SES Chapter 197 Part 2

She slapped the table and walked off. At the door, she ran straight into Yan Hongsha, just back from the hospital.

Yan Hongsha looked low-spirited and distracted.

Mu Dai asked, puzzled, “How’s Luo Ren?”

“He’s doing well. The doctor talked to Aoki about discharge in two days, went over a ton of precautions. He also asked when you were coming.”

“I’m busy today. I’ll go later.”

Mu Dai went back to the bar for drinks. Yi Wan San wasn’t finished yet, shaking the cocktail shaker furiously like he was fighting someone.

Yan Hongsha followed over, pretending to be casual.

“Mu Dai, that Aoki—he has a fiancée.”

“Yeah,” Mu Dai said. “Luo Ren mentioned her. Yukiko, right? She sounds lovely.”

She glanced at Yan Hongsha. “Why?”

“N-no reason,” Yan Hongsha stammered. “I just think… having a fiancée and being away from home all year—it’s kind of… unreliable.”

Mu Dai smiled. “Different couples have different dynamics. Luo Ren has a childhood friend in Chongqing—Ma Tuwen—and his relationship is…”

Before she could finish, the drinks were ready. Mu Dai picked up the tray and went to serve customers.

Yan Hongsha stood there for a moment, then slowly headed toward the back of the bar. Passing Cao Jiefang’s “luxury mansion,” the creature probably thought she was about to feed it—its little head popped through the cage bars.

Yan Hongsha ignored it, pushed open the back door, and sat down on the steps.

The backyard was much quieter than the rest of the bar—barely even a yard, really. Just a symbolic fence, the gate swinging open easily. The slats were wide enough that Cao Jiefang could crawl in and out freely.

The door creaked. Someone came out and plopped down beside her, holding a Singapore Sling. Fruity alcohol filled the air.

Yi Wan San.

Yan Hongsha shot him an annoyed look. “Drinking your own cocktails again? Uncle Zhang will skin you alive if he sees.”

“It’s a legitimate employee perk,” Yi Wan San said. “Sometimes Uncle Zhang even asks me to mix him a Bloody Mary.”

Then he nudged her with his elbow. “Second Fire—heartbroken?”

“Huh?!” Yan Hongsha yelped like she’d been stung. “Nonsense!”

Yi Wan San took a slow sip and pressed his hand downward. “Easy. Easy.”

“We’re family here. What’s there to be embarrassed about? You pulled me out of a pit once—why would I laugh at you?”

Yan Hongsha glared at him, then grudgingly sat back down.
“I’m not in love.”

Yi Wan San nodded calmly. “I know. Just a bit of hazy curiosity that didn’t land anywhere.”

That did it—she was furious.
“How would you know?”

“Second Fire, not bragging, but back in my day, I was a master of romance. A glance, a gesture—I catch everything. Let me show you something.”

He pulled out his phone and handed her a photo.

It was Mu Dai and Luo Ren, lying on the ground. Mu Dai’s eyes were closed, her face flushed, as if she’d just gone through a fierce battle. Luo Ren looked exhausted too—but one hand hovered gently over Mu Dai’s, careful not to touch.

“When was this?” she asked.

“Before you joined. Little Shang River. That’s when their thing started,” he said, taking another sip. “I noticed it.”

Yan Hongsha scoffed, but when she handed the phone back, she felt less awkward. So Mu Dai had once had secrets too.

She sighed. “I wasn’t even in love. I just thought… he was interesting.”

Yi Wan San dryly chuckled. “Your definition of ‘interesting’ is really something.”

Yan Hongsha grew melancholy. “You know, back then I liked Luo Ren a little—but he liked Mu Dai, so I gave up immediately. This Aoki—I was only just curious, and boom, he has a fiancée.”

Then sorrow washed over her. “Yi Wan San, next time I like someone, will he already have a whole clan of descendants?”

Yi Wan San spat his drink out.

Wiping his mouth, he said seriously, “That’s why I wanted to talk to you. Second Fire, you’re too romantic. The men you like—Luo Ren, Aoki—they’re all the same type. You don’t really know them. You just think mercenaries are cool—cold, tough, impressive.”

He patted her shoulder. “Wrong direction. They’re not for you. Turn back while you can. Broaden your view. As the saying goes, when you turn around, the one you’re looking for might be right there under the lights. Maybe even Cao Fatty suits you better.”

Yan Hongsha stared at the heavy hand on her shoulder, then looked up at him.

“Yi Wan San,” she said slowly, “do you have a death wish?”

“Got it. I’m leaving.”

He stood up—but Yan Hongsha exploded. “I saved your life once! That’s how you comfort people?!”

Yi Wan San paused.

“Then I’ll write you an essay.”

She eyed him warily. “You can write?”

“Guaranteed cure for heartbreak. Finish reading it and you’ll be completely out of the woods. My signature move—never fails.”

He pointed at her. “Come get your update from me every day.”

“It’s a serial?”

“Yep.”

Yan Hongsha felt dread. “It won’t be long, right? If you serialize for ten years, I’ll be cured on my own ten times over.”

Yi Wan San reassured her. “Short. Very short.”

When Mu Dai finished her shift and headed to the hospital, Yan Hongsha was receiving her daily update.

Yan Hongsha’s face was livid. A cup of coffee sat in front of her. She pointed at Yi Wan San.

Mu Dai walked over curiously and saw latte art on the coffee foam—one character: 人.

“What does that mean?” she asked.

Yi Wan San shot her a look. “Boss Lady, please don’t be on the same IQ level as Second Fire. That’s the character for from.”

“Oh.” Mu Dai wasn’t interested—she was eager to see Luo Ren.

As she left, she heard Yan Hongsha grind her teeth.
“This is a serial? One character a day?!”

“Not just characters,” Yi Wan San replied. “You get coffee too.”

Mu Dai didn’t know what they were arguing about, but she felt like laughing anyway—probably because she’d been in such a good mood lately.

Luo Ren looked great. His injury didn’t require strict bed rest, and according to the doctor, he could already get up and walk a bit.

Before entering the room, Aoki asked if Mu Dai could stay overnight. His paperwork for returning to Japan was almost finished, with a few loose ends left.

Since Luo Ren had been hospitalized, Aoki had stayed by his side nonstop. Mu Dai stepped back and bowed to him.

“Aoki-kun, thank you for everything.”

Aoki laughed loudly. Before leaving, he pointed at the observation window. “I told the doctors and nurses not to disturb you. You can pull the curtain—no one will see.”

“Get lost,” Mu Dai said.

Still, it was truly peaceful. She talked with Luo Ren about everything, laughing the whole time, pestering him for empty promises—go here, go there, eat this, eat that.

They joked until late. Luo Ren laughed and said Mu Dai was the easiest girl in the world to keep happy—agree to whatever she asked, and she’d be delighted. Ask her later what she’d begged for, and she’d forget most of it.

When it was time to sleep, even though there was a folding cot, she instinctively squeezed in beside him. Under the blanket, she felt like life held no worries, no regrets.

The lights dimmed. Luo Ren lowered his head, kissed her forehead, and said, “Good night.”

She slept deeply. She thought she’d have sweet dreams.

She didn’t.

Instead, for the first time, she dreamed of Leopard.

He sat cross-legged across from her, an exquisite bronze spinner between them, delicate and slender, the needle gleaming coldly. Around the rim were different marked segments.

Leopard smiled strangely and whispered, “Come on, little beauty. Pick one.”

Sudden rage surged through her. She flipped the spinner with one sweep of her hand.

The sky changed again—dark, heavy. Wind rose. Bamboo stalks in the courtyard pressed against each other, leaves rustling.

Wasn’t this the place where Leopard had first imprisoned her?

She pushed open the door and climbed the stairs. The room was silent, abandoned in haste—cold and messy. Tasha’s doll lay discarded in the corner. On the coffee table, several books lay open. One page fluttered in the wind—flip, flip—until it stopped.

She walked closer.

The page number was:

342.