Chapter Fifty-Six: Rising with the Sun

Liu Jingye laughed, having bullied the hoodlum into calling the police himself—such dominance. He waved his hand, dismissing the young thug; the murderous urge in his heart faded, and his spirit gradually settled. The other two hoodlums soon recovered as well, struggling to their feet and fleeing in disgrace.

A murmur rippled through the crowd, praising Liu Jingye’s fierce bravery. These few thugs often caused trouble in the neighborhood, exploiting people and even injuring some, yet the locals could only seethe in silence. Now, Liu Jingye had become a hero, punishing evil and ridding the area of miscreants.

The barbecue owner kindly warned, “Young man, those thugs have some backing. You should be careful.”

Liu Jingye, scoffing, lit a cigarette. “Backing? Even if they come at me with reinforcements, I won’t be afraid.”

The owner paused, thinking this young man was simply brash from youth and drink. He’d done his part by warning him; whether the advice was heeded was no longer his concern. He shook his head in resignation and left. Liu Jingye continued to drink, bottle after bottle, as if determined to drown himself here.

Those watching nearby felt uneasy—ferocious in a fight, even fiercer with the drink. What kind of man was this?

Liu Jingye single-handedly finished half a bottle of white liquor and an entire case of beer. Just as he stood, he collapsed by the roadside, vomiting profusely. How he made it home was completely forgotten; he fell into bed and slept, dreaming strange dreams—battlefields shrouded in smoke, rivers of blood, and peaceful moments with comrades, drinking and chatting in carefree days.

He slept soundly, for who knew how long, until suddenly his stomach burned as if on fire, forcing him to curl up in agony. He felt as if he could spit flames with every breath, his head spinning and throbbing—the effects of the alcohol finally struck.

Heartburn, stomach pain, dizziness—the most obvious symptoms of drunkenness—manifested in the dead of night. He was in torment, trapped between sleep and wakefulness.

At that moment, a cool sensation pressed against his forehead, soothing his pain. Nightmares and past memories intertwined, slowly easing his taut nerves and quelling the surging bloodlust.

Dimly, he felt a small hand gently rubbing his chest, a cold towel slowly wiping his body. Overwhelmed by thirst, someone tenderly propped him up and poured sweet, cool water into his mouth, refreshing him like spring rain on parched earth.

He wanted to open his eyes but couldn’t, only feeling that soft hand massaging his burning stomach, calming him until he drifted into a deep, restful sleep.

Early the next morning, still groggy, he was suddenly jolted awake when someone yanked off his blanket, letting a cold draft sweep over him.

“Ah…” a startled cry exploded at his ear, and the blanket was hurriedly pulled back up.

He opened his eyes to see Yuan Xiaoying, hands covering her face, turned away from him. He checked himself and understood instantly why the girl was so embarrassed.

Liu Jingye sat up and said, “Don’t make a habit of trapping a man under the covers, and certainly don’t lift his blanket at random. You must realize that every morning, it’s not just the sun that rises—there’s something else that greets the dawn just as energetically.”

“Shameless!” Yuan Xiaoying spat.

Liu Jingye smiled wryly. “It’s a normal reaction for any healthy man’s body—especially when you’re the one who pulled the blanket. Let me ask you: if someone streaks down the street, is it the runner who’s shameless, or the onlookers?”

Her eyes widened at the question, momentarily stumped. “Why are you so talkative today? Are you suffering alcohol poisoning?”

Liu Jingye immediately recalled last night’s misery—someone placing a wet towel on his forehead, massaging his spasming stomach with such attentive care.

“Could it be this girl took care of me all night?” He looked up at her, meeting those bright, beautiful eyes. Yuan Xiaoying grew flustered under his gaze.

“What are you staring at? Never seen a pretty woman?” Yuan Xiaoying snorted.

“So, may I ask, what brings this beautiful lady to my humble abode? Surely you’re not here just to trap me under the covers, lift the blanket, and watch what rises with the sun…”

“Shut up!” Yuan Xiaoying’s face flushed. “If I’d known you’d be so annoying, I should have given you some poison last night and been done with it.”

“So it was her caring for me last night. Who’d have thought this girl could be so gentle and thoughtful?” Liu Jingye smiled at her.

Yuan Xiaoying avoided his eyes, unable to handle the tender, ambiguous atmosphere. She glared. “Since you’re awake, tell me about what happened yesterday.”

“Yesterday? Did something happen?” Liu Jingye rubbed his head. “All I remember is getting drunk, then sometime in the middle of the night, someone barged in and groped me. I feel like I was taken advantage of by a hooligan.”

“Stop talking nonsense.” Yuan Xiaoying gave him a light kick. “Something major happened last night. Don’t tell me you don’t know anything?”

“What happened last night?” Liu Jingye feigned surprise. “Did aliens invade or did Superman return?”

“Last night there was a fierce gunfight at the dock owned by Huang Dynasty Company—a small-scale war, really,” Yuan Xiaoying said gravely.

Liu Jingye scoffed. That’s called a war?

Seeing him play dumb, Yuan Xiaoying pressed on, “There were twenty-one male corpses found there last night—among them, my foreign uncle and a man with a facial scar. Besides them, the rest were Huang Dynasty Company employees; one was their deputy general manager, Zhu Yiqun.”

“Zhu Yiqun?” Liu Jingye laughed. “I know a guy named Yang Circle.”

“Shut up.” Yuan Xiaoying snapped. “Aside from the gunfight, many Huang Dynasty employees gathered outside, violently blocking the police from entering to investigate. It’s already alerted the provincial police bureau, and the case has even reached the central police department.

It’s an extremely vicious violent incident. Dozens were killed or injured; after inspection, a truck containing hundreds of guns was found burned, and a cargo ship carrying several Arabs was seized offshore. All the Arabs aboard were illegal immigrants—they confessed they’d come to buy a huge cache of weapons.”

“So Huang Dynasty was trading arms, then for some reason they fell out—ended in mutual destruction.” Liu Jingye said, “It’s a dogfight, really. As for your uncle, I’m sorry for your loss—please give my regards to your aunt.”

“Are you still pretending?” Yuan Xiaoying sneered. “Last night we canvassed the area. At the time of the incident, a sightseeing boat was cruising nearby. According to the staff, as they approached the scene, a tourist suddenly fell into the water and was rescued half an hour later.

Also, at an open-air barbecue near the beach, a man violently assaulted three local thugs. He drank a case of beer and was soaking wet.”

“Oh? Really?” Liu Jingye feigned ignorance.

“Of course it’s true.” Yuan Xiaoying smirked, pulling a photo from her pocket and tossing it at him. Liu Jingye glanced down—the image was blurry, but it was clearly him.

It must have been a screenshot from surveillance footage at the ticket window. In this age of high-tech, little can remain hidden.

Liu Jingye looked at it and exclaimed, “Wow, this guy looks just like me—could he be my long-lost brother?”

“Stop pretending. I know it’s you.” Yuan Xiaoying suddenly leaned in, nose to nose, her large eyes fixed on him. “Tell me—why did you fall into the water? Did you swim to the dock and take part in the gunfight? Who were you helping—the Arabs, the scar-faced man, or Huang Dynasty?”

Liu Jingye looked at her face, so close, her eyes clear and bright, her skin smooth and flawless, perfect as if sculpted from crystal—exquisite and lovely.

Her delicate red lips parted slightly, revealing a sliver of pearly teeth, radiating a fatal allure. He couldn’t help but inhale, instinctively wanting to kiss her.

Yuan Xiaoying sensed his intention and quickly stood, making the atmosphere awkward. Liu Jingye scratched his head, saying, “Your breath smells wonderful—fresh and pleasant. What kind of toothpaste do you use?”

“My breath is naturally fresh,” Yuan Xiaoying replied, blushing.

“May I taste it?” Liu Jingye blurted out.

Yuan Xiaoying shrieked, covering her mouth tightly, glaring at him, then suddenly stunned. Immediately she snapped, “Stop changing the subject—just tell me what really happened last night!”

Liu Jingye shrugged, refusing to answer. Even with the photo, it couldn’t prove he was at the scene—he’d only fallen in the water and beaten up three provocateurs.

Seeing his lips sealed, Yuan Xiaoying could only stare at him, murmuring, “What kind of man are you—must you be so mysterious?”

Liu Jingye lifted the blanket and peered inside. “Sister, you just saw everything yourself. Seems I have no secrets from you.”

Xiaoying spat lightly. “If you really were the one who killed five armed criminals at the factory, and then walked away unscathed from yesterday’s fierce gunfight, dispatched three thugs with thunderous skill, and at the shooting range fired ten shots but only left one ten-ring hole—was that really ten consecutive hits?”

Yuan Xiaoying frowned, analyzing the situation. Straightforward as she was, anyone would be suspicious after all she’d witnessed.