You are my wife, don't doubt it!

"I just waited until once," Zhang Zhengkai said, "Have you explained it clearly? I explained it clearly, but her thinking was not clear enough."

"Humph." Xiao Yao smiled faintly, revealing a shallow dimple on one side: "As long as it doesn't follow your thinking, it means that my thinking is not clear."

Zhang Zhengkai: “…”

"By the way," Xiao Yao changed the subject: "Did you see us win the Asian Cup by beating Xiao Zizi 3-0? We are so proud of ourselves."

"Isn't it 3 to 1?" Zhang Zhengkai reminded coldly.

"Yes, yes, 3 to 1, the referee ruled that ball a goal." Xiao Yao patted his head in pretended embarrassment.

"That's right, a goal is a goal, why doesn't it count? The home referee is biased towards the winner, and it's not decent to win the championship."

"You're right." Xiao Yao verbally agreed, but shook his head and asked slowly, "You didn't watch that game at all, did you?"

"Is it any of your business whether I saw it or not?" Zhang Zhengkai hugged his shoulders and leaned back in his chair.

"The referee did blow off one of their goals, but you didn't know. You didn't watch the game, but you came to the football bar - why?" Xiao Yao continued to ask.

"I don't know what bar you are talking about." Zhang Zhengkai shook his head simply.

"You followed and attacked Shen Jie. If the two of us hadn't arrived in time--" Xiao Yao stared into Zhang Zhengkai's eyes and continued speaking seriously.

"Following?! Sneak attack?!" Zhang Zhengkai immediately leaned forward and asked back, his expression of surprise and bewilderment not acting: "What on earth are you talking about? Little Shen Jie was attacked?"

Xiao Yao is not an experienced detective with eagle eyes, and he does not have such a strong ability to identify micro-expressions. He can only hope that a certain agent lurking in the lobby of Shunfeng Hotel at this time - if there really is one - can have such professional identification ability and see clearly.

Seeing Xiao Yao was still silent, Zhang Zhengkai became anxious: "What's going on? Tell me now!"

Xiao Yao pondered for a moment, then briefly recounted to Zhang Zhengkai what happened that night when they watched the Asian Cup in the bar, as well as the attack on Shen Jie at the beginning of the school year. He simply deleted the description related to the film world and polished it into a simple attack.

"Did you call the police?" Zhang Zhengkai clenched his fists nervously. "You mean, in the alley where you fought with Feijitou and the others and rescued me?"

"I didn't call the police. Why did I call the police?" Xiao Yao said, "Yes, it was in that alley, exactly the same place. I was wondering how you could repay kindness with enmity."

"Why didn't you call the police?" Zhang Zhengkai said dissatisfiedly: "Her safety has been seriously threatened!"

Xiao Yao did not answer this question directly - in fact, he could not answer it either, so he changed the subject and said, "Don't change the subject! You want to tell me that those are not you, right?"

"Those were not me, I swear." Zhang Zhengkai solemnly declared, "and knowing these things makes me feel very worried."

"Worried." Xiao Yao said, and poured another glass of beer for himself and the other party.

"Yes, I didn't know about these things at first, but now I'm very worried about Xiao Shenjie's safety," Zhang Zhengkai said, "And you said that person looks like me? Did he pretend to be me on purpose?"

"Hmm..." Xiao Yao took a sip of beer: "It's hard for me to say."

"On the night of the Asian Cup final, I stayed in my room and didn't go anywhere," Zhang Zhengkai said. "My parents, my aunt, and many other people can testify to this."

An alibi, right? Xiao Yao thought.

"Didn't you come to our school to look for Shen Jie after school on September 9?"

"I haven't come to see Shen Jie since school started. You know, I'm just in the third year of junior high school and I'm very busy. And I know that you two have already, already..."

"Huh?" Xiao Yao said.

"In fact, I didn't know until now that Xiao Shenjie was studying in your school," Zhang Zhengkai said, "How did you do it?"

After hearing this, Xiao Yao secretly groaned in his heart, thinking that he was careless.

Then he realized that he had subconsciously believed his words and was following his ideas.

Xiao Yao shook his head, trying hard to dispel this dangerous tendency.

"No, why are you shaking your head?"

"Nothing." Xiao Yao took another sip of beer and said in a muffled voice, which was 80% true and 20% false: "Since you said so, I already believe you - I will continue to investigate this matter from another direction."

"Ah, I know why you didn't call the police." Zhang Zhengkai clenched his right fist and smashed it into the palm of his left hand: "You are afraid that the police will take Xiao Shen Jie back to you, right?"

"no."

“We all knew — me and her father, everyone knew she lived in your house,” Zhang Zhengkai told Xiao Yao. “Even when you guys were at summer camp, if we wanted to catch her, we would have done it a long time ago.”

"..." Hearing that Zhang Zhengkai knew about the summer camp, Xiao Yao was startled. He pretended to be calm and picked up the chopsticks: "Eat food, eat food."

Could it be that the phone call from Shen Hongsheng that I dreamed about that night was actually real?

"So, please call the police and don't try to be Sherlock Holmes yourself," Zhang Zhengkai said sincerely, "I only have one request now - at least you have to ensure her personal safety while you are here."

"I know. I'll call the police." Xiao Yao said perfunctorily. The second half of the sentence was not perfunctory: "I promise you, I will fight to the death to protect her safety."

"That's fine," Zhang Zhengkai also took a sip of wine: "If there's anything I can help you with--"

"I will call you as soon as possible." Xiao Yao said.

He felt a little sad when he saw Zhang Zhengkai like this.

Shen Tianyun once mentioned that people in later generations called this kind of people "Fei Yangyang". Xiao Yao didn't know why they called them that, but in short, everyone hated them.

However, in this era, people still call it "loyalty and righteousness."

Xiao Yao couldn't help but sympathize with this.

"You are really a man of affection and righteousness." Xiao Yao said sincerely.

"Ha!" Zhang Zhengkai said loudly.

Having said this, the tense atmosphere between the two men eased to a certain extent, and the two young men began to eat and drink.

"Oh my god, did I forget to say my prayers?"

"Why are you praying?" Zhang Zhengkai pointed at Xiao Yao and said, "If there really is a god, a thief like you who cheated on the wife and daughter of a silver man will definitely go to hell."

"Hahaha, really? I'm Narita Hakko."

"Then I am the hero Ling?"

Yu Luying turned her back to the two of them and frowned slightly.

There was no finger-guessing game or clinking glasses, and soon both young men were slightly tipsy.

"Brother," Zhang Zhengkai said drunkenly, "Can you ask the little girl to sit over and eat with you?"

Xiao Yao turned around and glanced at Yu Luying: "No need."

"We eat while others watch us, we are full while others are hungry, we sit while others... well, we sit too," Zhang Zhengkai continued, "Is this good? This is not good. Even if she is a bodyguard hired by Xiao Shenjie..."

"Who is the bodyguard hired by Shen Jie?" Yu Luying was a little angry and couldn't help but turned around and sprayed: "Also, you, drink less!"

“Oh my, oh my, oh my.” Zhang Zhengkai said, “So fierce and aggressive—I’ll just forget about it!”

It was almost dinner time and more and more guests were coming into the hall. Yu Luying didn't want to occupy a table for nothing, so she sat at Xiao Yao and Zhang Zhengkai's table.

She didn't eat, drink, or talk, but just looked at the book she brought.

"Brother Zhengkai," Xiao Yao said with a big tongue, moving to the same side as Zhang Zhengkai and sitting side by side with him: "You may not believe me when I tell you, but I tell you, you must believe me."

As he spoke, he pressed his hand heavily on Zhang Zhengkai's shoulder.

"Brother," Zhang Zhengkai said, holding the wine glass and shaking his head, "As long as you say it, I will believe whatever you say."

"In fact, Shen Jie told me everything about you when she came back the other day." Xiao Yao told Zhang Zhengkai, "It was about you blocking her downstairs and pestering her."

"That's it?" Zhang Zhengkai laughed. "Isn't it normal to tell you?"

"After that, I gave her a lot of advice," Xiao Yao said passionately, even speaking with a northern accent: "I told her to be nice to you. She almost got angry with me."

"You," Zhang Zhengkai said, "you are the one who persuaded her to be nicer to me?"

"If you don't believe me, ask her. Is this true, Lao Yu?" Xiao Yao said.

“Please don’t drink anymore!” Yu Luying scolded again: “Yes, yes, yes.”

"How did you tell her?" Zhang Zhengkai asked with his eyes squinted.

So Xiao Yao told Shen Jie exactly what he had said that day - of course, he left out some parts that shouldn't be mentioned.

Zhang Zhengkai was somewhat moved, and subconsciously wanted to toast him by picking up the glass. But then he changed his mind and realized that his sweetheart was still in this guy's bed. His hatred suddenly surged up, so he drank the glass silently by himself.

"Brother, I am sorry for you," Xiao Yao continued incoherently, "but what you just said was not right."

"Which sentence is...wrong?" Zhang Zhengkai said with drunken eyes.

"No," Xiao Yao shook his finger in front of Zhang Zhengkai's eyes: "I know you like her, but she is definitely not someone that can be replaced by anyone to me - I like her just as much as you do."

Yu Luying glanced at Xiao Yao.

"Is it true?" Zhang Zhengkai hooked his hands around Xiao Yao's neck.

"It's absolutely true." Xiao Yao said.

"You'd better be sincere," Zhang Zhengkai said, "because then... I'll feel much better."

"Hahahahahaha, I understand." Xiao Yao picked up the wine glass again: "Come on, cheers!"

Zhang Zhengkai still didn't clink glasses with Xiao Yao, but just shook his glass at him as a greeting: "Cheers."

“Gudong gudong… gulp…hiss…ah!”

"By the way, Xiao," Zhang Zhengkai said, "bring the bodyguards out and leave Xiao Shenjie alone at home. What about safety issues?"

"My grandmother is also a hidden master of the Imperial Palace," Xiao Yao said casually, "Don't interrupt me, just listen to me."

"What do you say?"

"I know I'm sorry for you, but I can't help it. I really don't want to hurt you, I don't want to hurt anyone, but this kind of thing, do you understand? Fate plays tricks on people, you know?" Xiao Yao got fatter and fatter, "I'm telling you, if I like her less than you, I will definitely give her to you out of brotherhood, do you believe it?"

"Believe it, believe it." Zhang Zhengkai said.

I believe you.

"This is a difficult dilemma," Xiao Yao sighed, "It's like having two of her, making people feel torn, you know? Giving this one too much makes me worried, giving that one too little makes me feel guilty. If the two of her can be combined into one, she won't have to cry. If the two of her can be combined into one..."

Yu Luying snatched the remaining half bottle of wine from Xiao Yao's hand and said, "Shut up."

"Hahahahahaha." Xiao Yao and Zhang Zhengkai looked at each other and laughed.

"It's the same with you. The principle is the same - I treat you as a buddy," Xiao Yao said, becoming more and more outrageous. "As long as you say a word, I can give you anything and help you with anything, except her."

"I understand." Zhang Zhengkai said.

"I don't have the face to ask you to forgive me, let alone to ask you to continue to be my friend," Xiao Yao said, "If we were to switch places, I wouldn't be your friend either - I'd fucking stab you in the face."

"I'm glad you understand." Zhang Zhengkai said happily.

"If we switched places, and Xiao Shen Jie fell in love with you, you would never give her to me." Xiao Yao continued.

"It's no use for me to give it to you," Zhang Zhengkai patted Xiao Yao and said, "Women are not private property. It still depends on her own wishes."

"Right? It's good that you understand this principle." Xiao Yao said as he reached out for the half bottle of wine in front of Yu Luying.

Yu Luying picked up the wine bottle expressionlessly and placed it on the ground at her feet.

Just stop it, the girl said silently in her heart.

I'm not drunk, my mind is clear. I'm completing the organization's mission, Xiao Yao answered in his heart.

This is actually not false.

First of all, Xiao Yao was indeed drunk and in high spirits, talking about everything.

But his mind was not drunk.

Many of Xiao Yao's words, or the direction of the conversation, were in accordance with the general plan he had previously discussed with Yu Bo. His purpose was to test Zhang Zhengkai so that he would let down his guard and reduce Zhang Zhengkai's ill will towards himself and Shen Jie.

If that shadow is really formed by "malice", doing this can at least make Shen Jie safer in the short term. Although it is only a temporary solution, it can buy time for himself and the organization.

"Hey, it suddenly occurred to me," Xiao Yao suddenly had an idea and started to speak freely: "How about you beat me up?"

"Huh?" Zhang Zhengkai said.

"If you beat me up, you'll feel better, and I'll feel better too. We can even out, how nice." Xiao Yao said deliberately: "After dinner, let's go downstairs and find a place where no one is. I will never fight back—"

"No! I object!" Yu Luying stood up and slapped the table, her tone clearly showing that she was drunk.

Strange, she clearly hasn't had a single drop of alcohol, Zhang Zhengkai thought.

"You're just dreaming," Zhang Zhengkai slammed the table and cursed, "I don't want it! Oh, do you think it's so easy to settle? I owe you this beating first, and you, don't think you can get away with it so easily!"

"Okay." Xiao Yao said quickly.

He also felt that he had been a little too aggressive just now. Seeing that Zhang Zhengkai did not agree, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief and went downhill.

"Even if you have to fight, you have to fight back," Zhang Zhengkai said seriously, "Let's have a duel between men."

"Huh?" Xiao Yao said, "Knights duel?"