Chapter 9

Early the next morning, a stretch limousine pulled up in front of my apartment. Two tall men in black suits knocked on my door, and one of them asked, “Are you Mr. Yin?”

“Yes, who are you?”

“Young Master Qin wants us to take you to him. Get in the car.” Their gazes were hostile, scanning the interior of my apartment. I had the feeling that if I showed even the slightest sign of resistance, they would have resorted to violence immediately.

The car moved in fits and starts. I pondered my next moves. When did Qin Lian suddenly sprout an illegitimate son? Does this Qin Siran know that I was the one who caused Qin Wutao’s death (the details of which are elaborated in the column “Lower Animals”)? And what about Gu Yueyue? What kind of method would she use to deliver a fatal blow to me?

The rain was still drizzling, casting a layer of gray over the city’s architecture, like an impressionist painting slowly peeling away.

In a high-end restaurant, I finally met Qin Siran. He was thin, with a few scars on his face. If not for his expensive custom-made suit and the priceless watch on his wrist, I would have thought he was just another street hoodlum. Gu Yueyue sat beside him, her eyes burning with a manic excitement; she was waiting to see a good show.

“Sit,” Qin Siran said in a raspy voice, gesturing to the seat beside him.

“Yueyue, you’re too kind, inviting me to such an expensive place for a meal,” I said, greeting them with a smile.

“It’s the least I could do. You’re in for a treat later,” Gu Yueyue replied, her words carrying a double meaning as she glared at me viciously.

“Let’s get straight to the point. I don’t like wasting time. I know you’re the one who killed Qin Wutao.” Qin Siran used a napkin to wipe his cutlery, the blade glinting coldly. “I also know you bullied Yueyue. Let’s clear everything up at once; it’ll save me a lot of trouble.”

“So, what do you want to do?” I simply crossed my legs, curious to see how far he could take this performance.

“Kid, do you really not know how to spell ‘death’?” Gu Yueyue sat on Qin Siran’s lap like a clinging snake. “From the first day I met you, I swore I’d make you kneel on the ground and beg me.”

“Why? I don’t even think I knew you back then.” I didn’t understand her hatred for me.

“That day, I was wearing a miniskirt. Every man in the cafe was stealing glances at me, but you just glanced at me once and then treated me like air. A man who thinks he’s so high and mighty like you is the thing I hate the most.”

This woman was insane. She was seriously ill.

“Do you know what I hate the most?” Qin Siran waved the knife in his hand as he looked at me.

“What?”

“I hate women who interrupt me.” Qin Siran grabbed Gu Yueyue’s arm and flung her aside as if she were trash. Gu Yueyue rolled on the floor; her exquisite makeup was ruined, and her hair was a mess. She stared at Qin Siran with wide eyes, unable to understand why he would treat her like this.