TAMW CH28

The Ruan mansion was brightly lit.

When the two stepped out of the car, Chamber of Commerce President Song Xiaochang stood personally at the entrance to receive them. He had already met Yuqing back when Qingming Bank was preparing to join the Chamber of Commerce.

At that time, Yuqing was an unfamiliar face in Baizhou’s business circles. He paid his Chamber taxes on time, established a private bank, and offered banking products with higher interest rates than state banks. In a short period, Qingming Bank truly became one of the top private banks in tax contributions. Combined with his ties to General Jiang, Yuqing took over the port within a short timeframe and willingly surrendered three percent of all port profits to the Chamber of Commerce. Consequently, the title of Vice President naturally fell into his hands.

Yuqing had always kept out of sight, not even visiting the bank in person. Assuming he was a mysterious figure with powerful backing, Song Xiaochang had always treated him with deference.

Now, however, the matter had practically turned into a laughingstock.

Baizhou was an economic powerhouse in the province. The Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce was not only the late Master Zhou’s “adopted son,” but this “adopted son” was also a stray bastard kicked out by the Ruan family. His social standing plummeted ten thousand leagues in an instant. From a mysterious bank president, he had been reduced overnight to a male wife who served others through his looks.

Rumor had it that he was even despised and cast aside. Otherwise, why would the Zhou family’s young master abandon a prosperous family business to go work in Shencheng instead?

After being driven out of the Ruan household, Ruan Yuqing had bitten the hand that fed him, liquidating every last asset of the Zhou family to establish his own bank. When word got out, who wouldn’t brand him an ungrateful wolf?

When Yuqing stepped out of the automobile, Song Xiaochang came forward to welcome him with just such thoughts in mind. “Yuqing.”

“President Song.” Yuqing stepped down and pulled his fox-fur cloak tighter around himself. The white fur made his complexion look bloodless, leaving not a sliver of his neck exposed.

Song Xiaochang’s family was rooted in both politics and commerce. The armed escort caravans handling overland transport across Baizhou were under the Song family’s command, and his son’s military division was stationed in the neighboring city. As President of the Chamber of Commerce, everyone held him in high regard.

“I’ve waited long for you. Come, come—many bosses have asked me to make introductions.” Song Xiaochang extended an arm to lead the way.

Yuqing nodded and followed him into the grand hall.

Stepping back into the Ruan mansion after so many years, he returned under an entirely different identity. The appraising gazes sweeping over him belonged entirely to familiar faces. The concubines had aged considerably, and their sons and daughters stared fixedly at him—some with bewilderment, some with disdain, and others with curiosity.

Zhou Xiao, upon getting out of the car, had been escorted away by a servant to meet Zhou Yulin. The two had walked in separately.

Today, Yuqing’s presence at the banquet was solely to demonstrate that he had no intention of relinquishing the port. Zhou Xiao’s presence was by invitation from Old Master Ruan, largely concerning the Shencheng railway project. Old Master Ruan wanted to inject capital and take a cut of the profits, and he would never collaborate with Yuqing.

In the car, Yuqing had already warned Zhou Xiao that in front of outsiders, they had to appear unfamiliar—strangers, even. They could not show the slightest hint of intimacy. Zhou Xiao hadn’t uttered a word in the car, only offering a terse, irritated “Understood” after stepping onto the pavement.

They had been separated for mere minutes. Yuqing did not drink alcohol, so few dared approach him. The businessmen who did exchange pleasantries praised him as young and capable, before quickly steering the conversation toward the port. Most of them sought to act as lobbyists, suggesting that as long as Yuqing relaxed his grip and turned a blind eye to opium entering the harbor, he could keep managing the port.

Yuqing merely replied, “I cannot make the call on this matter. How could Yuqing dare violate General Jiang’s arrangements?”

“If he dies, won’t you be offending everyone for nothing? Do you have any idea how many people in Baizhou smoke opium!” Song Xiaochang was genuinely speaking for his benefit, having stepped in today specifically to act as a peacemaker.

Yuqing replied, “I do.”

“The moment Jiang Sui dies, before the next army arrives to take over Baizhou, the Ruan family will lead a bloodbath at the port. Even I won’t be able to stop it. Yuqing, you are still young; you must recognize the changing tides,” Song Xiaochang said with grave meaning. “I am getting old. The next Chamber Presidency will be decided by a vote. Offending every single one of them is simply not smart.”

Yuqing smiled faintly. “Yes, Yuqing is slow-witted. I merely conduct business by the book.”

Song Xiaochang truly believed Yuqing had both vision and capability, but he hadn’t expected him to be so stubborn. A few other bosses came over to greet him, but after a few brief words, they walked away having hit a brick wall. Yuqing’s stance remained unyielding. Having marked his presence, he prepared to find an excuse to leave.

Butler Chen hurried over: “Sir, the Master requests your presence.”

Butler Chen was Ruan Hongtian’s right-hand man. The fact that he came in person to summon someone caused a notable hush across the grand hall.

A few concubines whispered among themselves: “Why is the Master summoning him…”

“That wretched woman’s bastard has actually survived to this day…”

“Let’s see how many days he can keep flaunting himself.”

Yuqing cast a glance upward. In the opulent, gilded Ruan mansion, the winding staircase rose like a stairway to heaven, leading straight to Old Master Ruan’s study. Today was merely a birthday celebration for a young child; it wasn’t yet time for Old Master Ruan to make his formal appearance.

Yuqing knew he would meet him today, but he hadn’t expected to reach the point where he had to be formally requested. The corners of his lips curved slightly. “Old Chen, lead the way.”

Butler Chen frowned. In the Ruan household, only masters were permitted to call him ‘Old Chen.’ In his youth, someone of Ruan Yuqing’s lowly status had to address him as ‘Uncle Chen.’

Butler Chen walked ahead, his voice heavy and dark. “You have changed a great deal.”

Yuqing did not dispute it, continuing up the stairs, his tone airy and indifferent. “As I should. People must always change.”

When Yuqing left the Ruan household, he was only seventeen. Back then, he was treated worse than a servant in the Ruan mansion. His mother was treated as a tool to entertain and service guests; even he was frequently made to play the lute for wealthy bosses, separated by a folding screen, listening as his mother was humiliated on the other side.

In everyone’s eyes, his temperament was the most cautious and timid—cowardly and easily bullied. So even though he was now the President of Qingming Bank, rumors still circulated that his wealth had been procured through debauched bed-tricks. Once a person possessed beauty, people became blind to everything else.

Yuqing had not seen Ruan Hongtian in many years. Ruan Hongtian was past sixty this year. His health was no longer what it once was, though his habit of smoking opium remained to this day.

The study door was pushed open. Zhao Fu was stopped outside by Butler Chen, left waiting at the threshold.

Yuqing stepped into the room and saw Ruan Hongtian. He did not resemble Ruan Hongtian in the slightest. Otherwise, when the First Madam falsely claimed he wasn’t his biological son all those years ago, Ruan Hongtian wouldn’t have believed it so readily.

Ruan Hongtian wore an old-fashioned Chinese jacket embroidered with auspicious longevity motifs. Sitting in a wheelchair, his voice was grating and foul. “You’re here.”

Yuqing took a few steps forward, regarding him with cold eyes. “Boss Ruan.”

Ruan Hongtian lifted eyelids that looked like pale yellow paper. Even his pupils were stained a tobacco-yellow. They shifted, his throat rattling with the wet phlegm of a chronic smoker as he gazed calmly at Yuqing. “You’ve grown.”

Yuqing said, “I did not come to hear this.”

Ruan Hongtian let out a raspy chuckle, his voice harsh on the ears. “I know why you refuse to let opium into the port.”

Yuqing looked down, staring at him.

“Because your mother smoked herself to death. She stayed with me for so many years and met an unsightly end, so you hold a grudge in your heart.”

Yuqing said, “What do I have to hold a grudge over? I ceased to be a son of the Ruan family long ago, and my name was struck from the genealogical records early on. Since we share little relation in the outside world, why speak of such things?”

He turned to leave, but Ruan Hongtian called out, “Take a look.”

On the desk lay a stack of photographs. Yuqing narrowed his eyes, flipping through them.

“If these photographs are leaked to the newspapers, I imagine President Ruan’s days won’t be very pleasant, will they?” the old man chuckled.

Yuqing gripped the photographs. “Are you threatening me?”

“No.” Ruan Hongtian reached out, took the photos back, and struck a match. Ashes drifted into the air as they caught fire. “Yuqing, I will welcome your mother’s ashes back to the ancestral home and grant her proper status. She served me for many years, assisted me greatly, and gave me such a fine son. I am grateful to her. Yuqing, as long as you nod your head and loosen your grip, you and I can let bygones be bygones. Baizhou will naturally be in the palm of our hands.”

Ruan Hongtian burned half of the black-and-white photographs. The flames swallowed them whole, reducing the image of the unclothed woman to nothing more than a severed hand on paper. In the corner of the frame sat a young Yuqing, playing the lute.

“What photographs?” Zhou Xiao sat before a table in the guest room, holding the hand of a young boy who was calling him “Older Brother.”

With a rolled cigarette dangling from his lips, Zhou Yulin patted the boy and lifted him into his lap. “Take a look.”

As a child, Zhou Xiao had not been close to this Second Uncle, though he wasn’t a total stranger either. Zhou Yulin had maintained a good relationship with the First Madam, frequently playing mahjong with her, and had handed Zhou Xiao a few pieces of candy during his youth.

“Has your relationship with Ruan Yuqing softened at all?” Zhou Yulin asked.

“Not at present.” Zhou Xiao curled his lip, feeling irritated. He was speaking the truth. He tore open the envelope. “We had never met before this. Second Uncle knows this.”

“You—you’re just suffering from having too much education! Insisting on chasing ideals in Shencheng, letting an outsider snatch the Zhou family right from under you! Even I, your Second Uncle, have to walk on eggshells around him when I return to the Zhou residence. A cuckoo occupying the magpie’s nest—he’s utterly shameless!”

Hearing that his nephew’s relationship with Ruan Yuqing was poor, Zhou Yulin felt relieved and began to speak without restraint. “He was kicked out by the Ruan family because nobody wanted him. Find an opportunity to print these photographs in the newspapers. Say that his origins are dubious, that he disgraced the family threshold, seduced people with his looks, and swindled my elder brother out of his fortune. Write that a crooked stick casts a crooked shadow, just like his mother. In any case, write whatever is most sensational.”

Zhou Xiao had never known what kind of life Yuqing had lived in the Ruan household. He looked at the stack of photographs in his hand. The black-and-white prints showed men, women, and a young Yuqing holding a willow lute.

“When were these taken?” Zhou Xiao asked, his eyes lowered.

“Over a decade ago. Every time Ruan Yuqing’s mother received a guest, Ruan Hongtian had photos taken and archived. He kept blackmail on those wealthy, powerful officials to extort money from them later,” Zhou Yulin chuckled. “Since you two don’t get along, this is the perfect chance to use this to get rid of him. Do you know what kind of filthy whore his mother was? Surrounded by that day in and day out, who knows what kind of bewitching soup Ruan Yuqing fed your father to make him marry him to you! My good nephew, you’ve truly suffered. In the Ruan family, he was just a bastard. Before his mother was brought into the household, she was a prostitute from the red-light district…”

Zhou Xiao couldn’t hear a word he was saying. Instead, he flipped through the photographs repeatedly.

At seven or eight years old, Yuqing was already present in the pictures, serving tea—looking as though he had been frightened to tears. A bit older, the tea in his hands had been replaced by a willow lute.

Yuqing had never spoken to him about these things; he had only heard fragments from the mouth of the deceased Section Chief Wang. A boy whose outward beauty was too extraordinary in his youth, whose mother used every desperate measure to shield him. No one condemned the perpetrators. Instead, these sordid photographs were kept to ruin the victim.

Later, Yuqing’s mother was forcibly hooked on opium, ultimately overdosing in bed. To cover up the incident, they concocted an excuse about a concubine caught in bed with a lover and threw her out.

He asked, “Is he Ruan Hongtian’s biological son?”

Zhou Yulin hadn’t expected him to ask such a question. Frowning, he asked, “Does that matter? My good nephew, as long as you take these photos to a newspaper, his reputation will hit rock bottom. Won’t Qingming Bank belong to you then? I’ve already spoken with Ruan Hongtian; he’s willing to inject capital into your railway. I even brought the contract. Sign it, and the funds will reach Shencheng. My elder brother only had you as a son, and your Second Uncle loves you too. The Zhou family cannot fall into an outsider’s hands, right?”

Zhou Xiao reached out and took the contract.

It was genuine: the Ruan family was prepared to invest eighty million American dollars into the Shencheng railway.

Zhou Xiao calculated rapidly in his mind. The moment these photographs were published, Yuqing’s reputation would be ruined and Qingming Bank’s standing destroyed. The Ruan family would then buy it up at a low price, reaping the spoils without lifting a finger.

But why did it have to be Zhou Xiao taking the photos to the press?

Because Ruan Hongtian didn’t believe for a second that he and Yuqing were as estranged as rumors claimed. On the contrary, once he published the photos, no matter what relationship they shared, Yuqing would only ever hate him.

Three birds with one stone. What an old fox.

He had held onto these photos for all these years without publishing them, waiting to borrow someone else’s knife to commit murder. Ruan Hongtian feared an alliance between Yuqing and Zhou Xiao, because Yuqing already held the port. If Jiang Sui returned alive, no one could touch the harbor. If a railway were thrown into the mix, Yuqing would control two major trade routes—land and sea—all under his domain. The Ruan family would never have another chance to bring in opium.

This vile old man was actually trying to sow discord between him and Yuqing.

Ha.

Zhou Xiao remembered how Yuqing had spoken in soft, gentle tones in the car, telling him they could not reveal their relationship before outsiders. That was the only reason Zhou Yulin had been this candid, allowing Zhou Xiao to deduce precisely what Ruan Hongtian intended to do.

Yuqing was extraordinarily clever.

At the thought, pride swelled in Zhou Xiao’s chest. Then he remembered how Ruan Hongtian had tormented Yuqing for so many years. If he killed the old man himself, Yuqing would surely be ecstatic beyond measure. He might even fall in love with him and pledge himself to him forever.

Why would he ever need to beg Yuqing? How could Yuqing not love him! This was an opportunity created by heaven itself.

Once Yuqing fell in love with him, he would never have to worry about being bullied as he was in his childhood. He would be happy.

At this thought, Zhou Xiao couldn’t help but let out a sinister chuckle, frightening the child so badly that the boy hid behind Zhou Yulin.

Zhou Yulin was smoking when he suddenly saw the grin splitting his nephew’s face. The ember between his fingers trembled. “Do you find the sum agreeable?”

Eighty million American dollars!

“Agreeable! Second Uncle, it’s truly wonderful!” Zhou Xiao’s eyes shone brightly. “It couldn’t be better! As expected of my Second Uncle… You truly understand my heart. You have no idea how long I’ve been brooding over this railway…” He sighed in apparent awe. “Ruan Yuqing even used these matters to threaten me, forcing me… forcing me never to return to the Zhou family! This time, not only will I return, but I will reclaim everything that belongs to the Zhou family…”

In the Zhou family genealogy, the father of Zhou Qingming was already written: Ruan Yuqing.

Yuqing had agreed to fund his railway, using money to keep a leash on him. But if Zhou Xiao turned around and swindled the Ruan family instead, Yuqing would undoubtedly look at him in an entirely new light and fall for him helplessly.

At the thought, Zhou Xiao felt his blood boiling. What was he to do? He wanted to laugh so badly. He desperately wanted Yuqing to recognize his resourcefulness and see his true heart right this instant.

“Since that is the case, let me give my little brother a gift,” Zhou Xiao said with a smile. “Deng Yongquan, bring the case inside.”

As Zhou Yulin opened the door, a servant arrived to announce that guests downstairs required greeting and that Old Master Ruan requested his presence. Zhou Yulin hurried downstairs, leaving his child in Zhou Xiao’s care.

The boy was eight or nine years old—an illegitimate son Zhou Yulin had kept outside, brought into the household only after Zhou Min’s death. He was currently the favored child.

“Older Brother.”

“Hey,” Zhou Xiao squatted down and opened the case. “What was your name again?”

“My name is Zhou…”

“Ah, not important. Look at the gift your brother brought you. Do you like it?”

The boy looked down, wide-eyed, staring at the object he had never seen before. “What is this?”

“Do you see this? This is the bolt. This is called chambering a round. I’ll demonstrate once, and then you can play with it.”

Zhou Xiao opened the window. Outside in the Ruan courtyard sat rows of automobiles. Holding the boy with one arm, Zhou Xiao had him pick one. The child had good taste, pointing straight to an expensive model.

Zhou Xiao chambered a round with one hand and took aim. The child in his arms asked, “Brother, why does Father say you married a lowly slut? My mother was a lowly slut too—the First Madam said so. Lowly sluts all have to die. Will the one you brought home die in the future?”

Zhou Xiao replied softly and tenderly, “No, he won’t. Even if your father dies, he won’t.”

A soft pop sounded—it was a silenced pistol, yet it struck the windshield of the Ford car downstairs dead-center. The glass spiderwebbed outward.

The child’s eyes went wide. A beaming smile broke across his face as he clapped his hands. “Older Brother is amazing!”

“Amazing, right?” Zhou Xiao set him down and showed him how to use it again. “Shooting glass isn’t very fun; shooting people is where the real fun is. Do you know what Old Master Ruan looks like?”

“I do.” The boy nodded. “Sits in a wheelchair, can’t walk! A cripple.”

“Use this to scare him. He’ll jump right out of his wheelchair to play with you. It works like magic.”

“Really? He always says my older sister is pretty… He never says I look good. He calls me an idiot.”

“That’s terrible of him.” Zhou Xiao stroked his head with mock affection. “Did you learn how to do it?”

“I learned!”

Zhou Xiao patted his head in satisfaction. “Such a good boy.”

The banquet downstairs had begun, complete with singers hired to perform. Zhou Xiao pulled open the window and looked down.

Early winter had arrived, and Baizhou nights were chilly. Breaths plumed into white mist, and the grass in the courtyard had turned yellow. He spotted Yuqing’s silhouette supported by Zhao Fu, walking slowly. They were leaving.

Yuqing indeed intended to leave; he didn’t want to linger here for another second. The stench lingering on Ruan Hongtian made him want to vomit. Just moments ago, the old man had looked at him with a sickening smile, saying, ‘You truly resemble your mother. She was the most obedient.’

He wanted to walk alone for a bit and sent Zhao Fu to bring the car around outside the gates. Yuqing walked with hurried, somewhat unsteady steps.

Just as he was about to stumble, an arm caught him firmly. Instinctively supporting his abdomen to steady himself, his eyelids fluttered. Zhou Xiao spoke before he could: “Your hands are so cold.”

Yuqing kept his eyes down, attempting to pull his hand from the man’s grasp. But with the slightest tug, Zhou Xiao stepped forward instead, making it look as though Yuqing had pulled him close.

The man chuckled softly. “What’s this? So eager to pull me in?”

Yuqing choked on his words, momentarily disarmed by his shamelessness, forgetting everything that had just transpired. “Impudent…”

Zhou Xiao gently tucked a stray lock of hair behind Yuqing’s ear, then lowered his head, pressing his lips lightly against the crown of Yuqing’s head. His voice was low and steady. “What’s wrong with being a little impudent with my own wife?”

“In the car, the Young Master promised Yuqing he wouldn’t cross the line. At the very least…”

“At the very least, I had to act distant in front of outsiders, waiting for Ruan Hongtian to propose the collaboration himself,” Zhou Xiao cut him off. “From the beginning, you never intended to partner with me. You wanted me to partner with Ruan Hongtian.”

Yuqing’s eyelids twitched imperceptibly. He slowly raised his gaze to meet Zhou Xiao’s eyes.

“Because Baizhou will never allow you to hold both the port and the railway. If you allied with me, Jiang Sui would protect you, so they would target me instead. Having just returned to the country, my roots aren’t deep, making me an easy target. You pushed me toward Ruan Hongtian so that when your reputation was ruined and Qingming Bank was on the brink of collapse, you could use the silver dollars you initially promised me to have me buy Qingming Bank back. Isn’t that right? Ruan Yuqing, in martyring yourself, are you protecting me, or are you protecting Qingming Bank?”

Yuqing suddenly felt he had truly underestimated Zhou Xiao. Looking at the man’s youthful face, he felt an unfamiliarity. “You…”

“What about me?” Zhou Xiao curled his lips. “Are you surprised I saw through your thoughts?”

The man arched an eyebrow. His eyes held no amusement, but rather… reproach?

Supported steadily by him, Yuqing said, “Since you saw those photographs, you should know… it wasn’t just with Father. Even back in the Ruan household, I received guests alongside my mother. My reputation rotted through long ago; there is nothing to feel martyred about. Everything the Zhou family owned was sacrificed for Qingming Bank. If I fail to survive childbirth, it is only right that you inherit it. Protecting you is also my way of giving Father an accounting.

Yuqing had never spoken to Zhou Xiao about his past before. Regarding that past, he felt only sorrow for his mother. Though Ruan Hongtian had burned those photographs before his eyes, there was no telling how many duplicates existed. He hadn’t miscalculated—Zhou Xiao had already learned of them in this short span of time. Ruan Hongtian intended not only to destroy him, but to defame his deceased mother.

“Those photographs are all real. I am not the fine, brilliant wife you imagine. Yuqing saw far too many men from a very young age. You were not the first, nor was Father. Rather…”

Zhou Xiao stared at him without blinking, his steady gaze suddenly making it impossible for Yuqing to continue.

“Rather what?” Zhou Xiao looked down and asked. “A lowly slut who has been with countless men? A whore? How else do you plan to defame yourself?”

In that instant, Yuqing was dazed. “What?”

“Yuqing, when we met, I hadn’t seen those photographs.” Zhou Xiao took his hand, his broad, warm palm wrapping tightly around Yuqing’s cold fingers to warm them.

A cold sea breeze blew past, laden with dampness. Yuqing couldn’t tell if the mist before him was the sea air or tears in his eyes.

He heard Zhou Xiao say very softly: “I think the person I know is the living, breathing Ruan Yuqing. A somewhat conservative Ruan Yuqing. A somewhat traditional Ruan Yuqing. Not the Ruan Yuqing of rumors.”

Standing so close, Yuqing’s heart beat faster. Zhou Xiao was young and hot-tempered, usually arrogant to a fault. Yuqing had considered him a fool, a pawn on his chessboard. Yuqing had originally planned to let the Ruan family partner with Zhou Xiao before blowing up the mines… It was just that this path would destroy his own reputation.

He didn’t care about his reputation. When his adoptive father was alive, he had told him that the gossip of outsiders was for them to ponder and was best ignored. The ancients said that the pure remain pure, but that was an old-fashioned saying. So when rumors spread that he was his adoptive father’s bed-servant, he gradually stopped caring. It was just a reputation.

Yet Zhou Xiao shook his head and said, “Ruan Yuqing, you don’t want this.”

Those words again. Back at the Jiang mansion, when Zhou Xiao pulled him out, he had used the exact same reason.

“I am not unwilling…”

“Why are you always sacrificing yourself?” Zhou Xiao grew impatient. He couldn’t wait to kiss Yuqing. He wondered if, in this freezing weather, Yuqing’s lips would be as icy as his hands. “Listen to me: playing dirty isn’t the only way to win in this world.” Zhou Xiao cupped his face and kissed him deeply. “Being direct sometimes yields far better results than you think.”

Yuqing’s eyes remained open as Zhou Xiao leaned down to kiss him.

The man’s warm lips pressed gently against his, and broad hands encircled his waist, gathering Yuqing entirely into his embrace. Out of the corner of his eye, Yuqing suddenly saw flames erupt from the Ruan mansion.

Instantly, shrieks and screams tore through the Ruan family’s grand hall. Men and women wailed and shouted inside.

Some screamed, “Fire!”

Others cried, “Murder!”

Faintly, he seemed to hear people shouting Ruan Hongtian’s name, the First Madam screaming for a doctor, the terrified wails of children, women lifting their skirts to run, and men fleeing in pandemonium.

As the fire surged, countless panicked shadows scrambled out of the Ruan mansion like rats fleeing a flooded nest.

Zhou Xiao curled his lips, gently rubbing his forehead against Yuqing’s. “Is the fire pretty?”