Twilight Upon a Thousand Snow-capped Mountains - Chapter 8.1

Chapter 8 (1)

Even in my dreams I could not imagine, that the person Mo Shao Qian was waiting for, was Mu Zhen Fei.

When the waiter led him to the table, I was floored.

I thought that I had been mistaken, thinking that dry ice had created that illusion but it was truly Mu Zhen Fei. Although he was wearing a suit, although he looked so foreign, that was Mu Zhen Fei.

Mu Zhen Fei looked surprised as well, but he simply glanced at me and turned to look at Mo Shao Qian.

Mo Shao Qian sat there, unmoving, only blandly saying, “Take a seat.” Then turned to order the waiter, “You may serve the dishes now.”

I didn’t even know what to think and daren’t lift my head. Two hands wringing the napkin, as though it were my own neck. Looking back, this was the only time that I had met someone I knew while with Mo Shao Qian, the shame left me trying to catch my breath. I gathered my courage and excused myself. But Mo Shao Qian ignored me, his expression unchanged. He turned to Mu Zhen Fei, “During this winter break, go and intern at the company, I’ve already informed Shi Bang, he will get someone to guide you.”

“This winter I’ve arranged to go mountain climbing with the club  members.”

Mo Shao Qian’s tone seemed calm, ‘Mountain climbing? You haven’t learnt your lesson after your accident on Everest last year? You’re being irresponsible to the board.”

“As long as you are responsible to the board, that would do, Chairman.”

“Don’t think that if you piss me off, I would let you descend into frivolities, I don’t care how many excuses you have, you have to intern at the company this winter.”

Mu Zhen Fei looked at him and suddenly smiled. He looked so handsome as he smiled, revealing his charming dimples, “We’ll discuss it when the time comes.”

Both of them ignored me, just talking to each other. I was like in an ice cave, even my fingertips had turned cold.

The waiter started to serve the dishes and poured wine. Mo Shao Qian finally turned to me and said,”You’ve just recovered from your wounds, don’t drink wine.” And he got someone to get me fruit juice.

I couldn’t even force a smile at him, I was thinking that Mu Zhen Fei came from family with a good background yet I never expected him to have anything to do with Mo Shao Qian, and a seemingly close relationship at that.

He couldn’t be Mo Shao Qian’s son–No, Mo Shao Qian was only 32 years old, he couldn’t have a son in university. Perhaps his brother, but why wasn’t his surname Mo?

Although I didn’t know much about Mo Shao Qian but I heard that his father built up the business from scratch, right at the time when the economy was booming. He started off with chemical plants, then container storage at the harbour, single-handedly creating an extraordinary foundation for his business. But his father suddenly passed away in his prime, thus in his twenties Mo Shao Qian had no choice but to put his studies on hold and come back from overseas, to run the business. He was majoring in business administration, it was rare to see that he had progressed so far from then.

Capitalists tend to have legendary beginnings, rich people, an overused theme in TVB dramas. I had no interest in the grudges of the rich. The relationship between Mu Zhen Fei and Mo Shao Qian, what had that to do with me? If Mu Zhen Fei knew about my status, at most he would despise me, and in future treat me as a passerby that’s all.

I didn’t care, I’d thought it through, and decided to indulge in this meal of most popular dishes from here.

In the midst of dinner Mo Shao Qian left for about ten minutes to pick up a call, leaving only Mu Zhen Fei and me at the table. I didn’t say a word, and just dug into my favourite silver fish soup. Mu Zhen Fei didn’t say anything as well, eating elegantly, methodically, just like how the teacher would do demonstrations in the laboratory with beakers and test tubes. Adeptly carrying out every step, which left me panicking.

After Mo Shao Qian returned, they didn’t talk much. Three of us sitting at the table, strangely silent. Eventually I was so full that I couldn’t even take a bite of the dessert. Mo Shao Qian told Mu Zhen Fei, “Let the chauffeur send you home.”

“No, it’s fine.”

“Regarding the internship, please consider it…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Mu Zhen Fei revealed a side of him that was rarely seen, with a tad of child-like tantrum, “Alright, Brother-in-law, I know.”

This evening I was thunderstruck and hence jaded.

On the way back I kept to myself and sat there, looking at the lights passing by the car window. The night scene of this city had always been noisy and bustling. I knew it was Mo Shao Qian’s chauffeur who had recognised Mu Zhen Fei, that’s why he had arranged tonight’s dinner. I wondered who came with the words “Rice Trap” (direction translation), it was truly a trap using “Rice” as an excuse to set the ambush. The entire evening, Mo Shao Qian was unfazed, I didn’t know what he was thinking. In any case I had never been able to see through him, it was simply too tiring to guess what was in his heart.

Or perhaps it was a simple warning, to stay away from Mu Zhen Fei. Actually he needn’t have gone through all that trouble, he only needed to tell me that Mu Zhen Fei was his brother-in-law, and I swear I would run away even faster than the rebels. It’s not as though I wasn’t afraid of dying, neither was I shameless. Anything that had to do with his wife, I would take the initiative to stay far far away, especially his wife’s brother.

When we reached him, I said, shamefaced, “I wouldn’t make such a mistake again.”

As he unbuttoned his sleeves, he looked at home, “This stupid mistake, I wouldn’t plan on helping you resolve it a second time.”

He had maligned Mu Zhen Fei and me. I dare swear that Mu Zhen Fei never had never unbecoming thoughts towards me, likewise, I had never had any unbecoming thoughts towards Mu Zhen Fei, truly.