Red Light

The Blanket

Lan Wangji parked his car in front of the Blue Delights restaurant. It was still early morning but, under the sun's light, the restaurant looked even more run down. Shabby. Dilapidated.

He wasn't surpised when the front door was locked. Going around the corner, he looked for the door to access the floors over the restaurant. A middle-aged man was leaning near a door smoking. He looked at Lan Wangji with curiousity and a touch of anxiety. He crushed out the smoldering remains and turned to enter the building.

"Wait."

The man looked back over his shoulder. "What?"

"I am looking for the brothel over Blue Delights."

The man looked at Lan Wangji surprised. There was no doubt he was a cop. Everything about him screamed it.

"The brothel?" His sceptism was blatant. "You aren't here for m- anything else?"

"Should I be?" Lan Wangji cooly asked.

"No." The answer was abrupt, clipped.

"Good." He stared at the man who shifted uncomfortably. "The brothel?"

The man sighed. "Follow me." He opened the door and began to climb the stairs inside. He stopped after the first flight of stairs.

"It's the next floor." he muttered and began to turn away.

"The whole floor?"

"Yes. Just knock on a door. They'll help you." The man walked away and slipped into a door. Lan Wangji heard the lock turned with force.

He looked at the decrepit stairs and it suddenly hit him. 'Was this where A'Yuan's mother died?' he wondered.

The idea of Wei Yuan watching as his mother tumbled down the steps to her death made his face stiff with anger. Wen Chao was like a plague spreading misery everywhere he went. It was stopping immediately if Lan Zhan had anything to say about it.

He went up the steps with care. At the first door, he knocked twice and waited. No answer. He knocked twice again. Harder. There were sounds inside.

"Coming. Hang on." came a muffled voice.

The door was cracked open to show a sleepy and annoyed face. "What the hell do you want? It's not working hours. Come back tonight."

As she went to close the door, he slipped his foot into the crack. Her eyes widened.

"I mean you no harm. I need to talk to SiSi briefly." His face was calm. His voice was even.

'Either he is dangerous as hell or he really just wants to talk to SiSi.' she thought. As long as she wasn't involved and wasn't getting hurt, she would tell SiSi.

"I'll give her the message." she answered trying to close the door again.

"Now is convenient." His voice was a little stiffer. Sterner.

"O-okay. Wait here." She pulled a cheap bathrobe more firmly around herself and walked down the hallway. Three doors down she stopped and pounded on the door. The hinges squeaked as it opened. A low mumble of conversation. The squeak again as the door closed.

"She doesn't want to talk to you." the woman muttered clearly afraid of the consequences of bearing bad news. Lan Wangji just looked at her and headed down the hall.

Stopping at the door, he knocked on it with force. "This is about A'Yuan." was all he said and he waited.

"What about him?" came a voice from the other side of the door.