Chapter 18
When Yan Guanglin ran into Rong Xiang, he instinctively took a step back.
This is Zhao Zhensheng's mansion.
Upon hearing that Rong Xiang had moved out of the Fu family's garden residence, Zhao Zhensheng immediately began to employ his social skills, quickly becoming acquainted with Rong Xiang. This infuriated Fu Yangshan. He had been earnestly trying to persuade Rong Xiang to stay, but Rong Xiang had only said he felt guilty for bothering him and insisted on moving out. Sure enough, no sooner had he left than Zhao Zhensheng approached him.
Throughout his many years in Xi'an, his most troublesome opponent was Zhao Zhensheng. The two were evenly matched, locked in a stalemate. On the surface, however, they maintained a polite distance, revealing nothing of their true intentions.
Zhao Zhensheng hosted a grand banquet at his home, inviting celebrities from all walks of life in Xi'an, with Rong Xiang at the center, and of course, Fu Yangshan and others. There was bound to be dancing after the banquet, so a group of young ladies had prepared their silver leather shoes, cocktail dresses and other clothing well in advance. As soon as the banquet ended, they were already heading upstairs to the dressing room with their maids to change.
Yan Guanglin, dressed in a peacock blue Western-style dress, had already stole the show at the banquet, causing Fu Jingyuan to constantly turn his head to glance at the female guests, looking for an opportunity to flirt with her. Now, in a pale yellow cheongsam, she exuded a different kind of charm. She asked her maid to pack the dress and put it back in the car outside, so it wouldn't be difficult to find later when there were many people around. She then walked along the long, elegant corridor on the second floor of the Zhao mansion towards the staircase. Unexpectedly, the door to the room next door opened, and a tall man in a suit came out. Their eyes met, and both were surprised and startled.
The dim, soft light from the corridor wall lamps illuminated Rong Xiang's face, making it appear as smooth and fair as jade. The shadow of his eyelashes cast a large, deep fan-shaped shadow on his cheek. Upon seeing Yan Guanglin, he seemed somewhat bewildered, nodded and smiled, then turned and walked away.
Yan Guanglin took a few steps forward, thought for a moment, then stopped and turned back. To her surprise, Rong Xiang also stopped and turned around, and their eyes met once more.
At that moment, Rongxiang's expression was extremely cold and stern, but because his facial features were so delicate and gentle, when viewed from afar in a hazy, indistinct way, he exuded a unique air of aloofness and elegance. The corridor was extremely long, with endless darkness stretching behind him, and before him, only himself.
This caused Yan Guanglin to be momentarily dazed before she could speak. She only heard her own voice softly echoing in the corridor: "The women's changing room is ahead. You'd better not go there."
Rong Xiang showed a fleeting look of surprise. He immediately turned around and walked back quickly. As he passed Yan Guanglin, he casually said thank you and then hurried downstairs, leaving behind only a faint scent of cologne.
Yan Guanglin stood in the corridor, looking ahead—but there was nothing there; the person had already gone downstairs. The encounter had left her feeling somewhat dazed: how could such a gentle, moonlit man be as wretched as her third brother had described?
She continued walking absentmindedly. Long into the future, she still clearly remembered that magnificent yet dimly lit corridor, and the long, slender shadow cast by the dim light.
She didn't know that Rongxiang's appearance that day was only to find Xiaomeng, because he needed an injection in order to continue the dance party, nothing more.
However, his handsome face and indifferent attitude stirred something in Yan Guanglin's heart, leading to her utter ruin.
Rongxiang finally found Xiaomeng in the courtyard in front of the mansion. He had been searching frantically all the way here, and as soon as he saw her, he slapped her twice across the face: "Where have you been?" Then, without waiting for an answer, he strode towards the car parked at the gate. Xiaomeng didn't even change his expression; he turned around and followed him.
As Rongxiang climbed into the car, his body trembled slightly. He tried to unbutton his shirt cuffs, but his left hand was shaking so badly that he almost lost control of his body and couldn't hold the buttons. At this moment, Xiao Meng had already drawn up the IV fluid. Holding the needle in one hand, she helped him unbutton his cuffs with the other, revealing his arm covered in needle marks.
The needle tip was pressed against the skin, and with a slight pressure, it pierced the vein, slowly injecting the morphine into the body. Rongxiang closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh.
After a minute of silence, Rong Xiang got out of the car and slowly strolled back to the banquet hall. As he entered, he ran into Fu Jingyuan and Yan Guanglin.
Since being driven away in anger last time, Fu Jingyuan had never gone to see Rong Xiang again. Even when they met elsewhere, they only exchanged a few polite words and never talked much. But now that they had run into each other, he couldn't very well not look up at him.
Rong Xiang lowered his eyes without responding, only slightly turning his body to make way for him. The bright light at the doorway made his pale face appear even more bloodless, his expression wooden, with a hint of sadness. He had indeed changed; his once full cheeks had become thin, though his skin remained porcelain white, making him look like an overly delicate piece of jade—beautiful, yes, but also exceptionally fragile and easily broken.
He stared at Rongxiang, completely mesmerized.
Rong Xiang waited for a while and found that the two of them were blocking the doorway, seemingly with no intention of moving forward. He didn't look at Fu Jingyuan, but instead made a perfunctory gesture of invitation to Yan Guanglin.
Fu Jingyuan then realized what was happening and grabbed Yan Guanglin's hand, pulling her outside. This action made Yan Guanglin blush instantly; she quickly pulled her hand away as she followed. Once Rong Xiang had gone inside, she asked, half-jokingly, "Why are you walking like a cannonball? You almost pulled me over!"
Fu Jingyuan stammered, unable to answer. His actions just now were subconscious, because he didn't want Rong Xiang and Yan Guanglin to have a chance to look at each other. Rong Xiang's affectionate eyes—he had already been deceived once.
Actually, it wasn't exactly deception. Looking back now, when they were together, Rongxiang seemed to have been completely sincere and genuine. But if he was truly sincere, why would he turn his back on her?
How could he not feel any attachment at all?
During their evening stroll, both Yan and Fu were preoccupied with their own thoughts. Although they chatted and laughed as usual, they were both somewhat absent-minded. They both realized this later, but their friendship wasn't deep enough for them to confide in each other, so they returned to the dance floor early to continue dancing.
Rongxiang felt extremely tired that night.
But in the end, nothing went wrong. He was always adept at social maneuvering and managed to appease everyone very well.
When he returned home, the house was empty. It was so late, most of the servants were asleep. Only two old women sat on chairs by the door, dozing off and keeping watch. When they saw him come in, they went to fetch bath water in a daze.
He sat alone on the sofa, raising his hand to unbutton his collar.
He breathed a sigh of relief after escaping the extremely noisy environment, but the stark contrast of the surrounding silence suddenly made him feel incredibly lonely. His closest people had been blown to pieces; now he was completely alone.
This was the first time he had truly thought of Yi Zhongming since arriving in Xi'an.
While Yi Zhongming was alive, Rongxiang was always wary of him, because the two shared too many secrets and could easily kill each other. It wasn't until Yi Zhongming died that Rongxiang realized he had long regarded him as a spiritual father.
Rongxiang has so much passion and courage; he's bold and fearless. But he needs direction.
He had been following Yi Zhongming the entire way. Everything he did had a purpose, which is why he was exceptionally ruthless and cold-blooded. But now Yi Zhongming was dead, his body torn to shreds. The bomb had completely obliterated him. Afterwards, Rong Xiang searched the scene of carnage for a long time, but ultimately found not a single trace.
This person is gone just like that.
Death did not frighten Rongxiang; he had never been afraid of death. But what should he do next?
Because of confusion, there is fear.
Fortunately, there was still morphine.
Xiao Meng walked over silently: "Third Master, the bathwater is ready."
Rongxiang stood up unsteadily, a tear sliding down his cheek. Life is like a play, and he felt he had played his part to the utmost boredom, yet he still lingered on the stage, refusing to leave until the very end.
Fu Jingyuan honked his car horn impatiently, the car blaring, but the Manchurian soldiers on the other side didn't care at all, continuing to flirt with two women in the street as usual. The patrol officers, seeing this, didn't dare approach, hiding behind the crowd as if afraid of being seen.
Fu Jingyuan bit his lip in anger. The soldiers Rong Xiang had brought were being transported to Xi'an in batches. Ostensibly, they were to be stationed in military camps outside the city for unified management to prevent disturbances. In reality, groups of soldiers would come into the streets every day, causing trouble, harassing women, and robbing people. The people protested several times, causing considerable disruption. Chen Jingfu, helpless, had no choice but to consult Zhao Zhensheng.
Zhao Zhensheng hesitated for a moment. Allowing his subordinates to go to such lengths must be attributed to Rong Xiang's poor management and lax military discipline. However, he was currently on good terms with Rong Xiang, and it seemed inappropriate to personally negotiate such a matter with him. Changing his mind, he said to Chen Jingfu, "Go and talk to Fu Yangshan. Tell him to handle it."
Chen Jingfu indeed went to find Fu Yangshan.
Fu Yangshan laughed heartily: "Your brother is already the mayor of Xi'an, why do you need to consult me? You can just tell General Rong yourself!"
Without saying a few words, he dismissed Chen Jingfu with a smile.
Chen Jingfu thought to himself, why should a mere mayor like me bother with these soldiers? If I angered Rong Xiang, the consequences would be unimaginable. So he shook his head and went back to his small mansion to enjoy himself. The matter was temporarily put aside.
As a result, public order in Xi'an deteriorated day by day, and public opinion erupted, singled out Rong Xiang for severe criticism. However, although the news caused a strong reaction among the public, Rong Xiang himself made no response. He also failed to strengthen the control over his subordinates, allowing them to continue roaming around and causing trouble—for a time, the Manchu soldiers became one of the most troublesome groups.
Rong Xiang didn't care now, nor did he intend to care later. The troops hadn't received their pay for months; if they weren't allowed to go out and forage for themselves, even these elite troops, taken over from the old man, would likely mutinie if they suffered hardship for too long. Besides, Xi'an wasn't like Fengtian; it wasn't his own territory. No matter how chaotic it became, it wasn't his concern.
He now spends his days idly, making eating, drinking, and merrymaking his main pastimes, especially admiring young female actors. He's recently become acquainted with all the famous actors in Xi'an, including a stunningly beautiful woman named Wen Tingxiang, known throughout Xi'an for her fiery temper and arrogant manner; it's incredibly difficult for even a wealthy person to get an audience with her. However, after Rong Xiang took a liking to him, within three to five days, someone saw him being picked up by the Rong family's car, only to be returned home late at night. This incident later made it into the tabloids, becoming a topic of conversation in the city.
Hearing the rumors circulating outside, Rong Xiang felt a secret sense of pride—he really had nothing left to be proud of, so he could only use these victories amidst the flowers and butterflies as a form of capital to force himself to stay cheerful. But upon reflection, these so-called victories of Rong Xiang didn't actually prove how charming he was. Anyone would be fond of a handsome and amorous young master who spent money like water, especially since he now held considerable military power, and even Fu Yangshan and Zhao Zhensheng had to give him some leeway. No one else dared to, nor did they need to, spoil his fun.
He was so successful in love that he gradually grew tired of it. That afternoon, he escorted Wen Tingxiang back to the theater. As they were almost there, Wen Tingxiang suddenly turned to him and smiled, "Don't come so early tonight. Let me rest a little longer."
Rong Xiang glanced at him with a slight smile. He was really handsome. Just sitting there, he was as beautiful as a fine-brush painting. He was truly a well-trained beauty.
“Okay,” he replied softly, “then I’ll come later, and we can go straight to get some late-night snacks.”
Wen Tingxiang nodded. Up until now, Rong Xiang had always been warm and gentle, like a spring breeze, which puzzled him. It was as if the affection between them was real.
I remember when Rongxiang met him for the second time, he took his hand and asked, "Do you like me?"
When he heard this, he was both surprised and amused, but Rongxiang looked very serious, with a melancholy look in his eyes and a childlike expression that was tinged with sadness.
According to his usual temper, he should have slapped him on the spot after hearing such a question. However, at that moment, he suddenly had this thought: if I hit him, he will definitely be sad.
So after a pause, the famous actor, who was renowned throughout Northwest China, replied, "I like you."
The car stopped at the back gate of the theater. Rongxiang didn't get out; he just watched Wen Tingxiang go in from the window. Then, without looking back, he ordered Xiao Meng to turn around and go home.
As evening approached, the area around the theater was at its liveliest. Xiao Meng drove extremely slowly, eventually turning at a fork in the road ahead, intending to take a longer route home. Rong Xiang, eyes closed, leaned back in his seat, humming the latest pop song. He was so engrossed in his humming that when Xiao Meng braked suddenly, Rong Xiang was thrown into the air, lunging forward while instinctively drawing his pistol.
Luckily, Xiao Meng was quick and agile. She turned around and hugged Rong Xiang, and before he could get angry, she quickly and carefully pushed him back into his seat: "Someone suddenly ran out from the front."
While Xiao Meng was explaining to Rong Xiang inside the car, several female students outside, who were also startled, angrily ran over and knocked on the car window: "Hey, how do you drive? You almost hit someone, and you even braked in a puddle?"
Xiao Meng had absolutely no experience dealing with women, so he was somewhat bewildered when he saw a plump girl banging on the car window. Rong Xiang was about to order Xiao Meng to continue driving, but through the glass, he suddenly saw Yan Guanglin in the crowd. This made him quickly put away his pistol, open the door, and get out of the car.
"Miss Yan?" He seemed unsure and called out tentatively.
The girls, who had been so aggressive, paused in their protests. Yan Guanglin took a step forward, her face flushed, and said, "Oh, it's Mr. Rong."
Rong Xiang then noticed that, except for Yan Guanglin, all the girls were dressed in blue tops and green skirts, presumably students from some women's university. Yan Guanglin was wearing a soft satin cheongsam, but from her calves to her waist, it was covered in mud and water stains. Looking back, he saw that Xiao Meng had driven the front half of the car into a shallow mud puddle.
"I'm so sorry to have soiled your clothes."
The girls remained silent. Yan Guanglin shook her head and said, "Oh, it's nothing. I've already finished shopping with my friends. I'll just go home and change now."
"I can't accept this. How about I take you home? I wonder where these ladies are staying..."
The girl who had been knocking on the car window the most aggressively suddenly replied in a gentle voice, "You can take Guanglin back; our clothes aren't splashed with mud."
This was exactly what Rong Xiang wanted to hear, so he quickly stepped back and opened the car door: "Thank you all, I'm so sorry. Miss Yan, please get in the car."
Yan Guanglin appeared somewhat flustered. She first shook her head, seemingly wanting to refuse, but after hesitating for a moment, she slowly walked over and got into the car. Before the car drove away, she hurriedly rolled down the window and loudly said goodbye to her female companions.
The Yan family lived not far from here, and Rongxiang and Yan Guanglin sat together in the back row. Rongxiang was silent for a moment, feeling that this was somewhat impolite, so he tried his best to find a topic to talk about: "I heard that your father is quite knowledgeable about Buddhist scriptures?"
Yan Guanglin replied seriously, "My father often gives lectures. If Mr. Rong is interested, you can go and listen to them."
Rongxiang sighed softly: "Unfortunately, I'm not very bright and can't understand much."
Yan Guanglin glanced at him challengingly: "Mr. Rong, you're too modest."
Upon hearing this, Rong Xiang felt that Yan Guanglin seemed extremely uncooperative in their conversation, so he frowned and smiled, replying, "It's not modesty, it's just the truth."
Yan Guanglin couldn't say whether she liked or disliked him. In newspapers and rumors, he was a notorious figure, seemingly beyond redemption. But upon meeting him in person, her intuition always led her to believe he was a good person. Such a gentle and aloof man, like moonlight, even if he had done something bad, must have had some compelling reason!
Because of her inner conflict, she was unsure how to handle Rongxiang's attitude. A quick glance at Rongxiang revealed a fleeting frown on his brow, and she immediately realized that perhaps her tone had been too harsh.
After a moment of silence, she softened her voice and asked, "What do you usually do for leisure, Mr. Rong?"
Rongxiang was slightly surprised that she would speak to him first, and replied with a hint of astonishment, "Nothing, just wandering around. And you, Miss Yan?"
"As for me, I like to read translated novels, or hang out with friends and watch movies occasionally. It's a pretty boring life." As she said this, Yan Guanglin glanced at him again.
"No, no, Miss Yan's hobby is very nice. I envy it."
"How could that be? Mr. Rong is more free than me and can do what he wants. Why would he envy me? I feel that girls like me are like caged birds, with every day being the same boring and monotonous routine."
Rongxiang smiled and looked down: "Miss Yan is very thoughtful, unlike most girls."
He had only responded unconsciously, but it struck a chord with Yan Guanglin. Her eyes lit up as she sat up straight: "How could that be? I'm just an ordinary person!"
Rong Xiang continued to stare at his perfectly straight trouser crease: "No, Miss Yan, you have a very insightful point. I admire you."
He spoke softly and gently, as always. He was especially polite to the young lady. He was unaware that his way of speaking would lead to considerable misunderstanding—he seemed so lonely, aloof, and sincere, as if he were the only person in the world, and there was no need for any pretense or affectation.
Yan Guanglin saw this and had an idea. She turned her face to the car window and said, "Oh, this is where I live. Just stop at the corner up ahead."
Xiao Meng stopped as instructed, and Yan Guanglin opened the door and got out of the car. Seeing that Rong Xiang seemed to be getting out to see her off as well, she quickly made a gesture to stop him: "Mr. Rong, there's no need. I'll go in now. Um... Mr. Rong, would you like to come to my house for a while?" As soon as she finished speaking, her heart began to pound, afraid that Rong Xiang would take the invitation seriously.
Fortunately, Rongxiang just smiled and shook his head at her from inside the car: "No, I'm really sorry for getting your clothes dirty today."
"It's nothing. Well then... goodbye." Yan Guanglin waved to him in a very Western manner.
Rong Xiang nodded slightly: "Goodbye, Miss Yan."
When Yan Guanglin returned home, everyone saw that she was covered in mud and couldn't help but feel sorry for her newly made satin cheongsam. The dress itself was fine, but the fabric was something that the Third Young Mistress had brought back from Shanghai a few days ago; the quality was exceptionally good, something that money couldn't buy in Xi'an.
"It's so dirty, I don't know if it can be washed off." The second young mistress came over to take a look: "I had a dress last time that got mud on it. I thought it would be gone after washing, but it left a black mark that I can't get rid of."
Yan Guanglin seemed unconcerned. She hurriedly went back to change into clean clothes, and casually tossed the cheongsam to the old woman, complaining loudly, "I told you not to walk on that bumpy road, but Zhao Jiahui wouldn't listen. As a result, her clothes got splashed by passing cars, but they were completely unharmed."
“Drivers are so annoying,” the young mistress chimed in.
"That's right."
The matter of the cheongsam was settled, and it was time for dinner. Yan Zhenchan went downstairs with an imposing air, and the family ate quietly before returning to their rooms to relax. Yan Guanglin hid in her bedroom; her heart was like a sail filled with sea breeze, unable to find peace for the time being.
The next morning, she had just gotten up and was washing up when she suddenly heard the old woman downstairs calling loudly for her, "Miss!" She went to the bottom of the stairs and asked what was wrong. It turned out someone had delivered a large box to her. The box was beautifully wrapped and tied with a pink bow. The eldest and third grandmothers were already downstairs. They looked at the box, exchanged winks, and asked with a smile, "Little sister, which suitor sent this gift?"
Yan Guanglin blushed: "What suitor? You're talking nonsense!"
Third Grandma covered her mouth with her fan: "It must be Second Master Fu, right? He's really something to our little sister..."
Yan Guanglin picked up the box, turned around, and walked upstairs: "Stop talking nonsense, I'm not talking to you anymore!"
She rushed back to her bedroom, threw the large box onto the bed, and felt quite annoyed. What was Fu Jingyuan doing, trying to be romantic by sending a gift to her house, just to make her a laughingstock? She stood in front of the bed pouting for a while, but finally couldn't resist her curiosity. She jumped onto the bed and pulled the box over. It wasn't heavy, but it was quite big. What could be inside?
After untying the bow, she carefully lifted the lid of the box and was astonished by what she saw inside.
Inside the large cardboard box was a neatly folded, brand-new light green cheongsam. Beside the cheongsam was a copy of *Wuthering Heights*, loosely tied twice with a light green silk ribbon, perfectly matching the cheongsam. Turning the pages further, however, there were no letters or messages.
This box... could it be a gift from Rongxiang?
Because he soiled his clothes yesterday, he sent a new one this morning as an apology? As for the novel, he must have bought it and sent it after figuring out their conversation yesterday?
She stared blankly at the cheongsam and the book, her heart surging with emotion, and she became completely mesmerized.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
