To be honest, Xu Fangfei was truly impressed.
If he had said his grades were pretty good, or that he could occasionally rank among the top few, she would not have been this shocked.
But ranking first every single time.
These days, do big villains brag without even bothering to draft it first, or was there only one student in his entire grade?
Two steps away, Zheng Xiye lowered his gaze and looked expressionlessly at the little girl standing in front of him.
After about five seconds of silence, he shifted his eyes away, coolly tossed out a “Believe it or not,” then turned around and strode straight into the large iron gate of No. 9 Courtyard.
Xu Fangfei watched that retreating figure, blinking her clear, bright eyes twice, feeling a little dazed.
This was…
Was he unhappy?
The thought that suddenly popped into her mind made a faint sense of unease rise within her.
Up ahead, Zheng Xiye had walked about ten meters when he noticed no one following behind him. He stopped and turned his head to look back. Under the dark, hazy night sky, the little student stood alone in place, small and solitary, looking somewhat nervous, her small hands twisting together unconsciously, a pitiful little figure through and through.
Zheng Xiye was speechless.
Earlier that day, Pangzi had gotten into a conflict with a group from the northern part of the city. Zheng Xiye went over in the afternoon and spent most of the day dealing with it before finally settling the matter. He had already been bottling up a bellyful of pent-up anger. When he came back and then saw her walking shoulder to shoulder with that male student, chatting and laughing easily, looking close and friendly with each other, the fire inside him immediately flared up even more fiercely.
But the moment he saw the misty look in the little girl’s eyes, along with her various restrained and awkward small movements, all his anger was instantly extinguished.
Zheng Xiye stared at Xu Fangfei without blinking. Two seconds later, he suddenly spoke, “It’s already this late. Why aren’t you going home? What are you standing there for?”
He paused slightly, his expression softening along with his tone. “Come here.”
The slender, pale fingers gripping her backpack strap tightened unconsciously.
Xu Fangfei was instinctively afraid of this man who straddled good and evil. She did not dare disobey. She lifted her feet and slowly walked toward him.
Seeing this, Zheng Xiye turned his head and continued walking toward the apartment building.
Xu Fangfei followed silently behind him.
They walked a few steps in silence. Just before entering the entrance of Building Three, Unit Two, Zheng Xiye’s figure suddenly stiffened. He sensed a faint force coming from behind and below, lightly and gently tugging at him.
Zheng Xiye paused, turned his head, and lowered his eyes.
In his line of sight, the sleeve of his shirt was being held by the girl’s pale little hand. The fingers gripping the fabric were long and fair, the skin delicate and faintly luminous, the nails a healthy, glossy light pink.
Zheng Xiye’s eyelid twitched sharply. He raised his gaze and looked at the owner of that little hand.
“You…” The girl seemed hesitant, but still gathered her courage and asked softly, “Are you angry?”
Zheng Xiye was quiet for a moment, then said expressionlessly, “I was a little just now. I’m fine now.”
Xu Fangfei secretly lifted her head to look at him and asked again, “Because I said you were blowing so hard that cows were flying in the sky?”
Zheng Xiye: “.”
Zheng Xiye: “Not entirely.”
Xu Fangfei felt puzzled and immediately asked, “Then what else?”
Zheng Xiye did not answer right away.
What else? Because he saw her walking home with that male student whose name was Zhao something, and what was most infuriating was that she even smiled at that boy with her eyes curved.
She was already eye-catching enough to begin with. When she smiled, her eyes curved like crescent moons, that lively, graceful look both pure and gorgeous, delicate to the extreme, like a little fox. What man could withstand her smiling like that?
But could he say any of this?
After a brief silence, Zheng Xiye said calmly, “Some matters from the places I deal with. They have nothing to do with you.”
“Oh.” Xu Fangfei nodded, without doubting him.
All right, then.
He was, after all, a hooligan boss who fought and caused trouble all day. It was understandable that his mood might sour because of some underworld disputes. That was his line of work, after all.
Thinking this way, the small trace of grievance and nervous unease in her heart was completely swept away. Xu Fangfei relaxed considerably, unconsciously puffing out her cheeks and quietly letting out a breath.
She looked like a little goldfish, a bit silly and very cute.
Zheng Xiye lowered his eyes and looked at her. Amused by her expression, he suddenly curved his lips into a faint smile. He pointed toward the entrance ahead and said lazily, “After you, little classmate.”
Xu Fangfei could not help smiling as well. She curved her lips lightly at him and turned to enter the apartment building.
*
The next day, after evening self-study ended, the English teacher indeed entered the classroom in high heels, test papers in hand.
In an instant, the entire Grade 12 Class One exploded with complaints.
Someone wailed at the top of their lungs, “No way, no way! It’s already this late and we still have to go over test papers!”
The English teacher pushed up the glasses on her nose bridge, picked up the pointer, and knocked on the blackboard a few times. “The top ten stay. Everyone else is dismissed as usual.”
Amid bursts of cheers, students shouldered their backpacks and rushed out of the classroom, their footsteps shaking the entire teaching building.
“I’m leaving.” Yang Lu patted Xu Fangfei on the shoulder. “Be careful on your way home tonight. See you tomorrow!”
“See you tomorrow.” Xu Fangfei waved.
After that, she took out yesterday’s mock exam paper from her folder, then pulled out her carrot-red pen from her pencil case and obediently sat in the front row of the classroom.
Students who ranked in the top ten all had decent English proficiency, so there were not many mistakes that required special explanation. In less than twenty minutes, the review was finished.
The English teacher left.
Xu Fangfei packed up her things, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and left the classroom through the back door. While going downstairs, she heard a series of footsteps behind her, somewhat hurried, as if someone were chasing after her.
She felt a flicker of doubt and reflexively turned her head to look.
“Xu Fangfei.” Zhao Shuyi caught up from behind with a smile on his face. “Let me take you home again today.”
“No, it’s fine.” Xu Fangfei waved her hand apologetically. “I can’t trouble you every day.”
“We’re in the same class, and it’s on the way anyway. You don’t need to be so polite,” Zhao Shuyi said. “Besides, you’re a girl. Going home alone at night isn’t very safe.”
“My home is very close, and there are lots of people on the main road. It won’t be a problem.”
“My father is driving anyway, so don’t turn it down.”
While the girl tried to politely refuse and the boy tried to insist, the two of them had already walked from the teaching building to outside the school gate.
Just as Zhao Shuyi was about to keep persuading Xu Fangfei to take his family’s ride, a voice sounded before he could speak. It was low and clear, cutting through the night, calling out in an even tone, “Little brat.”
Xu Fangfei froze. Zhao Shuyi froze as well. The two of them turned their heads at the same time, looking toward the source of the voice.
It was already past nine in the evening. Most students had left school, and there were hardly any people left near Lingcheng Middle School. Summer still lingered, but at night it had to give way to the early chill of autumn. A few leaves lay scattered on the ground. When the wind blew, they spun and drifted away, making the street scene feel a little desolate.
Under a streetlight by the roadside stood a man.
One hand was in his trouser pocket, the other idly playing with a lighter. His posture was casual, his expression indifferent. Light fell from above his head, casting faint shadows across his handsome yet sharp features, making them appear even more defined. His brows and eyes lay just within the shadows, indistinct, his emotions unreadable.
Zhao Shuyi frowned.
He recognized the young man from last night.
“Brother Ah Ye?” Xu Fangfei exclaimed softly as she walked over. “Why are you here?”
Zheng Xiye’s expression was very calm. “I was taking care of something nearby and came by to pick you up on the way home.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a smile spread across Xu Fangfei’s bright eyes. Her cheeks warmed slightly, and her heart felt cozy as well. She replied softly, “Thank you.”
Zheng Xiye curled his lips. “Let’s go.”
Xu Fangfei nodded and was about to follow him.
At that moment, Zhao Shuyi suddenly reached out and unobtrusively tugged on Xu Fangfei’s backpack strap. Xu Fangfei turned her head in confusion.
A trace of worry appeared on Zhao Shuyi’s delicate face. He stared warily at Zheng Xiye and lowered his voice, speaking so softly that only Xu Fangfei could hear. “Who is this person?”
Xu Fangfei replied, “He’s my neighbor who lives downstairs.”
“This neighbor of yours doesn’t look like a good person,” Zhao Shuyi said, worried about her safety, and advised in a low voice. “You’d better not go with him. I’m afraid he might…”
What Zhao Shuyi did not expect was that before he could finish his sentence, Xu Fangfei’s expression suddenly turned cold, something rare for her.
She interrupted him calmly and firmly, “What kind of person my neighbor is, I think I know better than you do.”
Zhao Shuyi was momentarily stunned.
Xu Fangfei continued, “My neighbor brother is a very good person. If you don’t understand the situation, don’t talk nonsense.”
Zhao Shuyi had been in the same class as Xu Fangfei for more than two years and naturally knew what kind of temperament she had. She was a girl as gentle and yielding as water, without edges or any aggressiveness at all, radiating a warm, soothing sunlight-like vitality, soft down to her bones.
This was the first time Zhao Shuyi had ever seen this expression on Xu Fangfei’s face. Calm, resolute, and even a little stubborn, allowing no dissent whatsoever.
Before Zhao Shuyi could react further, Xu Fangfei had already turned around on her own and left with the social youth beside her, without looking back.
Her retreating figure even looked a little cold, a little cool.
Strikingly similar to the man beside her.
*
The cool and aloof underworld big brother Zheng Xiye and the cool and aloof model student Xu Fangfei walked side by side along the main road toward Xiwang Street. For quite a while, neither of them spoke.
Strangely, Xu Fangfei realized that although they had walked together in silence several times before, the atmosphere between her and 3206 tonight was no longer the suffocating awkwardness she remembered.
Instead, it was tranquil.
But what caused this difference?
Xu Fangfei pondered in confusion. She quietly turned her head to look at the man beside her, studying Zheng Xiye’s clean, cool, pale profile carefully, trying to find some clue.
Fortunately, the effort was not in vain. Xu Fangfei soon made a discovery. It was probably because tonight, this boss surnamed Zheng seemed to be in a pretty good mood.
Specifically, although he still wore that cool, indifferent, and casual expression, there was a faint upward curve at the corner of his mouth. The aura around him had also changed. It was no longer that “not a bird in a thousand mountains, not a footprint on ten thousand paths” kind of cold and forbidding chill. It was as if ice had melted, letting out a trickle of warm spring water…
Huh?
Warm spring water???
Xu Fangfei’s eyes widened slightly, startled by the word that had suddenly popped into her mind.
She truly had not expected that one day, this big villain named Zheng Xiye would actually be associated with a word containing “warmth.”
Thinking of this, she could not help but look at him even more intently, her gaze fixed on him.
Who would have thought that just then, the big villain who had remained quiet and cool all along suddenly parted his thin lips and unexpectedly tossed out a question, “Am I very handsome?”
Xu Fangfei: “.”
Xu Fangfei had been lost in thought while looking at him. For a fraction of a second, she had not completely pulled herself out of her own world and thought she had misheard. She asked blankly, “What did you say?”
“You often stare at me without even blinking,” Zheng Xiye said, still facing forward and walking at his own pace, sounding casual. “So I reasonably infer that, in your eyes, I probably look pretty good.”
Xu Fangfei: “……”
She had seen narcissistic people before, but never one so shamelessly narcissistic and yet so calm about it.
Xu Fangfei fell silent for about three seconds. When she spoke again, she chose to completely ignore Zheng Xiye’s previous unhinged question and instead asked curiously, “Are you in a very good mood today?”
“It’s okay,” Zheng Xiye replied. After a brief pause, he turned his head to look at her and asked without much expression, “Is it that obvious?”
“Yes.” The girl nodded seriously. “You’ve been smiling just now.”
As if to emphasize that she was telling the truth, she even deliberately raised her small hand and traced a curved arc beside her own mouth.
Zheng Xiye fell silent.
Zheng Xiye could read lips. Therefore, every word that the boy called Zhao Shuyi had whispered to her earlier, he had seen clearly and understood perfectly.
Over the years, he had long grown accustomed to all kinds of strange looks, insults, and verbal abuse, and he did not care about them at all. After all, this was the path he had chosen himself, and such outcomes had been expected from the very beginning.
After thousands upon thousands of days and nights of tempering and grinding, Zheng Xiye’s state of mind had long since become like a pool of stagnant water. He knew clearly what he was doing, what he should do, and what he needed to do.
What others said about him did not matter to him.
But that little brat had stared back with a hard, resolute gaze and righteous words, firmly rebutting the Zhao boy, saying that Brother Ah Ye was very good. Like a small hedgehog bristling with sharp spines, stubbornly protecting the things she cared about.
To be honest, it felt really damn good.
It was more than just a good mood, more than just feeling comfortable. He was damn near happy out of his mind.
Zheng Xiye did not respond for quite a while. Xu Fangfei did not understand why he was in such a good mood, but she did not ask further. She simply withdrew her gaze, lowered her head, and curved her lips into a smile as well.
It was the first time she realized that a good mood could be contagious.
Seeing him smile, she seemed to be able to feel happiness too.
The two of them walked quietly for a while longer when, all of a sudden, a fragrance drifted over from afar and slipped into Xu Fangfei’s nose. It was spicy and pungent, yet rich and savory, instantly stirring the greedy little cravings in her stomach.
She subconsciously lifted her head and looked ahead.
Several dozen meters away by the roadside was a barbecue stall, with charcoal grills and an abundant spread of ingredients. A few customers were scattered around the stall, and a man in his fifties squinted his eyes while waving a sauce brush, skillfully brushing seasonings onto various skewers.
Looking at the chicken wings, sausages, and grilled tofu skin on the rack, Xu Fangfei touched her flat stomach and swallowed hard.
She was so hungry.
That afternoon, she had been busy working on practice exam papers and had not had time to eat anything before evening self-study. From finishing lunch until now, she had not even drunk a sip of water…
Zheng Xiye noticed the little sparks of hunger lighting up in the girl’s eyes and glanced at the barbecue stall not far away, immediately understanding.
“Hungry?”
“N-no!” The girl hurriedly waved her hands, her round head shaking like a rattle drum. “I’m not hungry, really, not hungry at all…”
However, before she could finish denying it, a loud gurgling sound from her stomach abruptly rang out, cutting her off.
Xu Fangfei: “.”
In an instant, Xu Fangfei’s entire little face flushed red with embarrassment. She covered her cheeks in despair, mortified to the point where her toes curled, her mind going blank. She wished she could just go “bang” and disappear on the spot.
Zheng Xiye stared at her, a faint smile slowly seeping into his eyes. After a moment, he lazily raised an eyebrow and said, “Our top student has worked hard at school. Come on, I’ll treat you to a late-night snack.”
*
Lingcheng was famous nationwide not only for being a border city. What was even more worth mentioning was that although the city was underdeveloped, its specialty foods were outstanding. Especially Lingcheng barbecue, which was rich in color, aroma, and flavor. It had even appeared on a once wildly popular food program. In the early years, the name “Lingcheng barbecue” alone had attracted many tourists from inland areas.
However, most of the shops tourists sought out were internet-famous places hyped online, and the taste was honestly quite average. Only true Lingcheng locals knew that the best barbecue in Lingcheng was often found at roadside stalls without storefronts.
The stall where Zheng Xiye and Xu Fangfei were having their late-night snack was a perfect example.
After eating several skewers of grilled beef, Xu Fangfei could not help raising a thumbs-up and praising with a smile, “It’s delicious. The owner’s skills are amazing.”
Zheng Xiye sat across from her, propping his chin with one hand. He was not eating, nor was he doing anything else. He simply lowered his eyelids and stared straight at Xu Fangfei.
Xu Fangfei took a bite of a grilled rib and noticed something. She lifted her eyes to look at him, confused. “Why aren’t you eating at all?”
“I’m not very interested in barbecue,” Zheng Xiye said. “I just want to watch you eat.”
Xu Fangfei: “……”
Watch her eat? What kind of strange habit was that?
Xu Fangfei’s face warmed slightly. She swallowed the rib and was about to speak when she noticed Zheng Xiye’s expression suddenly change. His dark eyes shifted past her to look at something behind her, narrowing slightly.
In just two seconds, his gaze had already been covered again with a layer of cold frost.
Xu Fangfei vaguely guessed something, and her heart tightened slightly.
“I have something to take care of. Wait here for me for a moment,” Zheng Xiye said, giving her a very faint smile. Then he stood up and strode away from the barbecue stall.
Xu Fangfei’s eyes followed him.
She saw the man walk straight toward a black sedan parked by the roadside, pull open the rear door, bend down to get in, and then disappear from her view.
*
The back seat of the black Maybach.
Jiang Jiancheng was dressed in a sharp iron-gray suit, holding an unlit cigar between his fingers. He leaned lightly against the seatback with his eyes closed, resting.
Zheng Xiye said calmly, “Old Jiang, you were looking for me.”
“The boss has already nodded his approval. In two weeks, we’ll sign the agreement with the same buyer as last time,” Jiang Jiancheng said leisurely, tapping the storage console with his index finger in no particular rhythm, without opening his eyes. “I told you last time that I wanted you to come along with us. You remember that, right?”
Zheng Xiye turned his head slightly, his gaze fixed through the car window on the school-uniform-clad girl outside, keeping an eye on her movements and her surroundings.
Hearing this, his expression did not change and his eyes did not move. He nodded calmly. “I remember.”
“Also, the fish in Qiqi’s hands has good sincerity. She gave us a piece of top-secret material from the Aerospace Bureau,” Jiang Jiancheng said. As he spoke, he slowly opened his eyes and looked at the young man beside him, his tone turning slightly heavy. “When the time comes, do your best to help the boss negotiate a good price.”
Zheng Xiye replied, “Yes.”
Jiang Jiancheng smiled, his demeanor relaxing as well. “Ah Ye, this is your first time showing your face in front of the boss. Perform well. I’ve praised you many times in front of him, saying you’re smart, alert, and capable. Don’t embarrass me.”
Zheng Xiye smiled too. “Don’t worry. I know what to do.”
While the two were talking, a tricycle wobbled past outside the car window. It was an old man selling herbal tea. The old man parked the tricycle by the roadside, then walked over to the barbecue stall, stooping as he went, asking each diner one by one whether they wanted a cup of herbal tea to relieve the spiciness.
Jiang Jiancheng watched the scene before him, crossed one leg over the other, and unhurriedly lit his cigar. He instructed, “Ah Wu, go buy me a bowl of herbal tea.”
Uncle Wu, the driver, nodded, got out of the car, and walked toward the herbal tea stall.
Jiang Jiancheng sized up the old man selling herbal tea outside, took a deep drag from his cigar, exhaled a smoke ring, and shook his head with a clicking sigh. “Look at this. See how hard people at the bottom live. They get up before dawn and work until late at night, exhausted half to death every day, just to earn enough to get by. They live their whole lives honestly, yet in the end don’t even leave a single cent to their children and grandchildren.”
Zheng Xiye looked at the patch of fresh blue and white by the barbecue stall, his gaze heavy and dark, and did not respond.
“The world works like this. If you don’t eat others, others will eat you.” Jiang Jiancheng’s tone was mocking as he gave a snort of laughter. After a moment, he spoke to Zheng Xiye again. “Ah Ye, among all the young men who follow me, do you know why I like you the most, why I value you the most?”
Zheng Xiye shook his head.
“Because you’re the most like me.”
As he said this, Jiang Jiancheng’s gaze suddenly turned distant as memories surfaced. “Back then, when you fought on the underground black market ring in Yangon, each match was a life-or-death gamble. Win, and you get thirty thousand kyat. Lose, and you were wrapped in a straw mat and carried off as a corpse. The first time I saw you, when I watched you crawl up over a mountain of bodies, covered in blood, I knew you’d amount to something one day. That ruthlessness and refusal to admit defeat was exactly the same as me at twenty.”
Zheng Xiye said, “Old Jiang, you flatter me. How could I compare to you?”
Hearing this, Jiang Jiancheng laughed. He then clenched the cigar between his teeth, shifted his gaze, and also looked out the window toward the lively barbecue stall and the girl who was pure and clean, like a gardenia in bloom.
“People like us are dealt a rotten hand from the start. We’re born as ants meant to be slaughtered at will. But we don’t believe in fate, and we don’t accept it. No matter the cost, we climb toward the top of the food chain.” Jiang Jiancheng raised his hand and gave Zheng Xiye’s shoulder a firm pat. “Ah Ye, if you want to accomplish something big and make a name for yourself, you have to keep pushing upward. You can’t relax for a single moment. Remember this. Playing around is fine, but never let anything or anyone divide your focus.”
*
After finishing his conversation with Jiang Jiancheng, Zheng Xiye got out of the car and returned to the small table at the barbecue stall. He swept a glance over the plates on the table. Most of the meat and vegetables had already been eaten, leaving only a scattering of bamboo skewers.
He looked at Xu Fangfei and asked calmly, “Are you full?”
The little girl nodded obediently.
Zheng Xiye went to settle the bill with the owner, then continued walking Xu Fangfei home.
The night was already deep. The dim yellow streetlights looked like drops of colored ink, melting into the night, which resembled a vat of thick black dye. The two colors mixed together, diluting each other and reconciling with each other, finally blending into a street that was half-lit and half-dark, where right and wrong were hard to distinguish, and black and white blurred together.
At that moment, several crows perched on treetops suddenly let out harsh cries, their voices sharp and eerie.
Xu Fangfei startled slightly and then urged softly, “Let’s walk faster.”
Zheng Xiye turned his eyes to her. “What’s wrong?”
Xu Fangfei said, “Those crows don’t sound the same as usual. It might rain soon.”
Zheng Xiye stared at her, lifting his left eyebrow slightly. For once, a hint of surprise appeared in his cold, stern features. “Your hearing is that sharp?”
Xu Fangfei’s fingers unconsciously scratched at her backpack strap. After two seconds of composure, she replied honestly, “I’ve been more sensitive to sounds since I was little. My hearing is a bit better than normal.”
Hearing this, Zheng Xiye fell quiet for a moment, then faintly tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Xu Fangfei caught that upward curve of his lips and tilted her head in confusion. “What are you smiling about now?”
Zheng Xiye said lazily, “Using that ability just to listen to crows is kind of a waste.”
Xu Fangfei asked curiously, “Then what should it be used for?”
Zheng Xiye replied, “Deciphering intelligence.”
……
……
???
Xu Fangfei was completely stunned by those four words. She stared at Zheng Xiye with wide eyes. After a moment, she finally broke, unable to hold it in, and burst out laughing, nearly out of breath. “Y-you’re killing me. Deciphering intelligence? Have you been watching too many spy movies? Do you even know what you’re saying? Hahaha.”
The street was quiet, and her bell-like laughter echoed in the empty air.
Zheng Xiye stared straight at Xu Fangfei, his pupils dark and bright, deep as stars.
On the other side, Xu Fangfei laughed for quite a while before forcing herself to stop. She wiped the tears of laughter from the corners of her eyes and turned her head, only to find the man beside her watching her. She touched her face in confusion.
What was going on?
…Oh no.
Had she laughed too exaggeratedly just now?
Thinking this, Xu Fangfei felt a bit embarrassed and stammered an explanation. “Um… my laugh point is kind of weird. I really didn’t mean any disrespect.”
Zheng Xiye stared at her for a long moment before speaking. “Little brat, that was the first time you laughed so freely in front of me.”
Xu Fangfei froze, her eyes widening in surprise.
“Do you know,” he said gently, his right hand lightly brushing the strand of hair that had fallen beside the girl’s cheek, his tone soft, “your smile always makes me feel like these damn miserable days aren’t actually that bad.”