BL Ch21

On the dark gray asphalt road, the traffic was sparse, with only a few vehicles passing by, and pedestrians walked in small groups, most of them dressed in short sleeves and shorts, enjoying the mild sunlight typical of temperate regions.

The revolving door of a luxurious hotel on the roadside started to turn, and a tall, handsome Asian man stepped out, smoothing the wrinkles on his suit. The doorman and passersby on the street couldn’t help but cast curious glances at him.

It wasn’t because he was dressed in a black suit, looking like a senior manager stepping out of a financial center, but because he was also holding the hand of a tall, striking silver-haired man. The latter’s lake-blue silk shirt shimmered dazzlingly in the sunlight, yet it was the man’s appearance that truly drew attention.

Across from the hotel was a large shopping mall, one of the few crowded spots in downtown Charlotte. The metallic English-lettered sign gleamed overhead.

Yu Duqiu was half-dragged into a clothing store on the first floor. Bai Zhao released his grip and swiftly scanned the racks, gathering a pile of clothing and accessories, though his movements were somewhat sluggish.

Yu Duqiu glanced down and noticed a bullet graze on Bai Zhao’s left ankle, with blood staining the hem of his pants.

“Why didn’t you stop the bleeding?” Yu Duqiu asked.

“With what? My suit?” Bai Zhao replied, grabbing a hoodie. “You just complained about me ruining the suit, and if I use it to bandage my wound, you’d probably kill me.”

Yu Duqiu chuckled, “You’re usually so rebellious, but you listen to me about trivial matters like this.”

While other customers leisurely browsed the clothes, the two of them seemed as if their hair was on fire, grabbing items without even looking. To an outsider, it might have appeared like two odd robbers ransacking the store. A young sales assistant, sensing something off, approached with a wary expression, but before she could speak, Yu Duqiu pulled out a card and flashed it at her, politely saying in English, “Please bring the card reader; I’ll pay.”

The sales assistant seemed somewhat reassured. “Please proceed to the counter to check out.”

“…You don’t recognize this card?”

“No, I don’t.”

“…”

In the meantime, Bai Zhao had already finished his frantic shopping spree, holding a pile of clothes and accessories. He fished out five or six hundred-dollar bills from his suit pocket and, along with the torn-off price tags, handed them to the sales assistant. “Keep the change as your tip, and if anyone comes looking for us, please don’t give us away.”

With that, he quickly pulled Yu Duqiu into the fitting room.

The sales assistant looked at the cash, which was twice the value of the items, unsure if this was okay, but after hesitating for a moment, she took the money to the counter to ask the store manager.

In a fitting room about one square meter in size, the two tall men squeezed together as they changed clothes.

“These days, people who carry large amounts of cash are either old-timers or criminals,” Yu Duqiu said as he pulled a beige hoodie over his shirt.

Bai Zhao removed his bloodstained suit pants. “And bodyguards who need to be prepared for emergencies, otherwise, if it were up to you, with your out-of-touch-with-reality attitude, we’d both be dead by now.”

“Someone actually didn’t recognize the Centurion Black Card,” Yu Duqiu remarked, kicking off his Oxford shoes and putting on a pair of trendy sneakers. “This card could buy the entire mall.”

“It’s normal for people outside your class not to know about it,” Bai Zhao said as he bent down to wrap a dark sports bandage around his ankle, using the pressure to stop the bleeding. When he stood up, he noticed Yu Duqiu’s gaze was fixed downward.

“So it really is on the left side,” Yu Duqiu teased, “Doesn’t seem as impressive as Uncle Chen said.”

Bai Zhao remained unfazed as he put on a pair of sweatpants. “If you don’t hurry up and put your pants on, you’ll find out how impressive it is.”

“…” Yu Duqiu let out a low whistle. “Quite the bluffer.”

After quickly changing, Bai Zhao rolled up the suit and stuffed it into a newly acquired shoulder bag.

“Why are you still carrying that? Leave it; I’ll have a new suit made for you when we get back.”

“Mind your own business.” Bai Zhao pulled up his hood, covering his striking silver hair. Then he slipped the handgun from his waist into the front pocket of his hoodie, slung his bag over his shoulder, and cracked the door open slightly to survey the surroundings.

“When the next person comes in, will they think we had a wild time in here?”

Bai Zhao kicked aside the bloodied clothes. “Maybe. They might also think I was too rough and made you bleed.”

“Why not think it was you who bled?”

“Because you deserve it.”

“Haha, your lackluster insults… Say that again, and I’ll castrate you.”

“You deserve it.”

“…”

The dressing room door swung fully open, and the store clerk, who had been waiting to give them change, turned around, her eyes nearly popping out of her head—just a couple of minutes ago, these men were dressed as elite professionals, but now they looked like university students, with no trace of their former style, as if they were entirely different people.

“No need, thank you,” Bai Zhao said, pushing away the change. He quickly glanced outside the store, then turned back and led Yu Duqiu deeper inside. “They’ve found us. Don’t look back; there are three of them.”

“So fast? That shouldn’t be possible. This mall is pretty big—how did they come straight here?” Yu Duqiu wondered, following Bai Zhao at a casual pace, trying to blend into the crowd of mall shoppers. After a few steps, he noticed that the bandage on Bai Zhao’s foot had darkened again. “Does it hurt?”

“This little wound is nothing.”

“You’ve had worse?”

“Bai Zhiming has a bad temper, I come from a bad background, and my job is even worse,” Bai Zhao replied tersely, his words implying much more than they stated. “In a world where the strong prey on the weak, it’s a miracle someone like me has survived this long, young master.”

Yu Duqiu showed no sympathy. “Poor thing. It’s been a long time since I’ve been hurt.”

“That’s good,” Bai Zhao said softly. “I hope you stay unharmed today as well.”

“You better not die, either,” Yu Duqiu reciprocated. “I haven’t met someone as interesting as you in a long time.”

As they spoke, they walked another fifty or sixty meters, exiting through a side door of the clothing store and entering the mall’s interior.

They paused briefly, stopping in front of a toy store where a sale was underway. A table at the entrance displayed plush toys, car models, and other items, and a few parents were helping their children pick out toys. The atmosphere was lively, and the two “students” blended in unnoticed.

Using the parents as cover, Bai Zhao discreetly glanced back.

Three stern-faced white men, dressed in plain clothes, were tailing them. Their wary eyes scanned the faces of passersby, searching for their targets.

Yu Duqiu fiddled with a plush teddy bear’s ear, whispering, “These guys are different from the ones who didn’t dare to fire earlier. They’re clearly professional killers. They were probably planning to ambush me in the parking lot and take me out as I got out of the car, but Batman messed up their plan. And since they’re showing their faces, they’re either determined or desperate.”

Bai Zhao pinched the other ear of the teddy bear. “Probably both.”

A little boy clutching the teddy bear’s stomach thought to himself, How can I tell these two big brothers, who are speaking a language I don’t understand, that I saw this bear first?

The three assassins’ gazes were as menacing as poisonous scorpions, stinging every passerby with their looks. Even those who weren’t directly threatened avoided them, frightened by their vicious demeanor.

Ahead, two paths branched off in a Y-shape. One of the assassins checked his phone, his mouth moving silently, and then raised his hand to direct the other two.

The mall’s background music, a trendy electronic dance hit, played a bit too loudly to hear what they were saying from a distance, but their directions were spot-on.

“How do they know we went this way?” Yu Duqiu questioned, growing suspicious. “Did they plant a tracker on us? But where could it be? We changed all our clothes…”

His pupils suddenly contracted as he reached into his pocket.

Bai Zhao pressed down on his hand, shaking his head. “Don’t throw it here. A kid might mistake it for a toy. That would be very dangerous.”

“Didn’t know you were so compassionate,” Yu Duqiu muttered, deciding not to linger and turning to leave.

Bai Zhao followed closely. “The fact that you listened shows you have compassion too.”

Yu Duqiu glanced back with a smile, then abruptly stopped and hooked his arm around Bai Zhao’s neck, pulling him down towards himself.

The little boy who finally got hold of the teddy bear blushed and quickly covered the teddy bear’s eyes.

The tracker on the phone showed the target had stopped just ahead. The timing was perfect. The lead assassin signaled to the others, and the three of them stealthily moved forward, pretending to cross their arms, but in reality, their hands were on the guns inside their coats, nervously checking each passerby’s face.

The employer had made it clear that the target was extremely cunning and likely to escape. If they could capture him alive, the reward would double.

The noose tightened, the tracker’s dot remained stationary, indicating that they were just one step away from the target. The leader raised his head in excitement, his finger already on the trigger, and he began to imagine how he would spend that large sum of money—only to find nothing but empty space in front of him.

Only the plastic flowers in the central planter spread their leaves, offering him a fake smile.

Amidst the foliage, a magazine-less Walther pistol lay quietly, like a corpse devoid of its soul.

On the second floor, two men who looked like university students leaned against the railing. Hearing the furious “Fuck!” from below, they exchanged glances and withdrew their gaze as the sound echoed in the air.

“Let’s go,” Yu Duqiu said, tugging at the man beside him, but Bai Zhao didn’t move. “What’s wrong?”

Bai Zhao stared at him intently. “Why did you kiss me just now?”

“To use your body as cover to toss the gun. What, was I supposed to draw it in front of everyone?”

“You didn’t need to kiss me to do that.”

“It was just a kiss on the cheek. Didn’t you like it? I thought you’d be over the moon.”

“Did you forget what I said in the car?”

“What?” Yu Duqiu noticed Bai Zhao’s increasingly sour expression. He took a moment to calm down and try to recall, finally remembering those seemingly trivial words from earlier amidst the day’s chaos. Smiling, he ruffled Bai Zhao’s hair. “Don’t worry, you’re not a stray dog. Based on your excellent performance today in risking your life to save me, I can take care of you forever.”

“As your pet dog?”

“As my lover.”

“I’ll only be your partner.” Bai Zhao wrapped an arm around Yu Duqiu’s waist, pulling him close. His hand gently brushed Yu Duqiu’s cheek as he softly murmured, “Young master, I’m not part of the 99%, nor am I part of the 1%. I’m unique. Choosing me won’t be a loss.”

“I like your arrogance and self-confidence, but I hate your excessive possessiveness. I’m finally about to break off my engagement; why would I want a partner who restricts my freedom?” Yu Duqiu twisted his waist, escaping the imminent embrace. He glanced downstairs and then quickly grabbed Bai Zhao’s hand. “Let’s go, ‘Batman’ is here too. We don’t know if Baoguo and the others are alive or dead. Doesn’t it bother you to be talking about love with me right now?”

Bai Zhao took a deep breath, suppressing all his emotions. “At least I have a heart, unlike you.”

The parking lot, after a chaotic three-way battle, was a mess, with bullet holes pockmarking the ground. Five cars remained where they were, silently facing off even though their occupants were gone.

Ji Lin had changed positions and was now hiding with another bodyguard behind a tall Hummer. After waiting a moment, he peeked out to check the situation outside.

“…Did they all run?”

“Looks like it. They probably went after the young master—no one else in sight.”

“Hey, do you think those ‘Batmen’ are nuts?” Ji Lin said in disbelief. “Where’s their aim? Are they just that bad? How can they miss every shot? And they still dare to get into a gunfight?”

The bodyguard thought to himself, Isn’t that a good thing? What, do you want to get shot?

“Maybe they were being cautious, trying to capture the young master alive…”

“Do you know where the young master is now? Can you reach him?”

“You’d have to ask Brother Lou; I don’t have direct contact. But he’s probably busy. I saw him send off Officer Lu and Manager Zhao earlier, then come back to lead the others and the hotel guards in chasing after them.”

“A whole group of people charging out like that—it’s impossible not to make headlines.” Ji Lin remained cautious, crouching as he slowly moved from the Hummer to a nearby Range Rover. He spoke quietly, “Yu Duqiu won’t get far on foot. He’ll have to come back. I’ll check if anyone’s still hiding in their cars. If not, we can take their vehicles and go pick up Yu…”

He suddenly stopped. “Did you hear something strange?”

“Huh?” The bodyguard focused and listened. “Sounds like…some kind of animal?”

“Bullshit. How could there be an animal here?”

But from somewhere in the parking lot, a low growling noise, like that of a wild beast, indeed echoed.

Before they could figure out where the sound was coming from, the growl suddenly intensified! The volume grew rapidly, as if a beast were charging towards them!

Ji Lin finally recognized it. “Who’s the idiot racing in the parking lot—are they crazy—”

Before he could finish, a sleek, gold sports car roared around the corner. Its narrow headlights flashed sharply, the powerful curves of its hood bulging on either side, and its rear wing raised high, exuding a wild and fierce design.

The car’s emblem—a griffin with wings spread wide, claws outstretched, and a deafening roar—was emblazoned on the front.

Behind the wheel, a young man with silver hair flying in the wind and wearing sunglasses shouted, “Hey, Captain Ji!”

Ji Lin: “………………”

Yu Duqiu sped past. “Bye-bye, Captain Ji!”

“………………Couldn’t you at least stop and pick me up?!”

“Only two seats!”

Ji Lin cursed furiously. “Damn you!! At least tell me where you’re going??!!”

The sports car had already sped ten meters away when Yu Duqiu’s joyful voice echoed back, “Taking my darling for a ride! And distracting the enemy for you guys! I’ll be in touch!”

Ji Lin wanted to unleash the dirtiest curses he’d never said in his life, but the car’s roar had already faded into the distance, leaving nothing but the faint scent of exhaust.