“Thump—thump!”

“The air is dry; be careful with fire and candles.”

The dim, narrow alley was deserted. The sound of the night watchman beating his gong drifted from the distance—barely audible, yet just perceptible because the surroundings were so quiet. In a corner concealed by a few wooden planks, Yan Xiaoyu and Yan Shaoxuan had been lying in wait for quite some time.

This area had once been the courtyard of a wealthy family, but after a murder occurred there, the family was torn apart. The survivors moved away, and the state had since fallen into disuse.

Rumors of hauntings circulated, and the local villagers avoided the area whenever possible. Today, however, Qian Hong’s return to the inn required him to pass through here.

Yan Xiaoyu was dressed in black, wearing a Li Kui mask that left only his eyes exposed. With few places to hide and limited space in the vicinity, he and Yan Shaoxuan had to stand shoulder to shoulder, pressed close together, to remain completely hidden.

When he first arrived, he was filled with excitement, his mind abuzz with the thrill of avenging a great wrong. But after lying in wait for so long, his thoughts began to wander.

The faint scent of pine and ink from Yan Shaoxuan filled his nostrils; his arm seemed to sense the man’s body heat and solid muscles, and a sense of awkwardness slowly crept into his heart.

Yan Xiaoyu lamented how his status as a ger had ruined him, causing his mindset to shift so drastically that he could no longer stand beside a man without feeling awkward; at the same time, with a flushed face, he cautiously edged away from Yan Shaoxuan.

No sooner had he moved than Yan Shaoxuan wrapped an arm around him.

“Here he comes. Don’t move.”

Yan Xiaoyu tensed up, peering through the cracks in the wood. It took him a while to make out the figure approaching.

Who’s here? No one’s here! He turned to look at Yan Shaoxuan, but he was wearing a mask too, his expression hidden; all he could see was his slender neck and prominent Adam’s apple.

Tsk! Yan Erlang really is blessed by heaven—even his Adam’s apple is this handsome.

Just as Yan Xiaoyu finished his musings and raised his hand to touch his own throat, he heard a sound—the sound of shoes on the cobblestones, growing closer and closer, as if someone was really coming.

Yan Xiaoyu held his breath and stared intently at the entrance of the alley. A moment later, he spotted Qian Hong.

Qian Hong seemed to have had a few drinks; his steps were a bit unsteady. As he walked, a rock appeared out of nowhere to the right of him and crashed to the ground with a sharp clang.

“Who’s there?!”

The surroundings were eerily quiet, except for a rustling sound coming from the corner of the wall to his right—he couldn’t tell what it was. Qian Hong felt a chill run down his spine. After glancing around, he stared nervously in that direction.

Just then, a burlap sack fell from above and was pulled over his head. He was kicked to the ground before he even had time to react.

As he struggled, his hands and feet were bound with rope. A barrage of fists rained down on his body and face, each blow landing with a satisfying thud. Qian Hong was completely defenseless, the pain so intense he couldn’t even sit up.

Who were these people? Why had they ambushed him? Why were they treating him so brutally?! His eyes bulged with fury. He tried to cry for help, but his mouth was gagged with a cloth, allowing only muffled sounds that were inaudible from a distance.

The assailants said not a word as they pounded him with fists and feet.

Qian Hong was seething with rage, yet trembling with fear.

He silently prayed that someone would pass by and save him, but no one came. He writhed in agony on the ground, his despair growing with every passing moment.

He had no idea who these thugs were, how many there were, or why they had ambushed him here. The area was sparsely populated, and given how ruthlessly they attacked him, they were likely trained fighters. Was he really going to meet his end here today?

“Spare my life, please! Spare my life!” No matter how tough Qian Hong was, he soon reached his limit. Wailing pitifully, he begged for mercy, “I still have a few taels of loose silver on me, and a fifty-tael promissory note. Gentlemen, take them to buy yourselves some wine—just spare my life!”

Yan Xiaoyu paused for a moment, then ruthlessly yanked the pouch from his waist.

He stuffed the silver and banknotes into his own pocket, tossed the money pouch to the ground, and continued fighting. I’ll show you for messing with me! I’ll show you for bullying people with your power! I’ll show you for trying to take my shop!

With old and new grievances piling up, Yan Xiaoyu moved with lightning speed, fighting a crowd all by himself.

After delivering several powerful kicks and venting all the pent-up frustration in his chest, Yan Xiaoyu felt completely relieved. he exhaled deeply and slowed his movements.

Qian Hong’s head was covered by a burlap sack, so it was impossible to tell the extent of his injuries. The sack was soaked through with blood, suggesting he was seriously hurt. Sensing that the “villain” was about to stop, he felt as if he’d been granted a pardon, but immediately tensed up again.

—Could these men have suddenly stopped to silence him by killing him?!

Terrified by his own suspicion, he banged his head against the ground in desperation and wailed, “Honorable heroes, just tell me what you want, and I’ll hand it over willingly! My family’s wealth is substantial—I can give you anything, just spare my life! If I have ever wronged you, I am willing to make amends a thousandfold! I beg you, spare me. My wife is about to give birth; if I die, I fear that my widow and orphaned children will not survive…”

Qian Hong wept uncontrollably, his words jumbled and incoherent; with his face covered by a cloth, he could barely make himself understood.

Yan Xiaoyu was tired of listening to all this. Having vented his frustration, he decided to take it out on him. he shot Yan Shaoxuan a glance, then stomped hard on Qian Hong’s leg.

“Aaaah!!!”

Qian Hong turned pale with pain, curling up into a ball as cold sweat poured down his face. He had no idea what these people intended to do to him, and his heart was filled with panic and at a loss.

“Who’s there? What are you doing?!”

A strange accent rang out suddenly. Qian Hong’s heart nearly leapt out of his chest with excitement. He screamed at the top of his lungs for help: “Help! Help! Someone’s trying to kill me! Who will save me?! I’m the young master of the Qian family’s tofu shop in Lantai Town. Whoever saves my life, I’ll reward you handsomely!”

Before Qian Hong could finish shouting, he realized the assailants had fled, their footsteps growing fainter and fainter—they’d been scared off! His heart leapt with joy. Just as he was about to call out to the “benefactor” who’d just appeared to save him, he heard the “benefactor” gasp, “Meng—”

“Ugh.”

Qian Hong’s benefactor let out a muffled groan and fell silent. He thought to himself, “This is bad. My benefactor must be outnumbered and overpowered by those thugs. I don’t know if he’s alive or dead.”

Well, after the bandits left, they haven’t returned.

The alley was deathly silent, so quiet it sent a chill down his spine. Qian Hong’s head was still covered with a burlap sack, so he had no idea what was going on outside. His body was covered in wounds, and he could only grit his teeth against the pain as he carefully inched his way to the side.

With great effort, he managed to rub the cloth gag off his mouth. He tried to bend his legs behind him to untie the ropes binding his ankles, but his left leg was likely broken; any sudden movement sent excruciating pain shooting through him, leaving him completely immobilized.

Not knowing if those thugs would return, Qian Hong dared not cry out. Trembling with fear, he shifted his body, trying to find a place to hide. Sweat poured from his forehead as he replayed the events in his mind, trying to identify the culprit who had set him up.

He had many enemies, but few of them would be in the county town at this hour—only Yan Xiaoyu and Meng Laoliu, the owner of the Meng family’s tofu shop.

This group of thugs had come prepared today; it didn’t seem like a simple case of being tempted by money. Someone must have instigated them, and the person behind them was most likely either Yan Xiaoyu or Meng Laoliu.

As if a thought had struck him, Qian Hong sat up straight.

Meng? Could the benefactor he’d just met have said “Meng”?

A chill ran down Qian Hong’s spine, and it suddenly dawned on him—the Meng family had long been involved in the underworld. Rumor had it that they kept a number of henchmen who all took their employer’s surname. The mastermind behind these thugs must surely be Meng Laoliu.

Yan Xiaoyu didn’t know he’d be passing through here today, but Meng Laoliu certainly did.

Earlier, he had snatched a small business deal from Meng Laoliu. Yesterday, Meng Laoliu had specifically sent men to his door to threaten him, telling him to know his place and not to set his sights on Xinghua Restaurant.

Xinghua Restaurant was one of the top restaurants in the county and had long been a regular customer of the Meng family’s tofu shop. Qian Hong had never been able to secure business there, but he’d been eyeing it all along. Yet Meng Laoliu’s unwarranted threats were simply too much; he wasn’t about to let Meng Laoliu get away with it.

In addition to tofu, they also sell dried tofu, tofu skewers, and other soy-based products, giving them an edge over ordinary tofu shops.

Before coming to the county seat, Yan Yongfang had told him that if he could secure business, he should go ahead and do so. After all, the county magistrate had a stake in their new shop, so no one would dare cross him. By closing a few more deals, they could even recoup the silver they’d lost with the magistrate. As long as they competed fairly, they had nothing to fear.

Qian Hong agreed wholeheartedly. After making up his mind yesterday, he had made some inquiries and learned that the owner of Xinghua Restaurant would be coming to the establishment tonight to check the accounts, so he went there this afternoon to wait.

Yan Xiaoyu wasn’t aware of his plans and never expected him to send men to lie in wait here.

Besides, Yan Xiaoyu was just a country boy—he had no connections in the county. Such a massive operation today could only be the work of that scoundrel Meng Laoliu! The man who had just cried out “Meng” must have recognized his attacker as a member of the Meng family.

Meng! Lao! Liu! You despicable scoundrel! For today’s offense, I will make you pay a hundredfold, a thousandfold! Qian Hong seethed with rage, momentarily forgetting the pain in his body.

Yan Xiaoyu and Yan Shaoxuan removed their black robes and masks, then hurried to catch up with the man ahead.

“Don’t ever call me for something like this again.” Yan Shaocheng turned back to look at the two of them with a helpless expression. “If your older sister finds out, she’ll be so worried.”

Having vented his anger, Yan Xiaoyu felt refreshed and invigorated, his steps lightening considerably. “Don’t worry, my older sister won’t find out.”

The restaurant wasn’t set to open until the day after tomorrow. After cleaning the place the day before yesterday, He Qiuhua, Yan Xiaoyue, and the others returned to Xiling Village. Yan Xiaoyu stayed behind under the pretext of helping Yan Shaocheng prepare for the grand opening, but his real motive was to take out his anger on Qian Hong.

Yan Shaocheng thought it was sheer folly to go beat someone up in the dead of night, but he couldn’t persuade his younger brother otherwise, so he came along today.

Yan Xiaoyu said his older sister wouldn’t find out, but Yan Shaocheng shook his head: “I’ll tell her. It’s not right to keep this from her; I couldn’t live with myself otherwise.” 

“Oh my!” Yan Xiaoyu winked and teased, “Big Brother Yan really is a good man—no wonder he’s my future brother-in-law!”

After teasing Yan Shaocheng, he turned to look at Yan Shaoxuan beside him: “Yan Erlang is too.” His voice was much softer now, and his expression had returned to normal. Yan Shaoxuan curled the corners of his mouth upward and unconsciously moved closer to him.

Yan Shaocheng watched the two of them, smiling meaningfully.

Passing by a charity hall on the way, Yan Xiaoyu tossed the fifty-tael silver note he’d snatched from Qian Hong, along with a few small bundles of loose silver, over the courtyard wall inside.

Yan Shaocheng was somewhat taken aback. “That’s over fifty taels of silver! It would take us ages to earn that back running our restaurant, and you just tossed it away like that?” 

Yan Shaoxuan chuckled softly. “It’s Qian Hong’s stuff. He doesn’t even want it.”

Yan Xiaoyu nodded. “You really do understand me, Yan Erlang.”

If it had been right after he’d arrived here, when he couldn’t even get enough to eat, he wouldn’t have minded. But now that his restaurant was about to open and his family wasn’t short on silver, he had no use for Qian Hong’s money.

This silver would be put to better use if donated to the charity hall.

Yan Shaocheng had only asked casually, with a hint of wanting to interfere, but upon hearing this, he smiled and said, “Then let’s work hard and earn fifty taels as soon as possible.” 

“Alright!”

The three of them chatted for nearly half an hour before returning to the restaurant.

Upon arriving home, Yan Shaoxuan fetched some water and brought it to Yan Xiaoyu’s room for him to wash up. After Yan Xiaoyu thanked him and chatted with him for a few more moments, he finally left at a leisurely pace.

As he headed back to his room, Yan Xiaoyu was about to close the door when he turned back. Yan Xiaoyu paused in surprise: “Yan Erlang, is there something else?”

Yan Shaoxuan looked at Yan Xiaoyu and remained silent for a long moment before speaking: “I’ll accompany you no matter what you do—just don’t take risks on your own.”

His voice was deep, tinged with a faint, almost imperceptible tenderness.

Late into the night, Yan Xiaoyu tossed and turned in bed, those words replaying over and over in his mind, keeping him awake for a long time.

Yan Erlang is truly so kind!