Chapter 39

During Tang Zefei's time in detention, the Tang family's businesses were basically managed by his old managers. Because they held a dominant position in the British concession, there was virtually no threat from rivals. The managers were loyal old men who had followed his father for a long time and were very familiar with the operation of those hotels and factories. Therefore, his temporary disappearance did not have much impact on his family's businesses.

Every two days, Lu Jin would make a trip to the military police prison to report on the Tang family's situation to Tang Zefei, and also bring some clothes and food. Besides business matters, he would also talk about Tang Zefei's mother. However, he usually came in the evening, and Yu Congyi had never seen him. This time, after Lu Jin finished his report to Tang Zefei as usual, he hurriedly left the detention center cell and bumped into Yu Congyi who was entering at the gate.

The instant Yu Congyi brushed past him, he felt a dense layer of goosebumps rise on his back. His hand, which was in his pocket, reflexively wanted to draw his pistol and send the man to his death!

However, this was impossible. These past few days, he had been busy with official duties, but he hadn't forgotten to track Lu Jin, looking for an opportunity to assassinate him. However, Lu Jin seemed to have suddenly disappeared. Even though he had staked out Tang Zefei's house for three hours at a time on several occasions, he hadn't seen him. Yu Congyi had considered sending some men from his subordinates or the Jiang family to keep an eye on him, but after much deliberation, he couldn't find a legitimate reason. His hatred for Lu Jin was entirely a personal matter, and he told himself that he could only do it alone. Yu Congyi suppressed his murderous intent amidst this inner torment, waiting for the right opportunity.

He wasn't sure if Lu Jin recognized him, but based on their previous encounter at the entrance of Xinxianlin, it was impossible for Lu Jin not to remember him. Those who had worked as bodyguards for a long time sometimes possessed an extraordinary sensitivity to recognizing faces and gathering information, and Yu Congyi knew this well. He needed to find out this person's background as soon as possible.

Thinking this, he took a few quick steps, then suddenly stood behind the iron gate and glanced back at the person. Lu Jin got into a car parked at the gate and drove to the right.

That's the direction to the city center; Yu Congyi could only determine this far.

"How is your injury?" When Yu Congyi entered room 107, he saw Tang Zefei flipping through a book.

Leaning against the iron wall with his arms crossed, he recognized it as a martial arts novel by Pingjiang Buxiaosheng.

“In the week you were away, it had quietly grown back.” Tang Zefei turned the page, looked up at Yu Congyi, and said, “Commander Yu, you’re always busy with official business, what brings you here today?”

Yu Congyi sensed the unreasonable complaint in his words, which was quite surprising, since he had long expected that this man was cynical and never took anything seriously. So he wasn't in a hurry to reply. He sat down and flipped through the first few pages of the book in the other man's hand. "You like reading this type of book?"

"Does Commander Yu like it?" Tang Zefei narrowed her eyes slightly as she reminisced. "The first time I read a martial arts novel was with someone I will never forget. He was the one who read it with me."

"Now I almost realize that person is the most important person in my life besides my mother."

Yu Congyi didn't know how to answer, and he wondered which former lover Yu Congyi was thinking of.

“I used to watch it when I was a teenager, but I don’t anymore,” Yu Congyi said without giving a reason. “When I went out just now, I saw one of your men. I remember he killed someone back then. Did you protect him from coming in?”

The moment the words left his mouth, he knew he had asked a foolish question. Lu Jin had his reasons for not coming in, and his question seemed rather deliberate. He only knew that if Lu Jin were the one imprisoned here, taking his life would be many times easier.

“If Lu Jin comes in, I can’t guarantee that the Tang family won’t be thrown into chaos,” Tang Zefei replied after thinking for a moment.

“I don’t believe you didn’t consider that when you fired the shot.” ​​Yu Congyi didn’t know why, but his remarks to Tang Zefei always carried a sharp edge. “Or maybe you didn’t think of finding a scapegoat or something.”

Tang Zefei raised her head and looked at Yu Congyi with some curiosity in her eyes, but her face remained expressionless.

“You might as well just ask me why I had to fire at that moment.” Tang Zefei smirked, closed his book and set it aside. He stood up and approached Yu Congyi step by step until he was right next to him, pinning him against the wall. Looking down at Yu Congyi’s slightly turned face, his smile widened. “Were you angry just now? Or can I assume that Commander Yu was being unreasonable? Why did you ask such an obvious question? Are you waiting for me to give that answer? Will you be satisfied after I obediently tell you?”

Yu Congyi's heart inexplicably raced faster at that moment, making him breathless and his whole body stiff. He forcefully shoved Tang Zefei, who was standing too close, still turning his head away from him, his voice icy as he spoke, "What do you think I'm asking? I don't know what you're trying to say. Regarding that question you raised, I know there must be a reason related to me, so as a way of repaying you, I've done my best to make things easier for you—except letting you out. I just haven't understood why you killed someone—you can't believe you're such an impulsive person. That's all."

"Yes, I am such an impulsive person." Tang Zefei was pushed aside by Yu Congyi but did not back down. Seeing that Yu Congyi was about to leave after saying a few words, he decided not to back down anymore. He quickly stepped forward and hugged him from behind. He lowered his head and whispered in Yu Congyi's ear, "Yes, because it was for you. I couldn't bear to see you treated like that by that scumbag. That's my truest thought and the reason for my anger. I hated him so much that I wanted to riddle his body with bullets. I couldn't tolerate being indifferent at that moment."

“I won’t like you, and there’s no possibility between us.” Yu Congyi interrupted him, standing there with his hands at his sides, neither struggling nor making any move forward. He just looked at the ground, his voice low, and one could even detect a hint of disappointment in his tone, “Sorry, I have other things to do, I have to go.”

"Why?" Tang Zefei's voice also lowered. This was not a question, but more like he was asking himself, asking someone who did not exist. He still held Yu Congyi tightly, not letting go. "But I don't want to give up."

“Put these feelings on someone more deserving,” Yu Congyi told the other person, turning his face slightly. He sighed, his eyebrows furrowing as usual. “I’m just an insignificant person doing insignificant things. But I have to get it done. Let go, I really have to go.”

Tang Zefei raised his hand and covered Yu Congyi's brow bone. His hand was as light as a feather, so light that it made one gasp. He gently massaged the area until Yu Congyi's eyebrows relaxed.

“Don’t frown. I don’t want you to always be so tense. Anyway,” he released his hand, “I like to see you relaxed and at ease.”

Upon hearing this, Yu Congyi felt a bit dazed. The place where he had been hugged and then released gradually became hot, and his temples throbbed, making his eyes sting. He didn't know what was wrong with him; his feet seemed rooted to the spot, unable to move an inch. He let out a soft breath, suppressing the trembling in his throat, and deliberately uttered the words, "Are you this familiar and natural with every lover?"

Before Tang Zefei could speak, he casually said, "No need to reply to me, I don't want an answer."

Tang Zefei said behind him, "I really wanted to kiss you, but I didn't. I've never done that with anyone I've met before."

Yu Congyi stopped again, seemingly lost in thought. After a long while, Tang Zefei heard him say in a very soft voice, "I understand."

…

The following evening, Yu Congyi ordered his men to prepare plenty of winter supplies and food for Room 107. The detention center never mistreated him in these matters, and Tang Zefei naturally knew who had instructed him to do so. Thinking back to when Yu Congyi had asked him earlier if he knew whose men the woman who had risked her life to assassinate him was, Tang Zefei was momentarily at a loss for words. But when he pressed Yu Congyi about who he thought was most likely, Yu Congyi named Yang Ruinian without hesitation.

Yang Ruinian was a young man Tang Zefei had only met a few times. In Tang Zefei's eyes, business dealings were practically non-existent, and they weren't mortal enemies. Only two things warranted his actions: first, Yang Ruinian had killed Yang Ruinian's father, creating a blood feud for Yang Ruinian; second, Yang Ruinian's mother had murdered Yang Xiang's second wife, Jiang Jiejie, creating an indirect blood feud for Yang Ruinian. But how did Yang Ruinian know these reasons? Tang Zefei couldn't imagine it and chose not to dwell on it.

Time passed slowly, sometimes like a snail crawling along, sometimes like flowing water. The withered ash trees lining Victoria Street had completed their mission of returning to their roots, and two more rounds of snow fell. When Yu Congyi came out of his residence that morning, he saw that the bare branches of the sycamore tree by the gate were covered with a thick layer of snow, and ice crystals hung from the branches, shattering at the slightest touch.

A large flock of dark, round sparrows, each following its own path, landed with a rustling sound on the vast expanse of snow in front of the mansion. From a distance, it looked like someone had scattered a handful of sesame seeds. They hopped around a few times and then flew away almost simultaneously, a rather comical sight. Upon seeing this scene, Yu Congyi secretly made a metaphor in his mind.

Red banners were hung along the streets of the British concession. As Yu Congyi passed the post office and bookstore, he noticed that the buildings were also decorated with red, green, and white ornaments. Yu Congyi remembered that today seemed to be Christmas, a day that foreigners valued and celebrated, to commemorate the birth of Jesus, the central figure in Christianity. November 6th (lunar calendar). It turned out that the end of the year was already so close.

Whether it's good or bad, another year is about to pass.

There was nothing much to do at the Military Police Headquarters today. Yu Congyi got up early and went to the morning market to buy some fruit, soup, and other snacks to take back to Jiang Fengming, who had gotten up late. They had breakfast together, but were feeling sleepy because of the cold weather, so they took a nap. Around noon, Yu Congyi went out again, this time heading straight for the Military Police Headquarters detention center.

On the way, he passed by Quanyechang and went in to browse around and picked out a few gifts. When he came out, he was carrying a lot of things in both hands. When he got into the car, his subordinates helped him put the things in the trunk. Yu Congyi only kept a small leather suitcase with him.

"Take everything in the back of the car home when we get back. Tell Fengming not to buy anything he doesn't need; last year's stuff is still piling up unused." Upon arriving at their destination, Yu Congyi got out of the car and gave the driver a few instructions. He had just gone into the department store and picked out leather shoes, a tie, and a few sets of underwear, all for Jiang Fengming. Lately, he had observed that Jiang Fengming seemed busy preparing for his upcoming wedding and had hardly had time for himself. And then there was this one thing… Yu Congyi carried the small box slowly back into the office, pondering how he should give it to that person.

Yu Congyi was by no means an arrogant or domineering person, and constantly making others feel frustrated was not his true intention. Besides, today was Christmas, a very meaningful holiday for Westerners, similar to the Chinese New Year. That person must be celebrating this day at home. Yu Congyi had also heard that they would distribute toys to every child on this holiday under the name of a fictitious "Santharashi." Although he had never been clear about their specific customs, Yu Congyi still decided to give the person a gift.

Having made this decision, he no longer hesitated, but his steps became increasingly hesitant, especially as he approached Room 107. He began to wonder if his behavior was strange, or if he had done something wrong.

While he was thinking, the person on the other side seemed to have heard the footsteps outside and seen the double image on the ground. They automatically approached the door and walked over. Yu Congyi suddenly wanted to lean against the wall to hide or turn around and leave.

Standing stiffly before the iron gate, he slowly pushed it open, his heart inexplicably pounding faster and faster. He wasn't unfamiliar with giving gifts before, and this wasn't the first time he'd experienced something like this, yet suddenly he felt his entire body stiffen. His eyes drooped, staring at his hands, too afraid to lift them. He walked in with unusually slow movements. When he felt the other person's gaze upon him, he felt his breathing become labored.

"What is this?" Tang Zefei walked up to him, stared at the box he was carrying, then bent down and naturally took his hand holding the box, raising both hands to cup them in her palms.

"Your hands are so cold," Tang Zefei said, still bending down to breathe on his hands. In fact, the cell wasn't much warmer than outside. White mist flowed from between their teeth and spread between the two of them.

Yu Congyi struggled slightly but didn't break free. In the stillness, he could hear his own breathing, his hand held warmly in the other's palm. After a long while, he spoke, his tone a mix of indulgence and reassurance, "Alright. Open it and see what's inside."

Tang Zefei glanced at him, took the suitcase, placed it on the bed, slowly unfastened the clasp, and opened it. Inside was a complete set of "The Eight Great Swordsmen" and "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio." "I see you seem to enjoy reading this. Time in prison is boring and unbearable, so reading some books helps pass the time..." Yu Congyi turned his head to look around the bedside table; the book from last time was no longer there.

“Today is Christmas, a very important holiday for you. I don’t know how you celebrate it where you’re from,” Yu Congyi said, carefully choosing his words. “The custom is to give gifts to the younger generation, right? So I brought them along today. I see you don’t need any clothes or daily necessities, so…”

"I really like it." Tang Zefei picked up the complete set of "The Eight Great Swordsmen" wrapped in oil paper, held it in her hands, and turned to look at Yu Congyi. "I really like it, thank you."

“It’s nothing,” Yu Congyi finally felt his rapid breathing slow down a little. He walked closer to the bed and stood beside Tang Zefei, looking at the two sets of books. “The Eight Great Swordsmen is the one I told you about before, my favorite. It was completed in 1923. The author spent twenty years writing it, and I’ve read it more than five times… Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio is also quite good. Ten years ago, I read it every night before bed. The stories are rather unconventional and interesting, so you might be able to read them too… The writing is fairly vernacular, but you grew up here, so reading these shouldn’t be a problem…”

“I’m very happy,” Tang Zefei suddenly said, putting down her book and looking intently at Yu Congyi. “What?” Yu Congyi asked instinctively. “I’m very happy that you thought of me,” Tang Zefei said, looking into his eyes.

Yu Congyi nodded, stepped aside, seemed to want to say something but didn't, perhaps because he didn't know what to say.

“However, in our custom, Christmas gifts are prepared for children under sixteen,” Tang Zefei said, smiling at him. A gentle smile curved his lips and his eyes crinkled. When he smiled, there were actually two shallow dimples at the corners of his mouth.

Upon hearing this, Yu Congyi stood there, bewildered and puzzled, almost ready to leave. "I've discovered that you..." he finally managed to utter, but before he could finish, he looked up at Tang Zefei and said, "In that case, you can experience being sixteen again!"

"Yes, sir!" Tang Zefei's smile was radiant. Yu Congyi subconsciously recalled that when he first met him, he felt that the other party was not someone who would smile. Of course, he himself should also fall into that category.

“But before giving a gift, we usually make a wish,” Tang Zefei said, walking up to Yu Congyi. “I made this wish last night before I went to sleep. Can you guess what it is?”

"I can't guess," Yu Congyi replied instinctively.

“This is my lifelong wish.” Tang Zefei winked at him. “It’s normal that you can’t guess.”

Yu Congyi ignored him and resisted the urge to ask what it was. Tang Zefei also didn't want to reveal the answer. The two quickly moved on from the topic and stopped talking about it. Later, Tang Zefei thought for a moment and told Yu Congyi that his mother should be at home now, perhaps feeling lonely.

“My mother is a devout Christian, and Christmas is a very important day for her,” Tang Zefei explained to Yu Congyi as they sat together on the bed. “In the past, my mother would go to church on Christmas and pray all morning with my father and me. But to be honest, I’m not a proper Christian, and this year I’m not here, and my father has passed away, so my mother has to go alone.”

"Isn't anyone with her?" Yu Congyi asked.

“I asked Lu Jin to go with her, he’s my personal subordinate,” Tang Zefei said, looking at the ceiling as if she was thinking about something. “But Lu Jin is an outsider after all.”

Yu Congyi understood what Tang Zefei was saying, and at the same time felt a slight pang of sympathy.

"Could you give me a letter?" Tang Zefei asked Yu Congyi after thinking for a while. "I want to write a letter to my mother."

“Of course,” Yu Congyi nodded. This request was nothing to him. Tang Zefei, having received his permission, quickly took out paper and pen from the bedside table drawer and began writing almost without thinking. She finished writing in no time. When Yu Congyi took it, he saw that she had written in Italian, with slender, italic characters that trailed long, connected in a string, like some ancient symbols.

“I told my mother that everything was fine here and that she didn’t need to worry,” Tang Zefei explained, folding the letter and looking for any objections from Yu Congyi. Yu Congyi nodded and assured him that he would deliver it to his mother that afternoon.

“Lu Jin might come over this evening,” Tang Zefei said, closing her pen and looking earnestly at Yu Congyi. “I’ll let Lu Jin give it to my mother. Could you stay here with me a little longer today…?”

Yu Congyi flatly refused. "The letter to your mother should not be delayed; I must set off to deliver it to her now."

"Just leave it in the mailbox by the door." Tang Zefei had no choice but to emphasize, "My mother may not be home, and you'd better not have any contact with her. She saw you last time, and she will definitely ask you about me after she sees you. I told a little lie in the letter, so don't find out."

“I will.” Yu Congyi nodded after hearing this, and readily accepted the other party’s request.

“I have one more request,” Tang Zefei said at this moment.

"This is the last one today." Just as Yu Congyi raised his eyes, about to frown at him, Tang Zefei raised his hand to assure him.

"What?"

"After you deliver the letter, can you come back and stay with me?"