Blinded chapter 2

There were five people around Chang Xiaojia, and their relationship with him wasn’t intimate. They seemed more like an employer and bodyguards to Chang Xiaojia.

Observing for two or three days, Xie Li noticed that Chang Xiaojia had a reserved and aloof personality. He liked to be alone, and those few people would stay nearby, preventing others from getting close to Chang Xiaojia. Under normal circumstances, they didn’t communicate with Chang Xiaojia.

Because of this, Xie Li found it difficult to make his approaches to Chang Xiaojia seem natural.

In this prison area, apart from Chang Xiaojia, there was another individual not to be trifled with—Dai Hao.

Dai Hao didn’t belong to Hong Fang; he was from Ju Yi. Ju Yi was an old faction in the port city, suppressed by Hong Fang for many years. It was only recently that a powerful figure emerged, causing Ju Yi to gradually gain strength. Currently, their development was second only to Hong Fang.

In theory, Dai Hao and Chang Xiaojia should be in conflict. However, in this confined prison environment, they managed to strike a subtle balance. Dai Hao was the boss of the unit and usually asserted his authority, but he didn’t provoke Chang Xiaojia. Chang Xiaojia was simple and low-key. As long as he wasn’t provoked, he turned a blind eye to everyone.

During the recreational time, while Chang Xiaojia slept under the shade, Dai Hao played basketball with his men. It seemed like he didn’t care, but in reality, he avoided causing trouble.

Since the incident in the bathhouse when Chang Xiaojia had watched Xie Li bathe for no apparent reason, there had been no unusual behavior. Chang Xiaojia followed the prison regulations daily: exercise, labor, meals, and sleep. However, he always occupied a four-seat corner by the window when eating, and no one dared to approach. Even the guards turned a blind eye, not interfering.

The seats closest to Chang Xiaojia were occupied by his men, and anyone trying to get close to Chang Xiaojia was driven away.

Xie Li sat with his meal tray in a seat separated by another table, facing Chang Xiaojia, but his view was partially blocked by someone at the adjacent table.

Chang Xiaojia ate slowly. He was usually the first to sit and the last to leave. The food seemed hard for him to swallow; it took a while for him to chew.

When the person at the adjacent table left after eating, the barrier between Chang Xiaojia and Xie Li disappeared. Upon lifting his head, Xie Li could see Chang Xiaojia’s face clearly.

Chang Xiaojia always seemed listless, as if lacking energy, with a paleness that suggested a lack of blood. His eyes were half-lidded until he noticed Xie Li.

By this time, Xie Li had already lowered his head and avoided looking at him.

However, Chang Xiaojia continued to gaze at Xie Li, not shifting his gaze away.

At twenty-six years old, Xie Li was young and handsome, with sharp features and thin lips. The sunlight streaming through the window rendered his left earlobe a bright crimson.

He knew Chang Xiaojia was looking at him but didn’t understand what Chang Xiaojia intended. However, the scrutiny in Chang Xiaojia’s gaze, examining his face and the chest covered in prison garb, felt almost palpable.

As the gaze continued, Xie Li couldn’t pretend to ignore it any longer. He lifted his head to meet Chang Xiaojia’s eyes.

Chang Xiaojia didn’t avoid his gaze. He looked at Xie Li while spooning some rice and vegetables into his mouth, chewed unhurriedly, cheeks bulging. His eyes still seemed lackluster but direct, without any evasion.

The local environment in Port City was complex, deeply entangled with the government, legal system, and Hong Fang, which is why they placed an undercover operative around Chang Xiaojia from out of town.

Having no acquaintances in the port city, Xie Li felt that Chang Xiaojia wouldn’t easily doubt his identity. Even if he did, it wouldn’t be straightforward to uncover the truth.

What was Chang Xiaojia’s true intention? Xie Li felt subtly uneasy but displayed no emotion on his face. He calmly finished his meal, carried the empty tray, and left.

During the afternoon break, Chang Xiaojia remained seated alone under the shade.

Xie Li squatted in the shadow of the surrounding wall, with Hu Minxin by his side.

Hu Minxin had been entrusted by Yu Zhengkun, although it wasn’t clear what connections were involved. These days, Hu Minxin had been dutifully explaining to Xie Li the unspoken rules of the prison: where not to go and who not to provoke. Naturally, Dai Hao and Chang Xiaojia were among those not to be provoked.

At this moment, seven or eight people surrounded Dai Hao in the middle of the court.

Xie Li noticed someone approaching Dai Hao and whispering something in his ear, while their eyes were fixed on Chang Xiaojia, who was sitting under the tree.

Dai Hao dribbled the ball twice, his gaze indifferent, glanced at Chang Xiaojia, muttered a few words to the person beside him, and then headed to the center of the court with the ball.

They were short of two players for their basketball game. Dai Hao casually looked around the court and stopped upon seeing Xie Li, pointing a finger at him. “You, come here.”

Getting up from the ground, Xie Li stood tall at six feet, noticing Dai Hao immediately upon approaching the center of the court.

After Xie Li reached the court’s center, one of Dai Hao’s men asked, “Can you play basketball?”

Xie Li nodded. “A little.” After replying, he noticed Chang Xiaojia sitting up straight and looking in their direction.

On the court, ten people were divided into two teams. Xie Li wasn’t on Dai Hao’s team. He moved toward the basketball rack to stretch.

The exercise yard during break was quieter than anticipated. Most people seemed exhausted by the heat, lethargically watching the basketball game in the middle of the court.

Mixed in with his team members, Xie Li seemed serious about playing, yet he wasn’t giving it his all. He noticed his teammates were also merely passing time in the game. In the end, it was always Dai Hao’s team that won.

Chang Xiaojia’s gaze was fixed on Xie Li on the basketball court.

A shorter teammate passed the ball to Xie Li. He dribbled the ball past his opponent, heading straight for the opposing hoop, preparing to shoot. As he readied to shoot, Dai Hao attempted to steal the ball from him.

Xie Li quickly released the ball. Instead of heading for the hoop, the basketball swiftly smacked Dai Hao’s face.

Dai Hao, trying to block Xie Li’s shot, couldn’t evade in time. The ball hit him solidly in the face, rebounding onto the ground.

The quiet exercise yard suddenly erupted with a few brief laughs, quickly quieting down, leaving behind a sea of numb faces looking at Dai Hao and Xie Li under the basketball hoop.

Dai Hao wasn’t hurt, but he was extremely embarrassed. Once he regained his composure, he grabbed Xie Li’s shirt and viciously kicked him in the abdomen.

Xie Li staggered backward, collapsing on the ground. He fell under the shade of a large tree beside the basketball court, reaching out and grabbing hold of Chang Xiaojia’s foot.

Xie Li’s action was deliberate. The prison was too calm, and he needed to disrupt the tranquility.

Dai Hao’s anger hadn’t subsided. Together with his seven or eight men, they crowded under the tree, not even glancing at Chang Xiaojia, angrily holding Xie Li up by his shirt.

Chang Xiaojia’s burly men, who were initially scattered around, gathered around. Chang Xiaojia was still seated motionless under the tree, coldly observing Dai Hao lifting Xie Li.

The commotion caught the attention of a guard, who blew his whistle and ran over, wielding a baton. “What’s going on! No fighting!”

Dai Hao released Xie Li, teeth clenched, pointing at his face, “Kid, you’re in big trouble.”

Xie Li said nothing.

Dai Hao motioned to his men and left, abandoning the game. They dispersed a group hiding in the shadow of the wall and sat by the wall. Dai Hao’s eyes, however, remained fixed fiercely on Xie Li.

Xie Li rubbed his abdomen, causing his prison uniform to shift slightly, revealing a glimpse of his toned abs. He glanced at Chang Xiaojia, seeing Chang Xiaojia looking at his abdomen. Chang Xiaojia remained seated lazily, showing no intention to speak to him. Xie Li let go of Chang Xiaojia’s foot, turned, and walked to sit under the scorching sun near the basketball hoop.

After sitting down, Xie Li saw that Chang Xiaojia was still staring at him, a direct and unwavering gaze. Taking a deep breath, he suppressed his subtle discomfort, leaned back, and closed his eyes.

During dinner, Xie Li carried his tray towards an empty spot next to Hu Minxin. But just before he reached it, someone placed their tray there.

Xie Li noticed the person was one of Dai Hao’s men.

Hu Minxin tensed, looking up at him nervously but said nothing.

Xie Li silently moved to another spot, but before he could set down his tray, someone took that seat too.

Dai Hao sat down in his usual spot, adjusting his shoulder with a smirk, saying, “Let’s see who dares to sit with him today.”

After this, Dai Hao’s men stopped grabbing seats from Xie Li, but the whole cafeteria nervously watched him. They seemed afraid he might sit next to them and incur Dai Hao’s wrath.

Xie Li glanced at the prison guards by the cafeteria door. Both looked indifferent and showed no intention to intervene. He looked around and finally carried his tray to a table near the window where only one person sat—Chang Xiaojia.

All the inmates in the cafeteria discreetly watched Xie Li’s every move, even Dai Hao silently observing, waiting to see if Xie Li would anger Chang Xiaojia.

As Xie Li reached out to place his tray opposite Chang Xiaojia’s, two tall inmates at the neighboring table stood up and blocked his way, impatiently saying, “Back off.”

Xie Li didn’t move. He looked at Chang Xiaojia.

Chang Xiaojia straightened his posture, calmly wiped his mouth with a napkin, and lifted his head, “Let him sit.”

This was the first time Xie Li heard Chang Xiaojia speak. His voice was soft, soothing, and pleasant to the ears.