Zhao Muzhi

The next day, I was awakened by a phone call, and it was already past 10 in the morning. In a drowsy state, I picked up the phone, and it displayed Han Jing's name. I answered, and I heard her loud voice on the other end, "Where are you, you scoundrel? Heard you were quite impressive last night."

I chuckled and replied, "Merely serving for Miss Jing, facing any challenge without hesitation."

She disdainfully said, "Enough with the playful words. Your flattery skills are lacking. Where are you now?"

"At Longshan Pavilion."

"Never heard of it. Send me the address. Also, can you come out for lunch around noon? No need to take leave, just a short while."

"No problem."

We arranged to have lunch at a restaurant near Longshan Pavilion. I rolled out of bed, checked the time, and when it was about right, I got up, freshened up, and headed out. This Peking duck and Beijing cuisine restaurant was authentic, not far from Longshan Pavilion. Han Jing informed me that there would be others joining, so I called in advance and booked a private room. I arrived around 11, and Han Jing, accompanied by others, arrived in a flurry.

Apart from Han Jing, there was a man and a woman. The man had a stylish haircut, a bit handsome, but with a hint of makeup on his face. The woman was unfamiliar to me, but their affectionate mannerisms suggested they were a couple.

The man entered, glanced around the room, and naturally sat opposite. Han Jing came over and twisted my ear, saying, "It's been over half a year, and you've grown some backbone. Standing up for others. Aren't you afraid of getting your third leg broken?"

"Let go, let go, it hurts," I swatted her hand away, rubbing my ear. "It's just that I happened to run into you yesterday. I saw that your friends seemed uncomfortable sitting, so I suggested everyone disperse."

"Hmph," she glared at me, then sat down beside me, introducing, "This is my sister, Guo Yao, and this is her boyfriend, Liu An. This is my college classmate, Cao Nongsong."

She turned to me, "The events from last night can't be explained in a short while, but Liu An heard about your intervention, and he—"

"Jing Jing, let me explain." Liu An leaned on the table, resting his hands on it, taking the lead. He asked me, "Xiao Cao, where do you work around here?"

I smiled, "Just a nearby shop."

He nonchalantly responded with an "Oh," shifted his sitting position, leaning back in the chair, and said, "Let's keep it short. Don't want to delay your work in the afternoon."

"I won't go into detail about last night. I suppose you're not familiar with the twists and turns inside. How should I put it? I need to thank you for what you did last night on behalf of that guy. Otherwise, he would have suffered even more. But let me advise you, young man, a man should still have some dignity and backbone."

"Liu An, what are you saying?" Han Jing was displeased with him.

"Ah, it's nothing." The girl who had only glanced at me once during the whole time suddenly spoke. She put down her phone, playfully smoothing things over, "Jing Jing, Liu An didn't mean that. He came today specifically to compensate your friend. You know him, he's tough on the surface but soft-hearted inside. He sees that this young man is a bit hot-tempered, and you know, his family's elders were quite spirited in their youth, always teaching them to be tough. It's nothing more than that."

Liu An looked at Han Jing with a smile, "Yeah, Jing Jing, don't be angry."

He turned to me, his interest piqued, and asked, "I heard from friends who were there last night about something called 'Bloody Lotus.' I inquired a bit, and it seems to be quite valuable. Pardon my intrusion, Xiao Cao, but where did you get it?"

I smiled and told him it was a gift from someone else. Indeed, that Bloody Lotus was a gift from Lao He.

He exaggeratedly expressed surprise, "It's not a fake from the West, is it? Such a valuable thing given away so casually."

The girl next to him pushed him, teasingly saying, "What are you saying? He's Jing Jing's friend, maybe even a pursuer. I saw you change that piece of jewelry from a famous craftsman a while ago. Why not give it to him?"

She turned to me, "A young man should have taste, you know."

I politely declined, "No need, let's order some food."

Seeing my casual refusal, Liu An subtly lifted the corner of his mouth and said, "No, we can't mistreat Jing Jing's friend. I have a good friend who often deals with antiques, and he's nearby. I just sent him a message to come over. Don't worry, Xiao Cao, whether it's a lot of money or a little, we won't let you leave empty-handed."

After saying this, Liu An left. The guy next to him handed me a business card—a logistics manager I hadn't heard of.

Watching Liu An leave, the silent guys in the booth breathed a sigh of relief. However, they didn't seem very receptive to my "territorial compensation," and even the girls wore expressions of disdain. But I didn't expect them to understand. Picking up some fruit from the tray on the table, I ate a few bites. Everyone seemed a bit awkward, and I stood up, saying to the girl, "Why don't we all disperse? Tell Han Jing to give me a call when she's free tomorrow. I need to discuss something with her."