Chapter Forty-Nine: A Splendid Meal

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

Unbeknownst to himself, Ye Yan had already spent almost half a month in the southern frontier. During this time, Xu Si had called him several times, partly to inquire about Liao Zhong's condition, and partly to ask when he would return to Jinmen. Ye Yan's employment contract had yet to be formally signed, and headquarters had been keeping a close eye on the matter—even the chairman, Zhao Fangxu, had personally called Xu Si a few days ago to ask when the issue would be resolved. Moreover, the imminent Luo Tian Grand Assembly, which had shaken the entire world of the gifted, needed discussion. Naturally, Xu Si was anxious.

But despite his urgency, all Xu Si could do was fret; he dared not push Ye Yan too much. On one hand, Ye Yan's abilities spoke for themselves, and on the other, since the contract hadn't been signed, Xu Si was loath to risk ruining things over a minor issue.

As for why Ye Yan hadn't left yet, part of it was his lingering concern for Liao Zhong's condition, and part of it was vigilance against Tu Junfang. That fellow, though he seemed cheerful and behaved obediently, putting on the guise of an honest man, Ye Yan knew better. Tu Junfang was not so simple; he had taken an interest in both Ye Yan and Chen Duo. While Ye Yan was present, Tu Junfang might not dare make a move on Chen Duo, but if Ye Yan left, there was no telling whether the man would restrain himself. Even if Ye Yan were to leave, he would be sure to inform Huang Boren beforehand, asking him to transfer Chen Duo somewhere farther from Tu Junfang.

Just as Ye Yan was making his plans, his phone suddenly vibrated.

He pulled it out and glanced at the screen.

Caller: Liao Zhong

Ye Yan answered the call with pleasant surprise.

“Hello, Uncle Liao?”

“It’s me.” Liao Zhong’s voice came through, hoarse and weak. “Are you busy right now?”

“…No.”

“Come down, I’m downstairs.”

Ye Yan rose and went to the window, peering down from the hotel. He spotted a military jeep.

“Alright, I’ll be right there.”

Hanging up, Ye Yan hurriedly grabbed the cigarettes and lighter by his bedside, then rushed out.

The moment he emerged from the hotel, he saw Liao Zhong, noticeably thinner, clad in a black leather jacket, leaning against the jeep and exhaling smoke.

Though only a few days had passed since they last met, Liao Zhong looked far more haggard now. His face bore the same dark circles as Tu Junfang’s, and Ye Yan wondered what ordeals he’d suffered in the interim.

Liao Zhong smoked, and Ye Yan lit one himself, the two of them standing by the car and puffing.

“Uncle Liao, how’s your health?” Ye Yan asked as he inhaled.

“Tu Junfang’s method proved quite effective. The three corpses inside me have been suppressed. Give it a few more days, and I should be able to attempt preliminary control,” Liao Zhong replied.

Ye Yan nodded. “That’s good, then.”

Liao Zhong sighed. “Xiao Ye, thank you for everything this time. Old Huang told me what happened. If not for you, South China might have faced disaster.”

“You’re too polite.”

Ye Yan laughed. “Actually, I bear some responsibility for this. If you hadn’t given Duo Duo the day off, you wouldn’t have had to personally carry out the mission…”

“If not for going on the mission, I wouldn’t have encountered Tu Junfang, and the South China branch wouldn’t have ended up like this.”

Ye Yan felt he was the cause, but Liao Zhong dismissed it.

“How’s Duo Duo? She’s alright, isn’t she?”

Compared to his own predicament, Liao Zhong clearly worried more about Chen Duo.

“She’s fine… but she was pretty worried about you.”

“Worried?” Liao Zhong shook his head, unconvinced. He thought Ye Yan was just trying to comfort him. After all, in his impression, Chen Duo had always been a quiet girl, emotionally vague since childhood. Genuine emotional outpouring was simply not something Chen Duo was capable of.

Ye Yan was a bit surprised. “You haven’t seen Duo Duo yet?”

“She has a task today, and besides, I’m not really presentable at the moment. I’ll wait until I’ve fully mastered the corpse demon before seeing her.”

Liao Zhong flicked his cigarette butt to the ground and crushed it underfoot. “Enough chatter, get in the car!”

“Where to?” Ye Yan asked, puzzled.

Liao Zhong opened the car door with one hand, the other awkwardly supporting his lower back.

“I’d originally wanted to take you for a foot massage, so you could experience the customs of our southern frontier, but in my current state, it’s not really suitable.”

“Let’s just go eat something good.”

…

…

A dozen minutes later.

A snack street.

An old-style wonton restaurant.

Standing at the entrance, Ye Yan doubted his life choices. “Uncle Liao, are you sure your idea of ‘something good to eat’ matches mine?”

Ye Yan had assumed “something good” meant sauna, steam bath, the full package.

Who would have guessed it was just food.

And street food, at that.

Ye Yan: …

“Don’t let the size fool you—this shop has been here for decades, and the taste is absolutely authentic. I guarantee you’ll want a second bowl after the first,” Liao Zhong explained, thinking Ye Yan was put off by the humble appearance.

He patted Ye Yan’s shoulder, reassuring him.

Ye Yan: “…”

“Alright, stop standing outside in a daze. The sun’s blazing—let’s head inside,” Liao Zhong said, half pushing, half dragging the reluctant Ye Yan into the wonton shop.

Though the storefront looked unimpressive, the interior was another matter altogether. Less than fifty square meters, the place was spotlessly clean, with none of the unpleasant odors common to small eateries.

The owner was a woman in her forties with a lingering charm, wearing a brown apron and moving briskly between tables, warmly greeting the steady stream of customers.

The atmosphere was lively and full of local flavor.

“Business is booming,” Ye Yan remarked, surprised that such a homey little shop could be so busy. He couldn’t help but look forward to the meal.

“See? Like I said, you’ll want a second bowl after the first,” Liao Zhong replied proudly.

They found the only vacant table by the door and sat down.

Just then, the owner, having just seen off a group of customers, made her way over.

“Brother Liao, what have you been busy with lately? Haven’t seen you in a while. What’ll it be, the usual?”

“Yeah, been pretty busy.” Liao Zhong nodded, then said, “Give us two bowls of old-style wontons, extra portion. As for side dishes, just pick two for us.”

“Alright, I’ll take care of it,” the owner said, jotting the order down in her notebook.

Before leaving, she gave Liao Zhong a lingering, affectionate glance, which made his panda-eyed face blush as he stared after her for a long moment.

Ye Yan had to speak to bring him back to himself.

“Ahem, it’s really hot today,” Liao Zhong said, feeling Ye Yan’s mischievous gaze. He coughed twice, clearly ill at ease.

Such clumsy attempts at changing the subject wouldn’t fool Ye Yan; he saw right through it.

He glanced back and forth between Liao Zhong and the owner, his eyes teasing.

“Hey, you got something going on there?”