart suddenly pounded. Feeling as if he sensed something, he opened the package with great difficulty. Inside was a box containing a brown kraft paper file bag.

He unwound the seal of the file bag ring by ring. The bag was packed to the brim. Ning Yixiao poured everything out.

In an instant, old, yellowed paper fell like snowflakes, scattering all over the floor.

Every single sheet was a letter written by Su Hui. The beginning was addressed to [Ning Yixiao], and the signature was [Su Hui].

The ending of every letter was exactly the same sentence.

[Ning Yixiao, wishing you health, happiness, and a bright future.]

Ning Yixiao’s heart suddenly ached, as if thousands of needles were pricking him. He suddenly remembered that when he met with Professor White, there seemed to have been a question he forgot to ask, though he couldn’t remember what it was.

Now, he knew.

Without time to read the letters in detail, Ning Yixiao dialed Professor White’s number. The other party picked up quickly.

“Shaw, what is it?”

Ning Yixiao went straight to the point, “Professor, I’ve always wanted to ask—why were you willing to tell me everything about him? Shouldn’t you have been a bit guarded against a stranger who visited so abruptly?”

The professor paused, and finally, he let out a soft laugh. “The reason is simple. During the time Eddy stayed at my house, my wife helped him clean his room and accidentally saw one of his sketchbooks. Do you know? In that sketchbook, every single drawing was of the same person.”

“The moment I saw you, I recognized it. That person was you.”