The Poisoned Pen: A Guardian Story

Chapter Two: The Unconventional Meeting

Zhao Yunlan put down the phone.  The call with Lin Jing had been brief but it had done the job.  He was expected at the Shen estate for an interview at 4.00pm later that day.  Of course, they both knew what the outcome would be, but they had to go through the motions.  And at least he now knew the name of his future employer.  Shen Wei.

Shen Wei.  It was a nice name.  A strong one.  He typed it into a search engine.  Nothing that looked like an author.  Still, Shen Ling had said that he was a very private person.  He typed the pen name in instead.  'Ye Zun'.  This time there were thousands of hits, but no photographs of the man himself.  He frowned.  It was a good thing he was a client, rather than a target.  He would have had difficulty tracking him down.

He clicked on the top link.  It took him to a review of the writer's latest novel.

Zhao Yunlan was not much of a reader, but he still recognised the title.  It had been all over the internet and in every bookstore in Dragon City in recent months.  For someone who actively avoided the limelight, Shen Wei was remarkably good at remaining in it, even with his alter ego.

The private detective reached for his mug of coffee and settled in to research his new job.  He had never been a personal assistant while undercover before, so it would be a result if he could avoid being fired on his first day.  Shen Ling and Lin Jing's recommendations would only get him so far.  He would have to do the rest himself.

***

Shen Wei stared at the blinking cursor on his computer screen.  He knew exactly where he wanted his latest novel to go, but he had no confidence in his protagonist, and it was causing him a lot of frustration that he had created a character that he now didn't actually like.  His main characters were never perfect, he was more than willing to admit.  That would be too unrealistic.  But they always gave the reader something to root for.  A certain quality that made them likeable, even if they were fundamentally flawed in some way.  He took off his round-framed glasses, rubbed his hand over his face, and wondered whether it was too late to start again.

Glancing out of the window in search of a distraction, Shen Wei remembered his visit to the flowerbeds the day before.  They needed weeding, but he had only had time to do one before his sister arrived.  Perhaps what he needed was some fresh air and a break.  He left his office and headed towards the side entrance near the house's kitchen, so that he could pick up some gardening tools from the shed on the way.

Shen Wei had always enjoyed gardening.  It got him outdoors for a change, and it was nice to do something physical rather than just sitting in front of his laptop.  Now, kneeling in the dirt working away at the weeds and trying not to damage the delicate flower stems, it was easy to lose track of time.

Walking up the long driveway, Zhao Yunlan felt a little unsettled.  He had left his transportation outside of the main gate, deciding that it would not make the best impression if he pulled up for his interview on a motorcycle, and now he was using the opportunity to take a long look at his surroundings.  He had experienced a lot in his thirty-three years, but he still never felt comfortable around wealth, and the owner of this property was clearly very wealthy.  As he approached the main house, he saw a grand entrance.  He thought for a moment.  It might be a bit presumptuous to knock on the front door.  He was not exactly a guest.

He looked around.  There was a smaller door to the right, partially obscured by shrubs.  That might be more appropriate.

He turned his attention to his immediate surroundings and saw a man kneeling in a lush, vibrant flowerbed, working away at the soil with a trowel.  He approached slowly, not wanting to startle him.

Hearing the crunch of gravel behind him, the man stood and turned to look directly at Zhao Yunlan, who took an involuntary step back.  He was not normally one to judge by appearances, but the young, extremely handsome man standing in front of him didn't look like any gardener the private detective had ever seen.  His skin was pale and smooth, not at all like that of someone who spent all day outdoors, and his hair was impractically long for a labourer, falling across his forehead and softening features that were hard to look away from.