Xu Fangfei finally learned the name of 3206.
His name was Zheng Xiye.
After carefully recording all the information, she capped the pen and looked up again, noticing that the man was still standing where he was. In the sweltering summer heat, inside the small and crowded paper offering shop, the air felt even more stifling because of his overly strong presence.
Xu Fangfei’s heart skipped a beat, and she asked, “Do you need anything else?”
Zheng Xiye’s gaze did not leave Xu Fangfei’s face. He slowly shook his head.
Xu Fangfei thought he might be worried, so she explained, “My mother went to help set up a mourning hall. I have to stay and watch the shop, so I can’t leave for now. As soon as she comes back, I’ll deliver the wreaths right away. I won’t forget.”
Hearing this, Zheng Xiye withdrew his gaze and turned to leave.
Xu Fangfei hurriedly closed the notebook and followed behind him, courteously seeing him all the way to the door.
Unexpectedly, at that very moment, another figure flashed past Xu Fangfei’s eyes and darted straight into the shop. At first, she did not react and thought it was a customer coming to buy something. When she looked more closely, she saw that the person was around one meter seventy tall, thin as a monkey, wearing a black T-shirt printed with a skull, with a skull pendant necklace hanging around his neck. He looked sloppy and unruly, with no sense of propriety at all.
It was Xu Zhijie.
Xu Fangfei’s expression darkened abruptly. She frowned and said, “What are you doing here?”
Xu Zhijie knew this pretty cousin did not like him and did not take it to heart. He rubbed his nose, his shifty eyes sweeping around the paper offerings shop, and asked, “Why are you here alone? Where’s Little Aunt?”
“She went out,” Xu Fangfei said. “Why are you looking for my mom?”
“If Little Aunt isn’t here, you’ll do just the same.” Xu Zhijie forced a fawning grin, rubbing his hands together ingratiatingly. “Feifei, lend your brother three hundred yuan, okay? I’ll pay you back next time I see you.”
Xu Fangfei was so angry she felt her breath catch in her chest. “Didn’t you just borrow money from my mom yesterday?”
Xu Zhijie grew impatient. “What can that little bit even do?”
“I don’t have money.” Xu Fangfei issued a clear dismissal. “Leave.”
“Don’t be like that.” Xu Zhijie’s brows knotted together. “We’re real cousins, Feifei. You’re not going to be this heartless, are you? You want to see your brother beaten to death by debt collectors?”
Xu Fangfei hardened her heart. “If you get beaten to death, you deserve it. Besides, I’m a student. Where would I get money to give you?”
“Don’t try to fool me.” Xu Zhijie craned his neck and glanced toward the drawer on the inner side of the counter.
Xu Fangfei instinctively shut the drawer tight, blocking his ill-intentioned gaze.
“Don’t think I don’t know.” Xu Zhijie refused to give up, grinning shamelessly. “Every time your mom takes in money, she puts it in that drawer. Feifei, it’s just three hundred. It’s not like I won’t pay you back. If you won’t give it to me, I’ll just take it myself…”
As he spoke, Xu Zhijie moved to shove Xu Fangfei aside and reached out to pull open the drawer to grab the money.
Xu Fangfei jumped in fright. “If you dare mess around, I’ll call the police right now.”
Xu Zhijie did not care whether Xu Fangfei called the police or not. He reached out and grabbed her slender arm, trying to drag her outside. However, just as his fingers touched the girl’s snow-white skin, before he could exert any force, a powerful grip suddenly clamped down on that filthy hand and twisted hard.
“Ah!” Xu Zhijie was completely unprepared and let out a shrill howl of pain.
The next instant, a cold voice rang out, dark and vicious. “Try touching her again.”
Xu Fangfei froze. She lifted her eyes and saw Zheng Xiye’s cold, handsome profile, and she was startled. She had walked him out of the shop earlier, then focused entirely on dealing with Xu Zhijie.
So he had not left yet.
Xu Zhijie screamed in fury, “It hurts, it hurts! Fuck, who the hell are you?”
Zheng Xiye said nothing. His five fingers tightened, nearly wrenching Xu Zhijie’s entire arm out of its socket.
“Ah! Big brother, let go, let go first!” Xu Zhijie’s whole arm was forced behind his back at a grotesque, twisted angle. He was drenched in sweat from the pain and finally went limp. “We can talk this out. I don’t want the money anymore. I don’t want it anymore, okay?”
“I’m warning you,” Zheng Xiye said coldly. “Get as far away as you can and get lost. If I ever see you harassing her again, I’ll peel three layers of skin off you alive.”
Xu Zhijie was nothing more than a lowlife street punk. He had never encountered someone this ruthless. He was scared out of his wits. He glanced back, vaguely feeling that the tall man in front of him looked somewhat familiar, but he could not remember where he had seen him. He could only nod frantically. “Yes, yes, I was wrong, big brother. I’ll get lost right now. I swear you’ll never see me again in this lifetime!”
Zheng Xiye released his grip. Xu Zhijie felt as if he had been granted a pardon. As if ghosts were chasing him, he scrambled and fled out in a panic.
Just as he stumbled out of the paper offerings shop, he crashed head-on into a middle-aged woman in her fifties.
“What’s going on here?” the woman staggered and asked suspiciously.
Xu Zhijie’s face was full of terror. He did not dare linger for even a second and fled in a mad dash, disappearing without a trace.
“That’s strange, Feifei. Isn’t that your cousin Ah Jie?” The woman was Aunt Li from next door. She walked in, confused, then turned her head and noticed the tall figure standing in the shop. She froze and looked at Xu Fangfei with even greater confusion.
Aunt Li asked, puzzled, “What happened?”
Xu Fangfei did not want to say more. She murmured, “Nothing. Aunt Li, are you looking for my mom?”
“Oh.” Aunt Li said, “Your mom called your phone but couldn’t get through. She’s short-handed over there and asked you to close the shop and go help. The address is No. 13, Baiyulan Street.”
Xu Fangfei took out her phone and checked. There were indeed two missed calls. She nodded. “Okay.”
After delivering the message, Aunt Li left.
At this moment, Xu Fangfei remembered something and looked at Zheng Xiye. “I need to hurry over to help my mom now. About the wreaths, should I deliver them to you after I’m done, or do you want to take them now?”
“I’ll take them now,” Zheng Xiye said.
A few minutes later, Xu Fangfei lifted four large paper wreaths. With her petite, slender frame, holding four oversized paper wreaths made her look somewhat comical.
Zheng Xiye reached out to take them.
“No need.” The girl’s snow-white face flushed slightly with embarrassment as she declined softly. “They’re very light. I can carry them.”
Zheng Xiye’s expression remained cold. Without any discussion, he took all four wreaths from her hands and placed them at the entrance.
He then turned to look at her. “You’re going to Baiyulan Street?”
“Yes.” Xu Fangfei’s cheeks burned. As she answered, she moved quickly, wrapping the wreaths, tying them securely, then tightening the rope. “They’re packed. Here.”
Zheng Xiye asked, “How are you getting there?”
Xu Fangfei pointed at the old bicycle parked nearby that belonged to Qiao Huilan. “By bike.”
Zheng Xiye glanced at the ancient bicycle. He fell silent for a moment, then said, “I’ll take you.”
Xu Fangfei froze, instantly lifting her eyes to look at him, confusion flickering in her gaze.
“I’m going to Baiyulan Street too,” Zheng Xiye said. “It’s on the way.”
*
By coincidence, the mourning hall that Qiao Huilan was setting up was exactly the “wreath delivery address” Zheng Xiye had written down, No. 13 Baiyulan Street. This area, like Xiwang Street, was one of Lingcheng’s oldest districts. The houses were dilapidated and crumbling, the bricks and tiles mottled, filled with the air of decay.
Before long, Zheng Xiye’s black G-Class drove into the entrance of an old residential compound.
Xu Fangfei sat in the front passenger seat and looked out through the half-lowered window. From a distance, she could already see a large mourning hall that was more than halfway set up. The memorial portrait was placed deep inside the hall, indistinct from afar. Around it stood many large wreaths, arranged in neat rows, a dense mass that filled the area, crowded with people.
The bustle was so lively that it was hard to tell whether this was a funeral or a celebration.
The car came to a steady stop.
Zheng Xiye cut the engine.
Several middle-aged men wearing white mourning flowers on their chests saw the car and immediately stepped forward to greet him, their expressions notably respectful.
Xu Fangfei pushed the door open and got out of the car, just in time to see those middle-aged men offering cigarettes and a lighter. Zheng Xiye stood by the car door, turned his head slightly, and accepted the flame from one of them, half-narrowing his eyes as he lit the cigarette. His deep-set brows and eyes were hidden behind drifting smoke, giving off a particularly sharp yet decadent chill.
After just a few seconds, Xu Fangfei obediently averted her gaze, not daring to look any longer. She scanned the crowd and quickly found Qiao Huilan.
Qiao Huilan was standing on a triangular ladder, decorating black cloth above an elderly man’s memorial portrait.
Xu Fangfei glanced at Zheng Xiye. After hesitating for two seconds, she still did not have the courage to go over and thank him. She could only turn around, part the crowd, and squeeze into the mourning hall to help her mother.
“Mom, don’t climb so high. I’ll do it,” Xu Fangfei said worriedly.
“I’ll be done hanging it in a moment,” Qiao Huilan called to her. “You go help arrange the mourning flowers.”
“Okay.”
Before long, another gray luxury car stopped beside the mourning hall. The car door opened, and several tall young men got out. The leader was a man in his forties, with a centipede-like scar crawling over his brow ridge, a square face, a lion-like nose, and a tailored suit. His presence was imposing.
The appearance of these people immediately stirred a commotion inside and outside the mourning hall.
Xu Fangfei instinctively glanced over.
She saw the scarred man enter the hall and walk straight up to Zheng Xiye. Holding a cigar, he brushed his nose lightly and said with a smile, “Brother Ye. I heard Old Jiang came to Lingcheng a few days ago. Why didn’t you give us brothers a heads-up?”
Zheng Xiye flicked ash from his cigarette with his index finger and replied lazily, “The old master likes to keep a low profile. He didn’t want to disturb the brothers here.”
“That’s a pity,” Chen San said in a regretful tone. “We’ll have to pay our respects to Old Jiang next time.”
Zheng Xiye said coolly, “Brother San’s filial intentions, I’ll pass them on to the old master for you.”
Chen San tugged at the corner of his mouth, smiling without warmth.
Lingcheng had originally been Chen San’s exclusive territory, a piece of fat meat many people could only covet from afar, swallowing their envy with no chance to take a bite. But three years ago, Zheng Xiye had emerged out of nowhere, fighting desperately without blinking an eye. In no time, he became Old Jiang’s top lieutenant and the old master’s most trusted and favored confidant.
Jiang Jiancheng trusted this young man immensely. Not only did he hand Young Master Jiang Zhi’ang over to him for discipline, but he even entrusted nearly eighty percent of Lingcheng’s business to him.
Chen San hated Zheng Xiye to the bone, wishing he could grind him to dust, but because of Zheng Xiye’s ruthless methods, he did not dare act rashly. Every time they met, all he could do was bow his head and call him “Brother Ye.”
The two chatted idly for a while.
Suddenly, Chen San’s peripheral vision swept over the pretty young girl busily moving around in the mourning hall. Biting down on his cigar, he probed meaningfully, “Brother Ye, that girl is your friend, right?”
Zheng Xiye smoked with an expressionless face and shook his head.
Chen San raised a brow. “Then how come I saw her get out of your car?”
Zheng Xiye said, “She’s from a paper offerings shop delivering wreaths. I just gave her a ride since it was on the way.”
Hearing this answer, Chen San narrowed his eyes, looking thoughtful, and did not pursue the topic further.
Suddenly, a harsh clamor sounded not far away.
Xu Fangfei, who was arranging mourning flowers, heard the noise and instinctively turned her head. She saw a man covered in blood being dragged in by several burly men and tossed beside the brazier like a discarded rag.
Xu Fangfei was startled. Before she could look more closely, Qiao Huilan’s figure had already blocked her view.
Qiao Huilan silently shook her head at Xu Fangfei.
Xu Fangfei came back to her senses, took a deep breath, and continued focusing on the work in her hands.
Zheng Xiye cast a cold glance at the dying man on the ground and looked sideways at Chen San. “What does Brother San mean by this?”
“That bastard seems to have some ties with the state security cops,” Chen San said, eager to take credit. He took out a handkerchief and waved it in distaste. “I’m still investigating. Brother Ye, rest assured. Once everything is clear, I’ll definitely give you and Old Jiang an explanation.”
Zheng Xiye said coldly, “Old Li’s body isn’t even cold yet. We’re holding a funeral. Bloodshed is taboo. You don’t understand that?”
Chen San’s expression stiffened instantly.
“Yes, yes, yes, Brother Ye is right,” Chen San said. With a wave of his arm, he summoned his men and called out, “Datian, take this dog away first. Don’t dirty Old Li’s mourning hall.”
The blood-soaked man was dragged away by the burly men.
Chen San stayed in the mourning hall for a while longer.
He had no real ties with the deceased Old Li. After burning a few sheets of yellow paper offerings and blowing his nose, he considered his duty done and left.
About half an hour later, under the hands of Qiao Huilan and the others, the mourning hall was fully set up. White streamers and black gauze created a solemn, dignified atmosphere.
Zheng Xiye walked up to the memorial portrait of the deceased. His brows and eyes softened slightly as he lowered his gaze and lit a stick of incense.
Qiao Huilan had been busy arranging the hall and only now noticed that the young man offering incense looked familiar. After freezing for a few seconds, she reached out and pulled Xu Fangfei aside, lowering her voice. “Hey, isn’t that the neighbor who lives downstairs from us? Why is he here?”
Xu Fangfei guessed quietly, “He’s probably a friend of this family.”
Qiao Huilan quickly did the math in her head, then stepped forward a few paces and called out with a smile, “Young man?”
Zheng Xiye saw Qiao Huilan and nodded politely. “Hello, Auntie.”
“Hello.” Qiao Huilan exchanged a few pleasantries, then continued, “Well, young man, are you heading straight home after you’re done here?”
“Yes,” Zheng Xiye replied.
“That’s perfect then!” Qiao Huilan said. “I have to stay here today. If it’s convenient for you, could you give our Feifei a ride back on your way?”
Hearing her mother’s conversation with Zheng Xiye, Xu Fangfei felt a wave of embarrassment. She quickly grabbed Qiao Huilan’s hand, her face flushed red, and said, “Mom, I can take the bus back myself later.”
Qiao Huilan looked at her oddly. “You’re neighbors, and it’s on the way. Taking the bus back is such a long trip.”
Xu Fangfei said, “But that would be too much trouble for him…”
“It’s no trouble,” a voice said from behind her.
Xu Fangfei froze and turned her head.
Zheng Xiye lowered his gaze and looked at her quietly. “I’ll take you back later.”
Xu Fangfei’s face flushed even redder. After a long moment, she finally managed to squeeze out two words. “Thank you.”
*
A few minutes later, the black G-Class slowly drove out of the old residential compound and left Baiyulan Street.
No one spoke along the way.
Xu Fangfei kept her head lowered, looking at her slender fingers twisted together. Suddenly, she heard a string of numbers drop beside her ear.
Xu Fangfei was startled and lifted her eyes in confusion to look at the man next to her.
“My number,” Zheng Xiye said as he drove, his tone indifferent. “If that cousin of yours comes looking for trouble again, call me.”
She blinked, taking a long moment to process it. Then she quickly pulled her old second-hand phone out of her pocket, opened her contacts, and carefully saved the number.
After saving it, she looked at the man driving again. Finally summoning her courage, she said once more, “Thank you.”
Zheng Xiye glanced at her. “What are you thanking me for now?”
Hearing this, Xu Fangfei unconsciously curved her lips and said softly, “Earlier, I was thanking you for agreeing to send me back for my mom. This time, I’m thanking you for helping me out at the shop today.”
As the words fell, the car fell silent, and Zheng Xiye’s focus wavered for an instant.
A long while passed.
He stared straight at the girl beside him and suddenly spoke, softly calling her name once. “Xu Fangfei.”
The afternoon sunlight was gentle as it streamed in through the car window.
The girl was wrapped in a soft halo of light, delicate and alluring, beautiful without any effort at all. She answered almost instinctively, “What is it?”
“Nothing.” Zheng Xiye casually withdrew his gaze.
If he remembered correctly, that seemed to be the first time this captivating little thing had smiled at him.
The car continued on in silence for a moment. Then the phone in Zheng Xiye’s trouser pocket vibrated briefly. He casually lit up the screen and saw an unread WeChat message from “Xiao Qi.”
He opened it and skimmed the contents.
[Xiao Qi: File No. 91 is in hand. Old Jiang wants me to leave the country next Wednesday to meet the buyer.]
In just a few seconds, Zheng Xiye pressed his lips together slightly, his eyes frosting over. He did not reply and moved his fingers to turn off the screen. Just as he put the phone down, a short, faint sound suddenly reached his ear.
Like a kitten sneezing.
Zheng Xiye turned his head.
The girl was wearing only a thin, light-colored dress, her pale, slender arms exposed to the air. She had her head lowered, raised a hand to rub her nose, then unconsciously rubbed her arms together.
Zheng Xiye immediately sensed something. His voice lowered slightly. “Cold?”
Xu Fangfei’s cheeks warmed. After hesitating briefly, she nodded faintly, her voice a little soft. “A bit.”
With one hand on the steering wheel, Zheng Xiye used the other to turn up the temperature of the air conditioner. Then he reached for the vent panel in front of her and adjusted its angle.
“Is it still cold now?” he asked.
A trace of warmth rose in Xu Fangfei’s heart, and she shook her head.
“Most car air-conditioning vents can be adjusted,” Zheng Xiye said, tapping the vent in front of her with his long, strong fingers. “If you feel cold when you’re riding in a car, you can adjust it yourself.”
He explained patiently. Xu Fangfei listened carefully and attentively. In the end, feeling grateful, she said sincerely, “Thank you for explaining that to me, Ah Ye. I’ll remember it.”
As her gentle voice faded, the car fell completely silent.
After a brief moment, Zheng Xiye turned the steering wheel and pulled the black G-Class over to the side of the road. He turned his head, lifted his eyes, and stared straight at the girl beside him, looking slightly surprised. “What did you just call me?”
Xu Fangfei was taken aback by the question. After a moment’s hesitation, she said, “…Ah Ye.”
Zheng Xiye raised one eyebrow.
The man’s gaze was direct and feral, filled with an unknown pressure. Even without a word, it was enough to make one uneasy. Xu Fangfei felt her face grow warm under his stare, her voice dropping as she explained uneasily, “Last time at the KTV, I heard your friends call you that.”
Zheng Xiye was quiet for a moment, then suddenly narrowed his eyes and leaned toward her.
Without any warning.
The distance between them shrank abruptly.
Xu Fangfei’s heart raced. The man’s clean, fresh scent slipped into her nose, pleasant and crisp, like a forest after rain. Flustered, she instinctively shrank her neck, trying to move away.
At last, the man stopped, mercifully ending his advance into her space.
Inside the quiet car, Xu Fangfei’s mind buzzed. All she could hear was her own rapid heartbeat, thudding again and again like a drum against her eardrums.
After a short while, Zheng Xiye toyed with a metal lighter, his gaze sweeping over the girl’s soft, flushed earlobe. He tugged at the corner of his mouth, his expression gaining a hint of amusement and interest. “There’s an order between seniors and juniors. Calling me ‘Ah Ye’ doesn’t seem appropriate.”
Xu Fangfei thought about it and felt that directly calling him “Ah Ye” did seem a bit impolite. So she asked, “Then what should I call you?”
“I’m seven years older than you. By seniority, you should call me ‘Brother.’”
“I understand.”
Xu Fangfei nodded seriously at Zheng Xiye. Then she curved her lips into another gentle smile, soft and radiant, blooming brilliantly into Zheng Xiye’s unfathomable dark eyes.
Then she obediently called out, “Brother Ah Ye.”
“…”
Hearing that, the fingers playing with the lighter suddenly froze.
The girl’s eyes were bright and clear, filled with confusion.
Zheng Xiye looked at her, the corner of his mouth lifting into a smile laden with meaning.
Xu Fangfei grew even more puzzled. “Why are you smiling?”
He paused for two seconds, then casually lifted his fingers to tuck a strand of black hair hanging by her ear behind it, and said lightly, “This cute high-school kid here, those who know would think you’re calling someone. Those who don’t might think you’re acting spoiled with me.”