Chapter 7 - Gathering Evidence (3)

The old man gave Shu Yan a curious look and shook his hand, “Miss, you have been watching too many Hong Kong movies. Since when do we have PIs in China?”

Of course there were PIs, most people just didn’t know about them, that was all. Shu Yan thanked him and left. Perhaps, seeking out her cousin was the only option she had.

She went to a few clubs before she found her cousin, who was playing mahjong.

“Who did you say was looking for me?” asked Shu Jianyang with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, looking at the person dubiously.

“She said she’s your cousin. Her name is Shu Yan.” They had the same last name. She couldn’t be lying about it.

“Third Brother, is that really your cousin? Is she pretty? Why don’t you introduce her to us?” The man with dyed yellow hair sitting across from Shu Jianyang chuckled.

The cousin shoved him aside and said impatiently, “Get out of here. Old Fifth, you sit in for me. I’ll go talk to my cousin.”

Looking at his cousin standing by the door, Shu Jianyang lifted his brows. This cousin of his normally avoided him like a plague, what brought her here today? Have pigs been flying?

“Third Brother,” Shu Yan recognized him right away when he walked out. She said directly, “I came to ask for a favor today.”

After running around for most of the day, she didn’t think she would be able to get any help other than from her instant cousin.

Shu Yan’s words surprised Shu Jianyang even more. He never thought she’d come and ask him for help.

“Okay, hang on. Let me let them know.” Shu Jianyang didn’t ask anything, but turned around and exchanged some words with the rest of his crew before taking Shu Yan to a tea shop nearby.

The servers at the tea shop was very familiar with Shu Jianyang. Smiling, they took them up to a private room on the second floor. Shu Jianyang obviously visited this tea shop a lot.

“It is safe here. You can feel free to say whatever you need,” said the cousin as he smacked his own thigh. He was being silly, the most she was going to ask was to stand by her over some issue. How serious could it be?

“Before I say anything, can I ask you to promise me something?” Before she came to Shu Jianyang, Shu Yan had analyzed his personality. He was open-minded, true to his words, trying to persuade him would work better than trying to be forceful with him.

Shu Jianyang frowned.

“Nothing very difficult. I just don’t want those back home to find out, especially my family. If this puts you in a difficult position, just pretend that I was never here,” added Shu Yan quickly.

Shu Jianyang was a little surprised. He looked up and down his cousin. Yes, that is Shu Yan alright, but her personality seemed to have changed drastically. “Alright, I’ll promise you. What is it?”

Shu Yan started to cry, “Third Brother, Ye Zhiqiang has a lover and asked for a divorce.”

“What?” Shu Jianyang’s face dropped. He and Shu Yan weren’t close, but he wouldn’t allow anyone outside of the family to bully his cousin!

——

Translator’s Notes:

Just in case you missed my note from chapter 3, back in those days, it’s customary to count all the kids of the generation together. So “third brother” wasn’t Shu Yan’s third brother, but the third boy in her generation.