“No way. Only spouses are allowed regular visits in this compound. Not even parents, sons, or daughters are permitted inside.”
“Why?” Ning Anyu paused, frowning as he asked, “How is that so strange? Are the staff serving prison sentences? Why would they have a rule like that?”
“It is to make management easier and keep the compound quiet. Staff do not have to live here, but if they choose to, they have to accept the rules. Think about it. The main selling point here is privacy and security. How could they possibly control things if non-staff members were wandering in and out in large groups? Spouses are fine since a person only has one, but if you add parents, children, and siblings, the number becomes overwhelming.”
Ning Anyu pouted, his expression showing clear disappointment and disdain. “What an authoritarian system. It is pure oppression of the employees.”
“What? Are you upset already? Come on, let us go get something to eat. A coworker told me there is a really good hot pot restaurant not far from here. Let us go try it.” Ning Xiaofei smiled and hooked her arm through his.
“Do not, do not!” Ning Anyu hurriedly pulled her hand away. “You are too old for that. We need to keep some distance to avoid any misunderstandings.”
Ning Xiaofei froze in shock, staring at him as if he were a stranger. “Are you out of your mind? I am your own sister! Since when are we suddenly not allowed to hold arms?”
“Even as siblings, we still need to be mindful, so my future wife does not get jealous.”
“Wife? Where is she?” Ning Xiaofei looked left and right. “Did she fall from the sky? Heh, or did you just buy a new silicone doll?” Ning Xiaofei scoffed with a hint of resentment, though she did pull her hands back, stuffing them into her pockets as she strolled forward lazily.
“Why is your mouth getting sharper by the day? Watch out, or you will never get married!” Ning Anyu teased with a laugh.
Ning Xiaofei let out a cold snort. “Bulls–t! If your sister wants to get married, there are plenty of people lining up to propose!”
“Seriously, why did you insist on working here? You studied criminal investigation for years. Shouldn’t you be out solving cases and acting like your own female Conan? What are you even gaining by hiding away here and living like you are in prison?” Ning Anyu asked leisurely, stretching his long legs as he walked beside her.
“I just think it is great here, and I am curious. Is that not allowed? Oh, by the way, do you actually have someone you’re seeing?” Ning Xiaofei deflected, changing the subject.
“Not yet. But honestly, I am hoping to get married this year.”
“What?” Shocked all over again, Ning Xiaofei tilted her head to look at him. “Within this year? Are you out of your mind? In such a short time, are you planning to randomly grab someone off the street for a flash marriage?”
Ning Anyu raised an eyebrow and remained silent. He wished he could go get a marriage certificate with Chu Xichen right this second and consummate the marriage by tonight. Ah, who could understand the agony of suddenly having your romantic enlightenment hit you like this?
The two of them entered a restaurant. There were no high-end upscale dining establishments nearby, so this place was just an average casual eatery. The decor was ordinary, but fortunately, it was very clean. Since they arrived early, they were the first table of guests.
Ning Xiaofei ordered three catties of bullfrog and fish head, along with winter bamboo shoots, fresh mushrooms, and various side dishes, plus two dim sum items. The waiter brought out the soup base, and the stove was turned up to a roaring boil.
“By the way, guess who I saw today?” Ning Xiaofei asked.
“Who?”
“Chu Xichen, the doctor who beat you up.”
“Oh.” Ning Anyu was not surprised at all, because he had gone to the municipal hospital yesterday to find him. He had originally intended to return the jade pendant, only to be told that Chu Xichen had been transferred here. In fact, part of the reason he came today, aside from visiting his sister, was because he wanted to see Chu Xichen, which was why he had been so eager to find a way inside the compound.
“Well, since you two are colleagues now, you had better get along.”
“Huh?” Ning Xiaofei paused mid-sip of her tea, raising an eyebrow. Her younger brother’s tone sounded almost like a veiled warning: “Do not go giving him a hard time anymore.” It carried a very protective undertone.
“What is that supposed to mean? Do not tell me you are actually planning to pick a fight with him again?” Ning Anyu stopped pouring tea and looked up at her.
Well, I did try, she thought, except it did not work out.
“You know, I think you are acting really weird,” Ning Xiaofei said. “He beat you up both times you met him, so why are you always trying to defend him?”
Of course, I have to defend him. He is my future wife.
Ning Anyu shot her a sideways glance. “He is my friend! Look, let me remind you again. Do not bully him and do not give him a hard time!”
“Ha,” Ning Xiaofei muttered, speechless. “I am starting to wonder if you have some kind of masochistic streak. Did you get beaten up so little growing up that you are suddenly craving it now?”
“What do you know? This is called mutual admiration between heroes!” Ning Anyu never blushed when lying. He set down the teapot and maintained a completely straight face. “Like you said, I hardly have any friends in this country. I just think he is a really great guy, and he can fight well, which is totally my type. I wanted to make friends with him, so do not you go meddling and ruining our friendship!”
“Ugh,” Ning Xiaofei curled her lip. “So that is what you call mutual appreciation.” It did not sound entirely wrong, either. “Fine, whatever. I will let him off the hook for now.”
“That is more like it! Oh right, he left something with me. Make sure to pass along a message to him: if he wants it, he can come find me tonight to pick it up. You can give him my phone number first.”
“What did he leave?” Ning Xiaofei asked with curiosity.
“Just a small item.”
“What kind of small item? Hand it over, I will take it to him.” Ning Xiaofei reached across the table, holding out an open palm.
“What, so you can just throw it away?” Ning Anyu raised an eyebrow in utter distrust. In truth, he did not want to hand it over just like that. At the very least, he needed to use it as leverage to score a chance at a solo date. Otherwise, he would be losing out too much.
“I would not do that! Give it to me!” Ning Xiaofei curled her outstretched fingers in a beckoning motion. She really wanted to see what the item was. A major reason she had pursued criminal investigation in the first place was her overwhelming curiosity.
Ning Anyu still shook his head.
“Hey!” Annoyed, Ning Xiaofei slammed her hand on the table, startling the waiter who was coming over to serve their fish. She loathed being kept in suspense more than anything. “Let me see!”
“It is just a little jade pendant, what is there to see? Look at you throwing a tantrum. You do not look like a girl at all.” Ning Anyu frowned and teased.
“Bulls–t! In what way does your sister not look like a girl? Only you and Mom are blind to true quality. In everyone else’s eyes, I am a total certified beauty!”
Ning Xiaofei’s voice was not soft, and both Chu Xichen and Wan Aiguo, who had just walked through the entrance, caught every word.
Chu Xichen could not help glancing at Wan Aiguo, thinking that the two of them really shared the exact same temperament, both born with extreme narcissism. However, it turned out that she and Ning Anyu were siblings.
Chu Xichen already knew Ning Anyu’s name because Ning Anyu had registered it when he booked a consultation appointment with him previously.
Seeing Ning Xiaofei, Wan Aiguo was delighted and eagerly pulled Chu Xichen over toward their table. Naturally, unaware of any bad blood between Chu Xichen and Ning Anyu, Wan Aiguo did not bother asking for Chu Xichen’s input.
“What a coincidence, Ah Fei!” Wan Aiguo beamed brightly.
Chu Xichen felt a mild wave of frustration. He had no desire to see Ning Anyu again, but abruptly pulling away from Wan Aiguo would be impolite, so he just followed along with a dark expression.
When Ning Anyu saw Chu Xichen’s wrist being held by another man, even though there was a shirt sleeve in between, he still found it an absolute eyesore. His expression darkened instantly, and his gaze turned sharp as he looked at Chu Xichen. “Doctor Chu, what a coincidence!”
“Yeah,” Chu Xichen said coldly. “Turns out you are still among the living.”
Huh? Weren’t they supposed to be friends? Ning Xiaofei looked back and forth between the two men. This atmosphere did not seem to match that at all.
“Are you disappointed by that?” Ning Anyu felt a bitter ache in his chest, but forced a roguish smirk onto his face.
“Hardly.” Unwilling to continue the conversation, Chu Xichen turned to Wan Aiguo and said, “Let us find another table. That spot over there looks nice.” He pointed toward a corner on the other side of the room. It was abundantly clear that he had no intention of sharing a table with the siblings.