BL Ch55

An hour later, the door to the room opened.

Yu Duqiu, fully dressed in a perfectly ironed suit, walked out of the room. In a good mood, he called out to the person inside, “See you at the banquet,” before closing the door and turning around—

Only to find the man sitting by the door.

One leg bent, wrist resting on his knee, his face expressionless and numb, like an aggressive guard dog ready to bite.

“You’re a bit quick today.”

“My mind is full of cases, not in the mood,” Yu Duqiu looked down from above, kicking the still motionless man with his foot. “How long have you been waiting?”

Bai Zhao had remained silent for a long time. His throat was dry, and he swallowed before speaking flatly, “I followed you here.”

In other words, he had been waiting for an hour.

Yu Duqiu squatted down, hooking the choker around his neck with his fingers, asking with a half-smile, “Why didn’t you break in? Why are you so obedient, staying outside like this? Doesn’t really seem like your style.”

“I’ve always been obedient, you just haven’t taken the time to understand,” Bai Zhao fiddled with the lapel flower in his hand. The white hibiscus had withered, deprived of moisture and soil, and the dry parts were spreading outward, eating away at its last remnants of life.

“Whether it’s Fang Xiaomo, Huang Hanxiang, Lu Jinyu, or your past fleeting flings… when have I ever truly stopped you?” Bai Zhao inserted the dry, wilting flower back into its pinhole, then looked up at him. His eyes were endless blackness. “You know I can’t stop you. I don’t have that kind of place in your heart. But I can’t stand doing nothing, just watching you take him away… just like so many times before.”

Yu Duqiu smiled, leaning forward and slowly getting closer to his face, studying every expression, “It’s useless anyway. My thoughts aren’t constrained by anyone. Are you utterly disappointed with me? Sad and angry? Want to take revenge?”

Bai Zhao lowered his eyelashes, the top light in the guest room corridor casting a long shadow across his face. “It’s fine, I’m used to it. Why ask? You don’t care—”

Yu Duqiu yanked the gold chain suddenly, and Bai Zhao let out a painful groan, pleased by the sound. He then stood up, “I don’t care, but today I met Jinyu and realized I still like the more obedient and sensible type, so I’m more disgusted by you now.”

Bai Zhao, propping himself up with his hands, stood up as well, instinctively reaching for his neck where the chain had almost choked him. His fingers were suddenly pierced by a nail, causing sharp pain.

“Can’t wait until the case is solved? Leave tomorrow, okay?” Yu Duqiu whispered in his ear, his tone affectionate, yet the words were ruthlessly mocking, “Unless you apologize, beg me, and swear to always obey me. Then, maybe I’ll consider letting you stay.”

“Then who would be left, me… or just a dog that you can summon and dismiss at will?” Bai Zhao stretched his hand toward him, seemingly wanting to touch his face. But as he saw the red marks on his neck, his hand froze in mid-air.

“If you don’t, there are plenty of others willing to,” Yu Duqiu grabbed his hand and cruelly pressed it against the hickey on his neck, tilting his head to lightly nuzzle his hand, “I’ll give you the night to think. Tomorrow, when the sun rises, whether the hibiscus in the garden can bloom doesn’t depend on them, but on whether… I decide to burn them all.”

“If you don’t want to see a charred, permanent darkness, I hope you can give me a satisfying answer.”

7:00 PM.

The banquet was held in the VIP restaurant on the bottom floor of the hotel. It was more private than the jewelry exhibition, with only eighteen guests, filling up one long table.

The cherry wood dining table was piled with various exotic delicacies. Pei Ming never skimped on spending for face.

Before the banquet, the photographer took a group photo of everyone and then captured a few heroic close-ups of the Pei brothers, after which the guests began to take their seats.

Zhao Feihua wasn’t qualified to enter. After the exhibition, he wandered off to find something to eat, clutching a bunch of newly acquired business cards. Only one bodyguard could enter, so Lou Baoguo and Zhou Yi volunteered to guard the door. At least they could order takeout, leaving the “stand and watch, can’t sit down to eat” task to the young guy. Ji Lin, using his excuse to monitor Yu Duqiu, barely managed to sneak in and get a seat. He was clumsy with his utensils, making clattering noises, which drew disdainful glances from those sitting nearby.

He gritted his teeth, pulled out his police badge, and slapped it on the table. The person across immediately averted their eyes, not daring to look any further.

Yu Duqiu and Lu Jinyu were chatting and laughing, full of life, which irritated Ji Lin, the lone “celibate dog.” He kicked under the table and muttered angrily, “Are you done yet? Do you remember why we’re here today?”

Yu Duqiu turned his head, speaking shamelessly, “We’re discussing serious matters.”

“Seriously? What serious matter requires going to the guest room? When I came to find you, Bai Zhao wouldn’t even let me knock. Do you have no decency? He likes you so much, and you let him hear you fooling around with others?”

“He doesn’t mind, why do you?” Yu Duqiu picked up a wine bottle from the table and poured Ji Lin a drink, leaning closer as he whispered, “Jinyu works in the art trade in the U.S., and many of the paintings at my house were bought through him. Remember that Basquiat painting you thought was a child’s doodle?”

Ji Lin still remembered it vividly and said angrily, “Yeah, Lu Qing went back and framed it as a gift from her five-year-old niece, saying maybe it could sell for 20 million someday.”

“Ha, Miss Lu is too cute,” Yu Duqiu laughed for a while before returning to the topic, “I showed Jinyu the paintings from the overseas mail case. He said he recognized the brushstroke style and would check for me. Maybe we can find the artist and ask who bought that painting.”

Ji Lin immediately stopped harboring any grudge and forgot about defending Bai Zhao. His eyes lit up as he said, “Sounds good, your network is really something. By the way, I called Xu Ge. He said he finished checking the residential buildings in Jiangxue district. There were no suspicious individuals among the homeowners, so now they’re checking the tenants. Since October last year, there have been 56 households, including those who moved out. Our third team and their first team are checking one by one, and they should have preliminary results by tonight.”

Yu Duqiu raised his glass and clinked it with Ji Lin’s, “Good, I’m really looking forward to it.”

This scene happened to be seen by a guest sitting opposite them, who raised his glass and cheerfully said, “Mr. Yu! I’d like to toast you, I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Yu Duqiu smiled at the person.

Then he set his glass down.

“Oh, really? But I don’t know anything about you, you should toast someone else.”

The dining room wasn’t large, and his voice wasn’t lowered. As soon as the words were spoken, everyone in the restaurant heard them. The once lively atmosphere immediately turned cold.

The guests were all rich or influential, many of whom recognized Yu Duqiu. They knew his eccentric temperament and were hard to approach. Seeing him like this today, they dared not act rashly. They thought Mr. Wang’s attempt to break the ice would pave the way for them to toast and flatter this young billionaire, but instead, they almost fell into an ice pit. They silently breathed a sigh of relief, thankful they hadn’t made the first move.

Wang Bin, at least the head of a prominent real estate company in Pingyi City, had lowered his posture to offer a toast to this younger man. He thought he was giving enough face, but Yu Duqiu showed no regard for social etiquette, publicly making him lose face. His face alternated between red and white with anger.

The man sitting next to him, Du Shuyan, quickly smoothed things over. He raised his own glass and clinked it with his: “Mr. Wang, Duqiu has only been back in the country for a few months, so it’s normal that he doesn’t know you. He’s not targeting you, don’t take it personally. Here, let’s have a drink to thank you for your support of our new project…”

Wang Bin snorted heavily and begrudgingly followed his lead: “Mr. Du, you’re steady, humble, and capable. I feel safe investing with you, unlike some businessmen who always create these mysterious products and call them ‘high-tech.’ In reality, they’re just scams, and anyone who invests loses money. Only a fool would invest!”

Yu Duqiu ignored his veiled insult, touched his nose, and smiled at Ji Lin: “It’s a good thing Feihua isn’t here, or I’d be getting scolded to death.”

Ji Lin looked at the glass in his hand and suddenly felt a bit smug. Others were trying to offer him drinks but couldn’t get close, yet Yu Duqiu took the initiative to toast him.

In a way, it felt quite good to be treated specially, as if this person saw him as a close friend.

With that in mind, Ji Lin quietly leaned over and kindly advised his naive, young friend: “You’re offending people like this. You could at least take a symbolic sip. He’s just trying to flatter you, no ill intentions, why make him uncomfortable?”

Yu Duqiu glanced sideways at him: “You don’t know?”

“Huh?”

“He was involved in an alleged case last year where he sexually assaulted a female employee at his company. After being sued, he manipulated public opinion to claim the woman seduced him. Rape is hard to prove, and under pressure and bribery, the female employee eventually withdrew the lawsuit and settled. Not only did she lose her job, but she also gained a bad reputation, while he continues to live a luxurious life.” Yu Duqiu narrowed his eyes, staring at the two people across the table clinking glasses. “Looking at this tonight… Du Shuyan probably helped a lot, controlling public opinion is his specialty.”

Ji Lin didn’t expect the person opposite to be such scum. His sense of justice flared up: “Damn, why didn’t you say something earlier? I would’ve given you my drink and we could’ve thrown both glasses at his pig face!”

Yu Duqiu gave him a thumbs-up: “Captain Ji, you’re so straightforward, just like Mu Hao. I love making friends with hot-blooded idiots like you.”

“Flattery… Who the hell are you calling an idiot?” Ji Lin cursed on behalf of justice, feeling relieved, then asked, “How did you find out about this?”

Yu Duqiu leisurely replied: “I haven’t been idle lately. I had someone check out all the guests on the exhibition list. I thought there might be someone important, but unfortunately, I found nothing, just a bunch of disgusting stories.”

Ji Lin: “If it’s so easy for you to find, then he’s not really important.”

“True, but I still think that in a situation where it’s so easy to act, the important ones won’t miss out. Perhaps… we can check the rings of these people.”

“How do you check? Ask them to take them off for you to inspect?”

At this moment, Pei Ming, sitting at the main seat, raised his glass, looking across the laughter of the crowd, and made a toast: “Duqiu, let me toast you, and make sure you leave me an investment spot in the project.”

Judging from his hearty voice, it seemed like he wasn’t bothered by what happened in the afternoon, and there was a hint of promoting him. Yu Duqiu responded slightly more politely to Pei Ming than to Wang Bin. After all, he replied to his toast: “Hmm, it’s rare for Brother Pei to speak so highly of me, how could I refuse?”

Someone was surprised: “Wow, you’re about to hold a press conference? The progress is much faster than expected, seems like mass production isn’t far off.”

The others followed Pei Ming’s lead: “Yes, yes, Mr. Yu is truly young and talented, both wise and brave. This project is so dangerous, only you would dare to develop it.”

Peizhuo, still in a bad mood, sarcastically praised: “That’s right, this project seems cursed, how many people has it killed? I heard your company had a security guard who had an accident recently? Terrible, you must be careful, Duqiu.”

It was obvious who had spread the gossip.

Most of the guests were unaware of the incident with Huang Hanxiang, and they all paused their eating and drinking, listening intently to the gossip.

Yu Duqiu calmly stood up, one hand in his pocket, the other holding his glass, leisurely walking around the long table. As he passed by the guests, he glanced at the rings on their fingers and casually replied: “Now you think it’s dangerous because I haven’t succeeded yet. Once I succeed, some people will say the so-called curse is just superstition, and any injuries or deaths were just accidents. This project is not risky at all, anyone who develops it will succeed, they just didn’t seize the opportunity.”

“…………”

The atmosphere became awkward, and Pei Ming, as the host, had to step in to mediate: “After all, there have been some accidents, and it’s normal for people to think that way.”

“Then that’s wrong.” Yu Duqiu came up to him, leaned in, and lightly touched his glass: “So, Brother Pei considers himself an ordinary person? I thought you were a big shot, how humble.”

It was a hard remark to respond to, and Pei Ming was left speechless. Finally, he laughed awkwardly, drank the rest of his glass. His emerald ring glistened, flawless, its jewels fitting together perfectly, seemingly without any hidden mechanisms.

Yu Duqiu looked away and continued his leisurely walk around the room.

Wang Bin, who had just been humiliated, couldn’t stand Yu Duqiu’s arrogance and deliberately mocked him as he passed by: “Mr. Yu, we’re all just worried about you, that’s why we’re kindly advising you. Others might not know, but I’ve heard that your grandfather had a student who died while researching brain-machine interfaces. Now that you’ve started a project, so many things are going wrong. Maybe fate is trying to tell you something. You’d better not get involved in dirty business, go back to the States and live your life as a young master, to avoid ending up like him, dying with no remains!”

Before he could finish, a figure suddenly charged forward. Wang Bin was startled: “What are you doing?”

Ji Lin quickly stepped in, using all his strength to push the person back into place, softly comforting: “Bai Zhao, don’t act rashly.”

Bai Zhao glared at Wang Bin: “Watch your mouth.”

At the same time, Lu Jinyu, who had been watching the drama, took a sip of his drink and shook his head: “Such a good man… I’m not even interested in him.”

Wang Bin didn’t dare openly curse Yu Duqiu, but when it came to cursing a bodyguard, he had no restraint, sneering: “Mr. Yu, keep your dog on a leash. The master is talking, why is it barking?”

Yu Duqiu completed his walk around the table and returned to his seat, sitting leisurely: “You’re right. A dog should know its place. It shouldn’t bark like a king when the lion hasn’t spoken. Don’t you think so, Mr. Wang?”

Ji Lin pretended to cough, quickly covering his smile.

Yu Duqiu’s sharp tongue was infuriating when aimed at his own people, but when it came to the outside, it was quite satisfying.

Many people in the restaurant understood the implied message, and though they wanted to laugh, they dared not. They didn’t dare remind Wang Bin either, who still thought he’d made a comeback and proudly said: “Yes, Mr. Yu is absolutely right.”

“Flattery.” Yu Duqiu smiled and responded, turning to Ji Lin, and whispered the findings of his investigation: “Pei Ming’s ring should be fine. The rings of the others are too small, less than one centimeter wide. I also checked the bodyguards; none of them were wearing rings.”

Ji Lin nodded: “I didn’t expect to find a weapon so quickly, but it looks like Pei Ming doesn’t intend to stir things up today, after all, there are so many people watching… Hey, why haven’t you drunk any?”

Yu Duqiu turned his glass around, and it was still full.

“This wine is one bottle per two people, and we have one bottle in front of us. I’m afraid it’s poisoned.” Yu Duqiu said lightly.

“…” Ji Lin looked at his own glass. Someone had poured a little for him earlier. He’d already taken a couple of sips, and now his mind was a little fuzzy, whether from the alcohol or something else. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll get poisoned?”

Yu Duqiu’s light-colored pupils gleamed with excitement: “Then we’ll have evidence to interrogate Pei Ming.”

“……………”

…Forget about being heart-to-heart friends, this is a friend for torturing!

Yu Duqiu didn’t care about the raging anger in Ji Lin’s eyes, even happily picking up a fruit salad from a distance, tasting it before arrogantly saying: “This salad isn’t as good as the one I make, right, Bai Zhao?”

Bai Zhao, who had just calmed down, now wore a very complicated expression. After an intense internal struggle, he finally squeezed out a vague “yes” from between his teeth.

Ji Lin suddenly felt that the drink he had, which might be poisoned, wasn’t all that bad after all.

Lu Jinyu gave the bodyguard by the wall a pitying glance and said sympathetically, “He really loves you. Don’t bully him anymore. Tell him the truth, I feel sorry for him just watching.”

Yu Duqiu turned around and laughed carelessly, “No rush. I want to see just how far his bottom line goes.”