Chapter 8: A Breakfast Interruption and a Dubious Invitation

The next day, as I slowly awakened, I found myself listlessly scrolling through my phone while still in bed. The thought of making breakfast for Ming Hai and the others, however, reluctantly pulled me from my covers.

Opening my room door, I noticed Old Han was up unusually early today. She stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing intently outside, and turned to offer me a smile when she heard the door, before resuming her silent vigil.

I watched her for a moment, then scratched my head and peered into the fridge. Turning back, I asked, “What do you feel like eating?”

Old Han replied, “Just fry a few eggs.”

I yawned, nodded in agreement, and washed my hands before heading to the stove to begin preparations.

I retrieved a few eggs and a bowl from the cabinet, placing the unbroken eggs inside. Twisting the knob on the gas stove, I heated the pan and then poured in a thin layer of oil; too much grease in the morning would only lead to stomachaches.

Once the oil shimmered with a faint wisp of smoke, I cracked two eggs into the pan and sprinkled them with a pinch of salt. Afterward, I prepared portions for Ming Hai and Dragon Brother, topping each with a generous swirl of ketchup.

Ming Hai had also risen by then, silently settling onto the sofa to watch me fry eggs.

Her hair was a wild mess, and she wore a bear-themed pajama set; I had to suppress a chuckle at the sight. I placed the fried eggs on the coffee table, served her half a bowl of rice, and then rose to wake Dragon Brother—it truly felt as though I were raising three children. Aside from Old Han, who at least possessed some maturity and didn’t cause trouble, I was starting to feel like a single father.

Pushing open Dragon Brother’s door, I found the room in absolute disarray. Beach shorts lay abandoned on the floor, a tracksuit and t-shirt were haphazardly shed from their sleeves and tossed into a pile, and the computer desk was covered in a thick layer of ash. The sight made my head ache; how was I ever going to clean all this?

Suddenly, Dragon Brother let out a thunderous shout: “This area! Who else dares?!”

The abrupt yell made me jump, and I quickly focused my gaze. Dragon Brother lay sprawled on the bed in my boxer briefs, slowly rolling over.

Honestly, whatever lingering drowsiness I had this morning was completely eradicated by Dragon Brother’s outburst. It immediately became clear why Old Han had woken so early; while others might mumble in their sleep, Dragon Brother was practically shouting her dreams.

Dragon Brother’s sleeping posture was exceptionally unrestrained. Her thin tank top was half-lifted, one hand rested on her fair stomach, and the soft curves of her chest were partially exposed…

After a moment of hesitation, I stepped forward and gently patted Dragon Brother’s arm. Tentatively, I said, “Hey, time to get up!”

Dragon Brother clutched her pillow, burying her head into it, and mumbled indistinctly, “Just a little more sleep…”

I called out, “No more sleeping! It’s almost ten, everyone’s waiting for you to eat!”

Dragon Brother, her eyes still clouded with sleep, looked at me. She rubbed her ruby-red eyes, remaining prone on the bed as she watched me.

We stared at each other for a good thirty seconds. Then, Dragon Brother sat up, groggily staring at her legs, before leaning towards the edge of the bed—I thought she was finally getting up. Instead, she picked up a blanket from the floor, threw it over her head, and the bundled mass quickly wiggled its way back to the side of the bed!

Staring at the intractable lump of blanket, I felt a surge of exasperation. After a speechless moment, I moved to pull the blanket off Dragon Brother.

Damn, she was really holding on tight. Fortunately, Dragon Brother’s weight had become remarkably light after turning into a woman… Wait, why would her weight decrease? Does that even follow the law of conservation of energy?

I yanked the blanket off with force and heard a thud. I realized I had pulled both the blanket and Dragon Brother right off the bed. Clutching the blanket tightly, Dragon Brother shrieked, “Can’t I just sleep a little longer?! Give me two more minutes! I’ll get up in two minutes!”

Straining, I dragged Dragon Brother, still tangled in the blanket, towards the living room, panting as I spoke. “Two more minutes? I’d sooner freeze my memories solid! Get up and eat now; you can sleep all day after that!”

Dragon Brother wailed pitifully, “Fine! Fine!! Stop pulling, ah, my leg’s getting chafed!”

I released her, my expression unyielding. Dragon Brother grumbled a curse as she slowly clambered to her feet, then obediently returned the blanket to her room.

I considered following her, worried she might just collapse back into bed, but thankfully, Dragon Brother emerged, scratching her hair in annoyance. She shot me a glare and sat on the sofa in a huff.

Old Han chuckled softly, watching us.

Ming Hai was no longer on the sofa; she had likely retreated to her room for more sleep. It seemed her entire existence revolved around sleeping.

Dragon Brother slowly picked at her rice, bowl in hand. I stood nearby, waiting, my eyes fixed on her bowl, ready to wash it along with the others later—truly, my days were incredibly hectic.

Just then, my phone rang. During this holiday, who else but my three housemates would be calling me? I instinctively glanced at the living room clock before answering, “Who is this?”

After a brief hesitation, the voice on the other end said, “It’s me, my name is Liu Renfeng.”

‘Liu Renfeng?’ I mused. The voice was familiar, yet I couldn’t place where I’d heard it, sounding much like a high schooler. As I pondered this, the voice continued, “We’ve met before; everyone calls me Young Master Feng.”

I immediately lowered the phone, took a deep breath, and scanned the living room. Dragon Brother was still eating, and Old Han was wrapped in a blanket, engrossed in her phone. Raising the phone to my ear again, I demanded, “Who gave you my number?”

A cold chuckle came from the other end. He said, “That’s none of your concern.”

I replied, “What do you want from me?”

The person on the other end seemed to choke for a moment. After a long pause, Liu Renfeng mused, “I just wanted to ask… about that white-haired girl yesterday, what’s your relationship with her?”

I felt a little exasperated; this rich second generation really intended to pursue Dragon Brother. Not long ago, he’d even brought over a dozen people to the internet cafe entrance, waiting to ambush her.

I glanced at Dragon Brother, who was still eating. Dragon Brother dating a man? Only if her brain had been hit by a mortar shell during a fight.

Without needing to ask, I rejected him on Dragon Brother’s behalf, stating bluntly, “She’s my wife, so don’t even think about it.”

Old Han looked up curiously, asking, “Who’s on the phone?”

I waved a hand, signaling her to be quiet, and Old Han eyed me with confusion. Over the phone, Liu Renfeng tried to sound conciliatory: “You don’t need to be so defensive; I just wanted to share a meal… After all, our people were indeed in the wrong a few days ago.” “This time, it’s on me, as an apology…”

As I listened, I watched Dragon Brother, who was slowly nibbling at her fried egg. She rarely woke up early or ate breakfast, a habit I had painstakingly forced her to adopt.

I pondered the invitation. Truthfully, bringing Dragon Brother along to dine with that little punk wasn’t entirely out of the question, but I was terrified she’d expose herself.

If it were Old Han or Ming Hai, it might be manageable; I could probably bluff our way through. But what about Dragon Brother? Her striking white hair and the scar over her right eye were far too distinctive. If that kid Liu noticed anything, and just subtly tried to pry… with Dragon Brother’s intellect, she’d surely give everything away.

Dragon Brother finally finished her meal with a huff, handed me the bowl, and shot me a glare. I took the bowl from her, cradled the phone between my shoulder and ear, and walked towards the sink, saying, “I’ll see about it, but forget about her; she’s got her period today.”

Dragon Brother, clutching her ankles, yawned and turned to Old Han. She asked, “You’ve got your period?”

Old Han rolled her eyes, saying, “Period? What are you talking… Oh, no, not yet.”

On the phone, Liu Renfeng sounded a little disappointed, letting out an ‘Oh.’ He continued, “Well, you can come alone then. Huixing Grand Hotel, today at noon, twelve o’clock. Call me when you arrive; I’ve reserved a private room, there are some things I want to discuss with you.”

I said, “I’ll think about it and see. If I have time, I’ll go.”

Liu Renfeng urged, “You don’t need to be so afraid; I won’t bring anyone else… If you’re really scared, you can always bring that white-haired girl along. Two people together might make you feel safer…”

I almost burst out laughing; the bait was so obvious, his little scheme transparent. I smiled and shook my head, saying, “Forget it, she really does have her period.”

Liu Renfeng sighed. “Then I’ll go make the reservation. Twelve o’clock, don’t be late...” Perhaps remembering my beach shorts from that day, he added, “The hotel requires formal attire, otherwise the doorman will stop you. Dress a bit more presentably today.”

He hung up.

I took the phone from my shoulder, placed it by the sink, and sighed as I began washing dishes. It seemed there was an endless parade of annoying tasks. Dragon Brother asked curiously, “Who was that? Where are you going today?”

I replied, “Someone’s invited me to a ‘Hongmen Banquet’—it’s quite urgent, they want me to go.”

Dragon Brother chuckled upon hearing this. “Then go!” she said. “What’s there to be afraid of? A real man doesn’t back down! If anything happens, call me. Don’t be a coward, just go for it!”

‘You say that so easily,’ I thought. ‘Go for what? Go for whom? I might end up being taken advantage of today… He’s waiting for me at a grand hotel; if I arrive and that Liu guy tells me to go to room 303, I’d be in trouble before Dragon Brother even arrived.’

After a moment’s consideration, I decided this meal probably held no deeper meaning; he simply wanted to pursue Dragon Brother. Dragon Brother hadn’t actually laid a hand on anyone, and the whole affair had started with his people’s provocations. Aside from a few sarcastic remarks from me, there didn’t seem to be any deep-seated animosity between us.

His intention for this dinner was quite simple: since I had a connection with Dragon Brother and he wanted to court her, there was no need to fall out with me. He might as well arrange a meal to chat, perhaps even give me a verbal warning, saying something intimidating. He certainly didn’t believe Dragon Brother was my wife, so the intimidation was probably meant to scare me away from her. Even if it didn’t scare me, it might at least make him feel better after my smart remarks yesterday.

So I might as well go, and we could lay all our cards on the table. If I needed to back down a little, I would, and then the matter would be resolved. After all, I’d simply insist Dragon Brother was my wife; what could he do, try to steal her from me? With his scrawny physique, how could he possibly pursue Dragon Brother? He’d be lucky not to get crippled by one of her flying kicks…

With that, I quickly tidied myself up and prepared to leave, without bothering to dress up much; I simply wore what I normally would. I didn’t even know where the Huixing Grand Hotel was, so I hailed a taxi, which cost me twenty yuan—damn it, I’d make sure to eat that money back later.

Arriving at the hotel, I somewhat understood why that Liu guy had told me to wear formal attire. Damn, this hotel was enormous, not to mention its opulent, gilded decor. The parking lot had no ordinary cars, only Hummers, Porsches, and at the very least, Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

I stood dumbfounded at the hotel entrance for a long time, and the doorman watched me for just as long. Finally, he asked if I needed any service, but I waved him off, feeling that if I accepted service, I’d have to tip. With only thirty yuan in my pocket and twenty spent on the taxi, I stood downstairs, preparing to call that Liu guy.

The doorman probably hadn’t seen someone so brazen at a hotel like this before. After a moment of surprise, he said I could call him if I needed anything, then returned to his post. His service was truly impeccable; I had initially been thinking that if he’d been rude and tried to turn me away, I’d call Liu down and play the legendary ‘pig pretending to eat a tiger’ trick. But it seemed that wouldn’t be necessary now.

Liu soon descended, looking anxious. He peered left and right at the entrance, quickly spotting me amidst the crowd: my shabby down jacket stood out glaringly among all the suits.

He walked directly towards me, and the doorman respectfully bowed his head, greeting, ‘Young Master Feng!’ With my hands in my pockets, I watched him approach. He wore a white suit, clearly a man from a wealthy family—I wondered what his family did, as one wouldn’t dare visit such a hotel without earning tens of thousands a month.

Liu Renfeng whispered, “Didn’t I tell you to wear formal attire? Why are you still wearing this down jacket?”

I replied, “This down jacket cost over a thousand yuan; isn’t that formal enough? At least I’m not wearing my beach shorts.”

He covered his forehead, looking utterly exasperated. We took the elevator up to the tenth floor, where two rather elegant young women, clad in vibrant red qipaos, stood by the entrance. They showed no reaction to my down jacket, simply nodded slightly, and led the way.

Liu and I chose a window seat at a small square table adorned with a white porcelain vase holding an unknown, but sweetly fragrant, flower.

I plopped into the chair, looking around, while Liu sat opposite me, hands clasped, avoiding my gaze. I figured he saw me as nothing more than a country bumpkin.

Within seconds, a qipao-clad young woman gracefully approached, carrying an exquisite menu. She smiled, “Hello, Young Master Feng. For red wine, the usual ’92 Eagle’s Cry, right?”

Liu didn’t look up at her, instead staring out the window, and said listlessly, “Not today, bring a ’94 instead.”

This qipao-clad young woman wasn’t as discreet as the two at the elevator, constantly glancing at me with curiosity—had I really just left the house without washing my hair today?

The young woman in the qipao waited patiently. Finally, Liu looked up, sighed, and asked me, “What about you, do you want red wine?”

Truth be told, I’d never had red wine, but I was tired of being treated like a bumpkin. With a grand wave of my hand, I declared, “Bring a bottle of ’82 Lafite!”

The young woman smiled politely, looking inquiringly at Liu Renfeng, who again covered his forehead and muttered, “Just do as he says.”

The young woman nodded with a smile, about to turn, when I quickly interjected, “Wait a moment, is the ’82 Lafite actually good?”

Liu looked up at the chandelier, practically rolling his eyes, and I understood my question had embarrassed him—was I not allowed to ask if I hadn’t tried it? I’d heard Lafite was expensive; if it wasn’t good, I’d order something else.

The young woman, however, courteously smiled and said, “Sir, we offer wine tasting here. If it’s not to your liking, you can always choose another.”

I pondered for a moment, then tentatively said, “Then let’s just try a two-yuan glass first.”

The young woman gave a polite chuckle and turned towards the reception desk. No sooner had she left than Liu’s face twisted, and he said with a bitter expression, “Are you… are you intentionally trying to embarrass me?”

I suspected that if this guy weren’t trying to pursue Dragon Brother, he’d probably grab my collar and throw me off the tenth floor. I said helplessly, “You’re paying anyway. If you think the ’82 Lafite is too expensive, we can just get a mug of draft beer.”

Liu slumped in his chair, likely convinced I was beyond reason.

Soon, the young woman in the qipao returned, carrying a stemmed glass filled with red wine, which she elegantly placed on my table. I raised the glass, downed it in one gulp, smacked my lips twice, and frowned—this wasn’t good at all. Was wine supposed to be this bitter? I remembered it being sweet.

Liu was already refusing to look at me, staring out the window like a dead salted fish, while the young woman waited beside me with a smile. Honestly, I really wanted to order a bottle of Snow beer, but I felt I was here to discuss business, and ordering something cheap was for his benefit, to save him money. Seeing how rich he was, it seemed he didn’t need the saving.

It wouldn’t do to be *too* embarrassing. I considered ordering something tasty and expensive, then tentatively asked the young woman, “Um, I tried it, and it doesn’t really suit my taste… So no Lafite. Do you have ‘Brave the World’ here?”

Liu suddenly leaped from his chair—I was getting fed up with his dramatics. Was ‘Brave the World’ too cheap and embarrassing for him? I jumped up too, angrily slamming the table and shouting, “Yes! That’s what I want! Bring a bottle of ’82 Lafite, we’ll take one sip and dump it! And then bring me two bottles of ‘Brave the World’!”

Young Master Feng stood there with a twisted expression for a while, then seemed to remember something and slumped back down. ‘Today, I am not a person,’ I thought. I pointed at Young Master Feng and told the young woman, “Here! He’ll pay for the Lafite, and I’ll pay for the Brave the World!”

As I spoke, I pulled out the ten yuan remaining from my taxi fare from my pocket, along with a fifty-cent coin that clinked as it bounced on the floor. I reached down to pick it up. Young Master Feng, exasperated, pulled out two hundred-yuan bills from his pocket and told the young woman, “Buy it! Could you please… go to a supermarket…?”

The young woman accepted the two hundred yuan with a smile, bowed slightly, and turned to leave.

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