Ti Shen

Mi Le’s mouth was dry by the time she finished her long explanation. She made herself a glass of fruit wine and slowly sipped it. When her eyes fell on Ran Feng Ge, worry could be seen.

“That’s the Mi Le I know. Your memory is as exceptional as ever!” Ran Feng Ge raised his glass. “My humble self can only prostrate before your excellence! Here, a toast to you!”

For once, Cheng Xi Ran had a serious look on his face. He gazed steadily at his friend, and in a low voice, he asked, “Could it be that your job this time is related to Chasing Hawk?”

“You’re over thinking it; I’m just curious. The job I took this time is extremely easy. I only have to play as a man who was recently discharged from the hospital, and then I get my big paycheck. It’s as simple as that.” Ran Feng Ge’s voice was light, and his smiling face made people want to believe him, not a single flaw could be seen in his expression.

Cheng Xi Ran’s pointed stare burrowed into him. “Really? Don’t try to play games with me, if I find out—”

“Really, it’s true! Are you going to buy me drinks or not?” Ran Feng Ge slung an arm around Cheng Xi Ran’s shoulders and gave the other a friendly punch. “Don’t you know how I am? If I was having trouble with something, I definitely wouldn’t hold back from asking for help.”

“Alright, I’ll believe you this time.” Cheng Xi Ran knew he wouldn’t get any answers to his questions. The only thing he could do was surrender.

Nevertheless, he understood. If Ran Feng Ge wasn’t saying anything, then it meant he had it under control. Plus, the dashing man with the brilliant smile was the best in the industry. He was intelligent, talented, versatile, and capable of improvising when the situation called for it.

Mi Le had the exact same thought as her lover. Even if they put their two skills together, they still couldn’t beat Ran Feng Ge. The only thing they had to do to fulfill their duty as his friends was to avoid causing trouble for the other. Of course, they also had to take him out for occasional drinks and let him have his fill.

When Ran Feng Ge noticed that his friends weren’t going to press him, he let out an internal sigh of relief.

Afterwards, the three of them reminisced about the past and talked about their plans for the future. They became closer as they chatted, discussing all sorts of topics. Smiling, Ran Feng Ge even asked the other two about their wedding date. As he looked upon the obvious happiness on his friends’ faces, he couldn’t help but wonder if the date was close.

Although Mi Le was normally a straightforward, bold girl, when she heard Ran Feng Ge’s question, she couldn’t help but feel shy. Her shyness, on top of her red cheeks–a result of the wine–made her an alluring picture.

“Don’t tell me that I actually guessed right? Is it soon?” Ran Feng Ge raised an eyebrow.

Cheng Xi Ran took his girlfriend, who had become sweet and helpless, into his arms. He had an infuriating smile, like the cat that got the cream. “Don’t worry punk, when we get married, the first one we’ll tell is you! Of course, we’ll make sure you have plenty of time to prepare a gift. I’m going to tell you now; if we aren’t satisfied with the gift, you aren’t touching a single drop of alcohol at the wedding!”

Embarrassed, Mi Le gave Cheng Xi Ran a punch, and then stood up. A trace of a blush could still be seen on her cheeks. She then smiled generously. “Xiao Ge, we’re planning on getting married next May. At the end of the year, we’re going to have our wedding pictures taken. A wedding gift isn’t all that important; it’s enough if you bring a girlfriend when you attend!”

Hardly a second after his girlfriend had spoken, Cheng Xi Ran smiled and parroted, “Le Le is right. Punk, it’s about time for you to find a girlfriend! Otherwise, what are you going to do with all that money? It’s going to turn moldy in the bank. You earn money so your woman can spend it!”

Using her elbow, Mi Le jabbed Cheng Xi Ran in the chest. With slightly narrowed eyes, she said, “Hm? Cheng—Xi—Ran, are you implying that I’ve spent too much of your money?”

Cheng Xi Ran realized he had said the wrong thing. He quickly gave an apologetic smile, and said, “Le Le, you’re over thinking it. What I meant was that I earn money so that you, my wife, can spend it. I have no objection to it! Really, I do not have any objections! I am perfectly happy to give you all of my money! Darling! Ah, don’t twist my ear—ow—darling! I’m sorry. I was wrong…”

“You say it as if I’ve spent a fortune! I’ll have you know, I also have a lot saved up from when I was a body double! Also, I was the one who paid Tian Lian’s renovations fees!”

“Yes, yes. You have always used your own money. I was wrong, I was wrong. Ouch, it hurts…”

Ran Feng Ge smiled as he sipped from the glass in his hands. He sat quietly and looked on as the two clowns in front of him fooled around, his heart slowly sinking as he watched.

Will there come a day when I can lead a carefree life, just like the two of them?

“My phone number won’t change, so if anything comes up, feel free to contact me. You guys keep arguing. I still have some things to do, so I’ll be leaving.” Ran Feng Ge drained the last of the alcohol and stood up. He smiled and teased, “I can come over anytime I want a drink, right?”

Cheng Xi Ran deliberately pretended to be angry. “Fine, but the next time you come, you need to stay and work for a day. With your good looks, you can pass as our bar’s money boy.”

“Go to hell!” Ran Feng Ge smiled as he cursed at the other. He grabbed his phone, and waved goodbye. “I’m leaving!”

“Hey, you had too much to drink tonight. Do you want me to find someone to give you a ride?” Cheng Xi Ran’s voice became somewhat serious.

“No need; I’ll take a taxi. Oh, right, I didn’t bring any money with me when I left. Give me some for the taxi fare.” Like a master of the house, Ran Feng Ge reached out his hand.

“Did I do something to owe you this much?” Cheng Xi Ran pulled out his wallet, took out his ID card, and then handed the rest of his wallet to the other. “Here, why don’t you buy some medicine to sober yourself up along with it? Remember to be careful.”

“I know. Thanks!” Ran Feng Ge didn’t hold back, and accepted the wallet. He gave a lazy wave, left the bar counter, and walked out of Tian Lan.

Unlike the noisy atmosphere inside the bar, it was exceedingly quiet outside. The man looked up at the night sky, which was dotted with sparse stars. He let out a long sigh.

He frowned slightly as he walked. It seemed like Jing Qiu Han truly wasn’t any ordinary person.

He didn’t expect the other to really be involved with Chasing Hawk.

Chasing Hawk… Lan Kuang… Was he a vindictive and narrow-minded man?

Ah… Ran Feng chuckled, and then shook his head.

He’d really had too much to drink tonight; his vision was somewhat blurry.

A Lincoln stretch limousine suddenly came into sight. It was headed in his direction, and when it neared him, it slowly came to a stop by the roadside. The car door opened, and out stepped two men who were tall, big, and muscular. They took their spots beside Ran Feng Ge, flanking him. The two of them stared with expressionless faces at the man sandwiched between them.

Ran Feng Ge, who was rubbing his temples, stopped, and looked over confusedly at the Lincoln.

A window slowly rolled down, exposing a man’s face. The stern lines of the man’s face were painted to be gentle by the night’s light. He had on his usual alluring smile, attractive like a poppy. He was charming, but also dangerous. “My dear older brother, you really made me spend such a long time looking for you!”

Ran Feng Ge recognized the other, and his heart seized in a tight grip. But he decided to deal with the situation in his usual manner. “Sir, are you sure you aren’t mistaking me for someone else?”

“Gee, we’ve only been apart for forty days, but big brother doesn’t even recognize me. This truly makes me sad!” The man in the limo glanced over at the two men standing beside Ran Feng Ge and motioned with his eyes. The two immediately grabbed Ran Feng Ge and tried to forcibly stuff him into the limo.

Ran Feng Ge swung out an arm, and managed to shake off the two muscular men. He then rapidly struck out with both his hands. His two targets were slow to react, and he swiftly dislocated their shoulders. The pain was so great that it forced the two men onto their knees, each holding an arm and groaning in pain.

As the man sitting in the car watched the scene play out in front of him, his smile froze, and his eyes grew sharp. But it wasn’t enough to make him give up. He gave a cursory glance at Tian Lan, which was located just a few steps away. He smiled coldly and said, “I didn’t know that big brother had a friend who owned a bar. I’ll definitely have to pay a visit someday.”

Even an idiot could understand the silent threat concealed within those words.

Ran Feng Ge raised his eyebrow, and rolled his wrist. He then slowly walked towards the car. “An Chen, exactly what do you need me for?”

An Chen broke out into a smile, a menacing smile. “Nothing really. You did play as my older brother for two years. I missed you. Am I not allowed to call you out and reminisce about the old times?”

“There’s nothing to say between us!”

“Oh? Are you forcing me to be honest?” A vicious gleam appeared in An Chen’s eyes. “In my father’s will, did he truly leave 70 percent of An Corporation’s shares to my older brother?”

Ran Feng Ge smiled at the other. “For that question, instead of me, you need to ask your brother An Mu.”

“When Father died, you were substituting for An Mu,” An Chen replied in a furious voice and then noticed his loss of self-control. He quickly opened the car door, and said in a low voice, “Get in! We’ll talk about this somewhere else.

“What if I don’t feel like talking?” Ran Feng Ge gazed at the other man with downcast eyes.

An Chen sneered. “I don’t want to resort to force to solve this. I know I can’t suppress you with force alone, but in the end, you are just one person. You are also excessively kind-hearted, and you worry about too many things. Eventually, we will reach a compromise. If it’s like that, why should we run around in circles? If you want to act like how we were two years ago, then I have no objections.”

Ran Feng Ge was silent for a moment. Then he bent over and got in the car.

The car door closed, and they drove off. The two muscular men who had their shoulders dislocated stared in irritation at the back of the car. They gritted their teeth, but finally walked off in another direction.

Anyone who had disgraced An Chen was not allowed to step foot in that car; they no longer had the qualifications to listen and obey An Chen’s commands.

For them, abandonment was the only option.

Inside the car.

Ran Feng Ge was sitting beside An Chen, nonchalant. He noticed the car was moving onto the highway, and couldn’t resist asking, “Where are you taking me?”

“You’ll know when we reach it.” An Chen turned his head to look at the composed man. He leaned closer, his eyes narrowing, like a hunter locking onto his prey. “You aren’t afraid?”

Ran Feng Ge could feel An Chen’s breath on his neck, but he didn’t even bat an eye. Smiling, he said, “Why would I be afraid?”

“If I treat you in the same way I did last time, would you still not be afraid?” It seemed like An Chen wanted to challenge Ran Feng Ge’s limits. He continued breathing down on the other man.

The mood in the car truly was ambiguous.

Ran Feng Ge suddenly lifted an elbow and pressed it against An Chen’s neck, pushing the latter down onto the spacious car seat. He then revealed a dazzling smile. “The one afraid… should be you.”