Moth Chasing the Sun 13

Qi Ziyang said, "I came to pack my things. You didn't think I actually wanted to stay here, did you?"

He looked Yue Lingxiu up and down as if she were trash. "Only you treasure this place like it's a gem. I wouldn't stay here even if you paid me. The decor is so nouveau riche—gaudy and ugly. No taste at all. After two years in your house, I nearly went blind."

Yue Lingxiu was beside herself with anger, because what he said hit too close to home. The Yue family was indeed newly rich, not comparable to the Qi family in prestige.

These days, only the truth could hurt so deeply, piercing right where it stung.

"You cheap bastard!"

She raised her hand to slap him, but Yan Xianchuan intercepted it. She applied just a tiny bit of pressure, and a crisp crack sounded.

"You hit so hard you broke your own wrist," Yan Xianchuan said with feigned surprise.

Yue Lingxiu was a pampered young lady. She let out a sharp cry of pain, cold sweat pouring down at once, her lips trembling and turning pale. Cupping her arm with the other hand, she stammered, "You... you two! See, I knew you had something going on!"

Qi Ziyang almost lost his composure. He took a quiet, deep breath to suppress the laughter.

Fortunately, Yue Lingxiu was too dazed with pain to notice his near slip.

"I told you, there's nothing between us," he said, rolling his eyes, his tone cold. "With a walnut-sized brain like yours, all you ever think about is what's below the belt, right? After my marriage to your idiot brother, I've figured things out. In life, one should indulge a little."

"Why can he have his fun while I can't? Miss Yan is a married woman. Unlike Yue Yongjian, I'm not so low as to chase after someone already taken. Splendid Nightless City is full of poor souls without a home."

He clicked his tongue sympathetically. "I can only reluctantly offer them the warmth of a home."

Yue Lingxiu was furious. "How dare you go out whoring! You should be begging my brother to take you back! He's still in the hospital, and you're already looking for someone else! How did he end up marrying a slut like you?"

A smile devoid of warmth hung on Qi Ziyang's face. "With all due respect, just now you told me to get out of your house, saying I'm not part of the Yue family. Now you want me to beg him for a remarriage? What am I, property? Must I let you mold and flatten me as you please, whether alive or dead?"

"Since you married into our family, you belong to us," Yue Lingxiu said with utter conviction. "We get to decide if we don't want you. How dare you decide for yourself?"

Qi Ziyang raised an eyebrow. "I'm going to Splendid Nightless City tonight. What are you going to do about it, hit me?"

Yue Lingxiu raised her other uninjured arm to lunge at him, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw Yan Xianchuan and stopped abruptly. "Just you wait!"

Qi Ziyang couldn't be bothered to argue anymore. Continuing to spar with her was pure torture.

People like her had rigid minds, locked into their own warped logic. No matter how absurd, they considered it reasonable, and the whole world must agree with them. If you don't, it's your fault.

Yue Lingxiu stomped down the stairs, still throwing threats over her shoulder. "Just you wait, Qi Ziyang! I won't let this go!"

Even though it was Yan Xianchuan who had broken her wrist, she hadn't dared say a harsh word to her. What a coward, bullying only those weaker.

Qi Ziyang rubbed his temples. "I was in such a good mood, but talking to her just made me angry. How can someone be so impossible?"

"But then again, her whole family is like that, so what's there to be surprised about?"

Meanwhile, Yan Xianchuan, having heard that ridiculous tirade, was already pondering in her head what sort of death would best suit this shrieking chicken.

It turned out even enjoying drama could be painful.

She had imagined it would be like a gripping story—twists and turns, shocking characters, and a moral dilemma that turned everything on its head.

The reality of drama, however, was watching bizarre people make bizarre statements, witnessing the diversity of the species.

Shaken to the core, Yan Xianchuan secretly recorded a snippet and sent it to Lu Mingqiu. 【So scary. People in your world are truly terrifying.】

Lu Mingqiu listened to the recording without changing expression, and found nothing particularly alarming.

Such beliefs were part of the broader social environment. As an omega, she had heard so much that her ears had grown calluses.

Compared to this harmless chatter, something else mattered more.

【You didn't kill anyone, did you?】

Yan Xianchuan said, pitifully: 【Of course not. Am I someone who acts before thinking?】

While saying this, she completely ignored what had happened last night, and was even more righteous than Yue Lingxiu had been moments ago.

Lu Mingqiu thought: You are.

But she couldn't say that out loud—that would only dampen her enthusiasm.

【I believe you have a good head on your shoulders. You'll be a good girl and wait for me to come back, right?】

【Yes!】 Yan Xianchuan replied enthusiastically.

Then she followed Qi Ziyang, who had finished packing, out the door. "For tonight, um... I won't go."

"I can't go." The words came easier than she had expected. Mainly because, as she spoke, all she could think of was the praise and reward she'd get later. That made it much easier.

Qi Ziyang was truly relieved. With her intimidating presence around, he couldn't help but worry about all sorts of things. Plus, Yan Xianchuan attracted a bit too much attention. He feared trouble might arise.

His plan for luring Yue Lingxiu out wasn't to kill her outright, but to poison her with a slow-acting toxin. It wouldn't kill her immediately; when she suddenly died, the doctors would only find organ failure, leaving no clue to investigate.

The Yue family would be caught up in the Newman family's retaliation, so they'd bury her hastily. When they were overwhelmed with trouble, that's when his true revenge would truly begin.

For now, he was just whetting his appetite, doing something to please himself.

He had plenty of time and a bright future. He wouldn't throw himself away for revenge. Those rotten people weren't worth it.

Yan Xianchuan parted ways with him and returned to her own home. But as soon as she opened the door, all the anticipation in her heart shattered like bubbles in the sunlight when faced with the empty room.

She dragged herself heavily to the couch and flopped down, staring blankly at the coffee table for a long time.

The bright sunlight, the warm yellow cups, the beige cushions—they all seemed to have faded of their true colors, veiled in a layer of sad gray.

This vast living room felt like an empty cell, filled with dull gloom, imprisoning her within.

If living alone was so hard, how had she managed before?

Yan Xianchuan thought for a moment, then had a sudden realization: she'd never managed at all.

It had been a beautiful sunny day, perfect for an outing or camping. In fact, the family had been planning just that—two days prior was her birthday, but her parents had work, so they decided to go out together over the weekend.

The weather was so nice. When she jumped from the building, the wind on her face was warm. The sky was like a sea of clouds, and her hands still held the lingering chill of blood that had gone cold.

She was rising; the city was falling away.

Loneliness was a hard thing to endure; it leaves you feeling hollow inside.

Killing was a joyful thing; it gives you something to do.

So, Yan Xianchuan sprang off the couch, deciding to do something productive!

She wouldn't get involved in the grudges of the great families, wouldn't use her identity to mess things up. Why not just put on a different face and go undercover?

"Yan Xianchuan" hadn't done anything. If "Yan Xiaochuan" went out to cause a commotion, that's still well within the bounds of good behavior.

First, she looked at herself in the mirror and conjured a harmless, innocent face. Then she sneaked a diamond necklace from Lu Mingqiu's dressing room.

To play the part of a rich pigeon, one must look the part.

Just as she was about to head out, she turned on her heel and grabbed a crossbody bag—the roomy, practical kind. She paired it with unflattering, plain shorts and a tee, then snagged a wide-brimmed hat.

Decked out like that, plus a face mask, she looked every bit a runaway miss.

She thought her disguise was solid, but she lacked experience. A sharp eye would immediately spot her as prey.

Once night fell, she'd be able to go out and swing her fist of justice.

Yan Xianchuan had already chosen her destination: the West District, where Splendid Nightless City was. That whole area was a mix of all walks of life, the perfect place for shady dealings and petty crimes—a gathering spot for the dregs of society.

What she didn't know was that Tan Yiyuan was also here.

After leaving Yunmengtai that day, he had pondered his future plans carefully. The Black Tiger Gang was a powerful organization; facing it alone was like a mayfly trying to shake a tree. If he wanted success, he might as well dream on.

One person wasn't enough, so he'd find allies. The Black Tiger Gang operated with ruthless efficiency. Any business they dabbled in, they allowed no one else to pursue. If they had a stake in the sex trade, then any related club had to carry their banner as well.

What? You say the owner won't agree? Then just kill the owner, problem solved.

Those who were wise would willingly surrender, handing over their dividends without a fuss. Otherwise, it was a dead end.

The Black Tiger Gang could act this brazen because of their cohorts, but all those small gangs squeezed of their profits—surely they weren't all secretly resentful?

You're living your life fine when a bandit appears at your door saying, "Give me twenty percent of your earnings every year, or I'll kill your whole family."

For survival, you'd hand over the money, but who knows how much you'd hate that bandit in your heart.

Especially since they had their fingers in many pies—besides the sex trade, there were casinos, illegal drugs, black hallucination, and other highly profitable ventures. Like leeches, they sucked the blood of all other businesses.

Tan Yiyuan planned to find a few partners who harbored resentment against the Black Tiger Gang. Bringing them together could make a substantial force.

If you wanted the best place to gather information, it was, of course, the underground bars.

Thanks to his years as a bounty hunter, he found the place without a local guide.

Bars all looked the same: flashing lights, thumping music, and a dance floor never short of moving bodies.

He took a seat in a corner at the bar, having intentionally fitted himself with a hearing aid—the kind with a smart system that automatically picked up nearby conversations and displayed them as subtitles before his eyes. It was a device meant for the disabled, but it was also a master at eavesdropping.

At first, nothing useful surfaced—just the usual neighborhood gossip.

He sat in the bar for over two hours when he finally caught something different. Two men were discussing someone named Feng Tao. One said Feng Tao had been there for a drink again, and the other said he came twice a week.

The first man quipped, "He used to be a vice leader, and now he's just a truck driver. I'd be furious if I were him."

His companion replied, "He's lucky to be alive. He was the old boss's right-hand man, after all. And now with the current one around... tsk tsk."

They had to be talking about the Black Tiger Gang—there was no other gang around.

Feng Tao, who was he? Could he be an ally worth winning over?