Chapter Nineteen: Which Hand?

The Golden Night Casino's accounts are problematic.

Cheng Yin picked up her tablet, preparing to go to the casino for an on-site inspection.

Her standard business attire stood out starkly against the well-dressed patrons of the casino.

Casinos are always brightly lit, with no windows or clocks, making people forget the passage of time.

In front of the arcade machines in Zone B, several drunken tourists were complaining that the machines were ripping them off. Cheng Yin squatted down to inspect the back cover of the machine, entered the administrator password, and pulled up the internal records.

"Fuck this piece of junk!" a drunkard kicked the machine. "Where's my money?"

Cheng Yin didn't even look up: "You bet 320, won two small prizes totaling 150, resulting in a net loss of 170." She showed him the records, "The machine wasn't malfunctioning."

The drunkard, intimidated by her composure, walked away grumbling. Cheng Yin continued checking the other machines, unaware that a man in a floral shirt was staring at her from a short distance away.

"What are you looking at, Zhi-ge?" His companion put his arm around his shoulder. "Which girl are you eyeing now?"

Chen Zhi grinned, his gold teeth gleaming under the casino lights. "Saw someone I know." He touched the last five hundred chips in his pocket. "Let's go play a couple more rounds."

Three days later, Cheng Yin's phone rang again.

The aunt's voice was sharper than usual, like fingernails scraping glass: "The bride's family wants an extra dowry, another 50,000 yuan."

Cheng Yin, who was organizing office documents, stopped what she was doing upon hearing this: "I just gave them 50,000 last week."

"That was before!" my aunt said impatiently. "Now the bride's family wants three gold pieces and a wedding banquet. Do you think getting married is so easy?"

Cheng Yin looked out the window; the sky over Haojiang was a blindingly blue. "I only have 20,000," she said, "the salary I just received in advance."

"Turn it around first!" my aunt ordered. "We'll figure out the rest later."

Cheng Yin put down her phone and continued working.

In the basement of the Golden Night Casino, Chen Zhi was pinned to a gambling table, a green velvet cloth plastered to his right cheek. Two thugs stood on either side, while a bald man wearing a gold chain flipped through an account book.

"Mr. Chen, you owe 150,000." The bald man poked at the ledger with the tip of his pen. "When are you going to pay it back?"

Chen Zhi's lips trembled: "Give me...give me a few more days...my cousin has money..."

The bald man raised an eyebrow: "You said the same thing last time." He closed the ledger. "I've lost my patience."

"Really!" Chen Zhi struggled to lift his head. "My cousin works here! She has money! Let her pay it back!"

The bald man sneered, "Mr. Chen, every gambler claims to know our boss."

"Really!" Chen Zhi gestured eagerly, "Her name is Cheng Yin! She's skinny, as white as a ghost, and doesn't talk much..." Chen Zhi described urgently, "She's definitely rich!"

The bald man squinted: "Who are you talking about?"

"Cheng Yin!"

The thugs exchanged glances, and the bald man suddenly stood up, signaling them to release Chen Zhi. He walked to a corner and made a phone call, his voice very low.

Five minutes later, he returned with a complicated expression: "Someone wants to see you."

Chen Zhi was taken to a more secluded room and his hands were tied to a chair. He waited for nearly an hour before the door opened again.

A man in a black suit walked in, followed by two bodyguards. The man had a cold expression, and the diamond stud in his right ear gleamed coldly under the light.

"Are you Chen Zhi?" the man asked in a low voice.

Chen Zhi nodded.

"Do you know Cheng Yin?" Li Yaodong approached, his shadow looming over Chen Zhi.

"She's my cousin!" Chen Zhi cried out as if grasping at a straw. "She'll definitely help me!"

Li Yaodong's expression subtly shifted. He slowly squatted down, meeting Chen Zhiping's gaze: "Tell me," his voice was terrifyingly soft, "what did you do to her?"

Chen Zhi was stunned: "What?"

"You," Li Yaodong said, emphasizing each word, "which hand touched her?"

The air in the room seemed to freeze.

Chen Zhi's pupils contracted, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead. "I...I don't understand..." Chen Zhi's voice trembled, "Who are you? What's your relationship with Cheng Yin?"

Li Yaodong stood up, looking down at him: "You don't need to pay back the money."

"Leave your hands behind." Li Yaodong interrupted him, his voice as cold as ice.

Li Yaodong punched Chen Zhi in the face, interrupting him.

Chen Zhi's nose twisted to one side, and blood gushed out. Li Yaodong shook his hand and took out a handkerchief from his suit pocket to wipe the blood from his knuckles.

"I'll ask you one more time," he said, pressing a handkerchief against Chen Zhi's bleeding nose with a gentle touch, as if caring for a patient, "Which hand?"

Chen Zhi's tears mingled with blood: "Right...right hand..."

Li Yaodong nodded and stuffed a handkerchief into Chen Zhi's mouth: "Very good." He turned to the bald man, "Clean it up."

As I walked out of the room, I heard Chen Zhi's scream as his mouth was covered behind me.

Li Yaodong didn't turn around and walked straight to the elevator. His phone vibrated; it was a report sent by Cheng Yin, highlighting several details that required his signature.

Looking at the calm and professional text on the screen, Li Yaodong recalled Chen Zhi's description of the "scoundrel," and a strange rage surged in his chest.

As the elevator ascended to the casino lobby, Li Yaodong adjusted his tie, his expression regaining its composure. He walked through the noisy casino towards the finance department. Through the glass wall, he saw Cheng Yin engrossed in her work, her pale profile almost transparent in the blue light of the computer screen.

Li Yaodong didn't go in; he just stood outside and watched for a few minutes.

In the end, Li Yaodong turned and left, instructing his secretary to order Japanese food to be delivered to her office.

Lin Shirong took the USB drive from Li Yaodong and adjusted his glasses: "Is it resolved?"

Li Yaodong nodded, his right hand unconsciously touching the silver knife in the inside pocket of his suit: "Investigate Cheng Yin's aunt's family."

"What are you going to do?"

Li Yaodong turned and walked towards the door without looking back: "See if there's anything else that needs chopping."

After closing the door, Lin Shirong opened the USB drive. Chen Zhi's screams in the video were muted, but the images were still horrifying. He shook his head and clicked "permanently delete."

The moment the screen went dark, he remembered Cheng Yin's calm, still eyes and suddenly understood Li Yaodong's anger.

Some people forget what they've done to others, but the scars on the victim's body remember.

Lai Yiu-tung is clearly a very vengeful person.

Cheng Yin stared at the letter L for a few seconds, unsure whether it belonged to Li Yaodong or Lin Shirong. She dialed Lin Shirong's internal line to inquire, but he said he knew nothing about it.

That could only be Li Yaodong. She sipped her miso soup, thinking of the 50,000 yuan she'd transferred to her aunt that morning, and the questionable demand for an additional dowry...

Cheng Yin put down her chopsticks and turned on her computer to check the guest list for Jinxiao Casino today. As a senior accountant, she had the authority to view this data.

Chen Zhi's name was prominently listed, and he checked in three days ago.

Cheng Yin's fingers hovered above the keyboard. Finally, she closed the page and continued eating the Japanese food, chewing each bite slowly, as if she were performing some kind of task.

After work, Cheng Yin returned to apartment 3306. Li Yaodong wasn't there, and the room was eerily quiet.

She opened her laptop and continued working, trying to fill her mind with numbers, trying not to think about what Chen Zhi might be doing in Haojiang, or where the money for the "bride price" had gone.

The sound of the door lock turning interrupted her thoughts. Li Yaodong walked in, his suit jacket draped over his arm, his tie loose, and he carried a faint scent of blood mixed with cologne.

He saw Cheng Yin sitting on the bed working and raised an eyebrow slightly: "Still busy so late?"

Cheng Yin nodded: "Monthly report."

Li Yaodong took off his coat and walked towards the bathroom: "Did you receive the Japanese food?"

"Mm." Cheng Yin looked up. "Thank you."

Li Yaodong stopped and turned to look at her: "That's it?"

Cheng Yin blinked: "It's delicious."

Li Yaodong's expression became complex. He walked to the bedside, leaned over and braced himself on either side of Cheng Yin, trapping her between himself and the headboard: "Cheng Yin, do you know what a normal person would say?"

Cheng Yin looked at his face so close to hers, and could smell the faint scent of blood on his breath: "What did you say?"

"They'll say 'Thank you for your thoughtfulness,' or 'How did you know I liked this?'... Li Yaodong's voice was deep, "instead of just saying 'It's delicious.'"

Cheng Yin thought for a moment: "But it really is delicious."

Li Yaodong laughed again: "You really are..." He didn't finish his sentence, straightened up and walked towards the bathroom, "Let's get back to work."

After the sound of water was heard, Cheng Yin put down her laptop. The night view of Haojiang unfolded outside the window, with lights pouring down like a galaxy.

The bathroom door opened, and Li Yaodong came out drying his hair. He changed into his bathrobe and picked up the documents on the bedside table to read.

"Li Yaodong," Cheng Yin suddenly spoke, still looking out the window.

"Um?"

"Did you see my cousin today..." Cheng Yin carefully chose her words.

The air in the room froze instantly.

Li Yaodong put down the documents, his voice eerily calm: "Why do you ask that?"

Cheng Yin looked him straight in the eye: "I saw his name on the casino's guest list."

Li Yaodong's expression remained unchanged: "So?"

"My aunt asked for money again this morning, saying it was to increase the bride price," Cheng Yin recounted calmly. "But I just gave her 50,000 last week."

Li Yaodong put down the documents: "What do you want to say?"

Cheng Yin looked up at him: "You smell of blood."

Li Yaodong's eyes turned dangerous. He reached out and gently stroked Cheng Yin's cheek with his thumb: "You have a very sensitive nose."

"How much does he owe?" Cheng Yin asked.

"150,000."

"You paid it back for him?"

Li Yaodong chuckled: "In a sense, yes."

Cheng Yin nodded, asked no further questions, and continued processing the reports.

"Which hand did he use to touch you?" Li Yaodong suddenly asked, his voice very soft.

Cheng Yin's fingers remained on the keyboard, without looking up: "Right hand."

Li Yaodong's shoulders relaxed slightly: "Very good."

Li Yaodong closed the curtains and sat down on the bed. He picked up Cheng Yin's laptop, closed it, and put it aside: "Go to sleep."

Cheng Yin obediently lay down, and Li Yaodong turned off the light and lay down next to her.

In the darkness, Cheng Yin suddenly spoke: "Li Yaodong."

"Um?"

"Thank you for the Japanese food." She paused, "I really enjoyed it."

In the darkness, Li Yaodong's breath caught in his throat for a moment.

This was the first time Cheng Yin had proactively expressed her liking for something in front of him, not out of politeness or to calculate debts, but as a genuine emotional response.

He reached out and gently grasped Cheng Yin's wrist. His palm was warm and dry, and his fingertips had calluses from holding a gun for a long time.

"How much do you like it?" Li Yaodong asked softly, following her habitual quantitative thinking.

Cheng Yin blinked in the darkness, pondering this strange question seriously.

Japanese food is indeed delicious; the salmon is rich and oily, the sushi rice is distinct, and the miso soup has just the right amount of saltiness... but she doesn't know how to rate the feeling of "liking" it.

"Five points?" she asked tentatively, unsure if the number was appropriate.

Li Yaodong chuckled softly, his fingertips gently stroking her wrist pulse: "That's enough."

Five points is enough, because you've finally started trying to express yourself; five points is enough, because I know this is a huge step forward for you; five points is enough, because there's still a long way to go...

Cheng Yin didn't understand why Li Yaodong was suddenly so happy. His thumb was still gently tracing the veins on the inside of her wrist, and she could feel that the temperature from his fingertips was warmer than before.

As Li Yaodong felt the rhythm of the heartbeat gradually synchronize with his own.

Cheng Yin did not pull her hand away.

The two maintained a tight yet loose connection in the darkness, like a suspension bridge suddenly erected between two isolated islands, teetering on the verge of collapse yet stubbornly existing.