Chapter 383 - 202: Real and Fake Wan Ze, The Courteous Benefactress

He didn't look at Wan Ze, didn't look at Xiao Ya, didn't look at anyone.

His expression was hidden by the mask, but his posture was relaxed, even nonchalant.

The living room fell silent for a moment.

The three gunmen sat by the door. No one spoke. No one moved.

Zhang Chong leaned against the wall, his eyes never leaving Zhai Yu.

His gaze was wary, hostile, and grave.

About five seconds passed.

Zhai Yu lifted his hands from his knees, bracing them on the armrest. He leaned forward and rose from the sofa in one smooth motion.

Once he was standing straight, he adjusted the collar of his jacket, then faced Xiao Ya. "Tonight, the Holy City will declare city-wide martial law. You are to stay here and go nowhere. If you need anything, you can tell me, or... tell Old Tan."

He turned, his gaze questioning "Old Tan."

Wan Ze nodded. "Understood."

Zhai Yu: "..."

His back was to Xiao Ya and the others, his face expressionless beneath the mask, but inwardly, he sighed.

'What in the world am I even doing here tonight?'

'Just a little while ago, I was stuck in the lockup listening to Zhai Jia and Xiao Yunkai acting like long-lost brothers. I hadn't even gotten a wink of sleep before a phone call dragged me out of my warm bed. Now I've had to rush over to Lingyun Manor, slap on a mask, and impersonate my junior brother just to negotiate with this crew from the Secret Palace.'

'If I had it my way, I'd just arrest Xiao Ya and her whole crew and drag them back to the Police Headquarters. Once we lock them in that hellhole of an interrogation room, there's no mouth we can't pry open.'

'I don't care if you're some Deputy Director of the Secret Palace or the person in charge of operations for the Eastern Region. On my turf, a dragon has to coil up, and a tiger has to lie down.'

'It's just that this junior brother of mine is too kind-hearted.'

'So I'll let him have his way.'

"Then I suppose I'll speak with Mr. Tan if anything comes up," Xiao Ya's voice came from behind him. Her tone was unaffected, just a little formal. "I just don't know... how to contact him?"

Zhai Yu turned and looked at Xiao Ya.

But he didn't answer her question, instead turning to glance at Wan Ze.

Wan Ze stood there with his hands in his pockets and gave a slight nod.

Zhai Yu looked away from Wan Ze and back at Xiao Ya, stating tonelessly, "Tomorrow morning, I'll have Old Tan prepare a dedicated communicator for you. Also, starting tonight, people will be assigned to protect you. I guarantee not even a fly will get in."

The moment he finished speaking, Zhang Chong rushed over and threw open the curtains. He braced his right hand on the windowsill, leaned forward slightly, and quickly scanned the darkness outside.

He still couldn't put weight on his left leg, so he supported himself on the windowsill, his eyes sharp.

Zhai Yu watched Zhang Chong, his face impassive. "Don't bother looking. You won't see my people."

Zhang Chong snorted.

'If Old Tan had said that, I wouldn't have argued.'

'I've experienced Old Tan's Strength firsthand, so I'd believe him if he said it.'

'But this guy... he sounded so damn pretentious. I can't stand it.'

'What's that supposed to mean, "You won't see my people"?'

'Who the hell do you think you are?'

'Sitting there in a mask, barely saying a single serious word, and you're already putting on airs?'

Zhang Chong's lips twitched as if to say something, but after a glance at Xiao Ya, he swallowed his words.

He drew the curtains again and returned to his position against the wall.

Zhai Yu didn't spare Zhang Chong another glance. He scanned the five people in the living room, and after confirming no one was making any sudden moves, he looked at Xiao Ya.

"Anything else? If not, I'm leaving."

Xiao Ya rose elegantly from the sofa. She gathered her long hair from her shoulders, sweeping it behind her, then dipped her head slightly toward Zhai Yu in a gesture of farewell.

"Take care, Mr. Wan."

Zhai Yu nodded, turned, and walked toward the door.

Wan Ze followed him.

The two had taken about five steps, one behind the other, and were nearing the door when Xiao Ya's voice came from behind them. Her tone was no longer that of a formal negotiation; on the contrary, it was more relaxed and personal.

"Mr. Tan."

Wan Ze stopped and turned to look.

"I'd like a bowl of tofu pudding for breakfast tomorrow," Xiao Ya said with a small smile. "If it's not too much trouble."

Wan Ze paused and looked back at her.

Xiao Ya stood before the sofa, her long hair draped over her shoulders.

It seemed she only ever smiled that sweetly when she was looking at him.

Wan Ze gazed at Xiao Ya for a second before giving a slight nod. "Alright."

He turned and strode out the door.

The voice-activated lights in the hallway lit up again.

A moment later, the door closed behind them.

Everything fell silent once more.

Wan Ze and Zhai Yu descended the stairs and exited the building.

The early morning wind had grown colder.

The branches of the plane trees rustled in the wind. A few prematurely fallen leaves were swept from the ground, tumbling in the air a few times before settling down again.

Zhai Jia was leaning against the hood of the jeep, a cigarette pinched between his fingers. It had already burned more than halfway down. His eyes were half-closed, and he looked sleepy.

But the moment he saw Wan Ze and Zhai Yu emerge from the building, he immediately jumped off the hood. He threw his cigarette on the ground, stamped it out, and hurried over to them. Lowering his voice, the first thing he asked was, unbelievably, "So, was that female benefactor of yours pretty?"

Zhai Yu: "???"

Wan Ze: "???"

'This kid!'

"Enough nonsense. Get in the car, we'll talk on the way," Zhai Yu said with a jerk of his head, pulling open the rear door and ducking inside.

Seeing this, Zhai Jia shot Wan Ze a helpless look before getting into the driver's seat.

Wan Ze opened the passenger door, got in, and shut it.

The three of them were settled in the car.

It was dark inside the vehicle, with only the faint blue glow of the dashboard illuminating half of Zhai Jia's face.

The speedometer needle above the steering wheel was at zero, the fuel gauge showed half a tank, and the water temperature gauge was in the normal range.

Zhai Yu sat in the back seat, leaning against the backrest with his arms crossed. Still wearing the mask, he stared expressionlessly at the two men in front. After a second of silence, he spoke irritably.

"What are you waiting for? Drive."