Chapter 1
Fengtian, 1931.
The car quietly pulled up behind the building. Hearing the noise, the White Russian man came out to greet them with a kerosene lamp. Although he was blond and blue-eyed, he spoke fluent Chinese: "Mr. Rong has arrived? Madam is waiting for you upstairs."
The young man who got out of the car ignored the man. He simply turned his head and looked around, seeing that it was dark and there was no one else around. Then he opened the car door, put an arm inside, and let Rongxiang help him out of the car.
Rong Xiang was tall and slender, wearing a gray suit that fit him perfectly, highlighting his waistline. He had a good physique and a handsome face, with well-shaped eyebrows and phoenix eyes, and his skin was especially fair and delicate, almost to the point that you couldn't see any pores. The night was cool, and he wore a thick felt hat askew on his head, covering most of his eyebrows and eyes, which only made his straight nose appear even more prominent, giving him an almost Western look.
The White Russian man saw the main character get out of the car and said nothing more. He opened the back door, took a lantern, and went in to lead the way. Rong Xiang supported Xiao Meng with one hand and held onto the wall with the other. The building was old and the stairs were broken and uneven. Rong Xiang slipped, and although Xiao Meng immediately caught him, he still groaned in surprise.
After overcoming numerous difficulties to reach the second floor, the waiter pushed open a door at the top of the stairs, and the three were immediately greeted by a brightly lit room. Inside were a man and a woman; the woman, dressed in luxurious and fashionable attire, sat under a bright light, repeatedly examining the room with her fingers spread wide. The White Russian man standing beside her had his head bowed and was speaking rapidly in Russian to her. Hearing the door open, she turned her head, a smile appearing on her face: "You've come?"
Rong Xiang took off his hat, bowed slightly to her, and said softly, "I'm sorry I'm late." He then casually tossed the hat to Xiao Meng behind him. The woman in front of him was his second sister-in-law, named Huizhen, whose family was the renowned Feng Kaishan family. After Feng Kaishan was assassinated last year, her younger brother, Feng Dingkun, was now the head of the family.
After hearing Rong Xiang's apology, Feng Huizhen did not reply, but only glanced over slightly: "Come over and help me take a look, I'm a little undecided."
When Rongxiang got to her side, he noticed that she was wearing a huge diamond ring on each of her slender fingers, which shone brightly under the bright lights, almost blindingly so.
"Which one is better?" Feng Huizhen looked up and asked him with a smile, "This fire oil diamond is nice, but it's a ten-carat diamond, too big. Wearing it will only make people laugh, and it will be too heavy for my hand to lift. And this one, the style is just so-so, but the bald head is so good, it's almost blinding. And this pink diamond, the size and shape are just right, but of course the color isn't deep enough, it's so pink that it's almost invisible. Tell me, which one is better?"
Feng Huizhen spoke at length in a clear and loud voice, but Rong Xiang simply smiled and shook his head: "I think they're just transparent stones. You can choose whichever one you like."
Rong Xiang, with his easygoing and aloof nature, might be a perfect match for a woman of the night. But Feng Huizhen was different; she was a wealthy young lady, and her relationship with her brother-in-law wasn't for money. Fortunately, she understood Rong Xiang's personality and didn't stoop to his level. She simply smiled, lowered her head, and continued examining the diamond rings. Fifteen minutes later, she finally bit her lip, her face showing a resolute expression: "Is this the pink diamond one? What do you think?"
Rong Xiang was still smiling, but the out-of-the-way light from the spotlight cast the shadows of his eyelashes onto his cheeks, making him look a little strange: "Okay, very pretty."
Once the goods were chosen, the bargaining began. Feng Huizhen, being the recipient of the gift, couldn't negotiate the price herself. So, it was Rongxiang's turn. He actually knew a little Russian, but deliberately refused to speak it, having Xiao Meng translate instead. Seeing the language barrier, the shopkeeper became much more agreeable, avoiding many tricks and empty words, and quickly settled on a price: eight large bars. Come tomorrow, one hand for the gold bars, the other for the diamond ring.
After leaving the White Russian's underground jewelry store, Rongxiang and Feng Huizhen got into the car together. The driver was still Xiao Meng. The car started, first driving around the city for a bit, and then heading home.
Feng Huizhen leaned her face close to Rong Xiang's suit collar and sighed softly, "Xiao Meng told me to wait for you here today, and I was so confused—why did she suddenly decide to buy me a ring?" She had actually wanted to lean on Rong Xiang's shoulder, but she was afraid of messing up her hair, so she chose this position instead.
Rongxiang put his arm around her shoulder and said, "Today is our one-year anniversary, so we should commemorate it."
Feng Huizhen was stunned for a moment. At first, she felt happy that Rongxiang was so thoughtful. But then an indescribable sadness welled up in her heart: What a year of fear and anxiety they had endured. If things continued like this, when would it end? There was no end. They were already the second sister-in-law and the younger brother-in-law. They would remain the second sister-in-law and the younger brother-in-law until their deaths. If they were to make the slightest mistake and someone found a handle against them, it would be a crime that would ruin their reputation and prevent them from ever recovering.
Thinking of this, Feng Huizhen's eyes suddenly reddened. She felt wronged; the daughter of the prestigious Feng family, married to a man who was a heavy opium addict. She had to be obedient to such a man, otherwise she would be considered unfaithful. She hated him, hated her father, hated her husband, and wished she could kill everyone in the world, leaving only her and Rongxiang. Then who would dare to gossip?
Tears fell, and she quickly pulled out a handkerchief to wipe them away. Rong Xiang sat there, knowing that Feng Huizhen was crying, but he only hugged her shoulders tightly. He was a man of few words, and since it was a rare occasion for the two of them to go for a drive, he remained silent. Fortunately, his gentle and affectionate gaze and elegant and considerate actions made up for his lack of words.
The car finally stopped in front of her house. When Feng Huizhen got out, her face was already beaming with joy. Her maid rushed out to greet her, and she tossed her scarf to the maid and exclaimed loudly, "Oh dear, those sixteen laps today were exhausting! But the movie tonight was good, Hu Die's new film. I was lucky too, I ran into Third Master driving by as soon as I left, and he picked me up right away. Otherwise, waiting for the Lin family's car would have been driving me crazy!"
While she was shouting and yelling, Rongxiang silently slipped back to his bedroom. Someone was waiting for him there.
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