This life-and-death calamity also had flaws. The biggest flaw was that it was so hasty, so the loophole was in the ‘human’.
Xu Hang thought of two ways: one is to cut off the military control commissioner’s move, and the other is to support Duan Yelin.
So the first place he came to was the Japanese consulate, and he specifically asked to see Kuromiya Keiko.
It is cloudy today, and it looks like it is going to rain, with the wind blowing from the southwest.
Kuromiya Keiko probably really likes black, she wore a jet-black long cheongsam, and when she saw Xu Hang, she shook the cigarette in her hand, the ash fell into the ashtray, and she walked down slowly: “Yo, this is a rare guest~”
She made a smoke ring, it was deadly elegance.
Xu Hang nodded and clasped his hands together: “Ms. Kuromiya, I won’t say anything flattering. I came here today to ask for your help.”
After sitting down, Keiko Kuromiya paused for a moment, then smiled coquettishly and prepared to make tea with the tea set on the table. However, she was stopped by Xu Hang, who took out the tea he brought with him and said, “Since I need your help, I’ll make the tea for you.”
Kuromiya Keiko smiled and let him do it.
Xu Hang was highly skilled in tea-making. As soon as he added water to the pot, he would bring it to a boil swiftly. Upon hearing the crackling sound, he’d lift the lid to check the tea’s progress. He carefully warmed the utensils, added the tea leaves, brewed it, poured, and served. As the tea swirled in the water, Xu Hang’s voice, as clear as the tea, gently spoke, sharing his intent.
When a cup of fragrant and mellow tea was placed in front of Kuromiya Keiko, Xu Hang had said everything he wanted to say. However, Kuromiya Keiko did not pick up the tea and drink it.
She changed her position and sat with her legs crossed, leaning on the armrest of the sofa like a beauty, smelling the fragrance of tea, squinting her eyes comfortably, and asked lazily, “I have understood Mr. Xu’s intention, but what reason do I have to help you?”
“Although you have a Japanese name, your real name is Aisin-Gioro Wenhui. You are Chinese, so I think you should also be kind-hearted.”
It was a bland and polite remark.
“Hehe… Chinese? Mr. Xu, please stop teasing me.” Kuromiya Keiko covered her lips with her hands but couldn’t smile. When she raised her eyes again, all the smiles were replaced by hostility. “Even the emperor was driven out of the Forbidden City by the Chinese. We, the fallen Manchus, were abused a long time ago. In the end, it was the Japanese who took me in. Kindhearted? If I really had that kind of thing, I would have died several times already.”
That year, there was a shocking burst of gunfire, and the emperor, who had been sealed off for thousands of years, was pushed off the dragon throne. The most honorable surname, Aisin-Gioro, instantly became a kind of irony.
She is a daughter of a noble family who was pushed by her father and brother to be adopted by the Kuromiya family in Japan in order to maintain a luxurious life with everything provided for her.
Just to gain protection from the Japanese, her family treated her as a gift and sent her to the bed of the head of the Kuromiya family, who was 40 years older than her. Even though she cried and begged, all she got in return were the cold orders from her father and brother.
After that day, she burned all her fancy clothes and only wore black from then on.
Who is the relative? Who is the enemy? She had long been confused.
Xu Hang looked at her for a long while and said, “So, you don’t plan to take action.”
“I don’t want to do something that’s thankless.”
“Ms. Keiko, do you think I really came here with nothing?”
Kuromiya Keiko’s smile became more and more vicious. She looked at her long nails and said indifferently, “Our Japanese military does not lack money. Besides, the Military Control Commissioner is willing to make friends with us. Your coming here today reminds me that I can work together with the Military Control Commissioner. Without Commander Duan, our Japanese military will be very happy.”
“Ms. Kuromiya, I understand what you said, but I still came here. Because I am confident that I can ask you to hold back the Military Control Commissioner for me.”
Shaking her head in disdain, Kuromiya Keiko closed her eyes like a cat: “Me? Then Mr. Xu will probably go back disappointed.”
It was a blatant rejection, but Xu Hang was not surprised by her answer at all. Instead, he asked a completely unrelated question: “Ms. Kuromiya, would you like to try the tea I brought?”
“I’m used to drinking Japanese tea, I don’t like this kind of local tea.” Kuromiya Keiko was very discerning, and she knew at a glance that it was not a precious tea. She was a daughter of a royal family, and her taste was very picky. She would not drink tea that was not good.
“My cup of tea is not about the variety, but about the person who grows it.”
The mysterious conversation made Kuromiya Keiko impatient, so she stood up and said, “Mr. Xu, we have different ideals and cannot work together. Please leave.”
Servants came out from behind to pack up and ask him to leave. Xu Hang sighed, his small voice full of lethality: “What a pity, this is the tea that Master Changling dried himself, and there is only this one jar in total.”
Suddenly, Kuromiya Keiko halted and slowly turned around, catching the delicate name in the conversation.
“What did you say?”
“If I really don’t have any bargaining chips, why would I come to you for help for nothing?” Holding up a cup of tea, Xu Hang smelled it and drank it as if he was enjoying it very much.
“What… what do you mean?”
Noticing that Kuromiya Keiko seemed a bit unsettled, Xu Hang approached her and lowered his voice. His eerie whispers grazed her ear, “‘How can one achieve both in this world without disappointing the Buddha as well as oneself?’ Unfortunately, the Buddha has no intention, and Miss is too sentimental, is that right or not?”
Upon hearing this, Kuromiya Keiko froze, her body trembling uncontrollably, even the veins on her eyebrows throbbing, her entire face turned pale, she chased the servants away with trembling hands, and said in a trembling voice, “You… you shut up…”
“If you don’t want others to know, then don’t do it. Ms. Keiko, since you dare to have such thoughts, why are you afraid of others talking?”
The situation took a sharp turn, and the initiative shifted in an instant.
“How did you know that? Keep your mouth shut!”
Xu Hang stood there, his pretty face obviously harmless, but he was like a butcher, pinching the neck of a living thing, and said with precision and force, “Ms. Kuromiya, your role is nothing more than a spy placed in China by the Japanese. Your beauty and tactics are your weapons. Therefore, a spy cannot have emotions. If the Japanese knew that you have shown signs of changing your mind, what do you think they would do?”
Spies are meant to be emotionless and impassive. Once they fall prey to temptation, even the most skilled spy becomes an ineffective pawn.
The Japanese spent so much effort cultivating Kuromiya Keiko. If the fact that she loved a monk was discovered, Chang Ling would definitely die, and it would not be a good death as well.
After all, the seemingly great power in her hands was given by the Japanese. She is the knife, not the person wielding the knife.
She choked. Looking at Xu Hang, who was so close to her, she felt a sense of fear in her heart for some reason: “You dare to hurt him? Believe it or not, I will kill you!”
Xu Hang did not give in at all and fought back directly: “There is someone holding a gun to my back now. My life is on the line, and I have no choice but to take the risk. Only if Ms. Kuromiya helps me remove the gun can I protect the one in Faxi Temple for you.”
“I’m going to kill you right here! I’ll cut off your tongue and see how you keep talking!”
Kuromiya Keiko turned around and tried to grab the gun, but Xu Hang grabbed her wrist with such force that it left a red mark.
“As long as I don’t leave here today, everyone in Hezhou City will know who your crush is tomorrow. I promise you, the first people to know will be the Japanese!”
These forceful words hit Kuromiya Keiko like bullets, piercing her heart and leaving a deep wound that she was powerless to heal.
Her deepest, most shameful desires—the tenderness she had never dared to acknowledge—were now in the hands of the man before her, held captive and threatened.
Having been around disgusting men for years, she thought she would hate these creatures who thought they were superior to women for the rest of her life. Who would have known that after just a fleeting glance, her dead heart would be swept clean of the dusty cobwebs by a pair of hands that saved all living beings?
Chang Ling, Chang Ling, the pure land in her heart.
After all, he was innocent, and she couldn’t let her sins be implicated on him.
With an angry glare at the young man before her, her slender fingers tightened around the hem of her cheongsam for a long moment before releasing it. Kuromiya Keiko gave Xu Hang a resigned look and said, “…Alright. You’re truly heartless.”
The transaction was successful, and Xu Hang hurriedly left the Japanese consulate.
Behind Xu Hang, Kuromiya Keiko slumped down on the sofa as if she was suffering from mental exhaustion. She smashed all the teacups angrily, her delicate face squeezed together, and finally buried her face in her hands.
She’s being discovered.
She’s being discovered.
She’s being discovered.
This was the only voice left in her mind, expressing the shame and fear of having her naked inner desires being seen.
It has been a long, long time since she felt so depressed and powerless.
Behind her, Kenji walked out slowly, his face gloomy and his voice hoarse: “I told you, Keiko, that monk will get you killed.”
Kuromiya Keiko stood up in shock: “When were you here?!”
“I’ve been here since the beginning,” Kenji walked forward, his eyes full of worry. “You should kill that monk! You can’t let him hold you back! Do you understand?” Thinking of this, he hardened his tone, “If you can’t do it, let me do it!”
‘Pah’!
Using all her strength, she slapped Kenji in the face, pointed at him, and threatened, “If you dare to kill him, kill me first!”
She turned around angrily and hurried out. What Xu Hang asked for was urgent, and she had to find a way to delay the Military Control Commissioner.
“Keiko! Wake up!” Kenji roared like a beast.
Kuromiya Keiko hurriedly stopped at the door. She looked particularly lonely and thin against the backlight.
She didn’t turn around, but there was a trace of pleading in her voice: “I will never betray the Japanese Empire, I swear. I will keep him in my heart, only in my heart. Kenji, you know I can’t leave. Is that alright? Just let me be willful for a little while, please?”
Kenji fell silent. He had always listened to her, never once refusing to grant her requests.
