Serenade

Chapter 79

Xu Chaoyang would never forget that dusk when he watched helplessly as his best brother took multiple bullets and lay dying in the mud.

For an instant, Xu Chaoyang felt as if he had gone deaf. He couldn't hear the gunfire raging around him, the explosions in the distance, or the shouts nearby.

Ignoring his comrades' tugs, he crawled desperately toward Jing Chi, grabbing his hand and screaming his name at the top of his lungs.

Jing Chi looked at Xu Chaoyang with bloodied, mangled eyes.

"I'll take you away, I'll take you back right now," Xu Chaoyang sobbed, snot running down his face onto Jing Chi's. "Old Jing, hang in there. We're going home."

Jing Chi used all his remaining strength to grab Xu Chaoyang's collar, choking out a single word: "Go!"

"I won't leave you. I'm taking you with me."

Xu Chaoyang said this while trying to lift Jing Chi onto his back. Just then, two stray bullets flew by, exploding right next to them. Xu Chaoyang nearly got blown away.

Amid the flying rubble and debris, he shielded Jing Chi with his own body, crying like a lost child.

"Let's go!" The squad mates provided cover fire while running over to pull Xu Chaoyang away. "Forget him, let's go!"

Xu Chaoyang was dragged away, watching helplessly as Jing Chi lay in a pool of blood.

He couldn't make another sound, but his lips kept moving. Xu Chaoyang would never forget that bloody scene.

Jing Chi was telling him: "Take care of my girl..."

**

Xu Chaoyang awoke from the nightmare, drenched in cold sweat. He checked the time on his phone, then took a combat shower and got dressed to go to the airport.

Bo Yan got off the plane and immediately went with him to the squadron to complete the handover. On the way, Xu Chaoyang briefed Bo Yan on the situation.

The biggest drug lord near the Nidan District border was Wei Xun. This year was a bumper harvest, and soon he would have a large shipment ready for export. The squad had to seize this opportunity and try to arrest him within the country's borders.

But Wei Xun was extremely cunning and difficult to apprehend. The disastrous raid half a year ago had cost the lives of several excellent squad members, yet the drug lord remained free.

Bo Yan's arrival also reinvigorated the weary and frustrated squad. Many were alumni from the same graduating class, and they knew Bo Yan's capabilities well.

In the next few days, Bo Yan barely slept, constantly discussing capture plans with the squad.

"Not long ago, we captured a drug trafficker boss in City B. That news is still confidential. We could make use of his identity."

Xu Chaoyang looked at Bo Yan, suddenly grasping his intent: "You mean..."

"I heard this was a bumper harvest year. It's already harvest season, so there's a huge stockpile of drugs... Wei Xun must be anxious to unload it all. Since he's so eager to sell, we'll buy from him."

"You want to impersonate the drug trafficker and make a deal with him. We've tried that tactic before, but Wei Xun's rule is he never meets buyers himself. He always sends trusted subordinates, and we've caught several of his 'confidants' but he remains free."

"So now he has no one left, right?"

"Right, but he'll groom new people."

"Then who do you think he'll send for this deal?"

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Xu Chaoyang was shocked: "You mean, Jing Chi?!"

Bo Yan said calmly: "Jing Chi is now his most trusted lieutenant who gets things done without delay. He's Wei Xun's most capable officer, and he's about to marry his daughter. Of course he'll entrust the biggest deal to Jing Chi's hands."

"You're right! Then we can get Jing Chi back!"

Liu, who had been silent, gently cleared his throat: "You're setting up this huge operation just to retrieve one squad member who may have turned? That's hard to justify."

Bo Yan said flatly: "Jing Chi hasn't turned. I know my own brother."

"Fine, even if he hasn't turned, what's the point of bringing him back?"

"As long as he hasn't turned, he can help us capture Wei Xun."

"You trust him too much. If he has turned, not only will we fail the mission, we'll sacrifice countless squad members. Have you thought of that?!" Liu didn't believe in Jing Chi: "These six months, Wei Xun trusts him more and more. We've had chances to make contact, but he never came back. He's chosen Wei Xun. Stop fantasizing."

Xu Chaoyang insisted: "That can't be. Old Jing must have a plan!"

"On the last contact, he nearly blew little Wu's head off! Little Wu's your sworn brother too. What do you say to that?!"

"That was an accident." Xu Chaoyang's voice weakened, lacking conviction.

"It was no accident." Bo Yan surveyed the squad and said solemnly: "Jing Chi won the regional sniper competition two years straight with perfect accuracy. Such deviation could happen with Xu Chaoyang, but never with Jing Chi."

He spoke with absolute certainty.

After the meeting finalized the initial capture plans, Bo Yan went into the hallway, took out a cigarette from his bag.

Liu came over, gently patted his shoulder, and earnestly advised: "Bo Yan, I know you were close, but we can't let emotions cloud our judgment here. We have to be prudent. Think through the worst possibilities - what if Jing Chi really couldn't resist temptation and turned? If you stake everything on him, we could be wiped out."

Before Bo Yan could reply, his phone rang. It was Jin Xi.

It was 9 AM, and she usually had classes, rarely contacting him this early.

Bo Yan answered. Jin Xi's voice was urgent: "Bo Yan, I just found out at work today that Chu Zhao handed in her resignation and left. She left a letter for her parents telling them not to worry, that she had something to do and would be back after finishing it. Her parents learned she had booked a flight online last week and came over already. Can you try to find her?"

"Chu Zhao came over?"

"Yes."

Bo Yan's heart lurched. He hung up and rushed to find Xu Chaoyang: "Has Chu Zhao contacted you?"

"No." Xu Chaoyang spoke while changing, "I texted her a few times with no reply. Seems she wants to cut ties with me."

Xu Chaoyang was a terrible liar. He avoided Bo Yan's gaze, not daring to meet his eyes.

Bo Yan grabbed his collar: "You've seen Chu Zhao. Where is she?"

Nothing could be hidden from a brother of four years.

"Hey, let go! Let go first!"

"Xu Chaoyang, I'm asking you - where is she?"

Xu Chaoyang broke free of Bo Yan's grip. "She came crying to me. What could I do? I can't stand seeing her cry! I could only promise her... But Zhaozhao is clever, she'll be fine..."

Bo Yan's expression darkened: "What exactly did you do?!"

**

The underground boxing ring held hundreds of mercenaries looking for entertainment besides women at night in Nidan.

On stage, muscular men with bare torsos fought bare-knuckled without any protection. Some left with brimming pots of winnings, some lost teeth and had dislocated jaws, some who entered standing left on stretchers - crocodile food.

For three straight nights, Jing Chi was the biggest winner at the underground ring. He liked getting drunk before going on stage, because he wouldn't feel any pain that way. Oblivious to pain, he struck viciously like one with nothing to lose.

Wei Zhaozhao personally went on stage in a sexy mini skirt to help the berserk Jing Chi down, eliciting hoots and laughter as they staggered together.

Everyone knew this man called "Chaoyang" was Wei Xun's most capable subordinate and treasured son-in-law, destined to rule the entire base someday.

Wei Zhaozhao supported Jing Chi out of the ring, through the dank, gloomy streets back to the luxurious manor.

Although Jing Chi was a little drunk, he still recognized the road and mumbled hazily, "This is not the place, I have to go back."

"This is the place," Wei Zhaozhao said with a laugh. "This will be your home from now on."

Jing Chi grabbed Wei Zhaozhao's chin and sneered coldly, "Zhaozhao, you are too impatient."

"I am impatient," Wei Zhaozhao leaned against him and said softly, "Jing Chi, stay with me tonight, okay?"

Jing Chi pretended to vomit, and Wei Zhaozhao hurriedly moved away from him.

He ran to the edge of the flower garden and retched violently.

"Damn man, dead drunk every night," Wei Zhaozhao coquettishly scolded, "We are about to get married, do you think you can escape for a few more days?"

Jing Chi bent over convulsing, clutching a black hair band tightly in his hand. The hair band had lost its elasticity and hung loosely around his fingers.

Wei Zhaozhao walked over and gently patted his back.

"Let's go, come back with me. I'll have the servants prepare hot water for you to take a nice bath."

Jing Chi hesitated for a moment, put his arm around Wei Zhaozhao's shoulder, and staggered back into the house with her.

After taking a bath, he collapsed on the soft big bed and immediately fell asleep. No matter how Wei Zhaozhao pushed him, he would not wake up.

Wei Zhaozhao tried every trick in the book to seduce him, and even took off her clothes and slipped under his covers, but this man slept like a pig, completely unaware.

She let out a soft hum, took his hand, and held his fingers tightly.

She gazed at his face obsessively, always feeling that he was not as simple as he seemed, laughing and drinking all day, and liking fighting, money, and using his strength to prove himself like every normal man.

There seemed to be many things hidden in those dark and deep eyes of his.

Those were things she would never understand.

However, Jing Chi was also different from other men in strictly controlling and abstaining himself from life's pleasures.

He did not seem to like women much, whether it was Wei Zhaozhao or the women Wei Zhaozhao had sent to tempt him.

The more he avoided her, the more Wei Zhaozhao desired to conquer him, and the more she liked him.

Although Wei Zhaozhao had also wondered if this man still harbored another woman in his heart, she did not mind. He could never go back to the past, and now he was called "Chaoyang", a Chaoyang that belonged only to her alone.

The next morning, Wei Zhaozhao woke up in Jing Chi's arms.

Downstairs, she could hear her younger brother Wei Songsheng's awkward recitation—

"If I love you, I will never be like the climbing vine, using your high branches to show off myself..."

Jing Chi slowly opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling.

"You have your bronze branches and iron trunk, like a knife, like a sword, and like a spear; I have my large red blossoms, like heavy sighs, and like brave torches."

It was as if he had returned to his college days, attending the Yuyan Poetry Club with Xu Chaoyang, Bo Yan and the others, as if it had just happened yesterday.

Those beautiful memories that often appeared in his dreams were now his only comfort.

He would run past the poetry corner of the library during morning drills, and often saw Chu Zhao standing on the steps, reading this eloquent poem “To the Oak Tree” aloud with a group of poetry enthusiasts.

...

Wei Zhaozhao got up from the bed irritably, opened the window and shouted downstairs, "Wei Songsheng, are you looking to die! Making such a racket so early in the morning, disturbing people from sleeping!"

With a "bang" she slammed the window shut, sat on the edge of the bed and complained, "Dad hired a Chinese tutor for Wei Songsheng. The noise every day, he's uneducated himself yet wants the kid to get into college."

Jing Chi didn't say anything. He took out a cigarette box from the bedside table. Wei Zhaozhao immediately came over to light his cigarette.

"‘To the Oak Tree’," Jing Chi lowered his eyes and said, "I really like this poem."

He seldom revealed his preferences so straightforwardly. Wei Zhaozhao immediately became interested, "Oh, then recite it for me to hear."

Jing Chi murmured, "We share the cold, the wind, the thunder; we share the mist, the drifting clouds, the rainbow. As if forever apart, yet dependent for life. This is true great love, constancy lies here..."

He suddenly stopped reciting.

Wei Zhaozhao didn't really understand, but at that moment she felt his gaze was extremely charming.

Jing Chi took a shower and came out wearing a thin short-sleeved t-shirt. He went downstairs with Wei Zhaozhao for breakfast.

"Sis, this is my Chinese tutor! Her name is also Zhaozhao!" At the dining table, little Wei Songsheng couldn't wait to yell at Wei Zhaozhao, "Zhaozhao is a hundred times gentler than you! I want her to be my sister, I don't want you anymore!"

Wei Zhaozhao was too lazy to pay attention to this little sprout, and perfunctorily said, "Fine, I'd be happy to not have an annoying brat like you for a brother."

Of course, her gaze lingered on the demure Chu Zhao for only two seconds before quickly looking away.

Arrogant as she was, a nobody could not enter her eyes.

"Change your name," Wei Zhaozhao said as she spread butter on her toast. "Yours clashes with mine."

In their family, tutors were no different from servants. They could be arbitrarily renamed, arbitrarily beaten, and even arbitrarily executed...

"Okay," Chu Zhao nodded gently, then looked up at Jing Chi standing at the top of the stairs.

Jing Chi felt all the hot blood in his body rush to the top of his head, and his eyes brimmed red. But after freezing for two seconds, he pretended that nothing had happened and walked down casually.

"What name should we pick?" Wei Zhaozhao stirred the corn soup in her bowl with a spoon, and looked at Jing Chi, "Chaoyang, how about calling her Little Dog?"

"I have something to do, I'm leaving first."

When Jing Chi walked past Chu Zhao, he used almost all his strength to restrain himself from looking at her.

"I have another nickname," Chu Zhao suddenly said. "Call me Xuanxuan."

"......"

Author's note: What PY relationship?