Memory Lost (美人为馅): Chapter 60

Chapter 60: His True Face Part 2

Bai Jin Xi blinks.

Since he has come to her, there’s no way that she’ll let him go now.  She puts her arm on the bar table and smiles towards him, “Sure.”

Outside of the clubhouse and inside the Land Rover, Xiao Zhuan and the other two are staring at the monitor.  Jin Lan Heng’s face has been enlarged on the screen, and they are on full alert.  And inside of the clubhouse, Han Chen, who’s not far away from Jin Xi, is watching this scene quietly at his seat.

Jin Lan Heng sits down beside Jin Xi.  He unbuttons the top of his shirt and opens up his collar.  Jin Xi has seen Han Chen perform the same action many times, which is full of flirtatiousness.  But seeing Jin Lan Heng’s tanned skin tone and a rather short neck……

She picks up her glass quietly and takes a sip.

“My surname is Jin.  Jin Lan Heng.  I manage some things at Jin’s Building Materials,” Jin Lan Heng says nonchalantly.  He then looks at Jin Xi as if he’s waiting for her surprised expression.

And Jin Xi doesn’t let him down.  She covers her mouth with her hand and says sounding surprised, “You’re Young Master Jin of Jin’s Building Materials?”

Jin Lan Heng is pleased with her reaction.  He gives Jin Xi a once-over again and asks in satisfaction, “You still haven’t said what your name is.”

“Oh,” Jin Xi bites on her straw as she says, “I’m Zhou Xiao Zhuan.”

Inside the Land Rover, Zhou Xiao Zhuan spurts out his water at the screen immediately, “Why did she say my name?!”  Cold Face smiles while Chatterbox is laughing out loud.  Jin Lan Heng ponders for a second before smiling, “Xiao Zhuan……Xiao Zhuan……What a nice and cute name.”

Jin Xi is also enjoying this as she nods, “Thank you.”

They both want to seize the opportunity, so they chat back and forth and very soon, they’ve gotten to know each other better.  But besides talking nonsense with him, Jin Xi also notices a familiar figure on the dance floor.

It’s the second suspect, Jiang Zi Yi.  Jin Xi looks around and makes eye contact with Han Chen subtly, who’s sitting quietly in the corner.

“Xiao Zhuan, can I invite you to a dance?” Jin Lan Heng asks.

Jin Xi feels that she’s about done with him, so she rests her chin on her palm lazily and smiles at him, “Young Master Jin, didn’t you say that you’ll treat me to a drink just now?  We haven’t even had our drink yet and you want to go dance?”

“Oh, of course, of course.  Here, what would you like to drink, Xiao Zhuan?  Go ahead and order,” he snaps his fingers to signal for the bartender.

The bartender hands them a very delicate white colored wine menu that doesn’t have any prices listed.  But Jin Xi has looked up the information on the clubhouse.  Most of the drinks at this place are from a hundred dollars to a thousand dollars a glass.  Opening a bottle is even more expensive.  She reads the menu slowly and then hears Jin Lan Heng says smiling, “How about two margaritas?”

Jin Xi recalls this drink.  They’re about two hundred dollars a glass.  Jin Xi makes up her mind as she points to “Fantasy Carnival” at the bottom of the list, “Young Master Jin, if you really want to have a drink with me, let’s drink this then.  I’ll dance with you after this drink.”

Jin Lan Heng seems a bit surprised.  He looks at Jin Xi and smiles without answering.

Jin Xi continues staring at him with full of anticipation.

It’s important to know that “Fantasy Carnival” isn’t a type of drink, it is to pay for everyone’s drinks at the hall.  It’s at least ten thousand dollars with one round of drinks, but it could easily be over tens of thousands of dollars.  She heard that there have been many big shots who have done this generous act in order to win over a woman.  If Jin Xi is a vain woman who’s looking to catch a rich man, it’s not too much to ask for this.

It’s just that……she has really put Jin Lan Heng in a tough spot.

He looks at her for a while and smiles, “Xiao Zhuan, why should we burn our money for others?  Your Big Brother Jin here is not a spendthrift.  I spend money based on its worth, and I don’t put on a show for nothing.  If you really want a drink, accompany your big brother here to a dance first.  After we become closer and know each other better, I’ll let you spend all the money you want.”

His words are loud and clear: Miss, I haven’t even gotten any freebies, so if you want me to spend some big bucks, you better show me some effort first.

Jin Xi smiles as well, but it carries sarcasm in it.  She says apathetically, “Young Master Jin, I’ll be honest with you as well.  I’ve seen too many men who pretend to be rich.  If he can’t even treat everyone to a fantasy carnival, he’s not a man that I would bother to consider.  If you don’t have the money to treat others, don’t force yourself to.  Did you think that every woman wants to throw herself at you?  Did you think that all women like you?  To tell you the truth, a man who cowers and feels good about himself will only disgust women once they get to know him!”

These sharp and unkind words that are full of insult come too unexpectedly.  Jin Lan Heng is struck dumb.

Outside of the clubhouse, Xiao Zhuan and the others are also dumbstruck.  Chatterbox murmurs, “What is Xiao Bai doing?  She’s taking a risk to provoke him!”

Bai Jin Xi is indeed provoking him on purpose.  After insulting him, she continues sitting elegantly, but her whole body is on alert.  In case Jin Lan Heng splashes her with a drink or even hit her, she’s prepared to run immediately.

But after a while, Jin Lan Heng lets out a sigh.  Not only he’s not angry, he shakes his head casually and says, “Xiao Zhuan, you’re wrong.  If you want to play with men in this circle, most of them are rich, but there isn’t many who are sincere like me.  So what’s wrong if I don’t want to treat you to a fantasy carnival?  We’re still not very familiar with each other, and yet you want me to waste my money like an idiot.  If you were me, would you be willing to?  Put yourself in my shoes, my little girl.  Of course, I have to see that you’re treating me sincerely before I would be willing to spend money for you, wouldn’t I?”

His meaningful and heartfelt words make Jin Xi speechless.  Seeing that she has nothing to say, Jin Lan Heng probably feels his self-esteem hurt, so he stands up, “Since we’re not on the same page, I regret to say that our fate ends here.  I wish you have an enjoyable night.”  Seeing that Bai Jin Xi isn’t stopping him, he has no choice but to continue walking away.

Jin Xi stares at the swaying liquid inside her glass.  She smiles slightly, turns her head and calls him, “Wait, Jin Lan Heng.  I have a question to ask you.”

Jin Lan Heng is chivalrous as usual and smiles, “Please ask, Xiao Zhuan.”

“Do you like bungee jumping or parachuting?”

Jin Lan Heng is a bit surprised as he shakes his head, “No, I don’t.  I like golfing, swimming, and other normal and healthy sports more.”

Jin Xi smiles sweetly at him and waves her hand, “Okay, goodbye.”

Jin Lan Heng seems to be a bit confused.  He leaves reluctantly turning his head to glance at her every few steps.  Jin Xi waits until he’s far away before hopping down from the high chair.  She picks up her drink and walks towards Han Chen.

Han Chen has been waiting for a long while.

The lights are flickering and it’s a bit hot inside.  She has already taken off her white jacket, revealing her full royal blue dress.  The contours of her body figure are smooth and can be seen clearly.  Her black hair rests on her shoulders, highlighting her attractive face.  And her pair of dark brown eyes is reflecting the lights with a hint of a smile; clever and proud.

Han Chen watches her come nearer and smiles slowly.

Jin Xi smiles also.  She stops in front of the booth seating, looks around and sees that there are still other people, so she says calmly, “Handsome, can I sit here?”

“Yes.”

Jin Xi is already disgusted and has conflicting feelings for this place which looks elegant and high-end on the outside but is obnoxious on the inside.  Therefore, she takes a seat directly in his embrace.  Her whole body relaxes.

Han Chen glances at her and places his hand on her shoulder naturally.

They both don’t say anything.  After sitting like this for a while, Jin Xi’s heart skips a beat.

Crap……She forgot that they both have cameras on them.  On the other end of the camera, beside Cold Face and Xiao Zhuan who already know, there’s also Chatterbox!

And on the other end……

Xiao Zhuan and Cold Face don’t say anything seeing them sitting together so naturally.  After trying to hold it in himself for a while, Chatterbox says, “Mm……Leader and Xiao Bai are so good at disguising themselves.  They’re so professional.”

Cold Face hums, “……Mm.”

Xiao Zhuan supports, “Yeah, yeah.”

Inside the clubhouse.

The lights continue flashing and more guys and girls enter the dance floor.  The music seems to intensify according to the people’s emotions.  Jin Xi looks around.  There are many pairs of men and women sitting in the booths and chatting quietly.  There is also a very pretty woman sitting among a group of men, smiling and chatting.  But there are no obscene behaviors.  Everyone is well dressed and well mannered.

“Did you find anything?” Han Chen whispers in her ear.

“Mm, I got quite a few details from chatting.”

Since there are many people around, Han Chen doesn’t ask further.

“Therefore……” Jin Xi says softly, “if you think this place is only for drinking and chatting, it’s just a pub then.  If you think this place is a hunting ground, you’ll be able to hunt for a partner.  If you think that this is a place for providing fresh women to the rich, it is such a place then.”

“Mm.”

“Have you been to places like this in Beijing before?  Young Master Han?” Jin Xi smiles at the man beside her.

Han Chen also shifts his gaze towards her.  His pupils are dark and deep.

She then feels his hand slide down to her waist to a spot where others can’t see and gives her a pinch.

It hurts but she can’t cry out.  She glares at him.

“What do you think?  Would my ex-girlfriend let me go?” he says flippantly.

The corners of Jin Xi’s mouth curve up as she says quietly, “F–k off!”

They hear some noise coming from the dance floor, so they both raise their heads to look.

At the same time, they hear a woman beside them say, “Yo, it’s Crazy Jiang.”  Another man laughs scornfully, “He has really become crazy, hasn’t he?  He really thinks this is a pub.”

In the spinning lights, the dance floor is playing a fast beat song.  And the refined and well-mannered Jiang Zi Yi, whom Han Chen and Jin Xi met yesterday, is bopping his head and twisting his body with the music, attracting everybody’s gaze.

Not only Jin Xi is surprised, but even Chatterbox and the others have their jaws dropped seeing Jiang Zi Yi like this.

It’s because he is dancing crazily yet professionally.  His tie has been loosened.  He’s wearing only a shirt and a pair of tight long pants, making him look rather stylish.  He has also taken off his glasses, revealing his handsome and fair white face.  He twists his body unrestrainedly with the music.  His moves are big and sexy, and he swings his head up and down heavily like he’s wasted yet proud.

The people at the place are mostly respectable.  They’re all behaving properly and not presumptuous like him.  A lot of people are watching him like he’s a joke, but he doesn’t care.  He becomes even more engrossed in his dancing.  Very soon, a woman enters the dance floor and starts dancing provocatively close to him.  The crowd starts to roar and whistle.

“He really……lets himself go,” Jin Xi exclaims.

Han Chen stares at Jiang Zi Yi without any expression on his face.

The fast beat song ends and a rather sad and passionate song comes on.  The woman who has been dancing with Jiang Zi Yi walks away, leaving him alone standing with his head down.

Everybody looks at him with excitement.

“He’s gone crazy again,” the man beside them who was making fun says again.

The music becomes more and more passionate, and sadder and sadder.

Jiang Zi Yi raises his head suddenly.  His face is actually showing a very sad expression, and his eyes look empty.  While everybody watches him, he says out loud:

“I am waiting here for the sun to rise;

I am waiting here for the sun to set;

Loneliness awaits ahead of me;

There is no sound in my dreams.

I want to be embraced by you once,

But I couldn’t grasp onto the last of your image.

Ah!

All this is so laughable.

I’m the one who’s laughable;

I who have been banished here in a world without you!”

The crowd roars and then the sound of clapping comes on like thunder.

“Incredible!  Crazy Jiang!”

“He’s such a talent!  He wrote a poem again!”

A lot of people are laughing, but Jiang Zi Yi is staring at the ceiling as tears begin to flow.  He turns around and his figure disappears quickly into the dark amid the noisy crowd.

Jin Xi is stunned.  She turns her head and exchange glances with Han Chen.

Besides everything else, if this poem is written by Jiang Zi Yi, it’s really written quite well.  On top of the fact that he recited it with so much emotion.  His sadness permeated into every word, causing Jin Xi to also feel upset in her heart.

She thinks to herself: they’ve really gathered quite a lot of information one after the other tonight.

At this moment, she feels Han Chen squeeze her hand suddenly.

She follows his gaze and sees the third suspect, Situ Yi, who’s standing up from a booth.  A pretty girl with a graceful body is beside him.

The girl wraps her arm around his and he smiles towards her with his head tilted down.  His face is so handsome that it captivates others.

The two of them walk towards the exit together.

After a short distance, as if he notices something, Situ Yi wraps his arm around the girl’s waist, turns his head, and looks towards Han Chen and Jin Xi.

Han Chen’s eyes meet with his calmly.  Jin Xi also stares back at him unabashedly and smiles slowly.

The smile from the corner of his mouth doesn’t fade.  As if he didn’t notice anything, his expression stays the same as he turns his head back and walks out while embracing the girl.

Ten minutes later.

Han Chen and Jin Xi returns to the Land Rover.

“How was it?  Did you find anything?” Chatterbox asks, “What should we do now?  Continue following them and watch them?”

Han Chen turns to look at Jin Xi.

Jin Xi clears her throat and darts her eyes at Han Chen purposely.

“Based on criminal psychology,” she says articulately, “we can eliminate two of the suspects.  There is only one suspect left!”