Chapter 64 The Night Visitor (Revised)
A sudden gunshot shattered the night.
Geng Zhi charged out carrying an axe, followed by Zheng Xiaowei, who was cowering behind him, his hands gripping sharpened iron rods as if they were spears.
"What's wrong, boss? Is there a thief?!"
Geng Zhi ran upstairs, past the cleaning lady holding a gun, and saw He Changyi aiming his gun outside. He rushed over recklessly.
He Changyi didn't turn around, and calmly gave the order:
"You and Zheng Xiaowei go downstairs and block the front door and windows with furniture. There are guns in the closet in my bedroom. Each of you take one and guard the other windows on the second floor."
Zheng Xiaowei said in a trembling voice, "But...but I've never learned how to use a gun..."
Geng Zhi's mind was actually working faster than his at this moment, and he immediately said:
"Even if you don't know how, you have to pretend! Just stand by the window with a gun in hand, and you'll scare them away!"
Imitating He Changyi's mannerisms, Zheng Xiaowei shakily propped the long rifle on the windowsill. He cautiously peered downstairs and happened to see the thief below.
The other person's expression was a mixture of ferocity, terror, and fear. The moment they saw the gun barrel, they instinctively flinched and backed away.
Zheng Xiaowei, instead emboldened, shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Sukabul! I'll fuck your whole family! Baka! You damned foreign devil! @#￥%&*! Yasuka!"
He didn't care what he was cursing about; he just yelled a bunch of nonsense, his voice cracking as he kept going. In the end, however, Gengzhi came over and patted him on the shoulder.
"Alright, they've all run away. If you shout again, don't summon the wolves."
The thieves retreated.
Faced with multiple gun barrels at once, even Tyson, wearing a bulletproof vest, would have to back down, let alone this group of seemingly tough but actually cowardly young men from Emily.
The cleaning woman breathed a sigh of relief, pulled the safety back, returned the gun to He Changyi, and went back to the room to find her daughter. The mother and daughter hugged each other tightly.
Zheng Xiaowei, however, clung to the gun with reluctance and shamelessly asked if he could sleep with it in his arms.
He Changyi remained expressionless and simply said, "Okay."
As Zheng Xiaowei was overjoyed, she added:
"However, if you sleep in a room by yourself, and the gun accidentally goes off in the middle of the night, it will at most cause one casualty."
Zheng Xiaowei: "...Huh?!"
He obediently returned the gun to He Changyi.
Geng Zhi rarely gave Zheng Xiaowei a friendly look, and asked him curiously, "Where did you learn Emei language? Why can't I understand some of the words?"
Zheng Xiaowei said in a hoarse voice, "It's right that you don't understand. I made it up on the spot. Don't you even realize how long I've been here and how many words of Emei I've learned? You don't even use your brain."
upright:……
There's no need to pay any attention to him!
After the chaos, the night returned to tranquility.
If a gunfight were to break out in Zhongguo in the middle of the night, the entire city's public security and armed police, as well as the nearby garrison, would mobilize.
But this is Oros.
There were no police, no soldiers, and not even any neighbors who came out to check the situation.
Everyone took it for granted, silently enduring in bed, waiting for dawn.
He Changyi sat on a recliner by the window, holding a gun, pretending to doze off. The little black dog stood guard beside her, its ears perked up warily.
She didn't dare fall asleep, worried that the thief would come back to retaliate.
Although she refrained from aiming at them, allowing the scumbags to escape unscathed in their truck with its tires punctured, who knows what they were thinking, or whether they thought she was just bluffing?
After all, she really didn't want to attract the attention of the local police; those legal robbers were much more difficult to deal with than thieves.
If the police are watching, they can disguise a gang of thieves who were killed in a failed theft attempt as innocent bystanders who were attacked, and use this opportunity to confiscate all her assets, or even detain her in a small dark room at the police station like robbers, until a satisfactory ransom is delivered.
He Changyi closed his eyes and pondered how, as a fat sheep being targeted, he could protect his sheepfold amidst the wolves around him.
Suddenly, the sound of a car approaching from afar came through the window, which was quite unusual.
In the 1990s, the number of cars per capita in Russia was far less than in later years. Not to mention that in this desolate and impoverished city, the nighttime economy was practically nonexistent. Even Tyson would remember the advice not to go out after dark.
He Changyi opened her eyes.
She silently stood up, gun in hand, and ordered the little black dog to be quiet before it barked.
Outside the window, a black Volga sedan was parked downstairs.
He Changyi raised an eyebrow. This was rather unusual. Did the thieves abandon that beat-up truck and come to rob us in a car instead?
They'd better pray that the car is bulletproof.
She held the gun steady, the scope precisely positioned at the car door; the moment someone peeked out, she was guaranteed a fatal shot.
This time she won't hold back.
The driver's side door was pushed open from the inside, and under the streetlight, a long leg wrapped in a uniform stepped out.
Next, there's another one.
An uninvited guest in a dark gray uniform got out of the car, casually closed the door, and his heels clicked against the bricks with a crisp, subtle sound.
He casually took off his hat, and in the dim light, his blond hair was almost black.
He Changyi put down his gun.
She saw Andrei through the scope.
Without alerting anyone, He Changyi quickly went downstairs and opened the door.
Andrei's hand, which was about to knock on the door, froze in mid-air. He looked quietly at He Changyi and withdrew his hand.
"haven't seen you for a long time."
He Changyi stood at the door, the little black dog clinging tightly to her legs, growling threateningly, and baring its teeth at the stranger with its upper lip.
To be honest, the little black dog is still quite intimidating in size, especially when it clearly shows its aggressive tendencies; even a timid person would tremble in their legs.
Andrei, however, seemed oblivious, focusing intently on He Changyi.
"Don't you have anything to say to me?"
He Changyi said, "You know, this was indeed a bit unexpected. I wasn't prepared to receive guests from Moscow in the early hours of the morning."
Andrei said, "No, there's no need for reception. You're enough here."
He Changyi opened the door and gestured for him to come in.
"Then at least I should treat you to a cup of tea."
He Changyi led Andrei to the rarely used reception room. On the way, as they passed the stairs leading to the second floor, Andrei suddenly looked up. He Changyi followed his gaze and met the cleaning lady's uneasy eyes.
"Don't worry, this is my friend."
After thinking for a moment, He Changyi added, "He is trustworthy."
She didn't reveal Andrei's police identity, fearing it might have the opposite effect.
After all, in modern-day Russia, "police" is not a synonym for justice; it's more like an antonym.
The cleaning lady nodded silently, looked at He Changyi questioningly, and after receiving a signal that she didn't need help, quietly returned to her room.
Just as I passed the stairwell, a loud snoring duet came from the bedroom not far away.
He Changyi: ...
She had to explain to Andrei that the place was home to her two employees, not two wild boars rooting around for food.
Andrei didn't say anything, and sat silently on the cheap cloth sofa.
He Changyi turned on the desk lamp. In the dim light, Andrei's presence seemed to make the old, colorful tapestry behind him look more luxurious, as if it were not a cheap suburban cottage, but a high-end antique apartment.
He Changyi rummaged through drawers and cabinets and found an unopened package of tea leaves. When he was about to brew it, he discovered that the thermos was empty, so he had to boil water on the spot.
She leaned against the stove with her hands behind her back, facing Andrei, who had been quiet ever since she entered the room.
"I'm sorry for the poor hospitality. I rarely receive guests. Please don't mind."
Andrei finally spoke: "No, this is good enough."
His gaze fell on her injured leg, and he said softly, "Does your wound still hurt?"
He Changyi didn't react immediately, subconsciously thinking that Andrei was asking if her injury had healed, and replied, "It's healed, I can even participate in sprint races."
But Andrei stubbornly asked again, "Does your wound still hurt?"
He Changyi was stunned for a moment.
"No, of course not, it has completely healed."
Andrei suddenly added, "I've been to Dmitrov Street."
Dmitrov Street is the street where Vitaly's grandmother's house is located.
He Changyi was a little unsure what he wanted to say.
Andrei looked away, no longer looking at her, as if he regretted bringing up the topic.
He Changyi tentatively said, "I'll stay there to recover from my injuries."
Andrei said quickly, "I know, I saw it."
He closed his mouth again, his lips tightly pressed together, as if afraid that he would lose control and say something inappropriate or unfit for what he was about to say.
He Changyi, however, wouldn't let him off the hook and pressed on, asking, "What did you see?"
Andrei neither looked at her nor spoke.
He Changyi walked up to him and forcefully squeezed herself into his line of sight, so Andrei looked down at the floor, as if he could see the Tsar's treasure map in the messy patterns.
He Changyi remained resolute, determined not to give up until she answered, and stubbornly asked:
"Andrei, what exactly did you see?"
She even reached out and pressed on his shoulder, forcing him to look at her.
Having no way to avoid the topic, Andrei brought up another one.
"You shouldn't be hanging out with that mafia."
He Changyi asked uncertainly, "Are you talking about Alexei?"
Andrei’s tone carried a contempt he himself was unaware of.
"Alexei? A criminal who hasn't been caught yet."
He Changyi was a little angry.
"He is my friend, he saved me."
Andrei glanced at her, his expression not good.
"Then you should find a more respectable and safer friend."
He Changyi was almost laughing out of anger.
"A respectable friend? Andrei, is your definition of a friend simply whether or not one is respectable or not?"
Andrei did not speak.
He Changyi mocked, "According to your standards for making friends, you shouldn't be friends with a disreputable street vendor from Zhongguo."
Andrei retorted, "You're different."
He Changyi said, "I don't think I'm any better than Alexei. At least he's a retired soldier who risked his life for your country on the battlefield!"
Andrei suddenly said, "Are you going to argue with me because of him?"
He Changyi said angrily, "You brought it up first. You were the one who inexplicably tried to belittle Alexei. You've barely even met each other a few times!"
Andrei's expression was rather unpleasant.
"Then I apologize."
He Changyi said, "No need, you don't need to apologize to me."
She didn't want to dwell on the topic any longer. After all, Andrei had driven all night from Mosk to Vladimir. Whatever his reason for coming, she should at least show more friendliness as a guest who had come from afar.
However, Andrei spoke first.
“I hate him, not just because of his Mafia identity, but also because he’s always around you.”
He paused, then added as if to cover something up: "A potential danger."
He Changyi sighed.
"Alexei is not dangerous."
But Andrei said, "But he will bring danger."
He Changyi bluntly said, "But the Emei police pose more dangers to me. In fact, I encounter extortionate police officers almost every week, but I encounter the mafia much less often."
A hint of embarrassment flashed across Andrei's face.
I'm sorry.
He Changyi sighed: "Never mind, this has nothing to do with you."
Andrei was silent for a moment, then said again, "Even if some of the police extorted you, it doesn't mean the Mafia are good people. In fact, they are far worse than the police. I don't want anything to happen to you."
Is this what cops and criminals are like? They are natural enemies, and even though they have very little interaction, they still hate each other.
Alexei was like that, and so was Andrei.
He Changyi was at a loss.
"Okay, I understand how you feel, but let's not bring this up anymore, okay?"
Andrei stubbornly insisted, "Don't go see him again."
He Changyi asked him, "You should at least give me a reason."
Andrei and He Changyi locked eyes, their gazes undisguised.
"What if it's just for me?"
He Changyi was somewhat surprised, but not that surprised.
She already knew.
She should have known.
Silence fell again until the kettle began to boil. He Changyi reached for the handle, but forgot to put a towel under the metal handle, and almost dropped the kettle because it was so hot.
In the midst of the chaos, someone suddenly approached her. Amidst the threatening growls of the little black dog, Andrei grabbed her wrist, turned on the tap, and rinsed her hand under the cold water.
He was still wearing white gloves, and the two did not even have any skin contact.
The snoring stopped sometime ago, and in the dead of night, only the sound of rushing water could be heard.
He Changyi leaned against Andrei, the brass buttons of her uniform digging uncomfortably into her back.
She turned her head as if to say something, her hair brushing against Andrei's neck. Without warning, he suddenly leaned down, so close that their breaths mingled, and just a little closer, he was about to kiss her.
But in the end, he stopped.
He Changyi looked into Andrei's eyes, which were a deep blue.
She asked softly, "Why did you come?"
Driving overnight from Mosk, 200 kilometers away, to Vladimir in an expensive Volga sedan on a deserted highway late at night is hardly a good option.
The dim light shone down from the side and above, casting a shadow on Andrei's brow bone.
He said, "I don't know. Or perhaps I should know?"
He Changyi didn't speak. She withdrew her hand and casually turned off the tap, abruptly breaking the hazy atmosphere.
She wrapped a towel around the handle of the kettle and steadily lifted it to brew tea. Gradually, the aroma of tea slowly wafted from the spout of the kettle.
Andrei silently sat back on the sofa, watching He Changyi pour the black tea from the teapot into a teacup and push it in front of him.
"If you want an answer, you've probably come to the wrong person."
She didn't look at him, but impatiently grabbed the little black dog that was eyeing her and rubbed it vigorously.
The little black dog was so petted that it had no temper left. It wanted to scare away the intruding stranger, but it also wanted to enjoy its owner's pats. The dog wished it could be split in two, one half baring its teeth and the other half wagging its tail.
She had a vague understanding of the situation, but like an ostrich, she refused to face reality.
It's terrible, he's taking it too seriously, but she doesn't want to.
Why can't we approach this relationship with a more relaxed attitude and be more casual?
Andrei picked up his teacup but didn't drink it. His gaze pierced through the rising steam and went straight to He Changyi.
"You're the one who raised the question."
He Changyi inexplicably felt like a scumbag was being confronted by a heavily pregnant woman demanding responsibility.
She shook her head. No, it must be an illusion.
"Perhaps you've misunderstood. I have nothing to ask, let alone an answer."
Andrei put down his cup, the bottom of which tapped lightly against the scratched old wooden table.
Are you trying to say that everything was just a misunderstanding on my part?
His tone was extremely gentle, with his usual mildness, and there was even a faint smile on his face.
He Changyi, however, was on edge.
"Andrei".
She repeated it again: "Andrei".
What kind of answer do you want from me? Or is all you need just an answer?
He Changyi stood up, and the little black dog subconsciously followed its owner's footsteps, only to watch helplessly as she sat down next to the stranger.
Andrei's body tensed up suddenly.
Too close...
It was probably because I was sleepy, plus a little bit of residual alcohol.
He Changyi recklessly stretched out his hand, roughly tracing Andrei's outline like a rogue.
Or perhaps, she always was.
From the eyes, to the nose, and then to the lips.
Andrei had an overly refined face; he was a rather handsome Slavic man.
Undeniably, if it weren't for his appearance, He Changyi probably wouldn't have taken the initiative to befriend him. After all, everyone has a love for beauty, she just has a greater love for it than others.
He Changyi asked, "What kind of answer are you looking for?"
Andrei lowered his eyes, staring intently at He Changyi, like a wild beast that had spotted its prey; this focus was chilling.
Even when He Changyi's fingers brushed against his eyelids, he didn't blink once.
"I……"
Before Andrei could finish speaking, suddenly, there was a banging sound from both the door and the window!
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Author's Note: Should I split it into two chapters or add it all to one? Any suggestions?
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