Chen Yi stood with his hands on his hips, his face dark as he yelled at her. Unable to resist, he tugged her braid, watching as her eyes welled up with tears again. His heart softened, and he patted her shoulder. "Let's go home."
"I'm not going back."
"Where else will you go?"
"Anywhere but home."
"Get back home." He gripped her shoulder. "Miao Jing, I'll put up with you for one more fucking year. When this time comes next year, pack your things and get out."
"Fine, I'll leave." She stubbornly retorted, "Go hang out with your gang of troublemakers. Fighting, causing trouble, aiding evil, committing all kinds of crimes, indulging in debauchery, and ending up behind bars."
"Your language skills are impressive, little mouth running so smoothly." He was genuinely amused by her, reaching out to pinch her lips. Her cherry-like lips, caught between his long, tobacco-scented fingers, pouted slightly—pale pink, soft, and moist.
Miao Jing fluttered her eyelashes, feeling she must look utterly ridiculous, her heart filled with discontent.
"Go on, curse some more if you dare." He squeezed her lips, finding them elastic and springy, with an unexpectedly pleasant texture.
Miao Jing frowned, making muffled sounds in her throat as she flailed at him with her hands and feet. Her soft, cool fingers wrapped around his wrist, a strangely soothing sensation. Chen Yi gritted his teeth in mock pain, then hoisted her by the waist, tucking her under his arm as he strode out. Miao Jing bit his side, eliciting a hoarse grunt from him. Before she could scream, he had thrown her over his shoulder, landed a sharp smack on her bottom, and marched out of the mall.
Now she hung obediently over him, like a little quail.
The school held a mobilization meeting for families of college entrance exam students. While other parents were middle-aged, dressed in their brightest attire, Chen Yi stood out as the youngest. He wore a casual shirt and sharply pressed suit pants, a white T-shirt peeking from under the collar, a silver watch on his wrist, and a pair of plain glasses he’d procured from somewhere. With his handsome, upright appearance, he exuded a surprisingly steady, respectable aura. He looked satisfied as he reviewed Miao Jing’s report card and school ranking, then feigned affection, draping an arm over her shoulder. Lowering his voice to a rich, deliberate tone, he chatted with the homeroom teacher, inquiring about his "little sister’s" college goals, direction, and the key focus for her final year of high school.
Eyes lingered on him. Female classmates took turns greeting Miao Jing, shyly and awkwardly striking up conversations with Chen Yi. He smiled effortlessly, not only exchanging numbers with several parents but also attempting to add Miao Jing’s female classmates to his contacts. Miao Jing shot him a cold glare, and he self-consciously touched the tip of his nose, lowering his lashes with a faint, amused smile.
The tenderness in his smile was heart-stirring as he leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Why glare at me? I’m helping you build connections. Relationships are resources these days. Besides, none of them are as pretty as you. It’s not like I’m here to pick up girls."
It was the first time he had called her... pretty.
Chapter 29: His Reputation Was Too PoorChen Yi’s high-end nightclub, where he worked the scene, was quite well-known in Tengcheng. The man in charge was Boss Zhang Bin, who also held minor stakes in several other industrial companies and managed their operations. Zhang Bin was a frequent presence at the nightclub, often handling important social engagements, such as entertaining chamber of commerce investors or public officials. If he wasn’t available, he had four or five trusted associates who were regulars at the venue. Chen Yi had previously worked as an in-house security guard at the nightclub, and his supervisor at the time was one of these associates.
The majority shares of the nightclub were held by a man named Zhai Fengmao. Originally from Tengcheng, Zhai had obtained Hong Kong residency earlier in his life and returned to Tengcheng as a Hong Kong investor to expand his business. He owned over a dozen enterprises and investment companies in Tengcheng, spanning bathhouses, hotels, microfinance, and various construction projects. Zhai Fengmao rarely made public appearances, dividing his time mainly between Tengcheng, Hong Kong, and Macau. Despite his elusive nature, he was known to be amiable and approachable—a figure often spoken of but seldom seen.
Chen Yi entered this circle through his skill in billiards. He started at the nightclub by mingling with the head of in-house security, who shared his surname, Chen, and was also an avid pool enthusiast. Young and carrying an air of street-smart boldness, Chen Yi was adept at smoking, drinking, and gambling. He was diligent in his efforts and eventually brought both Bo Zai and Dai Mao into the nightclub scene. In this environment, his background was considered clean and transparent—making him well-suited for this line of work. Through repeated games at the pool table, Chen Yi served as both a player and a practice partner, demonstrating sharp intuition and social awareness. During that period, he spent over ten hours a day at the table, rapidly improving his skills. It was through this that he came to know Zhang Bin and his close-knit group of associates. Most of these men were in their thirties or forties, forming a tight, tacit circle that was difficult for outsiders to penetrate.
Anyone could tell that these individuals had less-than-clean backgrounds. Society had changed from the old days—brute force was no longer in vogue. Gang leaders were now focused on legitimizing their operations, avoiding outright crime, and instead running companies and legitimate businesses. Their subordinates helped clear the path, allowing everyone to earn substantial money safely, without living life on the edge.
Betting on pool games was common at the nightclub. Sometimes Chen Yi played directly against opponents; other times, the bosses would handpick players to compete on their behalf. Zhang Bin took note of Chen Yi as the young man who played exceptionally well, smoked heavily, and was particularly popular with the ladies. As the saying goes, the new generation surpasses the old—it was simply the way of the world, and the younger crowd was now taking over.
Chen Yi met Zhai Fengmao when he was taken to a five-star hotel for a high-stakes pool match. The spectators present were all wealthy or influential figures, none of whom Chen Yi knew personally. Yet, wins and losses amounting to over five hundred thousand yuan in a single night seemed trivial to them. After several rounds of play, the table was filled with cheers, and Chen Yi held his own without embarrassment. In the end, he received a fifty-thousand-yuan bonus, which he declined to keep. Instead, he invited Zhang Bin for a drink in a private room, expressing gratitude for his mentorship.
An unassuming middle-aged man sitting nearby, noticing Chen Yi’s youth and handsome appearance, casually asked if he wanted to pursue billiards seriously. He offered to hire a coach for Chen Yi and send him to Macau. Detecting a slight Cantonese accent in the man’s speech, Chen Yi respectfully lit a cigar for him but declined, saying he had no grand ambitions. Since graduating, he had worked under Boss Zhang and had always been grateful for the care and opportunities given to him, with no plans to leave.
Zhai Fengmao didn’t press the matter, simply turning away and leaving with Zhang Bin.After playing basketball that night, Chen Yi had actually lost several thousand yuan. Lying on his bed at home with his hands propped behind his head, he lazily stared at the ceiling. Miao Jing brought in freshly laundered clothes and noticed he still had a cigarette dangling from his lips, its ash falling onto his clothes. Pressing her lips together, she placed the clothes in the wardrobe, then turned and plucked the cigarette from his mouth, stubbing it out in the ashtray.
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