(For Chapter 1-163, go to (https://chrysanthemumgarden.com/novel-tl/awbtv/))
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The hall fell silent for a few breaths.
Ahead to the side of Chu Yunsheng, Young Master Li—dressed in military uniform with the air of a ruffian soldier—lifted his eyelids and suddenly spoke, laughing with a sigh:
"Ah, with what Mr. Yu just said, I'm afraid those who spread rumors, those with ulterior motives writing in the newspapers, twisting right and wrong and smearing people's names—those stinking gutter vermin—won't be getting a good night's sleep again."
"Well now, what's this, Mr. Du? Have you really gotten so old that your hands are shaking? You can't even hold a bowl of tea steady…"
At those words, before Du Tianming himself had any reaction, the dozen men he'd brought with him all darkened in expression, their hands moving toward their guns.
"How dare you insult Mr. Du!"
Young Master Li's expression didn't change; he only laughed heartily:
"Look at that—forty or fifty years old, and can't stand being called old? That's enough to make you reach for your guns?"
There was also a man dressed like a scholar who joined in the heckling, clapping his hands with a laugh: "I've heard that in some bandit dens up in the northwest, they like to fire their guns during festivals to celebrate—and they won't rest until blood is spilled, until they've killed someone. But here in Haicheng we don't do such things. This is Mr. Yu's residence, gentlemen, so don't mistake the place and cause trouble. Mr. Du, don't act on impulse."
Du Tianming's gaze turned cold, cursing in his heart at these two shameless tongue-fencers under Yu Jingzhi's command—how dare they mock him in public! If this weren't a Hongmen Banquet he'd knowingly come to, he would have drawn his gun and shot them both on the spot.
(TN: 鸿门宴 (Hongmen Banquet) - It refers to a famous historical event during the late Qin Dynasty (206 BCE). It means a banquet or meeting that is actually a trap, where danger lurks beneath a polite surface.)
Quickly concealing his sinister expression, Du Tianming lifted his hand slightly.
"All right, enough. This is getting out of hand."
He gave a mild but firm rebuke, signaling his men to put away their guns, then turned to Yu Jingzhi with a helpless smile and sigh:
"Brother Yu, it was just a couple of jokes, nothing to take seriously. But… it's one thing if kids don't know any better, yet you really ought to keep your men in line. Today it's me, your brother, so I won't mind—but if it were anyone else, they'd have taken real offense."
Yu Jingzhi held his teacup, smiled lightly, and replied in an unhurried voice:
"Li Qi and He Xian are both nearing thirty already. They can hardly be called children. How could I possibly rein them in?"
Du Tianming's expression stiffened.
He had handed Yu Jingzhi a way to smooth things over, only to find Yu Jingzhi refused to give him any face at all.
Still, Du Tianming hadn't become the number two figure in Haicheng overnight. His skill at swallowing humiliation was well-honed. Though inwardly resentful, his face showed nothing unusual—only a trace of embarrassment, a hint of suppressed grievance leaking through.
From several seats away, Chu Yunsheng watched and couldn't help but feel puzzled: what exactly had this Chairman Du of the Tianming Society come here for? He'd brought along a foreigner who didn't intervene, a group of brothers who dared not act, tried to spar with words but couldn't keep up, and was now left red-faced. Was he here just to suffer indignity?
Gang rivalries often broke out into bloodshed at the slightest provocation. Compared to that, the earlier war of words was harmless. Yu Jingzhi, brushing it off, paid no mind to Du Tianming's expression. Instead, he shifted the topic, saying:
"I heard a little while back, over at Pier No. 2 in Zhabei, you ran into some trouble, Brother Du?"
With that, the true subject of today's meeting had finally surfaced.
Du Tianming cast a sidelong glance at the foreigner sitting in front, then chuckled easily:
"Ah, a minor matter. Brother Yu, isn't your mind all set on the northern side? Surprising you'd still concern yourself with this."
"How could I not concern myself with what happens in Haicheng?" Yu Jingzhi smiled. "Speaking of the north—this time, when I head to Beiping, there's also a merchants' guild that has ordered a very large shipment from me, to be sent by water. But wouldn't you know it, by sheer bad luck, not a single dock or port under my control is free."
Du Tianming finally caught on, sneering coldly in his heart, though on the surface he still pretended not to understand. With a show of generosity, he said:
"It's all a small matter. Since Brother Yu has asked, lending you a dock for two days is no problem."
Yu Jingzhi shook his head:
"This order is split into many batches. It can't be shipped in just two or three days—more like two or three years."
What a lion's opening of its jaws!
(TN: It's a common Chinese idiom used when someone asks for far too much—like opening negotiations with an exorbitant or shameless request. "What an outrageous demand!" basically.)
Du Tianming nearly laughed from sheer anger. Just a few words from Yu, and he was asking to borrow the largest dock for two or three years? If he truly lent it, wouldn't it never be returned?
"Brother Yu, in business, don't you ever leave a little room?" Du Tianming said, his words carrying a double meaning.
Yu Jingzhi looked at him and gave a low laugh:
"Brother Du, when you travel far, do you like taking the train?"
The attack at the train station had only happened the night before. Though no survivors had been left behind, both sides knew the truth perfectly well.
As Yu Jingzhi spoke, his expression was still one of faint amusement, but beneath his tone lay a deep chill and a clear warning. Du Tianming had no doubt—if he refused this demand for compensation today, in the days to come he would know no peace, hounded by Yu's men.
It wasn't that he feared Yu Jingzhi. It was simply that the time wasn't right yet.
Du Tianming's face darkened completely, the mask gone, no longer bothering to conceal his feelings.
Du Tianming didn't answer Yu Jingzhi's question, and Yu Jingzhi didn't press further. The two of them fell into silence for a while, during which the stage had already been tidied up and the performance began anew.
Once the performance below the stage was finished, everyone could focus on the opera being performed onstage.
Dusk passed, and night descended.
The melodious and lively tunes, together with the drawn-out singing, brought cheer back into the courtyard.
The foreigner, Mr. Pitt, sitting up front, and Boss Meng in the seats behind, both applauded enthusiastically, calling out praises again and again. Strings of festive lanterns lit up, dazzling in their colors. Not far away, fireworks were set off from someone's courtyard, bursting in the night sky like trees of fire and showers of silver—a splendid scene befitting the Lantern Festival.
The opera went on until midnight, when the moon hung high, before finally coming to an end.
Du Tianming had come by car, and so he returned by car to the Foreign Concession.
As the vehicle passed the bustling lantern fair on the main street of Haicheng County, Mr. Pitt—who had been curiously observing everything and seemed in high spirits—suddenly turned to Du Tianming and asked,
"Is that the man you want to kill?"
There were only three people in the car: the driver, Du Qi, at the wheel, and Du Tianming and Pitt in the backseat. Yet Du Tianming immediately understood what Pitt was referring to.
"Yes."
He said, "I must have made a fool of myself in front of you today, Mr. Pitt."
Pitt, speaking fluent but heavily accented Chinese, replied, "A man like that, holding so much power in Haicheng, it's not easy for you either, Mr. Du. He really does seem a bit like the 'local emperor' you called him. But Mr. Du, you must understand—many people in the Foreign Concession give him face. As for us, we don't interfere with what happens outside."
Du Tianming smiled faintly. "Mr. Pitt, you're right—the Foreign Concession stand above everything, and don't trouble themselves with what goes on below. But you've only just arrived in Haicheng, so you may not know: Yu Jingzhi's abilities are not something the Foreign Concession can contain. His ambition is as vast as the sky—he wants to swallow everything."
Pitt asked again, "You said that recently he went north, and then disappeared?"
"Yes," Du Tianming answered.
The car slowly drove into the Foreign Concession area and stopped in front of a western-style building, heavily guarded. Pitt spoke once more before getting out: "The opera you invited me to today was very good, I liked it a lot. Tomorrow my assistant will get in touch with the Tianming Society."
"Good, good, good! Many thanks, Mr. Pitt. Good night, Mr. Pitt." Du Tianming's face lit up with joy, and he spoke repeatedly, watching Pitt's figure disappear into the doorway of the mansion before telling Du Qi to start the car again and head home.
As soon as the car left that district, the smile on Du Tianming's face vanished instantly.
Du Qi, who was driving, kept glancing at him in the rearview mirror. Seeing this, his expression grew dark, and he asked in a low, tense voice: "Godfather, can this foreigner really be trusted?"
Du Tianming leaned back against the seat, closed his eyes, and sneered. "Trusted or not, this is a ship we have to board. Don't be fooled by Pitt's easygoing demeanor—he's sly underneath. He claims he only just arrived in Haicheng by boat, but his Haicheng dialect is even smoother than mine. Zhao Wu already checked—this foreigner came from the Northeast."
"Ask me if I want to kill Yu Jingzhi? I think it's them who want him dead."
Du Qi said, "So, Godfather, you don't want to kill him?"
Du Tianming replied, "How could I not? Your godfather here—day and night in my dreams, I can't help but wish I could put a bullet in that Yu Jingzhi. All these years, with that little bastard around, he's pressed me so hard I can barely breathe, forced me to act like a damned turtle hiding in its shell. Just count it up—how many times have we tried to kill him these past years? …But his life is tough. Every single time, he survives."
"But this time will be different."
Du Tianming let out a sigh. "Lately… too many people have been coming into the Foreign Concession. This world—it's only going to get more chaotic. And once chaos starts, it's kill or be killed. What I just said wasn't nonsense—that Yu fellow, his ambition is immeasurable. Earlier this year, he went north, and Sun Decheng and I set up a trap to kill him, but instead, we ended up becoming his shield."
"What he's really after, I can't guess, but one thing's certain—it won't leave room for people like us. Just look at those warlords out west—which one of them ever tolerated another man snoring beside his own bed? In the past, Yu moved cautiously, step by step. But now his footing is firm. Sooner or later, he'll want to sweep Haicheng clean. That's why, before he comes to kill us, we have to strike first."
(TN: which one of them ever tolerated another man snoring beside his own bed? - Overall idiom means no powerful leader tolerates a rival so close (danger of betrayal/ambition)
"As for your cousins worrying that we're inviting a wolf into the house—heh. Foreigners are foreigners. At most, they're just crossing-dragons—passing through. When it comes to the affairs of this land, it's still us Chinese who have the final say."
"Xiao Qi, you've still got a lot to learn."
With a faint trace of smugness, Du Tianming gave a long sigh and fell silent.
Seeing that he didn't want to speak further, Du Qi stopped asking questions. He drove on in silence, only now and then glancing into the rearview mirror at the back seat, where a fleeting, unreadable glint would flash across his eyes.
After Chu Yunsheng accompanied Yu Jingzhi in sending off Du Tianming and his group, he then personally saw off Boss Meng and the others one by one. Before leaving, Boss Meng even left Chu Yunsheng the address of his trading firm, saying they should keep in touch often.
Outside, the common folk were still lively all through the night, but the clamor in the Yu residence slowly quieted down.
Once the main gates closed, Yu Jingzhi lifted his eyelids to glance at Chu Yunsheng:
"You didn't eat much tonight. Hungry?"
The evening meal had only consisted of a few snacks. Chu Yunsheng didn't like sweets, so he hadn't eaten much at all, though he hadn't expected Yu Jingzhi to notice. Since they were like an old married couple, there was no need for polite pretense. Chu Yunsheng simply nodded and said, "A little hungry."
Yu Jingzhi seemed surprised at his straightforward admission of hunger. He stared at him quietly for a moment, then suddenly gave a soft laugh:
"Young Master Chu has good looks and the air of a scholar, yet who would have thought you don't have even a bit of the pretentious reserve that says one thing and means another. Pity it's already nine o'clock. I'm not some Zhou Bapi, the household cooks have long since gone to bed. If you want a full stomach, I'm afraid you'll have to find a way yourself."
(TN: Zhou Bapi - It comes from Lu Xun's satirical essay "How Zhou Bapi Was Made" (""周扒皮"的由来"), written in the early 20th century. symbol of: Cruel, exploitative landlords or bosses, People who squeezed peasants or workers mercilessly, A heartless capitalist figure in popular culture.)
Chu Yunsheng didn't respond, and Yu Jingzhi didn't press the matter either. Instead, he led him through the covered walkway toward the kitchen.
Sure enough, when they arrived, the place was dark and empty.
Cooking was no challenge for Chu Yunsheng. He lit the kerosene lamp and looked around, just about to get started—when he saw Yu Jingzhi rolling up his sleeves.
"Tonight is the Lantern Festival. Let's have tangyuan."
Yu Jingzhi said: "Young Master Chu, you know how to light a stove, don't you?"
Chu Yunsheng responded, "Mr. Yu, you're going to cook?"
Yu Jingzhi said, "From now on, don't call me 'Mr. Yu.' Just call me Jingzhi."
Yu Jingzhi poured out some flour and smiled at Chu Yunsheng. "In ancient times, Liu Bei humbled himself by visiting Zhuge Liang's thatched cottage three times to invite him. By comparison, I'm only cooking a bowl of tangyuan for you—what's the big deal? Of course, our relationship isn't like that of Liu Bei and Kongming. These days we don't follow that old master-and-retainer hierarchy. You and I are simply friends—you help me, and I help you. There's no question of higher or lower, noble or humble. So why shouldn't I make a bowl of tangyuan for a friend?"
(TN: The "Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage" (三顾茅庐) is a famous story from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, where warlord Liu Bei humbled himself by visiting the reclusive strategist Zhuge Liang three times before finally winning his loyalty. It has since symbolized utmost sincerity, respect for talent, and valuing someone as an equal rather than treating them with superiority. In this scene, Yu Jingzhi jokingly compares cooking dumplings for Chu Yunsheng to Liu Bei's humility, showing he sees their relationship as one of equals and friends rather than master and subordinate.)
Hearing this, Chu Yunsheng caught the meaning in Yu Jingzhi's words—so he wanted to turn a partner into a sworn brother.
Chu Yunsheng frowned slightly, finding it both funny and exasperating.
He didn't immediately refute Yu Jingzhi's reasoning, but instead carefully thought about where this idea might have come from. Flashes of memory crossed his mind: how Ping'an had introduced him to others, Yu Jingzhi's attitude when meeting Zheng Yuansheng, their discussion of the plan last night, and finally, the wild abandon they had shared.
After considering all this, Chu Yunsheng faintly understood the key behind it.
He interrupted Yu Jingzhi: "Does Mr. Yu think that our relationship so far has been an insult to me?"
Yu Jingzhi's hands froze for a moment.
Before Yu Jingzhi could answer, Chu Yunsheng continued: "Even though there were coincidences, or even some scheming in the beginning, I have never taken it as humiliation. On the contrary, I have treated Mr. Yu with sincerity. This sincerity is still young and not yet fully proven, but time is long. Mr. Yu, you may wait and see."
Yu Jingzhi lowered his eyes, staring at the rolling pin in his hands.
After a long while, he finally shook his head and gave a small smile. "Didn't I just say? You should call me Jingzhi."
When he spoke those words, his tone seemed no different from before—and yet, at the same time, entirely different.
But since what needed to be said had already been said, Chu Yunsheng did not speak further. He pulled over a stool and sat down to tend the fire.
Before long, the flame in the stove steadied, and Yu Jingzhi had already deftly wrapped several dozen tangyuan, dropping them into the boiling water one by one.
As the tangyuan were cooking, footsteps suddenly sounded outside—it was the old steward.
When the steward caught sight of the scene in the kitchen, a flicker of surprise crossed his face, but he said nothing about it. Instead, he reported to Yu Jingzhi regarding the Fengxian Troupe.
It was getting late, and since the troupe had many things to pack, they could not finish tidying up at once. It was natural that they would need to stay the night before leaving. However, because of their blunder earlier that evening, the Fengxiang Troupe was deeply uneasy and restless. They had said that, if Mr. Yu had not yet retired, they wished to come and beg forgiveness.
Yu Jingzhi listened absentmindedly to the steward's words, and answered lightly: "It was only a minor matter. What's there to apologize for? Just tell them I don't hold it against them."
But as soon as he said this, Yu Jingzhi suddenly recalled Chu Yunsheng's attention to the Fengxiang Troupe the night before.
He cast a glance at Chu Yunsheng, paused, then added, "Wait—you said they're waiting just outside the courtyard?"
The steward was puzzled by Yu Jingzhi's change in tone, but Yu Jingzhi often acted in unpredictable ways, so he dared not ask further. He only replied, "Yes, sir. The troupe master is at the gate with the one who made the mistake."
Yu Jingzhi smiled. "It's already late and damp outside. Since they've come, let them in. If I don't see them, that one who made a mistake will probably be punished harshly when she goes back. By the way, what was her name again?"
The old steward said: "Bai Chu. That one's name is Bai Chu."
At this, Chu Yunsheng's movement of adding firewood slowed slightly. He knew what kind of person Professor Yin was, understood that the scumbag who had once been paired with Bai Chu in the original story was not Yin Zheng, and was also certain that even if the two did meet, things would not unfold as they had in the original plot. Still, when it came to Bai Chu—who was meant to be the protagonist, yet had his fate overturned by a transmigrator—Chu Yunsheng couldn't help but feel a subtle curiosity.
Before long, the steward led an older man and a younger one in from outside the courtyard gate.
Hearing the approaching footsteps, Chu Yunsheng slightly turned his head, glancing toward the night beyond the kitchen doorway, and faintly caught sight of Bai Chu's features.
Just then, a low voice sounded by his ear—Yu Jingzhi's: "I heard that when you were in Beiping, you once thought about supporting an opera performer?"
Chu Yunsheng: "..."
He looked up at Yu Jingzhi helplessly. If he remembered correctly, wasn't this jealous-lover act supposed to be his role?