Hidden Assassin 112

The white snow outside the large glass window was falling endlessly. Inside the grand hall, a warm, lively atmosphere filled the air. The scent of food wafted, conversations buzzed, and the band played soothing music. Seated on a sofa by the window, Dongfang Lu held a glass of red wine. A small dish filled with food sat in front of him, though he barely ate or drank. His presence wasn’t about the food.

“What’s the matter, brother? Feeling like your charm has taken a hit?” Though Dongfang Lu was sitting on a two-person sofa, Dongfang Wan chose a seat beside him. After the Xingmeng Hao incident, their sibling relationship had grown closer. However, being part of a large family, they hadn’t been close as children, so they couldn’t be too intimate. “That Ye Lingjing girl just said hello and then ignored you. What are you going to do? Brother, why not go up and talk to her?”

“She’s busy, no need to bother her.” He smiled faintly, his gaze following the young girl amidst the crowd. The sixteen-year-old girl was already very close to being an adult, wearing a fitted suit. Lingjing chattered and laughed, occasionally showing playful childishness, yet at other times exuding a maturity beyond her years. This maturity differed from the kind the Dongfang siblings cultivated. While Lingjing was mature and independent, she still held onto a pristine purity, making her captivating.

Especially to Dongfang Lu. He found his peers too naive and immature, sometimes even ridiculous. Adults, on the other hand, had been corrupted by society, becoming shrewd while losing their beauty. The more he interacted with Lingjing at school, the more he felt a powerful attraction. She was a miracle.

“Brother, don’t think she’ll come over just because you’re waiting here. If you don’t go up… see that bald guy over there? And that handsome guy on the other side? And another handsome guy over there? They’ve been staring at your little angel for a long time. If she falls for someone else, it’ll be too late for you.”

“Heh, don’t talk nonsense.” Dongfang Lu chuckled lightly. “Do you think Lingjing would like these vulgar men?”

“Who knows?” Dongfang Wan rolled her eyes. “Someone who can be friends with Gu Jia Ming is definitely not right in the head. If she becomes my sister-in-law, please make her fix that problem, okay?”

“I think Gu Jia Ming is good. Maybe I can be friends with him. He saved your life…” Dongfang Lu stared at his sister for a while. “They say ‘love is deep, reproach is sharp’, Xiao Wan. You have such resentment towards Jia Ming. Could it be that you…”

“Cut it out! Even if all the men in the world died, I wouldn’t let that cynical jerk be my Adam. He’s ugly, his family hates him, he has no talent besides basketball, and he has a terrible temper. Tsk, tsk, tsk…” She shook her head and stood up. “I don’t want to deal with you. That ‘flower magpie’ is bothering you again. I’m out of here… that handsome guy over there. I’m going to get him in three minutes…”

Taking two steps, Dongfang Wan pulled her black cap over her head and made a face, transforming into the most radiant and alluring black pearl in the banquet hall.

Business acumen often relied on social skills. Dongfang Lu smiled wryly at his sister, who loved “seducing” strangers at these events for practice. The beautiful woman Dong Danwen, whom Dongfang Wan called “flower magpie,” sat down beside Dongfang Lu. He felt a slight pang of discomfort at her physical presence, then said with a smile, “Danwen, aren’t you going to join the fun?”

“It’s so boring.” She shrugged, a faint smile playing on her beautiful face. She took a red grape and gently bit into it, displaying a combination of elegance and allure. Perhaps she only smiled like this in front of Dongfang Lu. People at school described her in four words: cold, beautiful, proud, and talented. For a year and a half, whenever the school had a cultural event, her closing dance was a highlight. She was even a minor celebrity in Jiang Hai City. But despite her seemingly pure, elegant, and cold exterior, Dongfang Wan saw the underlying desire for attention, hence the nickname “flower magpie.”

“Isn’t Dongfang Ge bored too? This dance is so boring. I really want to ditch everyone and leave.” A man usually would say, “Let’s leave together,” when a woman hinted like this. That could lead to a romantic elopement of sorts. Plus, the hotel was right above the restaurant. They could find a quiet place and “stay” quiet until dawn. But Dongfang Lu just smiled wryly. “No, I think it’s nice here. I was tired from dancing, so I came to sit down. If Danwen is tired, I’ll call a driver to take you back. I’ll explain things, I’m sure everyone will understand.”

Hearing that the driver, not Dongfang Lu, would take her home, Dong Danwen shrugged. “No, I’ll stay and have fun. How can I spoil everyone’s fun? Since Dongfang Ge is tired too, I’ll just sit here with you.”

While his heart was set on Lingjing, having a beautiful woman by his side wasn’t a bad thing, even if she was a little bit fake. They chatted for a while, when Dongfang Lu noticed two people sitting not far away. One of them, a middle-aged man, also spotted him and waved.

He led Dong Danwen over, smiling. “Zheng Lao, you’ve come to Jiang Hai City. Why didn’t you let your students pick you up? Danwen, this is Zheng Zepei, a famous lyricist and composer from Hong Kong. This is my junior, Dong Danwen. She’s also interested in lyrics and music.”

Zheng Zepei shook hands with Dongfang Lu and Dong Danwen, then said with a smile, “Speaking of lyrics, I’m way behind Huang Lao. You went to Hong Kong last year, didn’t you? Did you visit Huang Lao? I didn’t see you. This time, we finally have a chance.”

Through their introduction, Dongfang Lu learned about the identity of the person next to Zheng Zepei. At that time, television wasn’t as developed as it would be a few years later. Not only were singers and actors on screen, but musicians were also transitioning from behind the scenes to the forefront. In recent years, mainland music had been largely influenced by Hong Kong and Taiwan. If Zheng Zepei was one of Hong Kong’s top musicians, then Huang Lao, standing beside him, was a legend in the music world. He had written songs that made countless singers famous. Upon learning about their identities, Dong Danwen, the icy mountain, instantly melted. Her heart beat like a drum in a concert.

The four of them chatted, with Dong Danwen acting like a studious student and occasionally asking questions, hoping one of these music giants would write a song for her or help her enter the music or film industry. Zheng Zepei was more talkative. Apparently, Dongfang Lu had visited him in Hong Kong last year and showed him some songs he had written in his spare time. Zheng Zepei was very impressed and they became teacher and student. Huang Lao just listened, nodding occasionally and uttering a few words, being extremely economical with his words.

Soon, the host walked onto the stage holding a colorful balloon. “Now, let’s start our second interactive game. Whoever catches this balloon will have to come up and perform. What do you say? If you want to show off your singing or dancing, or confess to your girlfriend in the most romantic atmosphere, go for it! The first one, who wants to? We have professional accompaniment, we have…”

The current trend was karaoke, and at the host’s words, some men and women who were confident in their singing raised their hands. The atmosphere became lively.

Standing in the crowd, Lingjing glanced at her watch, then looked at the snowy landscape outside the large glass window. It was 8:30. Jia Ming would be here soon. She had already made arrangements with the manager to leave at 9:00. Thinking of the small gathering at Yahán’s place, she smiled faintly.

…

A loud “bang” echoed. On the snowy ground, a bicycle tire went flat.

Jia Ming checked his watch: 8:53. He was close to North Europe Fantasy. He remembered a repair stall nearby, but he wasn’t sure if they would still be open on such a snowy night. Cars came and went on the street, their headlights flashing. Most people in Jiang Hai City at this time were simply celebrating Christmas Eve. As he turned the corner, he sighed in relief. A small shed on the side of the road was still glowing with orange light.

“Master, my rear tire went flat. Can you take a look?”

“Sure thing.”

Breathing out hot air, the old mechanic smiled and tilted the bicycle over, then used his cracked, red hands to grab a bucket of ice-cold water.

“Master, why are you still working so late? It’s so cold today.”

“Ah, haha, life is hard.” The mechanic chuckled heartily. “Young man, I see you’re not wearing much. Go wait in the store at the back. It’ll only take five minutes. It’s at least warmer there. I’ll call you when it’s done.”

“Okay, thanks, Master.”

…

8:59

Lingjing glanced at her watch. Jia Ming always came a little early, why wasn’t he here yet? Hmph, I’m going to give him a little hard time for being late. Lingjing wrinkled her nose playfully and made a decision.

Turning her head towards the stage, she saw Dongfang Lu walking up, looking dapper as ever. He held the colorful balloon, waving it elegantly, then picked up the microphone.

“Um, what I’m going to perform is a song I wrote myself a month ago. It’s dedicated to a girl here in the hall. Um, I’ve brought the sheet music, and I’d like to ask for a piano accompaniment. Hehe, the handsome guys and beautiful ladies in the band have been busy for so long. I think they should take a break.”

Dong Danwen had already stood up smiling.

“…Ye Lingjing, would you please play for me?”

The smile on Dong Danwen’s face froze instantly. Lingjing was slightly stunned. “Um… me?” She waved her hand with a smile. “I can’t, I haven’t been playing piano for very long, and…” She shook her head. She wanted to see if Jia Ming was outside, but he wasn’t there. Then Zhang Jingfeng came over and said, “Lingjing, it’s already 9:00, but since Jia Ming isn’t here yet, and he’s specifically requested you to play, go up for a little while.”

“Um… okay.” She smiled helplessly. “I might not play well, don’t blame me.”

A moment later, a soulful melody filled the hall…

…

Jia Ming stuffed a pair of cheap white gloves into his pocket and walked out of the shop.

“Done, Master? How much?”

“Done, done, no problem. One yuan.”

“Oh, here you go. Thanks.”

“Hehe, you’re welcome, young man. Ride safely.”

“Okay, goodbye.”

Waving his hand, Jia Ming rode his bicycle onto a side road. About five minutes later, he arrived at the front of North Europe Fantasy. He could hear the music, not professional but still quite melodious: “In this lifetime, I’ll make you my…” He couldn’t help but smile. The lyrics were so straightforward.

Looking inside through the large glass window, he saw Dongfang Lu standing on the circular stage, singing. He was as elegant as always, holding the microphone in a professional posture. But his gaze was fixed on… Lingjing, who was playing the piano at the side!

The light illuminated the stage, making the singer and pianist look like a perfect couple. Jia Ming shrugged helplessly, pushed his bicycle to the restaurant entrance. The security guard recognized him. “Hey, Jia Ming, here to pick up Lingjing again?”

“Yeah, my family’s waiting for her to eat dinner. Can I go in?”

“Hehe, go, go, everyone knows you. Leave your bike here, I’ll watch over it.”

“Okay, thanks.”

…

The song ended, eliciting applause from the audience. Zheng Zepei nodded in approval from his chair, exchanging comments with Huang Lao. It was pretty good for a 17- or 18-year-old to be writing songs in his spare time. Amidst the cheers, Lingjing stood up and gave a formal bow, smiling brightly as she was about to leave the stage. Dongfang Lu turned his hand and produced a beautiful rose. “Hehe, I secretly picked this from a table over there. I hope the restaurant won’t make me pay for it. As a thank-you for playing for me, I want to give this to Lingjing… Lingjing, this is my gratitude. Please don’t refuse.”

Down below, Dong Danwen’s face turned pale. Dongfang Wan admired her brother’s tactics. He was truly a master of hitting the mark. Looking at the rose offered to her, Lingjing hesitated. Dongfang Wan had already started cheering from below. “Take it! Take it! Take it! Take it!” Immediately, the entire banquet hall joined in. Lingjing looked at the crowd below, struggling to smile. “Thank you.”

“Hehe.” Knowing he had to win Lingjing over slowly, Dongfang Lu picked up the microphone and walked towards the side. “So, who’s next? Let me see.”

In the crowd, Dong Danwen also raised her hand, unwilling to give up. Dongfang Lu smiled and threw the balloon towards her.

The lights danced and then stopped in front of Dong Danwen. A boy in casual clothes, snow still clinging to his shoulders and shoes, stood there. He looked quite ordinary, and now, as he stared at the balloon in his hand, he scratched his head in annoyance.

“Uh, I caught it accidentally. So… do I have to sing?”

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