Ding Wei sat at the table, as if on hot coals inside. A cigarette would be good right now. Too bad, he didn't have one with him. His father didn't smoke and it was out of question to ask the other guy.
Suddenly, something bumped into his shoe. Once. Twice. Ding Wei suppressed the urge to look. Instead, he continued to stare out of the window and concentrated on the gentle knocking. He understood. His father had other ways to communicate with him.
“Bring Zhuang Wenjie to me when Xu Zhengqing is done with him.”
Ding Wei's blood literally froze in his veins.
“Do you know where they are?” Tentatively, he nudged his shoe against his father's.
“They went over to the master suite earlier.”
So, that had been the sound.
“Okay.”
That was all he dared to convey. The man opposite him was already looking at him strangely, as if he suspected something was up.
Ding Shenghuo placed a stone on the Weiqi board, whereupon his opponent's attention shifted back to the board.
Xiao Dao breathed a sigh of relief, only to flinch violently, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. The pressure increased slightly. He looked up. Xu Zhengqing. He was alone.
A lump formed in Ding Wei's throat.
“Aren't you going to check on your friend?”
Ding Wei quickly remembered his mission. “Don't think he still considers me to be his friend.”
Xu Zhengqing leaned down, giving him goose bumps on the back of his neck. “That could change soon. Come with me to the observation deck. We have something to discuss before he's yours.”
Ding Wei clenched his hands into fists.
“Aren't you happy?” He patted him on the shoulder and straightened up again.
Playfully relaxed, Ding Wei stood up and followed the older up. Why wasn't he allowed to go to Wenjie right away? What had Xu Zhengqing done to him?
Monsieur went to the railing and looked out to sea.
Xiao Dao felt the urge to start a mutiny and throw him overboard. But he didn't know how many men the older had on his side. Besides, Wenjie would hardly want him to commit murder for him.
Burying his hands in his pockets, he joined the man.
“Would you have enjoyed, growing up with Wenjie?”
The question caught him off guard. He frowned in irritation.
Monsieur laughed. “Never mind. Behave towards him as, if you were childhood friends. Don't talk to him about your betrayal, unless he mentions it. Let him think the illusion I gave him is real.”
Ding Wei didn't understand a word of what he was implying.
“You thought I was going to torture him? I'll let you see for yourself, what I've done. Your suggestion wasn't bad. I should have done this half a year ago.”
“Okay...” Xiao Dao shrugged his shoulders. “Is that all? Or is there anything else?” He tried to sound as indifferent as possible.
“It probably won't have worked the first time. If he takes you up on it, tell me about it.”
Ding Wei listened suspiciously to his instructions. As if he was telling him the truth. But Xu Zhengqing had certainly thought of something, he could use to monitor them. He could hardly believe, that the old man had already fallen for his act. There was a trap behind his concession after all.
Monsieur eyed him with an opaque expression before finally sending him away with a “You may go”.
Ding Wei didn't need to be told twice. He took two steps at a time. When he reached the bottom, he literally tore the door open. His friend was curled up on the bed with his back turned to him. There was a pair of shoes on the floor.
Ding Wei took a deep breath and stepped inside. After Wenjie didn't react, he gently closed the door and walked around the bed. The younger man had closed his eyes and was asleep. His features were relaxed. He looked peaceful.
A stone fell from Ding Wei's heart. His gaze wandered over to the bedside table. There he discovered an MP3 player and headphones. He reached for the headphones and put them on. Then he pressed play.
“I see,” he muttered to himself. “You're playing with his mind and his memories.” With a shake of his head, he put the receiver back down. Careful, not to make any loud noises, he placed them on the bedside table.
On a nearby table, he spotted a bowl of crackers and fruit, as well as teacups and a teapot. As he had nothing better to do, he sat down on one of the armchairs. He watched his friend thoughtfully.
What would it have been like to grow up with him? He would have liked that. Who knew, what their lives would have been like? As he pondered about it, he scanned the room for cameras or places to hide them.
He didn't indulge in his thoughts for long when Wenjie moved.
Ding Wei grinned because the sleepy look on the younger man's face was cute. He was relieved that Xu Zhengqing hadn't done anything terrible to him. He could never forgive himself for that.
Wenjie sat up. His feet dangled over the edge of the bed. He looked over at him wordlessly. Then he slipped on his shoes and stood up. He slowly walked towards him. He stopped at the table.
The silence made Ding Wei nervous, but he didn't know what to say himself.
“Did have to wait for a long time?”
“Mmm ...” Ding Wei shook his head.
Wenjie sat down opposite him in the vacant chair. “Xu Zhengqing says he put you under pressure.” He propped his arms on the table and interlocked his hands.
Ding Wei narrowed his eyes as he noticed the movement of his fingers.
“Did he swallow your act?” the younger man transmitted to him via Morse code.
“If he says so,” he replied with a shrug. “I wouldn't count on it,” he replied wordlessly, using the appropriate finger signs.
Wenjie looked out of the window. “We're in the same boat again.” Literally. “Let's make the best of it.”
Ding Wei grinned. “Are you saying you're not going to cancel our friendship?”
“Depends on what you do in the future.”
Ding Wei laughed. Wenjie almost used the same wording he had used towards him, when they met in the men's room at the university. “He let your friends go.”
“I know. That's why' I can give you a second chance.” Again, Wenjie made Morse code with his fingers, “He has my father and Captain Luo for that.”
Ding Wei stared at him dumbfounded. Why was this bastard always one step ahead of them? What should they do now?
to be continued ...
