Chapter 32
"Big brother, shall we go eat Sichuan-style food tonight?" Before falling completely asleep, Jiang Fengming hugged Yu Congyi's back through his bathrobe and murmured.
Yu Congyi did not reply, but felt a pair of arms wrapped around his waist, sticky and confined by his clothes and blankets.
Perhaps it was because the heating had gradually come on in the room, and the thick, heavy blankets made it feel stuffy and oxygen-deprived. Jiang Fengming was also tightly wrapped around his back, making him feel inexplicably hot and awkward. Yu Congyi lay burying his head in the blankets for a while, when suddenly a wave of nausea rose in his throat. He felt inexplicably annoyed, and his drowsiness lessened somewhat. He kept his eyes open and endured it for a while before turning over to adjust to a sleeping position that would be as comfortable as possible for both of them. He pried Jiang Fengming's arms off his waist and grabbed his wrist.
"Your hands will be numb when you wake up from a nap," Yu Congyi whispered a reminder.
"Oh," Jiang Fengming replied, pulling his arm back, his voice tinged with disappointment.
"Go to sleep."
He closed his eyes and remained still, as did Jiang Fengming; the two lay quietly side by side. The room was dimly lit with the curtains drawn, the temperature just right—warm and comfortable. The backstreets of Victoria were as quiet as a deep valley in the early hours of the morning, without a sound from the outside. Soon, Yu Congyi's breathing became even and long—he quickly fell asleep.
…
Yu Congyi was lost in thought that night, and dreamt of Tang Zefei shortly after falling asleep. This time, Tang Zefei didn't fight with him in his dream; instead, the scene was a riverbank.
The valley was shrouded in morning mist. Yu Congyi didn't know why he had come here, or why he had met Tang Zefei here. Tang Zefei stood side by side with him on the jagged rocks by the valley floor, looking at the rushing river below. They were very close, but a thin layer of mist still surrounded them, making it difficult for Yu Congyi to see him clearly.
"Look at it," Tang Zefei's voice came through in a muffled way. Yu Congyi turned his head and saw that he was holding a black bird in his hands and looking at him expressionlessly.
As he approached, Yu Congyi looked into the hunter's hand. It was a dying crow, shot in the chest by an arrow, the arrow shaft leaving a deep, bloody hole. The arrow lay on the pebble beach, staining the ground with blood, the blood on the scissor's hilt already congealed.
"How could there be hunters here?" Yu Congyi looked around and muttered to himself. "With such thick fog, who could possibly see a crow in the woods?"
Tang Zefei didn't speak, but simply lowered her head and held the crow, her white hands supporting its dark body. The scene was eerie and fragile, making one's heart ache.
"Save him, you have to save him." Tang Zefei repeated after a while.
Yu Congyi nodded, thinking that the bird had been saved. He put down what he was holding and looked towards the riverbank, wondering if there were herbs on the other side that could save the bird if he could cross the swift river.
When he looked down and saw clearly what he had just put down, he suddenly froze.
It was a sturdy, large bow, its back shaped like a crescent moon, clearly carved from deer antlers. The bowstring was taut, made of deer sinew. Bloodstains splattered on the bowstring, and he looked at his own hands; they were bleeding too.
Yu Congyi stood there, stunned and suddenly at a loss. He was the one who killed the crow. Yet now he was contradicting himself, expending all his energy to cross the river to gather herbs and save it.
Embarrassed, he walked to the riverbank, squatted down, and washed the blood off his hands. Looking up at Tang Zefei, he said, "I really wanted to save him, but I didn't know if I could succeed. This was all I could do."
He turned and walked towards the river. The river was swift, the waves crashing against the banks, creating white foam and a rustling sound like wind through the birch forest. He continued walking forward. He walked quickly, yet slowly and laboriously, as the water gradually rose above his feet, his calves, and his knees. The water was icy cold, devoid of any warmth, but the thought that he was the murderer of that crow fueled his unforgivable urge to keep going. The river rose higher and higher, and he walked slower and slower, gradually realizing that if he insisted on crossing, he would be gambling with his life. When the water reached his chest, he looked back one last time and saw Tang Zefei still standing on the distant bank, holding the bird in her hands…
As the river water rose to his chin and filled his mouth, he was already numb from walking. The icy water hadn't frozen his will; even at this critical juncture, he still didn't want to turn back, and naturally, he could only move forward. Now, his whole being was closer to a state of bewilderment, calm, and despair. He continued forward, yet suddenly didn't know why he was moving forward—ultimately leading to his inevitable drowning—and why he had been so determined to kill that crow in the first place. It was as if his initial pursuit had been lost along the long journey across the river.
He lost all meaning in it.
The river water was cold and heavy. Yu Congyi closed his eyes, awaiting his final fate of drowning…
Then he suddenly woke up.
Fortunately, the world in the dream did not exist in reality. The white waves receded before his eyes and disappeared completely. Yu Congyi moved his fingers. He was under a soft mattress, sheets and blankets, warm as spring. When he looked up, there was no cold river water, but an arm wrapped around his neck.
"Big brother, you're awake?" The sound of waves crashing against the rocks had stopped, and Jiang Fengming's lively and clear voice rang in my ears.
After a nightmare that suddenly ends, there's always a wave of wistful joy. Yu Congyi stared blankly at Jiang Fengming's face so close to his, his emotions calming down, though not outwardly displayed, a hint of relieved smile appeared on his face. He turned over, touching his forehead, feeling tired and with a headache. His arm was sore, numb, and weak—evidence of the blood transfusion he'd received at the hospital the previous night.
Jiang Fengming saw him smile and smiled back, then simply rolled over and sat up straight in bed. "Big brother, I've been awake for a while now. I've been watching you. The way you look when you're sleeping, hehe, you're so peaceful and beautiful!"
Yu Congyi was already used to the other party's unreliable talk, and simply pulled the blanket down a little, saying, "It's too open, it's cold."
"What time is it?" After a while, when he had calmed down a bit, he asked Jiang Fengming.
"It's almost eight o'clock." Jiang Fengming got out of bed, changed into his pajamas, and then pounced on the bed, squeezing into the covers. He pulled the curtains open a crack, and daylight leaked into the room through the gap.
Yu Congyi looked at the sky and guessed that it would be a cloudy day and the rain would continue.
"Big brother," Jiang Fengming hugged him under the covers, whispered in his ear, and said with a chuckle, "Big brother, the heating wasn't working this morning, so I felt cold and slept with you in my arms. Later, I felt like you were getting aroused."
"What wonderful dream did you have last night, brother? Tell me about it."
Upon hearing this, Yu Congyi lifted the quilt and touched the mattress beneath him, finding it dry. He propped his chin up and glanced at the other man, frowning slightly. He didn't answer, but after a moment's thought, he suddenly smiled. "Is that so? But I didn't have any good dreams, though I did have some nightmares I can tell you about."
"Nightmare aside," Jiang Fengming clicked his tongue. "Brother, I thought you were dreaming about some beautiful woman. How come you were actually scared and reacted? Speaking of which..."
He thought for a moment, then suddenly stroked his chin mischievously and looked at Yu Congyi, "You've been alone for so long, it's not good. You know, people still need someone to keep them company. You really don't plan to find someone?"
Yu Congyi had already sat up, still wearing his clothes. He didn't even look at Jiang Fengming, just giving a few perfunctory "hmm"s.
“Brother, I’ll take you to Lane 18 in a while. There are all kinds of beauties there! You should try them out first,” Jiang Fengming immediately suggested, walking around the bed to Yu Congyi’s side. “It’s kind of boring to live like this all the time, isn’t it? There are so many joys in life, enjoy them one by one!”
"Don't do anything reckless." Yu Congyi didn't take his words to heart. He got out of bed, changed his clothes, put on his shoes, and went to the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth. By this time, he had already put the strange dream from that morning out of his mind. The tooth powder had already been prepared by the servants and placed to one side. Yu Congyi leaned on the sink, picked up a small knife, and shaved his lip and chin clean, bit by bit. Seeing that he wasn't going to pay attention to him, Jiang Fengming followed him into the bathroom and changed the subject, saying, "Brother, are you free tonight? I want to eat Sichuan-style food. I was going to go yesterday, but I didn't make it. Let's go tonight!"
“Go ahead,” Yu Congyi replied while washing his face. “I’ll naturally agree to go with you to eat whatever you want.”
"Alright." Jiang Fengming was extremely satisfied. "Then I'll go downstairs and have them prepare breakfast."
"What are you doing today?" Yu Congyi asked.
“I have to go see those old fogies from the Haihe Chamber of Commerce. Sigh,” Jiang Fengming shook his head, “I have no choice but to go.”
During breakfast, Jiang Fengming mentioned something to Yu Congyi that surprised him. Jiang Fengming wanted Yu Congyi to get rid of Yang Ruinian as soon as possible. As long as Yang Ruinian remained alive, Jiang Fengming wouldn't have peace of mind. So, on his way to the Military Police Headquarters, Yu Congyi kept thinking about this, and he realized that Jiang Fengming hadn't truly let go of what happened the previous night; in fact, he hadn't let go at all.
Yu Congyi had already made up his mind to kill Yang Ruinian. Yang Ruinian had humiliated Jiang Jiejie, which was a major reason for her death, and he could not be easily forgiven. Therefore, even if Jiang Fengming didn't say anything, he would not let him go.
On the first day of the twelfth lunar month, a light snow began to fall over the French Concession of Tianjin. After seeing Director Qian and his entourage off at the Chifeng Café, Yu Congyi moved to a window seat, ordered another coffee, and gazed at the street scene through the glass window as he drank.
According to a report from an informant in the Fifth Road of the French Concession, Yang Ruinian had reserved a table at the Linyuan Restaurant, diagonally opposite Chifeng, for this afternoon a few days ago. He would undoubtedly be there today with a business partner. Yu Congyi knew that since Yang Xiang's death, his movements and habits had become extremely cautious, fearing he might one day suffer the same fate as his father's mysterious assassination. Therefore, meeting Yang Ruinian in person was no easy task for Yu Congyi now. Today's visit was unexpected, and he couldn't miss the opportunity. Yu Congyi, who had been looking for a chance to eliminate Yang Ruinian, wouldn't let this opportunity slip by. He needed to wait patiently until the event was over before seeking a solution.
About half an hour later, a black Buick slowly drove up and finally stopped opposite Chifeng. Yu Congyi knew that a "distinguished person" must have arrived, so he slowly unfolded the scroll in his hand, half-concealed his face, and quietly observed everything from behind the book.
The driver got out of the car, and Yu Congyi's eyelids twitched as he looked at the figure behind him. At the same time, he subconsciously lowered his gaze. When he looked over again, the driver had already moved the back seat of the car, and Tang Zefei stepped out of the car. The two walked towards Linyuan Hotel one after the other. Who else could the driver be but Lu Jin?
What was Tang Zefei doing here today? Yu Congyi was completely baffled. He closed his book, adjusted his seat, took a sip of his drink, and continued to watch out of the corner of his eye. He saw Tang Zefei walk to a Parker parked in front of the entrance, stop, and give a rather exaggerated greeting. Then he walked to the back of the car and started chatting with a young man in black standing behind it.
That young man was Yang Ruinian.
Upon seeing Yu Congyi, Yang Ruinian suddenly beamed with joy. He stepped forward, and the two exchanged a brief hug before engaging in lively conversation.
Tang Zefei and Yang Ruinian seemed to be chatting and laughing very warmly, a sight Yu Congyi had never seen before, and they seemed to be on very friendly terms, like brothers.
Fine snowflakes drifted down from the sky, melting as they landed on the windowpane. Yu Congyi's eyes would occasionally follow these transparent droplets, filtering and moving them. The coffee shop was heated, and he would often raise his hand to wipe the condensation from the window in front of him. The condensation would be wiped away, only to condense again in a thin layer, a cycle that repeated itself. Actually, he didn't need any cover at this moment; the person on the other side of the street wouldn't notice him at all. However, Yu Congyi still gently used the corner of his book to block half of his view—Tang Zefei's figure, like a fluttering flag, kept crashing into his eyes. It was somewhat dazzling.
Unconsciously, Yu Congyi gripped the cup tightly, accidentally spilling the full cup of coffee. So, the person supposedly discussing business with Boss Yang today was him, Yu Congyi silently confirmed in his mind. The black-clad figure finally entered Lin Garden arm in arm with Yang Ruinian, and Yu Congyi placed the book he was holding face down on the table. Staring at the blurry glass for too long made his eyes water, so Yu Congyi rubbed his eyes, then stood up and called a waiter, "One Baic No. 5 (a type of cake) to go."
"Okay!" the waiter replied crisply and hurried away. Yu Congyi left his seat and stood by the passageway at the entrance of the coffee shop, watching the people coming and going at the entrance of Fang Lin Garden.
Jiang Jiejie's death is inextricably linked to the Yang family. Since Tang Zefei knew Jiang Jiejie, she must also know about her husband's family. Furthermore, before the incident at Xinxianlin, Yu Congyi made it clear that he wouldn't let any of the murderers who harmed Jiang Jiejie go free. Tang Zefei clearly knows this, so why is she now so intimately fraternal with Yang Ruinian?
Yu Congyi continued to look at the opposite intersection, a look of doubt on his face.
Suddenly, he remembered what the other party had said: "Yang Xiang interfered with his business, so he eliminated him." Then how could his son not be an obstacle? Did he even remember what he had done? Or were all businessmen like this, where the murder of one's father was merely a trivial matter in the business world? This man seemed to be joking about everything he said, without a single definite answer. Yu Congyi pondered this for a moment, then thought to himself that it would be a miracle if he could hear the truth from Tang Zefei.
He disliked and loathed the feeling of being unwittingly manipulated by the other party.
A wave of displeasure washed over Yu Congyi. He recalled all the times Tang Zefei had confessed her feelings to him, but it all seemed to vanish into thin air, leaving him feeling utterly empty and unreal.
But if he thought that way, was he hoping for something before?
"Sir, your Baic is ready. Would you like it to go?" At this moment, a waiter stepped forward, carrying a cake box.
"No, thank you," Yu Congyi said, looking at the pastries in his hand. "I'll eat here."
The taste of the coffee was too sweet for him. After taking a few spoonfuls, Yu Congyi frowned and simply poured the half-finished cup of coffee onto the creamy foam.
He doesn't like overly sweet or cloying foods.
Since it was something we had already anticipated, why did we still have any illusions at the time?
A meal takes neither too long nor too short. Yu Congyi, however, didn't find the time passing particularly slowly because he needed to keep his eyes constantly focused on the target's movements. An hour later, he stood up again from his seat by the window and put down his metal cutlery.
Yang Ruinian emerged. Tang Zefei, of course, appeared alongside him.
Yu Congyi didn't know if they had been drinking. He figured Tang Zefei's alcohol tolerance was probably low, and due to his health, he couldn't consume too much alcohol. Judging from Yang Ruinian's gait, he also didn't seem to have drunk too much.
Yu Congyi wiped his mouth, quickly put on his hat, lowered his head, turned away from the flow of people in the coffee shop, and pushed open the door to leave.
Yang Ruinian and Tang Zefei were saying goodbye. Yu Congyi stood by a phone booth on the street, hiding in a blind spot. He saw Tang Zefei standing by the roadside again, talking to Yang Ruinian. Even though he couldn't hear their conversation clearly from the distance, their laughter carried on the wind. In this cold weather, with snow still falling, what made them have so much to talk about? They hadn't finished their conversation at the dinner party, and now they were standing here in this cold weather, laughing and talking?
"Hurry up, hurry up," Yu Congyi repeatedly commanded Tang Zefei in his mind. Beside Yang Ruinian stood a driver and three bodyguards. After about the time it takes to smoke a cigarette, they remained motionless. Yu Congyi took out his pocket watch and glanced at it; it was nearly six in the evening, the fifth busiest time of day. Such a time and place were extremely unfavorable for assassinations or similar activities. Forcing a move would only expose them.
Tang Zefei and Yang Ruinian were still talking, and Yu Congyi probably knew that his mission for today was impossible to complete. The shops on both sides of the road slowly lit up with their orange lights, and more and more pedestrians appeared on the road. The entire Fifth Road was filled with an untimely illusion of warmth in the snowy winter day.
Yu Congyi walked down the street, his hat pulled down.
"Alright, that's all for today. We'll get together again next time. The roads are slippery with snow, Mr. Yang, please be careful on your way home, hahaha." Finally, the two parted ways, and Yu Congyi was close enough to get close to Yang Ruinian. To his utter surprise, Tang Zefei sent Lu Jin to escort Yang Ruinian away. Watching Yang Ruinian being surrounded by bodyguards and get into the car, Lu Jin, as the driver, started the engine and sped away, Yu Congyi's heart sank completely. A surge of anger slowly welled up inside him; he was resentful for losing this opportunity for nothing.
I don't know when I'll get another chance like this.
Yu Congyi did not linger any longer, pulled down the brim of his hat, and quickly left.
Just then, an icicle fell from under the eaves of a building, heading straight for his side. Yu Congyi dodged it, and when he looked down, he saw the icicle hit the snow and create several small, sparkling ice flowers. Yu Congyi snorted inwardly, wondering if he should be glad he hadn't been hit, when he caught sight of a burning gaze.
He looked up and met Tang Zefei's eyes across the street.
When their eyes met, the indifference turned into surprise and even delight.
Yu Congyi glanced at the other person expressionlessly, said nothing, and walked away.
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