Red Peacock [English] (Original Novel by Ju~On, translation by LuckyCasualty)

8. Two scheming birds...

The resort booked under Lù Yī Péng's name had a car waiting for them at the airport. But before that, Lù Yī Péng had to perform the duty of being Hóng Kǒng Què's personal porter, which he couldn't avoid, all because of...

"Xiào Péng Péng, carry Lǎo Gōng's bag, will you." Hóng Kǒng Què said, smirking as he stood with the bag slung over his shoulder, posing like a model in a fashion magazine in front of the baggage carousel.

Lù Yī Péng, who had just lifted one of his own suitcases from the carousel, approached with narrowed eyes, "You have hands, carry it yourself,"

Hóng Kǒng Què looked at him disapprovingly, even though his hands were still on the bag, "Is Xiào Péng Péng so cruel to mistreat your grandpa by letting him carry such a heavy bag? What if people gossip and say that Xiào Péng Péng doesn't take good care of his grandfather?"

Lù Yī Péng glared back at Hóng Kǒng Què. "Why do you suddenly act so much older? Normally, you behave like a twenty-something kid. Now you..."

"That one is mine, Xiào Péng Péng," Hóng Kǒng Què didn't let him continue speaking, but pointed his finger at the large red-brown suitcase moving past them. Lù Yī Péng hesitated for a moment before finally reaching out to lift it up.

"Take it!" Lù Yī Péng exclaimed before pushing it hard towards the person standing next to him. The suitcase rolled hard towards its owner, but Hóng Kǒng Què didn't move his hands to catch it.

"Be gentle," Hóng Kǒng Què said, before adjusting his footing slightly and stopping the suitcase before it hit the person standing beside him.

"Did you put rocks in there or something?" Lù Yī Péng jokes, because despite its size and weight, it didn't seem like a suitcase for just one person to travel for a couple of days.

Hóng Kǒng Què didn't respond but instead floated up with a smirk. "Xiào-Péng Péng, even though you're not that old, you're already whining like an old man. It's annoying. Why is a top graduate like you complaining like this?"

Lù Yī Péng retorted, "So what am I, a top graduate Inspector, or a porter? It's not my responsibility to carry bags for you."

"Hmm... Speaking such words, so heartless, Xiào Péng Péng, are you really upset?" Hóng Kǒng Què said, his face full of mischief. Then he stepped forward and forcefully kicked the suitcase, proceeding to walk away. The suitcase immediately plunged into Lù Yī Péng.

"Kǒng Què!" the young inspector exclaimed, quickly taking a few steps back, using his hand to stop the suitcase.

Hóng Kǒng Què looked disappointed, "What's wrong, Xiào Péng Péng, is this all you've got, have you not learned anything from your lessons?"

Lù Yī Péng wanted to throw the bag at Hóng Kǒng Què's head for real this time, "Sorry that I'm not a master martial artist, like yourself."

Hóng Kǒng Què chuckled in his throat. "If Xiào Péng Péng is willing to ask and plead his case nicely, maybe Grandpa would agree to teach you a few lessons."

Lù Yī Péng gave a piercing look to the person standing next to him, who was now laughing, before grabbing both bags and immediately walking away.

𓅈𓅈𓅈

The true luxury of the resort had been greatly understated, in the photographs. What was even more pleasant, their house was in a more secluded area which added a more private atmosphere that made the inspector feel at home. While taking it all in, Lù Yī Péng forgot all his previous annoyances.

The moment when he opened the door to the room, he was greeted by a clear window wall, outside a terrace overlooking the cerulean sea. There was also a small private swimming pool. As he walked further inside, he found a bedroom that was also a full window wall overlooking the sea. Next to it was a bathroom with an adjacent open-air jacuzzi.