Hongdou had slept extremely soundly the night before, not waking until seven o’clock.
She changed clothes, came out, and washed up. The living room was quiet; breakfast was laid on the table, but her mother and elder brother were nowhere to be seen.
She asked Sister Zhou, and only then learned that her mother had not yet gotten up.
Hongdou was simply astonished. For as long as she could remember, her mother had risen before dawn every day to manage household affairs and had never once slept in.
Could she be feeling unwell? She went to her mother’s bedroom door and listened—there was not a sound within. She asked Sister Zhou, who only said the mistress was not unwell, just that she hadn’t slept well the night before.
She stood there a moment, but fearing she’d be late, she went back to the dining room, her mind full of misgivings.
She sat down and picked up her congee. She had barely taken a sip when she noticed Sister Zhou stealing glances at her from across the table.
Hongdou said, puzzled, “Sister Zhou, why are you looking at me like that?” It was strange, indeed.
Sister Zhou had been present for the whole of last night’s events, and she too had been holding in a great lungful of anger ever since. If the mistress hadn’t instructed her not to speak carelessly, she would hardly have waited for Hongdou to ask—she’d have poured out Commissioner Bai’s conduct like beans from a jar the moment she saw her.
But the mistress had been so angry she hadn’t slept all night, and was now catching up on sleep. Without the mistress’s instructions, a servant like herself dared not overstep, so she kept her mouth shut like a gourd with its neck sewn tight, waiting only until Hongdou had finished breakfast before saying, “Young Master is waiting downstairs for Miss.”
Hongdou tidied herself and went down. Not only was her brother there, but He Yunqin as well.
He stood sideways on the steps, talking with her brother. The golden morning light spilled over his face, making his features look even more clear and handsome than the night before.
If it had been any other day, she would have greeted him with easy confidence. But today, for some reason, she felt a little bashful, and spoke first to her brother: “Brother.”
Only then did she glance at him and say, “Mr. He.”
He Yunqin turned to look at her.
Their eyes met. He cleared his throat and said, “Miss Yu.”
Hongdou didn’t look at him either, only asked her brother softly, “Why is Mr. He here?”
She didn’t ask him—she asked her brother instead.
Something in He Yunqin’s chest gave a faint twinge, as if bitten by the tiniest of ants. He found he could no longer stand still where he was, so he simply stubbed out his cigarette, came down the steps, and waited for Hongdou at the bottom.
Yu Chongyi said to Hongdou, “Something happened at home last night. Mr. He will take you to school today.”
Hongdou froze. Though she had to admit to herself she wasn’t averse to He Yunqin escorting her, she still asked, puzzled, “What happened?”
Yu Chongyi looked worn out. “I still have some things to see to at the police station, so I need to go back there. It’s getting late—go on with Mr. He to school for now. When I get back, Mother and I will explain everything to you.”
The three of them left Tongfu Lane, and had just reached the roadside when they heard a car horn blaring.
The car came recklessly, tearing along at breakneck speed before screeching to a halt. The door swung open, and with great swagger, one leg descended from the car, then the other—but before the man could straighten up fully, he glanced up and caught sight of He Yunqin, and froze, his face filling with astonishment. “Young Master He?”
He Yunqin said to Hongdou, “Get in the car and wait for me.”
Hongdou had never imagined she’d run into Commissioner Bai right outside her own door so early in the morning. As she stood there puzzled, she turned to see her brother’s expression turn grave, and He Yunqin’s face had also gone cold and indifferent. Something clicked into place in her mind. She threw Commissioner Bai a cold glance and turned to get into He Yunqin’s car.
Commissioner Bai shut the car door behind him, straightened his back, and said with a faint smile as he looked at He Yunqin, “What a coincidence, running into Young Master He here. I wonder what brings Young Master He to this place?”
He Yunqin looked him up and down. “I’ve come to take Miss Yu to school. What are you here for?”
Commissioner Bai’s smile faltered slightly. He Yunqin hadn’t even bothered with a proper form of address for him—clearly he was being as cold as possible. Could his earlier hunch have been right after all—that this man really had come for Yu Hongdou’s sake? But He Yunqin had shown no interest in Yu Hongdou just days ago; how could he possibly have been waiting here specially for her?
A hundred thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant. He forced a smile. “Isn’t there some misunderstanding here? I clearly came to an agreement with Chongyi and his sister last night that I would be the one taking Miss Yu to school from now on. How is it that the two siblings have turned around and brought Young Master He into it instead?”
He looked at Yu Chongyi and gave a theatrical sigh. “Chongyi, ah, this isn’t very honorable of you two. Put nicely, one might call it playing both sides; put bluntly, isn’t it a case of eyeing the bowl while eating from the pot? And Miss Yu too—she’s supposed to be an educated young lady, and yet at such a young age, she’s already learned to be so frivolous.” A smile hung on his face, but his eyes held something as sharp and venomous as a blade.
Hongdou, having heard those few sentences earlier from inside the car, had already guessed roughly what had happened the night before. Hearing Commissioner Bai’s shamelessness now, she nearly burst with fury, but mindful of He Yunqin’s instructions moments ago, she forced herself to endure it for now.
Yu Chongyi clenched his back teeth, his face darkening as he was about to speak, but He Yunqin stopped him.
He Yunqin looked at Bai Haili, his expression blank. “Commissioner Bai, since you and I have run into each other here, there are some things worth saying plainly. These past days, I have been pursuing Miss Yu. Though Miss Yu is reserved by nature and is still considering my pursuit, Commissioner Bai may not be fully aware—I am a rather domineering man. Until Miss Yu accepts me, no one in all of Shanghai, aside from me, He Yunqin, need think of laying claim to her. Commissioner Bai, as an important man, may forget things easily, so let me say this plainly to you today: Miss Yu’s transportation to and from school is my responsibility alone. I hope Commissioner Bai will keep this well in mind, and stay far away from Miss Yu from now on.”
Bai Haili stared at He Yunqin in stunned disbelief. After a moment, his expression gradually darkened.
Having said his piece, He Yunqin turned to leave, then seemed to remember something and smiled again. “There’s one more thing I should remind Commissioner Bai of. I am the sort of man who fiercely protects what’s mine. I don’t wish to hear such baseless slander against Miss Yu’s character from Commissioner Bai’s mouth again. Commissioner Bai, in all your years in office, you should know that speech and silence both have their place, and virtue comes first. That sort of loose talk truly does not befit a man of your standing. I hope Commissioner Bai will take better care of himself and his reputation.”
Bai Haili was, by nature, also a man skilled with words, and under ordinary circumstances, he would never have swallowed such an insult silently. But at this moment, though ten thousand words were crowding in his throat, not a single one would come out. He could only watch, helpless, as He Yunqin got into the car.
Author’s Note: Back to work tomorrow. I originally planned to return to single updates starting tomorrow, but seeing the marriage-urging crowd flooding the Weibo comments every day, this author is afraid you’ll all send knives my way, so I’ll keep doing double updates—but the first update time will shift to 8 PM, and the second to around 10:30 PM. Today’s word count is a bit short; I’ll try to make tomorrow’s chunkier. Love you all.