CHAPTER 147: ANGER

The opulent streets buzzed with a raspy CLICK, capturing the dreamlike, surreal scene.

Xu Si shifted to review the captured image. It showed a man whose striking beauty rivaled that of a noble Vampire. The night lake, illuminated by lights, bustling corridors, and a red cable car, all contributed to the breathtakingly beautiful scene.

Xu Si tugged at her coat, smiling brightly. "It’s so pretty, come take a look."

Pei Zhen exhaled the last of the smoke from his throat, then leaned slightly, taking her camera. He glanced at it, shook his head, and said critically, "Not good. I wasn’t ready. Let’s take another one."

"Alright."

Xu Si was in high spirits and reached for the camera, but Pei Zhen had already lifted it. Tall and imposing, he casually flipped the device around, pointing the lens at both his and Xu Si’s face.

His cool voice, tinged with the night breeze, said, "Like this."

Caught in his swift motion, Xu Si looked up, her gaze soft and fleeting. She lowered her hands and, despite the thick makeup that obscured her originally delicate features, earnestly took a photo with him.

They had known each other for so many years. This was their second photo together.

Xu Si’s smile was radiant as she looked up at him.

Another photo.

Pei Zhen put the camera down. His eyes fixated on the image on the screen as he pressed the review button. In the second photo, the woman looked at him, her pupils shining like a star—the closest star to him in the entire universe.

He smiled, his features relaxing, his grey eyes unfathomable. He tenderly offered the camera back to Xu Si. Careful not to let her fumble, his fingertips brushed her wrist, a faint, searing warmth resting on the surface of her delicate skin.

"I like this one; your eyes are beautiful," he said. He didn’t withdraw his hand, instead naturally taking Xu Si’s. His voice was deep and low as he added, "Let’s get it printed when we get back."

Some emotion began to show.

Xu Si tilted her head slightly, her eyes looking down at the image in the camera. Pei Zhen’s broad, solid frame dominated the photo, exuding a palpable sense of separation that almost isolated her from other pedestrians, as if in their own space.

And he had praised her eyes.

Upon closer inspection, in the photo, her gaze towards him held a stunning admiration she herself hadn’t realized.

Xu Si gently raised her eyes and calmly nodded, the original color of her heavily made-up lips indiscernible, a hint of crimson at the tips of her ears.

Pei Zhen smiled, clearly pleased.

His smile made Xu Si involuntarily cough lightly twice, disguising the unsettling feelings within.

Because of the festive atmosphere, the Underground City was exceptionally harmonious today.

Xu Si didn’t delve further into her photography hobby. Together with Pei Zhen, they visited many bars and shops, her hand alternating between cocktails of different colors and scents.

One bar, using the festival as a pretext, hosted a masked ball.

Xu Si had only seen such scenes in movies. Having studied abroad, she had attended many trendy parties organized by friends, but she had never encountered a masked theme before.

She spent an exorbitant 888 US dollars for two exquisitely crafted masks and entered with Pei Zhen, just to take a look.

Pei Zhen raised an eyebrow, about to say something to her, but didn’t get the chance.

Later, it was Xu Si who, with an expressionless Pei Zhen, hastily led them out, afraid that if they stayed a moment longer, the fragrant shoulders and curvy hips of women, or the chiseled abs and slender waists of male models, might brush against them.

Xu Si, touching the Australian White Pearl earrings on her ears, walked down the street. Her long hair was tied loosely, revealing her pale, delicate swan-like neck. Even dressed in deliberately gaudy colors, she didn’t fade into the crowd.

She hurriedly pulled Pei Zhen’s hand to escape that district, inwardly marveling that the bars in the Underground City were truly extraordinary.

Unknowingly, they wandered deeper into the night. The crowd of pedestrians grew denser, pressing in so tightly that people were constantly on the verge of brushing against Pei Zhen.

Passing a shop selling smuggled pearls, Xu Si caught sight of an iridescent pearl necklace in the showcase and paused to look twice.

Pei Zhen handed her a black wallet. "Buy it."

Xu Si pushed his wallet away, smiling. "I’ll buy two strands and give you one. It should look pretty as a bracelet too."

Coming from a real estate background, he certainly exuded an air of wealth and confidence wherever he went.

However, they learned the necklace was not for sale.

Xu Si felt a moment of regret, then smiled and asked him, "Will the festival continue until noon tomorrow?"

Pei Zhen nodded.

The night would surely be so long that even the sun couldn’t break through.

Xu Si participated in many activities. One particular event was especially memorable.

It was a test of tacit understanding. Two people would sit face to face. If they could open their eyes at the same time without any physical contact, they would win two glasses of whisky. Few people took part. The people here were not short of money for drinks.

Xu Si, intrigued by the novelty, tried it with Pei Zhen at the invitation of a staff member.

As if by prior agreement, without any communication, she and Pei Zhen opened their eyes at the same time and met each other’s gaze.

Perhaps it was the shockingly loud whistles around them, or perhaps the atmosphere was too charged.

Xu Si sipped the whisky she had won. It tasted especially sweet.

The night deepened further, an ink-black darkness that couldn’t penetrate the Underground City. The streets were crowded with revelers. Horse-drawn carriages, rickshaws, double-decker buses, and luxury cars were jammed in the middle, making it difficult to move an inch. In the cold autumn and winter season, Xu Si, having had a few drinks, felt a bit warm, and her breathing felt slightly constricted.

She was about to head towards a less crowded block of streets when suddenly, she was bumped and lost her bearings.

When she turned to look back in the direction they had come from, Pei Zhen was no longer behind her.

Xu Si looked slightly stunned. She stood still for a moment, imperceptibly furrowing her delicate brows. Worried that if she moved, she wouldn’t be able to find him, she turned into a side street where the crowd was slightly thinner.

She found a stylish Whisky Bar with an available seat and sat down to wait for him.

Her limpid, peach-blossom eyes stayed fixed on the scene outside, continuously scanning the crowd. Then, on the rooftop of a building opposite, she saw the figure of the giant.

As long as the giant was there, he couldn’t be in any trouble. She breathed a sigh of relief.

A strange, empty feeling rose within her. After pondering for a long time, Xu Si finally understood where this emptiness came from.

Drinking tends to magnify emotions. It turned out she had already gotten used to him being behind her.

Just as this thought arose, before she could ridicule herself for being sentimental, several dry, hoarse voices started discussing something behind her.

"I used to be from the Gambling City, and that one from the Triad Society was also from the Gambling City back then. I witnessed how he caught the eye of the Gambling City’s managers. It’s a pity I didn’t follow him."

"What? That big shot wanted to take you with him? That means you must have been pretty good too, eh? Come on, tell us, what’s a big shot like him really like?"

"Back then, fighters like us lived in basements. He was in the room next to mine. He wasn’t old, and very handsome. But you know how it is, good-looking ones usually don’t have real strength, not like us professional fighters. He often got beaten up and wouldn’t fight back. Then one day, he suddenly became invincible."

"Why?"

The man looked around warily, making sure there were no members of the Triad Society or any other gang nearby, only outsiders. He then lowered his voice and said in a breathy tone, "Well, because he’s good-looking. In a place full of men, being good-looking is a scarce resource. It’s common to be treated like a woman..."

Upon hearing these words, many at the same table began to stealthily change their seats, moving far away from him, fearing he was courting death and his blood might splash too far.

"Are you insane?" someone hissed, trying to shut him up.

He probably realized he had said too much while drunk and hastily added, "Just kidding. After all, it’s just us brothers here."

Xu Si tapped her fingers against her ear, irritably rubbing its outer rim.

It was rare to encounter such a brave soul in the Underground City.