Seeing her sitting there with her small mouth agape — large enough to stuff an egg in — Shi Ting laughed and ruffled her cap: “What’s this — has the great Forensic Examiner Yan never heard of playing for both sides?”

“I’ve heard of it.” Yan Qing set aside her look of shock. “I just didn’t think Xie Yan was that sort of person. He seems…not that flirtatious.”

Shi Ting smiled: “It turns out Qing Qing also misjudges people sometimes.”

“I’d noticed how good-looking he was, with that hint of roguish charm, so I’d thought about what kind of woman he might fancy — I just never imagined he’d also be interested in men.”

Yan Qing thought of the young man just now, who was indeed exceedingly handsome.

“It’s all just playing around — none of it is serious.” Shi Ting placed the fruit juice in Yan Qing’s hand and took the red wine for himself. “Those men and women of his — what they’re drawn to is nothing more than his money and power. Everyone takes what they need from each other.”

“How fortunate,” Yan Qing said, swirling the glass in her hand and watching the liquid inside flow gently.

“Fortunate in what way?” Shi Ting asked curiously.

Yan Qing blinked at him: “Fortunate that you weren’t influenced by him.”

Shi Ting laughed: “In the past, he frequently introduced pretty women to me, and after I refused them all, he started sending men my way. When those were refused too, he declared I was abnormal and said there was something wrong with me in that department.”

Pfft!

Yan Qing had just been about to take a sip of her fruit juice when she heard this, and felt entirely grateful she hadn’t actually swallowed — otherwise she absolutely would have sprayed it out.

“Did you explain yourself?” Yan Qing was very curious.

“Explain what? There’s no need to explain anything to him.” Shi Ting let out a dismissive snort, then turned and fixed her with a meaningful look. “Whether or not there’s anything wrong with me in that department, and how well I perform — my wife knows, and that’s all that matters. What does it matter whether anyone else knows or not?”

Yan Qing was suddenly seized with a sense of pride, and couldn’t help saying: “You belong only to me. Others needn’t even think about it.”

Those four words — you belong only to me — made Shi Ting first blink in surprise, and then his long fingers caught her chin and drew her gently toward him. His lips, still carrying the fragrance of wine, covered hers in a soft, lingering grind, savoring her.

His voice carried a faint, shallow hoarseness that fell into her ear through the narrow gap between them: “You’re right. I am yours.”

Yan Qing’s face immediately flushed. A moment ago she had simply felt that a man this perfect and outstanding didn’t belong to anyone else — only to her — and from that feeling, a sense of pride had gradually swelled. When it had grown too large, those words had spilled from her lips before she knew it.

Clearly, he very much liked hearing them.

“Well, well,” came a languid voice. “Should I make myself scarce?”

Yan Qing followed the voice and saw Xie Yan leaning against the doorway, his eyes slightly narrowed in a half-smiling, half-teasing gaze.

She hastily put some distance between herself and Shi Ting, looking a little embarrassed.

“You come in without knocking?” Shi Ting’s expression darkened. He was quite displeased with this person for causing his wife’s embarrassment.

Xie Yan spread both hands: “Sir, this is my shop. Do I really need to knock to enter my own shop?”

He spoke as he sauntered over lazily: “What’s the matter? Something to ask me?”

Shi Ting looked him up and down. “You went to an alley — and one with cats in it.”

Xie Yan was taken aback: “How did you know?”

“You have a few cat hairs on you — right there on your trouser leg.” Xie Yan looked down and carefully searched, and indeed found two cat hairs.

That man’s eyes were truly sharp as a razor.

“But how do you know I went to an alley?”

“These two cat hairs are from different breeds, and both are common alley cats — the kind that gather near rubbish bins in back lanes. Also, you smell like rubbish.”

Xie Yan raised his sleeve and sniffed. “I don’t smell anything — how would I smell like rubbish?”

“Can’t detect it? Then it’s a scoundrel’s smell.” Shi Ting delivered this in a cool, level tone.

Xie Yan caught on and his eyes flew wide open: “You, Shi Xingzhi — you’re calling me names in a roundabout way.”

“I’m merely curious. The renowned Mr. Xie, for no particular reason, ventures into a filthy little back lane and then mingles with a gang of stray cats. What a uniquely distinctive hobby.”

Xie Yan twisted his mouth: “Aren’t you the one who likes to guess things? Then guess.”

“I don’t feel like guessing. It’s bound to be some man turning up, or some woman turning up — or maybe your interests have changed and it’s cats now, too.”

Yan Qing knew that Shi Ting could be sharp-tongued at times, but she hadn’t expected him to be quite so merciless even when cutting down his own friend — every word laced with barbs.

She felt a little sorry for Xie Yan. Not only did he have to have his wine glass exposed, he also had to endure being mocked.

Xie Yan seemed long accustomed to it, and dropped lazily into a nearby seat: “Talking with someone like you is pointless — you’re a married man, and your eyes see nothing but your wife.”

He said this, then winked at Yan Qing: “If he ever misbehaves, I’ll deal with him for you.”

Yan Qing smiled, then suddenly remembered she had brought a gift for Xie Yan. She reached into the pocket of her coat and drew out a small, elegant bottle opener.

“Mr. Xie, thank you for sending Mu Bai with me last time. Without his help, I would not have been able to return from Lakewest Quarter safely and without incident.”

Noticing that Xie Yan seemed to freeze for a moment, his earlobes showing a suspicious flush of color, Yan Qing held the item out toward him: “I wasn’t sure what you might like, so I had someone go to the wine estate and commission this bottle opener specially.”

“Why are you just standing there?” Shi Ting took the bottle opener from Yan Qing’s hand and tossed it into Xie Yan’s lap. No point letting his wife hold it out for so long and tire her arm.

Xie Yan picked up the bottle opener — the feel of it in his hand was exceptionally solid and well-crafted. Looking at the material, it was fashioned entirely of pure gold; yet despite being a gold piece, it had been carved alongside fine wood in such a way that it carried not the faintest air of vulgarity. And at the base of the opener, a three-dimensional character for “Xie” had been engraved in small seal script.

He fixed his eyes on that character, and liked it the moment he saw it.

Yan Qing could not read Xie Yan’s emotions from his expression, and had to look to Shi Ting for guidance.

Shi Ting said, with a touch of scorn: “Maybe no one has ever given him a gift before. He’s a little overwhelmed.”

“Don’t you talk nonsense,” Xie Yan fired back. “Plenty of people have given me things.”

Shi Ting let out a derisive laugh without confirming or denying it.

It was true that no small number of people had given him things — but without exception, they all wanted something from him, or, when they didn’t, they were simply trying to curry favor. Those gifts were expensive, yet few of them were given with genuine sincerity.

And so when Xie Yan received Yan Qing’s thoughtful gift, he felt a little shy — and also genuinely surprised.

Yan Qing found it difficult to imagine that someone like Xie Yan was capable of feeling shy.

But what she saw of Xie Yan was not the high and mighty overlord others knew. To her, he was simply one of Shi Ting’s good-natured, sparring friends — and in his presence, Shi Ting was also completely at ease: trading jabs, bickering, like two youths who hadn’t quite shed their boyishness.

She didn’t know what Xie Yan was like in front of other people, but this side of him was undeniably approachable and easy to get along with.

“Thank you.” Xie Yan shook the bottle opener in his hand. “Also — don’t call me Mr. Xie. Same as with Shi Xingzhi, just call me Xie Yan.”

“All right.” Yan Qing smiled as well. “You’re welcome.”

“Right then — what did you come to find me for?” Xie Yan had the young man from earlier put the gift away.

Shi Ting said, “There’s a man from Di Nation — his name is Jingshang. My people have investigated and found that he’s currently doing business in the black market.”

“What do you want with this man?” A glimmer of amusement lit in Xie Yan’s gaze. “That one certainly knows how to enjoy life — surrounded by several beautiful young women, and each of them utterly devoted to him, that old wreck. You tell me about this Jingshang — no looks, no money, no charm. Are those women all blind?”

“Take me to him.”

“No problem.” Xie Yan rose to his feet. “Follow me.”

Here in the black market, they were on his territory. Whomever he wanted to find, whatever he wanted to do — he needed only open his mouth.

Before long, Xie Yan had led the two of them to a squat, run-down shop.

The moment he walked in, those inside spotted him. An effusive voice nearly burst through their eardrums: “Mr. Xie! Mr. Xie himself! What an honor — Mr. Xie graces us with a visit. We failed to come out and receive you, our sincere apologies.”

Yan Qing saw a middle-aged man — half-bald, sporting two thin moustaches, wearing a front-fastening gown, his eyes nearly squeezing shut into slits when he smiled.

Around this man, five or six women were gathered. These women were beautiful, none of them appearing very old, but they all shared one thing in common: the way they looked at this middle-aged man was full of ardent devotion.

That kind of gaze reminded Yan Qing of the Marshal — the Marshal had looked at Qian Lan in exactly that same way.

Shi Ting and Yan Qing exchanged a glance.

“I don’t know what brings Mr. Xie here — what are your instructions?” This man called Jingshang from Di Nation bowed and bobbed repeatedly in Xie Yan’s direction, his eagerness to curry favor written plainly across his face.

Xie Yan was long accustomed to this sort of treatment. He pulled a chair over and settled lazily into it: “My friend has something to ask you.”

Jingshang immediately turned in Shi Ting’s direction, smiling genially: “What guidance does this gentleman have?”

Shi Ting saw that his Xin Guo speech was so fluent that he must have been in Xin Guo for quite some years.

“I have something I’d like you to take a look at.” Shi Ting brought out the sachet removed from the Marshal’s person. “I want to know what’s inside.”

Jingshang received it with both hands and first examined the sachet carefully, then asked, “May I open it? I can’t tell from the outside.”

Shi Ting nodded to indicate he could.

Jingshang fetched a pair of scissors and carefully cut it open. The moment he saw what was inside, his brow furrowed sharply.

His expression showed surprise, then disbelief, and above all, puzzlement.

He was seen pinching some of these wood shaving-like bits between his fingers and bringing them to his nose to smell, then placing them on his tongue for a taste.

After waiting a moment, Jingshang finally said: “Would you mind telling me where this came from?”

“Just tell us what’s inside — why all the unnecessary questions?” Xie Yan’s brow creased, and Jingshang immediately swallowed obediently.

“I’ll say, I’ll say it.”