Chapter Forty-Six: Fell by Herself

Jiang Xuan paid him no mind, calmly parking the motorcycle, then casually pushed aside a small-time thug blocking her way. She stood next to Zhao Zejun, arms crossed, wearing a cheerful smile as she looked at Erzi.

“Brother Xuan, is this your friend?” Seeing Jiang Xuan and Zhao Zejun standing shoulder to shoulder, Erzi immediately understood, his brows knitting slightly.

Jiang Xuan didn’t answer, her gaze sweeping indifferently over the faces of the thugs, before she finally spoke with a beaming grin. “From a mile away, I heard someone wanted to mess with my girl—not only that, but planning to sell her off after? I wondered, who the hell’s got so much nerve? And look, isn’t it Erzi himself? What’s this, Dahong’s casino shut down so you’ve become a pimp now?”

Erzi forced a strained smile, replying, “Brother Xuan, this is a misunderstanding. I didn’t know you were here. Which one’s your lady? Let me apologize.”

Zhou Yuanyuan, understanding the situation, took a step closer to Jiang Xuan, tilting her chin up but staying silent.

“Sorry, ma’am…” Erzi began, but before he could finish, Jiang Xuan’s smile vanished, her face turning cold. With a sharp crack, she slapped Erzi across the face.

Erzi, a tall man nearly six feet, spun in place from the force of the blow, clutching his cheek and growling in anger, “Jiang Xuan, don’t push your luck—”

His men’s expressions changed, ready to move. Jiang Xuan didn’t even spare them a glance. With a swift whip kick, she struck Erzi’s face again, blood spraying, the powerful impact sending him sprawling to the ground. Before he could get up, Jiang Xuan planted her foot on his chest.

“What do you want, Jiang Xuan?” Erzi’s face was smeared with blood, pinned to the ground, neck craned as he yelled.

Jiang Xuan bent down, slapped Erzi’s face a few times with a sinister grin. “So you fancy my girl, huh? Well, I really should thank you for the compliment.”

In this world, reputation is everything. Erzi squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth, “Jiang Xuan, don’t overdo it. We’re all on the same side. If you don’t respect me, at least show Brother Hong some respect?”

He struggled, trying to get up.

“The same side? The same side, and you go after my brother, threaten my girl?” With a flick of her wrist, a butterfly knife appeared in Jiang Xuan’s hand, the tip pressing right against Erzi’s eyelid. Instantly, Erzi stopped struggling, forced to lie flat as the blade inched closer.

“Jiang Xuan, I don’t believe you’d dare do this in broad daylight!” Erzi bluffed.

“I don’t have time for your nonsense.” Jiang Xuan spoke indifferently. “Come on, which eye of yours looked at my girl? I’ll help you take it out, save you from more trouble in the future. Then we’ll go to Boss Song together and see what he says. If he thinks I was wrong, I’ll give you one of my eyes as compensation.”

The scene was so tense that even the two girls, who had seen their share of the world, couldn’t help feeling frightened. Xia Yubing tugged at Zhao Zejun, urging him to step in.

They were fighting on a busy street in broad daylight, drawing a crowd. If Jiang Xuan really gouged out someone’s eye in public, there’d be hell to pay.

In his past life, Zhao Zejun might have tried to stop it, but now he saw things clearly: if Erzi didn’t back down, this wouldn’t end today, and he’d only become more emboldened, especially with Ren Jifu backing him.

Such was the tragedy of life in the underworld; no matter how flashy you are in peacetime, once things come to a head, no one can back down. Retreat once, and you’ll never hold your head high again. If Erzi caved, he’d be nothing but a dog before Jiang Xuan from then on. If he didn’t, Jiang Xuan would have no choice but to go all in, or else his own reputation would be ruined and no one would fear him anymore.

Those who walk this path have no say in their own fates.

But knowing Jiang Xuan as he did, Zhao Zejun was certain she had the situation in hand and could deal with “Erzi.”

Last time, Jiang Xuan was his insurance; this time, he could act as Jiang Xuan’s safety net. If Erzi proved crazier than Jiang Xuan, Zhao Zejun could give Jiang Xuan a way out.

With that realization, Zhao Zejun squeezed Xia Yubing’s hand gently, signaling her not to worry.

“Let it go,” Zhou Yuanyuan finally spoke.

Jiang Xuan ignored her, still staring at Erzi. “Made up your mind? If not, I’ll choose for you.” With that, her wrist twitched, ready to act.

Erzi’s eyes bulged, veins popping on his forehead. At last, he sighed and gritted his teeth. “Brother Xuan, I was wrong, let me off this time.”

“Too much talking. Fine, left eye then.” Jiang Xuan raised the knife.

“Jiang Xuan.” Zhao Zejun finally stepped forward, holding Jiang Xuan’s hand and shaking his head. “Let it go. These guys were just hired muscle, not actually out to get me.”

“Hired? Hired by whom?” Jiang Xuan asked, already knowing the answer, slapping Erzi’s face a few more times, each slap crisp and sharp.

One of the nearby thugs grabbed Ren Jifu by the collar, dragging him in front of Jiang Xuan with a kick. “Brother Xuan, this bastard owes Brother Hong money. He said he had a way to pay up and asked us to show up for backup. How were we supposed to know it was your brother? All a big misunderstanding.”

“Is that so?” Jiang Xuan didn’t look at Ren Jifu, only asked Erzi.

“It’s a misunderstanding, really!” Erzi rushed to explain.

“I don’t need to hear your rubbish,” Jiang Xuan said impatiently.

With the knife at his eye, Erzi dared not move. He could only tilt his gaze toward Zhao Zejun, stammering, “Brother, I’m sorry, this was all a misunderstanding. It won’t happen again. Please let it go.”

“Jiang Xuan, let it go.” Zhao Zejun patted Jiang Xuan’s shoulder again.

“Alright, since my brother isn’t holding a grudge, you get to keep your eye.”

Only then did Jiang Xuan stand up, wiping the handle of the butterfly knife on her clothes before tossing it into a nearby trash bin. She looked down at Erzi, still lying on the ground. “Still not leaving? Or do you want my girl to help you up?”

Ren Jifu, standing to the side, hurried to help Erzi. Erzi shook off his hand and, with a loud smack, slapped Ren Jifu in the face, jabbing a finger at his nose and cursing, “Damn you, you jinx!”

Still not satisfied, he smacked Ren Jifu again, spinning him around until he crashed into the roadside guardrail.

“What’s going on here? Who’s fighting?”

A squad of patrolling police pushed through the crowd. Their leader frowned at the bloodied Erzi and the bruised Ren Jifu. “What happened here?”

Zhao Zejun pointed at Erzi and Ren Jifu. “Officer, those two were fighting. We tried to break it up.”

Among the group, the two girls were dressed maturely, like office workers; Jiang Xuan and Erzi looked every bit the street punks; Zhao Zejun alone looked like a student, barely old enough to shave, giving him an innocent, trustworthy air.

The police, not knowing the whole story, saw two injured men and, misled by Zhao Zejun, found the story plausible. The officer’s expression darkened. “Fighting in public—come with us to the station.”

“No, no, officer, we’re friends, just messing around,” Erzi tried to explain.

“Messing around? And ended up with a face full of blood?” The officer glared at Erzi, then turned to Ren Jifu. “You, what happened?”

Ren Jifu replied dejectedly, “Really, we were just horsing around. Didn’t realize I’d fall and get hurt.”

Anyone could see it wasn’t an accident. But if no one pressed charges, the police couldn’t pursue it further. Both sides were clearly uninterested in compensation; at most this would end up as a civil mediation, maybe a fine. But these types would rather spend a few days in jail than pay a fine, and even collecting the money would be a stretch.

The officer frowned, then waved his hand. “Alright, disperse. You two, watch yourselves next time. If you have a problem, talk it out—no more fighting.”

“Yes, yes.”

The crowd quickly dispersed. Erzi and his men got into their van and drove off, Ren Jifu shamelessly tagging along. If he stayed behind, he’d be a sitting duck for Zhao Zejun and Jiang Xuan.

In the van, one of the younger punks grumbled to Erzi, “Boss, were you really that scared? Would Jiang Xuan really dare gouge your eye out in the street?”

“You don’t know a thing,” Erzi spat, holding his mouth where a tooth was missing from Jiang Xuan’s kick. “Jiang Xuan’s a mad dog; even Brother Hong treats him with respect, and he’s not afraid to stand up to Boss Song! If it really came down to it, he’d do it for sure! Besides, he’s Boss Song’s favorite—if Song says don’t press charges, he won’t even see jail time!”

Ren Jifu huddled in a corner, keeping quiet, but the van was too small to hide from Erzi’s rage. Another slap landed squarely on Ren Jifu’s face. “Damn you, you jinx! Didn’t you say the guy had no connections?!”

Ren Jifu, a bully only to the meek, wilted before real gangsters like Erzi. “How was I supposed to know…”

“Listen, Ren Jifu, because of you, I almost lost an eye! You owe me! Pay off what you owe the club, and in two months, you’d better give me another ten thousand for emotional damages. If you’re short even a cent, I’ll kill you, got it?!”

Ren Jifu was nearly scared out of his wits. “No way, where am I supposed to get that much money?”

“Not my problem—sell yourself if you have to! The more I look at you, the angrier I get. Out! Get out and walk!”

Ren Jifu had no choice but to say to the driver, “Hey, Xiao Hei, pull over.”

Erzi glared and yanked open the door. “I said get out, not stop the car!”

“Huh?”

Before Ren Jifu could react, Erzi kicked him hard, sending him flying out of the speeding van.