Chapter 3: Against One’s Will

Following the address Xu Tian had given him, Yang Changfeng found his way to the house, only to discover the iron gate tightly shut and a sense that no one had lived there for quite some time. After asking the neighbors, he learned that the Xu family had moved away over half a year ago. In recent years, Xu’s mother’s illness had worsened, keeping her in the hospital for long stretches. In order to pay for her mother’s treatment, Xu Jie’er had dropped out of school and gone to the city to work. Fortunately, one neighbor knew where she worked. After getting the information, Yang Changfeng left the shantytown.

“Black Rose Bar.”

That was the only clue Yang Changfeng managed to get from Xu Tian’s neighbor. After arriving in the city, he found a small hotel near the bar, took a shower, changed into clean clothes, and finally headed out.

By then, the sky was already ablaze with clouds tinged by the setting sun, casting a fiery veil over the whole city. Street vendors pushed their carts along the roadsides, enthusiastically hawking their fare. After turning two corners, the large neon characters spelling “Black Rose Bar” appeared on the bustling Riverside Road. This was one of Jiangzhou’s liveliest streets for nightlife. Though it wasn’t yet fully dark, night had already arrived here.

Fashionably dressed women stepped out from luxury cars, men and women arm-in-arm entered the various entertainment venues, and the vendors’ cries mingled with glances cast at passersby of all walks of life.

Perhaps this was the breath of life itself. Yang Changfeng looked at the Black Rose Bar, now just steps away, straightened his clothes, and strode inside.

Deafening DJ music shook the walls; men and women twisted on the dance floor, releasing all their pent-up energy. Near the bar, several white-collar workers just off duty sipped at their drinks, watching the women in the crowd with great interest.

Around the dance floor, booths offered a semblance of privacy. More than a dozen couples sat entwined on sofas, kissing, and the air grew thick with ambiguous tension, transforming the bar’s atmosphere entirely.

“A beer, please.” Yang Changfeng motioned to the bartender as he sat down at the counter.

The bartender nodded and soon brought him a glass of beer.

“Friend, I’d like to ask you about someone.” Yang Changfeng took the beer.

The bartender glanced him over—old, plain white t-shirt, an out-of-date mechanical watch on his wrist—and immediately dismissed him as just another penniless customer.

“If you’re looking for someone, you should try outside. I can’t help you here,” the bartender replied with a sneer, about to leave. But Yang Changfeng stopped him and slipped several red notes onto the bar.

“Now, can you tell me?” he asked.

The bartender’s eyes lit up, and he nodded eagerly. “Brother, who are you looking for? Just say the word.”

Seeing the bartender’s attitude shift so drastically, Yang Changfeng couldn’t help but smile wryly.

“I want to know if a girl like this works here.” He pulled out a photo of Xu Jie’er, still young and fresh-faced, her hair in two braids and her smile bright as the sun.

“Hey, isn’t this… Xu Nana?” The bartender recognized her.

“What time does she start her shift?” Yang Changfeng pressed.

“Oh, she quit three days ago, but…” The bartender rubbed his fingers together meaningfully.

Yang Changfeng produced a few more bills and pressed them into the bartender’s hand. The bartender grinned, pocketed the money, and said, “She’ll be here tonight to pick up her last paycheck.” With that, he left to tend to other patrons.

Yang Changfeng took a sip of beer—his luck wasn’t so bad after all.

As a pounding DJ track ended, the bar gradually quieted. The once-frenzied crowd drifted back to their seats, laughing and chatting. Yang Changfeng glanced around, his gaze suddenly drawn to a tall figure at the entrance.

A young woman, clearly in a hurry, strode inside, glanced around, and walked toward the bar. The bartender, noticing her, waved and then shot a covert glance at Yang Changfeng.

Yang Changfeng caught the bartender’s subtle gesture. He had recognized Xu Jie’er the moment she stepped in. She had blossomed into a graceful young woman—tall, with delicate features and a waterfall of long hair. Yet her hurried steps and tense expression revealed a troubled mind.

Just as Yang Changfeng stood to approach her, he noticed the bartender slip away with a sly smirk, phone in hand, heading for a dark corner. In a place like this, a girl like Xu Jie’er was bound to catch the wrong kind of attention. Seeing the bartender leave, Yang Changfeng hurried across the room.

Xu Jie’er, distracted by her worries, sat on the edge of the bar, visibly uneasy, her eyes darting about the room.

“Xu Jie’er,” Yang Changfeng called from behind her.

She started, turning to look at him with fear in her eyes, and sprang to her feet.

“Who are you? I… I don’t know you…” Xu Jie’er stammered, backing away, panic-stricken. Though the man before her didn’t look dangerous, she was already jumpy as a startled bird. If not for the need to collect her wages to help with her mother’s expenses, she would never have set foot in this frightening place again.

“Don’t be afraid. I’m not here to hurt you, I’m—” Yang Changfeng began, but Xu Jie’er turned and bolted.

Many patrons, seeing this, assumed it was a lovers’ quarrel. Yang Changfeng called out her name and quickly caught up, grabbing her by the arm.

“Don’t be scared, I’m not a bad person. I’m your brother Xu Tian’s friend—my name is Yang Changfeng,” he said, hurrying to explain.

Xu Jie’er froze, her eyes reddening as she turned to him. “My brother… Where is he? Why hasn’t he called us all these years? Is he alright?”

Yang Changfeng hesitated, words failing him.

“What happened to him? Tell me! Where is he? Has he come home?” Xu Jie’er’s voice trembled with emotion.

For so many years, she and her mother had endured their neighbors’ disdain, holding out hope that her brother would one day return and reunite the family. She had no idea Xu Tian now lay forever in Baghdad, buried in that lonely, desolate place.

“He… He’s come back,” Yang Changfeng finally said, the words heavy on his tongue.

“Really?” Xu Jie’er’s eyes lit up, her gloom vanishing. She gripped Yang Changfeng’s arm, about to ask more, but then noticed his downcast expression and the sorrow in his eyes.

“Well, isn’t this a coincidence?” A hoarse male voice suddenly cut through the noise from the bar’s entrance. “Xu Jie’er’s been missing for days, and now I finally catch sight of you.”

Xu Jie’er turned to see a man with dyed silver hair and a sly grin, followed by six tough-looking thugs. Her slender frame trembled, and she clutched Yang Changfeng’s hand. “Brother Yang, let’s go,” she whispered urgently.

“Leaving won’t be so easy,” came the bartender’s voice from behind.

He now held a baseball bat, flanked by three men in uniform, all leering wickedly at the two of them.