Blinded chapter 80
Extra 2
Xu Hao didn’t touch the gun, but he remained calm and collected. Using professionally trained gestures, he pointed towards Chang Xiaojia and sternly commanded, “Don’t move!” Then, gritting his teeth, he uttered the words, “Chang, Xiaojia.”
Chang Xiaojia, unlike his brother Chang Xin, who often appeared in the media, was a name known to most in the harbor city, although they hadn’t seen him in person.
However, Xu Hao had not only seen him but had also been involved in the operation to apprehend Chang Xiaojia. Back then, Chen Haiman met a tragic end, and Chang Xiaojia, as the prime suspect, couldn’t be convicted due to insufficient evidence. This was a regret shared by many colleagues, including Xu Hao.
After all these twists and turns, Chang Guanshan was now dead. Xu Hao hadn’t expected to encounter Chang Xiaojia in such a manner on this early morning.
The living room, like the bedroom, was air-conditioned. Chang Xiaojia wore black pants and a soft light gray turtleneck sweater that tightly wrapped around his neck, revealing only a small, nearly transparent face and dark, moist eyes.
There was no emotion in his eyes, just like when Xu Hao had arrested him at Chang’s home years ago, radiating a cold indifference while observing people.
Suddenly, Xu Hao felt a nervousness he couldn’t express. He asked, “Why are you here?”
Chang Xiaojia glanced at him, and with his naturally gentle voice, asked, “Why are you here?”
Xu Hao, abruptly awakened from a state of confusion and hangover, felt a throbbing pain in his forehead. Glancing around, he could recall the last scene of drinking with Xie Li. Worried about Xie Li, he asked, “Where’s Xie Li? Is he okay?”
Chang Xiaojia blinked slowly and said, “Went to buy breakfast.”
“What did you say?” Xu Hao shouted at him, sensing a trick.
Chang Xiaojia, displeased, looked at him coldly.
Xu Hao quickly assessed the environment, listening carefully for any signs of a third person. He was torn between deciding whether to directly subdue Chang Xiaojia or if Chang Xiaojia had an accomplice or weapon, deliberately prolonging the conversation. Nervously swallowing, he tried to stay calm and distract Chang Xiaojia, “What did you do to Xie Li?”
Chang Xiaojia remained silent.
Xu Hao continued, “Chang Guanshan is dead, and Chang Xin is in prison in the harbor city.”
Chang Xiaojia asked, “So what?”
Xu Hao said, “You have no backing now.”
Chang Xiaojia twitched the corners of his mouth, laughing emotionlessly.
Xu Hao cautiously moved his feet, changing his angle facing Chang Xiaojia, trying to find an opportunity to act. “So, you better think carefully. And this isn’t the harbor city; it’s Chongfeng.”
As he finished speaking, he heard the sound of someone unlocking the door from outside.
Chang Xiaojia suddenly extended his feet, stood up from the sofa wearing slippers, and walked straight towards the door. At the moment the door opened, he called out, “Xie Li.”
To avoid being attacked from both sides, Xu Hao pressed against the wall. When he saw the person outside was indeed Xie Li, who carried two plastic bags and had a bit of chill on his down jacket, he felt relieved. Xie Li entered without noticing Xu Hao and greeted Chang Xiaojia with a hug, saying excitedly, “It’s snowing.”
Chang Xiaojia widened his eyes.
Xie Li walked into the room, closed the door, placed the plastic bags on the table, and hung his coat on the rack. Noticing Xu Hao’s expression, he asked, “Are you still hungover? Go wash your face; the bathroom is over there.” He pointed in the direction of the bathroom.
Xu Hao, still in a daze, looked towards the bathroom. The urgency to pee from the morning returned, and he hesitated, glancing at Chang Xiaojia by the window. Unable to hold back, he rushed towards the direction of the bathroom.
Harbor City rarely experienced snow, and Chongfeng wasn’t a place where snowfall was an annual occurrence.
Although Chang Xiaojia had seen snow before, people from the south, regardless of age, always felt excited when seeing snow. He opened the curtains and saw tiny snowflakes falling from the grayish-white sky, disappearing quickly upon reaching the ground.
Smiling, Xie Li walked over to him, placed the breakfast on the table, and brought out bowls and plates from the kitchen, putting the steamed buns from the plastic bags onto a plate.
He asked Chang Xiaojia, “Milk or soy milk?”
Approaching Xie Li, Chang Xiaojia rested his forehead on Xie Li’s shoulder and said, “Soy milk.”
Xie Li handed him the bought soy milk with a straw and used an empty bowl to pick a steamed bun for him, telling him to sit down and eat first.
Meanwhile, Xu Hao, having finished relieving himself in the bathroom, took a deep breath and turned to look at himself in the mirror.
His eyes were still red at the corners, his hair disheveled, and his once handsome face looked disheveled due to the hangover. Aside from that, his eyes still showed a strong sense of confusion.
Turning on the tap without caring if the water was cold, he splashed it on his face. The water wet his forehead and the front of his clothes. He didn’t bother with the bathroom towels, tore off a few pieces of tissue to dry his face and neck, discarded the paper crumbs sticking to his skin into the trash bin, and walked out of the room.
This was Xie Li’s small two-bedroom apartment, and the bathroom was next to the dining room. Xu Hao saw Xie Li and Chang Xiaojia sitting face to face at the dining table, having breakfast when he came out.
As soon as Xie Li saw Xu Hao, he raised his hand to greet him. “Come, have breakfast.”
Xu Hao stared at the top of Chang Xiaojia’s head, walked over to Xie Li’s side, and during this time, Chang Xiaojia didn’t even look at him. He didn’t raise his head, concentrating solely on eating the buns in his bowl.