Chapter 133

Hua Mao called Old Man Mei out. This time, he had gone too far.

In recent years, there had already been no such battles in Jiangbei. Ever since street warfare had transformed into commercial warfare, these big battles of fighting and killing had not appeared in a long time.

So this time, Hua Mao was settling scores.

Ever since Old Man Mei had made this dirty move behind his back, he knew that Hua Mao would settle scores with him sooner or later. He lived as if walking on thin ice.

This Old Man Mei was also an old gangster, and he had been in the gangdom of Jiangbei for many years. But he had always been overshadowed by Hua Mao. Hua Mao had defected to Luo Jiu and Fang Yu back then. His power was at its peak, and Old Man Mei was not even his match. He could only lie in his den. Later, there was a reform in 1995, and he also went out to hide for a while during the crackdown. After Fang Yu was imprisoned, Hua Mao also was sent to prison. It was then that Old Man Mei expanded his power in Jiangbei, but as soon as Hua Mao returned, there was nothing for Old Man Mei to do. When fighting for people, territory, ruthlessness, or brains, he really couldn’t beat this sissy. Old Man Mei hated Hua Mao to death in his heart, but what was a local snake? There was only one local snake. If he really had Hua Mao’s ability, he would long not be in this situation now. So Old Man Mei was always well-behaved, not daring to speak out.

But nowadays, people have been tempted by money. If they had meat to eat, no one would want to drink soup. People died in pursuit of money, and birds died in pursuit of food. Just the word money also made Old Man Mei take great risks. Last time, he couldn’t open an Internet café, and he had the heart to take Hua Mao down. This time, it could be considered an all-in gamble. He just wanted to send Hua Mao to the police station. Even if he didn’t go to prison, he would be skinned. Unexpectedly, Hua Mao was released shortly. This time, Old Man Mei knew that he was lifting a stone and smashing his own foot. Hua Mao would definitely settle this score with him.

He avoided him on the first, but he couldn’t avoid him on the fifteenth. Old Man Mei braced himself and could only fight desperately.

Both sides agreed on the next day. Hua Mao also left his words at the beginning. How Hua Mao said those words was not important, but what was important was that Old Man Mei understood that this time, if both sides were not dead or disabled, this score could not be settled.

Risking one’s life was not strange in the 1980s and 1990s. In this era of valuing one’s life, there were very few bosses who were willing to risk their own lives. Unfortunately, Hua Mao came from that era. He was never someone who valued his life.

Back then, the boss retreating to the back and ordering his subordinates to risk their lives was not the style. Hua Mao was a gangster from the last century with an excellent and very traditional style. He wanted to return to his most familiar and primitive battlefield.

The night before the fight, Hua Mao returned home.

Tomorrow was a tough battle. Hua Mao needed to go back and sleep.

He got downstairs, and it was already late at night. As he walked towards the corridor, he heard the sound of a car door opening.

Hua Mao became alert. Hearing the sound of footsteps quickly approaching, Hua Mao swiftly turned around. Someone grabbed him tightly, and the person also ran into his body.

Hua Mao stabilized this stumbling person and saw the white bandage around his head. Hua Mao loosened his clenched fists. The other person grabbed his shoulder. The heavy pressure was so close that Hua Mao was nearly pressed into his chest.

“Don’t go.” He grasped Hua Mao tightly, as though Hua Mao would disappear once he released his hand. “Don’t go yet.”

Hua Mao didn’t push him away and didn’t say anything. Seeing that he didn’t resist, Gu Fei finally relaxed some of his strength. His hand was still firmly pressed on his shoulder.

“…I have something to say to you.” Gu Fei’s voice was extremely tired and hoarse. His feet were also unstable, as if barely supporting him.

“Don’t say it. I already know.” Hua Mao looked at the injury on Gu Fei’s head. In the night, he could only see the white bandage. It was eye-catching and conspicuous. “That wasn’t done by you. I understand. You don’t have to say it.”

Hua Mao didn’t expect that Gu Fei was still waiting here. It had already been so many days. Seeing Gu Fei’s swaying body, Hua Mao didn’t know how long he had been waiting here. He supported Gu Fei’s balance. Gu Fei seemed to need to rely on his support to stand firm.

Gu Fei shook his head.

“No, it’s not that. But not now. I can’t hold on anymore. Can you let me sleep a while first? I’ll just rest my eyes.”

He still held onto Hua Mao and didn’t let go.

“But you can’t leave. Wait for me to wake up and tell you, okay, Chen Zhiqiang? Say you agree and wait for me to wake up… Keep your word… Chen Zhiqiang…”

Gu Fei’s voice became quieter and quieter. His eyelids drooped heavily. Hua Mao’s shoulders sank. Gu Fei’s entire body weight had already fallen on his shoulders, and Hua Mao had no choice but to hold him.

“Hey! Cop! Hey!”

Gu Fei didn’t respond, his head falling on Hua Mao’s shoulder as he already fell asleep. Hua Mao held his large body and turned to pat Gu Fei’s face. Gu Fei had also lost consciousness.

In the dark night, in the depths of the neighborhood, a young man was holding a police officer in uniform. It was silent all around, and there was only a sigh.

Hua Mao put Gu Fei onto the bed. He took off his police uniform, pulled up the blankets, and covered him up.

Only under the light did Hua Mao see Gu Fei’s face clearly. There was heavy blueness under his eyelids, and his hair was messy. Haggard and exhausted, he slept soundly. It wasn’t clear how long he had been up without closing his eyes.

Da Biao had told Hua Mao that recently, Gu Fei had no energy to wait for him, because a major case had occurred at the police station. The police had been working day and night, and they had already worked nonstop for several days. There wasn’t even enough time to get three or four hours of free time to sleep every day. How could he still have the energy to wait for him?

“Bai Pi said that cop hasn’t closed his eyes for several days. Even if he’s free, he’ll definitely go home and sleep. If he comes again to watch over you, wouldn’t he be made of iron?? Hua Ge, go back. It’s fine!”

…

Hua Mao sat by the bed, looked at the injury on Gu Fei’s head, and looked at his face.

When he was asleep, his face still appeared childish. His face was sharp and angular, his cheeks slightly sunken. He was so young and still a cop.

A cop was sleeping on his bed, and he himself had carried him up.

Hua Mao looked at Gu Fei’s side profile. Initially, this side profile captivated him, causing him to always think of the person in his heart. The person whom he couldn’t get, but always kept well in his heart.

Looking at this side profile now, there was unutterable foolishness; silly and blank. It was so foolish that it filled Hua Mao’s heart with a kind of familiar bitterness and piercing pain.

Hua Mao brushed away the hair on Gu Fei’s forehead and studied his face. This seemed to be the first time that he studied him seriously, looking at his eyebrows, the bridge of his nose, and his lips. Every single place.

“Are you dumb?”

After a long time, Hua Mao blurted out. Complicated emotions filled his uncomplicated heart.

He was really fucking dumb, so dumb that he had almost forgotten that there was also such a dumb person in this world to begin with.

It was just that it was too far away, so far that he wouldn’t remember it anymore.

He sat by the bedside, pulled out a cigarette, and put it in his mouth.

Smoke curled up. There was heavy darkness outside the window. The mirror facing him reflected a face. That face was still delicate and good-looking, but his eyes held the vicissitudes of life and could no longer conceal the washing of time.

Hua Mao stared at his own face in the smoke, lost in thought. After a long time, the person beside him moved. Hua Mao stubbed out the cigarette and turned around. Gu Fei unconsciously turned over. Hua Mao picked up the blanket that had slipped down, pulled it up, and covered him. He tucked in the corners of the blanket, and then stood up.

His movements seemed to wake up Gu Fei. Gu Fei suddenly opened his eyes slightly and instinctively grabbed his clothes.

Hua Mao turned around, but Gu Fei’s gaze was not yet awake. He couldn’t help but close his heavy eyelids again. Gradually, a slight snoring began again, but his fingers still gripped Hua Mao firmly. Hua Mao tried to get up, but that hand still held his shirt.

Hua Mao hesitated for a moment and stopped moving. He turned off the desk lamp, took off his clothes, pulled aside the blanket, and lay down as well.

After Hua Mao lay down, the warmth by his side was right next to him. In his dreams, Gu Fei approached him instinctively, hugged Hua Mao’s waist with his arms, and gradually tightened.

The ceiling reflected a faint light outside the window. The person by his side hugged Hua Mao, his heavy breathing by Hua Mao’s ears.

Hua Mao moved, and those arms tightened. The powerful arms seemed to shackle Hua Mao in his embrace. Only with this weight in his arms, could he fall asleep with peace of mind.

Listening to the sound of regular breaths by his ear, Hua Mao lay down without moving again.

In the middle of the night, Gu Fei seemed to move. Hua Mao woke up and turned his head, meeting Gu Fei’s open eyes. They looked at each other in the darkness. Gu Fei’s eyes were still half asleep, with confusion and haziness.

He suddenly closed his arms, turned sideways, and pressed onto Hua Mao’s chest. Amidst the sound of clothes rubbing against each other, Gu Fei lowered his head and looked down at Hua Mao, half asleep.

“…You can’t leave…”

Gu Fei mumbled, as though talking in his sleep.

“…You can’t run either…”

He stroked Hua Mao’s face gently and lowered his head.

Their lips met. Gu Fei kissed Hua Mao gently, again and again, gently sucking.

Their lips parted and met shallowly in the darkness. Hua Mao’s lack of rejection caused Gu Fei to show an expression of reassurance. Until he closed his eyelids, buried his face in Hua Mao’s neck, lay down on Hua Mao, and fell asleep again.

Hua Mao silently faced the ceiling. In the darkness, there was the beating of Gu Fei’s chest on his heart…

That’s a wrap! Thank you to everyone who has made it to the end.

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