Chapter 22: This Solemn and Serious Mood Only Lasted…
This was the second time Yi Ke had heard him call someone sister. The first time was during a book club event. The member leading the reading of the big sister Jane’s part in Pride and Prejudice had bought everyone juice.
Zhuang Ningyu was leaning against the wall on the floor carpet, probably too comfortable from sunbathing to move. So he just stretched out a hand from afar and said with a slightly husky, nasal tone, “Thanks, sister.”
It was really nothing, as almost everyone was calling her sister according to the character in the book, and even the “sister” herself didn’t think anything of it. A young brother being lazy and acting cute was quite endearing, but Yi Ke felt something.
At that moment, Zhuang Ningyu was completely enveloped in the sun, which illuminated him into a hazy golden shadow. A sliver of his white neck was visible below the collar of his loose sweater. When he drank the juice, his Adam’s apple would move slightly up and down with each swallow, his lips glistening and red from the cold drink.
Yi Ke lowered his gaze back to his book, but not a single word registered. That night, a damp, muddy rose fragrance bloomed in his dreams. He really couldn’t resist any of the other’s soft gestures, whether intentional or not. It brought a touch of unspeakable desire, a chaotic mess in his heart.
That night, Zhuang Ningyu used every trick in the book to finally coax Yi Ke back to sleep.
The mark left by the other’s tears on his chest had not yet faded. The damp, clammy sensation was like a cold, tiny electric current, crawling over his skin and making his fingers tremble, so much so that he couldn’t unbutton his shirt for a long time. To make matters worse, the phone rang abruptly at that moment, a sharp needle piercing his brain.
Zhuang Ningyu, wrapped in a light, empty heartbeat, grabbed his phone. Only after seeing who the caller was did he relax a little. He ran his hands through his hair a couple of time, casually grabbed a cushion to cover his chest, and finally sat up straight on the sofa. “Mom.”
Zhong Yu narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing her suspicious-looking son on the screen, and asked with a hint of doubt, “Are you in a relationship?”
Zhuang Ningyu denied it flatly. Don’t you go spreading rumors, comrade. I’m in a rule zone.
Zhong Yu didn’t think that was a problem. The organization can’t possibly stop you from falling in love in a rule zone.
Zhuang Ningyu said expressionlessly, “If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up.”
“Alright, alright, chat with Mom for a little longer,” Zhong Yu conceded. She and her husband were zoologists and had been doing research in South America for years, relying entirely on video calls to communicate with their son. It was a rare occasion to get a phone signal today. She asked with concern, “What kind of rule zone is it this time?”
“East City’s Yin Bar, the one that was indiscriminately poisoned and set on fire five years ago,” Zhuang Ningyu said.
“Yin Bar?” Zhong Yu had an impression of this bar. “Jiajia, your Auntie Zhao’s daughter, also went to that bar that night.”
“Which Auntie Zhao? Zhao Huifen?” Zhuang Ningyu instantly sat up straight. “How many daughters does she have in total?”
“How many could she have? Just one. The one I wanted to introduce you two to, but you stubbornly refused. I remember I specifically mentioned to you later that surviving a great disaster brings future blessings. You really don’t remember at all?”
Zhuang Ningyu had no memory of this because whenever the words “blind date” appeared, his brain would enter a self-protection mechanism. No matter what he heard, he could delete it with one click within two seconds. Zhong Yu had to help him recall, “I happened to be playing mahjong at your Auntie Zhao’s house that night.”
It was around 10 p.m. Zhao Jiaxue, wearing a beautiful little dress, went out happily, saying she was going to attend the Yin Bar’s anniversary celebration. At that time, a table of aunties all smiled and praised her for looking like a doll. But just after 11, a girl suddenly called Zhao Huifen, claiming to be Zhao Jiaxue’s best friend. Her tone was anxious as she said she was at the emergency department of East City Hospital; Zhao Jiaxue was having an acute asthma attack triggered by a mango allergy and was currently being rescued.
Zhong Yu said, “That child has been prone to allergies since she was little, especially mangoes. After receiving the call, we hurried to the hospital together. Fortunately, the doctor handled it in time, and nothing serious happened.”
According to the police records, the poisoning at Yin Bar happened after 11 p.m., and the fire started in the early morning. This meant that Zhao Jiaxue and her best friend had, because of this allergy, narrowly brushed past death.
Zhuang Ningyu asked alertly, “Why is there no related information in the police files?”
“How would I know? Maybe it’s because she went out too late and missed the sign-in,” Zhong Yu said. “Besides, she had already left before the incident occurred. Even if the police wanted to ask, the two young girls probably couldn’t provide any information. I heard that because of this incident, Jiajia was even scared into sickness.”
At that time, whether in the community, on forums, or in chat groups, news about Yin Bar was everywhere. Netizens discussed its lavish splendor before the incident and its charred ruins after. The stark contrast stimulated everyone’s eyes. To maximize traffic, paparazzi wished they could stick their cameras directly onto the victims’ faces. The bright red livor mortis, the purplish lips, the hideous and painful reality of death were infinitely magnified. Zhao Jiaxue accidentally scrolled past a few pictures and was immediately so scared she trembled all over, unable to sleep night after night. Later, her entire family moved to Yangcheng.
Zhuang Ningyu made a decisive decision. “Give me Zhao Jiaxue’s contact information.”
“You’re so proactive now,” Zhong Yu complained. She thought for a moment. “How about this, I’ll give you Auntie Zhao’s contact information. You can ask her first. What if the young lady isn’t willing to see you?”
Zhuang Ningyu: “What do you mean willing or not? This is official business.”
Zhong Yu: “All you know is work.”
“Goodbye, Mom!”
“…”
After hanging up, Zhuang Ningyu synchronized this information with Qiu Meng and Huo Ting, asking them to look into Zhao Jiaxue and her best friend.
Huo Ting asked, “Do you suspect they’re problematic?”
“If she was drunk at the time, it’s indeed possible she accidentally ate a mango,” Zhuang Ningyu said. “But if she wasn’t drunk, a person with a highly allergic constitution since childhood has no reason to accidentally eat a fruit with such a strong scent. Zhao Jiaxue and her friend are survivors of the Yin Bar incident. No matter what, it’s worth asking.”
“Alright, I’ll arrange it,” Huo Ting agreed. He was about to routinely ask about Yi Ke’s performance, but the other side had already hung up.
Perhaps because the two were so familiar, this time Huo Ting could actually hear an unusual sense of chaos and urgency from the “beep-beep” of the busy tone.
…
The water pressure of the shower head was turned to its maximum. Zhuang Ningyu stood under the shower with his eyes closed, trying to use the cold water to return himself to an undistracted work state, but it was clearly not very effective. The light scent of the shower gel was completely overwhelmed by the smell of Yi Ke’s cologne. The lingering damp heat on his chest was particularly prominent. Although Zhuang Ningyu had provoked quite a few people in the past, a heart offered to him could be distinguished between a frivolous whim and sincere and unadorned earnestness.
He had originally thought Yi Ke was the former, until two hours ago, when he was drenched by the other’s overwhelming, lingering grievance.
This really couldn’t go on.
Zhuang Ningyu felt he should reconsider his way of interacting with Yi Ke, trying his best to stand from the position of a senior and be a qualified mentor. Although he had never properly taught a student before, fortunately, the concept of teaching was basically the same everywhere. Imitating it wouldn’t be difficult.
Having figured this out, he reached out and turned off the shower, deciding to start everything from scratch.
But unfortunately, this solemn and serious mood only lasted for less than five minutes, because Yi Ke, in the midst of his tearful anger, did not forget to continue sending his brand-new selfies.
Zhuang Ningyu clenched the towel, his hand wiping his hair frozen in mid-air.
I can’t take it anymore, I want to call the police.
The next day at noon, Wen Yue, under the watchful eyes of the action team members, stepped into the rule zone alone.
Under the dim sun, the thick white mist was like a roll of gorgeous yet heavy, tattered gauze, draping between the rules. Blown by the wind, it slowly enveloped the girl’s last thin silhouette.
“…Can she really do it?”
“She should be fine. With Captain Zhuang and Xiao Yi there, they’ll protect her.”
After the suffocating feeling of air being sucked away disappeared, a feeling of weightlessness, as if waking from a dream, followed. Wen Yue abruptly opened her eyes in a daze, greeted by a magnificent photography studio and a long pink dress. The photographer walked up quickly. Although he had two dark circles under his eyes, his face was filled with the joy of finally being able to deliver to the client. He was clearly very satisfied with this model—a beautiful face, a slender body, like the most exquisite doll in a fairy tale.
“Come here.” The makeup artist pressed her down into a chair, leaned over to look at the person in the mirror, and his mouth split into a bizarre yet brilliant arc. “You’re very beautiful. Welcome to the night of revelry.”
Wen Yue clenched her fists tightly, suppressing her wildly beating heart, and also cracked a smile.
Sister. As the makeup brush lightly touched her cheek, she closed her eyes and said silently in her heart, I’m really here this time.
At a little after 3 p.m., Zhuang Ningyu received a message from Yi Ke: Come to 411, there’s a situation.
At the same time, new messages kept popping up in the drink promoters’ work group. The vast majority of them loved gossip, especially gossip related to money and relationships. Half an hour ago, someone had single-handedly stormed into the boss’s office.
“The bodyguard didn’t stop them?”
“Probably didn’t dare. It was President You.”
The news was too explosive. The staircase was instantly crowded with people.
And compared to other colleagues who could only frequently pass by the third floor under the pretext of work, hoping to overhear a tidbit of fresh news, Yi Ke’s gossip-gathering equipment was clearly much more advanced. Zhuang Ningyu found room 411 according to the text message. This was the bar’s storage room, and 311 below was Tong Yishuai’s office. Yi Ke was currently squatting among a pile of boxes, one hand pressing a listening device tightly against the floor, and the other handing Zhuang Ningyu a pair of headphones.
Zhuang Ningyu quickly put them on. “You Hong?”
Yi Ke nodded. “Yes.”
That name was indeed on the list of victims. At the Doll Party five years ago, although Tong Yishuai hadn’t invited any gold card clients, there was actually one heavyweight VIP in the bar that night—the founder of Jincheng’s Xing Meili Group, You Hong.
This President You was in her fifties. Although she couldn’t be called young, she maintained herself very well, with a graceful figure and elegant temperament. She was very popular on the internet and was considered a living advertisement for her own beauty group. According to her son You Tu’s description to the police, his mother was supposed to attend an industry summit, which clashed with the VIP Night at Yin Bar seven days later, which was why she appeared at the Doll Party ahead of time.
“I never expected it.” You Tu’s voice was hoarse as he covered his face and sobbed.
The interrogating police officer sighed silently and patted his shoulder. You Hong’s cause of death was also cyanide poisoning, but her body was found in the green belt outside the bar. It was presumed that in order to escape the fire, she had accidentally fallen from the bar’s third-floor terrace.
“The case file shows that You Tu has a big problem with Tong Yishuai,” Zhuang Ningyu said. “In his opinion, his mother was a typical career woman. Her mind was always on work, and she never drank. Especially in the last two years, as she got older, she started paying attention to her health. There was really no reason for her to be associated with the decadent Yin Bar. He firmly believed that his mother’s abnormality must have been Tong Yishuai’s doing, accusing Tong Yishuai and his male promoters of deceiving the emotions of middle-aged and elderly women under the guise of romance to obtain large investments.”
The police did indeed investigate along this line, but found that among the bar’s clients, although many liked Tong Yishuai—some rich, some beautiful, or some both rich and beautiful—not a single one had actually dated him. It was unknown whether this masked boss shielded himself from all emotions to maintain his mysterious persona, or if he was really, as he claimed, “naturally asexual.” In short, the possibility of Tong Yishuai personally using his good looks to deceive You Hong was unlikely. As for the other male promoters, some did date customers, but it hadn’t escalated to the level of fraud.
Someone sent a message in the group, saying, Is President You here to seek justice for Brother Jie? I heard she’s been running around a lot for Brother Jie’s matter recently.
A female voice also came through the headphones: “Are you targeting A-Jie this time, or are you targeting me?”
Tong Yishuai answered calmly, “President You, I’ve already made it very clear to you on the phone. I respect all of A-Jie’s decisions. Although I lost my temper that day, I didn’t hold him up on any procedures afterward, and even gave him triple his salary. As for targeting you, that’s even more baseless.”
“If you’re not targeting me, then why didn’t you invite me to the anniversary party? From the day Yin Bar opened until now, which anniversary have I not received invitation number 001?”
The promoters in the group spammed the “jaw-dropping” emoji. Not inviting President You to the Doll Party? What’s the difference between that and kicking out your biggest patron? You have to know, President You not only spends a lot herself, but also brings a group of wealthy business partners to spend with her. Such a supreme client should not only receive invitation number 001, but even a gold- and diamond-encrusted invitation number 001. Not to mention, she’s also one of ahe investors. To screw this up, has the boss lost his mind?
Promoter A: Why did BOSS suddenly go quiet?
Promoter B: Maybe he was dazed by Brother Jie’s anger before, and now that President You is making a scene, he’s only just realized what he’s done.
Promoter C: But I think President You is still quite easy to talk to. If Brother Jie can come back and the boss apologizes to her, this matter will probably blow over.
Promoter D: But the boss is such a face-saving person, will he really apologize?
Promoter E: Maybe for the sake of money…
Promoter F: Maybe for the sake of money…
What followed was a long chain of copy-pastes. Indeed, when running a business, money was the most important thing.
Tong Yishuai remained silent for a long time. After a while, he finally spoke. “President You, you’ve misunderstood. For this anniversary, I didn’t withdraw your invitation at the last minute; I never prepared to invite you at all. Not just you, none of the gold card members will be invited. I don’t plan to open the second-floor VIP area during the party night.”
As soon as these words were spoken, it wasn’t just the office that fell silent, but the work group as well. Even A’Lin, who usually didn’t like to gossip about the boss, couldn’t help but want to open a comment barrage to complain. Closing the entire VIP area for the anniversary? This kind of excuse thought up with your heels… Is it really that hard to properly apologize to President You?
You Hong looked at the man in front of her, wearing a cold mask and speaking rejections even colder than the mask. She frowned. “Why? I already said—”
“There’s no reason.” Tong Yishuai cut her off. Looking at that face that was clearly no longer young, he didn’t know what he was remembering, but his stomach actually began to churn. An indescribable, strange pain slowly rose from his abdomen. His throat tightened, and then the nerves all over his body began to ache. He simply slammed the door and stormed out.
“Bang!”
The bar staff gathered at the staircase didn’t expect the boss to come out so quickly. They were all shocked and scattered in panic, afraid of accidentally getting caught in the crossfire. A’Lin had originally wanted to run too, but considering he was the sales supervisor of this bar and should play some sort of management role, he braced himself and went forward, reminding him as tactfully as possible that President You was a major client, an investor in the bar, and her friends were also very supportive. There was really no need to offend her.
“…Otherwise, I can go talk to President You?”
“We’ll talk after the anniversary,” Tong Yishuai said with great impatience, clearly not wanting to bring up You Hong again. He straightened his mask in the reflective glass window. The discomfort from just now had eased a little. He turned back. “Contact the design company and ask them when the new poster can be designed.”
“I just asked. The designer said they guarantee the draft will be ready tonight. They also said this model is perfect and absolutely meets our requirements.”
…
That evening, Yin Bar opened for business on time as usual.
The first floor was business as usual. Under the neon lights, it was crowded with young men and women. They danced, drank, and played games. Led by the DJ, they squandered the supreme vitality and passion bestowed by their youth. In contrast, the second floor was incredibly deserted. The promoters looked at the empty sofa booths, all with long faces.
The bartender pushed over two cocktails and lowered his voice. “Didn’t you hear? The boss has already closed the second-floor VIP area in advance. Just now, several groups of guests left in disappointment.”
“I heard a little bit of news in the afternoon,” Zhuang Ningyu picked up his glass. “But I thought the second floor would only be closed on the day of the anniversary.”
“Everyone thought so before. But, tsk, maybe the boss was really angered by President You, so he didn’t hesitate to close the VIP area in advance. He’d rather not make money than see her. How should I put it, it sounds like a tragic love story.”
“What exactly happened between the boss and President You to cause such a big fuss? Is it really just because of Brother Jie?”
“That I don’t know.”
The bartender mixed another light pink drink, leaned forward, and pushed the glass over, politely saying to the newly arrived young lady, “For you.”
“Thanks.” Tian Luxin was on the day shift today, and it was now her break time. The moment she received Zhuang Ningyu’s message, she immediately changed her clothes and rushed over.
The music reached a small climax at this moment. The handsome men and beautiful women all got up and flocked to the dance floor. Soon, there were only three people left at the bar. Tian Luxin took the opportunity to move her high stool closer to Zhuang Ningyu. It had to be said, this freakishly strong girl’s gym sessions were not in vain. With a “thud,” it felt like the floor was about to be smashed into a pit by her.
“Captain Zhuang.” The girl looked a little nervous. She swallowed hard before asking in a whisper, “Did the boss really close the entire VIP area? It couldn’t… it couldn’t really be some rich person trying to perform a… sacrifice, could it?”
Before this livestreaming exploration, Tian Luxin had also researched a lot of information about Yin Bar. Regarding the cause of the tragic case a few years ago, there had always been speculation online about a “cult sacrifice.” Although it sounded a bit absurd, thinking about it carefully, it wasn’t entirely without reason.
Because Yin Bar, which had always been known for its high consumption, had only invited one gold card client, You Hong, on the night of the incident.
Besides her, the place was filled with young, handsome men and beautiful women. Coupled with the poison and the fire, let alone the public, even the police hadn’t completely ruled out the possibility.
Zhuang Ningyu reassured her, “When this place held its anniversary event five years ago, they indeed didn’t invite any gold card clients. But Tong Yishuai had already given an explanation in the early planning stages. He split the anniversary celebration into two parts.”
They were the first half, “Doll Party,” and the second half, “VIP Night,” with a seven-day interval between the two events. The gold card clients, who spent more, would get a more private environment and more high-end services during the “VIP Night.” This arrangement sounded reasonable enough. And after the incident, the police had immediately conducted a detailed investigation into Tong Yishuai’s social connections and financial transactions and found no major abnormalities.
Tian Luxin nodded. “That’s true.”
“It’s hard to say whether the case as a whole is related to a sacrifice, but Tong Yishuai and a cult should have no connection,” Zhuang Ningyu said. “If you want to find out more, my advice to you is to try and get the job of cleaning the boss’s office.”
The moment his voice fell, a thick stack of rule currency appeared in Tian Luxin’s hand. She turned her head in surprise. Yi Ke raised the corner of his mouth slightly. “Your start-up capital.”
“Rule Education and Response” had long been a mandatory subject for primary and secondary school students. Although Tian Luxin had no practical experience, fortunately, her theoretical foundation was solid, she was brave enough, and her physical fitness was strong. She felt that with her comprehensive conditions, getting a sweeping job should not be a problem. So she did what she said she would do, immediately pocketing the money to go and bribe the head of the cleaning department.
Another new round of screams erupted from the dance floor. The huge speakers boomed and vibrated, making hearts twitch. Yi Ke grabbed Zhuang Ningyu’s forearm and led him to a relatively quiet place. But when “bar” and “quiet” were linked together, it was basically synonymous with a place that catalyzed ambiguity. And Yi Ke really did not fail to live up to this ambiguity. He didn’t know what got into him tonight; the buttons of his shirt were practically undone to his abs, and his cologne was a woody amber and fruity scent perfectly suited for the night. When he sat on the sofa, his two fingers slid down, just happening to rest on the other’s throbbing pulse, separated by a thin layer of fabric.
The inside of the wrist was actually a very private area, but Zhuang Ningyu endured the offense. Between slapping him and talking business, he chose the latter. It wasn’t that he was reluctant to slap him, but because the psychological shadow from last night had not yet faded. If he made the person cry again, he would have to be the one to coax him. So he just calmly withdrew his hand and continued to analyze, “Although both the real Yin Bar and the one in the rules chose to close the VIP area on the day of the anniversary, the reasons are not the same. One was to provide better service to gold card clients, the other was because of You Hong. Looking at the literal meaning, the former is obviously much more reasonable.”
“But since You Hong appeared in this rule, it means she more or less carries a part of the truth.” Yi Ke touched his empty fingertips and finally deigned to sit up straight. “Want to ask that ‘Brother Jie’? I heard from A’Lin that he’s still in Jincheng right now, seems to be busy with a family member’s hospitalization.”
