Chapter 31 Midnight Flight

Chapter 31: The Midnight Flight

Tan Youming emerged from his bath, hair dried, to find Shen Zongnian by the window, jacket shed, clad only in a black turtleneck, engrossed in a work call. Hearing Tan Youming, he turned and gestured with his chin towards the coffee table.

“When did you get this?” Tan Youming’s eyes sparkled, his face flushed and animated from the steamy shower.

He took a sip of the soup, feeling the warmth spread from his stomach to his heart. Just then, Shen Zongnian finally ended his call.

“Just now.”

“Were there many people?”

“No.”

“How could there not be? There were so many when we came back,” Tan Youming pressed closer, carrying the warm, shower-gel-scented air with him.

Shen Zongnian leaned back slightly. “It cleared out later.”

Tan Youming was skeptical. “How long did you queue?”

“A few minutes.”

Tan Youming urged, “You should drink some too.”

“You drink it,” Shen Zongnian stood to pack his luggage. After organizing his own, he still had to check Tan Youming’s. “Finish up quickly and get some sleep. We have an early start tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

He agreed, but when morning came, he was nowhere near ready. Shen Zongnian knocked on his door to find Tan Youming groggily scrambling on the bed, his hair a wild mess.

Shen Zongnian frowned. “What are you doing?”

Tan Youming looked up, eyes still closed. “I took off my sleep socks and can’t find them.”

Shen Zongnian shook the blankets but found nothing. Circling the bed, he finally spotted them on the floor. He picked them up and urged, “Hurry up.”

Tan Youming, still half-asleep, closed his eyes again and sprawled on the bed, feigning death.

“…” Shen Zongnian glanced at his wristwatch, then took Tan Youming’s ankle, pulling him closer. He crouched down, slipping on the socks for him, just as he had when they were children.

His movements were practiced, his hands large and warm. The rough pads of his fingers tickled Tan Youming’s skin, rousing him slightly. Propping himself up on his elbows, Tan Youming pressed his feet against Shen Zongnian’s palms and said, “Shen Zongnian.”

“Hmm.”

Tan Youming crossed his arms over his chest, looking down at Shen Zongnian’s focused expression. “What have you done wrong lately? Why are you being so good to me?”

Shen Zongnian didn’t look up, murmuring softly, “Am I?”

“Yes, you are.” The peachwood top, strawberry gourd, 1,382 photos taken, indulging his craving for street food, never repeating a meal, braving the night wind for lamb soup, waiting over an hour for date cakes and roasted chestnuts only to eat half without a scolding, carrying him while skiing six runs… If this wasn’t good, Tan Youming didn’t know what was.

Shen Zongnian finished putting on both socks before looking up. “Then are you happy?”

Tan Youming wiggled his snugly socked feet, grinning carelessly. “Happy, of course I’m happy.”

Shen Zongnian acknowledged with a soft “Hmm,” then added, “As long as you’re happy.”

The spring in the north spanned over two thousand kilometers, while the island already showed signs of summer’s approach.

Shen Zongnian seized the opportunity to finalize Jianxin’s contract renewal, while Tan Youming was busy with meetings from various associations. In just a few days, the red walls, weeping willows, and cherry blossoms of the ancient capital felt like a distant dream. Each morning, he awoke to the familiar hustle and bustle, the glitz and glamour of the city.

At night, the Puli Hotel remained brightly lit. Shen Zongnian arrived after peak business hours. His Bentley pulled into its reserved spot, and the general manager stood by the private elevator, waiting to greet him. “Mr. Shen, Officer He is already upstairs.”

Shen Zongnian nodded. Despite six hours of meetings, he showed no signs of fatigue, walking with a brisk, purposeful stride. The sharp intensity in his eyes even made He Wufei, meeting him for the first time, pause momentarily.

Having a request to make, He Wufei extended his hand first. “Mr. Shen, I’ve long heard of you.”

Shen Zongnian, stern and unsmiling, replied, “Officer He, thank you for waiting.”

“Not long,” He Wufei smiled, “but I did want to speak with you right after the New Year. Your assistant said you were on a business trip, so it had to wait until now.”

“I just returned from the mainland,” Shen Zongnian gestured for him to sit comfortably.

He Wufei cut straight to the chase. “The anti-fraud efforts there are strong, with excellent financial controls and market regulations.”

Shen Zongnian, also disliking small talk, went directly to the point. “The manager mentioned that Officer He wishes to establish monitoring points within my hotel.”

“Yes, this year’s overseas financial market environment, as you know,”—especially rampant in Southeast Asia, with multiple cases of fraud involving gambling outlets and export trade contracts—“the police department hopes to conduct surveillance operations at the Puli. We hope for your accommodation and support for our work.”

This was not a criminal investigation but rather an inspection and monitoring effort. The Puli operated legally with no violations, so official authority could not be used coercively—they could only hope for civilian cooperation.

Shen Zongnian nodded, acknowledging their hard work. “All enterprises under Huantu are happy to cooperate.” He then asked, “Aside from the Puli, where else will the police set up points?”

He Wufei looked up at him. Shen Zongnian met his gaze directly, openly accepting the scrutiny.

He Wufei found him quite different from what he’d imagined—young, with a strong presence, skilled at taking control.

The secrets of influential families were an open secret, and the upheaval in the Shen family years ago had been the talk of the town. He understood Shen Zongnian’s implication. “We’ll monitor any links that allow quick, high-value, liquid transactions,” including but not limited to auction houses, private banks, and customs.

It was an understanding without words. After a moment, Shen Zongnian extended his hand. “Officer He, a pleasure working with you.”

He Wufei found him more agreeable than rumored—direct and straightforward. He stood up and shook his hand. “A pleasure working with you. I’ll have a few officers come by to introduce themselves. We’ll trouble you to look out for them going forward.”

“You’re too kind.”

The two discussed specifics of the surveillance points and recent economic oversight trends. He Wufei revealed this was a joint operation with financial regulation and economic crime divisions, emphasizing its importance. Shen Zongnian expressed understanding.

Soon, several plainclothes young officers were brought in.

“Officer He.”

He Wufei introduced them. “These are colleagues from the joint task force of the main island district. This is Mr. Shen of Huantu.”

“Hello,” Shen Zongnian said succinctly. “For any cooperation needed in your work, you can contact Manager Zhang. Huantu will fully support your efforts.”

He Wufei thanked him. “We’ve taken enough of your time today. We’ll be in touch if needed.”

“Manager Zhang, please see them out.”

After the door closed, Shen Zongnian took a sip of tea from the table, soothing his dry throat from overtime work, though his mind continued racing.

Years ago, Shen Xiaochang had fled overseas, hiding but never giving up on making a comeback. Shen Zongnian had an extensive intelligence network abroad, but the other operated in gray areas using underground methods, beyond his reach and jurisdiction.

The recent reappearance of that hidden painting and rumors of proxy capital returning to the market felt like a probe, a provocation. Bringing in official oversight was the most efficient way to handle it.

The vibration of his phone interrupted his thoughts. Shen Zongnian didn’t check it immediately, and it continued ringing persistently. He silenced it, pulling a cigarette and lighter from his pocket.

No one outside had ever seen him smoke, but his lighting motion was clearly practiced. He held it mechanically, deep in thought, smoke rings occasionally blurring his furrowed brow.

Shen Zongnian smoked with restraint, zoning out for the time it takes to smoke half a cigarette amid the swirling smoke before extinguishing the remainder in the ashtray without a second thought.

He opened the window to let in fresh air, and the night breeze instantly tousled his hair, making him even more clear-headed.

The manager, having seen off the guests, knocked and entered to ask if he would be staying at the hotel for the night. Shen Zongnian declined and asked him to prepare an order of chocolate cookies to take away.

The manager said, "They're already boxed—freshly baked." Shen Zongnian didn’t come here often, but every time he did, he would take an order of chocolate cookies with him. The manager had instructed the kitchen to prepare them as soon as Shen Zongnian arrived.

Shen Zongnian took his car keys and left. As his Bentley turned onto Berlin Road, his phone lit up again. This time, Shen Zongnian checked the message.

"My flight's delayed. Go to sleep, don’t wait for me."

Tan Youming put away his phone and bought a cold brew for Xie Zhenlin at the airport coffee shop.

Four days earlier, he had received a farewell message from him.

"Bro, I'm leaving Haishi. Thank you for everything over the years—whether it was money or anything else. You’re the only one who truly supported and helped me. I’ll pay you back the money someday—it shouldn’t take too long. I’ll work hard, so don’t worry about me. Goodbye, bro."

At the time, Tan Youming was in a meeting with partners on the 36th floor in the Central district. The meeting had already lasted over five hours, and the sunset outside the window was dazzling. For a moment, he felt dazed, then quickly found an excuse to leave the conference room and called Xie Zhenlin’s number.

The call went unanswered.

Tan Youming stood by the crimson-lit window and replied with a message: "Okay. When are you leaving? I’ll see you off."

The international airport late at night was neither too crowded nor too empty. Flight information was announced repeatedly in Mandarin, Cantonese, and English.

"Have something cold to wake yourself up."

"Thanks, bro." Xie Zhenlin took the coffee, managed a smile. His complexion wasn’t much better than it had been at the funeral, but he seemed much more emotionally stable.

"No problem, drink up," Tan Youming said, inserting a straw into his glass of iced lemon tea. The lemon tea was too sour and weak. He pursed his lips and asked, "Have you handled everything with your maternal family?"

"Yeah, the lawyer is handling the inheritance lawsuit. My aunt used some connections to obtain the surveillance footage from Renji Hospital, and a caregiver has agreed to testify. Xie Ruiguo is suspected of abusing family members, so we have a strong case."

"Turns out my mom had already prepared a copy of her will," Xie Zhenlin clenched his fist, his voice lowering. "Even Xie Ruiguo didn’t know."

*Parents love their children, so they plan for their future.* His mother’s love was far greater than he had ever imagined.

Ceng Ni’s will involved substantial assets, with clear terms and a comprehensive framework. Xie Ruiguo, his mistress, and their illegitimate child would not get a single cent. That was why Xie Ruiguo tried to pin Ceng Ni’s cause of death on Xie Zhenlin, to strip him of his inheritance rights.

"Xie Ruiguo’s companies are also shady. Grandpa plans to send him to prison, though it might take some time."

Xie Zhenlin wanted to help, but his reputation in Haishi was already ruined, making any action difficult. His uncle suggested he leave for a few years.

His mother's family had initially distanced themselves because of his sexual orientation, but their shared mourning over Ceng Ni and their hatred for Xie Ruiguo brought them closer again.

Tan Youming said, "It’s good to leave. Honestly, it won’t take years—maybe just a few months, or even a few days—before people forget about these things."

"Yeah, I know, bro. I’ll work hard after I leave."

"Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. The main thing is to leave this environment and adjust your mindset. Take everything else slowly." Tan Youming tightened his grip slightly on the cup and finally asked, "What about Fang Sui?"

"We broke up."

Tan Youming slowly turned to look at him.

Xie Zhenlin held his gaze calmly. "He ended it."

*Tan Youming was secretly surprised. Was it guilt? An inability to move past this hurdle, feeling he no longer deserved such good love? Or was it unwillingness to drag Xie Zhenlin down further, afraid of pushing him into an even worse situation?*

"He..."

"I don’t know," Xie Zhenlin said calmly, though still in pain, his voice soft. "I don’t know. He was very firm."

Tan Youming wanted to say it was okay, that they were still young and there would be opportunities in the future. But he didn’t know if there really would be. Expectations shouldn’t be voiced, and blessings felt inappropriate. Tan Youming remained silent.

It was Xie Zhenlin who spoke first: "It’s okay, I can accept it, bro. I’ve already accepted it." The unbearable had already happened. The world didn’t revolve around his will. Xie Zhenlin’s throat felt bitter as he looked at Tan Youming, struggling to speak. "If possible, bro... could you look out for him in the future?"

He didn’t need a big opportunity or a great job—just to no longer be forced to become a plaything at drinking parties or pushed into a corner by the Xie family.

He had left all his money and cards in their shared home, but he knew Fang Sui wouldn’t use them. He knew him too well.

Tan Youming looked at the person before him, who seemed to have grown up overnight, sighed to himself, and patted his shoulder. "Of course, of course I will."

Tan Youming didn’t mention the name again, shifting the conversation to Xie Zhenlin’s plans after going abroad. Xie Zhenlin shared both his plans and his family’s arrangements until the flight announcement sounded.

"Bro, I have to go," Xie Zhenlin stood up and hugged Tan Youming, saying softly, "Thank you for seeing me off. I used to think... I wish you were really my brother. You’ve helped me so much. Someone as good as you will surely be rewarded in the future."

Tan Youming smiled, returning the hug and patting his back like a brother would. "I just said you’ve matured, and now you’re saying such childish things. Alright, go on. Let me know when you’ve landed safely."

"Okay, bro. Goodbye."

Tan Youming watched him pass through the security checkpoint but didn’t leave immediately. As the passengers gradually thinned out, he stood alone at the bustling departure gate, his mood as dark and heavy as the night outside the floor-to-ceiling window.

Yet this was supposed to be a hopeful new beginning.

And so, the midnight flight carried a heartbroken young man away from the island.

While some faced setbacks in love and retreated sadly, others achieved happiness and celebrated their union.

On the 23rd day of the second lunar month, the engagement banquet of Tan Zuyi, daughter of the Tan family, and Zhong Ze, the second son of the Zhong family, was held at a hotel under the Huantu group.