WOOY Chapter 38

Liu Qi, being old-fashioned, insisted on hosting the three for dinner, saying that since the deal was struck, all the finer details should be discussed over drinks—an easy way to build rapport.

The restaurant, near the game room, was called “Tianshan Guesthouse,” one of Liu Qi’s establishments. With dinner still a while off, Liu Qi excused himself to tend to some errands, leaving Chang Dong’s group to head there first. The staff, following Liu Qi’s instructions, led the three into a private room. The decor was slightly dated, flamboyant in its opulent yet kitschy way. A large round table stood in the center, so big it could double as a bed.

To prevent boredom while waiting, the staff brought tea and even handed over two decks of playing cards.

Chang Dong, uninterested in card games, focused instead on reviewing his notebook. The maps were undeniable—he had even marked the location where Hui Ba was buried along Sima Road. Luckily, his written deductions were vague, using cryptic terms like “blood, wind, Yumen Gate.” No wonder Liu Qi said he could only make partial sense of it—without understanding the background, it would indeed be difficult to decipher.

After finishing, Chang Dong tore out the relevant pages, shredded them into strips, struck a match, lit the pieces, and tossed them into the ashtray.

Ye Liuxi watched as the white paper darkened and curled in the flames, remarking coolly, “The writing and drawings were quite good-looking. It’s such a shame to burn them.”

Chang Dong replied, “They gave you a lesson—better to take it seriously.”

Few people are naturally insightful; most learn through mistakes, refining their skills, and gradually climbing higher as their errors decrease.

The faint warmth of burnt paper still lingered in the room as Chang Dong asked Ye Liuxi, “Are you really taking Liu Qi’s money?”

She found his question redundant. “Why not? If it’s free, might as well take it.”

“There’s money that’s hard to take. You can’t just focus on the immediate benefit; you need to consider what might happen later.”

“What later? Liu Qi is investing, isn’t he? If it ends up yielding nothing, it just means he picked the wrong stock—bad investment judgment. What’s that got to do with me?”

Her reasoning was always filled with twists. If only things were truly as simple as she made them sound.

Chang Dong hesitated for a moment. “Someone like Liu Qi is meticulous. He’s not just going to hand over money and let you spend it freely.”

“The terms during dinner might be loaded with strict conditions,” he cautioned.

Ye Liuxi shrugged off his concern. “If the house is on fire, you wash your face first. We’ll deal with it when the time comes.”

Chang Dong gave her a look. “You really have nerves of steel.”

Ye Liuxi corrected him. “This isn’t nerves of steel—it’s confidence. It means no matter what happens, I can handle it. After all…” She rested her chin on her hand and winked at him. “When it comes to summoning storms and rain, I can handle half of it.”

Chang Dong had no reply and turned back to his tea.

Meanwhile, Fei Tang was listening in a state of confusion. “Sister Yexi, what do you mean by summoning storms and rain—you can handle half of it?” he asked, his bewilderment evident.

Ye Liuxi hinted, “Think carefully, and take it literally.”

Fei Tang pondered aloud, “Summoning storms and rain, doing half of it… Sister Yexi, does that mean you can… summon?”

At that moment, Chang Dong spat out an entire mouthful of tea.

——

The dinner officially began at 9 PM, with dishes like big plate chicken, roasted lamb ribs, meat with flatbread, and pilaf served beforehand. The portions were massive, and the plates themselves were equally oversized. Chang Dong had no appetite, Fei Tang didn’t dare eat, and even Ye Liuxi remarked that just looking at the plates made her feel full.

The lavish spread inevitably became more of a backdrop than the main event.

At 9 PM sharp, Liu Qi arrived, bringing only two companions.

One was a petite girl, around 17 or 18 years old, dressed in a short skirt, fishnet stockings, and a studded leather jacket. Her heavy makeup, messy bun with streaks of purple, and dark circles from sleepless nights gave her a rebellious edge. She entered ahead of Liu Qi, yawning as she sat down, casually picking up a piece of spicy red chili to eat.

Liu Qi frowned. “You have no manners.”

The other was a well-built man in his mid-twenties, with tanned skin, a buzz cut, and a piercing on the upper edge of his ear. His rolled-up sleeves revealed a tattoo of slender, delicate plum blossoms, which added an inexplicable refinement to his otherwise street-tough demeanor.

Unlike the girl, the man was disciplined—he pulled out a chair for Liu Qi and then stood silently to the side, hands clasped behind his back, eyes straight ahead.

Liu Qi smiled at Chang Dong and the others. “Let me introduce them. This is my goddaughter, Ding Liu… Xiao Liu-er, put out that cigarette!”

Ding Liu was lighting a cigarette but obediently stubbed it out on the tablecloth when Liu Qi spoke. She raised her head, her unfocused gaze wandering as she said, “Pleasure to meet you. I help my godfather manage the karaoke club.”

Liu Qi then gestured to the man behind him. “This is Gao Shen. He works for me. As for you all, I won’t bother with introductions—I already briefed them on the way here.”

He continued, “Here’s how I see it. We’re all just getting to know each other, and trust is still thin. If I hand over money and you go off spending it wildly, only to come back and tell me, Liu Qi, we found nothing,’ I’d feel uneasy.”

“So, I’m sending two people along. Don’t worry—they’re capable and won’t drag you down. Liu-er may be young, but she’s been managing my venues for three years now, and no one dares cause trouble under her watch.”

Chang Dong responded, “Liu Qi, you know what happened to Hui Ba. It’s understandable to want someone to keep an eye on things, but sending your goddaughter—don’t you think that’s a bit excessive?”

Liu Qi smiled faintly. “I’m getting old. These past couple of years, I’ve been wanting to hand over the reins of my work to Liu-er. But too many people don’t respect her—she lacks experience, her mind’s all over the place. Unpolished jade can’t become a gem, you know. She needs a dangerous task to toughen her up. And now, this opportunity has presented itself. If she pulls it off, it’s hers. If she fails… well, it’s fate. After all, she’s not my biological daughter.”

Chang Dong couldn’t help but glance at Ding Liu.

She remained expressionless, but with so much makeup plastered on her face, any change in her expression would likely go unnoticed.

Chang Dong considered for a moment. “Two people joining is fine. But roles need to be clear—I can accept helpers but not someone trying to take the lead.”

Liu Qi grinned broadly. “Of course, you have full control to do your job. And this brother here—rest assured, I’ll take good care of him.”

His gaze landed squarely on Fei Tang.

Fei Tang shuddered. Among everyone at the table, he carried the least weight. He had assumed he’d remain unnoticed throughout, but now he found himself unexpectedly in the spotlight…

His lips dry, he nervously glanced around for support. Chang Dong frowned slightly, as though about to speak, when Ye Liuxi suddenly called out, “Chang Dong!”

She held out her plate. “Grab me a lamb rib, will you? A big one—I can’t reach.”

Chang Dong leaned over and used his chopsticks to pick out a large lamb rib for her, coated in coarse cumin seeds and bright red chili powder.

Ye Liuxi took the plate back, wielding a knife and fork as she sliced and scraped the meat with an audible clatter.

Among everyone at the table, she was the only one digging into the food.

Eating as though no one else existed, she eventually gave up on the cutlery and used her hands instead.

Fei Tang began to realize her intentions—she didn’t want Chang Dong to speak up on his behalf.

“Sister Yexi…” he stammered.

Ye Liuxi didn’t even look up. “Why are you calling me? Whatever you want or don’t want, use your own mouth to say it. If you won’t speak up for yourself, why should anyone else rush to do it for you? Haven’t even eaten yet, and you’re already full of excuses.”

As she spoke, she shot a sideways glance at Chang Dong.

Chang Dong chuckled lightly and gestured toward the corner of his mouth. Ye Liuxi reached out to wipe it, her fingers coming away covered in chili powder, which she casually licked off.

Everyone at the table understood the subtext in her words.

Fei Tang understood too. Hesitating for a moment, he finally looked up at Liu Qi and said, “I don’t want to stay here.”

Liu Qi remained impassive. “Speak louder—I can’t hear you.”

Fei Tang’s scalp prickled, his heart nearly leaping into his throat. Then, seeing Ye Liuxi calmly wiping her hands with a napkin, he suddenly found his courage. Slamming his palm onto the table, he shouted, “I don’t need your care! I don’t want to stay here!”

Liu Qi’s gaze turned cold.

Gao Shen’s expression darkened, his fists clenched, muscles bulging on his arms.

Ding Liu cast a sidelong glance at Fei Tang.

Meanwhile, Chang Dong looked at Ye Liuxi.

Ye Liuxi set down her napkin and spoke deliberately. “Liu Qi, Fei Tang really isn’t suited to stay here.”

“You like digging into people’s backgrounds, don’t you? Have you looked into his? Fei Tang was born in Xi’an, into a family of antique dealers. Show him any piece of scrap metal or pottery, and he can tell you its era and value just by its style and weight. I remember…”

She turned to Fei Tang. “You’re a senior member of the Xi’an Cultural Relics Appraisal Committee, aren’t you?”

Fei Tang stammered, “I… just joined last year.”

As he spoke, he didn’t dare lift his head—this was the first time he’d even heard of such a committee existing in Xi’an.

Ye Liuxi turned back to Liu Qi. “Liu Qi, aren’t you looking for the real deal? If you don’t have an expert on this trip, it’ll be like sending out a team of blind men. When the time comes, we might toss out truly valuable items as worthless junk and bring back flashy but useless trinkets. Don’t blame us then.”

……

 

Liu Qi fell silent for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter.

He raised his glass. “Come on, let’s drink! Without sharing food and drink, we can’t call ourselves friends. Let’s take this as a deal sealed…”

Chang Dong interrupted him, “Liu Qi, there’s one more thing. That guy called Shen Gun—are you still in contact with him?”

Liu Qi replied, “How could I be? That guy was a nutcase. The fact that he even made it out of Lop Nur was thanks to me traveling with him. If he went off playing reckless tricks in dangerous places again, who knows how many years it’s been since he died.”

“And when you parted ways, you didn’t exchange contact info?”

After all, they did travel together for some time.

“We did,” Liu Qi admitted. “When we got to Hami, he said he wanted to commemorate the journey and dragged me to a photo studio to take a picture. He didn’t have a phone or a number, so he wrote a QQ number on the back of the photo for me. I never added him, but I still have the picture.”

“Could you help us find that photo? I’d like to try reaching out. He recorded so many stories—he might not have shared them all with you. Maybe we can learn more about the ghost camel caravan or the shadow puppet coffin.”

Midway through the meal, Chang Dong went to the restroom.

As he stepped out, he saw Ye Liuxi washing her hands at the sink.

He approached, turned on another faucet, squeezed out some soap, and asked her quietly as he looked down, “Notice anything?”

Ye Liuxi grabbed a paper towel, wiped her hands, and adjusted her hair in the mirror. “And you?”

The old restaurant’s lighting was dim everywhere except the private rooms. Under the faint light, and even through the hazy reflection, Ye Liuxi looked rather self-satisfied.

“Liu Qi seems to care about Ding Liu quite a bit. Gao Shen tagging along is likely to protect her,” Chang Dong said.

Ye Liuxi made a small sound of acknowledgment. “Gao Shen and Ding Liu’s relationship isn’t so simple.”

Chang Dong raised his head, his gaze meeting hers in the mirror. “What makes you think that?”

“When Gao Shen entered the room, he barely glanced around—except for a few times when he stole looks at her. But Ding Liu didn’t seem to care; she looked at Fei Tang more than she did him.”

“And stealing glances means?”

“Losing control of your heart always starts with losing control of your eyes.”

……

As Chang Dong and Ye Liuxi walked back, they passed a half-open private room door. Despite its pitch-black interior, the faint scent of smoke wafted out—clearly, someone had been there. Chang Dong suddenly paused, raising a finger to his lips to signal Ye Liuxi to stay quiet.

After a brief moment, voices emerged from within. The first was unmistakably Ding Liu’s.

“What do you think? Are those two difficult to deal with?” she asked.

A man answered, “Liu Qi says they’re both skilled, so you should be polite. Don’t stir up trouble.”

Chang Dong instinctively felt this had to be Gao Shen.

Ding Liu sneered faintly. “My godfather likes to talk pretty, but I don’t believe he’d let anyone take food off his plate… That guy, Chang Dong, and the woman—are they a couple?”

There was a pause before Gao Shen responded. “Maybe.”

“That’d make it easier. Getting a couple to turn on each other is a piece of cake,” Ding Liu remarked, her tone dripping with mischief.