Chapter 90 - Hello Again

A few days already passed Feng Xuan was already better. The bruise on her side was no longer bothersome and the doctor had removed her stitches and sling.

She felt like a toy fresh out of the box. "You seem sad," she commented on Qing Chen's face when they were exiting the hospital.

"I am just sad I am no longer needed to help you get dressed."

Feng Xuan blushed despite admitting her need for Qing Chen during that time. "It was really hard to put on clothes," she mumbled.

When that happened on the first night she was going to take a shower, her shoulder felt like it was going to pop again from its socket. It had taken her thirty minutes before she finally called for her husband.

Qing Chen was already dressed in his sleeping clothes when he found her sitting on top of the closed toilet. "I can't get it off."

Qing Chen tried to get her out of her sleeved top. "Tell me," he said, struggling, "how did you put this on?"

"With a lot pain and desperation."

He huffed out. "How much do you like this top?"

"I hate it now," she said, giving up.

Qing Chen took hold of the hem of her shirt and her hand immediately closed on his. "I'll close my eyes," he said.

As much as they got intimate with their kisses, Qing Chen had never really gotten a peek of anything under her shirt. He pulled at the fabric and it tore. The ripping sound filling the bathroom for a few seconds. Feng Xuan easily shook it off.

"You okay?" he asked, still with his eyes closed.

"Yeah," she said quietly.

"Okay, let me know if you need anything else." He disappeared from the window and did not return until twenty minutes later. "Still good?"

She huffed out. "Can you come help put on my shirt?"

Qing Chen still kept his eyes clothes as he helped stretched the fabric so her arm could fit in the hole. But still, Feng Xuan's breath caught every time his fingertips accidentally grazed her ribs.

"Are you really sad?" Feng Xuan asked now.

"I'm just teasing," he said and opened the door for her. "I'm glad that you're already well."

"I know, you've probably had enough of me and missed going to work already."

Qing Chen was not going to deny that. He loved taking care of Feng Xuan, but his body wanted to be exhausted. His mind wanted its gears to turn. The only thing that kept his body and mind going for the past few days was Feng Xuan's instructing voice as he scurried in panic in the kitchen trying to do everything she would say so they could eat.

"Can you drop me off at Wang Yimin's?"

"Aw," Qing Chen m.o.a.ned. "Do you want to leave me already?"

"You've been stuck with me for days," she laughed. "We need some air away from each other."

He smiled. "If that's what you want then."

"Oh, pft. You want it too. Just say, 'thank you, wife'."

"Thank you, wife," he repeated.

"What time should I fetch you?" Qing Chen asked when they reached their destination.

"Before dinner?" she answered, already opening her door. "Bye." She leaned over and Qing Chen pressed a kiss on her lips. He was getting too comfortable with these kisses. But he just couldn't get enough.

"I'll see you later," he said and waited until Feng Xuan was inside the property before driving off.

**

"I'm back," he announced at the house as he flicked through the mail on the table.

"Brotheeeer," said a voice from upstairs.

He found Wuming on the floor, a controller on his hands and a videogame on the screen. "You're cheating on that."

Wuming only laughed and continued to gun down the zombies. "How's the wife?"

"She's out with her cousin today. Where's Lok?"

"Out with his high school friends." Wuming plunged his hand in the bag of ch.i.p.s. "The mafia reports are on the table."

Qing Chen took the black folders and sat down on the floor with Wuming. He groaned when he saw another Mr. Wei, a headache in the making. "These violators really should be out of this club."

"Want to do something fun?"

"What do you mean?"

"How about a little prank?" Wuming paused his game. "Let's play a little game with father's friend. Let's make the first step in your 10-year plan today."

Qing Chen grinned back at Wuming. Yeah, he wrote that plan for a reason anyway. "Let's go."

**

The brothers entered The Underground flanked by a few guards. It was as if the world stopped for a second as people turned to look at them but they did not stop walking and got into one of the karaoke rooms. Just like any other room in The Underground, this one had no lock.

"Mr. Zhang," Qing Chen greeted the man with a woman who was definitely not a worker there.

"Hello, boy," the man said as his fingers hooked on the thin strap of the woman's top. "How is your father doing?"

"Really well," he answered.

"Okay, what are you doing in my room, then?"

"Mr. Zhang, you're violating our rules. No outside girls, remember?" Qing Chen smiled at the foreign girl. "Will you please step outside?"

"No," the man said sternly, all this time his eyes were on the woman's chest and neck like a hungry vampire wanting a bite. "I've done this a few times already."

"Yes, but with what you're doing the other members are going to start bringing their own girls. And these girls gossip," he continued smiling at the girl who clearly had no idea with what he was talking about. She was chewing gum and winked at him. "Before we know it, we are already exposed and out in the open."

"You have nothing to worry about," Mr Zhang said and trailed a finger down the girl's arm. "I get rid of them afterwards."

Qing Chen's temper had gone through the roof in a matter of seconds. He saw Wuming already moving towards Mr. Zhang with an air of darkness on his back. "What the hell did you say?" he asked, pulling the man from his seat.

The man of his mid-forties looked bored. "Who are you?"

Wuming's eyebrows twitched. "Feel like disobeying father?"

"He's too far away to stop us anyway," Qing Chen answered, his fists balling. "Want to do something crazy?"

Wuming grinned over his shoulder to Qing Chen who looked like he was a devil's spawn himself. "Like you needed to ask?" then he hauled Mr. Zhang out of the room, dragging him all the way to the exit—a spectacle for every other member.

**

"Tell me, Mr. Zhang," Qing Chen asked, the wind ruffling his hair. "Do you know how to swim?"

Mr. Zhang had been crying ever since he saw that they were at the top of a cliff. It did not really matter on what your status in life was, if you knew you were going to die, you would start to cry, pee your pants, and possibly defecate in your underwear. "Please, I promise I'll be a good member. I-I'll make a huge donation." He was on his knees, wrists bound by a rope, fingers together as if in prayer.

Qing Chen said, "You do not have a family. No one would miss you."

Upon hearing that, Mr. Zhang burst in more tears.

"Where do you kill the girls?" he asked.

"I-I bury them in an empty lot beside my house. There are six."

Wuming shook his head. "Tsk, tsk. That's a really bad burial spot. You, however, are going to be eaten by fish. Provided that the crash won't kill you."

Mr. Zhang continued to plead, making promises. The wind almost drowned out his voice. Qing Chen made a move and sliced through the ropes with a knife.

"Chen, what are you doing?"

"The crash will kill him. When they would find the body, there would no bonds on his hands. If you made it alive, you can try to swim," Qing Chen said. "Face the water."

Mr. Zhang was still crying as he turned on his knees to face the raging water below. The sun was beginning to set coloring the sky lilac, then he remembered that he had to come fetch Feng Xuan just before dinner.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" he asked impatiently.

Wuming was beside him. "Are you waiting for us to push you?"

"N-no, please!" Mr. Zhang said.

Wuming handed Qing Chen a small revolver. "Will you do the honors?"

Qing Chen spun the barrel and when it locked on a bullet, he pointed it on the back of the head of Mr. Zhang. On the last millisecond before his finger squeezed the trigger, Qing Chen turned the gun sideways.

The sound was enough to startle Mr. Zhang and cause him to fall on his death. It took seconds before he reached the surface of the water. He did not move and got swallowed by the waves.

"I told you it would kill him," Qing Chen said.

Wuming looked impressed, nodding. "I'll keep that in mind." He took back the gun and tossed it to one of their men. "You gotta admit, Chen. This is some satisfying work."

On the knife, Qing Chen caught a reflection of himself. Sure it was the same face, but that grin he had on his lips was from someone he had said goodbye to years ago. "If I'd known it would feel like this, I would've come to the north with you."

"And not marrying Feng Xuan? I don't think so."

The brothers laughed and Qing Chen wondered if the jokes about his wife would ever end.

But to the man at the knife, he said, "Hello again."