Chapter 47

Tang Zefei was once again caught up in the busy affairs of the Chamber of Commerce.

In June of that year, Merrick met a new man. This man, from Suzhou, was in his thirties and also a businessman. After a period of blissful intimacy, the man unexpectedly wanted to take Merrick away from Tianjin under the pretext of going south to do business. Tang Zefei, upon learning of this, refused to agree, feeling that the man's plan was too sudden and suspecting he had ulterior motives. Seeing that Tang Zefei wouldn't budge, the man stayed at Tang's house for a while, crying and sobbing, before finally stealing five gold bars that Merrick had hidden in the closet and running away. By the time Merrick discovered this, the man had vanished without a trace.

Five gold bars might not mean much to the Tang family, but Merrick still felt deeply guilty. Her depression from previous years was flaring up again. That night, when Tang Zefei was almost asleep, she quietly pushed open her son's bedroom door and sat down beside his bed, her mind heavy with worry.

Tang Zefei wondered if his mother was still blaming herself for the gold bars. Nearly a week had passed, and the bars were definitely gone for good, but there was no need to dwell on it. He watched as his mother sat at the foot of the bed with her back to him, rubbing her cheeks with her hands before lowering her head and remaining still. He hadn't had much interaction with his mother lately due to his busy schedule, and now that she was waiting for him to speak, he couldn't pretend he didn't see her. After a helpless standoff, he threw back the covers, got out of bed, pulled up a chair, and sat down opposite his mother.

The summer night was sweltering, but thankfully, the high walls of the Tang mansion, made of marble, blocked some of the heat. On the bedroom floor, a wooden tub still held some partially melted ice. Merrick propped her chin on her hand until Tang Zefei sat down in front of her, then slowly raised her eyes to look at her.

“Over the years, I’ve felt I’ve had enough of Tianjin, ever since your father died,” Merrick began slowly, “I’ve been thinking about whether or not to go back.”

“I want to go back to Italy.” She looked up and met Tang Zefei’s face. She still looked like a beautiful woman, but her expression had been very tired since last year, making Tang Zefei sometimes unconsciously want to frown when she looked at her mother.

“Go back to Bologna, or to your father’s hometown, a small town in Ravenna, go and see,” Merrick’s voice was hollow, but still full of hope. “I haven’t been back for over thirty years.”

“Mother,” Tang Zefei said in Italian, “I knew long ago that you must miss your hometown, after all, you haven’t been back for so many years.”

“Come with me,” Merrick said. “Go back to Bologna, find a girl, and get married. Once your future is settled, I’ll feel more at ease. It’s always like this, dealing with those rich kids without ever finding a stable future.”

Merrick knew a little about his affairs, but he didn't usually talk about it. Tang Zefei knew that his mother's words didn't mean she wanted to urge him on, but rather she wanted him to come back to Italy with her. After all, he grew up in Tianjin and had absolutely no memory of his father's hometown—the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy.

“But my business isn’t finished yet.” Tang Zefei remembered that the last time he talked about this with his mother, they almost got into an argument. He didn’t want to end up like that again, so he said ambiguously, “At least after I finish those things.”

“You should consider what I’m saying.” After a moment of silence, Merrick’s voice rang out softly in the quiet room, like the lingering sound of a musical instrument after it has been silenced. “You haven’t been back to your hometown and seen the scenery there. Once you go back, you may not want to come back.”

The mother and son rarely spoke so calmly. Tang Zefei felt a faint tingling in her back, as if many years ago at midnight, Merrick had carried her around the bedroom, her voice so gentle as to soothe her. How long ago was that?

He thought for a moment, then sighed, “After I’ve dealt with all the business matters of the Chamber of Commerce, I will find someone to take over and manage the business that Dad left behind. Then we will go back. At most, in a year, Mother, I will take you home.”

…

After Jiang Fengming married Yang Shucai last year, he took over the Yang family's territory in the French Concession and expanded his influence within the concession. He was too lazy to bother managing the Yang family's extra businesses, so he just found two trustworthy henchmen to take care of them.

Lately, he suddenly realized that over the years he had asked his elder brother to "clean up" countless "opponents" in business and the underworld. A sudden pang of conscience struck him, and whether it was to repay his brother's kindness or reward him for the blood-soaked labor he had done for him, he took it upon himself to rent a house for Yu Congyi in the west of the city. Without Yu Congyi's knowledge, he decorated the house in a lavish blend of Chinese and Western styles. He knew Yu Congyi had never been interested in his business dealings, and this was the only way he could repay him.

When Jiang Fengming took Yu Congyi to visit the three-courtyard house, Yu Congyi could hardly believe what he was seeing and hearing. It was excessively luxurious, and the location of this western courtyard house was too remote; it took an hour by car to get to the Gendarmerie Headquarters. Unless one had absolutely nothing to do, it was impossible to live so far from the city in the suburbs. After hearing his refusal, Jiang Fengming waved his hand dismissively, saying, "Brother, you have to accept it no matter what, otherwise I'll really feel bad. I've already put the deed in the bottom of the first drawer in your bedroom. If you want me to feel better, don't even think about refusing." Yu Congyi said, "Then you should bring Yang Xiaomei to live here. How can I live alone in such a big house? Don't I feel lonely?"

Jiang Fengming, though hesitant, became interested after hearing this and urged him to quickly find someone to settle things for the rest of his life.

“Brother,” Jiang Fengming said, still somewhat dissatisfied with the matter, “it’s usually the elders who urge the younger generation, but when it comes to me, it’s always the other way around. What’s going on with you?”

Hearing this, Yu Congyi was at a loss. He knew that constantly shirking his responsibilities to work wasn't a sustainable solution, and unable to explain himself, he ultimately chose to remain silent as always. Seeing Yu Congyi's silence, Jiang Fengming became even more emboldened, pressuring him until Yu Congyi finally had to vaguely agree, saying he would consider it once he was done with his current tasks. "Look, Shu Cai and I are almost ready to hold our big, healthy son," Jiang Fengming boasted, then, still not quite satisfied, "You'll be helping me take care of my son from now on!"

Days passed by uneventfully, flowing amidst various personnel changes. As July approached, Yu Congyi suddenly received a mission from his superiors: to travel south with Deputy Director Liu Shiping on an "escort" mission. This escort involved protecting a wealthy businessman en route to Shanghai, ensuring his absolute safety throughout the long journey. This seemingly simple task was made extraordinary by the personal order from his superiors. Although Yu Congyi didn't know the businessman's background beforehand, he inexplicably had a premonition.

…

It seemed that Tianjin was about to undergo a major change. The remnants of the old warlords blocked the road, while the secret agents of the new government scurried around like eels, hiding among the various crowds. As Tang Zefei was driving past the wide road in front of the Zhongyuan Company, he saw some thugs on the roadside hitting a homeless man on the head with the butt of a rifle.

This is not right. Tang Zefei has been pondering something these past few days: the sky over the British Concession is growing increasingly gloomy, and a corrupt and chaotic atmosphere permeates the streets and alleys, like a worm gnawing at the roots of a dying tree. He often sees people walking peacefully on the street suddenly dragged into alleys by men in black hats and black shirts, beaten half to death, and then taken away, leaving a trail of blood. Or they are knocked unconscious by men in military uniforms with electric batons and thrown onto the riverbank. Knowing full well that he has made many enemies in secret and being unable to grasp the current situation, Tang Zefei wants to use the pretext of personally escorting a batch of valuable spices to go south to Shanghai for a while.

He thought of Yu Congyi.

In this situation, the Military Police Headquarters must be an even more complex and turbulent place, and if a real war breaks out, those officers might even have to go to the front lines. Tang Zefei couldn't imagine, nor would he sit idly by, waiting for such a thing to actually happen. He hoped that Yu Congyi could go with him. Therefore, in the weeks leading up to his departure for Shanghai, Tang Zefei racked his brains to come up with a plan. He used a friend in the business world who had some influence with a high-ranking officer in the headquarters to act as a go-between for him with the higher-ups in the headquarters. After several rounds of gifts and matchmaking, he successfully made contact with this army commander and secretly traded several batches of weapons with him to obtain a transfer order, allowing Yu Congyi to smoothly go south with him.

…

The weather in June and July is the hottest and most unbearable. After the summer solstice, the weather becomes as dry and parched as firewood that is about to be burned.

Standing under the blazing sunlight outside the ferry inn, Yu Congyi and Liu Shiping, along with some of their officers, had been waiting for quite some time. Just then, a black luxury sedan drove up and slowly pulled up beside the inn.

When he saw the person getting out of the car, Yu Congyi naturally looked away. Liu Shiping had already led his men to greet them, while he stood there, feeling somewhat helpless.

This so-called wealthy businessman was indeed Tang Zefei; his premonition was correct. However, Tang Zefei seemed oblivious to him, exchanging a few words with Deputy Director Liu Shiping before heading towards the indoor waiting hall. Liu Shiping returned to Yu Congyi and said, "That gentleman said the supplies being transported on this trip are actually quite small. For secrecy, we don't need so many people to draw attention; just you and I are enough."

Yu Congyi had no idea what Tang Zefei was up to. He had long suspected this was Tang Zefei's plan, but when he actually met her, he was still speechless.

“This is against the rules,” he said to Liu Shiping. “The higher-ups sent down a team from our department, and so many of them have returned. How am I supposed to explain this? Go ask that gentleman again, and if he insists on his opinion, I will send a telegram to the higher-ups to inquire.”

"Okay, Director, I'll go ask." Although Liu Shiping didn't understand why Yu Congyi, as his superior, didn't go and ask the other party himself, he was still happy to make the trip.

After about half a cigarette's time, Liu Shiping returned and reported to Yu Congyi, "That gentleman insisted that only you and I should accompany him, and everyone else must be sent back. Oh, he also said that he would take responsibility if any problems arose on the way."

Yu Congyi was at a loss, because Tang Zefei's demands as the employer were truly baffling. He recalled that when the task was assigned to him, the transfer order on the document was also ambiguous, and there was even a suspicious sentence: at this time, the other party should mainly act in accordance with the employer's wishes. He wanted to ask the other party what was going on, but he didn't want to go there.

Tang Zefei showed no intention of coming to him to explain things in person.

A telegram was sent upwards, and Yu Congyi didn't try to guess Tang Zefei's thoughts. The two sides waited at the dockside inn for more than an hour. Later, the officers under his command were indeed temporarily sent back, but he didn't go to confront the other party.

As they boarded the ship, Yu Congyi and Liu Shiping went up the gangway first. Standing on either side of the top deck arranging the cargo and waiting for the wealthy merchants to arrive, Yu Congyi spotted Tang Zefei in the distance. He was still the same, his appearance and clothing unchanged. Strangers saw him as arrogant, aloof, and haughty. He was accompanied by Merrick, and as they ascended the gangway, he took two leather suitcases from Merrick's hands. Behind him followed two servants, two handsome young men.

Yu Congyi's eyebrows furrowed involuntarily.

After the ship left the port and all the supplies were unloaded, everyone settled into their rooms, the facilities were inspected, and various tasks were temporarily arranged. Yu Congyi took a short rest, leaning against the deck railing and smoking. He saw Tang Zefei and a servant walking over from the passageway in the cabin corridor.

He instinctively reached to stub out his cigarette, having grown accustomed to not smoking in front of Tang Zefei because of her health. He pinched the cigarette between his fingers and poked the butt against the iron railing beside him, only to see Tang Zefei walk over, seemingly oblivious to him, her eyes unwavering, walking straight across the deck and past him.

Yu Congyi held the extinguished cigarette in his hand, feeling a little strange. He didn't know if Tang Zefei was deliberately avoiding him, whether it was to avoid suspicion or for some other reason. Yu Congyi couldn't figure it out, but he didn't think about it either.

That afternoon, Yu Congyi's displeasure truly began to surface. It stemmed from a rule requiring him to personally inquire about the quantity of supplies Tang Zefei was carrying for record-keeping. However, when he knocked on the door of Tang Zefei's cabin, one of the two male servants he had met that morning answered. When Yu Congyi realized that the two of them had been sharing a cabin with Tang Zefei, a sudden, inexplicable tightness gripped his heart. The boy told Yu Congyi that he could personally take him to inspect the goods and invited him to come along.

"Where is your master?" Yu Congyi said. "He knows his own affairs best. Why doesn't he come to answer?"

"Young Master is sleeping inside," the young man said in a low voice, casually closing the iron gate behind him and stepping aside. "Young Master seemed a bit tired yesterday and hasn't been very energetic today. Please forgive him, sir."

When Yu Congyi realized he was full of doubts about the "tired" explanation, the young man said again, "Sir, it's the same if I take you. I also know the amount of supplies the young master brought on this trip. I'll go with you to check them."

Before Yu Congyi could even grasp his own thoughts and questions, he suddenly heard a soft laugh coming from inside the room. The sound was muffled and came through the iron door, yet it was remarkably clear to those outside. The voice certainly didn't belong to Tang Zefei; it was from another male servant.

"Wasn't he asleep?" Yu Congyi looked at the boy in front of him and questioned, "Judging from the noise, you can even make jokes while you're asleep?"

"Young Master, he might have woken up by now." The boy in front of him turned around and looked at him, speaking ambiguously.

"Have him come over and check the goods with me when he wakes up." Yu Congyi's brows gradually showed impatience. A wall in his heart was getting increasingly stuck, leaving him feeling helpless and at a loss.

The young man quickly turned around and went back to his room, but came out again after a short while. He shook his head at Yu Congyi and said, "Sir, I'm really sorry, but the young master said he's not feeling well and might be seasick. He can't go with you to check the goods. I'll go with you."

Hearing this, Yu Congyi felt uneasy. He began to suspect that Tang Zefei was deliberately avoiding him, but he had no reason to. However, constantly asking her to meet him and getting her to agree wasn't a solution, and he wasn't willing to push things to the point of being stubborn. He was very puzzled and didn't quite understand. He placed his hand on the iron door of the other person's cabin, knocked twice forcefully, and turned to leave.

What happened to Tang Zefei? He's like a completely different person. Yu Congyi thought this as he left.

After checking the goods, it was already evening. The setting sun slowly sank below the horizon, and in the intense yet gentle afterglow, the dark seawater was dyed a vibrant turquoise.

The ship sailed on the calm sea, the evening sea breeze carrying a warm breath as it brushed against the people sitting idly on the deck. The sea at sunset was so different from that during the day that even someone like Liu Shiping, who wasn't usually fond of appreciating natural scenery, couldn't help but stare in a daze for a moment or two. The sunset was fleeting; while they were admiring and gazing in awe, in the blink of an eye, the distant horizon blurred. The sky and the sea merged in the twilight, indistinguishable from one another, only a hazy and gentle indigo blue quietly converging from all directions.

When Yu Congyi emerged from his cabin, he noticed the unusual color of the sky that evening. Intrigued, he went to the deck to see for himself, but by the time he arrived, the golden hue had faded, leaving only a gentle blue-green. He saw a noblewoman with her hair tied up and wearing a long dress, her arms resting on the deck railing, gazing into the distance where he had stood during the day. A gentle breeze ruffled her golden hair, so soft it was almost breezy; her silhouette was so elegant and serene. Yu Congyi didn't immediately approach her, but the noblewoman quickly noticed someone standing behind her and turned around abruptly.

“The sunset is beautiful today,” the foreign woman said, stepping aside to speak to Yu Congyi. “Excuse me, am I blocking your view?”

"Of course not." Yu Congyi realized he had seen the other person before, albeit only once, and remembered her instantly. "You are... Tang Zefei's mother?"

“Ah, that’s me.” Merrick blinked cheerfully, somewhat surprised, and looked at Yu Congyi for a moment. “I remember you too. Your surname is Yu, right? Sir, I remember you. My daughter Xiaofei has mentioned you sometimes.”

She even speaks fluent Chinese. Having met Tang Zefei before, Yu Congyi was once again surprised by her fluent Chinese. Looking at her blue eyes, he realized that although she and Tang Zefei had completely different colored pupils and hair, their eyebrows and eyes looked so similar that Yu Congyi could recognize her at a glance.

"I am Yu Congyi, it's a pleasure to meet you." Yu Congyi smiled and nodded, then stepped over to the railing and leaned against it, enjoying the gentle sea breeze.

From the moment he leaned against the railing, he noticed that Tang Zefei's mother was constantly looking at him with a smiling gaze. Yu Congyi didn't feel offended at all, because he realized that the other person's eyes were pure and gentle.

“You and Tang Zefei have known each other for a long time, haven’t you?” Merrick said. “He also mentioned you to me when we went to Shanghai this time, saying that only with you by his side could we be sure that nothing would go wrong on the way.”

“He trusts me so much.” Yu Congyi smiled.

“Little Fei has never been very reliable since he was little.” Merrick also smiled. “When I heard him say that, I didn’t quite believe it. I didn’t expect it to be you. We met at my door that year, do you remember?”

“Of course I remember. I came here to protect your safety,” Yu Congyi explained to her. “Tang Zefei is right.”

"So when I saw you, I felt very close to you... Haha, it was more like warmth, right? Kid, I've always wanted to thank you in person for what happened back then."

“It’s nothing,” Yu Congyi said, shaking his head. “It’s a small matter, you don’t need to worry about it.”

Merrick pursed her lips and turned her head. She brushed a strand of hair from her temple, rested her cheek on her elbow, and stared blankly for a moment, as if lost in thought. From the side, she looked so kind and serene when she calmed down.

"Do you know what Tang Zefei is going to do in Shanghai?" Yu Congyi thought for a moment and asked. "It seems that he suddenly doesn't want to deal with me anymore."