After the meal ended, Old Master Jin settled back into his wheelchair. His drooping eyelids lowered, his fingers trembling as they twitched twice, and just like that, he launched right back into his performance.
The wheelchair should have been pushed by Zhou Ruo An, but Lin Yi intercepted it instead. Bending slightly, the tall man asked the old gentleman, “Before we leave, would you like to use the restroom?”
The trembling hand waved weakly, and the old man mumbled, “…No.”
“It’s a long trip. Why not go first?” Lin Yi repeated.
The moment the words left his mouth, he pushed Old Master Jin directly into the private restroom attached to the dining room. The door shut behind him, leaving only two people in the room.
Zhou Ruo An clicked his tongue. “What are you doing?”
A moment later, the tall figure closed in and pulled him into an embrace. Zhou Ruo An thought Lin Yi was about to start getting clingy again and was just about to snap at him when something was suddenly pressed into his hand.
Looking down, he found a bank card.
A soft kiss landed beside his temple as Lin Yi’s deep voice slowly reached his ears. “This is all of my savings. The PIN is your birthday.”
The fingers holding the card tightened. Zhou Ruo An stared silently at his palm for a long time. Only when the sound of a toilet flushing came from inside the restroom did he lift his eyes and ask coldly, “You’re making your move against Bai Jiu tonight, aren’t you? Afraid you’ll die before accomplishing anything, so you’re leaving me your worldly possessions?”
Lin Yi smiled and rubbed the cold face in front of him. “Ever since I was young, people have predicted I’d end up like my father—killed in retaliation, with who knows how many knives sticking out of me when I die. I’ve heard that prediction my whole life. Maybe one day it really will come true.”
Zhou Ruo An casually tossed the bank card onto the dining table. His now-free hand slipped into his pocket, pulled out a pack of cigarettes, and shook one loose before placing it between his lips. “How much money could possibly be on your card? Young Master Zhou isn’t interested.”
Lin Yi lifted a hand, removed the cigarette from Zhou Ruo An’s mouth, and tilted up his chin, forcing those lowered eyes to meet his. “Since Young Master Zhou doesn’t want to talk about money, then let’s talk about feelings. The operation against Bai Jiu is set for tonight. If I win, naturally everyone’s happy. But if I lose…”
A sharp glint appeared in Zhou Ruo An’s eyes as he challenged him, “And if you lose?”
“If I die, you have to mourn me for three years.”
Zhou Ruo An abruptly stepped closer until their breaths nearly collided. “And after those three years?”
Lin Yi faltered slightly. The fingers gripping Zhou Ruo An’s forearm slowly rubbed the skin at his wrist. “…After three years, whatever feelings there were between us in this lifetime will be over. You can start your new life.”
Zhou Ruo An let out a cold laugh. “So even as a ghost, you still plan on occupying three years of my life?”
“Yes.” Lin Yi admitted it without the slightest guilt. “And if I end up in prison, Zhou Ruo An, then no matter how long it takes, you’ll wait until I get out.”
Tilting his head slightly, Lin Yi easily brushed a kiss against the corner of Zhou Ruo An’s lips. “During that time, you’re not allowed to get involved with anyone else. Remember—you belong to me.”
From inside the restroom came the faint sound of wheelchair wheels rolling across the floor. Then the door opened a crack, and Old Master Jin called out weakly, “How are your talks going? Am I allowed to come out now?”
The words had barely finished echoing when Zhou Ruo An yanked the restroom door shut again and locked it for good measure. “Old man, go use the toilet one more time. No rush. Take it slow.”
With that, Zhou Ruo An shoved Lin Yi away and said coldly, “Since when the fuck did I become your person? Lin Yi, don’t you always say I’ll abandon loyalty for profit? Do you really think I’d spend three years guarding a grave overgrown with weeds? Dream on. The moment you go meet the King of Hell, I’ll climb into Bai Jiu’s bed right afterward. At least a living man can help me rise to the top. As for a dead one, I’d begrudge even the incense money spent on him.”
Lin Yi looked at the sharp hostility in Zhou Ruo An’s eyes and suddenly laughed. He pulled him back into his arms, his fingers gently stroking through the young man’s soft hair. “Then I’ll do my best not to die and save you some incense money.”
He held him tighter, cheek brushing against his temple. “An An, here’s to our success.”
Zhou Ruo An fell silent for a moment before slowly raising his arms and, for the first time, returning Lin Yi’s embrace.
Only when the hug had squeezed nearly all the air from his lungs did he slowly say, “Be careful.”
＊
Bai Jiu stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, rubbing his temple lightly with his knuckles. Outside lay a meticulously maintained courtyard that still looked elegant beneath the winter dusk, illuminated by the lights beneath the eaves.
A scene that should have been calming only made Bai Jiu more irritated.
“Ninth Master, your drink.”
A man’s voice came from behind him. Reflected in the massive glass window was Wang Zhi Ping’s somewhat sinister-looking face.
“Sister-in-law is still angry with you because of what happened to her younger brother?” Wang Zhi Ping handed over the wineglass, his face wearing just the right amount of concern.
Bai Jiu accepted it but did not drink immediately. His thumb rubbed along the side of the glass as he said darkly, “These past few years, she’s become worse and worse at remembering her place.”
Wang Zhi Ping glanced at the wine in his hand and smiled reassuringly. “Women are like that. Just coax her a little. Once her brother’s injuries heal, Sister-in-law’s anger will naturally fade.”
Bai Jiu could not be bothered with such domestic chatter. Taking a slow sip of wine, he asked, “How has Lin Yi been lately?”
Wang Zhi Ping grinned. “Sister-in-law still gave me some face and didn’t come looking for revenge against me, but Lin Yi’s had it rough. Her people have cornered him two or three times already, and he doesn’t dare fight back. He’s suffered quite a bit.”
Bai Jiu let out a cold laugh and took a large swallow of wine. “I was the one who ordered you all to deal with that ungrateful, backstabbing brother of hers. Now she’s going after Lin Yi instead. She’s clearly challenging me.”
Watching the amber liquid slide down Bai Jiu’s throat, Wang Zhi Ping slowly lowered his eyes in the reflection of the floor-to-ceiling window.
“Even the most impartial judge can’t settle family disputes.” Using that as an excuse to leave, he said, “I’d better stay out of it.”
Bai Jiu’s eyelids were growing heavy, and he seemed slightly drunk. He waved a hand and said to Wang Zhi Ping, who had already reached the foyer, “Keep a close eye on Lin Yi. I keep feeling there’s more to him than meets the eye. If he dares pull any tricks, I wouldn’t mind handing him over to my wife so she can vent her anger.”
Wang Zhi Ping paused slightly in the middle of changing his shoes before answering, “Got it.” The instant he stepped through the front door, the villa’s entire security system went dormant. The surveillance feeds froze on empty hallways, the infrared sensors entered standby mode, and every green indicator light on the electronic locks faded into a dull gray. In the security room, the guard on duty slouched in his chair while highlights from a football match looped endlessly on his phone.
Bai Jiu sensed something was wrong fifteen minutes later. With his alcohol tolerance, half a glass of whisky should not have caused his vision to double. Startled, he reached for the button beneath the table, but before any piercing alarm could sound, he noticed a slender figure dressed in black standing in the corner of the room.
Setting down his glass, Bai Jiu slowly reached toward his waist and asked coldly, “Who are you?”
＊
Inside another villa adjacent to Bai Jiu’s, heavy curtains hung low, leaving only a narrow gap suitable for spying. Lin Yi stood by the window, an unlit cigarette between his fingers, while the binoculars in his right hand were trained on the Mediterranean-style white villa fifty meters away.
The phone in his pocket vibrated. Lin Yi pulled it out and answered.
“If that underling of Jiao Chen’s fails this time, both of us are finished,” Wang Zhi Ping’s voice came through the receiver, carrying suppressed anxiety.
Lin Yi picked up a small receiver resting on the windowsill and adjusted the frequency. “He has a blood feud with Bai Jiu. Who knows how long he’s been waiting for the chance to kill his enemy with his own hands.” As he spoke, Lin Yi put a Bluetooth earpiece into his other ear. “Besides, doesn’t Jiao Chen still have reinforcements? No need to worry, Brother Wang.”
Without waiting for a reply, he ended the call.
Through the binoculars, the man in black, a receiver fitted in his ear, twisted aside to avoid a fatal strike and immediately drove his dagger toward Bai Jiu’s throat. Bai Jiu barely dodged in time, and the blade only sliced through his expensive silk shirt.
Lin Yi raised the communicator connected to the listening device to his mouth and said steadily, “Don’t fight him head-on. Stall for as long as possible, and above all, keep yourself alive. Fang Qing, I’ll help you avenge yourself.”
After speaking, Lin Yi removed the earpiece, lowered the brim of his baseball cap, and snapped his fingers toward a dark corner of the room. “Let’s go. It’s our turn.”
A figure silently rose from the darkness…
Two shadows slipped soundlessly through the rear window of Bai Jiu’s villa, landing without making so much as a creak from the floorboards.
The shorter one moved with remarkable agility, hugging the wall as he swiftly made his way to the master bedroom door. Pushing it open, he headed straight for a solid wood wardrobe in the corner. The expensive suits hanging inside swayed slightly as he pulled the doors apart. Reaching past the clothes, he revealed a safe embedded in the wall.
“It’ll take at least twenty minutes to crack this,” the short man whispered as he crouched down and took out his tools. “Can they hold out downstairs that long?”
Lin Yi lightly tapped the microphone with his fingertip. “Can you hold on for another twenty minutes?”
At first, only rough breathing came through the earpiece, followed by dull sounds of bodies colliding. After what felt like an eternity, Fang Qing’s weakened voice finally answered, “I can.”
Lin Yi fell silent for a moment, removed the earpiece, and turned toward the door.
“Bro!” the short man hurriedly called after him. “If you go down there now, won’t you expose yourself? Didn’t we agree we were going to frame Wang Zhi Ping?”
“They won’t hold out downstairs that long.”
“Isn’t there still backup?”
Lin Yi turned back and looked at Bai Ban, who had a flashlight clenched between his teeth. “There is no backup. Wang Zhi Ping and Jiao Chen both want to stay out of this and sit back while someone else does the fighting. Fang Qing’s life isn’t worth much to Jiao Chen—he simply offered him up. I told each of them that the other side would have reinforcements so they could rest easy. Only that way could I create the situation we have now.”
Lin Yi pulled open the bedroom door and said without looking back, “Open the safe. Don’t get distracted.”
Watching Lin Yi disappear down the stairwell, Bai Ban gritted his teeth and sped up his work. The dial on the safe emitted faint clicks that seemed exceptionally loud in the silent bedroom…
By the time Bai Jiu heard footsteps coming from upstairs, he had already pinned the man in black to the floor.
The approaching footsteps were neither hurried nor slow, as though following a deliberate rhythm. Bai Jiu did not move, his cold gaze fixed on the stairway entrance.
“Who’s there?!”
No one answered.
The next second, a tall figure emerged from around the corner of the stairs. The brim of his cap was pulled low, revealing only a sharp jawline.
“So it’s you?” Releasing Fang Qing, Bai Jiu slowly rose to his feet. Blood stained the cuff of his suit sleeve. He shook his head. The drug was blurring his vision, but years of muscle memory kept his fighting stance flawless.
Lin Yi said nothing. He glanced at Fang Qing, whose lip was bleeding and whose right arm was twisted at an unnatural angle. After confirming that the man was still alive, he withdrew his gaze and calmly answered Bai Jiu’s question. “It’s me.”
“So my instincts were right after all. Lin Yi, you really aren’t an honest man.” Bai Jiu spat on the floor, his voice dripping with malice.
“You talk too much.” Gripping the dagger in reverse, Lin Yi charged forward. Bai Jiu twisted aside and drove an elbow toward Lin Yi’s temple. As they passed one another, the dagger sliced through Bai Jiu’s shirt and left a bloody gash on his arm.
“I raised you for all these years, and this is what I got? An ungrateful wolf?” Bai Jiu panted heavily as he ripped off his tie and wrapped it around his hand. The drug had slowed him by half a beat, but his explosive strength remained formidable.
Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Lin Yi calmly exposed the lie. “Raised me? What you raised was a scapegoat.” He lunged forward again, driving the dagger straight toward Bai Jiu’s throat. The instant Bai Jiu moved to block it, Lin Yi abruptly changed tactics and slammed a knee into his stomach.
Bai Jiu let out a muffled grunt and staggered backward, crashing into the coffee table. Amid the sound of shattering glass, he snatched up a jagged shard and slashed at Lin Yi’s neck. “Without me, you’d have died on the streets long ago!”
Lin Yi tilted his head aside. The glass left a bloody line across his cheek. He seized Bai Jiu’s wrist and twisted, sending both men crashing to the floor. As they rolled, Bai Jiu’s fist slammed heavily into Lin Yi’s abdomen, but Lin Yi seized the opportunity to smash the hilt of the dagger into Bai Jiu’s temple. “Thank you for your mercy, Master Bai. Now it’s your turn to die.”
Darkness flashed before Bai Jiu’s eyes, and his movements stalled for a brief instant. Lin Yi immediately rolled on top of him, pinning him down with a knee against his chest.
Gasping for breath, Bai Jiu laughed. “Lin Yi, do you really dare kill me? If I die, you’re finished too.”
Lin Yi tightened his grip around Bai Jiu’s throat. “Simply ending Master Bai’s life would be far too boring. What about all the blood debts you owe? All the crimes you’ve committed? How are those supposed to be repaid?”
Startled, Bai Jiu demanded, “What are you planning to do?”
Before he could finish speaking, a soft click sounded from the second floor.
“Bro! Got it!” Bai Ban shouted as he came running downstairs carrying a packet of documents. “The police are at the gate!”
Looking at the document packets, Bai Jiu suddenly seemed to understand something and began struggling desperately. Lin Yi drove a vicious blow into his ribs and pinned him firmly against the floorboards. Breathing hard, he looked out the window into the dark night beyond. For some reason, at a moment like this, he thought of Zhou Ruo An. At this hour, Young Master Zhou had probably kicked off his blanket again and curled himself up like a cat.
The bloodstained dagger pressed against Bai Jiu’s throat as Lin Yi’s cold voice came down upon him. “Bai Jiu, what’s mine was never yours to covet.”