Chapter 22 - Parallel Lines

Translator's Note:

Hello, I hope you've all been doing well.

Here you go, and I wish you a good read.

And, as I said before, if you wish to read ahead, you can head over to my Patreon to get early access to all the translated chapters.

Dragging Serg back to the sofa, Shuai Zhaomin felt a surge of dissatisfaction, though he wasn't entirely sure whom it was directed at. Was it Tengshe, for playing games with him? Sara, for dragging his friend into this mess? Or Serg himself, for allowing himself to be roped in?

 

Frustration simmered within him, undeniable and heavy. While his life hadn't exactly been smooth sailing, he'd never been on the losing end.

 

He was always the one dishing out misfortune. Yet today... was this what hitting rock bottom felt like? Damn it! It truly was a case of one wrong step leading to a cascade of mistakes. If only he'd turned down the case the moment he'd stumbled upon that damned scandalous scene, none of this would be happening now!

 

"Why are you here?" Shuai Zhaomin pulled the towel off Serg's hand. The fabric was stained with blood, though the bleeding had stopped. The wound was deep, splitting Serg's pristine fingernail cleanly down the middle.

 

"Sara said you wanted to see me," Serg replied with a wry smile, realizing he'd been tricked by her.

 

Those exquisite eyes lingered on Shuai Zhaomin, who was intently examining his wound. Serg's chest tightened, an ache blooming within him, though it was tinged with relief. "I thought you wouldn't forgive me. Zhaomin, please don't take that incident to heart."

 

"Huh?" Shuai Zhaomin looked up, momentarily confused. His black eyes behind the glasses flickered with puzzlement before realization dawned on him. "Oh, the kiss? I don't really care about that. You shouldn't either."

 

How could he not care? Serg's usually gentle expression twisted slightly. He pulled his hand back, covering the wound with the towel once more. "Miss Sara, could you clarify why I was brought here? Zhaomin doesn't seem to know either."

 

"It's to bear witness and act as a guarantor," Sara said lightly, finally stepping over to the only armchair in the room and sitting down with elegance. The girl at her side skipped over, perched herself on the armrest, and winked playfully at Fitch.

 

"Witness?" Shuai Zhaomin arched an eyebrow, shooting Tengshe an annoyed look. Reaching out, he grabbed Serg's hand again. "I need a first-aid kit. I don't like seeing Serg with an untreated wound."

 

Damn it! This woman is definitely Tengshe's sister. She's got zero conscience—either it was left in her mother's womb or it got eaten by a dog! How could she drag Serg all the way here from his shop—a drive of at least thirty minutes—without giving him something to treat his injury?

 

"Zhaomin, I'm fine." Serg's gentle voice was filled with complex emotions, though he still tried to soothe him. "Miss Sara, what exactly do you mean?"

 

"She, I don't like Fitch by your side. He's an eyesore," Sara said flatly, her violet gaze briefly sweeping over Shuai Zhaomin and Serg before turning back to her brother.

 

"Miss Sara, I need a first-aid kit." Shuai Zhaomin's voice rose slightly as he could feel his blood boiling, his patience nearing its limit. Damn it all! Why did everyone he encountered recently insist on testing him?

 

"He's always been by my side. That was the agreement," Tengshe said lazily, exhaling a plume of smoke as he twirled a strand of Fitch's hair between his fingers. His narrowed eyes gleamed as he glanced at Shuai Zhaomin's growing frustration. "It seems Attorney Shuai is in urgent need of a first-aid kit."

 

"I despise that agreement. Why did you agree to it in the first place?" Sara's voice dripped with disdain, her composed expression clouded by anger.

 

And that was the final straw for Shuai Zhaomin.

 

"Goddamn it! I said I need a first-aid kit! Can't you hear me? Damn you all! Get me a first-aid kit now!" His furious roar reverberated through the room, accompanied by a dramatic table flip. The girl next to Sara let out a startled squeak, darting behind the sofa like a frightened rabbit, peeking out with wide, blinking eyes. Even Sara froze, her own eyes widening in disbelief.

 

"Pfft," Tengshe pressed a hand to his forehead and burst into laughter. Shuai Zhaomin, breathing heavily, his cheeks tinged red, glared at him. "What the hell are you laughing at?!"

 

"No, no, Attorney Shuai, your candid outburst is just... rather adorable," Tengshe managed between bouts of laughter. Fitch, meanwhile, threw a resentful glare at Shuai Zhaomin with his amber eyes, though his movements were obedient as he slid off Tengshe's lap and headed for the door.

 

"Fitch, inform the guards outside to bring in a first-aid kit. If Attorney Shuai flips another table, your competition with him will end prematurely."

 

"Yes, master." Fitch nodded meekly before casting Shuai Zhaomin one last glare and exiting the room.

 

"Competition?" Shuai Zhaomin's sharp ears didn't miss the word, and his already sour expression darkened further, "livid" barely doing it justice.

 

"To continue the conversation from before Sara arrived—about guard dogs," Tengshe said smoothly, clearly enjoying Shuai Zhaomin's mounting frustration.

 

Shuai Zhaomin glanced at the floor-to-ceiling window and muttered internally. Damn it. Is hell about to freeze over?

 

"Mr. Brelini, Zhaomin is a lawyer," Serg interjected anxiously, already anticipating the direction this conversation might take based on his prior research.

 

"Mr. Muhammad, I believe my remarks are directed at Attorney Shuai and should not concern you," Tengshe said, his reddish-brown eyes narrowing with a vicious gleam. "Unless, of course, you have other... expectations besides simply keeping him fed."

 

Serg's face turned deathly pale. He furrowed his brows and fell silent.

 

"Attorney Shuai," Sara interjected with her characteristic bluntness, cutting through the convoluted tension between the men. "I find you more tolerable than Fitch. So I suggest you take Fitch's place and become Tengshe's guard dog." Her calm yet domineering tone left no room for negotiation.

 

The audacity—the sheer disregard for others' opinions—rendered Shuai Zhaomin speechless for several seconds.

 

"Sorry, but this has nothing to do with me." She suggested it, and he was just supposed to go along with it? Hell no! He had no intention of becoming a criminal or dirtying his hands.

 

"Attorney Shuai, I wasn't asking for your opinion," Sara replied icily, rising from the sofa. Her frosty gaze landed on Fitch, who was returning with the first aid kit. "You should know the rules: if you lose, you'll be exiled. You are never to appear before the Brelini family again."

 

"Fantastic! I'd be thrilled to stay away. I forfeit. Call it a loss; I don't care." Knowing when to back down was crucial. Shuai Zhaomin raised his hands in surrender without hesitation.

 

Rules, my ass! If it weren't for the fact that this was their territory, he'd drag Sara over and give her a good scolding. She's what—barely an adult? And already scheming like this?

 

"Fitch, it seems Attorney Shuai doesn't think very highly of you," Tengshe teased, deliberately provoking Fitch. He reached over to tousle Fitch's hair, his voice dripping with mockery. Shuai Zhaomin barely managed to suppress the urge to hurl the first aid kit at him.

 

"Mr. Brelini, this isn't a matter of looking down on anyone. It's simply that I'm not suited for this role." Shuai Zhaomin clenched his teeth, the weight of restraint pressing down like a knife. No matter how infuriated he was, he couldn't lose his composure.

 

Smile. Stay composed. Stay composed... 3.141592...

 

"Rules are rules," Sara declared coldly. "Both parties will have a witness to ensure the match is entirely fair. The loser will be exiled without question. The task will be decided by me, Sara Brelini, the designated host, and drawn from this velvet pouch. One challenge determines the outcome."

 

Why not just grab a revolver and play Russian roulette instead? At least that'd be quicker! Rules, my ass! Did no one care about basic human rights anymore?

 

"I hate to interrupt, but let me remind you both that I'm not a member of the Brelini family. Technically, you have no grounds to exile me." After having mentally recited the digits of pi and cursed every member of the Brelini family tree, Shuai Zhaomin managed to maintain a barely believable smile.

 

"Of course we can," Sara replied with absolute certainty.

 

Damn it! Could she be any more confident?

 

"Master, Fitch will not disappoint you," Fitch murmured reverently, clasping Tengshe's elegant hand and pressing a kiss to the back of his middle finger. For a fleeting moment, time seemed to slip back centuries.

 

"Sorry for dragging you into this." Shuai Zhaomin clicked his tongue in resignation. Realizing his protests were futile, he sighed and sat back on the sofa, grabbing Serg's hand to treat his wound.

 

"Zhaomin, you can't accept this." Serg's voice, gentle but unyielding, carried a rare firmness that caught Shuai Zhaomin off guard. He chuckled faintly.

 

"I've been refusing all along. Serg, it's funny—you haven't spoken to me like this in ages. Do you remember the first time we met?"

 

The sting of the wound as it was cleaned with saline made Serg wince. He furrowed his brows slightly but offered a wry smile. "I remember. It was my first trip abroad, and I was still playing the part of a prince. You jokingly called me a Middle Eastern princess."

 

"I was young back then too." Shuai Zhaomin chuckled softly. He noticed Serg's discomfort and lightened his touch. "Serg, you're my most important friend."

 

"That's enough for me…" Serg replied with a gentle smile, though his words belied a deeper, unspoken sentiment.

 

"Are you ready?" Sara's icy voice cut through the moment. Her timing was impeccable, as if she'd been waiting for the wound to be dressed before speaking. Despite his annoyance, Shuai Zhaomin turned to see Sara pulling something out of the velvet pouch—a small white object. "Taotie."

 

The name had an immediate effect. Tengshe, who had been lounging lazily on the sofa, straightened, his expression turning serious. "Taotie?"

 

Sara raised her brow slightly and handed the object to the young girl beside her. The girl quickly ran to Tengshe, holding the white block up for him to see. Even from Shuai Zhaomin's seat, the intricate carvings on the block were visible—patterns identical to those found on ancient bronzeware.

 

So… was he supposed to commit murder now?

 

"Apologies, but I don't kill people," Shuai Zhaomin said flatly. It wasn't about morality or justice—it was simply a matter of principle. Judging by Tengshe's expression, this Taotie wasn't going to be an easy target.

 

"No, not murder," Tengshe replied with a smirk, the reddish-brown hue of his eyes glinting with icy sharpness. "The white block represents theft. You and Fitch are to steal Taotie's personal weapon."

 

"A weapon?" Seriously? Wasn't this a bit too archaic? No one referred to guns as "weapons" anymore—they were just called "guns"!

 

"Only Taotie and Migu have personalized weapons. Attorney Shuai, you're in luck."

 

Luck, my foot! Shuai Zhaomin groaned inwardly, pressing his fingers to his temple. Was stealing really going to be easier than murder? He'd never even stolen loose change from his parents' wallets!

 

But… he was planning to forfeit anyway…

 

Behind his glasses, his dark eyes lifted to meet Tengshe's crimson-brown gaze. "So you're agreeing to this competition?"

 

From the previous exchanges, Shuai Zhaomin had pieced together Tengshe's modus operandi. Though the current situation appeared to be moving in a particular direction, it didn't necessarily reflect Tengshe's true intentions. He often shrouded the truth beneath layers of deception.

 

He claimed to want a new pet, but was that really the case?

 

"Attorney Shuai, talking to you is always such a pleasure." For the first time, Tengshe's smile seemed genuinely carefree.

Last Chapter | TOC | Next Chapter

 

❧ Join Bella Novels' Newsletter by clicking here ↫ and
receive an email for each New Update -͙✧˖*°࿐