Chapter 15: Night by the Great River

This story is purely a work of fiction.

After several days spent in HA, Gao Yating returned to Dahe, bringing Yun Jiu along with her.

When they arrived in Dahe, the night was lit up with countless lights, shimmering everywhere. With Yun Jiu's company, Gao Yating found her life infused with new meaning. No longer did she feel the loneliness of being alone for so long, nor did she fret over her occasional physiological needs.

Over the past few years, since her departure, she had essentially lived without any intimacy. In Dahe, she had never found a man who met her standards. The only man of any rank was Leng Junfeng—he still had a touch of masculine charm, but his promiscuity repelled her. Despite Leng Junfeng’s persistent attempts to tempt and seduce her, she was never interested and always dismissed him with contempt.

Gao Yating’s pride and icy beauty were renowned throughout the HZ region. Any man who had seen her would steal glances whenever possible, some even entertained fantasies, but all were deterred by her cold indifference—without exception.

In HZ, she was shrouded in mystery, wrapped in veils of intrigue. Those without sufficient status could not even approach her.

Many rumors said she had once been the mistress of the King of Gambling. But such talk showed little understanding of her. Leng Junfeng had tried to get close, to possess her, but she told him only one thing: "Don’t provoke me, unless one day I personally invite you to my bedroom."

After being rebuffed once, Leng Junfeng never dared to offend or cross her again.

With Yun Jiu by her side, even for just a few days, Gao Yating felt as if she were bathing in a spring breeze. She was radiant, her cheeks aglow with a blush that made her appear all the more dazzling—a lotus blooming from clear water.

Gao Yating was puzzled: whenever Yun Jiu came to mind, she could not suppress a smile.

After disembarking at Dahe Airport, the two walked toward the exit, and passersby could not help but steal glances at her.

In the MC headquarters office building, Will was lounging comfortably, sipping coffee.

Will called Gao Yating, "Have you returned to Dahe? When you get home and settle in, give me a call."

"All right, I just got off the plane. I’ll call you later. Goodbye," Gao Yating replied.

She put her phone in her bag, donned her hat and sunglasses, wrapping herself tightly, then scanned her surroundings with vigilance, as if searching for familiar faces. Glancing at Yun Jiu, she signaled with a nod.

Yun Jiu understood, dragging the luggage behind Gao Yating.

Yun Jiu asked, puzzled, "Why not have your staff pick us up?"

"There’s no need. With you here, anyone else would just be superfluous. I don’t want to waste precious time on irrelevant people. My car’s in the parking lot; I’ll take you to my secret villa," Gao Yating replied.

In the parking lot, Gao Yating handed Yun Jiu the keys. "You drive, all right?"

"No problem—I often park cars for guests at MC," Yun Jiu answered.

As they traversed the bustling city, skyscrapers lined the streets. Yun Jiu had not returned to his hometown in ten years.

This provincial capital was familiar only from a brief layover when he was discharged. Though not as rapidly developed as the special zones, its transformation was still striking.

Sometimes, when businessmen spoke of his hometown as a city of monsters, he felt deeply uncomfortable. If not for his encounter with Gao Yating at MC, he would never have considered living out the rest of his days in this so-called city of monsters.

When his parents were alive, his wish had been to buy a house in Dahe, just as one of his neighbors had done—a house big enough for them all, not too large, just enough to live comfortably, and leave behind the days of toiling in the fields to enjoy city life.

His parents had worked the land their whole lives, with only him as their son, never knowing comfort.

After retiring, Yun Jiu had hoped to earn enough at MC to let his parents live in ease. But fate played a cruel joke: within three years, both passed away, never seeing that day arrive.

He was overcome with grief and confusion, unwilling to return to the place that brought him such sorrow. Only during Qingming did he return to pay his respects.

Lost in these memories, he was abruptly brought back by Gao Yating’s voice, "We’re here!"

They passed a golf course and turned toward a standalone villa nestled beside a mountain and a lake. Gao Yating pressed her remote, and the gates swung open.

Inside, lush trees shaded the grounds. Yun Jiu noticed the immense size of the courtyard, with the main and auxiliary buildings joined. The auxiliary building’s third floor featured a large, standard swimming pool, its blue water shimmering—truly a hidden paradise.

Entering the villa, he found the decor sumptuous and magnificent.

Yun Jiu surveyed the furnishings, feeling a wave of emotion. The wealthy truly lived differently. He never imagined he would one day reside in such a splendid house. No wonder so many sought to marry into wealth—how delightful it must be.

"Why are you still standing there? Go take a hot shower and wash away the fatigue of travel," Gao Yating urged.

"No rush—I want to look around," Yun Jiu replied carelessly.

Without another word, Gao Yating dragged him into the bathroom, and soon the sounds of water and laughter echoed…

Meanwhile, in Mingyue’s small house, the day’s fright had caused the usually healthy Sitong to develop a high fever that night. After a busy day, Sitong’s father returned home and asked his wife, Mingyue, "What’s wrong with our son?"

"What’s wrong? It’s all your fault! I’ve said a hundred times we should send him to kindergarten, but you wouldn’t listen, too stingy to spend the money. You insisted country kids should live like country folk, playing in rubbish heaps, while other children younger than Sitong already know thousands of characters. And our son? How many does he know?" Mingyue shouted at her husband.

"Doesn’t know characters? How many country kids can compare with city kids? Didn’t we both grow up like that? If we pay the sponsorship fee—over ten thousand—there’ll be hardly any money left. Can we afford it? I ask you, how many characters do you know? You’re a farmer’s daughter, weren’t willing to study as a child. Your father beat you with a whip but you still refused school. Have you forgotten? Not wanting to study is just a child’s nature; don’t you know that?" Sitong’s father retorted, dredging up Mingyue’s childhood reluctance.

This infuriated Mingyue. She remembered she had only studied for three years, not even finishing elementary school. When she first arrived in the city, not knowing many words made even riding the bus difficult; she got lost several times. Remembering this, anger surged within her. "How dare you say that! Today, didn’t you see our son clinging to the kindergarten fence, watching the other children play, drooling? He looked so pitiful. It’s not that he doesn’t want to go to school—he longs to play with other children!" Mingyue grabbed a porcelain bowl from the table and hurled it at her husband…

At Gao Yating’s villa, she sat contentedly on the sofa, recalling Will’s call.

She dialed Will. "You called earlier—was there something important you needed to discuss, President?"

"First, I just wanted to check in with you. Second, I’ve heard something happened in Dahe—a subordinate was killed, and there are rumors you were involved. Is there any truth to this?"

"I’m not sure yet. I’ll investigate tomorrow and report back," Gao Yating replied.

"With the competition approaching, avoid any homicide—it’s bad for business. The more deaths, the more trouble. You must manage the situation in Dahe, keep things stable," Will said.

"I understand. We’ll be cautious. It’s late, I’ll rest now. Good night." Gao Yating hung up.

The bowl Mingyue threw flew toward Sitong’s father.

He dodged, and the bowl shattered against the window, breaking the glass.

The wind howled in through the hole, and Sitong, lying in bed, began to cry loudly.

The couple rushed to their son’s side and felt his forehead. "Good heavens, he’s burning up!" Sitong’s father was frantic, not knowing what to do.

"Why are you standing there?" Mingyue shouted. "Get some money and clothes, we need to take him to the hospital!"

The streets were deserted; not a taxi was to be seen. The city lights, usually bustling, seemed unusually dim, as if casting the world into confusion, and the biting wind kept blowing.

They ran all the way to the hospital. Sitong’s father registered for an emergency appointment.

After taking his temperature, the doctor said, "Forty degrees—he needs to be admitted."

The couple looked at each other, their hearts sinking as if plunged into an icy cellar. Their money was all in the bank—they only had five hundred yuan on hand.

"What’s wrong? No money for admission?" the doctor asked.

Helpless, he nodded. "We’ll skip admission, just prescribe something to reduce the fever."

After a simple treatment, it was already past three in the morning.

They carried Sitong home, gazing helplessly at their feverish son, his face flushed. They kept cooling his forehead with damp towels, and gradually, slowly, his fever subsided.

After some time, Sitong suddenly woke, opened his eyes, looked at his father, then at his mother, sat up, and pointed to the hole in his sock.

Seeing this, Mingyue’s eyes filled with tears. She blew on her hands, then covered the hole in Sitong’s sock. "Tomorrow, Mama will buy you new ones, new ones," she said, gently patting him to sleep, holding on until dawn…

Meanwhile, Wu Zhengzhe and Chi Zhaoming, drunk the night before, slept until morning.

Wu Zhengzhe’s phone rang.

"Who’s calling so early?" Chi Zhaoming grumbled.

He picked up the call absentmindedly. Director Ma Shengwei’s voice came over the line.

"Zhengzhe, didn’t you return with Officer Xiao? Why are you still sleeping?"

"Oh, yes, we were supposed to return together, but I had something come up yesterday and decided to stay in Hexi. Officer Xiao went home to be with his wife. I’m continuing to investigate here. If Officer Xiao could come again, that’d be even better."

"All right, I’ll send Officer Xiao back to Hexi. You two get a clear understanding of the situation there and return as soon as possible. If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up," Ma Shengwei said.

Chi Zhaoming, awoken by the call, found several missed calls from his wife overnight.

(To be continued)