LC chapter 37

 

The sky was dark and gloomy, heavy with dark clouds. A strong wind blew outside the window, swaying the trees back and forth. Their branches and leaves twisted in the wind. Small drops of rain soon began to fall and quickly turned into a torrential downpour. The greenery in the courtyard was toppled by the heavy rain, and large puddles quickly formed on the ground.

Lin Ruan was in the room with the window slightly open. The sound of the heavy rain and dampness poured into the house through the cracks in the window. Lin Ruan closed the window, shutting out the lightning, thunder, and torrential rain.

He changed his clothes and went downstairs. In the living room, a young man in a suit sat across from Zhan Xi. The young man was tall and imposing, with clearly defined, muscular features beneath his suit. Two men in blue suits stood behind him.

Lin Ruan didn’t move forward but leaned against the stairwell. He took two golden candies from his purse and looked over.

Initially, he had assumed Li Mingwen was simply jealous of him, but after meeting him, he realized there was more to the story than he’d imagined.

Li Mingwen had a backer—a local gang called the White Tiger Gang. This gang had formed a partnership with some southern groups, targeting the things in Zhan Xi’s hands — weapons and medicine.

Li Mingwen befriended the wealthy students at school and helped them cheat on exams for money. These students frequented casinos and brothels, and Li Mingwen fell into their corrupt habits. One day, he lost his entire semester’s tuition gambling at a White Tiger Gang casino.

Initially, the White Tiger Gang sent Li Mingwen into the palace, hoping he would infiltrate it. Unfortunately, Zhan Xi’s relationship with the palace was distant. Not to mention, the incident with the Seventh Princess got Li Mingwen expelled from the palace.

Later, when members of the White Tiger Gang saw Zhan Xi taking Lin Ruan to school, they attempted to kidnap him using Li Mingwen, which led to the bloody scene in the teahouse alley.

The conversation between the two men is unclear, but the person opposite Zhan Xi laughed a few times and said, “What a relief to have eliminated the White Tiger Gang in one fell swoop!”

This person was from another local gang, the Green Robe Society. Gangs often engaged in disputes over resources, territory, and even differing codes of underworld ethics—all of which were inextricably linked. The Green Robe Society and the White Tiger Gang were two such irreconcilable factions.

Since soldiers and bandits were not on the same path, Zhan Xi didn’t use Gu Ji’s influence for this matter but instead sought help from the Green Robe Society.

The Green Robe Society’s leader was a man with a bandit air about him, looking somewhat out of place in a neatly tailored suit. Lin Ruan had seen him fidget uncomfortably more than once, shaking his leg.

It was unclear what Zhan Xi said, but he looked somewhat grim.

They were probably discussing business, but clearly, a gang leader negotiating with someone experienced in the business world wasn’t going to gain any advantage.

The man in blue cloth behind him suddenly placed a hand on his shoulder, making him seem a little anxious. Miraculously, he calmed down.

Lin Ruan looked over. The figure standing there in blue cloth was fair and refined, and his eyes were particularly striking. Occasional dark glints in his eyes made him look as if he were calculating something.

He was probably a strategist.

With him present, the Green Robe leader was no longer falling into Zhan Xi’s traps. Seeing that he had probed the other’s limits, Zhan Xi stopped pushing, and the deal was soon settled.

After a while, the two sides began to negotiate intensely. The leader of the Green Robe Society was clearly unwilling to deal with Zhan Xi anymore, and his intention to leave was obvious.

After the man left, Zhan Xi relaxed a little. He rarely interacted with such people. In his circle, everyone wore a veneer of respectability. Their words were full of twists and turns, laced with sarcasm and ambiguity. Sometimes, these conversations would go on for a long time without getting to the point.

So, when faced with someone so outspoken and blunt, Zhan Xi felt uncomfortable.

Lin Ruan waited until the other person had left before approaching Zhan Xi. Zhan Xi saw him and a smile flickered in his eyes as he beckoned him to sit next to him.

“Are you scared?” Zhan Xi pinched the back of Lin Ruan’s neck.

Lin Ruan shook his head and said, “It’s okay, but when I think about it, it’s kind of a shame.”

“What’s a shame?”

“Li Mingwen,” Lin Ruan said, chewing on a candy bar. “He was always top in our department, winning scholarships year after year. He had a bright future.”

“Don’t underestimate jealousy,” Zhan Xi said. “It’s like a fire; it can easily burn away a person’s rationality and moral compass.”

Zhan Xi’s understanding of human nature is always so precise. Lin Ruan asked him, “Have you ever been jealous, sir?”

“Of course,” Zhan Xi replied, his eyes suddenly lighting up with a hint of playfulness. “I’m jealous of everything you see besides me. Whether it’s a person or an object—even a flower or a tree—as long as it takes your gaze away from me, I’m jealous.”

A faint blush crept onto the tips of Lin Ruan’s ears. “You’re just kidding me. I won’t tell you anymore.”

Zhan Xi smiled, looking cheerful and carefree.

“But you did very well today,” he said, looking at him. “You know how to protect yourself.”

Lin Ruan smiled sheepishly. Zhan Xi rubbed the side of his face with his knuckles and said, “As a reward, I have something for you.”

Zhan Xi pulled a small box from a nearby drawer. Inside, a red knot strung with red string lay quietly on white velvet. He held the locket in his hand for a moment, then placed it around Lin Ruan’s neck. The jade’s warm, translucent hue perfectly suited Lin Ruan’s gentle demeanor. Lin Ruan tucked the locket into his clothes. It still retained the warmth of Zhan Xi’s palm, preventing it from feeling cold.

Lin Ruan turned to look at Zhan Xi. Zhan Xi gently stroked his neck, his deep voice tinged with indescribable tenderness. “I hope my Lin Ruan will be safe, happy, and have a smooth life.”

Under the torrential downpour, no one was visible outside the classroom. Students and teachers were huddled in their offices. Occasionally, someone would walk through the rain with an umbrella, holding onto it tightly to prevent it from being blown away.

Fang Chengze walked into the office, his pants half-soaked, but the architectural blueprints he held remained intact. Most of the other teachers had left because they had noticed the change in the sky. In the vast office, Fang Chengze was the only one left.

He wiped his trousers briefly with a towel, poured himself a cup of hot tea, and sat down to tidy up his desk.

He heard footsteps outside the door and wondered who else could be coming at this hour. He turned and saw someone in the hallway through the window. The man wore a dark green military uniform, its cape stained darker by the rain. He walked slowly but elegantly, exuding an air of imposing presence.

However, the steam-covered window obscured his profile.

First, Fang Chengze spotted the man, then he noticed the principal beside him. The principal showed clear respect for the man, guiding him all the way.

The office door opened, and the principal and the man entered. Fang Chengze stood up and nodded to the principal.

The principal introduced Gu Ji, the Young Marshal, as the new honorary principal.

“Professor Fang, I’ve long heard of you.”

Gu Ji removed his gloves and extended his hand. Fang Chengze looked at him briefly, then shook his hand. Their palms touched briefly, but Gu Ji still noticed the softness of a scholar’s hand—so unlike that of a soldier.

The principal glanced at the two men and said, “You two chat.” With that, the principal left.

Fang Chengze wasn’t sure if he should start a conversation when Gu Ji pulled up a chair and sat down, looking relaxed. He asked casually, “Is Teacher Fang at school every day? Is he busy?”

“Not bad,” Fang Chengze replied cautiously, unsure of what Gu Ji was about to say.

Gu Ji nodded and casually flipped through Fang Chengze’s desk. He found the latest issue of the magazine among a pile of textbooks.

Fang Chengze opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

The page Gu Ji was looking at discussed the new banknote system in the Four-Nine Cities. “What does Professor Fang think about the issuance of banknotes?”

Fang Chengze was silent for a moment and replied bluntly: “On the one hand, the issuance of banknotes is meant to offset the fiscal deficit caused by successive wars. On the other hand, if the banknotes are authoritative enough and can be used internationally, then they can save the domestic economy and facilitate commercial development.” After a pause, Fangfang continued. “Issuing banknotes is risky behavior. Once a large amount of banknotes flood the market uncontrollably, they will be worthless. The economy will collapse completely, and the people will suffer.”

Gu Ji twisted his fingers and said, “I won’t let this happen.”

The room fell silent.

Gu Ji suddenly smiled. He sat down in a chair with his legs crossed and said, “Teacher Fang is truly knowledgeable. It’s a shame for someone of your caliber not to work for the government.”

Fang Fangze was slightly surprised, but he quickly declined. “I’m just an architecture teacher. Young Master Gu, please forgive me.”

Gu Ji raised an eyebrow and said, “Teacher Fang, there’s no need to answer me so quickly.”

Fang Fangze’s attitude was firm. Gu Ji extended his arms. “Okay then.” He stood up, and a hint of pressure built around him. “But I think Teacher Fang is a very interesting person. Even if we can’t be colleagues, I look forward to becoming friends.”

With that, Gu Ji said goodbye to Fang Fangze.

Outside, the rain poured down. Fang Chengze stood there for a long time, lost in thought.

Because of the rain, the sky darkened faster than usual. He gathered his things, clutched a black umbrella, and exited the teaching building.

The wind battered the umbrella, tossing it about like a small boat in a vast ocean—easy to lose direction. In this turbulent era, those with a place to shield themselves from the wind and rain were few and far between.

Fang Chengze struggled to reach the school gate. The passing rickshaws had vanished. He stood beneath the eaves of the guardhouse, unsure of what to do.

Just then, a black car slowly approached with its windows rolled down, revealing Gu Ji’s handsome yet philandering face.

“What a coincidence! Seeing Teacher Fang again! How’s it going? It’s too hard to do it alone. How about I give you a ride?”

Fang Cheng held an umbrella. “Maybe we’ll end up taking different paths.

“Or perhaps,” Gu Ji smiled faintly, “we’ll end up at the same destination after all.”

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