After Zheng Xiye finished asking, everyone was intimidated by the wolf-like, dark and violent aura radiating from him. They looked at one another, frozen in fear, not daring to make a sound.
Chen San toyed with the string of Buddhist prayer beads in his hand. His mung-bean-sized eyes narrowed slightly as he weighed his options in his mind.
He and Zheng Xiye both worked under Jiang Jiancheng and were both based in Lingcheng. They had dealt with each other plenty of times, so he naturally knew Zheng Xiye’s methods well. This man was famously ruthless and merciless, someone who recognized no kinship. Once he went mad, he wouldn’t give anyone face.
This time, using this little girl as the blade, Chen San believed he had played a clever hand. He thought that the best possible outcome would be forcing Zheng Xiye to withdraw from Lingcheng. At the very least, it would serve as a warning to Zheng Xiye, making him know when to stop while ahead and, in the future, greet him respectfully with a “Third Master” whenever they met.
Was Chen San afraid? Of course he was.
But then he thought about it again. Looking across all of Lingcheng, he was now the first person who dared to openly challenge Zheng Xiye. So many brothers under him were watching with wide eyes, craning their necks and waiting. Even if he could not boast of raising his head high and establishing authority, the posture that needed to be upheld still had to be upheld fully.
Besides, Chen San was truly sick and tired of living under someone else’s heel.
After thinking it through, Chen San picked up the cigarette pack on the table, tipped it upside down, and shook it twice, shaking out a cigarette. Someone beside him, sharp-eyed and quick-handed, hurriedly flicked a lighter and leaned over.
Chen San lit the cigarette, took a deep drag, and exhaled before saying in a deep voice, “Brother Ye, this little girl took action and stabbed one of my brothers in the eye. Isn’t it normal for her to get a bit hurt?”
Hearing this, Xu Fangfei’s pupils shook violently. She said in disbelief, “What nonsense are you talking about? I don’t even know who your brother is. When did I ever stab him in the eye?”
“You’re saying my brother falsely accused you?” Chen San sneered coldly.
Just then, a tall, skinny man wearing a gray jacket pushed the door open and walked in. His left eye area was wrapped in a square piece of gauze. His features were fairly proper, his face pale, and the remaining right eye revealed a fierce, street-hardened edge.
He walked up to Chen San and respectfully called out, “Third Master.”
“Oh, you came at just the right time.” Chen San raised the hand holding the cigarette and subtly shot him a look. “Come on, Ah Kai. Tell Brother Ye properly what happened to your eye.”
The man called Ah Kai understood immediately and nodded. “Yes, Third Master.”
He touched the gauze over his eye, then turned and raised his hand to point, instantly putting on an enraged, indignant expression. “It was all this girl! I just said a couple of words to her and damn it, she sprayed chili water all over my face and even slashed at me with a knife! Luckily, I dodged fast. The blade brushed right past my eyelid. Half an inch higher and this eye of mine would’ve been gone!”
Hearing this, Xu Fangfei could no longer restrain herself and said angrily, “You’re slandering me! I’ve never seen you!”
The girl’s gaze was firm like a blazing torch. The one-eyed man felt a wave of guilt under her stare. His voice immediately rose higher as he shouted harshly, “Trying to deny it now?!”
“That’s right.” Someone beside him echoed, mocking Xu Fangfei. “If you didn’t stab Ah Kai for no reason, why would we bring you here?”
Tears welled up in Xu Fangfei’s eyes. Anxious and furious, she could barely speak clearly. “Tonight I was walking properly on the road after school, and suddenly someone rushed out and covered my mouth with a cloth. How would I know why you kidnapped me?”
“Little girl, being stubborn won’t help. Words alone don’t count. Everything needs evidence.”
Chen San revealed a sinister smile, tilted his head to the side, and asked, “Haven’t you found it yet?”
“Third Master! We’ve got it!”
A voice responded. Everyone turned their heads toward the sound and saw a tall, skinny man with curly hair trotting over, holding a worn but clean white schoolbag.
The curly-haired man pulled open the zipper, about to dump everything inside out, when an ashtray suddenly pressed against the back of his hand.
His movement was stopped. He froze and looked up in confusion.
Zheng Xiye stared at him quietly, saying nothing, without a trace of expression on his face.
“……” The curly-haired man felt a chill in his heart and swallowed hard.
Zheng Xiye lightly crooked his finger again.
The curly-haired man immediately backed down, forcing a fawning smile, and using both hands, respectfully handed the schoolbag over.
Zheng Xiye slowly took the schoolbag.
The curly-haired man said in a low voice, “The thing’s inside.”
Zheng Xiye shot him a glance, his expression grim.
The curly-haired man was scared out of his wits. He looked around, unwilling to get dragged into this mess, and while no one was paying attention, he shrank his neck and slipped away without a trace.
Zheng Xiye opened the schoolbag and lowered his gaze to look inside. At the bottom, there really was something, pressed beneath neatly arranged textbooks and exercise books, wrapped in a plastic bag. It was unclear what it was.
When he took it out and looked, it turned out to be a fruit knife stained with blood.
“Yes! Yes, yes, yes!” The one-eyed man immediately shrieked. “She stabbed me with that knife!”
If someone wants to frame you, there is no lack of excuses.
Xu Fangfei shook her head. “This isn’t my thing.”
“All right, all right, stop arguing.” Chen San looked at Zheng Xiye. “Brother Ye, now I have physical evidence, and I’ve got plenty of witnesses too. How do you think this should be settled?”
Zheng Xiye seemed not to have heard him. He casually tossed the knife onto the floor, zipped the open zipper back up, and then handed the schoolbag back to the girl beside him.
Xu Fangfei took the schoolbag and hugged it to her chest, lightly biting her lip as she said seriously, “I really didn’t do it.”
Zheng Xiye looked at her and said calmly, “I know. Wait here for me for a moment.”
Xu Fangfei froze slightly. Before she could understand what he wanted her to wait for, she saw Zheng Xiye walk unhurriedly toward the one-eyed man.
The one-eyed man’s scalp went numb. He reflexively took a step back and stammered, “Bro… Brother Ye.”
Zheng Xiye said, “You said she stabbed you?”
“……”
The one-eyed man was terrified. He secretly glanced toward Chen San.
Chen San picked up the teacup on the table, lowered his head, gently blew on it to brush away the tea leaves floating on the surface, and smacked his lips.
The one-eyed man had no choice but to brace himself and say, “Yes.”
Zheng Xiye nodded.
However, what happened in the next second was something no one had anticipated.
Zheng Xiye moved with lightning speed. He twisted the one-eyed man’s arms back in a reverse hold and slammed him hard onto the table.
The one-eyed man screamed in terror. As he struggled, several sets of bowls, plates, and tea ware were swept to the floor, setting off a loud clatter.
Chen San was also startled by the sudden commotion and sprang up from his chair.
Fear and shock intertwined in his eyes, leaving him unable to speak.
“Brother Ye!” the one-eyed man cried in a trembling voice. “Brother Ye, what are you doing?!”
“You insist it was she who stabbed you. Then the injury at the corner of her mouth must have been done by you.” Zheng Xiye curled his lips slightly, grabbed the one-eyed man’s right hand, and pinned it firmly to the table with his foot. He weighed the ashtray in his hand, his gaze cold and savage to the bone. “Which hand? This one?”
“No! Third Master!” the one-eyed man screamed in terror. “Third Master, save me!”
Chen San’s expression turned unbearably ugly. This was his territory, inside and out, filled with his people. Yet he had never expected that Zheng Xiye would actually dare to get serious with him here. Gritting his teeth, he said, “Ah Ye, we’re all on the same side. If there’s a misunderstanding, we can talk it out. Is it really worth making such a big scene with me over a little girl?”
Zheng Xiye’s face remained cold. His brows did not even move as he raised the ashtray and smashed it down hard onto the back of the one-eyed man’s right hand.
The blow was vicious and heavy. One could almost hear the sound of bones shattering.
The one-eyed man let out a piercing scream. His entire right hand turned blue and purple, twitching slightly from the excruciating pain.
Xu Fangfei was so frightened that she covered her mouth.
The others were also stunned into silence, quiet as crows, not daring to make a single move.
“Pretty tough bones.” Zheng Xiye sneered and lifted his hand again, about to strike once more.
This time, the one-eyed man completely broke down.
“Brother Ye! Brother Ye, spare me! I’ll tell the truth, I’ll tell the truth!” His face was deathly pale. Even breathing hurt. His whole body shook uncontrollably. “My eye injury has nothing to do with that high school girl. I framed her. I framed her!”
Half of Chen San’s face darkened. His fist clenched so tightly it crackled.
Zheng Xiye said, “Who told you to frame her?”
“……” The one-eyed man didn’t answer.
He had framed this high school student on Chen San’s instructions. Chen San wanted to trip Zheng Xiye up, but was afraid that if it escalated to higher-ups, he wouldn’t be able to explain himself, so he casually found an excuse.
That way, he could both warn Zheng Xiye and still be in the right if the matter was investigated from above.
But the one-eyed man had no intention of telling Zheng Xiye everything. He was just a small fry, but betraying his boss was something he couldn’t do.
After thinking it over, the one-eyed man replied, “No one told me. I just couldn’t stand her.”
When his words fell, the private room was deathly silent.
A moment later, Zheng Xiye loosened his fingers, casually tossed the ashtray aside, and let the one-eyed man go.
The one-eyed man was still shaken. He took several deep breaths, covered his still-twitching right hand, clenched his teeth against the pain, and staggered back to the side.
Chen San’s face was gloomy, as if he might crush the prayer beads in his hand to powder.
Zheng Xiye turned and leaned against the table, raised an eyebrow coldly, and said, “Third Brother, the truth is clear now. What do you say?”
Chen San squeezed his eyes shut hard.
A few seconds later, he took a deep breath and finally made up his mind. He kicked Ah Kai’s legs several times, cursing loudly, “You little bastard! Damn it! Using me to settle your personal grudge! What did that little girl ever do to you for you to frame her like this! You even made me fall out with Brother Ye. Just wait and see how I deal with you when we get back!”
Ah Kai took several kicks head-on, hurting so badly he was half-dead, yet he clenched his teeth and didn’t make a sound.
Chen San reached out and secretly twisted Ah Kai’s shoulder hard, then immediately turned back to Zheng Xiye with a smile plastered on his face, looking deeply apologetic. “Sorry, Brother Ye, truly sorry. It was all a misunderstanding. Another misunderstanding. Some other day, I’ll personally bring this good-for-nothing little brother of mine to drink with you. I’ll even make him kneel down and kowtow to you three times if you want. We’re all our own people. Don’t hold a grudge against me.”
Zheng Xiye smiled, but his eyes were covered in a hard frost. “I couldn’t bear that.”
Chen San showed a puzzled expression. He and Ah Kai exchanged looks, both not quite understanding what he meant.
Zheng Xiye ignored everyone else. He turned his head and fixed his gaze on the school-uniform girl standing among the men, calling out, “Come here. Come to me.”
Xu Fangfei hugged her schoolbag and blinked, walking over in a daze. She stopped in front of him.
Zheng Xiye said, “Closer.”
Xu Fangfei took a few more steps toward him.
Suddenly, Zheng Xiye reached out and grabbed her arm. With a slight pull, he drew her to his side. Then he looked again at Chen San and the one-eyed Ah Kai and said lightly, “Didn’t you say you’d kowtow three times? Come on. Kowtow to her.”
Chen San: “……”
Ah Kai: “……”
Xu Fangfei: “……”
Ah Kai didn’t move at all. He tentatively looked toward Chen San. Chen San’s face shifted between green and white. After a moment of silence, he kicked Ah Kai hard in the knee and said, “Hurry up and kowtow.”
Ah Kai muttered a curse in frustration. He glanced around, only to find everyone averting their eyes awkwardly, scratching their heads and looking elsewhere.
Left with no choice, he bent his knees, about to kneel.
Suddenly—
“That’s not necessary.” Xu Fangfei spoke up abruptly.
Zheng Xiye looked at her.
The next moment, the girl bit her lip. Her pale fingers gently tugged at his sleeve. She raised her eyes to look at him and said softly, timidly, “Brother Ah Ye, I… I don’t want to stay here. Can you take me home?”
In just a few seconds, something deep inside was violently stirred. He immediately replied in a gentle voice, “Okay.”
Xu Fangfei curved her lips into a faint smile.
Zheng Xiye took the hand clutching his sleeve and turned, striding toward the door.
Chen San put on the face of an old acquaintance and good brother, following attentively behind Zheng Xiye to see him out. As he handed him a cigarette, he spoke warmly, “Right, right, it’s getting late anyway. The little girl still has to go home. Then, Brother Ye, I won’t keep you for drinks. You and I can set something up next time.”
At that, Zheng Xiye’s steps paused.
He said flatly, “Chen San.”
Chen San stretched his neck forward. “At your service, Brother Ye.”
Zheng Xiye casually took the cigarette and said, “This kid is mine. I’ll say the ugly words first. If anyone dares to touch a single hair on her head again, no matter who it is, I’ll chop you up and throw you into the Lancang River to feed the fish.”
Chen San: “……”
Chen San was completely stunned by this ancestor, utterly dumbfounded. He forced a dry laugh. “Brother Ye, that’s a bit unreasonable, isn’t it?”
“I know exactly what you’re scheming. Old Jiang knows it too. You know it best yourself.” Zheng Xiye used the cigarette in his hand to pat Chen San’s face, then tossed it to the ground and ground it out under his shoe. He lifted his brow slightly and said, “In the Jiang family, the things you handle are the dirtiest. If something really blows up, tell me, will Old Jiang protect you, or protect me?”
Chen San tugged at the corner of his mouth awkwardly, angry but not daring to speak.
Zheng Xiye withdrew his gaze coldly and left with Xu Fangfei in long strides.
*
The night was dark and heavy. A few stars shimmered in the east. Heaven and earth seemed stitched together along this street, forming a black ocean, boundless and endless, with no end to the sky in sight and no end to the road either.
Xu Fangfei walked beside Zheng Xiye. As soon as they stepped out of the entertainment club behind them, with its flashing lights and lavish noise, all the clamor and chaos were thrown far away. A surge of relief at having survived a disaster mixed with lingering fear welled up in her heart. As her tightly strung nerves relaxed, her legs suddenly felt weak. She steadied herself by holding onto a stone elephant sculpture nearby, barely managing to stand.
Zheng Xiye frowned, worry surfacing in his eyes. “Dizzy?”
“No.” She shook her head. “Just a little tired.”
He didn’t say anything more. Holding the girl by the arm, he guided her toward the car. After helping her into the back seat, his peripheral vision caught sight of a tall woman standing at a street corner not far away. She was dressed in a flamboyant purple suit, holding a same-tone Hermès Birkin bag. Her ponytail was tied high, her features cold and striking, and she was staring straight at him.
Zheng Xiye paused.
The woman blinked playfully, then smiled brightly.
“Wait for me two minutes.”
After saying this to Xu Fangfei, Zheng Xiye shut the car door with a bang and walked toward Xiao Qi.
“Godfather already knows about what happened tonight.” Xiao Qi folded her arms casually across her chest and spoke indifferently. “Godfather asked me to tell you that he’s keeping this account very clearly. There are still two weeks before meeting the big boss. It’s a special period, and it’s not a good time to stir up extra trouble. After things are over, he’ll give you an explanation.”
Zheng Xiye curled his lips in a way that was hard to read, his expression shifting unpredictably. “Old Master Jiang really does have well-informed channels.”
Xiao Qi was no ordinary person. She immediately caught the implication in his words and laughed softly, speaking leisurely. “Oh, come on. The Jiang family has so many businesses, spread so wide, raising piles of Vajra guardians and foot soldiers. It’s enough to give anyone a headache. Godfather is usually in Yuncheng. If he didn’t grow a few extra pairs of eyes and ears to keep watch for him, who knows what kind of waves would be stirred up behind his back? It’s not that he doesn’t trust you, so don’t overthink it.”
Zheng Xiye gave a smile that didn’t reach his eyes and said nothing.
“Alright, alright, why are you so unhappy?” Xiao Qi paused, her gaze sweeping toward the dark car window of the black G-Class, and she snorted. “From what I see, that little girl of yours didn’t really suffer much. Go back and buy her a few candies, coax her a bit. If that’s still not enough, throw a few stacks of cash at her and buy her a couple of bags. Is she really going to make a huge fuss with you?”
Zheng Xiye lowered his head and lit a cigarette with his lighter.
Xiao Qi studied his expression, her thoughts shifting. She changed her tone again, becoming gentle and understanding. “I told you a long time ago, getting involved with little girls gets you nowhere. Aside from being pure and pretty, what can they really help you with? When something happens, they just cry. You’re not finding a woman at all. You’re purely adding trouble and frustration for yourself, bringing home an ancestor to worship.”
As her words fell, Zheng Xiye finished the cigarette in his hand.
He lowered his eyes, stubbed out the cigarette on his own, tossed the butt into a trash can, and turned to leave without giving Xiao Qi another glance.
Seeing this, Xiao Qi’s carefully drawn brows shot upward in anger. She instantly flared up. “Hey, you surnamed Zheng! Did you even hear what I was saying? I haven’t finished talking yet. Where are you going? Come back here!”
He didn’t turn his head, only lazily raised his right hand and waved it dismissively, leaving behind one sentence. “Come find me again once the specific time and place are set.”
“…Zheng Xiye, you fucking bastard!” Xiao Qi was both annoyed and furious. She rolled her eyes hard at his retreating back.
*
When Zheng Xiye returned to the car, the little girl on the right side of the back seat was leaning her head against the window, hugging her schoolbag and staring blankly.
In the driver’s seat sat a young man in his early twenties, with proper features, named Sun Hua. Two years ago, Zheng Xiye had rescued Sun Hua from a casino, where he had been beaten black and blue, and had even helped pay for Sun Hua’s mother’s surgery. From that point on, Sun Hua had been utterly loyal to Zheng Xiye and would occasionally act as his driver, helping him drive.
After following Zheng Xiye for these years, traveling north and south with him and seeing countless storms, Sun Hua had long cultivated a temperament that remained calm even if Mount Tai collapsed in front of him.
He showed not the slightest curiosity toward the little girl beside his boss. Looking straight ahead, he asked respectfully, “Brother Ye, where to now?”
“Xiwang Street.”
“Yes.”
Sun Hua started the engine, and the street scene outside the window began to retreat rapidly.
Xu Fangfei’s expression was calm as she stared blankly out the window, lost in thought.
Suddenly, she sensed her arm tighten slightly, as if someone had gently taken hold of it.
“……” Xu Fangfei instinctively looked toward the unfamiliar sensation on her skin. Five distinct, long, powerful fingers enclosed her pale, slender upper arm in their grip, the posture indescribably familiar and intimate.
Her face flushed with heat. Whether from embarrassment or shyness, she instinctively tried to pull her arm back.
“Don’t move.” Two words came from above, low and gentle.
Xu Fangfei froze, and her movement stopped with it.
Zheng Xiye’s expression was very unpleasant. His gaze examined Xu Fangfei from head to toe several times.
A section of the girl’s snow-white wrist was so slender it looked as if it might snap with a single bend, fragile and pitiful. Faint rope marks were visible around her wrist. Fortunately, they were only slightly red and the skin wasn’t broken.
The man’s eyes settled on her reddened wrist. After a brief pause, he asked as gently as he could, “Other than the corner of your mouth and your wrist, do you have any other places that hurt or feel uncomfortable?”
Over this period of time, Zheng Xiye’s gentleness, attentiveness, and thoughtfulness had almost made Xu Fangfei forget his identity, forget the environment he lived in, and forget what kind of ruthless figure he was. Tonight, having witnessed his thunderous fury and terrifying brutality, lingering fear still remained in her heart.
Her face was so red it seemed about to drip blood. The girl felt both embarrassed and a little afraid. Only after a long moment did she softly say, “No.”
Zheng Xiye asked again, “Did they make you eat anything?”
Xu Fangfei shook her head and softly answered, “No.”
“Did they inject you with anything?”
“No.”
After receiving several negative answers, Zheng Xiye was still not fully reassured. He grasped Xu Fangfei’s arm and rolled up the sleeve of her school uniform. In an instant, more of the girl’s snow-white skin was revealed, as pale and delicate as freshly broken lotus root, more flawless than any jade in the world.
Zheng Xiye’s dark eyes were focused as he examined it back and forth, but he did not find any needle marks.
Then he checked the other arm.
It was just as fair and smooth, with no signs of injection.
Only after confirming that there were indeed no other injuries on her body did Zheng Xiye finally feel completely at ease. Suddenly, he sensed something and lifted his eyelids slightly, noticing that the little girl was looking at him in a somewhat strange way, her small face faintly flushed, the light in her bright eyes confused and puzzled.
Zheng Xiye paused slightly.
He realized that his actions had been somewhat inappropriate. His five fingers loosened abruptly, and he released her.
Xu Fangfei’s face felt hot. She lowered her head and quietly pulled her sleeve back down.
“Sorry. I was too worried just now, so I lost my composure a bit,” Zheng Xiye said. “I hope you won’t mind if I offended you by being abrupt.”
“N-no, I won’t,” the girl replied softly. Her brows and eyes were gentle and delicate, and her whole person seemed to blend into the moonlight outside the window.
Zheng Xiye fell silent for a moment, then said, “It’s very late. Call your mother and let her know you’re safe.”
“I already called earlier,” Xu Fangfei said in a low voice. After a brief pause, she added even more softly, “It was when you were talking with Sister Qi.”
Zheng Xiye asked, “What did you tell her?”
“I said I went to Yang Lu’s house to do homework, and my phone was on silent, so I didn’t hear her call,” Xu Fangfei answered guiltily. Halfway through, as if she suddenly thought of something, she lifted her head sharply to look at him, her gaze carrying a trace of pleading. “Brother Ah Ye, could I trouble you to keep the same story too? I don’t want my mother to know about tonight. Her health isn’t good, and I don’t want her to worry.”
Zheng Xiye fell into a long silence.
After quite a while, he finally parted his thin lips. A faint heaviness and hoarseness seeped into his voice as he said to her, “I’m sorry.”
Xu Fangfei did not quite understand and stammered, “What… are you sorry for?”
“About tonight, you were innocently dragged into this because of me. Because of me, you were hurt. If you distance yourself from me because of this, or hate me, I’ll accept it, and I won’t have anything to say in my defense.” His dark eyes looked straight into hers. The light in his gaze suddenly deepened for a moment, but then returned to its usual calm. “But I promise you, this time was the first, and it will definitely be the last.”
Xu Fangfei: “……”
After a brief silence, her emotions became a little strange.
She and he should originally have belonged to two different worlds, yet through all kinds of coincidences, they had intersected until now. But thinking about it carefully, during this period of time, the care and protection her family had received from him were in fact far more than the so-called “trouble” he claimed to have brought.
Toward him, she had never felt even the slightest bit of “dislike.”
After a moment, Xu Fangfei spoke softly, calling out, “Brother Ah Ye.”
Zheng Xiye’s gaze stirred slightly at the intimacy appearing once again on her lips. “Mm?”
She rarely had such courage. She looked straight at him, her eyes clear and unwavering. “Actually, both my mother and I think you’re a very good person. Even though I don’t understand your past, and I don’t know what you’re going through right now, I believe everything will get better. Your world will one day see the clouds part and the sun appear.”
After that, the entire car fell into a long silence.
For an unknown length of time.
Zheng Xiye gazed into the girl’s eyes. A trace of deep light flowed through his dark pupils. He suddenly smiled and said softly, “Little cub, with just those words from you, all of this is worth it.”