Chapter Eleven: The Phoenix Will Not Rest Without the Wutong Tree

On the side road next to the magazine office, as soon as the car came to a halt, Su Ji pressed down on An Tong’s shoulder. “Wait a moment.”

“What is it?” An Tong asked.

Su Ji glanced sharply at the sidewalk outside. “Su Qian works here too?”

An Tong followed her gaze and replied calmly, “She’s interning in the distribution department.”

Su Ji let out a soft, sardonic laugh. Outwardly composed, yet her eyes flickered with unrest. “Remember to call me when you’re done. I’ll pick you up.”

An Tong looked back at Su Ji, hesitating. “She is my…”

“I know, she’s your classmate. Just get along with her.” As she spoke, Su Ji opened the glove compartment and took out a lollipop. “But remember, don’t talk too much about family matters. Gossip is disgusting.”

An Tong opened the car door, then turned to Su Ji, protesting, “I’m not stupid…”

Su Ji scoffed, waving her hand in dismissal. “Go on, go on. Your big sister needs to catch up on sleep.”

Half a minute later, An Tong watched the taillights vanish into the distance with a quiet sigh before stepping into the magazine building.

Su Ji and Su Qian were cousins, sharing the same bloodline, yet for certain reasons, they rarely interacted.

Ever since Su Ji returned, An Tong’s days had grown more lively, touched by the warmth of daily life. For three days in a row, except for work, the two were inseparable. Su Ji looked after An Tong in every possible way, cooking a variety of dishes for her each day, determined to put some weight on her.

In no time, Friday arrived. Su Ji’s holiday was over, and she had to lead a team to an outdoor shoot at a scenic site for the next two weeks.

Seeing that An Tong’s spirits had visibly improved, she reminded her as they parted, “I won’t be driving this time. You have the keys—if you need the car, just take it from the garage.”

An Tong agreed quietly. Su Ji pinched her cheek. “Drive slowly, don’t speed. And stay away from extreme sports—give your sister some peace of mind.”

Su Ji truly cared for her like a real sister—her nagging was laced with nothing but concern.

But the moment her sister left, An Tong headed straight to the garage, took the car home to fetch her gear, and that very afternoon drove directly to West Xiao Canyon.

Meanwhile, at the Rong family’s estate on West Xiao Mountain, the grand courtyard house—four courtyards joined in a classic style—stood out with its grand southeast gate, a lantern overhead, a lazy bench below, and a decorative screen wall beyond, all surrounded by Western-style buildings, testament to the owner’s unique taste.

At one o’clock in the afternoon, within the main hall, the Rong family matriarch sat against a rosewood chair inlaid with jade, fingers quietly turning a string of prayer beads. “Still haven’t uncovered An Tong’s background?”

She glanced at two lists on the table: one was her own carefully selected candidates, the other had been reviewed by Xiao Jiu. Apart from a few names that had been crossed out, An Tong’s name appeared unexpectedly on the list.

Aqi, the family bodyguard, lowered his head in embarrassment. “Based on what we know, she lives alone. Her parents’ details are unclear, but she had a twin brother, An Xi, who has passed away.”

The old lady asked which character for “Xi” it was. On hearing the answer, she murmured, “A phoenix perches only on a parasol tree—a fine meaning behind the name. You say her parents’ details are unclear. Is that because you couldn’t find them, or for another reason?”

Aqi’s expression didn’t change as he replied solemnly, “We couldn’t find them.”

The old lady frowned, about to speak, when two figures appeared at the main hall doorway. She exchanged a glance with Aqi and the topic was dropped.

Rong Shen entered just then, with Cheng Feng at the threshold, serving as a helper. For days, the man had stayed at the estate, assisting with many internal affairs, which pleased the old lady, brightening her mood. “What was that commotion in the yard just now?”

Cheng Feng leaned forward to report, “Madam, it was someone from the neighborhood office. There’s a wingsuit flying competition in the back canyon for the next three days. They advised us to avoid the area during the event.”

Though elderly, the matriarch knew well that the back canyon was a gathering spot for extreme sports enthusiasts. She had little interest in the matter and instead turned her assessing gaze on Rong Shen. “I heard from Aqi you’ve been visiting the wellness center lately?”

The man, leaning on the banister, sipped his tea. “Just taking walks to pass the time.”

“If you’re so free, why not take over Rong Technologies? Your second uncle is hopeless—he’s got a big belly and an empty head, not at all cut out for business.” The old lady’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “Xiao Jiu, some things you can’t avoid forever.”

Rong Shen finished half his tea, then replied, languid and unmoved, “I know my own mind about business. You needn’t worry.”

Seeing that he was unwilling to discuss further, the old lady was left both helpless and anxious. Of all the Rong heirs in this generation, Rong Shen was the most outstanding, yet he cared nothing for power or fame. If not for her repeated intervention, he might have left the family long ago to make his own way.

After a short while, Rong Shen chatted with her for a bit more, then excused himself from the hall.

The old lady frowned and sighed. This Xiao Jiu had a rebellious streak from birth—he was truly a handful.

About ten minutes later, Aqi came to the tearoom to change her tea. As he entered, he saw Ninth Master Rong sitting there, upright, sipping tea with a calm demeanor.

Aqi greeted him loudly, but without instructions, dared not move further.

“What were you and the old lady discussing before I came in?” Rong Shen’s tone was smooth and deep, like a mellow spirit.

Aqi had no intention of hiding anything—or, rather, there was no point in hiding it. After a moment’s thought, he admitted, “The old lady ordered me to investigate Miss An Tong’s background.”

Without any change in his expression, Rong Shen raised his eyes. Aqi, seeing this, told him everything, including the uncertain details about An Tong’s parents.

After hearing the report, Rong Shen replied with deliberate meaning, “The Rong family has stood in Hong Kong for many years. If even we can’t uncover something, it’s certainly not simple.”

“Ninth Master, do you mean…”

Rong Shen set down his cup and rose slowly, his words profound: “There’s always a sky beyond the sky.”

Aqi watched the man’s departing figure and, three seconds later, suddenly understood. There are always greater people, always higher heavens.

This was enough to prove that Miss An Tong’s origins were anything but ordinary—no wonder Ninth Master regarded her differently.

He needed to relay this information to the old lady as soon as possible.

As two o’clock approached, Rong Shen prepared to return to the Cloud Summit Villa in the city. The business car pulled out of the estate’s back gate. At a red light at an intersection, Cheng Feng, ever observant, noticed a red SUV in the adjacent lane. The driver looked familiar.

“Ninth Master, is the driver of the red car Miss An? Or am I seeing things?”

The man, who had been resting with his eyes closed, glanced up and saw, just ahead in the driver’s seat, the young woman with her left arm draped over the window, steering one-handed with practiced ease. Her cheek was slightly puffed—as if she had a lollipop in her mouth.

It was indeed An Tong.

Rong Shen narrowed his long eyes, a hint of interest glinting within. “Follow her.”

Cheng Feng replied cheerfully.

As they tailed the car, Rong Shen rubbed the sandalwood ornament in his hand, recalling Aqi’s words: a deceased twin brother, unknown parental information…

Yet the girl herself had once told him her father was named An Xianghuai.

If Aqi’s information was true, then either An Tong had lied, or her father hid his real identity.

As that thought crossed his mind, he remembered the look of sincere respect in An Tong’s eyes… She didn’t seem the type to lie to him.