âHere you are,â said Han Jia as he slipped into Xiao Liâs private lounge room after taking a stroll around Jin Ting.
Xiao Li was standing at the side of the window, looking at the scenery outside as he smoked a cigarette. Once he heard Han Jiaâs voice, he simply let out âyeah,â in reply without turning around to look at him.
âLin Zi is downstairs hanging his head dejectedly into the ground as punishment ah,â Han Jia approached him, âWhy did you curse him so severely like that?â
Xiao Li frowned, âWhat? Heâs my subordinate, canât I curse at him?â
Han Jia leaned against the frame of the window and turn his head to the side to look at him, âHe had cut you once before and I didnât even see you curse him so harshly like that. So what, it wasnât anything serious, he was only slapped by a woman because he touched her, thatâs all. How could you curse him with such unpleasant words huh?â
Xiao Li snorted.
âIâve heard everything youâve said.â Han Jia sighed, âWhat, âa reckless gangster doesnât even understand his own importance,â what âwho could fall for a reckless person like you, theyâre more likely to use you,â Geez, just from what youâve said to him, Lin Ziâs complexion, tsk tsk, looked like a piece of shit.â
The wrinkles between Xiao Liâs brows tightened as he inhaled a puff of smoke, not saying anything.
âAre you cursing him or are you cursing yourself huh?â asked Han Jia, âDid Xiao Yang said something to you again?â
âNo, I havenât seen that kid for a long time now,â said Xiao Li.
âWhatâs wrong with your hand?â Han Jia stared at the wound on his knuckles, âWho did you hit?â suddenly as if he realized something, he laughed, âIt canât be that beastly teacher right?â
âWhat are you mentioning him for?â Xiao Li irritably pressed the cigarette stub against the ledge of the window before he turned to walk away.
âItâs really him?â
Han Jia burst out laughing as he watched Xiao Li sat on the sofa before he himself approached the sofa and sat down beside him.
âDidnât I tell you earlier on that heâs a beast and you still got close to him. Now you know right?â
Xiao Li wanted to take out another stick of cigarette, but just as he looked around for one, Han Jia grasped his hand in place before sympathetically saying: âItâs hard to bear right? You thought that he respected you so you never expected that he actually took a liking to your ass.â
âFuck off,â Xiao Li flung immediately his hand away with his own firm grip.
Han Jia playfully fell on the sofa while clutching his stomach in laughter before he said in between those laughter, âYou deserved it! Where would we find such a reckless gangster like you huh? One who envies a ârighteous blue collar workerâ and mix in with him, why donât you just surrender yourself to the authorities first huh? I heard you even went strolling around the street, shopping for clothes with him. Do you think youâre a white collar worker? Thatâs fucking ridiculous. Hahahaha!! Thatâs right, he even gave you flowers. Even my girls wonât fall for that bullshit and yet you actually visited him hahahahaha!â
It went on like this for a long moment before Han Jia wiped his tears of laughter and sat up straight on the sofa.
Xiao Li had already lit another cigarette a while ago. As he smoked his face was riddled in an ashy color before a livid expression graced it.
âHello, youâre not that right? Are you for real?â Han Jia felt a little stupid as he sighed and said, âI donât know what to say to make you feel better. Youâve been mixed in with the underworld for so long that you donât understand how things work anymore? There are only two types of white collar men, one is Xiao Yang who will always look down on you; and two is that beastly teacher, who wants to take advantage of you,â he patted Xiao Liâs shoulder, âAnd then there are those dirty cops, they look down on you and take advantage of you. If things donât develop as they want it, theyâll double cross you and lock you up in prison. Only if youâre brain dead would you actually want to be friends with those kinds of people.â
A dim sadness drew on Xiao Liâs expression; it was only a bit later did he nodded his head in agreement, âI know.â
Han Jia gave him a quick glance, âReally?! Youâre the stupid fool and you still have the nerve to vent out your anger on your little brothers. Then Iâll go and tell Lin Zi that he doesnât need to stand there as punishment anymore.â
Xiao Li merely said âyeahâ before Han Jia turned and walked towards the doors. When he twisted his head around to look at him Xiao Li, he hesitated for a moment before he said, âXiao Li, Iâm only saying this for your own good, but in regard to the matter that Qing Ye mentioned to you, if I were you, I would agree to it.â
âFucking leave now.â Xiao Li didnât bother to look up at him.
After Han Jia left, Xiao Li remained sitting on that sofa by himself for a long time. It was only until his cigarette burn out did he sobered up from his thoughts. Just as he was about to head to the bathroom to wash his hands, his cell phone buzzed.
He picked it up for a look and to his surprise, it was a call from Qi Susu. He hesitated for a moment, but he still pressed the answer button.
âXiao dage!â The sound of Qi Susuâs sobbing voice immediately transmitted through the phone, âQi dage, huhuhu, what should I do?â
âCalm down a bit first.â Xiao Li use a warm tone of voice to comfort her.
With great difficulty, Qi Susu controlled the sound of her weeping and as she held it back she said, âXiao dage, the hospital called and told me that my brother was beaten by someone. I called A Yang and couldnât get in contact with him either. Do you think someone will attack A Yang too? Xiao dage, Iâm home alone and Iâm really scared ahâŚâŚâŚâ
âFirst donât cry. Give one of your colleague a call and let them accompany you to the hospital. Iâll go look for Xiao Yang okay?â said Xiao Li.
âOkay, then please tell A Yang to give me a call when you find him.â
After Xiao Li hung up the call, he hesitated for a moment, but nevertheless he decided to go out and look for Xiao Yang as to ease his own worry.
He didnât even have the time to leave yet before Li Shi Qingâs phone call came through to him.
âXiao Li,â Li Shi Qingâs voice was very gentle but even then it carried a bit of sympathy to it, âCome over to where I am right now, something happenedâŚâŚto your brother.â