Reservoir Dogs chapter 113
Tango
Ji Yang finished reading the letter pushed through the door crack and set it aside. “If you follow his instructions, you might as well lock yourself up and save me the trouble.”
Jiang Chengyuan silently smoked a cigarette. “Jiang Wenxing is a desperado. He would do anything. We don’t need to confront him head-on anymore.”
Ji Yang sneered, saying nothing. He didn’t care about Xiao Zhou, but since Jiang Chengyuan liked him and he was a living person, he wasn’t going to voice any opinions. If given the choice, he would prioritize Jiang Chengyuan. Not to mention the contents of the letter, he even felt wronged about how Jiang Chengyuan was treated at the detention center.
He picked up the paper again, the printed words, the commonplace A4 paper, and the pitifully scarce clues. “Let’s call the police first and see what they suggest.”
Jiang Chengyuan nodded, not stopping him this time. He knew Jiang Wenxing, though desperate, no longer had much power and was not to be feared.
As Ji Yang pressed the digits to dial, Jiang Chengyuan received a call.
Seeing the caller ID, Jiang Chengyuan’s expression changed. He answered, and as soon as the voice came through, Ji Yang saw him smile.
Ji Yang had seen Jiang Chengyuan smile before, but such a relieved smile was rare. It made him look radiant and youthful, which made him feel envious.
Jiang Chengyuan gestured to him, indicating that the call was no longer necessary.
Ji Yang understood, turning off his phone. When Jiang Chengyuan hung up, Ji Yang asked, “So? Your little lover is okay?”
Jiang Chengyuan smiled slightly, “See, he always has surprises.”
Xiao Zhou did not drive to the police station but went to Jiang Chengyuan’s apartment instead. The things found in Jiang Wenxing’s car made him uneasy, making him think that Jiang Wenxing’s escape was not an individual act. Perhaps Jiang Chengyuan could see the clues.
Jiang Chengyuan was waiting downstairs. Xiao Zhou got out of the car, handed over the found items, and briefly explained the situation.
Jiang Chengyuan called the police to come and take Jiang Wenxing away.
“When the police ask questions, what should I say?” Xiao Zhou asked.
“Just tell the truth,” Jiang Chengyuan said nonchalantly, reaching out to touch the bite mark on Xiao Zhou’s lips. “What’s going on here?”
Xiao Zhou closed his eyes briefly, holding his hand and whispering, “Don’t ask anymore, okay?”
Jiang Chengyuan’s expression darkened instantly. Leaning close to his ear, he spoke in a volume only they could hear, “He harmed you like this. If you want revenge, I can help. Remember that doctor? You can do whatever you want, I guarantee nothing will happen to you.”
Xiao Zhou hesitated and shook his head, “I’ve already dealt with him.”
Jiang Chengyuan straightened up and looked coldly at Jiang Wenxing, who was slumped in the back seat, “But I don’t think it’s enough.”
Xiao Zhou felt somewhat helpless, “You’ve done enough for me. I don’t want you to get into more trouble.”
Jiang Chengyuan stopped talking, but his expression remained grim.
Xiao Zhou soothingly squeezed his hand, turning him to face him, and changed the subject, “Did he ask you to do anything after he kidnapped me?”
Jiang Chengyuan’s eyes flickered, “There were some demands, but it was just to let him go.”
“Don’t lie to me. He said he wanted you to pay a price.”
“What did he say to you?”
“I only know that his target this time was you. But I don’t understand how he managed to escape,” Xiao Zhou said, “Just by himself?”
Jiang Chengyuan pondered for a moment, “Maybe someone helped him.”
“Who?”
Jiang Chengyuan avoided the question, “I’m not sure. Maybe the previous incident harmed someone else’s interests.”
The police arrived soon after, took Xiao Zhou’s statement, and took Jiang Wenxing away.
After everything was dealt with, it was just before dawn. The two tidied up and went back to bed, getting up only in the afternoon.
During lunch, Jiang Chengyuan took a call, said a few words, and then stood up and walked out to the balcony. Xiao Zhou put down his chopsticks, looked at Jiang Chengyuan’s back through the fluttering white curtain, knowing this was Jiang Chengyuan’s way of avoiding him. He didn’t interfere with Jiang Chengyuan’s work affairs, but he noticed that whenever Jiang Chengyuan avoided him while handling something, there was always a reason he couldn’t know.
So why this time? Xiao Zhou lowered his head.
He easily found the discarded note from Ji Yang in the trash. It was brief and to the point, asking Jiang Chengyuan to plead guilty at the trial in two days. Xiao Zhou then realized what Jiang Wenxing meant by giving him two days, because two days later was the day of Jiang Chengyuan’s trial, and he was indeed being used as a pawn to influence him.
But if Jiang Wenxing wasn’t the mastermind, who else would want Jiang Chengyuan to disappear?
Noticing someone approaching from behind, Xiao Zhou clenched the note and turned around, looking up, and asked, “Who was on the phone just now?”
Jiang Chengyuan stopped, his gaze shifting from Xiao Zhou’s clenched fist to his face, then smiled, “This is the first time you’re directly asking me. You should know that I was avoiding you because I didn’t want you to know. Why press me to say it?”
Xiao Zhou leaned against the kitchen counter, his gaze intense, “But if I want to know, will you tell me?”
Jiang Chengyuan looked at him for a moment before nodding, “I will.” His voice was gentle, and his eyes were soft, “Of course, I will tell you.”
Jiang Chengyuan calmly showed him the phone, “It was my father. He called to scold me for acting recklessly. Someone complained to him.”
Xiao Zhou was puzzled, “What does this have to do with your father?”
“Even though he’s retired, his connections remain. Even across the sea, he still needs to remotely manage things,” Jiang Chengyuan sneered.
Xiao Zhou knew that Jiang Chengyuan’s relationship with his father had long been strained and wasn’t easily mended. He then asked, “Who has such a big issue with you?”
Jiang Chengyuan said, “There must be someone who was bribed in the corruption case Jiang Wenhao accused me of. After the case is overturned, those who participated in the trial back then will be held accountable. This matter runs deep, and my father thinks I’ve offended too many people in one go. In a way, he’s looking out for me.”
Xiao Zhou inhaled sharply, realizing that he had underestimated the complexity of the situation. A small change could set off a chain reaction, like a butterfly flapping its wings causing a storm.
“What are you going to do? They even managed to get Jiang Wenxing out.”
Jiang Chengyuan shrugged, “We’ll deal with it as it comes. I’m not made of clay that can be easily molded. Without power, I need some leverage to avoid being passive. Don’t worry, they only dare to use Jiang Wenxing, but they don’t dare to confront me directly.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
“If you want to help,” Jiang Chengyuan paused, raising an eyebrow with a teasing smile, “Do you know how to dance the tango?”
Xiao Zhou was taken aback.
——
To the lively tango music, the notes seemed to fall on the floor like crystals. The lights were dimmed intentionally, and the wall cast two intertwined black silhouettes.
“You dance well.”
Xiao Zhou turned his head to the side, and Jiang Chengyuan pursued him closely, as if sniffing the back of his neck, his lips brushing against his ear, “Tomorrow, I’ll need you to help me get through to someone, at a certain private party.”
With the music, which sometimes brought them closer and sometimes farther apart, their steps mirrored the intimate yet elusive distance.
Xiao Zhou’s waist was held, and he turned back to look at him, “Who?”
“Wen Ruohan, an independent female artist who just returned to the country. She’s a beauty. I’ll introduce you to her.”
“Will you not be there?”
“I can’t show up. I’ll be upstairs, so you’ll have to do this alone.” Jiang Chengyuan gazed at him, “Are you scared?”
Xiao Zhou didn’t speak. The room was filled only with flowing music, clear and drifting. Jiang Chengyuan guided him through half a song before Xiao Zhou spoke. “I’m dancing the female steps.”
“Hmm?”
Xiao Zhou moved his hand away, shifted positions, then got closer to Jiang Chengyuan, holding his back, his left hand interlacing with his fingers and clasping down, “I’m dancing with that beauty tomorrow, so I can’t be doing the female steps, right?”
Jiang Chengyuan was first stunned, then laughed, “I was teaching you, demonstrating. You’ve already learned so quickly?”
“Like this?” Xiao Zhou raised an eyebrow, placed Jiang Chengyuan’s left hand on his own shoulder, and gently exerted pressure with his right hand, taking the lead.
Jiang Chengyuan compliantly followed his lead. After a while, he praised, “You don’t seem like someone who’s never danced before.”
Xiao Zhou honestly said, “I really haven’t danced before, but my memory is good. I just need to learn from you.”
Xiao Zhou perfectly replicated all the moves Jiang Chengyuan had just danced with him—forward and back, fast and slow rhythms, stretching and exertion, all without any deviation.
He danced beautifully and elegantly, perhaps even more naturally than when Jiang Chengyuan playfully held him while dancing earlier. From tentative exploration to increasingly skillful entanglement, sliding along with the rhythm, drawing close and pulling away, walking and stopping—all so smooth and fluid.
But even the most skilled steps will tire, and even the most universal techniques are bound by convention.
Suddenly, the music’s rhythm changed abruptly, with the vigorous piano breaking the smooth violin, causing the dance steps to speed up. In the rush, mistakes were easy to make. Xiao Zhou stepped on Jiang Chengyuan’s foot, almost tripping him. When he adjusted and tried again, he couldn’t help but be cautious, afraid of making another mistake.
Being too cautious made him a good student, but not a good dancer.
Sensing Xiao Zhou’s panic, Jiang Chengyuan’s hand on his shoulder slid down, gently caressing Xiao Zhou’s back, patting it. “Relax.”
Xiao Zhou’s lips were tightly pressed, his brows furrowed with unease, his eyes focused on the movements of his feet.
Jiang Chengyuan forcibly lifted his chin with his hand, making him look directly into his eyes, and said, “Don’t always think about repeating my steps. Tango doesn’t fear mistakes; it won’t demand a price from you. Simplicity is its charm. Even if you make a mistake, it’s still tango.”
Xiao Zhou paused before saying, “A step away.”
“Yes,” Jiang Chengyuan nodded. “Life might criticize you, but tango won’t.”
Xiao Zhou exhaled, slowly smiling. “I know you wouldn’t.”
The dance ended, and everything returned to silence, as if fireworks had burned out and the splendor had ended.
They looked at each other, eyes unwavering, chests slightly heaving.
Xiao Zhou took a step forward, closing the distance between them, wrapping his arm around Jiang Chengyuan’s waist, and gently kissing him. Their lips met, tongues entwined.
The kiss lasted a long time before it ended. He leaned against Jiang Chengyuan’s neck, eyes closed.
A voice whispered in his ear, deep and smiling. “Don’t end the dance like this tomorrow, I’ll get jealous.”