RLTT CH 18

Chapter 18: Stopping the Wind, Embracing the Night

Wei Jiaxi and Yun Shaofeng passionately kissed for nearly three minutes before slowly pulling away from the fervor of their emotions. They held each other tightly, their eyes meeting in an exchange filled with the love that basked in the glow of the setting sun.

As beautiful as the sunset was, it was merely a fleeting magic hour. Soon enough, darkness descended.

Wei Jiaxi held Yun Shaofeng’s hand and suddenly seemed to think of something. A characteristic carefree smile appeared on his face. He gently said, “Let’s go,” before pulling Yun Shaofeng out of the alley.

“Boys, time to hang out!”

With just one call from Inspector Wei, the members of the Major Crimes Unit 2 gathered at the karaoke bar within half an hour.

“Boss! How could you wait this long to call us out? That’s not cool!” Confucius was always the loudest, his laughter unyielding.

“Yeah, it’s a good thing my kid didn’t have too much homework today,” Emperor said, looking like he had just come from home. “Otherwise, I’d still be stuck doing tutoring duty.”

Brother Mark sat by the karaoke machine, poking at the screen while chiming in, “Exactly! How could you hold back for so long? Even if you’re fine with it, wouldn’t Shaofeng be bored?”

At Mark’s remark, everyone suddenly noticed the small yet important detail—why was Yun Shaofeng here? The entire Major  Crimes Unit 2 turned in unison to look at Wei Jiaxi and Yun Shaofeng, who were holding hands. For a moment, no one dared to speak.

“Uh… isn’t it against the rules for Shaofeng to hang out with us without WPU personnel around?” Biscuit broke the silence gently.

“Of course, it’s against the rules. So what? Are you scared?” Wei Jiaxi said shamelessly, pulling Yun Shaofeng closer with an arm around his shoulder. “I’m on a long vacation now, just an ordinary citizen. Shaofeng came to find me. If you’re really that worried, you can call and report it.”

The entire team was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing in unison. The atmosphere instantly lightened as they dispersed to start picking songs and buying drinks.

Yun Shaofeng, a little surprised, turned his head to look at Wei Jiaxi, who was holding him.

Wei Jiaxi gave him a proud smile. “If they were the type to be scared, they wouldn’t be my brothers.” Then, looking at the lively crowd of the Major Crimes Unit 2, he shouted, “The first round tonight is on me!”

“Thanks, Boss!”

“I want cola!”

“Cola? Are you dumb, Cake? The Boss is paying—get some wine!”

“Beother Mark, hurry and order a bottle of red wine!”

“Hey! Are you all trying to bankrupt me? I’m not even getting paid right now!” Wei Jiaxi yelled with mock anger, leaping off the sofa and lunging toward Mark. Chaos erupted immediately.

Yun Shaofeng smiled quietly, watching the playful group of the Major Crimes Unit 2, his gaze never leaving Wei Jiaxi. Under the dim lights of the karaoke bar, the dazzling disco ball cast alternating flashes of purple and red onto Wei Jiaxi’s back.

Even though it was his first time joining Wei Jiaxi on a night out, Yun Shaofeng suddenly felt that this version of Wei Jiaxi—relaxed, cheerful, energetic, and tinged with the vibrant, dreamy charm of nightlife in the Special Administrative Region—felt oddly familiar.

“The second round is on me!” Yun Shaofeng, still sitting on the sofa, raised his voice slightly.

“Thanks, Shaofeng!” The members of the Major Crimes Unit 2 cheered enthusiastically.

“Call him Sister-in-law!” Wei Jiaxi swung his arm dramatically, exuding a bold and carefree attitude.

The group froze for a second before breaking into loud laughter, chanting, “Thanks, Sister-in-law!”

Yun Shaofeng’s cheeks turned red instantly, but the dim lighting of the karaoke bar saved him from being noticed. Feeling a bit flustered, he averted his gaze but didn’t reject the title.

When he looked back up again, Wei Jiaxi was standing at the front with his hands in his pockets. The rowdy group of the Major Crimes Unit 2 carried on behind him, but Wei Jiaxi’s gaze was fixed on Yun Shaofeng. His expression was one part joyful and seven parts serious^[1].

“Shaofeng,” Wei Jiaxi called softly.

Yun Shaofeng understood what he meant. Without saying a word, he returned a gentle smile and gave a small nod.

Confucius suddenly emerged from behind Wei Jiaxi, grabbing his arm and dragging him toward the karaoke machine. “Boss, pick a few songs! If you don’t, the Emperor will hog the mic, and we’ll be stuck with Cantonese opera all night!”

“Is that even a thing?” Wei Jiaxi laughed as he followed her over. “No worries! I know how to sing <em>Feng Ge En Chou Wei Liao Qing</em>!^[2]”

“Hahaha…” Yun Shaofeng sipped his beer, observing the joyous group before turning to look at Wei Jiaxi, who was still standing by the jukebox. The latter picked up a microphone as a lighthearted, nostalgic intro began to play.

“Oh! Here it comes, here it comes! Boss’s signature song!” Confucius suddenly got excited, patting Yun Shaofeng’s arm. “Shaofeng, look! I’m telling you, Boss’s impersonation of Leslie Cheung^[3] is spot-on! Every time we have a cultural performance or something, he’s always the one we push onto the stage.”

Yun Shaofeng widened his eyes, watching as Wei Jiaxi swayed his head exaggeratedly and bounced his way to the center of the private room, striking a few theatrical poses.

The rest of the Major Crimes Unit 2’s quickly shuffled over to the sofa, sitting in a neat row as they clapped and cheered loudly for Wei Jiaxi in the center.

Wei Jiaxi blew a kiss toward the stunned Yun Shaofeng, raised his microphone-wielding arm high in the air, then brought it close to his lips.

“Once like an unbridled wind, I loathed taking root. I said, the thing I feared most was making vows…”

Yun Shaofeng almost spat out his beer. He sang… quite well. Shockingly, he sounded at least 60% like Leslie Cheung.

“Once bragged of a carefree heart, just looking for fleeting joy. But once the thrill was over, I’d walk alone again…”

Wei Jiaxi began swaying left and right to the nostalgic disco beat, tossing his head and winking flirtatiously. His gestures had an uncanny touch of superstar charisma.

“You saw through the sorrow in my heart and used your love to fill the gaps in my soul…”

The members of the Major Crimes Unit 2 started to exaggerate their fan reactions, screaming and pretending to faint. Cake even clutched his chest like a swooning fangirl, while Confucius stretched his arm out dramatically as if trying to touch Wei Jiaxi’s thigh.

Even Wei Jiaxi couldn’t hold back his laughter, but his singing didn’t falter.

As the chorus approached, he spun around in rhythm with the beat. The music was perfectly timed, and when he turned back, his gaze locked onto Yun Shaofeng.

“Stop this wind! Oh, baby. Embrace me through the night! Oh, darling.”

The rhythmic pulses of the ‘80s dance beat hit Yun Shaofeng’s heart like a drum. He watched the alternating red and green lights flicker across Wei Jiaxi’s face. The echo effect in the room blurred his senses, leaving him dazed and uncertain of his surroundings, drowning only in the pair of eyes that remained fixed on him.

“Now this wanderer only wishes to spend his life lying by your side.”

Wei Jiaxi raised an arm, pointing his index finger theatrically above his head before slowly lowering it and directing it straight at Yun Shaofeng. His gaze, however, was utterly sincere.

Confucius next to Yun Shaofeng was screaming so loudly he was nearly losing his voice, but all Yun Shaofeng could hear was Wei Jiaxi’s singing.

“Stop this wind! Oh, baby. Embrace me through the night! Oh, darling.”

Yun Shaofeng watched everything unfold. Wei Jiaxi pulled Confucius and Cake toward him, the three of them huddling together as they swayed wildly in a chaotic dance. Emperor and Brother Mark shared another microphone, joining in with the music.

Everyone was having fun, even Yun Shaofeng, who sat quietly as an observer.

Wei Jiaxi sang and danced with abandon, shaking off all his burdens. In that moment, he moved only to the rhythm of the beat. It was as if all the troubles, problems, past, and future had ceased to exist. For these few minutes, he was immersed in the music and emotions, letting the dazzling lights, the alcohol, the warmth of friends gathered, and the gaze of his lover cover all his anxieties and difficulties.

“Now this wanderer only wishes to spend his life breathing by your side.”

Wei Jiaxi reached out a hand toward Yun Shaofeng, pulling him up from the sofa. Yun Shaofeng took his hand, leaning closer of his own accord. Wei Jiaxi tossed the microphone aside, cupping Yun Shaofeng’s face with both hands, and kissed him deeply. Yun Shaofeng wrapped his arms around Wei Jiaxi’s waist, closed his eyes, and returned the kiss—a kiss as sweet and passionate as the dance beat of the song.

Stop this wind. Embrace me through the night.

---

Territory’s Spirit Ash Vault

Mo Chao stood alone in front of a niche, just as he always did, wearing his signature sunglasses.

The inscription on the plaque indicated that this niche belonged to Li Anna.

Mo Chao took a lighter out of his pocket, silently lighting a cigarette. Standing there smoking, it was unclear through his sunglasses whether his gaze was fixed on the niche, but he never shifted his stance. When he was nearly done with the cigarette, something seemed to cross his mind, and he suddenly shook his head, letting out a few chuckles.

Someone entered from the doorway behind him—it was Liu Yi, holding a bouquet of flowers.

Hearing footsteps, Mo Chao slightly turned his head. Upon seeing Liu Yi, his grin widened. “Ha! Really? You brought flowers too?”

Liu Yi glanced at him and placed the bouquet in front of Li Anna’s niche. “I met Sister Anna a few times while she was alive. It’s just a small gesture.”

“What did Mr. Xi say?” Mo Chao stubbed out his cigarette with his foot.

Liu Yi sighed wryly. “You’re really something… discussing matters about letting people down in front of Wei Jiayi’s late mother. Don’t you ever get nightmares at night?”

Mo Chao rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses. “If I cared about these taboos, I wouldn’t be in this line of work. Besides, I work for Hong Sheng, not just Young Master Yi alone. Sister Anna always knew that.”

Liu Yi turned and looked at Mo Chao. “Mr. Xi agreed.”

“Really?” Mo Chao looked at him in surprise. “That easy? Doesn’t sound like the old man.”

“We all know Wei Jiayi’s capabilities. Now that Li Anna is gone, it’s only natural that Jiayi wants revenge and will undoubtedly lose his cool and cause trouble for the cops,” Liu Yi said calmly. “If both sides go at it, it’d be a missed opportunity not to profit—that’s not Mr. Xi’s style.”

“Old fox, old fox…” Mo Chao shook his head, taking off his sunglasses to wipe the lenses with the hem of his shirt.

Liu Yi shrugged, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. “Now that the tea house is sealed, Hong Sheng’s goods are gone, and the tools are lost too. Although the places Mr. Xi can lend you aren’t many, they’re enough for you to rise in Hong Sheng.”

“Okay, thanks to Mr. Xi this time. Pass on my gratitude,” Mo Chao said with a nod, straightening up to leave.

“Wait. There’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you.” Liu Yi stopped him. “You know that Hong Sheng is a hereditary organization. No matter how capable you are in the gang or how much power you have, as long as Wei Jiayi is alive, you’ll never surpass him. So why bother? At most, you’ll only ever be No. 2. What’s the point?”

Mo Chao hesitated, seemingly debating whether to say what was on his mind. “…You know, right? Wei Junlin doesn’t only have one son.”

Liu Yi’s expression shifted to one of shock and then realization. He furrowed his brows, thinking for a while, and slowly said, “I think… Mr. Xi might be able to help you more than you realize.”

Mo Chao put his sunglasses back on and replied softly, “If Mr. Xi is willing, there’s indeed plenty we can discuss. But anything more would be inappropriate to talk about in front of Sister Anna.”

To be continued…