Chapter Twenty-Five: The Clever Young Lady

Although Li Yue was thoroughly drunk, pouring out his humiliation and bitterness, Liu Jingye felt that things weren’t quite as he described. Men like them could be called war machines, instruments of death, so their organization rarely allowed them to return to civilian life. Usually, they were kept on as instructors or assigned to other related departments.

When Li Yue left back then, Liu Jingye was still fighting on the front lines. He didn’t know the reason for Li Yue’s departure or much about his family—only that they hailed from the same hometown. He hadn’t expected Li Yue’s life to turn out this way.

“Hey, Xiao Liu, why are you zoning out? Come on, drink up. Let’s finish this whole case of liquor,” Li Yue called out, handing him a bottle when he saw Liu Jingye lost in thought.

Tipping his head back, Liu Jingye drank deeply, pushing aside his wandering thoughts. Tonight was about reminiscing; they’d drink themselves silly and worry about everything else later.

“By the way, Xiao Liu, why did that Arab guy think you were the boss of the Sovereign Dynasty?” Li Yue suddenly asked.

Liu Jingye smiled wryly at once. “That’s a long story…”

He gave a brief rundown of everything that had happened. Li Yue nearly choked with laughter. “So tonight was supposed to be your wedding night? Sorry, old buddy, I messed things up for you.”

“Come on, can we talk about something else?” Liu Jingye grumbled, thoroughly frustrated. He’d been tricked into marriage by Yuan Xiaoying, and there was no way to argue his case.

“Forget talking—let’s just go do something else!” Li Yue laughed, tossing away his empty bottle. He grabbed Liu Jingye, swaying on his feet, and slurred, “Since I ruined your wedding night, I’ll keep you company through another one!”

He led Liu Jingye out of the restaurant. Though it was still the same decrepit street, now it looked different: many small houses along the road were lit by ambiguous red lamps. Heavily made-up, scantily clad women posed provocatively at their doors, their profession obvious at a glance.

Li Yue navigated the place as if he’d been there a thousand times; all the girls knew him as well.

“Honestly, this isn’t such a bad life,” Liu Jingye said with a smile. “Dealing with people around you simply, whether they fear you or respect you. Eating meat by the mouthful, downing liquor by the bowl, then waking up the next day in a stranger’s bed—what could be more carefree? This is living!”

“Why don’t you join me here for a while?” Li Yue suggested.

Liu Jingye shook his head with a bitter smile. “I can’t. I have to help my parents run their shop.”

“Oh, right. You said you’re running your parents’ inn now?” Li Yue asked, his curiosity piqued.

Just as Liu Jingye couldn’t believe Li Yue had turned to the underworld, Li Yue, in turn, couldn’t believe someone with Liu Jingye’s blood-soaked past could settle down and run a little inn.

Liu Jingye pointed north. “Just off the north side of the ring road, beneath the foothills of the scenic area—a country inn.”

“You never cease to amaze me,” Li Yue laughed.

The two walked down the street, the night breeze carrying their drunkenness higher, until they were giddy, reaching that carefree state of mind.

Having lived so long on the edge of life and death, they needed to let loose now and then. Otherwise, they’d have broken long ago. It was, after all, the lingering trauma from war that had brought Liu Jingye home. Drinking, brawling, the occasional trip to the bathhouse—these were all normal. Sometimes their superiors even paid their tabs themselves. For single men like them, eating, drinking, and seeking pleasure was ordinary—especially for those who had danced with death as often as they had.

Arm in arm, the two staggered along, the drink rekindling a sense of their old camaraderie.

Liu Jingye followed Li Yue into the only bathhouse in town, which, as it happened, had only a men’s pool—no women’s.

“Hey, this place isn’t bad,” Liu Jingye mumbled as he wobbled up the stairs. The bathhouse was clean, and there was even a lounge.

After a shower, the alcohol hit them harder. They sat in the lounge, surrounded by dazzling women in revealing outfits, their forms accentuated under the dim lights.

The bathhouse had its rules: every girl had to take a number and serve guests in order—unless a guest was dissatisfied, in which case the next girl took her place. There was no cutting the line.

Two women approached them. In the dim light, their faces were hard to make out, but their alluring figures were unmistakable.

“Enjoy yourself, brother. I’ll leave you to it,” Li Yue said, confidently slipping his arm around a woman as he headed off to a room.

Liu Jingye rubbed his head. The woman with him, not wanting to lose a customer, was especially attentive, taking his arm and pressing herself against him, whispering sweet nothings in his ear.

Dazed and tipsy, Liu Jingye let her lead him to a room, stripped down to his boxers.

The woman was both enthusiastic and practiced, pulling out a small bag filled with all the necessary tools. She had just started to take something out when commotion erupted outside.

Suddenly, a shout came from the next room. “Police! Nobody move... You two, check the next room!”

Police?! Liu Jingye sobered up instantly, leaping from the bed. The woman jumped as well.

“There’s a crackdown going on,” Liu Jingye lamented. “A southern city once called a man’s paradise just got raided, and that actor famous for playing good husbands and sons-in-law got caught too. If you get picked up now, it’s not just a fine and detention—you’re looking at six months in a re-education program. What am I going to do?”

He was panicking; he’d never been in a situation like this before. Getting caught would be trouble—how could he explain this to his parents?

If he was worried, the woman was terrified. If she got caught, she’d be sent back to her village, and her family was counting on the money she sent home.

Just then, the door burst open, a police badge flashing before anyone even entered, the symbol of unassailable authority.

At that crucial moment, the woman suddenly flew into a rage, pummeling and kicking Liu Jingye while wailing, “You bastard, you filthy man, you shameless scoundrel! What are you doing here?”

Liu Jingye was stunned, and the police at the door were equally dumbfounded.

The woman kept hitting, pinching, and cursing him, her voice shrill and full of grievance. “I scrimped and saved for half a year to buy a solar water heater so you could have hot showers! Every day, I give you massages when you come home. I’ve done everything you’ve asked, no matter how weird, just to be a good wife to you. And you—you come to a place like this? How could you betray me?”

What an act! Liu Jingye instantly caught on and silently praised her. At this critical moment, she’d turned herself into his furious wife, catching him red-handed at the bathhouse, her performance so vivid it was almost real.

Liu Jingye immediately played along, cowering and pleading, “Wife, I’m sorry! Please forgive me! I’ll never do it again…”

One chased and one fled, and they seized the opportunity to dash out together, leaving the stunned police behind—because their performance was just too convincing.