He Yunqin quickly went and came back, but didn’t come back into the room, only saying: “A friend’s family has an urgent matter, I need to go over right away.”
He Mengmei said with mild displeasure: “We haven’t even finished discussing important matters. What friend needs you out so late?”
He Yunqin said, “It’s not quite a fire burning at the eyebrows, but not far off either. I need to go see for myself regardless.”
With that, he closed the door and left.
He Mengmei froze for a moment, then scolded: “That little beast.”
Though he said this, he also knew his son had always understood what mattered and what didn’t—if it weren’t urgent, he wouldn’t rashly abandon the whole family and leave.
Tongfu Lane
Yu Chongyi had waited less than a quarter of an hour when the He family car arrived. He hurried over to greet him: “Mr. He, so sorry to trouble you at this late hour, truly.”
He Yunqin’s face showed not a trace of displeasure. He got out of the car and said seriously: “Is Bai Haili still at your house right now? How is Miss Yu?”
As he spoke, he headed inside.
Yu Chongyi hurried to keep up with him and said, “Bai Haili has already left. These past few months he’s been arranging to remarry, and somehow he’s set his sights on Hongdou. Tonight he brought a group of colleagues to my house, insisting Hongdou come out to meet him. After my mother refused him, he said it was fine if he couldn’t see her right now, and that he’d come again tomorrow morning. I already had thoughts of resigning to begin with—seeing this matter now involving Hongdou, I put in my resignation on the spot. Even if resigning doesn’t get us out of this, worst case we’ll take Mother and Hongdou to another city to make a living.”
He Yunqin remained silent throughout, but at that last line, his footsteps stopped: “To another city? Do you really think that would let you escape Bai Haili?”
Yu Chongyi laughed bitterly: “I know that even if I change careers, Bai Haili can still find ways to trouble me endlessly—he’s always been ruthless in his methods, and sooner or later he’ll scheme against Hongdou. She still needs to attend school right now, can’t stay cooped up at home forever. A few months ago, Bai Haili used this same method to violate a girl student, then forced her to become his concubine afterward. My only fear now is that Hongdou might fall into his trap. This man can’t be moved, can’t be killed—when I was still working at the station, all I could do was endure again and again. But if Hongdou really fell into his hands, what would I have left to fear? I would certainly take that beast down with me.”
With every sentence he spoke, He Yunqin’s expression grew colder, until by the end his face was practically expressionless.
Yu Chongyi had rarely seen this look on He Yunqin’s face before, and without thinking too much of it, continued: “Seeing that I’d put in my resignation, Bai Haili went ahead and pulled out photographs of Inspector Wang, Mr. He, and me working the case together, using them to threaten me—saying that as a policeman, I’d deliberately leaked confidential police matters, and he could have me charged for it. If I came to my senses, he said, he could help smooth things over for me. If I stayed foolish, the station was about to clean house, and he could make an example of me. He said his patience had limits, and gave me just one night to think it over—whether to let my sister become his second wife with honor and glory, or to have a taste of prison instead—and to give him my answer once I’d decided. I thought of how those photos involved Inspector Wang too, and with nowhere else to turn, I had no choice but to call the two of you.”
He Yunqin said, “Does Miss Yu herself know about this?”
Yu Chongyi said, “She went straight to sleep when she got home. Bai Haili had no idea when he came—otherwise she’d probably be too furious to sleep. Bai Haili also said he’d come pick Hongdou up for school tomorrow morning, and that from now on he’d be the one seeing her to and from school.”
He Yunqin froze for a moment, then laughed in fury: “Tomorrow morning I’ll come see Miss Yu to school myself. Mr. Yu, go home first. I’ll handle the matter with Bai Haili.”
After her son left, Madam He calmed herself and thought back over the events of tonight’s birthday banquet. Whether or not that phone call had been from Miss Yu, judging by her son’s reaction alone, she knew that Zhuyun and Lanzhi hadn’t been imagining things earlier—her son truly did have feelings for that Miss Yu.
Tonight her son had nearly fallen victim to a scheme, and her husband, alarmed and furious, had concluded this was a hidden danger. To prevent further trouble, he’d insisted on blaming his son for refusing to find a girlfriend, and because of this, the matter had repeatedly circled back to Mingyi, until even her eldest son seemed to have grown suspicious of his younger brother.
Thinking back on it, this Miss Yu from tonight’s banquet was truly a timely blessing for the He family as things stood.
First, her son clearly already harbored some affection for this girl. As his mother, though she had always hoped he would marry soon, she didn’t want her son to settle on an engagement carelessly just to appease the family—if the young couple ended up unhappy together, wouldn’t that ruin her son’s entire life?
Second, not only had Zhuyun seen her second brother and Miss Yu together, but Lanzhi had witnessed it too. Knowing Lanzhi’s nature, she would surely mention it to her own younger brother—which was all for the better. Let the eldest son know that not only did his younger brother have someone he cared for, but she was a fine girl who matched up to Duan Mingyi in every way. Even if he’d harbored some suspicion before, he ought to let it go now, at least somewhat.
As these thoughts flashed rapidly through her mind, a look of joy gradually rose in her eyes. She turned to her husband and said with gentle reproach: “You were so busy losing your temper just now that I forgot to mention something to you. At tonight’s banquet there was a Miss Yu from St. John’s—it seems Second Son is courting this Miss Yu. Both Zhuyun and Lanzhi caught the two of them together.”
Duan Mingyi’s eyes still held traces of tears. Hearing this, her gaze flickered faintly.
“Miss Yu?” He Mengmei said, startled. “Why didn’t Second Son say anything himself? Who is this Miss Yu?”
Madam He smiled: “She’s a student in the Education Department at St. John’s—I hear her studies are excellent, and she’s quite good-looking, with a generous nature too. Second Son acted like he didn’t know this Miss Yu in front of me, yet turned right around and chatted with her alone in the small parlor, and even personally walked her to the garden afterward. You know how Second Son is—clever about everything else, but he’s never once been in love, and he’s probably confused about his own feelings. I think he’s caught up in someone without even realizing it himself.”
He Mengmei’s expression eased somewhat. He tapped the ash out of his pipe: “Where is this Miss Yu’s family from?”
Madam He smiled: “I already asked around. Her father, before he passed, was the owner of Rongsheng Fur Shop. After he died, the household was left with just her widowed mother and elder brother. I don’t know what the family does for income now. Last time Zhuyun went to deliver the invitation to her house, she came away with a very good impression of Mrs. Yu—the brother, I hear, is a police sergeant in the foreign concession police department. Zhuyun also mentioned that when the party broke up, it was Miss Yu’s own brother who personally came to pick her up—clearly this family treasures their daughter greatly.”
He Mengmei held his pipe in his mouth and gave a low hum: “Family standing is secondary—plenty of noble families have come from humble roots, and wealthy households are never short of wastrel sons either. What matters most is good character, and we’ve only met her once, so it’s too soon to say for certain. Tomorrow morning when I see Second Son, I’ll ask him what he has to say for himself. If convenient, invite this Miss Yu to our house for a proper meal, and we’ll look her over properly then.”
Madam He smiled: “That’s exactly what I was thinking. All this talk going around about Second Son and Eldest Daughter-in-law has your father so vexed, and it’s hard on the children too. Since Second Son already has someone he’s fond of, why delay any longer—might as well settle things soon, which would nicely silence all those outside tongues too. Second Son is about to turn twenty-four, plenty old enough to marry. Miss Yu’s still in school, but that needn’t get in the way of marriage—worst case, they can wait a couple years before having children.”
He Mengmei couldn’t help but laugh: “You’re getting ahead of yourself, dear. The servant said earlier that the person calling for Second Son on the phone was surnamed Yu—could that have been this Miss Yu? So late at night, I wonder what the matter was.”
As he spoke, a hint of displeasure crossed his brow, clearly disapproving of such behavior.
Madam He said, “I doubt it was Miss Yu. The two of them spoke privately for so long earlier—what could possibly need saying that couldn’t wait until tomorrow, requiring a phone call home at this hour? Miss Yu doesn’t seem foolish—surely she’d know that would invite gossip. It’s probably some other friend surnamed Yu. I was just laughing at how quickly Second Son lost his composure just now—the moment he heard it was someone surnamed Yu, he rushed right down. Shows just how much this Miss Yu is on his mind.”
He Mengmei nodded: “Have the servant who took the call come in and report.”
He Ningzheng, his expression considerably softened by now, chimed in with a smile: “Now that you mention it, Mother, I’m curious too. I was so busy attending to guests at the banquet, I never paid attention to the St. John’s students. I wonder what this Miss Yu looks like.”
Duan Mingyi shifted slightly, and said with a faint smile: “Miss Yu is quite the talker—she’s always been popular at school. Fourth Sister took a liking to her the very first time they met, and has praised her to me more than once.”
Madam He glanced sideways at Duan Mingyi, but before she could respond, the servant came in, and she quickly asked: “Was the person who called just now a gentleman or a lady?”
The man said, “It was a gentleman. He only said it was about Inspector Wang Bide, and wanted to discuss it with the Second Young Master.”
Madam He quietly let out a breath of relief, her smile returning to her face: “I said it couldn’t have been Miss Yu.”
He Mengmei nodded: “Ask Second Son tomorrow morning—if he has a girlfriend, he really ought to let the family know properly.”
Just then, a servant came in to report: “Second Young Master is back.”
“So soon?” Madam He said, surprised. “Then we don’t even need to wait until morning. Quick, bring Second Son in—tell him his father and I have something to ask him.”