Chapter 30 - 2#

Shu Yuan gave an “oh” and tilted her head. “Brother Ren, you and Eustace are really close, aren’t you?”

I smiled. “Not bad. We played together as kids.”

Shu Yuan nodded and walked a few more circles, her tone calm. “Actually, Eustace is someone who values relationships deeply. Brother Ren, don’t let his indifferent demeanor fool you…”

I stared at the tips of my shoes. I remembered that this pair was a birthday gift from Cheng Chen two years ago.

“From the first time I saw Eustace, I liked him a lot. Later, when I found out he was in the UK, no matter how much Daddy opposed it, I still insisted on going to England.”

“Eustace and I have been together for many years. We truly love each other.” Suddenly, Shu Yuan’s hand slipped, and the clothes hanger fell from her hand to the floor with a sharp clatter.

I was startled, and Shu Yuan paused as well. A server hurried over to pick up the hanger.

Shu Yuan tossed her hair, flashing a charming, seductive smile as she asked me, “Brother Ren, you’ll bless us, won’t you?”

The materials provided by Du Yijie included details of Red Mano’s life, his work before serving the Jin family, and his relationships with family members, so thorough that there was even a photo of Red holding a young Das·Jin.

In the photo, the middle-aged man with brown hair and black eyes looked every bit the honest, gentle gentleman. And just as Das·Jin had said, his relationship with Red had once been quite harmonious. Even now, there was nothing that would justify this supposedly “loyal” old servant suddenly betraying his master.

Catherine had been skeptical of Das from the start. Turning to Red Mano was a last resort—Das·Jin refused to cooperate and insisted on his innocence, unwilling to confess. From that standpoint, we couldn’t ask the judge for leniency.

“Doesn’t he realize the situation is completely against him? Red Mano has provided enough evidence,” Catherine said. Even with her patience, with the trial approaching and no progress, she couldn’t help but grow anxious.

“What reason did Red give to so openly confess against the master he served for over twenty years? Didn’t the police find it suspicious?” I handed Catherine a cup of coffee.

Catherine tossed her hair and said with a hint of sarcasm, “Apparently, Red Mano came into contact with God and the Bible by chance, and felt deeply that if he shielded his master, he’d only send him to hell. So he chose—that phrase you Chinese often use, for the sake of righteousness—what was it?”

“Righteousness over family,” I answered for her. Catherine tapped her pen, nodded repeatedly, and laughed. “Yes, Ren, that’s it.”

I shook my head and smiled.

Among the materials were several photos of a young Red Mano. The person beside him was likely Das·Jin’s father, Robert·Jin, now suffering from dementia and placed in a nursing home. This former mafia boss, whose influence once spanned North America, had met an unfortunate end. As his friend, Red must have felt regret.

But according to the information, Red Mano, like every member of the Jin family, was an atheist. How could he suddenly become a devout Christian?

Catherine shrugged at my question. “There’s evidence. The prosecution visited a church Red often attended. The priest there can testify that for the past year, Red Mano has indeed gone to church every day, devoutly worshipping God.”

“You know, using religion as a standpoint, it’s a perfect excuse.”

Unfortunately, since Red Mano was a protected witness, we couldn’t visit him. I sighed softly, suddenly thinking of Old He and Fang Sao—just like in my previous life, Fang Sao gave birth to twins at the beginning of the year, but I wasn’t there with them.

A while back, Fang Sao called me overseas, saying they’d chosen names for the children—the son was He Yang, and the daughter He Xin.

I was a bit surprised when I heard it. In my previous life, I had named those twins. I hadn’t expected the same names to appear in this life.

Maybe it was fate. Since I could come back from the dead—well, be reborn—there shouldn’t be anything else in this world to shock me.

To be honest, I still felt a bit reluctant.

Some things aren’t so easy to let go. To completely cut off all ties with the Ren family meant my connection with Old He and the others would inevitably become sporadic.

On the phone, Fang Sao started crying as she talked. I remember her sobbing, “Young master, you can’t be so heartless. You leave for six or seven years, and you don’t even come to visit during New Year’s. Are you really that busy?”

Sigh.

In the end, Old He took the phone. On the other end, I only heard him say—

“Young master, don’t listen to that woman’s nonsense. Just do your best out there. Don’t worry about us. We’re all fine.”

Having spent nearly half a lifetime with Old He, counting my previous life, I knew exactly how much those words contradicted his true feelings. But I didn’t know how to comfort him—I simply didn’t want to go back.

There was a long silence on Old He’s end. Just as I thought he had hung up, a slightly choked voice came through—

“Young master.”

“We know it’s been hard on you. Young master… Ah Fang and I have always treated you like our own son.”

“Young master, it’s fine if you don’t come back. Ah Fang and I will come see you this New Year with the two older kids. What do you… think? Would that be okay?”

…

The Das·Jin case was still unresolved, but Du Yijie reminded me that I owed him a “return.”

I didn’t know what kind of banquet it was, but Du Yijie made me take half a day off early. After I dressed up, he wasn’t quite satisfied—switching shoes, adjusting his outfit, fussing for a long time. Finally, he pulled me in front of the mirror, turned me around, smiled with satisfaction, placed his hands on my shoulders, and whispered in my ear, “Charming.”

I snorted. “Master Du, you should say that to a lady companion.”

“No, I mean it.” His expression was unreadable—half serious, half teasing. With a sigh, he said, “You’ve always been the best.”

I blushed slightly and waved my hand. This kid—after a few years apart, his sweet talk had gotten ridiculous.

Huh. Why was I even secretly pleased?

When Du Yijie wasn’t looking, I quietly fanned my own face.

This banquet must have been quite grand. After Du Yijie finished dressing, his appearance wasn’t far from what I remembered. At a distance, he looked imposing—sharp brows and bright eyes, a white coat over a black shirt, his hair combed back and fixed with wax.

By the time we arrived at the venue, many guests had already gathered. The place glittered with lights, the clinking of glasses and laughter filling the air. Du Yijie put his arm around my shoulder. Just before we entered, he whispered in my ear, “Don’t be too nervous. Relax. I know… you’ll do great.”

I smiled and forced my slightly retreating foot forward.

I was a bit nervous. This unfamiliar feeling, the gazes coming from all directions, made me feel like I was in a dream.

“Mr. Du.” A few people gathered around, clearly of high status, coming to greet and make small talk with Du Yijie. He handled it effortlessly—just a slight raise of his wine glass was enough to make many ladies present blush.

“Mr. Du, this is…” Someone suddenly turned the topic to me. I had been standing beside Du Yijie with my head slightly lowered. Hearing the remark, I looked up and smiled politely. The man was a white guy in a sharp suit, looking successful. Judging by his lively conversation with Du Yijie, he probably had some business dealings with him.

“Hello.” I extended my hand in greeting. He stepped forward, gently placed his hand on my shoulder, and leaned in to kiss my cheek in a friendly manner. But just before he made contact, I felt a force pulling me back.

The white guy gave an awkward smile, took a glass from a server, and said, “Just saying hello.”

Du Yijie put his hands on my shoulders, smiling without a word. The white guy’s smile faltered. He added, “Sorry… Mr. Du.”

Du Yijie hummed in response and nodded. The white guy, looking uncomfortable, found an excuse to walk away.

I gave a dry laugh. Du Yijie patted my shoulder and introduced me generously to the onlookers: “This is Attorney Ren. He’s my most important assistant at the moment.”

Everyone widened their eyes and nodded, then came forward to greet me and hand me their business cards. I accepted them with a smile and stuffed them into my pocket.

“Brother Du.” A’de suddenly approached from behind. When he saw me, he gave a friendly smile, then turned to Du Yijie and whispered something. Du Yijie’s expression didn’t change, but he seemed a bit surprised, letting out an “Oh.” Then he murmured, “I didn’t expect him to come in person…”

“Go meet him at the door for me. I can’t leave here. Make sure the people accompanying him are careful.”

A’de nodded solemnly, but didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he smiled at me and said, “I didn’t expect you to be in America. You’ve changed a lot—much more handsome. Found any girls you like? Tell big brother.” He glanced at Du Yijie.

A’de still had that roguish tone. Looking at this kid, I still felt a bit uneasy inside, but since he was being friendly, I couldn’t put on airs. I quickly waved my hand and said, “Girls nowadays have sharp eyes. I’ve got no money, no house, no savings. No room to think about such things.”

“True.” A’de gave a joking laugh.

Du Yijie said, “Go take care of business.”

A’de nodded, pulled out his phone, and walked away.

When the banquet started, many elegantly dressed noblewomen and socialites invited Du Yijie to dance. I tactfully stepped aside. When Du Yijie looked back at me from the dance floor, I gave him a small wave. He looked at me with a half-smile, said something to his dancing partner, making the beautiful blonde laugh out loud, but her eyes were fixed on me… somewhat…

Well, seductive…?

I rubbed my nose, feeling my face flush.

This kid… how did he get so bewitching as he grew up?

When the music ended, everyone clapped and then exchanged partners. I kept my head down, focused on eating snacks. Suddenly, a server came around the corner. Not paying attention, he bumped into me, spilling red wine on my clothes.

“Ah! So-sorry, sir!” The server went pale, frantically wiping at my clothes with his sleeve. I smiled bitterly and reassured him, “It’s fine, it’s fine. Can you tell me where the restroom is?”

“Sir, it’s over there. Let me take you.”

“It’s okay, you’re busy. I’ll go myself.”

I smiled and declined his offer, then patted his shoulder to show I wasn’t angry. The young server sighed in relief, bowed gratefully, and I hurried toward the restroom. Inside, I wiped off the dark red stain on my chest. Luckily, it wasn’t too noticeable. I took a moment to breathe, staying in the restroom for a while before coming out.

But as soon as I stepped back into the venue, the lights suddenly went dark.

Not just me—everyone gasped.

Then the host’s voice rang out, sounding playful.

“Tonight, let’s have a little entertainment. In the darkness, find a partner and dance with them. Who knows—maybe they’re the one destined for you.”

It felt like a young person’s game.

Light laughter echoed around. Everyone seemed amused by this harmless game. As the dance music started, I could feel people moving around. But the game didn’t seem well thought out. In the chaos, I got my feet stepped on countless times, and random people grabbed my hands, touched my face, or brushed against my chest.

“Sorry—ah, sorry, sorry…”

I tried to head toward the slightly brighter entrance—this game clearly wasn’t for me. But the path was hopeless. I almost collided with someone a few steps in, and I thought I heard someone mutter “Shit.” Looks like others were having the same trouble… but some seemed to be enjoying it.

When I reached a slightly more open area, closer to the door, I hurried forward. Just then, I slammed into someone.

The impact wasn’t strong. We both staggered. I shook my head and quickly apologized, “Sorry,” then moved to the side. But suddenly, a hand grabbed mine.

“Uh… sir?”

The person held on but didn’t make a sound.

Such a strong grip—couldn’t be a lady, could it?

I gently tried to pull away, but the hand tightened on my elbow. My face twitched. Had I offended someone?

“Um… sir, we can’t see each other, so it was unintentional. Could you please…”

Let go of my hand?

Suddenly, someone bumped into me from behind, and I lurched forward. Luckily, the person caught me, so I didn’t fall flat on the floor.

I grunted—which young lady suggested this romantic but dangerous game?

“Thanks…” I tried to pull away from his embrace.

Uh… sir, aren’t you holding a bit too tight?

I tentatively gave him a nudge—one of his hands rested on my waist, while the other held mine. I wasn’t sure if the air conditioning was turned up too high, but that hand felt unnervingly cold.

The long dance music played on. Awkwardly, I followed his steps—and couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. “Sir, sorry to disappoint you, but I’m a guy.”

I admit, that joke fell flat.

I thought maybe my height made me look smaller than others, and in this pitch-black setting, someone might have mistaken me for a woman.

“Sir? Sir?” I called out again. He still didn’t respond.

My eyelid twitched.

Almost instinctively, I struggled, managing to pull away a bit, but still politely said, “Sorry, I have to go.”

As I turned to leave, the person suddenly grabbed me again. Caught off guard, I was pulled from behind into his arms.

A scent hit my nose.

It was a fragrance I would never forget in this lifetime—one that nearly suffocated me.

Who was it…?

I jumped, almost screaming. I flailed wildly, finally breaking free, and stumbled forward.

When I grabbed the door handle, I threw the door open. Without looking back, I ran outside, all the way to the hotel entrance, hailed a taxi, and scrambled inside like I was escaping death.

“Where to, sir?”

“Sir? Sir?”

I gasped, my voice still trembling. I blurted out the address and added, “Please… drive faster.”

I didn’t dare look back.

My hands and feet were still shaking.

I… I covered my face with my hands.

What was I so afraid of…?