Chapter 36

When Tang Zefei woke up again, she looked at the ceiling above the prison and felt that the hanging lamp seemed to be spinning.

He had just slept for a while, not knowing how long—maybe a few minutes, maybe an entire afternoon. It was still light outside. Tang Zefei turned his head and saw that the IV line in his arm was gone, and the cot beside the bed had been folded up and leaned against the wall. He figured he had slept for at least several more hours.

He tried to sit up, supporting himself on his right arm, but suddenly felt nauseous. As he pulled the blanket back, he discovered his right hand was trembling. Something felt burning deep in his throat; Tang Zefei swallowed, feeling as if there was a hole there.

"Get up?" A voice came from a distance, neither too close nor too far. Tang Zefei recognized it; it wasn't Yu Congyi's voice. It was just a lowly jailer.

"I want water." The hoarseness in his voice caught him off guard. The dull pain in his throat turned into a blatant stinging pain. Tang Zefei coughed twice, then suddenly leaned on the edge of the bed and started dry heaving.

Because of his anemia, his health has always been poor, so it seems he's fallen ill again and has a high fever.

The jailer brought him water, and Tang Zefei, without looking up, whispered, "Give me a spittoon."

Then, he took the spittoon handed to him and began to dry heave again.

"What's wrong with you?" The jailer walked over, placed the back of his hand on his forehead, and touched a hot spot. He pulled his hand back and cried out.

"Please wait a moment, I'll ask the guard for permission. We need to call a doctor."

When Yu Congyi left the military police headquarters in the evening, he made a phone call to the detention center. The identity of the woman who attempted the assassination that morning was still under investigation, and he also wanted to inquire about Tang Zefei's health. This morning, when he gave her a blood transfusion, he noticed that Tang Zefei seemed very tense even in her sleep.

He could understand. Yu Congyi crossed his arms. When he returned to the military police headquarters that afternoon, his head felt heavy. Tang Zefei had suffered from unexpected anemia due to excessive blood loss, and the transfusion had taken longer than the last time. Actually, even though Dr. Xu could have come to the prison, Tang Zefei could have continued using the pre-stored compatible blood source as before, but Yu Congyi still chose to donate his own blood to him. He already knew from Dr. Xu that his blood type was the most compatible with Tang Zefei's, so he felt he had no reason to stand idly by at that time.

How did things come to this point between me and this person? During the blood transfusion, Yu Congyi kept staring at Tang Zefei's sleeping face. The fact that Tang Zefei was of a completely different race usually made him feel intimidated; it wasn't fear, but a different kind of unfamiliar repulsion. But when Tang Zefei was fast asleep, Yu Congyi unexpectedly found that his gaze could now linger on Tang Zefei's face for a considerable amount of time.

Tang Zefei's skin was so light that any flaw on it was clearly visible. Imperfections—the bloodshot eyes, the bluish veins under his eyes, the mole on his left cheek, the faint freckles on the side of his nose… these flaws were so vivid that his pale face seemed as fragile and delicate as glass, making one want to look at and touch it with utmost care. Yet, they combined perfectly, softening the overly sharp lines of his brow bone and nose. Femininity and flamboyance were intertwined here. "Looking like this is truly monstrous," Yu Congyi couldn't help but mutter to himself again.

He didn't spend much time pondering that question; he wasn't used to considering things that didn't really matter to his purpose. It was simply a matter of how to explain the connection between them, whether it was childhood memories or their blood types.

Unable to think clearly, Yu Congyi had to empty his mind, listening to the soft ticking of his pocket watch. The midday patrol outside the prison had changed shifts, their footsteps fading into the distance. In the quiet afternoons, with nothing to do and no one to chat with, he always felt a little sleepy. He glanced down at the IV drip tube; it wouldn't be finished anytime soon. Maybe I should take a nap now, he thought.

Standing at the telephone desk in the headquarters, he heard the guard's report: Tang Zefei was ill; a doctor had been called that afternoon, and his condition was currently unknown. Yu Congyi put down the phone. He had initially intended to leave, but now he stood at the desk for a long time, wondering if he should go and see him.

Perhaps he shouldn't have gone to see a doctor, and there's nothing wrong with that. However, since it's just a minor illness, he'll eventually recover. It's normal for ordinary people to have minor illnesses and pains from time to time. If he were to go see a doctor again, it would seem like he was being deliberate.

Yu Congyi walked down the steps of the military police headquarters and asked his driver to take him home.

At the dinner table that evening, Jiang Fengming asked Yu Congyi what he had been busy with lately.

"Brother, you've been looking so distracted lately," Jiang Fengming said, looking at Yu Congyi's face with some concern. "Has something happened at the ministry?"

That evening, Jiang Fengming invited a top chef from a Western restaurant to his home to prepare a variety of high-end Western dishes. Yu Congyi was cutting a medium-rare steak with a knife and fork. The cut surface was glistening with blood, but Yu Congyi didn't seem to notice at all. He took a bite and ate it without tasting it.

"Brother, don't you not eat medium-rare steak?" Jiang Fengming pushed his plate in front of Yu Congyi. "This is medium-well."

"Hmm? Is that so?" Yu Congyi glanced at the two plates in front of him, smiled, and pushed them aside. "Nothing major has happened in the gang lately?"

"No," Jiang Fengming said. "Brother, you haven't answered my question yet."

"Hmm? Oh, I haven't been busy these past few days..."

"Then you must be too tired, brother. Take a bath early tonight and get some rest."

"I can't soak today," Yu Congyi said instinctively. "I had a blood transfusion this morning, and it's best not to get the injection site wet."

"Huh? Blood transfusion? Brother, what's wrong?" Jiang Fengming put down his knife and fork, staring straight at Yu Congyi's face. "Are you feeling unwell? Why do you need a blood transfusion?"

"It's not about giving me a blood transfusion..." Seeing the other person's sudden tension, Yu Congyi realized he had inadvertently said too much. "It's about... donating blood. Our department is following the trend of modern virtues and is urging us to donate blood to the Maria Hospital blood bank..."

"Is that so?" Jiang Fengming asked incredulously. "Brother, who are you to need to get involved in this mess?"

"It's nothing," Yu Congyi said, trying to steer the conversation away from the topic. "I'm not..."

“Brother, you don’t know, the tube used for blood transfusions, oh, the needle hole, is very dirty. Because everyone’s blood carries germs, if it’s not cleaned carefully, using the same needle to inject blood or cross-transfusions can easily cause bacterial infections, which can be fatal,” Jiang Fengming said earnestly. “That was taught to us by that…madam teacher in high school physiology and hygiene class.” The reason Jiang Fengming still remembered this clearly was because he had once pursued that woman passionately, and the final failure left a significant hurdle in his heart, almost making him resent her.

Yu Congyi didn't catch the extra story in his words, but he was still startled. "I know..." Of course he knew these basic hygiene facts, but thinking about it further with Feng Ming's words, he immediately understood that the person must have a private professional doctor. Otherwise, this bizarre illness would have taken his life long ago, tormenting his fragile body.

"You know there's a strange disease where people suddenly become anemic..." Yu Congyi used the tip of his knife to cut and fork up a medium-rare steak, trying to make his voice sound nonchalant. "It might be triggered when you're excited or stimulated. After becoming anemic, you'll feel dizzy or even faint, and you need to have fresh blood injected into your body to recover... What's going on?"

“This disease is strange, it’s not common,” Jiang Fengming chewed slowly, then suddenly looked up at Yu Congyi, “Who is it?”

"What?"

"Who has this disease? This disease is very dangerous," Jiang Fengming said firmly.

“No… I heard about it from someone else, but I just found it strange. I don’t know if you’ve heard of it before.” Yu Congyi’s heart sank. He wiped his mouth, raised his wine glass and took a sip. He didn’t notice that the glass had tapped against the edge of the plate, and wine splashed onto his napkin, leaving a drop that looked like a blood-red dot.

"Although I'm not entirely sure either, brother, this reminds me of a friend of mine—no, not exactly a friend, just someone in the same business world…his wife seems to have this kind of anemia."

"What are her symptoms?" Yu Congyi asked immediately.

Jiang Fengming glanced at her, shook his head, and took a sip of his wine. "He died a year ago. He was hit by a car on the street, suffered massive bleeding, and was anemic; he couldn't be saved. What a pity... He could have survived. The bleeding stopped, but who would have thought that the blood bank at the hospital that was supposed to give him a transfusion had run out of matching blood types, and they couldn't find a suitable match right away? I heard he... literally died of exhaustion..."

Upon hearing this, Yu Congyi immediately frowned. "Is that so?"

“Yes, brother, doesn’t that sound particularly tragic?” Jiang Fengming sighed and clicked his tongue. “My friend was depressed for more than half a year. He never recovered. Because of this, he moved to Taiwan with his two sons. Tianjin is a place of heartbreak for him.”

“It’s a real pity…” Yu Congyi murmured, but for some reason, he felt as if a stone had sunk in his heart.

"I'm full, you can continue eating." At this moment, Yu Congyi stood up, deciding to end this tasteless meal.

"Brother, I have something to tell you." Jiang Fengming interrupted him.

"What?"

"I heard that it was that businessman named Tang Zefei who killed Yang Xiang? His son is seeking revenge for his father."

Upon hearing this, Yu Congyi immediately turned to look at Jiang Fengming, "Where did you hear that from?"

“Yang Shu told me. She said she overheard him talking on the phone with his men a few days ago in his study…” Jiang Fengming stood up from the dining table, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and walked to Yu Congyi’s side. “I’m sorry, brother.”

"And where did you come from?"

"Do you remember that day, the time we argued?" Jiang Feng was clearly a little embarrassed. "I really misunderstood you that time, brother... I..."

“It’s all in the past.” Yu Congyi sighed upon hearing this. “My brother said that he was partly to blame for what happened. We were all too emotional… Let’s just let it go.”

"Alright, alright, let it go." Jiang Fengming grinned. "So, it was Tang's youngest son who killed Yang Xiang? Why do you think he would kill Yang Xiang?"

"This has nothing to do with you or me." Yu Congyi didn't look at Jiang Fengming's arms around his waist, his gaze fixed ahead. After that, he could almost be certain of one thing.

The next day, Yu Congyi didn't go to the Military Police Headquarters. He had a few days off each month to spare time to handle his affairs, but most of the time he preferred to stay at home or return to the Military Police Headquarters to deal with official business, unless Jiang Fengming was on leave at the same time as him. On this particular day, Jiang Fengming also happened to have some free time—he had just started a business deal with a big shot who ran an underground casino in the Japanese Concession, and he was beaming with pride.

"Brother, shall we go for a stroll in the Eighteen Alleys today? We mentioned it last time." Early that morning, as Jiang Fengming groggily sat up in bed, still wrapped in his quilt and yawning, Yu Congyi had just opened his eyes, wondering why the other person was on his bed again.

"That's because..." Jiang Fengming chuckled sheepishly, "I had a nightmare last night, I dreamt that three ghosts were crawling on the ceiling..."

"Childish." Yu Congyi scolded after hearing this, then turned around, pulled the quilt over his shoulder, and buried himself in the cotton blanket again.

That's exactly how he is. No matter how disciplined he is to get up early on weekdays, on the morning of his designated day off, he will stay in bed for a long time until he is fully awake before getting up.

Jiang Fengming would wake up earlier than him at this time, so he abandoned his own quilt and crawled into his older brother's bed instead, saying, "Big brother, it's so warm here."

Yu Congyi didn't want to pay attention to him because he wasn't fully awake. He just mumbled a few "uh-huhs" as a response.

"Let's go to Lane 18 tonight, okay? Okay? Okay?" Jiang Fengming continued to pester him, rubbing against his back.

"Hmm? Quiet down, stop fooling around."

"Is it okay, big brother? Is it okay? I want to go with you."

"Shut up." Yu Congyi couldn't remember what Lane 18 was in his daze, but he thought the other person was very noisy. "When we go tonight, you should shut up first."

But when night fell, Yu Congyi regretted agreeing to Jiang Fengming's request that morning.

The elder brother always kept his word and never joked with his younger brother. So when he and Jiang Fengming stood under the archway of the Eighteenth Lane and saw women from clearly not respectable families swaggering around, he almost immediately thought of turning around and leaving.

“You young people are all about being modern and fashionable, you don’t like going to dance halls and bars, you come to such a tacky place,” Yu Congyi frowned, then turned to see Jiang Fengming with his hands in his pockets, whistling as he looked at the brothel. “Come here often, huh?”

"Haha, this is my first time coming here with you, brother." Jiang Fengming put a hand on Yu Congyi's back. "Brother, we don't go to those roundabout, pretentious places with you. This is the place to really relax! Hahahaha!"

Yu Congyi watched him chat and laugh as they walked deeper and deeper into the alley. As they passed the girls, the pink handkerchiefs and sweet laughter filled the air, the scent of perfume lingered, and their stares could have dragged them straight into a private room. Yet, he felt no unfamiliarity with any of it, nor did he feel any aversion, fascination, or other special emotions.

Before meeting Jiang Yiqun, Yu Congyi lived in a very similar narrow street. The eaves of the restaurants and shops framed a patch of sky above the narrow bluestone road. When he looked up, he could only see two rows of bright red lanterns hanging under the eaves, some cheerful and some listless. The laughter or weeping of young women drifted out from the windows on the second floor.

I don't know what they're happy about or sad about. As a child, Yu Congyi only knew how to make a living in this adult world.

"What's wrong, brother? What are you thinking about?" Coming to his senses, he found himself indoors without realizing it. The room was dimly lit, with candlelight flickering around the room. There was an eight-immortal table in the center, on which walnuts, melon seeds, red dates, and candied fruits were arranged in wooden boxes. Several comb-backed chairs were also on the table. He and Jiang Fengming sat on a low couch with dragon and phoenix patterns. The room was separated from the outside world by a red gauze beaded curtain. Two girls stood beside the eight-immortal table, and one girl sat on each side of him and Jiang Fengming.

"These two are honored guests..." After hearing someone outside the curtain say a few words, the curtain was lifted and three more beautiful women entered, two carrying a guqin and the other holding a zheng.

The three girls entered the room and, without a word, set out their instruments. The melodies they had prepared immediately flowed from their fingertips, melodious and beautiful. The girl beside him slowly sat down, then knelt behind him, her slender, jade-like fingers casually tracing the surface of Yu Congyi's shoulders. "My lord, are you tired? Let me soothe your fatigue." Yu Congyi didn't react, so the girl gently pressed her fingertips against his shoulders, tentatively conveying the pressure of a massage. Jiang Fengming seemed to be enjoying himself; as soon as he got onto the couch, he threw off his shoes, sat cross-legged, and hummed a little tune. "Brother, take your time looking around. If you don't like anyone, then move on," he said magnanimously, waving his hand. The girl standing beside him offered him a bright red date, which he reached for and ate, then gently touched the girl's chin. The girl chuckled and fed him a candied fruit.

“My lord…” The girl on the left, not wanting things to be too quiet, heard her calling him and turned her head. She saw the girl beside her also picking up a piece of candied fruit to feed him. Yu Congyi raised his hand and took it, holding it in his hand. His back remained straight, not letting the girl's delicate hands massage it until it lost its shape. “Hmm…delicious,” Jiang Fengming on the other side used the girl's fingers to put a piece of candied fruit in his mouth. “Why doesn’t my lord eat any?” Yu Congyi heard the girl beside him ask in a soft, sweet voice. Looking down at the candied fruit in his palm, Yu Congyi picked it up, raised his hand and put it in his mouth. Surprisingly, it wasn't sweet at all, but rather a little bitter. “Not sweet,” he said. “My lord, try this,” the girl picked up a red date, boldly turned Yu Congyi's chin, and held it to his lips. Yu Congyi glanced at the girl, opened his mouth and ate it. The girl caught his sudden gaze, but lowered her head and blushed. "You are so handsome, sir..." She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, quietly leaned close to Yu Congyi's ear, and whispered, "Would you be willing to be with me, sir..." Before she could finish speaking, Yu Congyi reached out and brushed the stray hairs from the girl's forehead. It was a face as pure as a lotus flower, with rosy cheeks, fresh and a little cute.

Like a fawn that has just left home, innocent and naive, with eyes full of youthful innocence, there was no hint of worldly-wise teasing or seduction. At this moment, Yu Congyi glanced at Jiang Fengming, who assumed he was dissatisfied. Just as Jiang Fengming turned his gaze to the woman playing the zither to make her understand, Yu Congyi suddenly stood up.

The girl massaging his shoulders froze, thinking she had done something wrong. She quickly stood up, bowed her head, and said, "Sir..."

“…Come with me.” Yu Congyi lowered his head, hesitated for a moment, and said to her.

“Oh my, Goose is the younger sister of our top courtesan, and she’s still a virgin. You have such a good eye, sir! Take pity on her.” As Yu Congyi lifted the curtain to go outside, he heard the madam’s voice behind him.

Jiang Fengming cracked sunflower seeds, his face beaming with joy. "Just you wait, big brother!"