To outsiders, Wang Li was a low-profile yet mysterious billionaire. To his employees, he was a demanding boss. To his business partners, he was a shrewd collaborator. To his companions, he was a charming gentleman.
But in front of Bao Yong, Wang Li was just a picky man who occasionally woke up in a foul mood. His tie and pocket square had to be perfectly coordinated beforehand. His eggs had to be fried sunny-side up for precisely three minutes. He didn’t drink coffee but preferred red tea. And no matter how busy he was, he always set aside time on Saturdays to take his daughter to see dolphins.
A monotonous, rigid, serious, and utterly uninteresting man.
Yet Wang Li gradually seemed unable to do without her—though only in the way one relies on a competent secretary. Once, Bao Yong witnessed him lose his temper because his secretary, Chen, had taken a sick day due to a high fever, and the temporary board secretary had messed up an important contract.
For a man born into privilege and commanding a vast and complex business empire, everyone around him was expected to be as precise and tireless as clockwork, never faltering, never rusting. Only then could they stay by his side for long.
Wang Li’s romantic relationships lasted about six months on average. Subtracting time spent on overseas trips and business meetings, each woman was probably with him for about three months. Still, every breakup was amicable. Bao Yong quietly speculated that he must gift each woman a lavish diamond as a parting token.
He wasn’t a playboy—it was just that his heavy workload and high standards made it impossible for him to tolerate unintelligent women.
* * *
The day Xiao Jin had her accident, Wang Li was in Tokyo. By the time he rushed back, it was already too late. Bao Yong had stayed by the emergency room, watching as he stood silently and wearily by his daughter’s hospital bed, his expression a mix of helplessness and confusion. She had never seen him look like this before—his face pale to the point of being frightening, his lips tightly pressed together, and the line of his jaw seeming impossibly rigid.
Chen, his secretary, gave Bao Yong a pointed glance, prompting her to step outside. Chen said quietly, “He knew things weren’t good on the flight back but hasn’t spoken a word since. Please take care and try not to let him be too heartbroken.”
But how could a father who had just lost his daughter not be devastated?
Bao Yong diligently arranged the funeral and all the other necessary details but didn’t dare disturb Wang Li, who had locked himself in his room.
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