FY - 47

Lately, Qin Feng has been showing up by Zhou Yan’s side, trying to curry favor with her.

At first, Zhou Yan thought he was just bored and didn’t give him a kind look. But later, she realized that some of his ideas were so stupid that they were amusing, so she let it go.

In the evening, he came over again, bringing Zhou Yan dinner, a bottle of gin, and two bottles of Water Soluble C.

In Zhou Yan’s dressing room, he mixed a drink for her. “Try it.”

Zhou Yan didn’t take it.

Qin Feng raised an eyebrow. “What? Aren’t you a hostess who’s supposed to drink with people? Shouldn’t you be able to drink a lot?”

Zhou Yan looked at her phone. “As a second-generation rich kid, shouldn’t you be out in some fancy party, living it up? What are you doing here with me?”

Qin Feng laughed. After interacting with Zhou Yan, he realized she was a woman who would not be taken advantage of. Before, out of courtesy, she would give him a nice look because he was a customer. But now that he’d been coming more often, she didn’t treat him like a person at all. “You’re always wearing armor, always on guard.”

Zhou Yan didn’t say anything.

Qin Feng kept pressing, wanting her to express something. “I’m talking to you.”

Zhou Yan put down her phone, but didn’t look at him. She was arranging her hair. “Do you think I like this armor? It’s heavy and thick, and it hurts. But what can I do? If I don’t wear it, my weakness will be exposed. And if people know my weakness, how long will I live?”

“Everyone tells me not to be so guarded, but no one ever asks me why I’m guarded.”

“I wear the reddest lipstick and eat the hardest food, and everyone calls me a bitch. But why am I a bitch?”

Qin Feng stopped smiling.

He also regretted asking her that question.

Zhou Yan curled her hair into waves. “People in this world are divided into two types: those who add to the beautiful and those who push you when you’re down. Most people are passionate about the latter, and no one will appear before these two situations. I’m destined to go through hardships and complications. After I reach a satisfactory or unsatisfactory ending, I will meet these people and be judged by them with their simple, subjective opinions.”

She drew her eyebrows, saying the most vicious words in the most indifferent tone. “What is a subjective opinion? It’s when you see me in revealing clothes and heavy makeup today and say I’m a slut and a bitch. And when you see me in plain clothes with no makeup tomorrow, you’ll think I’m tired from just having sex.”

“What I am is all up to you. You’re so amazing, how can I argue with you?”

Qin Feng was astonished. It took him a while to close his open mouth. He made one last effort. “You need a sun like me to warm you.”

Zhou Yan gave a mocking smile. “Sunflowers spend their lives being infatuated with the sun, and the sun, as they wished, warmed them their whole life. But it also warmed others. I’d rather buy a small sun heater that only blows on me, than the sun.”

Qin Feng let out a long sigh, still unwilling to give up. He took out his card. “Eight hundred thousand for one night.”

Zhou Yan stopped, glanced at the card, and then at him. “Are you drunk?”

As he had said, Qin Feng was a playboy. Playboys liked other people’s women the most, and they could take a beating.

He wouldn’t back down just because Si Wen’s fists were hard.

Zhou Yan was right. He only liked Si Wen’s woman; he didn’t like her. This was inevitable. Men subconsciously wanted to prove they were better by conquering the woman of an impressive man.

And if he succeeded in making Si Wen feel defeated, he wouldn’t have to worry about finding someone to save Xiao Qin Palace.

It was a profitable deal, and he’d do it even if it killed him.

Seeing Zhou Yan hesitate, he took out another five hundred thousand. “One point three million for one night.”

Zhou Yan took the cards. “When?”

Qin Feng smiled. “Sunday. Get ready. I’ll make it unforgettable for you.”

Zhou Yan continued to apply her lipstick. “You won’t.”

Qin Feng raised an eyebrow. “You haven’t tried yet, so how can you say I won’t?”

“The G-spot is its own master; it chooses its own owner. No one but its owner can make it climax, let alone make it unforgettable. For your one point three million, I can only go through the motions with you, without any frills,” Zhou Yan said.

Qin Feng frowned and gritted his teeth. “Si Wen.”

It was a known fact, and Zhou Yan didn’t deny it. “Yes. Si Wen.”

Qin Feng, feeling his manhood was looked down upon, was upset. He unzipped his pants and masturbated until he was hard, then showed it to her. “Look again.”

Zhou Yan glanced at it and shook her head.

Qin Feng was furious. “Damn it!”

Zhou Yan pointed to the door. “Go practice.”

Qin Feng, filled with anger, left in a huff.

________________________________________

After taking a shower, Si Wen grabbed a set of clothes he would normally wear, but then he hesitated. He put them back and took out a set he wouldn’t normally wear. He put them on, buttoned the shirt, but then he hesitated halfway through and left the top three buttons undone, half-exposing his chest.

Standing in front of the full-length mirror, he felt uncomfortable, but he left the house anyway.

When he arrived at Candy, he was a definite head-turner. Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the part of his chest that was exposed.

Along with the good looks came shock.

Who was this man trying to seduce?

He underestimated how desperate these women were for him.

Even if he hadn’t worn this, with his usual meticulous image, they couldn’t help but get wet.

Zhou Yan, who had tasted him before, didn’t let herself look for too long. She glanced at him once and then entered a private room.

Sitting next to the boss, her mind was still on the image of the scoundrel Si Wen she had seen in the corridor. He was wearing glasses and had his chest exposed. That old bastard was so sinister. When being tough didn’t work, he resorted to seduction?

She took a deep breath, but it didn’t help. She lit a cigarette and took a few quick puffs. She finally calmed down a little.

The boss only sang and didn’t drink. He seemed to be in a bad mood. He had called the hostesses to the private room only because that was what you were supposed to do at a place like this. He didn’t have much of an interest in flirting, touching, or having sex with them.

Seeing his attitude, Zhou Yan, who was already half-hearted, became even more so.

After two hours, she didn’t waste a minute. She left the room and went to the rooftop.

She lit a cigarette, took a hard drag, and held it between two fingers, exhaling smoke. It was a seductive sight, but she was the only one in that space. No one could see her, a heavenly being who had descended to the mortal world, overturning the daytime, swaying and enchanting in the night, a sight for the ages.

“Are you waiting for me?”

A voice appeared behind her, but Zhou Yan didn’t turn around. That tone, that deep voice.

She was all too familiar with it.

Si Wen came up and hugged her from behind, putting a watch on her wrist.

Zhou Yan looked down at the watch on her wrist. She had seen this brand online; it cost two million yuan. She took it off, held it up, and then let go. The watch fell to the ground. It didn’t break, but it was definitely scratched.

Si Wen didn’t care. What he gave to her was hers to do with as she pleased.

Zhou Yan let him hold her, but her words were not as gentle as her body. “Do you know what the saddest thing is for me every morning when I wake up?”

Si Wen didn’t say anything, just hugged her, smelling the fresh shampoo scent in her hair. His lips intentionally and unintentionally touched the sensitive skin behind her ear.

“It’s that you’re not dead yet,” Zhou Yan said.

Si Wen’s reaction was calm. “You want me to die.”

“I dream about it.”

Si Wen let her go and walked toward the railing. He turned to face Zhou Yan, opened his arms, and said, “Okay.”

He leaned back and fell from the rooftop.

Zhou Yan panicked and rushed over recklessly. “Ah—”

She jumped after him, but she didn’t fall all the way. She just landed in Si Wen’s arms, who had landed in the small garden.

Two meters below the right side of the rooftop was a small garden. People without access never knew about it. Zhou Yan had access, but besides being used by Si Wen up here, she would just stand in the front, watching the night view and having a smoke, just like she had done a moment ago.

She had no idea that there was a sky garden with plants and flowers below the right-side railing.

Si Wen hugged Zhou Yan tightly. “You can’t let go.”

Zhou Yan struggled out of his arms, her face a pale green. “You’re crazy!”

“You already know that,” Si Wen said, and then pulled her back, holding her firmly.

Zhou Yan raised her hand and slapped him. It was a loud slap. She didn’t say a word after that and got up to leave.

She went down to the parking garage and got into her Chevrolet. Zhou Yan didn’t want to stay here for another second.

The car drove onto the main road, then turned into a side street. At the first traffic light, she had to wait ninety seconds. At sixty seconds, she slammed her hand on the steering wheel, and when the light turned green, she turned the car around and returned to Candy.

She ran back to the rooftop, to the spot where Si Wen had hugged her. The watch was still lying on the ground. She walked over, picked it up, breathed on the surface, and wiped it with the hem of her skirt. She held it in her hand and went downstairs. She finally left.

No one saw her actions, except for the night.

________________________________________

The next day, the sun was bright, and everything was clear.

Zhou Yan woke up early to prepare breakfast for Zhou Siyuan and took him to school.

On her way home after dropping him off, she ran into Wei Li’an on patrol. It had been more than a month since she last saw him. She didn’t look at him much and was about to drive past when he called out to her.

Zhou Yan parked her car on the side of the road and rolled down her window. “What is it, Officer?”

Wei Li’an glanced at her inspection sticker. “You haven’t had your car inspected this year? You’ll get demerit points and your car will be impounded if you don’t go for the annual inspection.”

Zhou Yan replied, “I’ll go in the next few days.”

Wei Li’an looked at her. She had gotten thinner, but not to the point of being unrecognizable. She just looked a bit pitiful.

He asked her boldly, “Do you want to grab a meal?”

Zhou Yan refused. “I have something to do at home.”

Wei Li’an: “I have something I want to talk to you about.”

Zhou Yan: “I really have things to do.”

Wei Li’an: “It’s about Si Wen.”

Zhou Yan looked at him and fell silent.

Wei Li’an gave a bitter smile. Not only was his hero extraordinary, but he also had the love of the woman he couldn’t have.

In a private room at a restaurant, Wei Li’an poured a cup of barley tea for Zhou Yan and waited for the roast meat to arrive.

Zhou Yan wasn’t there to eat with him, so she went straight to the point. “What do you want to tell me?”

Wei Li’an didn’t rush to speak. He crossed his hands over his chest and said after a moment, “Do you know him?”

Zhou Yan didn’t understand. “Don’t beat around the bush. Say what you want to say.”

Wei Li’an proposed a hypothesis. “What if Si Wen is a drug trafficker?”

He only said half of it, but Zhou Yan still answered. “What does that have to do with me? I find you people very strange. If he’s a drug trafficker, then go arrest him. Whether he goes to jail or gets the death penalty, it’s all based on the law. Why are you asking for my attitude?”

Wei Li’an then said, “What if Si Wen is an anti-drug mole?”

Zhou Yan froze.

Wei Li’an repeated, “What if Si Wen is an anti-drug mole? He once sacrificed his life, but that experience did not end well.”

Zhou Yan’s heart began to ache. It hurt so much. Her eyes widened, her breathing became short. She smiled, but then immediately became anxious. She was conflicted, she struggled, she soared into the clouds, then fell into the mud. Her face was wet. Was she crying?

Did Si Wen get his drug addiction from being an undercover agent?

Was that it? Was that possible?

She stood up, grabbed the tablecloth tightly, and asked urgently, “You’re lying to me. You’re lying to me, aren’t you?”

Wei Li’an had originally wanted to test her, to see if Zhou Yan knew anything, but her reaction seemed to suggest that she really didn’t know.

Zhou Yan’s tears fell too quickly, and they were beyond her control. She grabbed Wei Li’an’s collar, and her fangs came out again. “You’re lying to me! You must be lying to me! How could you know this! You made this up! Didn’t you!”

Wei Li’an had already experienced her shock and was much calmer than she was. “Whether it’s true or not is for you to ask.”

Zhou Yan didn’t believe it.

Si Wen was a villain. He was so fierce and ruthless. Even if he hadn’t killed a lot of people, he had caused many families to break up. He was arrogant and lawless, always doing whatever he wanted. How could this be? It was impossible!

But where did his scars come from? The scars from gunshot wounds and knife wounds—he never talked about them.

Zhou Yan was suspicious and hesitant.

Wei Li’an’s eyes were very firm. “I can’t get close to him. Only you can know this part of the truth. If he is, and if he also wants to do what’s right in the future, I will stand by his side. I just need to be sure that he is, and that he is doing it.”

Zhou Yan slowly let go of him. “You want me to probe him.”

Wei Li’an shook his head. “I don’t have any malicious intent. I just need to know if he is, or if he isn’t.”

Zhou Yan understood. She got up and left.

She would find out the truth, but it wouldn’t be for anyone else.