Chapter Twenty-Five: A Direct Confrontation

After leaving the barbecue restaurant, Chen Tianyu wandered alone by the lakeside. Liu Zichen had gone to bed early. He strolled aimlessly along the shore, the silence so deep it seemed not a single tourist remained at this late hour; it was nearly midnight, and only the most unusual people would venture out now.

Yet Chen Tianyu was already aware that someone was approaching. He kept silent, feigning ignorance. The wind from the lake howled, rustling the leaves; though he hunched his shoulders, the cold still forced its way in. He turned his face toward the water, deliberately leaving his back exposed.

A pungent scent of tobacco drifted into his nostrils, oddly distinctive. Instinctively, Chen Tianyu rubbed his hands together, then clenched them in readiness.

After a while, a low voice sounded behind him, “Such refined taste.”

Startled, Chen Tianyu glanced back. Under a nearby tree, a flickering light revealed a tall, solitary figure wearing a hat. The moonlight was bright enough tonight for him to catch a glimpse of the man, the tobacco’s aroma growing heavier as smoke curled upward. The man was smoking a pipe—Chen Tianyu rubbed his hands again.

“Who’s there?” His voice was soft.

The other man stepped out from under the tree, every footfall seeming to make the ground tremble. The interplay of shadow and moonlight across his features made his expression all the more chilling, his gaze sharp as a blade.

“You’re Officer Yun…?” Chen Tianyu asked timidly. “Is there something you need?”

“No need to be familiar,” Yun Ji’s lips curled in a cold half-smile. “If I’ve come to see you, naturally there’s something I want.”

Chen Tianyu nodded. “Please, go ahead.”

Yun Ji was direct. “Why are you deliberately getting close to my client? Give me a reason.”

“Client?” Chen Tianyu feigned confusion. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

Yun Ji let out a cold laugh. “Don’t play dumb. My client is the girl you dined with.”

“Oh!” Chen Tianyu acted as if he’d suddenly understood, rubbing his hands again. “You mean Miss Yiruo? Yes, I know her. Why? She’s your client?”

“That’s not your concern. Right now, I have a few questions for you.”

“It’s getting late…” Chen Tianyu hesitated. “Perhaps another day? The wind’s quite strong, I’m freezing.”

“There’s no time like the present.” Yun Ji, for once, used a common saying. “How do I know if I’ll find you again? Just two questions—answer them and you can go.”

“Very well, ask away.” Chen Tianyu, sensing the time was ripe, leaned casually against a tree to listen.

Yun Ji spoke unhurriedly. “It almost seems as though you were waiting for me.”

“Not for you, I’m no fortune-teller… Maybe for someone, yes.” Chen Tianyu smiled faintly.

Yun Ji raised an eyebrow. “Waiting for someone, at this hour? A woman, perhaps?”

“Of course. I have no interest in men,” Chen Tianyu replied coolly.

Yun Ji was unfazed. “Waiting for Yiruo Jekel?”

“Well, I’m afraid I can’t say,” Chen Tianyu replied with an ambiguous smile.

Yun Ji nodded for once. “That’s one you don’t need to answer—I was only asking offhand.”

Chen Tianyu said, “So, your two questions?”

Yun Ji glanced at him, exhaling another cloud of smoke. “Are you so eager to be on your way?”

“It’s bone-chilling… makes a man uneasy,” Chen Tianyu replied, his words carrying a double meaning.

Yun Ji seemed not to notice. “If the cold makes you honest, the better. Don’t hide anything, or you’ll face consequences.”

Chen Tianyu felt more at ease and responded with a laugh, “A clear conscience fears no knock at midnight. I’ve nothing to hide… unless it’s personal, and that’s protected by law, isn’t it?”

Yun Ji nodded, growing serious. “Good.”

He removed the pipe from his lips and fixed his gaze on Chen Tianyu. “Do you know a tall, thin young man who wears glasses?”

“There are plenty of people like that. How would I know which one you mean?” Chen Tianyu replied calmly.

Yun Ji laughed coldly. “Let me be more specific: a photographer, possibly a journalist, about one meter eighty, twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, always wears Camel brand hiking shoes. I suppose you remember now?”

Chen Tianyu’s heart tightened; he already suspected who this referred to. But he replied, “Could you at least tell me his name? That’s still too broad…”

“He has many aliases; I’m not sure which one would mean anything to you,” Yun Ji said, pipe back between his teeth, clearly unwilling to answer further.

“Sometimes the true name hides within the false, don’t you think?” Chen Tianyu said blandly.

Yun Ji gave him a surprised look. Chen Tianyu quickly explained, “If you tell me a few surnames he’s used, I might recall. I know people all over—can’t just guess, right?”

Yun Ji finally looked away, staring at the dark expanse of the lake. “Three options: Shi, Su, Xiao.” He spoke each name distinctly.

Chen Tianyu nearly laughed aloud; the answer was obvious—Xiao Su.

But he replied with certainty, “I’m sorry, I don’t know anyone who fits all those conditions.”

Yun Ji showed no reaction, as though he’d expected this answer. He sighed, or seemed to. “You’re still hiding something, but I don’t mind.”

Chen Tianyu put on an innocent face. “I’m telling the truth. How could I dare deceive Officer Yun?”

Yun Ji ignored him and pressed on, “Why are you getting close to Yiruo? What’s your purpose?”

“Admiration!” Chen Tianyu replied without hesitation. “She has a unique charm that draws me in—one look and I was lost.”

“You want a walking marriage?” Yun Ji’s tone was tinged with mockery.

Chen Tianyu nodded. “I’d be lucky if I could.”

“You’re lying!” Yun Ji exposed him at once. “I’ve never seen a man bring his girlfriend along to propose a walking marriage. Are you courting death?”

Chen Tianyu replied gloomily, “You’re joking, Officer. How could I have known I’d meet Yiruo before I came? Fate works in mysterious ways.”

“Utter nonsense. So bringing your girlfriend to meet Yiruo was another clever ploy?” Yun Ji’s words all but admitted he’d been watching them.

Chen Tianyu answered with feigned humility, “You’re shrewd as ever, Officer. If I don’t reassure my girlfriend, how would I ever get a chance?”

“Your answers are watertight,” Yun Ji said, exhaling smoke. “But sometimes the most perfect answer is the biggest lie.”

“Officer, you flatter me…” Chen Tianyu said helplessly. “Perfect, no, but true, yes.”

As if recalling something, Yun Ji added, “Let me ask you one more thing, if I may?”

Chen Tianyu smiled. “Ask whatever you like—I’ll answer if I can.”

“Do you know He Jiping?” Yun Ji’s question was blunt.

Chen Tianyu was startled. Had his conversation with He Jiping been monitored? He distinctly remembered checking his surroundings for surveillance equipment. The chance seemed slim.

He played it safe. “Yes.”

“For some time now?” Yun Ji pressed.

“It’s been a while…” Chen Tianyu thought. “We met at Lashi Lake. She’s a tea master, and quite pretty—I recognized her at once.”

“You really don’t like to let any woman slip away,” Yun Ji joked.

Chen Tianyu hurriedly replied, “Not at all. She seems a handful—I don’t think I can handle her.”

Yun Ji gave him a half-smile, then fell silent.

“Well, that’s enough for tonight. I’m sure we’ll meet again,” he said abruptly, turning to leave.

“I’ll always be available to answer your questions, Officer,” Chen Tianyu replied politely.

Yun Ji suddenly turned back, his tone cold once more. “I suspect you may be the most honest gentleman in the world, or perhaps you are the most formidable adversary I’ve ever encountered.”

Chen Tianyu was taken aback, and after a moment, managed, “Uh… you give me too much credit.”

But Yun Ji was already striding away, vanishing from sight, and surely hadn’t heard him.

All that remained was the lingering scent of tobacco, still pricking at Chen Tianyu’s nerves.

If he had, unwittingly, gleaned much valuable information from Yun Ji, what about the reverse? What had Yun Ji learned from him? Suddenly, an ominous feeling crept into his heart.