Chapter 11: Is She Returning?
652 Words
If it had been Simon Qi, he’d never have left her in such a lurch—not at any hour. He’d always been that kind of gentle soul.
Tearing off pieces of ham to feed Duo Duo, Dora Ni stroked the poodle’s neatly trimmed white fur. The scene stirred memories, and she sighed softly to herself:
“Duo Duo, you’re truly lucky…”
There were days when she’d survived on nothing but plain steamed buns. But Duo Duo had a dedicated caretaker, with balanced meals served daily—her own diet over the past three years paled in comparison. Sometimes, she even thought being a dog was better than being human. In her next life, she wished she could trade places with Duo Duo.
Lost in thought, a tickle on her fingertips jolted her back. She looked down to see Duo Duo licking her hand, its clear, cute eyes melting her heart. Dora chuckled softly:
“No need to comfort me! I know you’re the sweetest.”
She lifted the poodle into her arms, pressing a soft kiss to its forehead. Over the past two years, Duo Duo had been her only solace—without the dog, enduring the loneliness of this cold mansion would have been impossible.
Now, Duo Duo followed her voluntarily, no longer needing to be led. That small change filled her with quiet relief. After playing with the dog for a while, Dora dragged herself upstairs to bathe and change into her new pajamas.
Her gaze drifted to a velvet jewelry box. She opened it, admired the dazzling diamond necklace once more, then locked it in a small safe.
Inside were countless other jewelry boxes—necklaces, bracelets, all gifts from Keith Fu, the heir to Yunying International and one of Vancity’s Four Tycoon Heirs, over the years.
Each piece was worth a fortune, yet she’d never worn a single one. It wasn’t that she disliked them; she feared losing them and being unable to afford replacements.
These luxurious possessions never felt like hers. Too much wealth could become a burden, weighing her down in the end.
After securing the safe, Dora climbed into bed and scrolled through her phone. Half her social media feed was flooded with gossip about a celebrity playboy whose new and ex-lovers had shown up in identical outfits, matching so perfectly it looked like a copy-paste job.
Her own circle was no different, filled with online sellers hawking the same white dresses and black ankle-strap sandals, each post teasing:“No fear of matching—let your man tell the difference!”
Comments poured in, focusing more on gossip than the products:
“So this is the secret to winning over a tycoon!” followed by a heart-eyed emoji.
“Honey, are you wearing yours?”
“Eye-opener! Mrs. Fu, what do you think about matching outfits and names every day?”
She saw Jade Cheng had reposted the post, so Dora replied casually: “Mrs. Fu: Too busy cuddling… (grin)”
Scrolling down, she found Jade’s earlier comment:“Does it matter? Does it really matter? Or does it not matter at all?”
Dora laughed out loud, but her cheeks flushed when Jade’s reply popped up: “Matching again… all night long?”
The double entendre embarrassed her. Being teased like this late at night was frustrating. She put down her phone, ran a hand through her hair, and yawned.
It was eleven o’clock—should she sleep, or stay awake?
Meanwhile, in a nightclub VIP room, the men were well into their drinks, growing reckless.
“Keith, is Samantha Wu coming back? I heard she was shortlisted for the Paganini International Competition—and even won an award?” asked Kai Mu, the youngest of the group, who’d turned up unexpectedly despite Adrian Mu’s absence.
Together, the four made up Vancity’s Four Tycoon Heirs—raised like brothers since childhood.
- Writer
