Echoes of Hong Kong Nights

[Harbor City / Canary Fiction / Love by Force]

[Harbor City's all-powerful kingpin, who rules both the underworld and the legitimate world x a canary who lies about love and feelings]

Everyone knows Wen Ning is Xie Zhiheng's mistress.

When Wen Ning first arrived in Harbor City at twenty, she heard that the heir to the Xie family, Xie Zhiheng, was fabulously wealthy and spent money without blinking.

She thought a man like that would be just as generous with women.

But she had also heard he kept his distance from women and was exceptionally hard to deal with.

After many twists and turns, Wen Ning still managed to win him over.

More than a few young women from prominent families waited to see her make a fool of herself, but Wen Ning stayed by Xie Zhiheng's side for two whole years.

Those two years with Xie Zhiheng were a period of time Wen Ning had marked out for herself.

She was his mistress, and Xie Zhiren paid her "medical expenses." Throughout those two years, she had been quite satisfied with the arrangement. Xie Zhiheng was generous and good in bed. To be honest, Wen Ning doubted she'd ever meet anyone like him again.

Sometimes, she couldn't help feeling it was a pity.

Until one day, she caught Xie Zhiheng playing with a diamond ring in his hand.

A few days later, news spread through Harbor City that Xie Zhiheng was to enter an arranged marriage.

That very night, Wen Ning packed her bags and left Xie Zhiheng only one farewell message.

"Two years are up. We're even."

Wen Ning claimed she was going away for medical treatment, but in reality, she left with an acceptance letter for an overseas university she'd applied to long ago, and disappeared.

Xie Zhiheng, head of Harbor City's Xie family, commanded both the underworld and the legitimate world. He was cold to everyone, except for his little canary.

They had been together for two years. He had spent countless sums on her, took her everywhere he went, and protected her well.

Until one day, his friends saw Xie Zhiheng arrive alone. A curious friend asked, "Where's Wen Ning?"

Xie Zhiheng replied indifferently, "We broke up."

But only those closest to him knew that ever since Miss Wen ran away, the young master had used every resource at his disposal to find out where she had gone.

Six months later, Xie Zhiheng found Wen Ning.

He caught a flight that very night to track her down, only to find the little canary who had always insisted she couldn't speak a foreign language in England, speaking fluent English and using his money to go see another man.

It was also then that Xie Zhiheng learned Wen Ning had never had heart disease. Her ex-boyfriend was the one who was ill.

She had willingly become his mistress, and from beginning to end, all she'd wanted was to raise money for the man she loved to get treatment.

Furious, Xie Zhiheng returned home and ordered the servants to throw away everything Wen Ning had left behind.

But when he saw the iPad containing photos of them together, the tension in his face eased a little.

He had meant to look back on their past affection through the photos, but when he opened the screen, he froze.

There wasn't a single photo of them together. Instead, it was packed with Baici Zhan, Bu Bei Dan Ci, and all sorts of English study materials.

All those days and nights together had been nothing but an act of gentleness and affection.

They met again at a party.

Wen Ning stood beside another man, smiling faintly as she softly turned down someone who had come over to chat. "Sorry, I'm trying to get pregnant, so I can't drink."

The moment the words left her mouth, Xie Zhiheng's hand clenched. His glass shattered, and shards mixed with wine spilled across the floor.

The party ended, and the guests went home.

Someone led Wen Ning to the quiet back garden. The night breeze was cool, stirring the leaves on the branches. The vast courtyard was deserted, without a single guest in sight.

A powerful feeling of unease rose in Wen Ning's heart. She immediately sensed something was wrong and, not daring to linger, turned to hurry away.

But in the next instant, a tall, dark figure suddenly loomed over her.

Xie Zhiheng moved with incredible speed. He strode forward and braced one hand against the pillar beside her, trapping her in a tiny space. His warm breath enveloped her, blocking every escape route.

The night was dark, and his eyes were shadowed as he asked in a low voice, "Why are you running?"

"Wen Ning, does that boyfriend of yours, the one you're about to try for a baby with, know about our past?"

After he forced a kiss on her, Wen Ning blurted out, "Xie Zhiheng, you're a piece of trash."

Xie Zhiheng replied, "You're right. I'm not a person. I'm your dog."

*Synopsis captured on December 1, 2025. Revised version dated August 1, 2026.

[Reader's Guide]

1. Set in a fictional Harbor City, with many invented details. Please don't conflate it with reality.

2. The male lead is pure in body and mind. The female lead is his only partner, and the only one he loves. The arranged marriage is fake.

3. The female lead has no ex-boyfriend. It's a small misunderstanding.

4. One-to-one, both leads' first and only.

Theme: You have to fight for love.