Chapter 16
As a first-class sergeant major in the Military Police Command, Yu Congyi's duties within the department revolved around three main areas: military law enforcement, garrison duty, and military discipline inspection. He dispatched his subordinates to handle a wide range of detailed tasks, including investigating and arresting military personnel for disciplinary violations, supervising prisoners of war and military prisons, guarding armory facilities, and inspecting soldiers' conduct. Of course, he also had to personally resolve some challenging problems. All of these tasks required reports to him, making Yu Congyi's day exceptionally busy.
Now he is even busier than before, because at the same time he must keep an eye out for any opportunities to handle the tasks assigned to him by Tang and Jiang. He always feels like there is something hanging over his mind, making him feel overwhelmed.
We must find an opportunity to deal with these matters as soon as possible.
And he quickly found such an opportunity.
The owner of the exhibition recently acquired a blue-and-white plum vase from the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty at an auction. The vase, with its white background and blue floral design, appears very elegant and grand. The cobalt-painted design depicts "Xiao He chasing Han Xin under the moon," showing Xiao He galloping through a bamboo forest on a moonlit night while Han Xin, sword in hand, walks alone along a riverbank. The background shows the shimmering waters of a cold stream, echoing the famous line, "If the stream hadn't obstructed the way, how could there be such a renowned general throughout history?" The owner greatly admires this vase, believing it to be not only beautiful in appearance but also rich in symbolism. Several porcelain bowls and tea sets from his collection are scattered around as embellishments, all antiques from the Qing Dynasty.
The owner of the exhibition was in high spirits and specially hosted a banquet at the National Hotel to invite celebrities from all walks of life to visit and appraise the antiques. In addition to business people, military and political figures, there were also many artists. A large Hainan rosewood table was placed in the center of the hall, with various exhibits displayed on it, covered by a glass case. This rosewood table alone was worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
As a result, the people present praised him, saying that Boss Zhan was indeed Boss Zhan, so wealthy and generous that he was willing to place such a table, which was more precious than gold, in the hall where people came and went. They also said that the noble smell of the Heng brand cigars on his fingers could not compare to his own demeanor.
Before the banquet even began, Zhan Chu, all smiles, chatted with the various sycophants who came to flatter him, quietly explaining the story behind the main piece, the plum vase. He appeared remarkably humble and reserved, possessing a dignified air. He rarely spoke, often stopping short of revealing more, leaving everyone wanting more. Just as he finished explaining the story of Xiao He chasing Han Xin under the moon in the blue-and-white porcelain painting, someone pointed out that Zhan Chu was just like Xiao He, the discerning judge of character. This flattery brought a smile to Zhan Chu's face, yet he feigned humility, waving his hand and saying, "I dare not accept such praise." Amidst the laughter, a sudden cry of "Father!" pulled him from the crowd's view. Zhan Chu turned around and saw Zhan Yuewei approaching him with a glass of brandy, handing it to him and helping him away from the throng.
"Let them see for themselves. Do you really need to explain it to them one by one?" Zhan Yue smiled and sat down on a sofa, swirling the wine in her glass. "I think these people are really bored, getting so worked up over a bottle."
"Xiaowei, don't be so insensible," Zhan Chu said with a hint of displeasure, taking a sip from his cup and scolding, "Can't you see that Dad is busy?"
Zhan Yue smiled and shook her head. "What are you busy with? I think you don't want to do business anymore, you seem more like you want to be a schoolteacher."
“Xiaowei,” Zhan Chu sighed helplessly, “Don’t be so sarcastic about things your father is proud of.”
“I just wanted you to try more of this liquor,” Zhan Yuewei said, still chin in hand, pointing towards a certain part of the bottle. “Venus High Moon Brandy, how does it taste?”
"It's alright." Zhan Chu looked at the cup, then took another sip. "It's alright."
"Oh, Dad, this isn't just 'okay,' it's my..." Before he could finish speaking, a man with a three-star rank on his shoulder approached and began chatting warmly with Zhan Chu. Zhan Chu, who never liked to be lazy with military figures, put down his brandy glass and walked away chatting and laughing with the man. Zhan Yuewei hadn't finished speaking; she opened her mouth, but couldn't bring herself to boast about how hard it was to obtain this fine wine. Suddenly finding her father rather boring, she simply tilted her head back, downed her entire glass of wine, threw the glass aside, and got up to find her playmates.
He was looking for Tang Zefei, but she had been busy with family affairs these past few days and had no time to come today. His eyes wandered around and then he saw Yu Congyi.
The man had several folded bars on his shoulder insignia, and some kind of pattern on them that he couldn't make out. He was tall and straight, with a slender waist and long legs. His military uniform was neat and tidy, and his riding boots covered his straight calves. He was a very pleasing sight to behold.
He didn't recognize the other person as the reckless fellow who had suddenly appeared when they were fooling around in Tongque Chun Shen that day. In fact, the private room was so dark that it was difficult to see a person's face clearly. At this moment, Zhan Yue swallowed and quietly walked up.
Yu Congyi stood before a dazzling array of fruit platters and drinks, selecting what to choose, but his gaze lingered through the glassware towards the main hall ahead—Zhan Chu was surrounded by a group of people, calmly and humbly explaining something, showing no sign that he was the host. Even so, the others were tightly packed around him, listening attentively and enthusiastically offering their support. How should he approach this man?
Just then, a voice rang out from behind, "Brandy or whiskey, sir, which do you prefer?"
Yu Congyi turned around and saw Zhan Yuewei. Although he hadn't recognized him before, and hadn't quite remembered his appearance from the dance hall that day, upon seeing him now, he was immediately certain that the man before him was indeed Zhan Yuewei. It wasn't for any other reason than that this man possessed a natural, almost frivolous, air about him. Even though he had no expression, the corners of his eyes and lips held a subtle, almost flirtatious quality, making everyone he looked at seem like he was flirting.
Yu Congyi considered for a moment, "Young Master Zhan?"
“You actually recognize me,” Zhan Yue smiled, her face glowing like a peach blossom when she smiled, “I haven’t yet had the pleasure of knowing your name, brother.”
"My surname is Yu, which means righteousness above and righteousness below." He thought for a moment and felt there was no need to introduce himself, so he nodded slightly to the other party and then looked at the wine table. "I have long heard of Young Master Zhan's name... As for the whiskey, it's too hot to drink, like being smoked. The brandy, on the other hand, is much sweeter."
"What Brother Yi said is really..." Zhan Yue said with a smile, "It's really interesting."
Yu Congyi glanced at him, neither confirming nor denying, and continued the previous topic, saying, "Young Master Zhan really likes wine?"
"I really like it." Zhan Yue leaned to the side, picked up a bottle of red wine, sniffed it under her nose, closed her eyes and looked very intoxicated. "I know which year any bottle of Changyu wine I randomly pick is from."
Yu Congyi's gaze returned to the hall, where Boss Zhan was still standing. He said absentmindedly, "That young master Zhan is truly remarkable. I'm already quite good at only being able to discern the variety."
Zhan Yuewei showed no intention of being modest. "This bottle in my hand has probably been aged for five years, not counting the bottling time." He glanced at Yu Congyi and saw that the other was looking in another direction with a distracted expression. Feeling a bit bored, he was about to make a few teasing remarks when Yu Congyi turned his head slightly, looked at him, and twitched the corner of his mouth.
Yu Congyi saw that Zhan Chu was about to leave and was about to say goodbye to this young master Zhan. But this smile at close range completely captivated Zhan Yuewei. Zhan Yuewei only saw the other party's slightly lowered eyelashes blink and his diamond-shaped mouth slightly upturned, looking like he wanted to say something but hesitated.
Yu Congyi's appearance was the type that Zhan Yuewei would immediately notice upon seeing him at the banquet. He was different from the others, unlike the delicate, charming, or gentle boys she had previously played with. To be precise, Yu Congyi's expression was often serious and gloomy, perhaps related to his long-term profession. At first glance, he seemed ruthless and difficult to get along with, like a dark cloud covering his face, requiring one to keep one's distance. However, upon closer inspection, one would discover that he actually possessed a beautiful face: an oval face with a pointed chin, a straight nose, a diamond-shaped mouth, slanted eyebrows, and long, straight eyelashes... Unfortunately, all this beauty was shrouded in a dark cloud, and most people dared not approach for a closer look. Zhan Yuewei, however, noticed it. More importantly, Yu Congyi was no longer a little boy. Judging from his appearance, although he was young, the air about him had long since transcended childishness; he was definitely much older than herself.
This was a type he had rarely tried before. Thinking of this, Zhan Yuewei couldn't help but feel a surge of desire. He smiled contentedly, his tongue tracing a path down his cheek. His heart itched; he intentionally licked the other's cheek, savoring the taste of the bridge of his nose and the sockets of his eyes, then tasting his alluring lips… In this respect, he and Tang Zefei were "of the same ilk, sharing the same temperament," preferring to exert themselves on handsome men, but not even glancing at women. It was a pity that they could have been a perfect couple, but their sexual positions clashed deeply; neither wanted to be the bottom. Therefore, although they were similar in nature, they couldn't be together, and could only seek pleasure separately. Sometimes they would get together to drink, chat, and invite a few entertainers and servants for some fun, which was fine, but gradually they grew to dislike each other more and more. Furthermore, their family backgrounds were similar; their fathers were both famous wealthy merchants. Over time, a subtle hostility, or perhaps a sense of competition, arose between them.
Zhan Yuewei was lost in thought when she turned her head and saw Yu Congyi put down his wine glass, indicating he was about to leave. She quickly followed him, calling out, "Brother Congyi!"
"Excuse me, I must take my leave now." Yu Congyi had no idea what he was thinking, because he had other things to do. Zhan Chu had disappeared like a fish into the sea in the blink of an eye. He hurriedly said, "See you next time." Then, without waiting for Zhan Yuewei's reaction, he left.
Zhan Yuewei laughed again behind him, feeling that she had no reason to make him stay any longer. She watched his retreating figure with lingering interest, thinking to herself, "Interesting, very interesting."
That evening, the young master of the Zhan family finally managed to arrange a meeting with Tang Zefei, saying that it had been a long time since they had dined together and that he wanted to invite her to dine at the West Tower Restaurant. Tang Zefei had just finished dealing with a matter that morning and was in a good mood, so she readily agreed.
When Tang Zefei lifted the curtain and entered the private room, Zhan Yuewei had not yet arrived. He had naturally heard about Boss Zhan's elegant banquet for Guan this morning and had his subordinate bring a gift to greet the other party's father. Fifteen minutes later, Zhan Yuewei arrived as promised.
Zhan Yuewei brought someone with her. This was a stranger; Tang Zefei hadn't seen him before, but judging from his face, it wasn't hard to guess that this was Zhan Yuewei's new lover. He wisely refrained from mentioning the previous one in front of her lover, even though he felt that Zhan Yuewei was changing lovers a bit too quickly.
Zhan Yue sat down slightly and placed his young lover beside him. His taste had always been in handsome young boys, mostly teenagers. But today, Tang Zefei noticed that the lover beside him looked much older than the others he had been with.
While blowing on the steaming hot tea in front of her, Tang Zefei looked at Zhan Yuewei through the swirling steam, a half-smile on her face, "It seems your tastes have changed?"
Zhan Yue smiled slightly, glanced at the people beside him, and then lowered his voice. The private room was empty to begin with, making him seem even more mysterious. "Changing things up. I met a wonderful person at the National Hotel today, tsk tsk, truly excellent."
"What do you mean?" Tang Zefei was always comfortable talking to him about these kinds of topics. He took a sip of tea. "Let me hear it too."
Zhan Yuewei glanced at him, opened her mouth as if considering her words, but what came out was incoherent and extremely explicit, "That man is an official, right? He must be quite high-ranking. You and I can't understand the shoulder insignia, so let's not go into that; just look at that uniform, my lord, it looks like he's not wearing anything on him, I can see right through him! His waist is so slim, his legs are so long, you can't even imagine his figure, tsk tsk, he's also extremely handsome, he looks fierce at first glance, but if you look closely, he's actually quite charming and seductive, one look from him and I'm already hard, but, you wouldn't believe it, he's probably older than both of us," Zhan Yuewei finished speaking and raised her eyebrows with a hint of pride, whistling at Tang Zefei, "I'm going to change things up, how about it, did my vivid description make you hard?"
Tang Zefei smiled enigmatically, "What's his name?"
"Yu Congyi." Zhan Yue gently stroked her lover's chin, then kissed him on the cheek, saying lightly, "Would you recognize him if I told you?"
Tang Zefei remained noncommittal, but her expression turned cold in an instant, though her tone remained unchanged: "The military officer has quite a temper; can you handle him?"
"Then I have to give it a try." Zhan Yue slightly curled the corners of her lips, then gave the person next to her a loud "kiss" on the lips, before turning her sharp eyes to Tang Zefei, "What, Mr. Tang, have you ever tried this before? What are your thoughts?"
“I have no insights,” Tang Zefei said in a low voice. “I’m just giving you a suggestion.”
After listening, Zhan Yuewei chuckled again, hugging the person next to her. Between kisses, she chatted with Tang Zefei, "Let's not talk about him anymore. What about you, Boss Tang? You should add a close confidant to your side, right? You must be so busy taking over the family business that you're about to faint. You've finally made it to the top, but can your body handle it? You should find someone to help you."
Perhaps he bit his little lover's lips too hard, because the other person made a soft "hmm" sound, frowned, and even tried to push him away. Zhan Yuewei became completely interested, hugged him tightly, and started to touch him.
Seeing this, Tang Zefei turned his face away and silently continued drinking his tea. The provocation and sarcasm in Zhan Yuewei's words were obvious, but he didn't bother to argue, ignoring the lewd sounds around him. Yu Congyi, it seemed the other party was indeed approaching the Zhan family according to his wishes, but why was he being targeted by this scoundrel… Tang Zefei glanced at Zhan Yuewei again, a nameless anger suddenly rising within him.
Yu Congyi being targeted by Zhan Yuewei wasn't surprising to Tang Zefei at all. They were both men, and both attracted to men; Yu Congyi was already quite eye-catching. Tang Zefei had actually been infatuated with him for a long time (since childhood), but other things had prevented this infatuation from fully blossoming. Recently, he had been able to see him again, and even just staring at his face for a moment brought Tang Zefei a brief moment of satisfaction. He wasn't in a hurry; he felt he could be patient and wait.
Neither he nor Zhan Yuewei were exactly decent people when it came to relationships. He almost never had a steady partner, abandoning his lover after every one-night stand. While Zhan Yuewei did have steady partners, these relationships were short-lived, rarely lasting more than a month. Given their accustomed philandering ways, settling down quickly was actually quite difficult. But what Tang Zefei absolutely didn't want to see was Yu Congyi fall into Zhan Yuewei's hands. Tang Zefei knew perfectly well what kind of person Zhan Yuewei was—a wolf who would exploit and then discard his prey!
Tang Zefei also had a different perspective on why he never sought a steady partner. In fact, it might seem absurd, but it was precisely because he found it difficult to truly fall in love with others. After satisfying his desires, he was too lazy to ask for or offer any more affection from those people, and he knew he couldn't give them genuine love. So, like many heartless people, he would often leave those people before dawn and never linger.
Yu Congyi occupies a very delicate, or perhaps uniquely special, position in his heart.
He genuinely liked him, was fascinated by him, and deeply attracted to him, yet he dared not approach him rashly, dared not taint him, dared not violate him. He could vent his desires on anyone, but he dared not treat Yu Congyi that way. He felt that a gentleman was like an orchid—approachable, usable, but not defiled. Yu Congyi, the brother who played the harmonica under the willow tree in his childhood, and the Yu Congyi who grew up to be a soldier but whose service he didn't know, was a source of contradiction in his heart.
At the other table, Zhan Yuewei knew that he had come to treat someone to dinner, so he didn't act too blatantly and restrained himself. He finally let go of his blushing lover and picked up his chopsticks to eat.
Tang Zefei said nothing more. He sat opposite Zhan Yuewei, concealing from her the fact that he had known Yu Congyi much earlier than her. He simply drank his tea and ate his food without moving an inch.
He wanted to see what Yu Congyi would do next.
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