His unruly face, like the evening sky about to darken.
Her washed hair, as if flames in her heart.
Fleeting revelry, mistook for an eternal stretch.
Long goodbyes, the feast of youth.
"What's the matter, stirring up memories?"
The man's suddenly low, sinister voice interrupted her long train of thought prompted by the song.
"Lord Quan the Fourth, I don't like reminiscing, nor do I like beating around the bush."
"Where's the bush?"
"I don't have time to play cat and mouse with you; can you find someone else?"
"Baby, cats and mice are all one family." The man chuckled, leaning forward, and unexpectedly took some vegetables from the dry pot and put them in her bowl. Then he elegantly wiped his mouth with a napkin, and his words took a 180-degree turn, dropping a bombshell.
"Zhan Xiaoyao, be with me."
What? Zhan Se felt a tremor in her heart.
Being pursued by a man was a good thing, but a pursuit that defied common sense didn't bring her any joy. "Can you tell me your purpose?"
Emperor Quan narrowed his eyes, "My illness, you happened to know."
She gasped, shocked.
She guessed right? He really had a sexual psychological disorder?
Before she could ask, the man nodded, confirming her suspicion.
Indeed, what brought the most comfort was not words, but realizing there was someone even worse off than herself. Surprisingly, it brightened Zhan Se's irritated mood considerably. For the first time, she felt Heaven was quite fair after all and would not favor one over another.
After pondering for a moment, she put down her chopsticks and spoke directly.
"So, you approached me because you want me to treat you?"
Nibbling on a piece of bamboo shoot, the man nodded again, "Baby, you're really smart!"
"I can help you with psychological intervention, but—" Zhan Se's eyebrows quivered, lifting her wrist to look at the 18-bead soft jade strand, "Your fee is too high; I can't accept it."
"Not worth the price?" The man's sinister gaze deepened significantly.
Zhan Se was pondering how to answer when he curled his lips mischievously, "Silly woman, I'm just playing with you. Do you really think it's an antique? It's just a high-quality fake."
A high-quality fake? A counterfeit?
No wonder! Zhan Se suddenly understood.
Jinshan Villa.
A bizarre and mysterious mansion.
Standing alone with its back to the mountains and facing the water, the building and its protective walls are hidden within a forest of camphor trees. Underneath its understated luxurious style, difficult to hide was the lofty and noble structure, and its extremely distinctive security facilities were intimidating. One could tell at a glance that its master had an almost pathological obsession with personal privacy.
The several-hundred-square-meter hall was brightly lit at the moment. Delicately made-up beauties sat on the sofa, their perfume and hairstyles mingling as they spoke softly or laughed lightly, delicately holding tea and exuding warmth and charm throughout the room.
Ten o'clock sharp.
ONE—77 drove through the gate…
At the entrance, someone saluted.
With one hand in his pocket, Emperor Quan entered the hall with a sullen face.
With just a glance, the gloom on his face turned to thunder, and he blasted Iron Hand before heading upstairs without a sideward glance.
After arranging several beauties, Iron Hand went up, and there he was, sitting on the intricately carved rosewood chair in the study, idly holding a cigarette and toying with a matchbox, his gaze fixed on the file folder on the desk, motionless, as smoke swirled around him, ash growing long on the cigarette. It was obvious he hadn't moved from that position for a while.
"Fourth Master. Two things. One official business, one personal."
Emperor Quan looked up, his cold, sinister expression slightly relaxed, "Speak."
Without needing further instruction, Iron Hand smartly began with the official business. "The interrogation's been done; they've got a solid backbone. They won't confess to anything and are now locked in Wu Qing's base water dungeon. Also, our people have messaged back—the Bat has already secretly infiltrated, and the exact whereabouts are yet to be tracked. Zhui Ming has sent the details to all ZMI nodes, and we'll strive to nab the person in the shortest time."
The Bat was a codename for the number two person in the Satan Spy Organization.
Rumors said he never failed once he made a move.
Listening in silence, Emperor Quan's face remained expressionless, "Good job."
"Also, Elder Sister Zhou sent over the five girls you picked out, you see…"
His face turned colder, his voice chilling, "Do as usual and send them away."
"Yes, sir!"
With a wave of his hand, Iron Hand left.
Emperor Quan sat coldly on the rosewood chair, his eyes' breath icy and solemn, his expression three parts inscrutable and seven parts complex.
In front of him, on the dossier photo was a woman with a bare, unmade-up face, dressed in old-fashioned clothes and canvas shoes, looking decidedly plain compared to the voluptuous ones downstairs.
He stared for another ten minutes.
A cigarette butt was crushed fiercely.
At 5 a.m., Zhan Se was awakened by the sound of thunder.
Amidst the 'rumbling' noise, she thought about those messy dreams as she hugged the blanket and sat up.
Another three days had passed.
The man with the surname Quan hadn't come to her for psychological treatment.
If it weren't for the 18-bead jade bracelet on her wrist, she would have doubted whether she'd ever experienced those strange events. From the KTV to Lover Street, she mulled over the illogical issues, like practising kung fu to the point of becoming possessed, unable to fall asleep again.
Stealthily getting out of bed to wash up, Du Xiaoren from the opposite bed woke up, "Zhan Se, what's wrong with you these days? You seem to have lost your soul."
"Did I wake you?" At the Juvenile Rehabilitation Center, space was limited, and there were many staff members. As a result, there were actually two people living in the dormitory. Zhan Se felt somewhat guilty for waking her up so early.
Yawning, Du Xiaoren asked, "Can't sleep? Thinking about a man?"
"Get lost! Go back to sleep."
"Zhan Se, still keeping secrets from me? Elder Sister Zhou said, the other night it was a handsome guy in a luxury car who brought you back. Tell me, who is he?" Elder Sister Zhou's husband was placed at the gatehouse as a guard by the former director, and Emperor Quan was seen by him when he dropped her off.
"Du Xiaoren, aren't you going to sleep?" Not wanting the matter to be criticized, Zhan Se pretended to tickle her, "Don't force me to unleash my trump card!"
"Heroine, I dare not! Spare my life." Du Xiaoren quickly burrowed into her quilt.
Seeing this, Zhan Se smiled, finished washing up on her own, and went out of the dormitory to start working on treatment plans.
The ward area was silent.