The moment the question left her mouth, even Xu Fangfei herself was startled. As soon as she finished speaking, her delicate, pretty face flushed bright red, and another wave of embarrassment washed over her.
The man from 3206, standing several meters away, remained completely expressionless.
The calmness and composure between his brows and eyes made the redness at her ears look strangely out of place.
The night sky was pitch-black. In the height of summer, the wind carried no coolness at all. It was as if it bore too much pent-up restlessness, making the heat feel even more stifling. In that brief instant when the wind brushed past, Xu Fangfei suddenly realized that her question had been somewhat unnecessary.
They had been pretending to be a couple. Without any physical contact, how could it have looked convincing? What was more, he had known exactly where to stop. The moment they entered the elevator, he immediately released her hand.
Thinking this through, Xu Fangfei’s awkwardness became even more pronounced. Her cheeks burned hot. She no longer fixated on getting an answer and merely waved at him politely, as if eager to cover something up, saying, “Thank you for sending me back. You should head back now. Goodbye.”
Zheng Xiye did not respond. After staring straight at the girl for a moment, he withdrew his gaze.
The driver of the black G-Class had parked the car by the roadside on Xiwang Street and stepped out, standing respectfully by the rear door to wait. When Zheng Xiye approached, the driver immediately opened the door for him.
Xu Fangfei’s arm, raised in farewell, finally fell.
She saw the spotless, high-end vehicle, utterly out of place amid the cramped, warped, and dilapidated street scenery around it.
She saw the man from 3206 bend down and sit into the back seat. His black suit matched the color of the car, as if the two naturally belonged together.
She saw the driver close the door. From the back seat, the man from 3206 looked at her with unfathomably dark eyes, his gaze unreadable.
Moments later, the car window slowly rose, finally swallowing his sharply contoured profile.
In some corner of her heart, a faint sense of loss surfaced for an instant, but it was so fleeting that Xu Fangfei herself did not even notice it.
The black G-Class sped away into the night.
Xu Fangfei watched the car disappear, then turned and walked toward her apartment building. When she entered the stairwell, she stamped her foot and the motion-sensor light flicked on. She wandered home in a daze, greeted her mother and grandfather, then returned to her room, closed the door, sat at her desk, and rested her chin in her hand, continuing to space out.
She casually grabbed a pen and scribbled aimlessly on a piece of scratch paper.
Earlier, in the KTV private room, she had heard those people call the man from 3206 “Brother Ye,” “Ah Ye”…
Ye? Ye? Wild?
Xu Fangfei thought chaotically, scribbling and crossing things out on the paper. In the end, as if possessed, she wrote down two characters: Ah Ye.
*
When Zheng Xiye returned to Golden Mamba Entertainment KTV, there was one more person in the private room than when he had left.
A woman.
She was tall, with shoulder-length curled hair and high heels, carrying a distinctly Hong Kong–style modern elegance. Her features were not exceptionally delicate or beautiful, but her eyes were alluring, her figure was fiery, and her whole person radiated an arrogant, aloof sensuality.
At that moment, she was sitting on the sofa talking with Jiang Zhi’ang. Her ten fingers were painted with nude-colored nail polish, and a slim ladies’ cigarette was held between her fingers. Occasionally, Jiang Zhi’ang made her laugh, and she smiled with a seductive charm.
When Zheng Xiye pushed the door open, the woman’s attention immediately shifted to him. Before she could speak, Jiang Zhi’ang beat her to it, joking, “Brother Ye, you’re finally back. Sister Qi has been waiting for you forever. Her eyes were practically worn out.”
Xiao Qi let Jiang Zhi’ang tease her and respectfully greeted him, “Brother Ye.”
Zheng Xiye gave her a faint nod, showing little reaction.
“You two talk first.” Xiao Qi stood up and brushed off her hands. “I’m going to the restroom.” She then turned and walked into the restroom inside the private room.
Zheng Xiye sat back down on the sofa and lit a cigarette, smoking on his own.
Jiang Zhi’ang leaned closer, glanced meaningfully toward the restroom, and lowered his voice conspiratorially. “Brother Ye, I still haven’t told Xiao Qi about you having a girlfriend. The brothers all kept it from her.”
Clack.
Zheng Xiye casually tossed the lighter back onto the table, exhaled a puff of white smoke, and remained cold-faced and silent, clearly uninterested in the topic.
He swept his gaze around and asked, “Where’s Old Jiang?”
“He went out to take a phone call.” Jiang Zhi’ang poured himself a big mouthful of whisky, smacked his lips, and continued, “But Brother Ye, you really hid this deep. Even someone like Xiao Qi couldn’t take you down. If it weren’t for that little girl tonight, I would’ve thought you were gay.”
Zheng Xiye shot him a glance, his tone cool. “You thought I was gay and still dared to live with me. Aren’t you afraid your ass would get wrecked?”
Jiang Zhi’ang was pouring him a drink. Hearing that, he cursed loudly and rubbed his arms exaggeratedly. “If you really didn’t even spare me, Xiao Qi would cry herself to death. She chased you all the way here from Yuncheng, and you’d rather get on a man than touch her.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than a woman’s voice suddenly sounded, cold and sharp. “Who said I came to Lingcheng for him?”
Caught talking behind someone’s back, Jiang Zhi’ang coughed a few times, shrugged, and spread his hands, muttering softly, “If not, then not.”
Xiao Qi shot Jiang Zhi’ang a glare, then walked toward the long sofa in high heels. The lighting in the private room flickered between bright and dim. With every step she took, her slender, long legs flashed with a gleam, dazzling all the men present until their eyes went straight.
Xiao Qi sat down beside Zheng Xiye.
Thinking of what Jiang Zhi’ang had just said about Zheng Xiye getting a girlfriend here, Xiao Qi felt a heavy pressure in her chest, anger rising for no reason. After a few seconds of silence, she could not help saying, “Brother Ye, I’m kindly reminding you. Godfather sent you to Lingcheng to manage the business here, not to come on vacation and chase women.”
Hearing this, Zheng Xiye suddenly let out a low laugh while smoking.
Xiao Qi and Jiang Zhi’ang exchanged glances, both a little puzzled.
After a moment, Zheng Xiye finished laughing. He casually stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray, turned his head to look at Xiao Qi, smiling faintly. His voice was gentle, but his tone and gaze were cold to the bone. “Are you teaching me how to do things?”
Meeting that look behind the smoke, Xiao Qi’s heart tightened. Her scalp went numb with fear, and she said awkwardly, “That’s not what I meant.”
Zheng Xiye curled his lips slightly. “That’s good.”
Just then, Jiang Jiancheng finally returned after finishing his call. He sat back on the sofa, smoking a cigar, and looked at Xiao Qi. “Qiqi, did you invite the person I asked you to?”
“Don’t worry, Godfather. I invited him,” Xiao Qi said. “He’s in the private room next door.”
Jiang Jiancheng nodded. “Bring him in.”
Hearing this, Xiao Qi gave a look to several burly men nearby. They turned and went out. Before long, they dragged in a middle-aged man in his forties from the neighboring private room.
The man wore a suit and glasses, looking every bit like a refined intellectual. Now, however, his head hung low, his posture timid and shrinking. His forehead was slick with sweat, and he looked extremely frightened.
Jiang Jiancheng gave Jiang Zhi’ang a signal.
Jiang Zhi’ang immediately understood. He spat in annoyance and led the group of people in the private room out, leaving only Jiang Jiancheng, Xiao Qi, Zheng Xiye, and the weak-looking middle-aged man behind.
“Please, I’m begging you…” The bespectacled man had no idea what they were going to do. Terrified, he cried with tears and snot streaming down his face. “Let me go. Please let me go.”
Xiao Qi sneered. “Weren’t you having a great time when you were gambling in Macau? You owe so much money. You have to pay it all back.”
The bespectacled man said, “Over thirty million. How do you expect me to repay that?”
Xiao Qi replied, “One document. Depending on its level of confidentiality, the price varies. In any case, the lowest is close to seven figures. Sell a few more copies to us, and won’t thirty million come quickly?”
“No, miss, I really can’t.” The bespectacled man broke down crying. “Those documents are all state secrets. I’m a scientific researcher. I absolutely can’t do something like this.”
“If you’re unwilling, of course we won’t force you,” Xiao Qi said with a smile. She took out a brown paper document envelope and continued, “Inside here are videos of you throwing money around in the casino, as well as evidence of you checking into hotels with your extramarital affair. Section Chief Zhao, think it through carefully. If I anonymously send these to your work unit, your career and family will be completely ruined.”
Hearing this, the bespectacled man finally reacted. He cursed loudly. “You set me up. This was all planned by you. You ruined me.”
Jiang Jiancheng bit down on his cigar and smiled slightly. “Section Chief Zhao, don’t blame us for being ruthless. The choice is in your hands. In a person’s lifetime, there aren’t many chances to decide things for themselves. This time, how you choose is up to you.”
Section Chief Zhao clenched his teeth. An intense struggle played out inside him, and he stayed silent for a long time.
Xiao Qi spoke softly, half coaxing. “If you don’t cooperate with us, you’ll lose your reputation and your family will fall apart. If you do cooperate, we’ll help you keep everything confidential. You’ll have money to take and beautiful women to keep you company, with your family still intact and your life just as glorious. Section Chief Zhao, even a fool knows which choice to make.”
“…”
After a long while, Section Chief Zhao finally gave in and said in a low voice, “Fine. I’ll cooperate with you, but the price is too low.”
Jiang Jiancheng was very satisfied and said with a smile, “As long as we can cooperate, we’re friends. The price is something we can discuss.”
Zheng Xiye watched everything coldly from the sidelines. He lowered his eyes, tilted his head back, and downed a full glass of liquor.
Jiang Jiancheng turned to look at him and said, “Ah Ye, after Xiao Qi finishes dealing with this matter, she’ll have other things to do. After that, you’ll be the one coordinating with Section Chief Zhao.”
The strong liquor burned down his throat and through his stomach. Zheng Xiye nodded. “Got it.”
*
As the night grew deeper, after seeing Section Chief Zhao off, Jiang Jiancheng called Zheng Xiye away to discuss matters.
Jiang Zhi’ang had drunk a fair amount and was feeling slightly tipsy. His unfocused gaze drifted elsewhere and was dazzled by Xiao Qi’s snow-white, long legs.
Jiang Zhi’ang narrowed his eyes and suddenly joked half-seriously, “Sister Qi, Brother Ye ignores you. How about me? I’ve got better taste than him.”
Xiao Qi quietly drank a glass of wine.
Jiang Zhi’ang leaned a little closer. “What, you don’t fancy me?”
Xiao Qi gave him a cold glance. “You’re not my type.”
Jiang Zhi’ang raised his eyebrows high.
“Young Master Jiang, Zheng Xiye is completely different from you,” Xiao Qi said.
Jiang Zhi’ang asked, “How is he different?”
Xiao Qi sized him up coolly a few times and let out a soft sneer. “You’re the kind of beast people can recognize at a glance.”
Jiang Zhi’ang: “…”
“And Zheng Xiye,” Xiao Qi continued, a trace of scrutiny and fascination surfacing between her brows and eyes, “is a rotten seed wrapped in the skin of a gentleman. Someone you really want to see through, but can never quite see through.”
*
Young Master Jiang had recently gotten to know a young girl who went by the nickname Mimi. From time to time, he would praise Mimi in front of Zheng Xiye, saying she was beautiful and had a great figure.
Mimi had come over a few times. Zheng Xiye had seen her once, but forgot her immediately afterward, leaving no impression at all.
As for this, Jiang Zhi’ang found it extremely hard to understand.
“Brother Ye, sometimes I really can’t figure you out. If you like women, then no matter how hot a girl is, you can ignore her completely. But if you don’t like women, then why did you go and get yourself a little girlfriend?”
It was already one in the morning. Jiang Zhi’ang was shaving in front of the mirror when he suddenly thought of something else and said, “Oh right, Brother, that little girlfriend of yours. How come we’ve never seen her come looking for you?”
Zheng Xiye filled an entire bucket with water, lifted it with one hand, and set it on the bathroom counter. He spoke casually, “We had a fight.”
Jiang Zhi’ang snorted with a teasing laugh. “That’s what you get for liking to mess with younger girls. Little girls need to be coaxed.”
Jiang Zhi’ang was practically born to live on women. Every word he spoke revolved around women. He looked down on women, yet could not live without them. Thoroughly rotten and shameless.
Zheng Xiye could not be bothered to respond.
Seeing this, Jiang Zhi’ang shut up. After tidying himself up and throwing on a designer short-sleeved shirt, he went out to look for his own fun.
Zheng Xiye washed his hair first, casually pulled off his shirt and tossed it on the floor, scooped up hot water with a ladle, and poured it over himself, wetting his entire body. Then he rubbed soap over the firm muscles of his chest. Halfway through his shower, he suddenly heard someone knocking on the front door, several loud thuds.
He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist, then walked barefoot to the front door.
Through the peephole, the world outside the apartment door was brightly lit by the motion-activated incandescent light in the corridor. A slender figure stood there. A small head and small face, her head lowered deeply, long hair dripping with water. Two pale, delicate hands twisted the hem of her equally wet clothes. She looked rather disheveled and uneasy.
That kind of whiteness was indescribably clean, almost not a color that belonged to the human world.
Zheng Xiye lifted his eyebrows slightly and opened the door.
“I, I’m sorry to bother you so late. A water pipe suddenly burst at my place, and my mom and I don’t know how to fix it. Could I ask you to…” The student girl spoke as she raised her head, but the moment she saw him, her words came to an abrupt stop.
Xu Fangfei was completely stunned.
The man was wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. His skin was cool and pale, his short hair damp. Soap had been rubbed across his chest, leaving it slick and shiny. Strings of water droplets slid down along the lines of his lean, tightly defined muscles, flowing past his raised pectorals, gliding over the knife-carved, sharply defined eight-pack of his abdomen, then disappearing along the V-lines into the clean white towel.
With a rush, her face burned as if two flames had ignited on it. The red heat surged forward with unstoppable force, spreading all the way to the roots of her ears.
“Got it. I’ll rinse myself off first,” Zheng Xiye replied. His tone, like the man himself, was cool and lazy, with a hint of rogue indifference. After speaking, he looked at her and raised an eyebrow, then added, “It’s pitch-dark outside. Do you want to come in and wait?”