Chapter 58 An Acquaintance

“Sigh, don’t call me ‘brother,’ call me ‘sister!” Tanya cooed into the phone, her voice honeyed and sweet. She grit her teeth to keep from cursing the person on the other end, persevering in her awkward flirtation—she’d finally caught him again.

Chu Ning felt his whole body turn to jelly; goosebumps threatened to rise. Tanya’s affected tone was almost unbearable. He glanced strangely at her—wasn’t that his phone? Did she know the man on the other end? The coincidence was uncanny. Chu Ning gave Tanya a deep, searching look, clenched his fists, and strained to listen to their conversation. His only hope now was that the guy wasn’t surnamed Wang.

The man on the other end was silent for a long time. “Who are you? Where’s Chu Ning? Please let him take the call, thank you,” Wang Jinkai said, all business. He frowned, listening carefully for an answer. He was certain about Chu Ning’s phone.

“Hey, scumbag! So quick to forget me—you really are an ungrateful wretch!” Tanya scolded coquettishly, raising her hand in a delicate gesture, her voice dripping with mock reproach. A teasing smile played across her lips as she waited for a response.

“Ugh, a pair of shameless lovers!” Chu Ning listened, jealousy and envy written all over his face, pretending to disdain their banter but unable to stop himself from admiring Tanya’s display.

It was clear Tanya’s movements were somewhat inexperienced; she relied on body language to conjure her flirtatious voice.

That was why Chu Ning hadn’t lost his temper. Otherwise, he’d have wanted nothing more than to drag the guy out and beat him senseless.

Wang Jinkai was momentarily bewildered—what was all this? The voice was decent quality, but disguised enough that he couldn’t tell who it was. He racked his brain, recalling Chu Ning’s business dealings, trying to guess the woman’s identity.

“Tanya? Am I right? It’s you, isn’t it?” Wang Jinkai probed. As soon as he spoke her name, the other side went silent—he knew he’d guessed correctly.

Tanya cursed furiously, “Bastard, rotten broker! You screwed me over—don’t let me see you again, or I’ll send you straight to hell!” Hands on her hips, her eyes seemed ready to spit fire.

“Heh, no time for your nonsense. Put Chu Ning on.” Wang Jinkai lit a cigarette and took a deep drag, utterly unfazed by Tanya’s threats. The condemned must be magnanimous, after all.

Hearing Wang Jinkai’s blunt words, Tanya nearly threw the phone to the ground. As she raised it, a chill seemed to pierce her back; she timidly handed the phone to Chu Ning.

Chu Ning actually wished Tanya would argue with Wang Jinkai a bit longer—he could glean more information from their exchange. At the moment, he didn’t even know who the guy was. It was awkward.

Any slip could expose the fact that Chu Ning wasn’t really “Chu Ning.” For once, he felt nervous, his eyes darting about as he tried to think.

He straightened his posture, adopting the air of a job interview. He listened intently, prepared to respond to whatever came his way.

“Hello, I’m Chu Ning. Who are you?”

“I’m Wang Jinkai. Tell Tanya to step away. I need to speak with you alone.”

Chu Ning turned his head and inhaled sharply. When had Tanya gotten so close? She was like a ghost, startling him.

Hearing the languid voice on the phone, Tanya was suddenly uneasy. She glanced nervously around and retreated a meter away.

The uncanny accuracy of Wang Jinkai’s prediction brought back the fear he’d instilled in her. She remembered clearly how badly she’d been duped by him—her own naïveté had led her to her current plight.

“What do you want? Speak—there’s no one else around,” Chu Ning said, glancing sideways at Tanya, who’d moved away. He covered his mouth, wary of anyone reading his lips.

When it comes to shady business, it’s only natural to avoid witnesses.

Wang Jinkai flicked his cigarette ash, slumped on the sofa, eyes dull as he gazed at the dazzling chandelier. He feigned ease, “Brother, you’re quite the player. The modern game is slow and savoring, like cat and mouse—you’re doing well.”

There was a lot to unpack in those words. Chu Ning bit his lip, trying to decipher Wang Jinkai’s meaning. The ambiguity was maddening.

“Cut the nonsense. Get to the point—I’m in a hurry,” Chu Ning snapped, his voice picking up speed, feigning urgency.

The other side was silent for a while. Chu Ning acted impatient, urging, “Don’t drag this out. If you have something to say, spit it out. I have urgent matters to attend to—otherwise, I’ll hang up.”

In the darkness, Wang Jinkai crushed his cigarette with a vicious flick of his finger, then slumped even further. “Do you still need goods? Honestly, I probably won’t have a fresh supply anytime soon. And given your situation, you don’t need any at the moment.”

He pinched the dead cigarette between his fingers, sighing in defeat, “Forget it, I won’t trouble you anymore. Maybe someday I’ll become someone like you. Let’s suspend our transactions for now—perhaps we’ll work together again if the chance arises.”

“Goodbye—if fate allows, we’ll meet again.”

Chu Ning quickly stopped him from hanging up, “Wait, don’t hang up yet! What do you mean? Explain yourself. Is this your deathbed confession, talking like that?”

“Alright, you don’t need to use these tricks to pry information out of me. This isn’t something I can discuss over the phone. If you really want to help, come to 364 Tianhe Road. If you don’t, just forget I said anything.”

With that, Wang Jinkai hung up, listening to the busy tone, then bitterly collapsed onto the sofa, tossing his phone aside.

Chu Ning yelled into the phone, “Hey, are you still there?” Hearing the busy signal, he grabbed the phone to call back.

After all, this was the first time since crossing over that Chu Ning had encountered someone who truly knew him—someone who understood his past. He couldn’t help but care, and it felt wasteful to let the clue slip away.

But something uncanny happened. Chu Ning saw that the call log had vanished from his phone. Though the call had just ended, the screen was spotless. His hand trembled as he gripped the device.

Suddenly, a pale hand silently appeared behind him, sneaking up over his shoulder and patting him lightly. The icy touch sent a shiver through him, and he quickly recoiled from the unsettling hand.

“Ah, cut it out!”

Chu Ning nervously wiped the cold sweat from his brow. Seeing Tanya standing quietly to the side, he breathed a sigh of relief. That abrupt touch had terrified him, but watching Tanya raise her hand, his fear ebbed.

“Alright,” Tanya said, seeing Chu Ning come back to himself. She dropped her gloved left hand. Something about Chu Ning had felt off—lost and distracted, nothing like his usual self.

It was only after Chu Ning hung up that Tanya quietly approached him.