Xing Tian paused, his expression somewhat complicated. “You don’t know who A-jiu is?”
Feng Zhi immediately confirmed the answer, feeling frustrated. “Fuck, nobody bothered to tell me!”
Xing Tian’s response was unexpected for Feng Zhi. Yang Huaijin had shown peculiar emotions several times regarding this name, leading Feng Zhi to speculate. Now that his speculation was confirmed, he didn’t feel relieved. Instead, an indescribable discomfort settled in his heart.
Yang Huaijin had said, ‘Between us, there’s nothing but pheromones,’ and ‘I haven’t disturbed your life, nor do I need you to take responsibility for me’… Yet, when it came to events from over a decade ago, he was careful even with a name. Feng Zhi and A-jiu were clearly the same person, yet Yang Huaijin had erected a wall in his heart, sealing himself off from the past.
Feng Zhi brought Yang Huaijin back to his villa, and surprisingly, it was calm and quiet all the way, with no conversation exchanged.
The villa was ostentatious, designed in a Baroque style with dazzling gold and brilliance that could almost blind someone. The moment Yang Huaijin stepped into the villa, he regretted staying. However, when he entered the guest room, it was a completely different scene.
The room was very serene, with simple windows, a sofa, and a floor lamp… There were no extra decorations or embellishments, as if meeting the basic needs of survival was enough. Feng Zhi didn’t often stay at home; his nights were usually filled with revelry and beauties. Only on rare occasions did he return to this guest room to ‘endure’ some pain. In the quiet environment, his brain would become noisy, and fragmented memories accompanied by pain would flood his mind. He took this opportunity to sort through his past memories, although often, he couldn’t make sense of anything except the headache.
Yang Huaijin was unaware of all this. As he surveyed the guest room, his mind was occupied with other matters. He turned to Feng Zhi and said, “Regarding what Xing Tian said, I won’t back down.”
Feng Zhi felt somewhat helpless. He closed the door behind him and led Yang Huaijin to the sofa. They sat facing each other, and he said, “You will compromise.”
Yang Huaijin coldly snorted, unwilling to argue.
Feng Zhi was in a very bad state today. Just now, when he saw Yang Huaijin confronting Xing Tian, he felt an inexplicable anger, but now, facing Yang Huaijin directly, he completely lost his temper.
“A-jin…” Feng Zhi called out to him.
Yang Huaijin glanced at him.
“Alright, Master Jin,” Feng Zhi said, “You know well what business the Anelli family is involved in. Without uprooting the weed, wouldn’t it be a waste of effort?”
“Easy for you to say. I know how much I can do, and I’m clear about it in my own heart.”
The Anelli family has deep roots and immense influence overseas. Yang Huaijin was well aware that he couldn’t shake them, but he was determined to uproot them from A City nonetheless. The underworld had its own rules, and with Yang Huaijin’s current strength, he held the dagger that defined those rules. At least where his reach extended, he would be the one to set the rules.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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Feng Zhi stared at Yang Huaijin for a moment, finding him increasingly intriguing. Sometimes smooth, sometimes sharp. He stood up, walked in front of Yang Huaijin, and leaned down, enclosing him between his arms and the sofa.
“You may not have a god, but you have me.”
“…” What’s wrong with this guy, suddenly acting like a character from a soap opera?
Yang Huaijin looked up at Feng Zhi, raising his hand to push him away. “What’s the deal with the surgery on the back of your head?”
Feng Zhi blinked, not expecting Yang Huaijin to care about him. Immediately, he put on a look of grievance. “Oh, right, I’m the patient here, don’t be mean to me!”
With that said, regardless of his actual height, he leaned in next to Yang Huaijin, nestling half his body against him.
“I removed a magnetic chip,” Feng Zhi said. “Thought it might help me remember some things from the past, but it turns out I can’t remember anything, and now I have a splitting headache.”
Yang Huaijin listened, stunned. “What?”
“My head was injured by a gunshot. Although I survived, I woke up with amnesia, headaches, and confusion, unable to live a normal life. After intermittent treatment for two or three years, I finally became a somewhat normal person after a magnetic interference chip was implanted.”
“And now you’ve removed that chip?”
“Yeah, it had been implanted for many years. Now that it’s out, my head doesn’t hurt as much anymore. Look, I’m not confused in my thinking either.” Feng Zhi lied. In reality, the pain had completely affected his mood and behavior, or else he wouldn’t have lost his temper with Xing Tian and Yang Huaijin today. But now, being with Yang Huaijin, the pain seemed to diminish. Feng Zhi curled up against Yang Huaijin’s shoulder. “I want to know what happened back then, but unfortunately, I still can’t remember anything except for one name—A-jin. But nothing more.”
“…”
This was truly a topic that left Yang Huaijin with mixed feelings, but before he could react, Feng Zhi continued, “Don’t be impulsive. Xing Tian isn’t refraining from acting against the Anelli family; it’s just not the right time yet. When R wants to make a move, they strike in a way that ensures the other party can never recover.”
“You’re really an executor for R?” Yang Huaijin was astonished. “And Xing Tian too?”
Feng Zhi chuckled lightly. “I’m an executor for R, but Xing Tian isn’t.” He emphasized, “Xing Tian is R.”
Yang Huaijin didn’t understand Feng Zhi’s meaning at first, but soon it dawned on him. Although it was somewhat unbelievable, if it was true, then all the mysteries surrounding Xing Tian could be explained. People in the underworld often said that Xing Tian was a mere puppet, and it was highly likely that there was another force behind him. Indeed, how could the small Crimson Alliance Hall compare to the vast and mysterious international organization, R?
It was a somewhat lengthy story, and Feng Zhi leaned back on the sofa as he slowly began to tell it.
The Xing family is an ancient aristocratic clan in China, with influence spanning both the political and military realms. Across numerous dynasties, they have amassed enormous wealth and power. For a family like this, the concept of the nation itself becomes somewhat irrelevant. Over the course of a century, the domestic situation in China has seen many changes, but the Xing family, with its staggering wealth and extensive network of connections, has always remained firmly entrenched.
However, unlike the Anelli family, which is more of a commercial aristocracy, the Xing family has its differences. The members of the Xing family hold a strong sense of patriotism, and many have shown great courage and sacrifice in times of national crisis. In peacetime, some members of the Xing family are active in both political and military circles, while others operate in various capacities within the underworld, including the renowned criminal organization R. Xing Tian is the current leader of this generation.
Several years ago, Xing Tian discovered a force involved in human trafficking within the country, but due to the secretive nature of their operations, he couldn’t identify who was behind it. It was during this time that Feng Zhi became embroiled in a conflict between factions in the slums, and on the brink of death, he was saved by Xing Tian. At sixteen, Feng Zhi had the fierce gaze of a wolf cub, which Xing Tian admired and trusted. Since then, Feng Zhi has been working for Xing Tian, infiltrating the ranks of Chen Qi’s subordinates to uncover the forces behind the human trafficking chain.
“After that, I lost my memory,” Feng Zhi leaned back in the sofa, smiling helplessly. “Actually, I don’t remember anything from the past. I never cared about it before. People should focus on the future, so why bother about the past? But maybe I was wrong…”
When people are vulnerable, they tend to become more sensitive. Yang Huaijin also found himself lost in thought as Feng Zhi talked about the past. Now he felt that Feng Zhi’s tone was a bit off. He turned to look at Feng Zhi, who appeared unchanged on the surface, but upon closer inspection, his lips lacked color, and his complexion was very pale.
“What’s wrong with you?” Yang Huaijin reached out and felt Feng Zhi’s cold hand, damp with sweat. “What’s going on?”
Feng Zhi pushed away Yang Huaijin’s hand, gritting his teeth. “It’s nothing, just some post-operative complications, a bit of a headache,” he said, then reached out to touch Yang Huaijin’s hand. “Can you stay with me tonight? Show some pity for this patient who just had surgery.”
“After feeling this much pain, you’re still joking around,” Yang Huaijin thought he should just throw this bastard onto the sofa to fend for himself, but his actions were contrary to his thoughts. He reached out and grabbed Feng Zhi’s hand, then struggled to pull him up.
“Uh… easy, easy, it really hurts,” Feng Zhi hung on Yang Huaijin’s shoulder, seeming like the pain had spread to his legs, severely affecting his mobility. He leaned on Yang Huaijin, laughing somewhat recklessly, “It’s okay, it’s okay, I’m not in pain. Even if I die on A-Jin’s shoulder, I’ll die in style…”
Yang Huaijin mercilessly slapped him on the shoulder with a loud smack. “Stop talking nonsense!”
Feng Zhi gently rubbed his face against Yang Huaijin’s neck. “It really hurts…”
“You brought this upon yourself.”
“I don’t regret it. I have to try to see if I can remember.”
“…”
Yang Huaijin fell silent. After a while, he sighed but didn’t say anything more.
“Where’s your room? Endure it a bit, I’ll take you there.”
“No, no, just stay in this room… accompany me,” Feng Zhi said weakly, “Damn it, this house probably needs to be redecorated.”
This guest room was specifically left untouched during the renovation, with a completely different style from the rest of the villa. Feng Zhi had suffered from severe headaches until a biological magnetic chip was implanted in his brain to barely control the pain within tolerable limits. However, the chip affected his brain’s sensory system, and only in chaotic environments did Feng Zhi feel more comfortable. That’s why his villa was decorated in such a dazzling manner, and he always indulged in those colorful places at night.
Now that this magnetic chip has been removed, Feng Zhi’s sensory system has returned to normal, leaving only this guest room in the entire villa.
This night, neither of them felt too good.
Yang Huaijin exerted a lot of effort to get Feng Zhi onto the bed. As soon as he straightened up, he felt dizzy. After resting for a while on the side, he gritted his teeth and dragged his uncomfortable body to take a shower. When he came back, he saw Feng Zhi on the bed, in pain and covered in cold sweat, his tall body curled up.
Standing by the bed for a while, Yang Huaijin felt that this person was both hateful and pitiful. Eventually, he went to get a towel, helped Feng Zhi undress, and quickly wiped his body. Unexpectedly, Feng Zhi suddenly reached out and pulled him into his arms.
Yang Huaijin was caught off guard, first startled, then realizing that Feng Zhi still had strength to pull him, it seemed like nothing serious was happening. He asked, “What’s wrong? Playing dead?”
The Madman’s voice was a bit hoarse: “You smell good.”
“What nonsense are you talking about?” Yang Huaijin turned sideways, breaking free from Feng Zhi’s embrace.
But Feng Zhi immediately stuck close again, holding him tightly. “You’re so good, how could I ever lose you?”
His voice was by Yang Huaijin’s neck, the warmth of his breath spraying into the hollow of his neck. They were too close, and Feng Zhi’s hair tickled his cheek.
Yang Huaijin looked up at the ceiling, unable to push Feng Zhi away for the moment. He blinked and said, “Who knows…”
It is said that the sense of smell is the most enduring memory. You may forget a person or some things, but the scent associated with them will always linger in your memory.
