RTCBM 48

Wen Shang was on leave recently, and since he had nothing else going on, he spent nearly every day keeping Mu Yuan company. He took him out to eat, watch movies, and shop. Every expense was fully covered by him.

Mu Yuan was not the kind to be polite. Since Wen Shang was happy to pay, he didn’t even bother checking price tags. If he liked something, he took it without hesitation and spent with complete peace of mind.

“A new laptop? Damn, that’s high-end.” He Dongying glanced at the freshly unboxed Alienware. “When did you become so generous? You used to complain about five or six-thousand-yuan phones being too expensive. Now you’re dropping tens of thousands on a laptop. Did you win the lottery or something?”

“It wasn’t my money. Wen-ge paid for it.” Mu Yuan looked smug, clearly showing off as he said it.

“Didn’t he just buy you a bunch of game consoles the other day? And now a laptop too?”

“Rich people live in a world we don’t understand. If he wants to spend money, what can I do?” Mu Yuan gave a dramatic sigh and shook his head. After that, he happily powered on the laptop and dove into his game.

He Dongying whistled. “Since he treats you so well, have you agreed to date him?”

“No idea what you’re talking about.” Mu Yuan pretended not to understand.

He Dongying flicked him hard on the forehead. “Seriously? You’re still putting on an act with me? Speak.”

Mu Yuan pouted and finally gave in. “I still haven’t really figured things out.”

“What is there to think about? You’ve taken so many gifts from him already. If you didn’t like him, why keep accepting everything he gives you?”

Mu Yuan scratched his head, looking a bit lost. “It’s not that… I’ve just never been in a relationship with a guy before.”

“Have you at least thought about being with him?” He Dongying asked seriously.

“I mean… yeah, I’ve thought about it. But if I actually agree to it, I can’t just treat it like some casual thing. And I don’t even know how far we’d go. It feels like there’s a lot to figure out. It’s a bit overwhelming.”

“You’re thinking more than I expected,” He Dongying chuckled. From the days when they were at each other’s throats to whatever was going on between them now, he had witnessed the entire progression. And lately, every time Mu Yuan came back from hanging out with Wen Shang, he was smiling. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before enemies turned lovers.

Mu Yuan’s phone rang. He immediately picked it up and answered with a cheerful “Hey!”

He Dongying lit a cigarette and watched his buddy grinning like he was in heat. Tsk. No doubt about it. This guy was totally lovestruck.

“What? You’re already downstairs? So fast…”

“I’ll change clothes now. Wait a sec!”

Mu Yuan hung up, dashed to his room, and threw on some casual clothes in record time. Grabbing his wallet and keys, he rushed out the door, completely forgetting about the friend still sitting inside.

As soon as he stepped outside, he spotted the car parked at the entrance. Wen Shang sat in the driver’s seat, calmly waiting. As if sensing Mu Yuan’s eyes on him, he turned his head and looked over. That soft smile in his eyes said more than words could.

Something warm bloomed in Mu Yuan’s chest.

Today’s plan wasn’t just eating or shopping. He had something important to do.

The Hongqing Opera Troupe organized monthly visits to rural towns to perform for and support elderly residents. This was Mu Yuan’s first time joining since he left the troupe.

Wen Shang stood quietly to the side, eyes fixed on Mu Yuan. He watched as Mu Yuan laughed and chatted with the elderly, posing for group photos like he had never left.

When mingling with the elderly in the audience, Mu Yuan had a warm and sincere heart. On stage, he was always confident and full of spirit. In the past, Mu Yuan had all the traits Wen Shang disliked. But now, it was hard to find any fault in him. Even if there were, to Wen Shang, they were all endearing.

As the final note of the opera faded, Mu Yuan bounced off the stage with a bright grin, hurried over to Wen Shang, and eagerly asked, “So? Did this young master sing well or not?”

Wen Shang smiled but didn’t say a word.

“Come on, answer me. Did I sing well or not?”

“You can’t be praised. The moment someone compliments you, you get cocky.”

“What? Will it kill you to give me a little praise?” Mu Yuan pouted, then playfully raised his hand as if to hit him.

Wen Shang swiftly stepped aside to dodge him. Still in his opera costume, Mu Yuan ran after him. Watching the two of them mess around like this was something unimaginable in the past.

In the midst of the chase, applause suddenly rang out behind Mu Yuan. He turned his head and saw Bai Wei had arrived at some point.

“Third Uncle, what are you doing here?” Mu Yuan left Wen Shang behind and walked over, smiling with delight as he greeted him.

Bai Wei took off his sunglasses and pointed at Mu Yuan’s costume. “Heard you were doing a charity performance today. Since I had time, I thought I’d drop by.”

“I used to hear your second uncle talk about how you performed opera. Always wanted to see it for myself. That bit from Two Immortals Worship the Moon Pavilion was nicely done.”

Although they were related by blood, Mu Yuan hadn’t known this third uncle for long. Their relationship wasn’t exactly close. Hearing such praise, he scratched his head and stood there grinning sheepishly.

“By the way, Third Uncle, I remember hearing you play the gaohu really well last time. Did you use to be in an opera troupe too?”

“Just a personal hobby. I taught myself in my spare time.” Bai Wei smiled. “Your second uncle used to love listening to this kind of music, so…”

Halfway through the sentence, Bai Wei suddenly stopped, as if he realized he had said too much. He quickly changed the subject. “It’s getting late. I need to head to the airport. You go on with what you were doing.”

As he turned to leave, Mu Yuan called out to him. “Third Uncle, where are you flying to?”

“Nowhere.” Bai Wei explained, “Wang Hao’s flying back to Canada today. I’m just going to see him off.”

Since Wang Hao was mentioned, Mu Yuan took the opportunity to ask Bai Wei why he had immigrated back then.

Bai Wei no longer saw any reason to hide it. “Actually, besides me, he was one of the few people who knew your second uncle’s identity at the time.”

When Wang Hao found out Mu Huafeng’s true identity, he struggled with it for a long time. There was a lot of inner conflict, but in the end, out of brotherhood, he decided to keep Mu Huafeng’s secret. Later, after Mu Huafeng was murdered, Bai Wei became worried. If Wang Hao stayed in Sheng Yi and accidentally let something slip one day, Mu Yuan might end up in serious trouble. To be safe, Bai Wei approached Wang Hao, gave him a substantial amount of money and a new identity, and arranged for him to leave and start a new life abroad.

“He runs a Chinese restaurant in Canada now. Life’s been decent for him,” Bai Wei told Mu Yuan. Then he added, “I’ve told you everything. Now it’s my turn to ask you something.”

He turned his head and glanced toward Wen Shang in the distance. “I already heard from Wang Hao. What exactly is going on between you and that kid?”

Mu Yuan instantly thought of what happened between them in the wardrobe that night. It was only now that he belatedly realized what Wen Shang had been feeling at the time. “Nothing really… um… we’re just friends.”

“Friends?” Bai Wei gave him a sharp look.

Mu Yuan was at a loss for words and didn’t know how to respond. Just then, a voice called out and broke the tension.

“Senior Mu!”

Zhuo Fei came running over, panting, holding up his phone. “Senior Mu, I’ve been looking all over for you. So this is where you were. Hurry and take the call, Ying-ge says it’s urgent.”

Mu Yuan was secretly relieved. Finally, an excuse to avoid answering. “Third Uncle, I’ll take this call first. Didn’t you say you were in a rush? Go on to the airport. Don’t keep Uncle Hao waiting.”

Every thought was written clearly across his face. Bai Wei saw through it but said nothing. He just muttered, “Brat,” under his breath and turned to leave.

He Dongying had called on behalf of Qin Hong, the gang leader, to reach Mu Yuan. Over the phone, he asked, “When does your charity performance end? Boss Qin needs to see you. He told me to have you head to Yi Hall right away.”

“That urgent? What’s it about?”

“Something about a visitor. I’m not sure who it is, but just hurry up and don’t drag your feet.”

After Mu Yuan hung up, Wen Shang saw him take off running toward the backstage. When he came out again, he had already removed his costume and changed back into his casual clothes. Wen Shang followed him. “Where are you going?”

“Something came up at the club. I need to head over now.”

Wen Shang didn’t ask a single question. He immediately drove Mu Yuan back into the city.

When they reached the destination, just as Mu Yuan was about to get out of the car, Wen Shang grabbed him and pulled him close. He leaned in and stole a quick kiss before letting him go.

Yi Hall was Sheng Yi’s main base. On regular days, aside from the gang leader, only the Seven Elites and a select few members had the right to enter. Outsiders were strictly forbidden. When Mu Yuan arrived at the main hall, every seat was occupied by unfamiliar faces in black suits—none of them were people from Sheng Yi. Just as he was wondering who they were, his eyes swept across the room and suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure.

“Mad Wolf, long time no see.” A tall man seated among the guests suddenly stood up, walked over to Mu Yuan, and greeted him in Japanese. He wore a smile of reunion and extended his hand, waiting for Mu Yuan to shake it.

Mu Yuan knew this Japanese man very well. He was Zaizen Norio, the wakagashira, or second-in-command, of Ushijima-gumi, the leading yakuza syndicate in Japan’s Kanto region.

Zaizen’s arrival came as a surprise. Mu Yuan shook his hand firmly, switched to Japanese, and greeted him with excitement. “It’s been a long time, Norio. How have you been?”

“Everything’s been good,” Norio replied with a smile, looking Mu Yuan up and down before patting him on the arm. “You’ve grown taller over the years, and you’re looking a lot stronger too.”

Recently, Ushijima-gumi had shown interest in expanding into China. They were planning to collaborate with Sheng Yi on a local Japanese-style hot spring resort project. This visit was meant for a site inspection, and also to catch up with Mu Yuan.

When Norio mentioned catching up, Mu Yuan glanced around the seats for a long while, but still didn’t see that familiar figure. He couldn’t help but ask, “Brother Ryuzawa didn’t come?”

“Him? He was supposed to come with me, but he’s tied up with a bunch of things and can’t get away right now.”

Norio explained that the Kanto region had recently been going through a power reshuffle, and things weren’t very stable. To keep the situation under control and prevent any unexpected incidents, Nikaido Ryuzawa, as the kumicho, had to stay behind and oversee things personally.

With friends visiting from afar, Mu Yuan didn’t need any orders from the leader. As a local, he naturally took it upon himself to welcome the guests.

After enjoying a lavish dinner, the members of Ushijima-gumi were eager to experience the nightlife in China. Naturally, Mu Yuan was more than willing to oblige. He immediately called Hifi Nightclub to arrange a private booking so the guests could enjoy themselves to the fullest. But Norio waved his hand with a smile. “No need to make it so extravagant. There aren’t that many of us. Just get a bigger private room, that’ll do.”

While the subordinates partied wildly with the club’s hostesses, Norio sat quietly in a corner, drinking and smoking by himself. Mu Yuan walked over and sat down beside him, lighting a cigarette of his own.

“Why aren’t you joining the fun with the others?”

Norio flicked his ash. “All nightclubs are the same. Smoke, booze, women, and loud music.”

“Fair enough.” Mu Yuan picked up a piece of watermelon with a toothpick and popped it into his mouth. “When was the last time we had a proper conversation?”

“Four years ago. Ever since you came back from Japan, we haven’t seen each other. By the way, have you ever thought about taking over Sheng Yi’s Japan branch again?”

Mu Yuan laughed. “Azu’s over there. That kid’s been managing the branch really well these past few years. I’m at ease with him in charge.”

“Azu’s someone you trained. I’ve never doubted his abilities,” Norio said, resting a hand on Mu Yuan’s shoulder. “But the boss still hopes you’ll return. That guy really misses you.”

Mu Yuan choked on the piece of watermelon he was eating and coughed for a long time before finally catching his breath. He cursed Nikaido a few times silently in his head.

“Sigh… Norio, I won’t hide it from you. I’ve been thinking about finding the right time to leave Sheng Yi.”

“You planning to switch sides?” Norio’s eyes lit up. “Ever thought about coming over to Japan?”

“That’s not what I mean.” Mu Yuan explained, “I’m saying I don’t want to be in the underworld anymore. As for why, I’d rather not talk about it right now.”

“Does your boss know about this?”

“Of course not. I still haven’t figured out how to tell him.” This had been weighing heavily on Mu Yuan’s mind. The underworld had its own rules. You couldn’t just come and go as you pleased. What would Qin Hong say if he found out he wanted to leave the gang? Would he refuse? Make things difficult? Mu Yuan genuinely had no idea.