Chapter Four: The Cold and Elegant Beauty

Chapter Four: The Cold and Elegant Beauty

The kitchen was immaculate, the freezer stocked with a variety of fresh ingredients. Xu Yun paused to consider, then took out an eel, a stalk of celery, and two green peppers. Ginger and garlic were, of course, essential.

Ruan Qingshuang followed Xu Yun into the kitchen, curiosity gleaming in her eyes. She watched as he skillfully cleaned and deboned the eel, slicing it into segments. He chopped the green peppers into chunks, cut the celery into lengths, shredded the ginger, and sliced the garlic. The wok was heated with oil, and as the aroma of ginger and garlic filled the air, he stir-fried the eel. Once the flesh changed color, he quickly added the green peppers and celery, tossing them for a minute before stirring in soy sauce and fermented black beans.

As soon as the dish was finished, Xu Yun swiftly cracked an egg into a bowl, whisked it, and poured in boiling water to make a delicate egg drop soup. He added a spoonful of honey, completing a simple yet soothing honey egg tea.

“Come, Guoguo, Sister Shuang, have a taste of my cooking,” Xu Yun said, quickly placing the dish and soup in front of Guoguo. “Eat while it’s hot; it won’t be as good once it cools.”

It was the first time Ruan Qingshuang had heard a strange man call her that way, but she merely blushed and didn’t seem to mind, almost as if she accepted Xu Yun’s use of the name.

Guoguo picked up a piece of eel, eating with relish and nodding as she chewed. “Hmm… not bad! Keep it up and work harder next time.”

Ruan Qingshuang also tried some, then sipped the simple honey egg tea. She couldn’t help but marvel at Xu Yun’s skill—his stir-fried eel with celery and black bean pepper was tender and not at all greasy, and the honey egg tea was completely free of any raw taste. It was the work of a true professional chef!

“So, do you think a salary of one thousand is worth it?” Xu Yun asked with a confident smile. It wasn’t an exaggeration—at his level, even an eight-star hotel in Dubai would offer him ten million a year to be their head chef!

Guoguo nodded repeatedly, then muttered, “It’d be even more worth it if it was eight hundred.”

Damn, this girl is hard to please.

Clearly, Xu Yun got along well with both Ruan Qingshuang and Guoguo. The three of them chatted and ate together, looking every bit like a happy family. Guoguo even pestered Xu Yun to teach her some moves he’d used earlier to deal with the thugs, so he showed her a few basic military self-defense techniques. Guoguo imitated him, her earnest attempts utterly endearing.

Qingshuang then discussed some ideas about promotions and advertising with Xu Yun, but unfortunately, she was strapped for cash, with no budget for publicity. Xu Yun knew full well that these days, advertising without spending money was nearly impossible.

Hearing this, Guoguo began to yawn, insisting on going upstairs to sleep. Seeing this, Xu Yun stood up to say goodbye. “It’s getting late. You two should rest. I’ll head home.”

“Daddy, aren’t you going to stay and sleep with Guoguo?” Guoguo murmured sleepily.

“Guoguo, isn’t it enough to have mommy sleep with you?” Ruan Qingshuang shot her a look.

“The bed’s so big! It’s safer with more people. What if I fall off?”

Ruan Qingshuang and Xu Yun were nearly petrified by her words.

Fortunately, Guoguo didn’t insist and trotted upstairs.

Ruan Qingshuang looked embarrassed, hesitating for a moment. “You… um…”

“Uh, I appreciate Guoguo’s invitation, but I’d better go home,” Xu Yun replied with an awkward chuckle. Ruan Qingshuang, cheeks flushed, saw him off and then locked up for the night.

Xu Yun didn’t head straight home, but made a detour to Wenhui District’s most famous barbecue street in Hedong City. This was the liveliest spot at night, always packed with crowds in high spirits. It was a haven for local gangsters and loafers, all drinking beer and eating skewers.

A group of eight or nine rowdy youths, full and tipsy, were humming a drunken tune as they staggered across the street to relieve themselves in a small grove.

“Qiangzi!” Xu Yun called out.

One of them nearly recoiled in surprise, almost unable to hold his water, his face twisting in annoyance as he spun around.

When he saw Xu Yun standing nearby with a genial smile, he immediately straightened up. “Oh, Brother Yun, you startled me.”

Qiangzi and his gang had once tried to give Xu Yun trouble when he first arrived in Hedong City, but he’d quickly put them in their place. Now, whenever they saw him, they acted like mice before a cat.

“I need a favor,” Xu Yun said, not bothering with pleasantries. He knew Qiangzi and his friends weren’t bad at heart.

Qiangzi hesitated, eyeing Xu Yun’s outfit, then looked awkward. “Brother Yun, were you the one who beat up those guys from the Four Wolves Gang near Yihe Square tonight?”

Few in Wenhui District dared mess with the Four Wolves Gang, so word of the incident had spread fast. Xu Yun’s distinctive attire—slippers, tank top, and floral shorts—was already legendary among the local toughs. Seeing his getup, Qiangzi instantly put two and two together.

“News travels fast,” Xu Yun admitted easily, though Qiangzi and his companions looked uneasy.

Qiangzi’s forced smile faltered. Xu Yun had just asked for help, and now the Four Wolves Gang was involved—he was out of his depth. Though Qiangzi was a seasoned street hustler, he didn’t dare cross the Four Wolves Gang. “Brother Yun, those guys are dangerous. I’d advise you not to get on their bad side… As the saying goes, two fists are no match for four hands. They’ve got over a thousand men!”

“I’m not asking you to fight them, just a small favor,” Xu Yun assured him, understanding Qiangzi’s concern.

“If it’s got nothing to do with the Four Wolves Gang, I’ll do anything for you, no matter how dangerous!” Qiangzi declared.

Xu Yun nodded. “Come with me.”

They went to Yihe Square, and Xu Yun pointed across the street at the medicinal cuisine restaurant. “I need someone to print ten thousand color flyers for this restaurant and distribute them to every nearby neighborhood, office building, and school.”

“No problem!” Qiangzi agreed immediately, though he winced inwardly at the cost of the flyers.

Xu Yun pulled out several thousand yuan from his pocket and stuffed it into Qiangzi’s hands. “The rest is for running around—and for you guys to have some food and drinks. Don’t shortchange yourselves.”

Qiangzi tried to refuse, flustered. “No, no, Brother Yun, talking money hurts our friendship!”

“Business is business,” Xu Yun insisted, forcing the money back into his hands.

Qiangzi, seeing Xu Yun’s resolve, pounded his chest in assurance. “Leave it to me! I’ll cover every office building and neighborhood around Wenhui District. I guarantee it!”

“When it’s done, drinks are on me!” Xu Yun clapped him on the shoulder with a grin.

After Qiangzi and his crew left, Xu Yun was about to go as well, but as he turned, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a figure darting through a nearby alley. The figure leapt with feline grace onto the second-floor windowsill of the medicinal cuisine restaurant, silently slipping in through the balcony window.

“Hm?” Xu Yun’s brow furrowed. That figure moved with remarkable speed, vaulting directly onto the second floor with effortless agility—far beyond the abilities of an ordinary person.

A master! Xu Yun judged the intruder’s skill. But what was such a person doing breaking into Ruan Qingshuang’s restaurant? Could they be from the Four Wolves Gang?

With that thought, Xu Yun leapt to the restaurant’s base in a few strides. With a light tap of his toes, he soared up like an eagle and landed noiselessly on the second-floor balcony.

Peering through the window, Xu Yun saw that the intruder was a woman. By the streetlight, he could see her clearly—his eyes lit up with surprise.

The woman was tall, her figure enticing and curvaceous. Silky long hair cascaded to her waist, giving her a classical beauty. In terms of looks and build, she was no less than Ruan Qingshuang, but where Ruan carried a gentle charm, this woman exuded an ethereal, almost immortal air. Yet, in her brows lingered a sharp, lethal aura—her phoenix eyes cold as blades, her face frosted and aloof. Everything about her warned others to keep their distance, to not dare offend.

She was like a feline—appearing docile and gentle, but one never knew when her claws would strike.

Damn, what’s such a dangerous woman doing here? Xu Yun wondered, but he remained hidden, silently observing her every move.

The icy beauty moved like a specter, her steps light and precise as she glided down the corridor. At each doorway, she gently touched the handle with slender, pale fingers, peered inside, and moved on—clearly searching for something.

Is she looking for someone? Xu Yun narrowed his eyes, his expression sharp and forbidding—a look that would make anyone think twice about approaching. If his old friends were here, they’d recognize this as his prelude to an attack.

The cold beauty soon found the room where Ruan Qingshuang and Guoguo stayed. She glanced inside, her face relaxing with a hint of relief.

Xu Yun remained puzzled. What was she after?

The woman lingered for a few moments, then softly closed the door and turned toward the balcony.

Seeing this, Xu Yun swiftly slipped back, lightly tapping the balcony floor and vaulting down into the shadows below.

Moments later, the cold beauty leapt down as well. As she landed, she suddenly spun toward Xu Yun’s hiding place, her phoenix eyes flashing with a deadly glint.

“Come out!” she commanded. A flexible sword had appeared in her hand, its blade like autumn frost, shimmering with a cold, aquamarine light—a weapon that seemed almost otherworldly.

Damn, my stealth should be more than enough—how did she spot me? Xu Yun cursed inwardly, but he stepped out boldly. “Heh, you’re here looking for Guoguo, aren’t you?”

“Who are you?” The icy beauty fixed him with a wary gaze, her sword gleaming menacingly, as if the slightest misstep in his answer would bring it flashing toward him.