[9] A Somewhat Familiar Man
Liang Youyun was nearly driven mad by this phone call.
Her dress had no pockets, so her phone was in her bag. Unfortunately, the blaring club music was too loud to hear it ring, and she missed the call for a while.
When she finally realized her bag was buzzing and checked her phone, there were eight missed calls: first from two unknown numbers, and the last six from Zhang He.
She quickly called back, squeezed her way out of the crowd, and rushed out of the bar.
Outside, the night breeze was gentle, carrying a hint of raindrops that brushed against her face, diluting the repeatedly surging effects of the alcohol.
“Oh, sister! Manager Hu and his secretary are practically going crazy with worry. They even called me, saying they need to report to the group tomorrow and want you to provide some materials on the village work. Oh, it needs to highlight local characteristics, ethnic sentiments, and, most importantly, write a good section on Party building work, including your own reflections.” Zhang He said all this in one breath.
“Seriously? The boss is assigning work during a holiday?” Youyun was annoyed.
“Beijing doesn’t celebrate the Water Splashing Festival!”
“Why didn’t they contact me earlier? Why wait until now to rush this material?”
“The boss has a lot on his plate, and his schedule is unpredictable. Whatever they want, you just have to be on standby.”
“But I’m not in Mengla. I’m out having fun!”
“Where did you go?”
“Jinghong.”
“That’s so far!”
“I came with Yu Xiang to go clubbing. We were in the middle of dancing when I realized my phone was ringing! Where am I supposed to get the materials now?”
“You went clubbing without me!”
Zhang He sighed regretfully. “Well, it’ll take you two hours to get back anyway, and it’s pouring rain in Mengla… What a mess… Alright, I’ll help you write it. Just send me the general content about the village-enterprise co-construction in Manle Village. I’ll make up the rest.”
Youyun breathed a sigh of relief, her irritation instantly swept away. She whispered gleefully, “You’re the best, sis! Thank you, thank you!”
After hanging up, Youyun searched her WeChat for previously sent work files, selected three representative ones along with two of her own papers, and sent them all to Zhang He.
The rain grew heavier, but she felt completely at ease. Only then did she lift her head to admire the night view of Xishuangbanna.
The bar was situated on a high slope. Looking down, she could take in half of Xishuangbanna’s glittering lights, dazzling yet surreal, as if heaven were hosting a grand celebration.
Unconsciously, she took a few steps forward, leaned on the marble railing, and stood gazing into the distance.
Jiang Muhe stood not far from her, lighting a cigarette.
He didn’t usually smoke, but he habitually carried cigarettes when meeting friends. When the mood struck, he enjoyed the sensation of being enveloped in smoke.
He was completely shrouded in shadow, his gaze fixed on Liang Youyun’s back. Her annoyed expression while on the phone and her relaxed demeanor after hanging up were so vivid. He smiled faintly, unconsciously.
Smoke rings slowly escaped from his mouth and nostrils, blurring the scenery before him.
Jiang Muhe felt a long-lost stirring, reminiscent of the day he enlisted in the army during university—a mix of curiosity and excitement about an uncertain future.
Perhaps it was the nicotine playing tricks.
Liang Youyun admired the view for a while, then turned and walked back toward the bar, passing lightly in front of Jiang Muhe.
Jiang Muhe’s eyes followed her steps, watching helplessly as she ignored him and pushed the door open with a carefree air.
Perhaps he was just one of the many passersby?
Hah, an insignificant background character.
He took several deep drags, his already gaunt cheeks hollowing further. The half-smoked cigarette instantly glowed red-hot, its ash falling and dissolving into the rain.
Liang Youyun had been gone for about fifteen minutes. The bar’s music had switched to folk songs, performed by a local band, with the lively and pleasant beats of the elephant-foot drum.
Youyun’s mind was still stuck on the handsome models from the earlier fashion show, but there were no handsome men on the stage, nor was Yu Xiang anywhere near it. So she returned to her own booth to check, but still couldn’t find her.
Just as she was hesitating, a woman in the neighboring booth shouted in Dai language, “Bring me wine~ I want to drink~~”
The voice was soft and slurred, clearly the sound of someone who had drunk too much and lost consciousness.
Who else could that voice belong to but Yu Xiang?
Liang Youyun sighed on the spot, knowing there was no way she could take her back to Mengla tonight.
She turned around and only then noticed that besides Yu Xiang, there were three rough-looking men at the neighboring table—tattooed, bearded, wearing floral shirts and wooden bracelets.
One of the men had already wrapped his arm around Yu Xiang’s slender waist, caressing her exposed skin as he whispered in her ear, while the other two called for the waiter to bring another case of beer.
Anger surged instantly! With lightning speed, Liang Youyun slapped the groping man on the head: “What are you doing?”
The man froze for a moment, glaring at her wide-eyed before snapping back to reality. He sprang to his feet and demanded, “Who the hell are you? How dare you lay a hand on me?”
“You touched her first! She’s my sister!”
Furious, Youyun pulled the already drunken Yu Xiang, who had collapsed onto the table, away from them. “Wake up, we’re going back!”
Yu Xiang mumbled incoherently, lifting her head only to let it drop again, completely devoid of strength, insisting only that she wanted to drink.
But in an instant, the three men had surrounded Liang Youyun, claiming that Yu Xiang had lost at a drinking game and had to drink. They argued that if she couldn’t handle her alcohol and got drunk, who was to blame?
The man who had been slapped stepped forward, grabbing at Youyun’s clothes: “You think you’re tough, huh? Let me teach you a lesson! If you don’t apologize and finish this whole case of beer today, don’t even think about leaving this bar!”
Youyun stepped back, frantically swatting away his reaching hand: “Get away from me! If you dare touch me, I’ll call the police!”
“Go ahead, call them! The cops around here are all my buddies. You started this, and you think you’re in the right? Even at the station, you’ll be the one apologizing!”
“There are surveillance cameras here! It’s obvious you were harassing her first!”
Youyun felt a pang of fear—not because she was in the wrong, but because the three men were too tall and menacing for her to handle. Still, she had to muster her courage: “So what if the police are your buddies? Let me tell you, their rank might not be as high as mine!”
“What rank are you?”
“What rank am I? I’d scare you if I told you!”
The three men burst into laughter, spewing a few extremely lewd words.
Youyun quickly reached for her phone, opened the camera, and started recording, pointing it at them while deliberately raising her voice: “See this? These three men are sexually harassing our fellow woman, using insulting language and behaving despicably. This deserves a prison sentence!”
“What are you doing? Stop recording!”
The man snatched her phone. Before he could delete the video, Youyun leaped forward, trying to grab it back, only to be shoved hard by the man’s large hand. Unable to withstand the force, she stumbled backward.
—At that very moment, she felt as if she had bumped into a wall.
She hurriedly turned to look and saw a somewhat familiar man.
His eyes and gaze were familiar.
Once she steadied herself and turned to face him again, his build and posture—her mind suddenly clicked, and she realized who he was!
But she didn’t dare confirm it, only staring blankly, momentarily speechless.
Jiang Muhe walked around Liang Youyun and stopped in front of the man who had snatched the phone. He patted the man’s shoulder politely and said, “Sorry about that, he’s my friend. We’re all here to have fun, no need to get angry.”
“Who the hell are you?” The man’s tone softened slightly as he sized up the person in front of him—tall, with medium-length hair, sharp features, a black silk shirt tucked into jeans, and a straight posture. The shirt clung softly to his body, faintly outlining well-defined muscles. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing strong forearms.
Someone coughed quietly and mumbled, “This guy’s trained, bro.”
Jiang Muhe smiled and said, “The bar manager is a friend of mine. How about this—I’ll have him comp your bill and throw in two bottles of imported liquor.”
As he spoke, his hand casually slid along the man’s tattooed arm and suddenly twisted at the wrist. The man heard a crisp “crack” from his bones, his whole body went numb, and he stared blankly at Jiang Muhe.
Jiang Muhe remained smiling and nodded at him.
The man found the smile deeply unsettling and broke into a cold sweat. Forced into an awkward smile, he returned the phone to Liang Youyun.
The movement was so subtle that no one around noticed, assuming the two had reached an agreement.
Only then did Jiang Muhe release his grip, lightly brushing the man’s clothes. “Sorry about wrinkling your shirt.”
Just then, Jiang Muhe’s friends arrived. They were a sizable group, each looking rather intimidating, and lined up behind Jiang Muhe.
Yu Xiang, who had been slumped over the table, suddenly lifted her head and mumbled, “Where’s the drink…?”
Useless! Liang Youyun gritted her teeth and, seizing the shift in the situation, yanked Yu Xiang up from her seat. “Let’s go, we’re going home!”
The commotion drew the bar manager over, and the tension eased slightly. Both sides called it a misunderstanding, and the men shook hands to make peace.
Youyun helped Yu Xiang walk a few steps, then paused and glanced back.
Jiang Muhe met her gaze.
Her expression was complex, hard to decipher.
Yu Xiang gagged a few times, and Youyun snapped out of her thoughts. She couldn’t let this one vomit on her—they had to get out fast!
Under the coconut tree outside the bar, Yu Xiang emptied her stomach in one go.
“If you can’t hold your liquor, don’t drink! You didn’t even realize you were being tricked, you fool!” Youyun scolded while rummaging through her bag for tissues.
Just then, a handsome hand appeared before her—knuckles distinct, fingers slightly prominent and slender, holding out a stack of tissues. The pure white, delicate paper was patterned with fine designs, and raindrops left damp marks on its surface.
Youyun looked up. It was him.
“Thank you.” She took the tissues, unsure what else to say besides thanks. She didn’t dare meet his eyes, treating him as if he were a complete stranger. “Thank you for helping us. Um… I’ll pay you back for the drinks earlier!”
“No need, it’s nothing.”
Yu Xiang leaned against the coconut tree and stood up, her head less dizzy now but still a bit foggy. She said to Liang Youyun, “Sis, let’s go back to Mengla. I’m so sleepy…”
“Okay, okay, I’ll call a car right now.” Liang Youyun took out her phone.
Jiang Muhe looked up at the sky. The rain was picking up.
“It’s hard to get a taxi during the holidays, especially this late and in the rain. Why not stay in Jinghong for the night?”
“Um… Let me try hailing one first, maybe I can get one…” Youyun still kept her head lowered.
“Are you heading back to Mengla? I’m going there too, why not ride with me, I can give you a lift.” Jiang Muhe spoke before she could finish.
His words made Liang Youyun uneasy; she was pretending to be a stranger, yet he acted like an old friend.
But for some reason, though she hadn’t answered, she had already agreed to his request in her heart, unconsciously letting down her guard against him.
She wasn’t someone who easily trusted others, especially men, not after being let down so many times.
In the days that followed, whenever she recalled this moment, her heart would inexplicably flutter. Perhaps she hadn’t even realized it herself—some feelings had stirred earlier than she expected.
Jiang Muhe’s car was parked right outside the bar, just a few steps away.
He opened the back door, and Liang Youyun helped Yu Xiang into the car. But once Yu Xiang got in, she immediately lay down across the seat, as comfortable as if she were in her own bed, a blissful expression on her face.
Youyun was speechless. With Yu Xiang like this, there was no way she could get in.
“Sit in the front passenger seat,” Jiang Muhe said, his voice low. He stood right behind her, very close.
“Alright,” Youyun said.
Jiang Muhe closed the back door and opened the front passenger door, ready to get in.
But Liang Youyun couldn’t move her feet. She didn’t like hiding things, nor could she pretend and put on an act.
“Please wait.”
She called out to him, and he turned around to face her.
“You… are you the one…” she began, her heart uneasy, unsure how to start explaining, “the Mr. Jiang who rescued people in the rainforest?”
Jiang Muhe looked at her, her long hair draped over her shoulders, raindrops falling and forming a thin mist on her exposed skin.
A similar mist seemed to rise in his heart.
He smiled faintly and extended his hand. “Yes, that’s me. Jiang Muhe—’Mu’ as in admiration, ‘He’ as in harmony.”
This was the first time he formally introduced himself—frank, carefree, and with a hint of…
In any case, Liang Youyun sensed something unusual in his eyes, something indescribable that brushed against her heart, just like the light rain at this moment, falling silently, densely, making her heart itch.
She exhaled softly and extended her right hand. “I’m Liang Youyun—’Liang’ as in pillar, ‘You’ as in…”
“I know,” he said softly, the corners of his mouth lifting. “The rain’s getting heavier. Let’s get in the car.”