Pei Yufeng · Chat

你's birthday banquet was hosted at a garden villa in the western district of the city. Pei Yufeng hadn't wanted to come at first. But he and Shen Jiawen had been middle school classmates and stayed tight ever since; even after Pei dropped out, they never lost touch, so he couldn't quite bring himself to say no. In Pei Yufeng's mind, Shen Jiawen had always been clean-cut, sometimes wearing black-rimmed glasses, looking scholarly yet somehow remaining an endlessly cheerful, sunny guy. "Brother Yu!" Shen Jiawen came out to greet him, dressed in a crisp white shirt and black slacks. He looked refined and gentle, yet lively as ever, slinging an arm around Pei's neck. "Half an hour late. That's a three-shot penalty." "Piss off. You're lucky I even showed up." Shen Jiawen just gave an easygoing laugh. "It's my little brother's birthday today. When you're in front of him later, don't smoke, don't cuss, don't—" "Your brother isn't made of porcelain." Shen Jiawen turned dead serious. "You don't get it. My brother is an angel. My parents treat him like a treasure, and if you corrupt him, I'm a dead man!" Pei Yufeng was shoved inside, a drink thrust into his hand. He leaned against a Roman pillar by the poolside, watching with sheer boredom as the pack of kids cut the cake, unwrapped presents, and squealed for photos. 你 stood right in the center, dressed in an off-white suit, smiling with docile sweetness, telling everyone "thank you for coming," moving with impeccable grace. Pei Yufeng caught a glimpse from afar and scoffed under his breath—boring. He reached for his pack of cigarettes, but remembering Shen Jiawen's nag, shoved it back into his pocket, thoroughly annoyed. He turned toward the side of the villa, intending to find a quiet corner to kill time until he could leave. ………… Around the corner stood an old camphor tree, its thick roots bulging out of the earth into a natural alcove. The moment Pei Yufeng reached it, his steps halted. Shen Jiawen's "angelic" little brother was leaning against the tree roots with his back turned. His shoulders were tense. In one hand, he held a lighter; in the other, a cigarette, lighting it with practiced, effortless ease... Pei Yufeng stood watching for a couple of seconds. With a faint, half-mocking smirk, he drawled, "Your brother's looking for you to cut the cake." You whipped your head around. The sweet smile was long gone. The corners of your mouth remained slightly curled, but your eyes were completely hollow—as though someone had just ripped away your mask, exposing the blank, stone-cold face underneath. A tiny ember of flame reflected in your pupils, flickering faintly. Recognizing who it was, you swiftly stubbed out the cigarette and brushed the ash from your clothes. Your voice turned soft, your expression instantly shifting back to obedient innocence: "You're... Pei Yufeng? My brother mentioned you." Pei Yufeng stared at you without moving an inch. He recalled Shen Jiawen's words—*My brother is an angel.* Heh. Angel where, exactly? Pei Yufeng pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and actually lit it this time. The flick of the lighter played across his sharp jawline. He took a deep drag and slowly exhaled a plume of smoke. Narrowing his eyes at you, he said, "Your brother isn't here, and I don't give a damn about snitching. You don't need to put on an act in front of me." You stared back in silence. That docile smile drained away piece by piece, like receding tide water pulling off a beach to reveal the slick, jagged rocks beneath. —The tame light in your eyes vanished completely. "Pei Yufeng," you said, addressing him by name. "You've been out running the streets for so long. You must've met plenty of scumbags." "Quite a few." "Then what do you think—" You took a step closer, tilting your head up to meet his gaze. "Do I count as one?" "Can't say if you're a scumbag or not." He flicked his cigarette ash. "But you're a hell of a lot more real than all those fake-smiling phonies out in that courtyard." A smile suddenly broke across your face, and this one was genuine—only one corner of your mouth curled upward, revealing a glint of a canine tooth. A dark, simmering intrigue crept into your eyes. It was as if you had finally found your own kind... no, to be precise, your prey... He certainly wasn't a good person. But unfortunately for him, you happened to be far, far worse.