Chapter 3, It Seems Like an Old Friend Has Arrived (3)

Ayang was momentarily at a loss for words; he certainly would not genuinely apologize to a little girl. Moreover, this matter was ordered by Jing Fuzhou, and he was merely acting out of necessity. An Yuan, unhurried, found a chair to sit down beside him, her face full of ignorance of the situation.

His fingers were really too close to that inch of skin, almost instinctively, Jing Fuzhou's hand slowly moved forward along the zipper. It was just a hair's breadth away from touching that smooth skin, but An Yuan suddenly took a step back to avoid him, turned around, and her slender eyes curved slightly: "Thank you"

At that moment, he suddenly had a very absurd thought—perhaps the woman in front of him was trying to seduce him, maybe she had been standing in the parking lot for so long just to entice him

"No, that's why I said I'm sorry," Ah Yang said with a smile, bending down to haphazardly organize her bag. Lan Xiao stood to the side and then walked behind An Yuan, quietly reminding her: "Alright, it's fine, just don't offend him; he is someone close to Brother Zhou"

Is this the cigarette she usually smokes? She is only nineteen years old, and she has actually started smoking?

With one hand on her hip, Anyuan's brows furrowed, presenting the demeanor of a woman who would not easily back down: "Then let me say something as well, I apologize, but what have I done that makes you feel suspicious? Big brother, please tell me, so I can correct it in the future"

I came to pick up my roommate; I am worried about her going back alone late at night. An Yuan's expression relaxed as she leaned against the makeup table, arms crossed, glancing at him sideways: Later, my living expenses were insufficient, so I came here myself

Her resume is quite simple; the only noteworthy aspect is that she is an orphan. Her mother died of a drug overdose, and her father was sentenced to death for drug trafficking. This incident was widely known among the neighbors at the time. An Yuan was taken in by her aunt, and thereafter, she lived a life just like any ordinary person. This year, she was admitted to a university in Lingchuan City, a third-rate school, which clearly indicates that her academic performance has not been impressive.

The typhoon that arrives earlier than autumn is in Lingchuan City. Those who have lived here for a long time have already become accustomed to it, so they do not feel too anxious. Mengsi is operating as usual today, and An Yuan took an umbrella before heading out; now that umbrella lies on the ground, utterly unrecognizable

She certainly knows that he is someone close to Brother Zhou, so she must offend him even more

The kind of youthful feeling he had never experienced before made him feel a sense of regret, while also carrying a desire to destroy it a little.

Jing Fuzhou reached out to take it, his heart filled with overwhelming frustration, causing him to turn and leave the backstage without even saying a word of thanks. An Yuan raised her chin slightly in the direction he had left, a posture that seemed provocative, making Lan Xiao a bit worried: "An Yuan, you didn't offend him, did you?"

Ayang spoke, yet there was not a hint of embarrassment on his face. Anyuan's expression was very somber, her heavy makeup still adorning her face, lending a subtle sharpness to her cold gaze: "Oh. Did you find anything suspicious?"

His thoughts twisted and turned in his mind, yet An Yuan remained unaware. In the slightly awkward atmosphere, she asked, "Did you remember?"

It is a weekend, and she is here to sing. The unfortunate aspect is that neither Jing Fuzhou is on stage nor in the audience. She continues to sing classic Cantonese songs, but has changed into a dress, a red dress, with the upper body off the shoulder and the lower body covering only the hips

At that moment, her hand reached out, and in her palm lay a pack of cigarettes. It was a very cheap brand of women's cigarettes. An Yuan knew that he would certainly not like it, but her intention was not truly to help him with his craving for cigarettes; she merely wanted him to understand that I see every detail of you.

In this expression of thanks, the gratitude is genuine, and the expulsion is also real. Jing Fuzhou's hand was withdrawn without a sound; he should have smiled gracefully and said, "It's alright." However, he could not utter a word, as something was lodged in his throat, causing him discomfort. Since the moment this woman appeared, she had repeatedly pushed him into an inexplicable and negative emotional state. His jaw tightened, and his tongue brushed against his upper teeth—his craving for cigarettes had struck again. Since the moment this woman appeared, she had repeatedly pushed him into an inexplicable and negative emotional state. His jaw tightened, and his tongue brushed against his upper teeth—his craving for cigarettes had struck again

He rarely makes a conscious effort to remember anyone's name, especially that of women. As if anticipating this, An Yuan smiled and shook her head: "It's nothing, I plan to change my clothes, aren't you going out, boss?"

However, Li Hua was unaware that after Jing Fuzhou left, he encountered A Yang and Taozi coming from the corridor. These two had been eyeing Li Hua for quite some time, and Taozi had just returned from Vietnam, where he had successfully handled a batch of goods. Jing Fuzhou, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, smiled at Taozi through the swirling smoke, saying, "The last time was quite good."

Taking his hand, An Yuan lowered her head and gently slid her finger across his palm: "An - - Yuan - - "

The zipper was hidden beneath the fiery red fabric, a small white pendant. He was not very familiar with women's clothing, as most of the time, he did not need to remove them himself. After searching with his head lowered for a while, his fingers finally grasped that small object, applying a slight downward pressure. With a faint sound, her snow-white back reappeared before his eyes.

"How could I dare?" An Yuan said as she went to change her clothes, though her tone suggested that she dared to do anything. Lan Xiao felt it was inappropriate to say anything further and could only let out a soft sigh

The girl in the mirror looked a bit surprised, and this surprise softened her cool demeanor, adding a hint of innocent charm: "Hmm?"

The atmosphere was tense, with neither side willing to concede. However, a faint voice came from the doorway as Jing Fuzhou called out "Ayang" and then slowly walked in: "Who allowed you to touch someone else's belongings? Apologize."

This was their first face-to-face conversation. An Yuan sat gracefully in the chair, her head tilted back, the lines of her neck smooth and elegant. Jing Fuzhou stood in front of her, just a few steps apart, gazing at her. After hearing her voice, he nodded slightly and said, "My subordinate is inexperienced; please do not take it to heart."

It is uncertain whether it is due to the impending typhoon, but many people have come here to take shelter, and tonight there are particularly many. An Yuan's gaze swept from the stage to the audience, but she did not see that familiar figure. A song ended quickly, and she returned to the backstage, only to find her bag rummaged through in disarray. The umbrella she had brought with her now lay on the ground, not knowing how many times it had been stepped on by someone, with clear shoe prints on the black canopy. The subordinate who had been following Jing Fuzhou was standing in front of the makeup table, talking to other women. As An Yuan approached, the surroundings fell silent.

Zhou Ge's teachings are excellent. Taozi smiled broadly, his gaze drifting towards Lihua's door. Jing Fuzhou laughed and scolded with a curse, patting Taozi on the shoulder: "You're still young, be gentle."

She spoke very candidly, and the information from the investigation indeed stated that she is an orphan. The expenses of a university student are always considerable, and it is not unreasonable for her to earn money on her own. A Yang had nothing to say and nodded: "I misunderstood."

But why should she go to such great lengths? The last time he followed her into the backstage, his intentions were so obvious, yet she turned a blind eye. She piqued his curiosity but did not draw closer; once he calmed that feeling, she would come to entice him again

Three parts boldness, seven parts coyness. Ah Yang smiled and did not shy away: "For more than a month now, you have appeared in the parking lot every night. Can you explain why?"

The corners of his mouth curled up, and Jing Fuzhou suddenly felt inexplicably cheerful: "Which two characters?"

She wrote her name in the palm of his hand, lowering her head, while he was close enough to hold her shoulder. The string in Jing Fuzhou's heart tightened, and inexplicably, sweat began to form in his palm. At that moment, he still did not know that this feeling was actually called a flutter.

An Yuan smiled, but did not speak again. The small backstage area became unusually quiet due to Jing Fuzhou's arrival. Jing Fuzhou thought she would say something more, but her conversation surprisingly came to an end. She walked past him and picked up the makeup remover on the table. Before she transformed back into someone from another world, Jing Fuzhou quietly asked, "An Yuan?"

Li Hua did not expect that after their last disappointing encounter, Jing Fuzhou would still be willing to seek her out. He must have smoked before coming, as the faint taste on his tongue made her feel uncomfortable. Due to the lesson learned from their previous meeting, this time Li Hua was particularly obedient; she maintained whatever position he placed her in and shouted whatever he asked her to shout. Because of her compliance, Jing Fuzhou was clearly in a good mood. After it was over, he even gently kissed her shoulder while pressing against her back. Due to the lesson learned from their previous meeting, this time Li Hua was particularly obedient; she maintained whatever position he placed her in and shouted whatever he asked her to shout. Because of her compliance, Jing Fuzhou was clearly in a good mood. After it was over, he even gently kissed her shoulder while pressing against her back.

Miss Anyuan, I apologize, but your behavior is too suspicious, so I took the liberty of searching through your belongings a little.

The academic performance is not great, but that is fine, thought Jing Fuzhou, as he himself had not attended school for many days. To say that An Yuan sought revenge against the drug lord because of her parents' matters simply does not make sense. At the time of her parents' death, Jing Fuzhou was merely a street thug.

Upon hearing this, Jing Fuzhou replied with a frivolous smile, "Do you need my assistance?"

"You are very well-behaved." This was the only sentence Jing Fuzhou said to her that night. Before leaving, he also left her some money. Whether that sentence was heartfelt or not is not important; what matters is that it represented his acknowledgment of her, and that he would still come here in the future

There were others in the background, and at that moment, they all tacitly chose to avoid eye contact. Jing Fuzhou was clearly taken aback for a moment, but he quickly regained his smile: "Alright"

Gaining the favor of Jing Fuzhou is such an important matter in the Drum Tower

The implication is that she wants him to apologize. Lan Xiao tugged at her arm from the side, telling her to let it go, but An Yuan raised her head and looked at him defiantly: "I am just a student and do not understand the rules of your underworld. However, if you think you can bully me just because I am a weak woman, then your underworld is too easy to navigate, isn't it?"

At this moment of distraction, An Yuan raised her head, seemingly unaware that the distance between the two had become so close. She instinctively took a step back, her false eyelashes fluttering, blocking the trace of emotion in her eyes that could not be revealed. Jing Fuzhou still extended his hand, and the sensation of her fingertips gliding across his palm seemed to linger, tingling and numbing.

What?" Jing Fuzhou looked at her

In the somewhat disheveled bed, he helped her tidy the hair at her temple and put on a coat before getting out of bed. The room was filled with his favorite cigarettes, a thoughtful gesture from Lihua, specially prepared for him. Jing Fuzhou's hand, which was originally reaching for the suit jacket, paused for a moment as he set down the cigarette that Anyuan had given him, turned, and walked to the table to pick up the ones Lihua had prepared.

Holding a cigarette, he frowned. So, meeting this girl was truly a coincidence, wasn't it

Having received permission, Taozi happily opened the door and went in, while Ayang followed behind, also laughing, only to be punched on the back of the head by Jing Fuzhou, who said: "What are you pretending for? If you want to go, just go."

"Ayang, go to Gulou." The restlessness in his heart returned; he wanted to go to Gulou to find that eighteen-year-old girl, even though he still could not remember her name. However, compared to others, she should be the one who resembled Anyuan the most. He used to think that women should have a hint of a worldly charm, carefree and able to enjoy life. After meeting Anyuan, he suddenly wanted to say a few words to her when she was wearing a pink sweatshirt and jeans

As he left, A Yang also opened the door and walked in. In the silent night, the desperate cries of a woman echoed, but Jing Fuzhou did not pause his steps, exhaling smoke from his nostrils, which drifted behind him

Can I go too?" A Yang was somewhat surprised, as he thought Jing Fuzhou had recently taken quite a liking to Li Hua

He thought she would introduce herself in the same way as everyone else, using a combination of words. After all, that approach is more polite and safer when dealing with strangers. However, An Yuan shifted her feet, taking two steps closer to him, her fair thighs swaying in his view with her movement, causing him to squint his eyes.

That was the information that he asked A Yang to investigate regarding An Yuan

"Suit yourself," Jing Fuzhou said as he dropped that remark and got up to return to his own room. He did not stay overnight in anyone else's room, as he lacked a sense of security. His room was specially designed, with bulletproof walls and high-grade locks. After wandering outside for so many years, he could not guarantee that a woman would not use her body to take his life.

At that time, Jing Fuzhou was still unaware that a man's interest in a woman often begins with curiosity. She left him with many aspects to be curious about, yet did not provide him with any answers. With each step closer, his curiosity grew ever more intense.

During the weekend, if Anyuan were to come and sing, he would not have to wait for anyone in the parking lot. Jing Fuzhou sat in the car, with the documents beside him piled up in disarray. He did not understand why he had brought these documents into the car; he simply picked them up at random, just by glancing at the names on them.

He may not have heard it

The person who was instructed before was him, and now the one pretending to be a good person is also him. A-Yang had no choice but to lower his head and say to An Yuan, "I apologize." An Yuan's brows relaxed, and the previous fierce attitude of being unreasonable had vanished, even offering a slight smile to Jing Fuzhou: "It is still the boss who understands reason."

"A misunderstanding can be overlooked," An Yuan said, looking down at her nails nonchalantly. "Although I am here to earn money, I am not selling myself to you. Everything in my bag belongs to me; you can't just rummage through it without a word. You even stepped on my umbrella and got it dirty. Is a simple 'sorry' enough to make up for that?"

An Yuan's gaze became serious again; she knew he was joking. But what should she say? To say no would be too disappointing. She wanted him to feel that she was a different kind of woman, or rather, the kind of woman he would like. So, turning her back to him, An Yuan brushed her long hair to one side of her shoulder and said, "Then could you help me unzip the back? It's just that I can't do it myself."

Ayang had already handed over a lighter with keen insight, and the cigarette was lit, emitting a somewhat faint aroma. Jing Fuzhou took out the cigarette and realized it was the pack given by Anyuan. It was a ladies' cigarette, one he had never smoked before; this mild flavor could hardly provide him any relief. However, extinguishing it seemed a waste.