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Extra 2: Things You Don’t Know
Extra 2: Things You Don’t Know
1. Her
After she returned to the country,
On many nights, she would suddenly jolt awake while sleeping, as if her entire body had spasmed violently before snapping her out of slumber.
When she woke up and found him lying beside her, she carefully shifted her body outward, trying not to disturb him, even softening her breathing.
At first, during bouts of insomnia, she tried sitting on the couch outside.
But he simply couldn’t sleep alone in the room.
Eventually, she let him hold her in his arms until he fell asleep again.
But how could he not know?
Those four years of wandering life left her with more than just a few physical scars.
He remembered how she used to sleep so deeply.
Sometimes, when she studied or did homework on the couch at night, by the time he came out of the study, she was already fast asleep, her head buried among piles of plush toys.
From childhood, her face carried an indescribable air of grace and elegance. At first glance, her features seemed merely pleasant, but when she smiled, it was sweet enough to make hearts flutter.
After leaving him these past few years, she seemed to have matured. The baby fat had faded, her features becoming refined and delicate, exuding a certain sharpness. Her eyes were bright and clear like the winter lake, and she rarely smiled.
Thanks to him, his Jiang Yinying, far away from him, had grown into a woman who radiated a haunting beauty mixed with a violent edge—yet was extraordinarily alluring.
---
2. Train Station
The ambassador leaned over to converse with him, and he responded with a smile. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted his assistant appearing at the entrance of the hall.
He murmured an apology, excused himself slightly, and stepped out.
Liang Fengnian greeted him: “Mr. Lao, Miss Jiang left early.”
He suppressed a flicker of panic in his heart: “Where did she go?”
Liang Fengnian replied: “She just left the hotel.”
Lao Jiazhuo said gravely: “Have the driver bring the car around and let Peter handle my social obligations.”
At Zurich’s Central Train Station,
He gripped the railing and saw, under the golden arc of the massive vaulted ceiling, the girl sitting alone in the waiting hall.
She sat by herself on a chair, a brown luggage bag beside her.
Among the Westerners, she appeared especially petite. Her black hair was tied into an elegant bun, and it seemed she had left the hotel in a hurry, wearing only a black down jacket over her suit.
Her face was expressionless as she looked down, occasionally glancing up at the train schedule.
Beside her, a family of tourists—a German couple with three children—sat. The two little girls chattered excitedly, while the teenage boy wore headphones.
She was alone in a foreign station.
The crowd almost swallowed her whole.
He remembered their layover in Paris.
She had been similarly buried among piles of luggage then.
When he took her hand and pulled her up, she was clutching a vocabulary book, her face still clouded with confusion.
At that time, he hadn’t spared a thought to understand the courage it must have taken for her to travel thousands of miles to marry a stranger.
Which is why today she could remain so indifferent.
At this moment, a little girl about five or six accidentally dropped her Barbie doll on the ground nearby.
She bent down to pick it up for her, and the little girl shyly looked at her.
She gave her a brief smile.
A fleeting smile, like the ephemeral bloom of a white night-blooming cereus.
He felt as if a knife were slicing through his heart, the pain unbearable. He turned to walk downstairs.
At that moment, someone pressed a hand on his shoulder.
Zhang Peter had arrived without him noticing.
Zhang Peter’s face bore a restrained calm: “What can you do if you go down there now?”
Zhang Peter looked at him: “Are you going to follow her back to Germany?”
Lao Jiazhuo hesitated for a few seconds: “Let Fengnian see if there’s any way…”
Zhang Peter interjected: “You didn’t return to Hong Kong directly but instead changed your itinerary to Zurich, causing chaos in the assistant’s office at headquarters. How are we supposed to delay the pile of work now?”
Lao Jiazhuo racked his brain, still unwilling to give up.
“Jiazhuo,” Zhang Peter suddenly said, “Have you noticed—she’s extremely tense?”
Despair gradually crept into Lao Jiazhuo’s eyes.
Zhang Peter spoke bluntly: “She’s even afraid of you.”
At that moment, the station announcement began.
He pushed Zhang Peter’s hand away and stared intently at her as she slowly rose, following the flow of people into the ticket-checking area. Then she paused briefly, courteously making way for a man in a wheelchair. Her figure grew smaller and blurrier, until finally, that slender silhouette disappeared around the corner.
For a moment, his vision blurred, and his body swayed slightly.
Zhang Peter hurriedly steadied him by the arm, trying to calm him: “I’ve already checked the train she’s taking. Fengnian will accompany you back to Hong Kong, and I’ll come over later.”
Zhang Peter added: “If you’re worried, let her settle down first. I’ll see if I can investigate her life these past few years, and you can come back later.”
Lao Jiazhuo seemed deaf to everything, staring blankly at the bustling waiting hall below.
People came and went, and she had vanished without a trace.
---
3. Celebrity
In business social circles, he had indeed met countless actresses.
Those women, like dewdrops, came and went, brought to different gatherings by people of varying statuses. They dressed glamorously and even adjusted their posture constantly while seated, striving to present their best side at every moment.
Guan Xinyi was close friends with several actresses.
He was also tired of those perfumed scents intentionally or unintentionally brushing against him, so for events where a companion was necessary, he occasionally asked Guan Xinyi.
But he never expected to see Yingying at such an event.
The foreign man beside her appeared to be over fifty.
Yet she seemed perfectly content, following him step by step, chatting gracefully.
The organizers of the charity gala introduced them.
Her gaze swept past indifferently, not lingering on his face for even a second.
After exchanging a few polite words, Guan Xinyi leaned over and whispered curiously: “Such a beautiful girl—why isn’t she famous in Hong Kong?”
At that moment, Su Jian approached.
Guan Xinyi’s attention shifted, and she busied herself greeting the children.
Su Jian said to him: “Mr. Jin from Fengtai is waiting.”
He nodded and walked toward the banquet hall. Perhaps his lingering gaze on her was too obvious, because Su Jian glanced across and asked with slight confusion: “Who is that girl? She looks somewhat familiar.”
A chilling numbness crept up Lao Jiazhuo’s spine.
He had been deluding himself, trying to erase these years of separation, yet Su Jian didn’t recognize her.
By the time he finished his discussions and returned to his seat, she and her companion were seated diagonally ahead of them. Occasionally, they exchanged quiet words—not many, but it was clear they were old friends.
She had changed a lot. Beneath heavy makeup, her features seemed unfamiliar, her gaze distant and cold.
Just a few minutes of sitting there, and he was already struggling to endure.
He lightly tapped Guan Xinyi’s hand: “I need to leave first.”
Guan Xinyi asked considerately: “Are you feeling unwell?”
She stood up with him.
As he rose, the suffocating sensation in his chest became more pronounced. Guan Xinyi supported his arm, and he gritted his teeth, forcing himself to walk out.
At the last moment before stepping out of the banquet hall, he turned to look in her direction.
She was focused on watching a singer play the piano, never once looking back at him.
---
4. Doll
A servant accidentally broke the doll in his study while tidying up the house.
When he returned from work, he nearly passed out.
He locked himself in the study for a very long time.
Uncle Guo rushed over immediately, leading the servants to wait outside his door.
When he finally emerged, the culprit trembled nervously: “Second Master...”
Leaning against the doorframe, he sighed wearily: “It’s fine. You can go.”
From then on, he refused to let anyone else enter.
Later, Aunt Guo personally came to tidy up his house for a while.
Only then did he allow others to enter the house.
But no one dared to touch even a single item in the room.
When he decorated the house, he had based it on the layout of his old home in the mainland, refusing to change even the smallest detail, despite the new house having a completely different structure.
The designer had been forced to revise the blueprints countless times.
The workers joked: “Mr. Lao is truly a nostalgic person.”
Only Zhang Peter, upon seeing it, scoffed: “You’ve driven her away—what use is the house now?”
For half his life, he had been utterly foolish over one woman.
---
5. Commemoration
Su Jian hurried over: “What happened to make him so angry?”
Liang Fengnian was still on the phone. He gestured to Su Jian, spoke a few more sentences, then hung up. Helplessly, he shrugged: “Lost luggage.”
Su Jian asked: “Were there any important documents inside?”
Liang Fengnian shook his head: “No.”
Su Jian asked in confusion: “Then what’s the issue?”
Liang Fengnian replied: “The laptop seems to be inside, but I’ve already taken the important documents on the plane. I’m not sure what else there is.”
Su Jian patted his shoulder: “It’s time. Let’s start the meeting.”
When the branch manager accompanied the tall, slim man in a pure black suit as he pushed open the door, everyone in the room immediately stood up.
Lao Jiazhuo coughed softly: “Sit down.”
Su Jian glanced at the man seated in the main position at the table.
Lao Jiazhuo was frowning slightly, intently listening to the report. This was supposed to be an ordinary branch inspection, yet his mind had been restless the entire time.
When they arrived at Frankfurt Airport that night, it was already late. Their schedule had been rushed. Liang Fengnian left an assistant to wait for the luggage while the rest of the senior executives accompanied Lao Jiazhuo back to the hotel. However, the assistant came to report that the airline’s ground staff said the luggage was lost. As Lao Jiazhuo held onto the car door, his expression darkened instantly.
Liang Fengnian immediately sensed trouble and asked: “What happened?”
The assistant stammered nervously: “They’re investigating. They said it might have been loaded onto the wrong plane.”
Before closing the car door, Lao Jiazhuo only said three words: “Find it.”
Liang Fengnian personally instructed the assistant to wait at the airport before accompanying him back to the hotel.
But two days had passed, and there was still no news.
He leaned back against the chair, raising his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.
At that moment, the secretary came in with tea and handed over a white folder. He glanced at the audit report on the opposite wall, then opened the file. Suddenly, as he flipped through it, the sharp edge of the paper accidentally grazed the back of his hand.
His movement paused instantly.
Liang Fengnian, sitting beside him, noticed and leaned over to whisper: “Mr. Lao?”
Liang Fengnian saw a streak of crimson slowly seeping from his pale hand.
Lao Jiazhuo pressed it with his other hand, frowning slightly: “It’s nothing.”
The secretary quickly brought the first aid kit.
Lao Jiazhuo examined it. The skin was scratched, but the wound was shallow.
He applied a Band-Aid, then gestured for the meeting to continue.
After several days of intense work, the group finally completed all the reviews. The branch general manager arranged a dinner to entertain them.
He wasn’t someone who treated his subordinates harshly, so he simply waved his hand, letting them enjoy themselves.
Su Jian returned to the hotel suite with him: “Why are you so distracted?”
Lao Jiazhuo was resting with his eyes closed on the sofa. Upon hearing this, he opened his eyes and looked at Su Jian, too tired to speak: “I don’t know.”
He shifted slightly, peeling out two pills from the blister pack on the coffee table.
Su Jian poured him a glass of water: “Fengnian told me to tell you—the luggage has been sent back to Hong Kong.”
Lao Jiazhuo took the medicine, drank the water, and nodded: “Mm, I see.”
Su Jian said: “Let Fengnian have dinner with Kaden from DFS to arrange a private jet clearance for you, so you won’t tire yourself out flying commercially.”
Lao Jiazhuo gave a slight nod: “That’s fine.”
He looked at Su Jian: “Aren’t you going downstairs to join the party?”
Su Jian stood up from beside him: “I’ll have the hotel send your dinner up.”
It was another non-stop journey back to Hong Kong. When he arrived home, he saw the two suitcases already delivered to the living room.
Ignoring his exhaustion and the faint dizziness in his head, he pulled the suitcase flat, unlocked it, and opened it.
Next to the laptop and some personal items were his shirts, suits, and ties, neatly packed despite the long overseas journey. These weren’t what concerned him. Lao Jiazhuo focused on unzipping the right compartment and pulling out a book.
He opened the title page and saw a bookmark tucked inside.
It was a square piece of paper, folded delicately, with a yellow slip of paper inside.
Perhaps due to its age, the paper had yellowed slightly, and the red bag still faintly bore the imprint of a temple.
It was a protective charm he had always carried with him.
His fingers gently traced the characters on the charm. He sighed, straightening his body.
A wave of dizziness hit him. He steadied himself against the wall with the book in hand, taking a few shaky steps before barely making it to the sofa.
Supporting himself on the armrest, he sat down. Waves of alternating cold and heat washed over him, and his vision swam with overlapping shadows. Finally, unable to endure any longer, with the last bit of clarity left in his mind, he pulled the thin blanket from the side of the sofa and drifted off into unconsciousness.
---
6. Illness
His whole body burned with discomfort. Tossing and turning on the bed, he felt as though he were being boiled alive one moment and plunged into icy coldness the next.
Dazed and confused, he couldn’t wake up.
At that moment, a gentle hand touched his forehead.
Someone lifted his body, and those tender hands undid his collar, wiping away the cold sweat from his back.
He was cared for meticulously, just as before—she would hold his hand by the bedside until dawn.
He suddenly woke up after sleeping for a while, his mind clear, though it took a while for the blurriness in his vision to fade. He saw the curtains drawn low, familiar furnishings of his bedroom, dim light, and no one else around.
It was just an old dream.
Even the strength to feel disappointment had drained away.
After that car accident, though his body had healed on the surface, he knew clearly that it would be difficult to return to how things were before.
Fatigue, weakness, heart issues, spinal problems—all became habitual as they flared up with exhaustion and cold.
Sometimes, when he was too tired, he would faint, as he did tonight. Barely making it home, he could no longer hold on.
In the last moment before slipping into darkness, he felt Liang Fengnian’s timely support of his frail body.
When he woke up, he was lying half-reclined on the bed, an IV needle in his hand.
Cold medication dripped through the tube, chilling half his arm.
He stared at the painting on the wall.
His gaze pierced through the cool space, settling on a handwritten line of English.
After a while, he raised his hand to press against his chest, enduring waves of sharp pain, turning his head with effort to breathe.
The clock on the bedside table glowed faintly.
It was 3:40 AM.
---
7. Calamity
The time he returned from London.
The private jet made an emergency landing, and he was immediately taken to the hospital, where he remained unconscious for several days.
He had no awareness at all.
Until one day, he opened his eyes to see the brilliant sunlight outside Yanghe Hospital.
That noon, the jade he had brought back from England shattered without reason.
The housekeeper said the crack was invisible to the naked eye, but upon slight contact, it shattered completely.
And then he survived this ordeal.
If it had protected him...
Then she, who had traveled so far, whose calamity would protect her?
---
8. Siblings
He waited at the school gate.
He saw the boy walking out with a few companions, a backpack slung over his shoulder, hands in his pockets, looking carefree.
He closed the car door and walked forward a few steps, calling out: “Jiang Yihao.”
Upon hearing his name, the boy turned around, clearly recognizing him but didn’t say anything. Jiang Yihao’s profile, from his nose to his mouth, resembled hers greatly.
The siblings shared the same slightly delicate nose.
Jiang Yihao stopped and stared at him fixedly.
Lao Jiazhuo said: “Do you have class tonight? Let’s have dinner together.”
The car stopped at a high-end restaurant in the city.
The manager bowed and escorted them to an elegant private room upstairs.
After the waiter took their order,
Lao Jiazhuo said: “Why didn’t you listen to your sister?”
Jiang Yihao raised an eyebrow: “What?”
He said: “Coming to Hong Kong to study.”
Jiang Yihao replied: “Mr. Lao, may I ask why?”
Lao Jiazhuo looked at him: “What?”
Jiang Yihao stubbornly stared at him: “Why did you marry her and then abandon her?”
Lao Jiazhuo’s gaze softened, and he sighed lightly: “It was a mistake I made at the time. I don’t know if there’s still a chance to make amends.”
Jiang Yihao averted his gaze: “I’ll go to Hong Kong.”
Lao Jiazhuo said calmly: “So...”
Jiang Yihao looked at him: “Can you make her happy again?”
Lao Jiazhuo silently gazed at his face, momentarily lost in thought. After a while, he said softly: “I’ll do everything in my power.”
His tone was calm and steady, yet tinged with indescribable sadness and solemnity.
Jiang Yihao grabbed the glass and took a sip of Coke. The icy drink slid down his throat. He looked across at the man.
White shirt, black suit jacket—a standard office outfit—but with an air of refined elegance that set him apart.
Jiang Yihao kept a cool face: “Perhaps you know better than me—my older sister is a love-crazed lunatic.”
Lao Jiazhuo replied softly: “I know.”
---
9. Turtles
In the cramped apartment on Sai Yeung Choi Street in Mong Kok.
The space was too small; two people turning around could bump into each other.
Sometimes, when he came over at night and occupied the only small sofa in the living room, she wouldn’t squeeze in beside him. Instead, she often retreated to the balcony to daydream.
Jiang Yihao had entrusted her with two red-eared sliders. She would take food to tease them and talk to them softly.
He stood outside the glass door, watching her squat on the floor, holding a long piece of cucumber: “Hello, Big B and Little B, are you full today?”
She stuffed the vegetables into the turtles’ mouths.
She said: “Your ungrateful dad hasn’t paid for your meals, so settle for some vitamins...”
The red-eared sliders crawled around in the tank.
Her face lit up with childlike innocence.
So sweet.
Like his eighteen-year-old daughter.
Only in that moment did he feel that the girl he once loved had truly existed.
---
10. Betrayal
That night, hosting a few clients from the mainland at the top floor of the Royal Hotel.
The third-floor club was still a scene of luxurious decadence and revelry.
One real estate tycoon from Zhejiang, collaborating with their bank on a loan project, adored this particular club at the Royal Hotel. As soon as he entered, he eagerly summoned the hostess to bring in an eighteen-year-old Russian model. Bottles of alcohol were opened one after another, and soon the tycoon was singing loudly with the model in his arms, his hands wandering up her thighs, eliciting a chorus of giggles.
Lao Jiazhuo casually drank a few glasses, told the clients to enjoy themselves, and handed over the scene to Liang Fengnian.
A girl quietly accompanied him, occasionally dutifully bringing the water glass to his lips.
Feeling tired, he rested his head against the sofa.
After a while, he heard commotion outside.
Faint arguing voices filtered in, right outside their private room.
He frowned slightly.
Liang Fengnian had already stood up.
As the door opened slightly, a man’s loud shouting came in: “Tell him to come out!”
The hostess nervously tried to placate him.
The man reeked of alcohol: “What do you mean? What about Mr. Lao? Is his money worth more than mine, Liu Jing’s?”
Liu Jing scowled: “Tonight, I want Li Si’er to accompany me! Whatever she asks for, let her name her price!”
Liang Fengnian stepped out: “Mr. Liu—”
Liu exploded in anger: “Who do you think you are? Call your boss out!”
Lao Jiazhuo listened quietly for a while, then finally glanced at the girl beside him.
Only now did he vaguely recall that this girl had accompanied him on his recent visits to the Royal Hotel.
He had paid no attention to her before, so he didn’t even know what she looked like.
The girls sent in previously had only lasted a few minutes attending to him before he impatiently sent them away.
This girl was well-behaved, and perhaps because of that, someone had noticed and arranged for her to accompany him.
At this moment, the loud and brash Liu stormed in, yanking the girl beside him up: “Lao Er, I’ve heard you’re a man of purity and self-restraint, but there’s no need to waste such a beauty. How about letting her entertain me tonight?”
Lao Jiazhuo remained seated on the sofa, composed and unruffled, though a fleeting glint of cold ruthlessness passed through his eyes.
He calmly asked the girl: “Do you want to accompany Mr. Liu?”
Li Sier shook her head desperately.
Lao Jiazhuo said: “You may leave.”
Liu’s face turned an ugly shade of blue and green as he dragged the girl in his grip toward the door: “What’s this? Since when do escorts get to choose their clients?!”
Lao Jiazhuo stood up calmly, his hands clasped behind his back, and barked coldly: “Xu Feng!”
Xu Feng burst into the room, delivering a flurry of punches. The next moment, amidst the commotion, cries of pain erupted from Liu. A crowd gathered at the entrance.
Without sparing a glance at the chaos, Lao Jiazhuo escorted Li Sier into the luxurious suite behind the private room.
It was from that point on that Li Sier stayed by his side for a while.
She knew her boundaries well, and since some social occasions were unavoidable, he brought her along.
Until one day, Chen Zijin called him: “Second Master, your charm truly knows no bounds.”
Lao Jiazhuo set down his pen, turned his chair, and rubbed his weary eyes: “What is it?”
Chen Zijin chuckled on the other end: “One of the girls from the third floor—the one who often accompanies you—has submitted her resignation to the floor manager.”
Chen Zijin added: “You know, with their contracts, it’s not so easy to terminate.”
Lao Jiazhuo fell silent for a few seconds: “I understand.”
Chen Zijin teased: “If you like her, I wouldn’t mind gifting her to you.”
Lao Jiazhuo frowned and called out: “Zijin.”
Chen Zijin dropped the playful tone: “Alright, handle it yourself.”
Lao Jiazhuo replied: “Understood. Hanging up.”
That night, he told her: “I won’t see you again after tonight.”
Li Sier looked at him, bewildered.
Lao Jiazhuo said: “Liang Fengnian will take care of you. If you’re interested in studying, that would be wonderful.”
Tears welled up in Li Sier’s large eyes: “Why?”
Lao Jiazhuo asked: “I heard you wanted to resign. Why?”
Li Sier clung to his arm: “Mr. Lao, I’ll work hard to make something of myself. I only wish to serve you.”
Lao Jiazhuo stroked her hair, pushed himself up using the armrest of the sofa, and stood: “I won’t keep you.”
As he closed the door behind him, he caught a glimpse of her collapsing onto the sofa, her face buried in her hands.
He remembered that night—the night rumors spread of him losing his temper over a woman, a tale of romantic intrigue.
Back in the suite, Li Sier removed his shirt and embraced his waist, kissing him tenderly. This girl certainly knew how to flirt.
He felt himself growing heated.
Frowning, he pushed her away.
The girl looked up at him with her beautiful face: “Mr. Lao?”
He waved her off.
He rose and walked into the study, pulling a cigarette from the cigar box nearby.
Li Sier, barefoot, approached but didn’t dare enter, standing pitifully by the doorway.
Without turning around, he instructed: “Go back to bed.”
He draped a coat over himself and sat in the study, smoking several cigarettes. His laptop was half-open on the coffee table.
His hand moved lightly, clicking a few times to open a folder.
He muted the video and leaned back into the spacious sofa, propping his chin on his hand, silently watching the screen.
The camera angle was from above, showing a girl standing beneath a statue on campus. On a narrow flight of granite steps, she wore a white shirt and navy pants. Her clear face flushed slightly, and though she appeared somewhat nervous, her expression during the speech was natural, carrying an inexplicable sense of charisma. Then the footage began to shake, cutting to the enthusiastic audience below the steps. Young college students raised their hands, applauding fervently.
The passion and joy of the youths surged like the rising sun.
It had been exactly three years since she left.
At the time, he met Wei Huihui at a café outside the magazine office. She handed him a large bag: “This includes all the archived materials from our drama club and copies of every tape featuring Yingying’s performances.”
He accepted it gratefully and thanked her sincerely.
Huihui gave a bitter smile: “Mr. Lao, I owe her too.”
Outside the window, the darkness of the sky gradually brightened.
The computer screen had already turned into a black screensaver.
The room was warm with the heating on, yet he felt a chill throughout his body. A cough rising in his throat forced him to extinguish the last cigarette in his hand.
As dawn broke across the horizon, Lao Jiazhuo raised his hand, bringing his left hand to his lips. He gently kissed the ring finger.
The cold touch of metal seemed to pierce him with pain, causing his body to tremble faintly, almost convulsively.
The surroundings were dazzlingly opulent, yet deathly silent.
Li Sier was already fast asleep on the bed.
He picked up his suit jacket, rose, and walked out.
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