"Nonsense! I'm very popular, okay!"
Looking at Hualian'er's darkening face, even if I was as oblivious as I was, I realized that Fatty must have blurted out some secret.
I don't remember who said it, but it's better not to talk nonsense in front of a woman's ex.
I glanced at Officer Chen beside me, who was keeping silent. I felt like I'd stumbled upon something interesting without even realizing it.
Officer Chen didn't say a word. Instead, he looked at Hualian'er with a helpless expression.
"I... I'd like to have a private word with her. Is that okay?"
Fatty usually loved to stir up trouble, but after I gave him a glare, he immediately scurried off to do his own thing.
Officer Chen gave me a grateful look. It seemed he knew Fatty well enough to know that he wouldn't let things go easily.
"Why did you pull me away? Aren't you curious about the relationship between them?" Fatty whispered in my ear. I shook my head. Thinking of the necklace I'd seen on Hualian'er's wrist, I let out a sigh.
There was an uncomfortable feeling brewing deep in my heart. Fatty and I had known each other for years, and he immediately noticed something was off about me.
"What's wrong? You look like you've been dumped by that chick. She's not right for you. Just give up."
I gave Fatty a disdainful look. "Stop talking nonsense."
It wasn't about giving up or not. I'd seen that same thing on someone else before. What was the relationship between that person and Hualian'er?
I found it hard to believe that Yan Yan would end up with a girl like Hualian'er, but the evidence was right in front of me, and I couldn't help but believe it.
"I'd like to say something to you."
Fatty looked at me with a complicated expression. "I don't know how you've changed over the years, but bro, let me be honest with you. That girl isn't right for you. You'd better see things clearly, or you'll get hurt."
I stared at Fatty in disbelief. When did this guy become so insightful?
Fatty lowered his head sheepishly, avoiding my gaze. "I just feel like you look at Yan Yan in a strange way. I'm just warning you. Don't blame me if I'm wrong."
I didn't say a word. Fatty was right. That guy had unknowingly taken a place in my heart.
Although I didn't want to keep thinking about him, sometimes I just couldn't help it.
Fatty could tell what I was thinking just by looking at my face. So he quickly patted me on the shoulder. "It's okay. If you really want to see him, I'll find out more about him for you. Hualian'er and him must have a special relationship."
I was about to ask something when a voice from over there interrupted me.
I turned around and immediately noticed something was off.
Several people were looking at me with complicated expressions, especially the two guys I'd just met.
"Are you saying Yan Yan is on good terms with them?"
What kind of bad luck had Yan Yan brought upon himself?
That guy's words really got on my nerves. I frowned and asked, "Do we know each other well? You don't have to attack me like this, do you?"
That guy didn't respond. Instead, he took two steps forward and rubbed my arm, looking at me intently.
It felt really strange having my wrist scrutinized like that. I didn't say a word. I just looked into his eyes and let him look.
Maybe I was just too confident, too open and honest. Officer Chen finally let go of my hand.
He shrank his neck awkwardly and whispered, "I think, bro, you're really full of surprises. If I'd known you knew Yan Yan, I wouldn't have come."
"What do you mean by that?"
Before I could ask, Fatty was the first to get angry.
Fatty had never gotten along well with Officer Chen. Originally, Officer Chen had needed our help, but after we found out he was Hualian'er's ex, the situation had completely reversed.
Fatty swaggered over with a big smile on his face. "Officer Chen, you sure have some nerve. Do you really think we can't do anything to you?"
Officer Chen didn't take Fatty's bait. Instead, he joked, "I'm not that naive. After all, you guys have more than one backer."
Then he looked at me meaningfully. I felt a pang of uneasiness and got even more annoyed.
"If you don't want to go, just say so. I thought you were a straightforward person, but I didn't expect you to be so indirect."
My words seemed to have left him speechless. Officer Chen's face changed, and he awkwardly added, "I didn't mean anything else. I just didn't expect you to be on such good terms with that guy."
"What does it matter to you whether I'm on good terms with Yan Yan or not? Did Yan Yan do something to you?"
I didn't know if I was defending Yan Yan or not, but Officer Chen's next words really surprised me.
"Yan Yan didn't do anything to me, but he's well - known in the whole family for being unlucky. You'd better think twice before getting involved with him. There'll be a price to pay."
I stared at him in a daze. "What are you talking about? What do you mean by unlucky? Are you kidding me? It's the modern era, and you're still talking like this?"
He didn't say anything. He just looked at me sympathetically. "You'd better stay away from him. I thought we could be like - minded friends."
"Tell me quickly."
"You already have this mark on your hand. Maybe it's too late to get rid of it now."
Only then did I notice the mark on the hand that Officer Chen had just let go of. It was just sitting there, bold as day.
I frowned and didn't say a word. "Officer Chen, I don't quite understand what you mean."
Officer Chen whispered, "Anyway, you'll find out about this later. Anyone who gets this mark from that guy will basically be haunted by bad luck. Otherwise, do you think he'd be so unwelcome in the family? If it weren't for his skills as a master, that guy wouldn't have been able to get to where he is today."
In my impression, Officer Chen was a very just person. If it were an ordinary person, he wouldn't have targeted someone like this with such prejudice.
This made me even more curious. What on earth had Yan Yan done to this guy to make him so biased?
Compared to Officer Chen's overreaction, Hualian'er didn't seem to care at all.
"You're going this time too? Good. You'd better be careful. I won't let you take any of these things."