Love For You - Chapter 34

Chapter 34: The College Entrance Exam Quietly Draws to a Close

If one was accustomed to Chen Yi’s usual devil-may-care attitude, seeing him now—sharp in a suit and brimming with vigor—would feel like a transformation. Not just to Miao Jing, but even to Bozai and his crew, it felt as though Chen Yi was evolving rapidly.

He had become more acute, more piercing, with a hidden, ambitious glint in his eyes.

Zhai Fengmao’s investment ventures in Teng City involved not just various collaborative capital sources, but also connections within both political and business circles. After deep cultivation for over a decade, many of his private dealings relied primarily on Zhang Shi and his group. Of course, this band of brothers had its own organizational discipline; they lived by the creed of strict hierarchy and order. They were required to act with discretion, forbidden from throwing their weight around arbitrarily. They were also expected to show up at each other’s funerals and weddings to show support. Naturally, Zhai Fengmao was generous with his money, gifting houses, cars, and year-end bonuses. The cars parked outside the nightclub were exclusively high-end models, with Cadillacs, Mercedes, and Hummers being the most common.

Chen Yi worked under Zhang Shi and was clever on his feet. Despite his youthful appearance, he possessed an uncanny ability to adapt—from playing the fool or talking trash to putting on airs, he could handle it all. Initially, Zhang Shi used him merely as a driver to run errands or deliver messages. When the nightclub hosted influential and powerful figures, Chen Yi proved more capable of handling them than the coarse thugs, and bolder and more skilled than the hosting managers. His social performances were quite successful. Zhang Shi also held interests in investment and trading companies. Sometimes, when overseeing engineering projects or contracts, Chen Yi would follow along, never touching a cent of the illicit gains and instead using every opportunity to build favors for others. Zhang Shi observed him coldly for a time, realizing that his lack of greed and impatience made him a true talent. Zhai Fengmao had heard of him too; once, upon returning to Teng City, he even drank a toast offered by Chen Yi.

Though Chen Yi held a modicum of influence, he had to guard against being squeezed out by his peers. Because he was young, had no major achievements to his name, and lacked deep roots, his reliance on small cleverness meant that while he had climbed from being a security guard to someone everyone in the nightclub gave face to in a short time, there were certainly those who were jealous of him.

That Spring Festival, Chen Yi received a bonus of several tens of thousands—likely the largest sum of money he had ever held. Naturally, he squandered it almost immediately. He used the money to grease the palms of those around him, keeping only a little to treat Bozai and his younger brothers to a raucous feast to celebrate the New Year.

He booked a seafood restaurant and a luxury KTV suite for an all-day event, dragging Miao Jing along to eat and play. Miao Jing, cold-faced and unwilling, ended up in a standoff with him before being dragged out the door. It was the first time Miao Jing sat at the same table as Daomao and the others. Throughout the meal, she watched them smoke, drink, and brag with cold indifference. She sat beside Chen Yi with a numb expression, her very posture as she held her chopsticks seeming disconnected from the rest of the world. The brothers present felt awkward and tried to engage her in conversation, but the attempt backfired. Chen Yi’s face grew increasingly dark, and he told everyone to ignore the "bookworm." Miao Jing’s face sank, and the two siblings traded barbed, sarcastic remarks, leaving the others stunned and confused.

Finally, Miao Jing put down her chopsticks, said she was full, and wanted to go home to study. She left the restaurant with her ponytail swinging, wandering alone through the quiet, festive streets.

Not long after, Chen Yi chased after her, calling her name in exasperation.

"What are you making a scene for? It’s the New Year, can you give me some face in front of my brothers?"

"I’m not making a scene. I’m just a bookworm, and I’m going back to do my homework."

"Miao Jing, are you acting up again?"

"You’re the one acting up! You’re the one who’s sick!"

"How am I sick?" he roared. "Look at yourself, look at that face! Why is your attitude toward me getting worse and worse? I feed you and clothe you—shouldn't you treat me better?"

"Right, you feed and clothe me. One day, I will pay back every cent!"

"You’re doing this again." He grumbled, his eyes catching the sight of a string of candied haws. "Do you want some candied hawthorn?"

"No."

"Then what is wrong with you?"

"Nothing is wrong."

"The things said at the table were just jokes. Those things have nothing to do with me. I have my own limits; I won't touch anything I shouldn't."

Chen Yi took two quick steps, wrapped an arm around her waist, and dragged her to his side. He pushed her toward the nearby railing, holding her close in his arms, and gestured: "Look, there are lantern boats on the river."

He turned his head to peck at the nape of her neck, softening his voice: "It’s New Year, don’t lose your temper."

Miao Jing’s heart skipped a beat. She suppressed her irritation and frowned, looking at the river in front of them.

He held her tightly with both arms, his tall, lean body pressed against her back, his scent heavy and rich. He rubbed his chin against the top of her hair, and Miao Jing could feel his Adam’s apple and neck sliding against her strands.

"There are only a few months left until the college entrance exam. After you leave and we can’t see each other, are you going to call me every day just to scold me?"

"Other women aren't like you. Can’t you hope for something good for me? I remember you didn't used to be like this."

Miao Jing leaned on the railing, watching the river with a melancholic and lost expression.

After the Spring Festival, the final semester of high school began. The pressure on students at a key high school was immense. Chen Yi knew this was a critical time and didn't want to make her angry again. He deliberately avoided Miao Jing when he was with his brothers or doing his own business.

His own life was far from peaceful; there were those looking to trip him up. Zhang Shi had about a dozen brothers and henchmen surrounding him. While they all appeared to listen to Zhang Shi on the surface, they all actually followed Zhai Fengmao’s lead. There was plenty of private friction and scheming, most keeping up a facade of harmony. There were those who had opinions about Chen Yi, and because they all worked at the nightclub, they would occasionally throw obstacles in his way and cause trouble.

Chen Yi wanted to take down everyone who stood in his way.

At first, the trouble stemmed from the "party packets" at the nightclub. The distribution route was very well-hidden. Whether due to the nightclub’s overly powerful network or some other reason, it had never been discovered during routine inspections. Chen Yi knew that police had been conducting undercover investigations since the end of the previous year. Later, when an undercover officer’s traces were discovered, Chen Yi secretly helped cover them up, allowing the officer to escape and shifting the suspicious traces onto a rival gang—a well-known local Northeast criminal group. Both gangs fought for turf and business; cutthroat tactics were normal, and both were cut from the same cloth—neither was cleaner than the other.

Chen Yi was lowly and his status was unremarkable. He spent his days honestly working on construction sites, so the fire didn't touch him. He enjoyed the chaos, hoping the two sides would cause more trouble and that the hot-headed ones would resort to violence, forcing Zhai Fengmao and Zhang Shi to put more effort into disciplining their subordinates—perhaps by sending them off to the border base in Yunnan for a "vacation."

The crackdown worked. They really found a few people who had been making unauthorized moves. Zhai Fengmao rarely made an appearance, but this time, he showed up at the nightclub with a look that was, for him, unusually grim, dealing with a few disloyal, dim-witted subordinates.

At this time, Zhou Kang'an was still fixated on the "Brother Han" shooting case and intervened in this brawl as well.

Zhai Fengmao likely had drug dealings behind the scenes, but he never touched them himself. The ones in charge of that line were two old men who had followed him since the very beginning; even Zhang Shi hadn't intervened. Everything was handled with low-key discretion. When things started looking bad for the operation, Zhang Shi chose two clever ones and pushed Chen Yi in front of Zhai Fengmao.

Chen Yi rubbed his fingertips. The malicious nature of this business was extraordinary; once he stepped into it, there would be no way to pull himself out. Standing before Zhai Fengmao, he said he was a coward and didn't want to do it.

Zhai Fengmao smiled faintly and asked, "I’ll give you 100,000 a month, and you don’t want to do it?"

"I’m greedy. I’m afraid that once I step through this door, 100,000 won't be enough. Before long, I’ll be daring to dream of millions, even tens of millions. If a person is too ambitious, it’s easy to stumble."

"You’ve got a big mouth, talking about millions and tens of millions." Zhai Fengmao mocked him. "Don't even bother weighing your own worth."

Chen Yi lowered his head.

Zhai Fengmao didn't force him, but Chen Yi had caught Zhai Fengmao’s eye. It wasn't clean, and in the end, he fell into the trap.

As Chen Yi’s status rose, the group of younger brothers behind him also saw their fortunes soar. They walked with their chests puffed out, and the nightclub provided them with a dedicated car for cruising and picking up women—it was a real status symbol.

The trouble started with Bozai. He was the closest to Chen Yi, a low-level henchman responsible for distribution and deliveries. Bozai took money from a partner and was supposed to deliver goods to a villa area in the suburbs in the middle of the night. Chen Yi intercepted him, asked two questions over the phone, and told Bozai to bring the goods to him. He put on his coat and headed out to find Bozai.

Miao Jing hadn't fallen asleep yet. She knew Chen Yi had been acting mysteriously lately, hiding everything from her, and leaving the house in the middle of the night every few days. Hearing the words he used on the phone, she went rigid, her blood turning to ice. Chen Yi had just left the door when she chased after him, but she couldn't stop him.

Miao Jing called the police directly.

The precinct responded quickly.

Another call went through to the Criminal Investigation Unit just in time.

"Um, Team Leader Zhou... someone called to report drug use..."

"This... what the hell."

Chen Yi was released at the entrance of the police station thanks to a timely phone call. Had he been one step later and entered the station, the trouble would have been massive.

He stormed back home and whipped his jacket hard against Miao Jing. It was the first time Miao Jing saw such a sinister expression and terrifying complexion on him. The zipper of the jacket snapped against her cheek, leaving a sharp, stinging wound. He was furious: "Are you fucking crazy? If you want to kill me, just do it directly! I have the power to strangle you to death right here and now!!!"

"I’d rather raise an ungrateful wretch than you!" Chen Yi slammed his jacket onto the ground and kicked several chairs, leaving the room in shambles. His eyes were bloodshot. "Get out! Once the college entrance exam is over, get out immediately! Get as far away as you can, and never come back in this lifetime!!"

There were long red welts on Miao Jing’s snow-white arms. She stared at Chen Yi with wide, teary eyes.

"Miao Jing, I’m warning you: if you ever dare to mention my business again, if you dare to ask, if you dare to say anything, or if you dare to interfere, I will be your sworn enemy for the rest of my life. There will be no relationship left between us. I, Chen Yi, am putting this on the table today—I mean what I say."

His voice trembled, falling out in a rasp: "If you look down on me, if you can’t stand me, you can get out now. I’ll act like you never existed, and that we never knew each other in this life."

"Get out!"

The sound of bowls and dishes shattering on the floor was crisp and clear. Porcelain shards hit Miao Jing’s lower leg. She pulled her shoulders in and shivered, watching his neck turn red with rage and his Adam’s apple bobbing repeatedly—he was truly on the verge of exploding.

After scolding her, he turned and left, not returning home for several days.

Miao Jing stayed home alone. She met two public security officers who came to register household information. They were followed by a middle-aged man in plain clothes who showed his police badge. His name was Zhou Kang'an. He asked about the situation at home and, seeing Miao Jing silent and alone, gave her a number: "I am a public security officer. In the future, for any matter, big or small, just call me directly. Whatever I can solve, I will solve for you."

The relationship between Chen Yi and Miao Jing suddenly plummeted to freezing point. One day, Chen Yi returned, smoking and looking gloomy. He warned Miao Jing: "Don’t live in this house anymore. Move to the school, focus on preparing for your exam. If you need anything later, go buy it yourself."

The school had staff quarters, and some teachers would vacate rooms to lend to students. With the exam imminent, Chen Yi made Miao Jing move out. He found her a place to stay.

He didn't want to see her at home.

In the bright, warm April, Miao Jing’s eighteenth birthday passed quietly.

There was not a sound.

She met Chen Yi once before the exam, agreeing to eat at a restaurant outside the school. She watched his expression become increasingly profound and vicious. He smoked heavily and didn't even touch his chopsticks, just watching her lower her head and eat.

"How is the review going?"

"It’s okay."

"Your head teacher says your scores in the mock exams have been very good."

"It’s okay."

"Did you call my head teacher?"

"He called me."

"What school are you planning to apply to?"

"I haven't decided yet."

"Pick somewhere far away, the capital or Linjiang. You choose your own volunteer application."

"Okay."

After a few simple sentences, he made an excuse that he had business to attend to and hurried away.

That year, the college entrance exam quietly drew to a close.