Chapter 17: The Invitation
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Karai
Lin Su quietly retreated into the bathroom and reapplied some body lotion without showing any emotion. Shi Wenze didn’t bother using the beautiful European-style dining table with its silver candelabras. Instead, he tossed a plastic tablecloth over the coffee table in the living room and opened up all the takeout containers, laying them out casually. The evening news was playing on the TV. Lin Su stood in the brightly lit living room, watching a long segment about focus initiatives and the People’s Congress. It was all so dry and uninspiring—he just wanted to date someone, not build the spiritual civilization of socialism.
Shi Wenze, however, wasn’t paying attention to the broadcast. As long as there was some background noise, any channel would do. He’d just taken a shower as well and hadn’t bothered to dry his hair completely. With his damp hair, loosely tied bathrobe, and slippers dragging along the floor, he looked every bit the streetwise boss type. Lin Su had to admit—this vibe fit barbecue much better. He really did look like the kind of guy who’d own a badass street motorcycle.
The sofa was too far from the coffee table, so the two of them just sat on the floor. They piled up seven or eight cushions into a cozy little late-night nest. Lin Su hadn’t had much appetite at first, but Shi Wenze didn’t ask—he just handed him a grilled flatbread stuffed with crayfish meat. The aroma of thirteen-spice seasoning was hard to resist. Lin Su immediately decided to put his emo mood on hold. Good food should always be eaten while it’s hot. That first bite turned into an hour and a half of eating.
Lin Su, now full and tipsy, wiped his fingers and stared at the mountain of lobster shells covering the table. He was still craving more—maybe they should’ve bought two more boxes after all. Shi Wenze called room service to clear the trash. The lingering food smell was strong, so he asked, “Wanna go for a walk?”
Not to the Golden Grand Theatre, and not to the amusement park—just a random stroll to walk off the food and catch some air. So, they slipped back out dressed in their bathrobes. Behind the guesthouse, there was an artificial lake surrounded by a fitness trail. It was already late, and the path was completely deserted. No other guests were around to disturb them. Then again, with the way things were progressing between them, there really wasn’t much to disturb.
Lin Su stepped one foot after another over the soft grass. After a while, he asked, “Why’d you decide to open a tattoo parlor?”
“Hm?” Shi Wenze glanced over. “It was Zhou’s idea.” As a full-time tracker, he had to be on call at all times. That meant he couldn’t hold a regular 9-to-5 job like most other monsters embedded in human society. But he also couldn’t do nothing. So Zhou Yuansong assigned the run-down two-story building on Hefu Lane to Shi Wenze and Xu You and told them to start some sort of business as a cover. There was only one condition: The business had to fail. The more obscure and unnoticed, the better.
These days, opening a wildly successful business wasn’t easy—but opening a totally unnoticed one? Also pretty damn hard. Sure, they could’ve just jacked up the prices to scare customers away—sell a plate of stir-fried potatoes for 888 yuan—but then what if some clout-chasing influencer came knocking?
So, in the end, they aimed for bodily harm. They bought a secondhand tattoo machine and expired ink from an online reseller for 300 yuan. Neither of them even bothered coming up with a shop name. They just walked over to the print shop next door, had them make a “Cheap Tattoos” sign, and hung it out front. That was it—grand opening.
“Sure enough, we haven’t had a single customer since we opened,” Shi Wenze said. Still, the upstairs had a temporary office for emergency task force work, so colleagues were constantly coming and going. It created enough foot traffic to fool the neighbors into thinking the shop had clients—and therefore no one questioned why it hadn’t gone under yet.
Lin Su commented, “That’s so your style.”
“Come on. My style’s not that pitiful,” Shi Wenze said, clearly a little offended. Just because he didn’t have a Lamborghini now—and probably never would—didn’t mean he wasn’t aiming for that image: a cold-blooded motorcycle rider tearing down empty roads under the moonlight.
“I wasn’t talking about the tattoo parlor,” Lin Su clarified after thinking it over. But the feeling was hard to explain. In the end, he said, “Never mind.”
That “never mind” lodged like a splinter in Shi Wenze’s chest. No way. It couldn’t just be dropped like that. So Lin Su reluctantly explained, “I meant that opening a random shop on a whim—that feels like something you’d do. It’s not about what kind of business it is, or whether it’s failing. You get it?”
Shi Wenze didn’t really get it. He thought, Isn’t that more Zhou’s style? After all, even the secondhand machine had been ordered on Zhou’s Taobao account. But if he kept asking, it might become painfully obvious that he couldn’t keep up with an artist’s brain. So, he chose to stay silent.
Above them, the night sky was full of stars. It was the kind of night that felt quiet and romantic. The romance hadn’t reached a level that’d get them censored by concerned parents just yet. So, even though no one else was around, they didn’t hold hands or steal kisses. They just looked at the stars—one, two, three, four—connecting into lines.
Shi Wenze picked up a small stone and skipped it across the lake, sending out seven ripples.
“You wanna try?” he asked, finding a thinner, flatter stone and handing it to Lin Su.
Lin Su shook his head. “I don’t know how.”
Shi Wenze laughed. “There’s nothing to know. Just try it.”
But Lin Su kept his hands behind his back. Shi Wenze’s voice was a little hoarse from the night dew. “Or… should I teach you?”
Lin Su’s heart skipped a beat uncontrollably. Isn’t this a little unfair, handsome guy? The two of them stood face to face by the lake. It felt like the young love they missed out on in high school was about to be made up for tonight—pure and innocent in every way.
In the end, Lin Su still took the small stone and, imitating Shi Wenze, threw it into the lake. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven! Shi Wenze laughed. “Not bad, huh?”
Lin Su hadn’t expected to have any talent in this at all. The little stone skipped across the water. Eight, nine, ten. Like it was on some kind of energy drink, it just wouldn’t stop. Eleven, twelve, thirteen.
Shi Wenze said, “…”
Lin Su said, “…”
By the time they finished, the whole surface of the lake was rippling wildly, and that one stone seemed to dance everywhere. Shi Wenze realized things were going south. He grabbed Lin Su’s hand and turned to leave. But it was already too late.
With a loud “One hundred!” a huge creature burst out of the lake with a splash. A fish-headed man grinned broadly, raising his stone high like the Statue of Liberty holding her torch.
Lin Su thought, Save me!
The fish-headed man said, “Surprise!”
Shi Wenze decided he never wanted to hear that word again at the Fortune Hotel. The damp Supervisor Song from Jiayong Auction House climbed ashore, waving warmly from afar. “What a coincidence to meet you two here!”
No beautiful campus idol drama ever featured a fish-headed man. Lin Su took a step back. “It’s not really a coincidence. We were just heading back to our rooms.”
Supervisor Song was very persistent. “I’m heading back to my room too. Come this way.”
He seemed desperate to chat with Lin Su—almost wanting to stick right next to him. After less than ten sentences, Lin Su had dodged away four times and nearly slipped into the lake.
Shi Wenze grabbed Supervisor Song’s shoulder with a sharp look directed at the fish-headed man. Lin Su warned, “Watch your step. Otherwise, I might have trouble keeping this civil.”
Supervisor Song quickly straightened up. “Sorry, sorry. Where were we? Oh right, our auction house will hold a private event next week, on the fifteenth. Many industry veterans will attend. We hope Mr. Lin can honor us with his presence.”
Jiayong Auction House was influential in all of Chengdu and even nationally. Lin Su, wanting to develop domestically, knew it was important to network. So even though he was annoyed his night was interrupted, he still nodded. “Alright. If I have time, I’ll consider it.”
Supervisor Song was thrilled. “I’ll prepare the invitation letter tomorrow. If President Wang knows, he’ll be very pleased.”
Facing this unexpected “President Wang,” Shi Wenze politely interrupted, “May I have an invitation too?” Lin Su was speechless.
Supervisor Song tried to politely refuse, “Mr. Shi, this is an art world gathering. It might not be appropriate. But if there’s an exhibition or auction about cold weapons next time, I’ll definitely save you a ticket.”
“Okay.” Shi Wenze didn’t press it. “I’ll patrol within fifty meters. If any beasts cause trouble at the event, please call the police immediately.”
Supervisor Song grew nervous. “There are no items on display at the event, so why would beasts come to cause trouble? What would they want?”
Shi Wenze said nothing. He leaned in slightly and looked him in the eyes. Supervisor Song shuddered but immediately understood. Those who knew, knew. Those who didn’t, it was better not to explain. Too much was at stake. No good would come from talking.
“Alright, Mr. Shi, I’ll try to get you a ticket.”
Shi Wenze looked hesitant. “I don’t think it’s appropriate. After all, I’m not part of your art circle.”
“No, no, no.” Supervisor Song waved his finger. “It’s no problem at all. Leave it to me. Travel expenses are negotiable.”
“No need for money.” Shi Wenze was satisfied at last. “Just give me a ticket.”
Supervisor Song eagerly agreed. Then, for the next few minutes, he kept checking the security arrangements on his phone. Even Lin Su found it a bit much and said to Shi Wenze, “Don’t go overboard.”
“Where’s the overboard?” Shi Wenze refused to admit anything. “I didn’t say anything.” Then he lowered his voice and pressed his chin against Shi Wenze’s shoulder. “Anyway, I want a little taste of art.”
Lin Su tilted his head slightly. Is this what they call a macho man acting cute? No wonder it was so hard to say no! Lin Su said, “Then don’t cause trouble.”
Shi Wenze curled his lip. “I’m not a kid.”
Lin Su offered, “I’ll buy you a big bucket of Kakale Planet.”
“Make that two,” Shi Wenze added.
By then, Supervisor Song had finished confirming the security arrangements. When he turned back and saw the two acting so close, he was momentarily stunned. What kind of weird walking style was this?
Shi Wenze explained, “I’m a little dizzy. Low blood sugar.”
Supervisor Song believed him again and even tried to get a waiter to bring a cup of red date ginger tea. Shi Wenze tried to stop him but failed. He felt a bit confused himself. With Mr. Cang’s reputation behind him and Supervisor Song’s trust here, how were these two so easy to fool? Could it be that the idea of building a trustworthy society was especially successful in the art world, spreading true love everywhere? If that was the case, he thought, maybe he really was taking advantage of honest people.
So, when Supervisor Song was leaving the elevator, Shi Wenze deliberately called after him, pointed at his phone, and kindly suggested, “When you get back, remember to download the National Anti-Fraud Center app.”
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