The first time Shi Anzhi met Li Jiu was by the garbage bins not far from his house.

That winter in T City was unusually cold. It wasn’t even November yet, but the howling northern wind had already shown its fierce beginnings..

Shi Anzhi stood at the entryway of the living room, carefully wrapping a high-end cashmere scarf from France twice around his neck, covering half his face snugly. Only after mustering some courage did he open the front door, carrying a bag of old items his mother had sorted to throw out, and headed toward the garbage bins fifty meters away.

And that’s when he saw Li Jiu, though at the time, the boy wasn’t yet called Li Jiu.

Because he was so small and skinny, half of his body was practically leaning into the wide mouth of the garbage bin as he stretched his arms inside, rummaging for something.

Then, probably hearing footsteps, he quickly stopped what he was doing and turned to look toward the sound.

His eyes showed uncertainty, wariness, but more than anything, they were filled with anticipation. His face was as dirty as a mud monkey, but his eyes were unusually bright, staring intently at the person in front of him and the bag in his hand. Then, without trying to hide it, he visibly swallowed.

He wondered if there was food in that bag.

Shi Anzhi had no idea what the boy was thinking. All he knew was that the boy’s gaze on his bag was like that of a hungry wolf cub, eyes full of greed, as if he was about to pounce and rob him at any moment.

Though he couldn’t understand why anyone would want to rob a bag of trash.

It wasn’t until he threw the bag into the trash bin that he saw the boy dash over with lightning speed, tear open the bag, and fish out a half-empty box of expired biscuits, stuffing them into his mouth, swallowing them in a hurry.

Shi Anzhi, who knew nothing of hunger, was stunned. His body reacted faster than his brain, and he took a step forward, knocking the box of biscuits onto the ground.

The starving boy looked up and glared at him fiercely.

Shi Anzhi was startled by his gaze and stammered as he spoke, “Th-these are expired, you can’t eat them. I-I’ll go get you something to eat, wait for me!”

After saying this, Shi Anzhi turned and ran back home, even shouting back at the door, “Wait for me!”

The boy couldn’t be bothered to respond. He squatted down and began picking up the broken expired biscuits, one piece at a time, stuffing them into his mouth as he went. Even when he couldn’t fit any more in, he covered his mouth, afraid the crumbs would fall out. He couldn’t afford to waste any.

He hadn’t expected Shi Anzhi to actually bring him food. He thought that the young master, who looked so clean and gentle, and seemed only a couple of years older than him, was frightened by him and that his excuse to get food was just that—an excuse to run away.

But Shi Anzhi really did bring him food. A box of freshly steamed white buns, and two meat buns with neat and beautiful pleats, steaming with warmth in the cold wind.

When his hand gripped one of the white buns, five dark fingerprints were visible on it.

Shi Anzhi stared at the marks, opened his mouth as if to speak, but in the end, nothing came out.

The buns disappeared into the boy’s mouth at an astonishing speed. Shi Anzhi even felt like he had just blinked.

The boy choked a little, rolling his eyes, and took a few deep breaths to clear his throat. Then he said, “Thanks, good guy!”

Shi Anzhi was momentarily stunned, then smiled and gave a faint smile, “I’m not called ‘good guy.’ My name is Shi Anzhi.”

The boy gave him a strange look, then said, “You’re Xiao Shi, huh? What a coincidence, I’m Xiao Jiu.”

“And your surname?”

“No surname!” Xiao Jiu said as he kicked a piece of broken brick. The brick flew across the street and hit a window with a loud thud. He had controlled the force perfectly, making sure the glass was struck but not broken.

“Do you really call yourself Xiao Jiu?” Shi Anzhi asked, his gaze filled with suspicion. He might be kind-hearted, but he wasn’t someone who would easily trust others.

Xiao Jiu grinned, revealing a row of white teeth. “I just came up with it. If you’re Xiao Shi, then I’m Xiao Jiu, to show my thanks for your kindness.”

Shi Anzhi couldn’t help but laugh. “What kindness? Can you even eat more? Should I get you something else?”

Xiao Jiu waved him off carelessly. “No need! This meal’s enough to last me three days.”

After saying that, he turned to leave.

Shi Anzhi didn’t know what came over him, but without thinking, he grabbed the dirty kid’s arm. “Wait!”

The boy reacted quickly. As soon as Shi Anzhi touched his arm, he instinctively took a half-step back and raised his arm in defense. But when he felt the warmth of Shi Anzhi’s hand, he hesitated. He didn’t think someone like this pale young master could pose any threat.

He glanced sideways at Shi Anzhi, curious about his next move, but soon he was surrounded by a comforting warmth that seemed to melt away any caution.

He hadn’t expected the young master to take his own scarf and wrap it around his shoulders and neck. His hands were warm and gentle as he carefully wound the cashmere scarf around him, making sure it was snug and secure.

Then, with a soft pat on Xiao Jiu’s head, he spoke in a tone like an older brother. “Come back in three days to find me?”

Xiao Jiu burst into laughter. He stretched his short arm and patted Shi Anzhi’s shoulder. Then he grinned and said, “Brother! I’ll repay you for this!”

Shi Anzhi prepared imported cookies and orange juice for their unilaterally agreed-upon meeting three days later. However, Xiao Jiu never showed up. Shi Anzhi never saw that wild, wolf-like boy again, at least, not until much later.

During New Year’s, his parents were taking him by car to the capital to attend the French Embassy’s New Year’s party. Dr. Shi, who came from Paris’s prestigious École Polytechnique, had been recruited back to China as a high-level talent by the government. At the welcome ceremony held at the Great Hall of the People, he stood in the same row as a group of nuclear physicists, shaking hands with the leaders. When Shi Anzhi first returned to the country, he was only two or three years old and could barely speak some disordered French sentences. However, children have an astonishing ability to adapt, and after seven or eight years, Shi Anzhi had become a typical young boy from northern China.

Mrs. Shi still occasionally longed for her days in France, especially the chance to once again step into an authentic French social gathering. She had packed a long evening gown and carefully pressed suits for both her husband and son. She had also selected the most suitable earrings, necklaces, handkerchiefs, and scarves to complete their outfits.

She asked her son, “An An, what about the off-white scarf?”

Shi Anzhi was momentarily confused, but then his thoughts immediately turned to Xiao Jiu. He hesitated for a moment before answering, “I… I don’t know.”

Mrs. Shi knew her son never lied, so she didn’t pay any attention to his wandering gaze. As she searched through the wardrobe, she muttered to herself, “Ah, that was the wedding gift I gave to your father. I saved up for a long time to buy that Hermes.”

Shi Anzhi didn’t know what Hermes was, but he felt a little uneasy and asked, “Was it very expensive?”

“A bit?” Mrs. Shi paused her search, a soft, youthful smile appearing on her face as she continued, “But it was so warm.”

Well… at least it had been put to good use. Shi Anzhi thought uneasily, suddenly recalling the feeling of that lean arm he had touched.

Xiao Jiu… he was very pitiful.

Shi Anzhi never expected that, ten years later, when he saw Xiao Jiu again, the one he had once thought of as pitiful, would be himself.

In those ten years, China had gone through tremendous changes, and his world had been turned upside down.

His beloved father tragically died in a plane crash, posthumously honored as a martyr by the country. The following year, his only remaining close relative, his mother, was diagnosed with terminal cancer and passed away, following her husband.

After losing both his parents, Shi Anzhi moved between distant relatives’ homes for a year or two, until one day he suddenly received a notice to go to the countryside in the southern part of the country. He was sent there by train.

He had never seen hills so vast, nor crossed through fields so winding. His fountain pen and white shirt were condemned as symbols of bourgeois decadence. At 19, Shi Anzhi was like an innocent lamb, tragically unaware of the storm surrounding him. And the worst part was his handsome face, which only drew more unwanted attention in a time when beauty was seen as a sign of bourgeois corruption.

At first, he never worried about his personal safety, because he was a boy. When the girls in the group tearfully complained about being harassed, he indignantly suggested that they carry knives or sticks and travel in groups for protection. However, it wasn’t until he was cornered in a vast, deserted thicket by the party secretary’s son and the village head’s nephew that he realized those self-defense tactics were completely useless.

“I’m a man! I’m a man!” Shi Anzhi screamed, his voice hoarse with panic. He could barely breathe, overwhelmed by the repulsive feeling of hands roaming over him. Those harasser clicked their tongues, their lewd whispers like poison in his ears. “Damn, so white. This ass it’s better than a young girl’s.”

The revulsion was unbearable. With a rush of shame and disgust, Shi Anzhi bit down hard on his own tongue, the pain grounding him in that awful moment.

The sharp pain surged through him, and for a moment, he thought he might pass out. Then, a gunshot rang out, slicing through his awareness, and for a fleeting second, he wondered if it was just a hallucination. But through the haze of pain and blurred vision, he saw a tall figure approaching, boots echoing on the ground. The man had a rifle slung over his shoulder, with smoke curling from the barrel.

The people holding him had somehow loosened their grip when a shout rang out.

“It’s Li Jiu!”

The description of their panic could hardly be captured by the phrase “scurrying away,” as they scrambled to escape, tugging at their pants in a frantic rush.

Shi Anzhi didn’t run, not because he didn’t want to, but because his ankle was tied up. His pants had been yanked down to his knees, and his shirt was torn, exposing much of his smooth, pale chest. The most agonizing part was that his tongue had bitten deep into itself, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.

He tilted his head back, his face pale and marked by desperation, with only the blood at his lips offering any color.

Li Jiu approached, and what he saw was a half-naked figure, pale and fragile, like a fading shadow Xiao Shi.

With a sharp snap, Li Jiu planted his rifle firmly in front of Shi Anzhi, his gaze unapologetically roaming over his chest, ass, and legs, a lewd grin spreading across his face.

“Want Big Brother Jiu to help you put on your pants?”

In the days that followed, Li Jiu often mused, “How is it that you’re not a girl?”

Shi Anzhi, with his usual composure replied, “I haven’t been one for the past twenty years.”

Li Jiu grabbed Shi Anzhi’s hand and pressed it against his chest, pretending to be heartbroken: “Can you hear that? Pa—”

Shi Anzhi played along with his act, saying, “It broke twice today.”

This time, Li Jiu was genuinely angry. He pushed his hand away and started to walk off.

“Hey!” Shi Anzhi quickly followed, grabbing his arm. “Eat dinner before you leave. I specially stewed the meat you brought last time.”

Li Jiu turned, fuming without any real reason, and snapped, “Eat, eat, eat! That’s all you ever say! Am I a pig? A dog? Is that why I come every time, just for the food?”

Shi Anzhi couldn’t help but laugh as he watched Xiao Jiu rant, his face contorted with frustration. He reached out and patted his head.

“How could you be a pig or a dog? You’re Xiao Jiu.”

At 17, Xiao Jiu had already grown a full head taller than Shi Anzhi.

A few years ago, Li Jiu had already made a name for himself in the countyside. With the impressive achievement of chasing down the leader of the rebels and slashing through an entire street, he became known far and wide as a notorious thug. He was ruthless, fearless, loyal to his friends, and clear about what he would and wouldn’t do. In this chaotic world, he had subtly become a figure that no one dared to provoke, earning respect from all.

“Hmph.” Li Jiu ignored Shi Anzhi’s rebellious hand, turning around to enter the room and grab some bowls and chopsticks to dish out the meat.

After finishing the meal, Li Jiu handed a gun to Shi Anzhi.

Shi Anzhi didn’t take it. “I don’t know how to use it,” he said.

Li Jiu grabbed the gun and, with a sharp smack, slapped it into Shi Anzhi’s palm. He forcefully pried his fingers open and made sure he gripped it tightly.

“Someone’s been whispering that ‘this piece of meat’ will be eaten sooner or later. I’m curious to see who dares to touch what belongs to me.”

Shi Anzhi lowered his eyelids in silence, and after a while, he slowly placed the gun back on the table.

“That day… I had already decided to give up, to let it all end. But then you found me, didn’t you? The heavens must have been watching after all. Besides, I can’t bring myself to believe people are truly that evil.”

“You won’t believe it until they’ve shoved their dicks up your ass, will you?” Li Jiu suddenly exploded with anger, slamming the table with such force that the bowls and chopsticks rattled. One fell to the ground with sharp clang, shattering into pieces. 

In the flickering glow of the kerosene lamp, his features twisted with unrestrained ferocity, every flicker of light amplifying the menace in his expression.

“Do you think I just happened to pass by that day? Someone came to me, talking about some pretty little student, saying you were even better looking than the girls, that your ass would be tight as hell. I told them I’m not into that kind of thing. Then they said if I wasn’t interested, plenty of others would be, those who wouldn’t hold back on a man! I figure, what’s the big deal about a man? Might as well come see what the fuss about!”

Shi Anzhi stared up at him, his eyes dull and lifeless, as though all the light had drained away. After Li Jiu’s furious outburst, he froze, watching the blood drain from Shi Anzhi’s face. Panic gripped him. He grabbed his shoulders and called out hesitantly, “Xiao Shi?”

Shi Anzhi opened his mouth slowly, as if trying to speak, but no words came. Finally, he gave a faint, detached smile and whispered, “Oh…”

Li Jiu’s brows furrowed as he struggled to find the right words, every movement cautious, as if afraid this fragile, pale figure before him might break with a single touch.

“I… I promised I’d repay you. So don’t be afraid. The moment I recognized you that day, I fired a shot into the air and swore to myself. I’m clear about my debts. If you gave me a meal, I’ll repay you with a lifetime of peace.”

Shi Anzhi looked up at him, his eyes empty, as if devoid of any emotion. After a long pause, he forced out a faint smile and said softly, “Thank you.”

Li Jiu’s lips tightened, a silent battle of emotions flickering in his gaze.

_________

T/N:

The name “Jiu” (九), meaning Nine, was made on the spot by Li Jiu on the first day he met Shi Anzhi. This was because Uncle Shi’s surname is “Shi,” which Li Jiu mistakenly thought meant 10. The title of the story, Jiu’an, comes from their combined names.

The company name, Jiu’an (玖安), is also derived from their combined names and was created later.

To simplify: Our Old Master Jiu’s street name is Li Jiu (黎九), while his formal name, made later by Shi Anzhi, is Li Jiu (黎玖).