~
the 8th of February, 2026
Jin Zixuan felt it was too early in the morning for anything different from coffee, or maybe breakfast... or sex.
Had it not been for Jiang Wanyin's sake, he would never have let his lover get out of bed. But A-Li had been extremely on edge since the news got to her yesterday, and logically so; she – inexplicably for him – was obsessed with her brother. Everyone knew that Jiang Cheng was a sly and slick motherfucker, an unpleasant one at that, who seemed to be able to avoid death too easily, but she adored him.
He was observing, just out of the corner of his eye, as the small group of three were discussing something with some degree of vehemence now, and he wondered what it was, and whether his woman would just handle it all, all by herself, and soon. He was puffing dirty-white distaffs of cigarette smoke towards the matching clouds up in the dusty morning skies, shuddering with cold from time to time.
He didn't like this here. He didn't like it one bit. He didn't like his pregnant bride to be mixed up in this. The very fact that there were negotiations meant that the damned Lan was going to ask for a favor. Actually, now was a very good time for him to think of some handsome payment to ask in return for favors and services provided!
He smirked, moreover – he caught the way A-Li now turned to face him fully, looking more worried than earlier this morning. Yup. Something was up.
- Ah, shit... - he mumbled and spat the fresh cigarette butt to the side, forgetting all about it, and then approached the trio slowly.
The man from his gang hesitated for a moment, but, as he currently held all the weapons, he considered the situation safe for his boss, and for his little wifey. Yet, he was ready to shoot, if need be.
- A-Xuan? – the young woman called weakly, biting her lips all the time.
He walked up to them, taking his time, his hand still clutching at the gun. He, mildly curious now, scanned the two tall men, estimating his chances in a fight, even in the scenario where he was the only one armed. Of course, he had seen Lan Xichen on TV, a couple of times – that really could not be helped in those last months! – but up here, in real life, it was all different.
The blonde, standing like a sturdy piece of tomb stone to the side was quite generic, quite uninteresting. Jin Zixuan could probably guess 95% of his dossier. But the Lan guy was... Hmmm.
It was a curious and uncomfortable mixture of gentle features and girlish beauty, combined with roughness, very masculine strength, some dormant power that was plainly waiting for a trigger to erupt, and destroy.
It was an unpleasant combination, in his opinion, and he now wondered what Jiang Cheng saw in him. It had been genuine news to him when he got to realize that his once trusted A-Cheng liked them boys too, but he hadn't been impressed by the fact. Yet, the fact that A-Cheng had chosen a multi-millionaire had impressed him beyond words.
- Tch. – he clicked his tongue, looking up at Lan Huan's face askew, pouting his lips.
Nope. Things didn't look any better from up close. Just a huge guy, looking rather like an unnaturally pretty MMA fighter.
Ugh.
Awful!
Well, Lan Xichen was a little bit baffled by all the different facial expressions that ran all over that pretty, but undoubtedly psychopathic face. He knew not to underestimate the Head of the Jin Gang, even though the boy looked and acted like a clown sometimes.
