Chapter 16.3

When Li Xiao got home, he followed Jiang Rou’s instructions and braised the pig’s intestines. By the time he finished, it was already dark outside.

He filled the kitchen water tank, checked the doors and windows again, and locked up before heading out.

When he arrived at the hotel, it was already past nine o’clock in the evening. This time, he went in through the main door.

The receptionist at the front desk was drowsy, and Li Xiao walked past him without being noticed.

He went upstairs and followed the direction of the window to the third room from the end of the corridor on the second floor. After knocking twice, the door opened, revealing Jiang Rou in a light red, loose nightgown.

He didn’t know what a nightgown was, but he thought that this red dress looked really good on her. Her skin was white and glowing, and her calves were thin and long. 

He couldn’t help but feel a pang of desire.

Jiang Rou didn’t seem surprised to see him. She gave him a sidelong glance before going back inside the room.

Li Xiao touched her nose and followed her in.

Once the door was closed, he turned around to find Jiang Rou already in bed. She wasn’t asleep but was sitting up, reading a book.

Li Xiao naturally walked over to the table and noticed some leftover cake. He cut a piece and took a bite, only to find it wasn’t to his liking.

It was too sweet and a little greasy.

Just as he was about to put it down, he heard Jiang Rou’s sharp voice say, “Finish it.”

“…”

Okay, I’ll finish it for you.

Li Xiao had no choice but to finish the sweet cake that was making his throat feel scratchy, and after eating, he drank a whole glass of water.

Then he took his clothes and went to the bathroom next to the entrance.

He had heard that the Sunshine Hotel had dedicated rooms for bathing, so he had brought a change of clothes with him in the afternoon.

The hotel was indeed quite nice. The bathroom floor was covered with blue-patterned tiles, and there was a washbasin for washing his face. As for the shower area, Li Xiao took a quick look and identified it. He turned on the faucet mounted on the wall, and a showerhead began to spray water.

The water hit him, and the temperature was a bit hot—clearly the temperature Jiang Rou preferred for her showers.

He chuckled, then brushed his teeth and washed his face. Afterward, he used the soap Jiang Rou had left on the washbasin to wash his body.

After taking a shower, he put on another set of new clothes he had brought from home—a light gray shirt and light yellow trousers.

Though most of his wardrobe consisted of darker colors and he rarely wore such light hues, he found that they suited him well as he looked in the mirror.

He scrubbed and cleaned the clothes he had changed out of, placing them next to Jiang Rou’s clothes before he left.

He went straight to the bed and lay down next to Jiang Rou.

Jiang Rou was sitting in the middle, and when she saw him coming up, she had to move to the side.

Seeing that it was getting late after Li Xiao lay down, she also put down the book, went to the toilet, came back, turned off the lights, and went to sleep.

As soon as she lay down, she heard Li Xiao beside her say, “I booked a train for early tomorrow morning. I’ll return the money to the police station.”

Jiang Rou did not ignore him this time. She asked, “How much is your bonus this time? ”

“1000 yuan, why are you asking this?”

Jiang Rou calculated her recent earnings and found that the amount she had added was just right. Hearing this, she said with annoyance, “You think returning the money will be enough? You’ll definitely have to return that banner and bonus.”

However, based on her understanding, Li Xiao’s contribution this time was truly significant. If she recalled correctly, pyramid schemes were introduced to China in the early 1990s and have since reached their peak, causing harm to countless families. It was also during this period that the country began to crack down on them with severe measures.

Li Xiao had first contacted the police and then went undercover to identify the top leaders of the pyramid scheme gang, assisting the authorities in dismantling a massive pyramid scheme organization. This contribution was substantial and unforgettable. Furthermore, his willingness to surrender and his positive attitude meant that barring any unforeseen circumstances, the police would likely exempt him from punishment and focus instead on criticism and education.

“I put 1,300 yuan in your bag. 1,000 yuan is a bonus for you to return, and the remaining 300 yuan is for yourself. If you end up in detention for a few days, use it to cover your bail.”

She believed he still had the means to handle it.

Li Xiao fell silent upon hearing this. Although he thought Jiang Rou was too upright, he had to admit that everything she said and did was for his benefit.

She asked him to return the money, but she still cared for him, even thinking about his backup plan.

He felt a mix of emotions, realizing a sense of care and affection he had never experienced before.

He suddenly turned to her, nudging closer.

Jiang Rou, unaware, was still worried about another matter. “I’m just afraid that your two brothers will resent you after you explain things.”

Jiang Rou’s good temper was not without reason; she was the type who preferred to suffer losses herself.

She had never done anything that offended others.

Li Xiao wanted to laugh, thinking she was really worried too much. He didn’t care about such things; weren’t brothers supposed to share both difficulties and fortunes?

Still, he comforted her, saying, “Don’t worry, I’m aware of it. They won’t be angry.”

Jiang Rou, half-believing and half-doubting, said, “That’s good. Go to bed early.”

She closed her eyes immediately.

After a while, Li Xiao heard a steady breathing sound coming from in front of him.

By then, he had adjusted to the darkness in the room. The bed was positioned close to the window, and the moonlight filtering through the thin curtains prevented the room from being pitch black. He lay on his side on the bed and slightly raised his head to see Jiang Rou’s profile as she slept with her eyes closed.

As he gazed at her, by some odd impulse, he found himself leaning closer and gently pressing his lips against her ear.

The next morning, Li Xiao got up before dawn. He first took the luggage Jiang Rou had brought out the day before back home, delivered the stewed pig intestines to Aunt Wang, and then returned to the hotel with the banner and breakfast.

When he arrived at the room, Jiang Rou was already awake. He said, “If everything goes well, I’ll be back within three days. Aunt Wang sent over another large bowl of pig intestines. You should head back today; the house can’t be left unattended. Also, the room door is broken. Make sure to close the door and windows properly while you’re at home these days. I’ll fix the door when I return.”

With that, he quickly left with his backpack.

Jiang Rou watched him leave and couldn’t help but say, “Be careful on your way.”

“Mm.”

After Li Xiao departed, Jiang Rou lay down for a while before getting up. After washing her face and brushing her teeth, she went out for breakfast and discovered that the snakeskin bag she had brought was missing. She laughed in frustration.

However, she said nothing. After eating, she went downstairs to check out.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Meanwhile, Li Xiao went directly to the W City police station with all the money. He had become familiar with some of the people there, having previously acted as an informant and maintained secret contact with a few individuals inside.

Although it was somewhat awkward, he still turned himself in and admitted his mistakes with a positive attitude. However, he wasn’t able to leave immediately. The police quickly sent people to arrest the other two in order to understand the situation in detail.

Six days later, the three of them came out of the police station, one after the other.

Li Xiao walked ahead with a light step.

The two people who followed behind him, looking exhausted, approached him with dark faces. After walking a short distance, they simultaneously stepped forward and grabbed Li Xiao, pulling him aside and angrily saying, “Boss, you were really too unfair! ”

The other man lowered his voice and said angrily, “Didn’t we agree on this? How could you betray us?”

Li Xiao handed them two cigarettes calmly, took out one and put it in his mouth, lit it took a puff, and said without changing his expression, “Okay, I was also unlucky. We were discovered. If we hadn’t turned ourselves in, we’d all have been arrested. This time, it’s my fault.”

Without giving them a chance to respond, he added, “I’m planning to head to G Province next year. I met a brother there before. When I make a name for myself, you can come to find me. As long as I have a bowl of meat, you won’t be short of a bowl of soup.”

Although he hadn’t earned any money, he hadn’t come back empty-handed. When he was going back and forth with those pyramid scheme leaders in G Province, he saw a completely different world. Compared to the prosperous G Province, the backward small country seemed like a different planet, and he felt a subtle impulse in his heart.

After hearing this, the two people’s expressions gradually softened.

They weren’t stupid; they knew Li Xiao had real skills, and he was someone who kept his word and could be trusted. He was the one who got them out this time. They had already spent some of their money, so sticking with him was definitely the right choice.

They only blamed Zhu Qiang for the whole thing, thinking that Zhu Qiang, the coward, was the one who exposed Li Xiao.

They comforted him by patting his arm and saying, “Bi brother, be careful when making friends in the future.”

Li Xiao understood their meaning but didn’t explain, not wanting them to think poorly of Jiang Rou.

He smiled, then handed them each a piece of paper with Aunt Wang’s phone number on it. “Okay, this is my hometown’s telephone number; if you need anything, contact me. I’m leaving now.”

——