"..."
Shi Wan stared after him. Was Shen Siyan flirting with her?
"Good night."
Before she could collect herself, the man had dropped two words and left in a hurry. Out of sight, his face slid into a mask of frustration.
......
The next morning, while she was watering the medicinal herbs she'd planted, Shi Wan heard the gossip: Shen Yu had been beaten up the evening before — and not only that, his manhood had been cut off. He was in surgery now. If he survived, his life would be ruined.
The Shen household’s compound buzzed with whispers. People guessed he'd crossed someone he shouldn't have — maybe stolen another man's woman — and that was why he'd been mutilated.
A movement nearby snapped Shi Wan out of her thoughts. She looked up to find Shen Siyan standing in front of her. His voice, smooth as jade, asked, "What were you thinking about?"
"Nothing."
"We're going back to school tomorrow. Want to buy some clothes?"
Shi Wan raised an eyebrow. "Is that you saying you disapprove of my wardrobe?"
"You girls like shopping, don't you?"
She shook her head. "No, thanks. I have things to do."
He said nothing further and turned away. He had matters to attend to tonight.
No sooner had the man left than her phone buzzed.
"What's up?"
"Boss, about that herb you promised — there's a buyer. A few other groups are sniffing around too."
"You'll close the deal tonight?"
Sunlight slanted through the leaves and warmed her face. Shi Wan squinted and raised a hand to shield her eyes. The violet herb she'd bought at the auction a few days ago had already been processed into pills. She'd given one to Shen Siyan; one remained. Money had been tight lately. Selling it would at least pay for phone chargers and the like.
"Yes. Are you coming out personally?"
Shi Wan said, "Send me the location. I'll go tonight."
"Okay."
At night she had planned to tell Shen Siyan she was heading out, but he wasn't around. That was fine — it saved her the trouble of making an excuse.
She changed clothes and left for the meeting place.
The bar was dim. In a shadowed private room a man wearing a silver mask lounged on a sofa, two long fingers pinching a cigarette between them. The smoke curled and blurred his expression, leaving his thoughts unreadable. After a while he crushed the butt under his heel, a thoughtful, inscrutable smile tugging at one corner of his mouth. "Still not here?"
The man beside him wiped sweat from his brow. "Maybe... something delayed them."
There were only so many people in the world who could keep this gentleman waiting. That one person came next, a figure with soft features and a rough voice, who pushed the door open.
"…Cun Cun Jin?"
A hush fell over the room for a few seconds. Cun Cun Jin was a legend — no one knew whether the name belonged to a man or a woman. The agreed hour had come and a person had arrived; naturally, they assumed this was Cun Cun Jin.
Li San cleared his throat. "Of course not. I'm sent by the boss. The location changed. Please, sir... follow me."
He almost called the buyer a fool — "silly deer" — before catching himself. The original offer had been four hundred million; the buyer had insisted and thrown a billion on the table, more than doubling the price. As long as the money flowed, nobody cared how much was spent.
Shen Siyan's gaze darkened. "Why weren't we told earlier about the change of place?"
Li San jumped. "Someone must have leaked it. There are people outside trying to nab our boss."
Goodness. Li San had assumed the man was just wealthy and a little ridiculous. He hadn't expected an aura this dominant — a presence on a par with his own boss.
Shen Siyan rose without further complaint and followed Li San out the back. Their target was too exposed; better to slip away than risk being followed.
On the other side of the room, Shi Wan sat waiting. A few moments later she found herself surrounded.
She drank her wine without changing expression. "You all came out to see me? How considerate."
Mo Xiaoyun stepped forward, eyes sizing her up with contempt. "Where's Cun Cun Jin?"
Shi Wan arched an eyebrow. "Do I look like him to you?"
"Don't waste our time. Cun Cun Jin is a man. If you want to pass as him, you'll have to make a trip to T-country first," Mo Xiaoyun sneered. "Be sensible and tell us where your master is, and maybe I'll give you something. Otherwise..."
Shi Wan almost had a vein pop out on her forehead. "Are you insane?"
Mo Xiaoyun flapped like an angry cat. She'd recently discovered a growth on her brain and had heard Cun Cun Jin was a miraculous physician. She'd tracked down this meeting, risking a confrontation, hoping to get help. She would not tolerate anyone standing in her way.
Shi Wan stared. Truly, the woman had a screw loose.
As Li San's message came through, Shi Wan turned to leave. Mo Xiaoyun's men moved first, lunging to restrain her. The goons thought they could take her easily.
Shi Wan's eyes cooled. She took a defender's grip on the nearest man, twisted his wrist behind his back, and with a quick, hard kick she sent Mo Xiaoyun sprawling. The rest of the bodyguards froze.
"You're courting death," Mo Xiaoyun hissed and scrambled back, but Shi Wan's movements were a blur. Before she knew it, she was under Shi Wan's boot.
"With those skills you want to be a boss?" Mo Xiaoyun spat.
"You," Mo Xiaoyun snarled, burning with indignation. "Don't you dare fall into my hands!"
Shi Wan snorted. "Go ahead — die trying."
She dislocated one of Mo Xiaoyun's arms in a single, precise motion, then left.
Because of the delay, Shi Wan arrived at the meeting point later than planned. Behind a screen she couldn't see the buyer, so she lowered her voice. "The medicine's here. I expect you to honor the deal."
"Of course."
She handed over the pill, took Li San with her, and left. The entire exchange had taken less than a minute.
"Boss," Li San asked once they were clear, "what did you just run into?"
"Someone with a screw loose," she said, impatient.
Li San thought she was cursing, as usual. He fumbled with his phone, then his eyes widened. "Boss— the money was there... and now it's gone?!"
He shoved his phone forward. The balance had been visible a moment ago; in seconds it had vanished. It was infuriating.
Shi Wan snatched the phone and stared at the empty balance. Her heart lurched. "Who did this?"
Her hard-earned money — gone.
"Boss, it's a message from Mr. Si," Li San stammered. "He said you were a fraud, so the funds—"
Mr. Si — the man they'd seen before. Shi Wan scowled. "Shameless! When have I ever scammed anyone? Do I need to?"
"What do we do now?"
"Find his lair. I'm not on good terms with him."
Cold determination sharpened her eyes. If she went after him now, he was probably gone. But she would find him.
At the other end of the city, Shen Siyan heard his subordinate's report and asked, thoughtful, "Is the intel true?"