Chapter 5 (2/2)

Xia Lei went out after eating.

When he went downstairs, he saw Jiang Ru-Yi sitting on her balcony, staring into space. His heart thumped as he walked to her.

Jiang Ru-Yi did not see Xia Lei at all. She sat with her sweet cheek resting in her hand, gazing at the cup on the table. Perhaps she was daydreaming of some scrumptious food, or some scrumptious man.

“Stick yer hands up!” A voice suddenly snarled.

Jiang Ru-Yi was startled. When she raised her head and saw that the person standing beyond the railing was Xia Lei, she glared and said, “You wanna die? How dare you scare me like that!” She reached to smack Xia Lei but he dodged.

“Ru-Yi, can I ask for a favour?”, asked Xia Lei.

“What favour?”, asked Jiang Ru-Yi.

“Well, you work in the Police Department so do you know a guy named Li Qing-Hua?”

“He’s our Chief. How can I not know him?” Jiang Ru-Yi stared hard at Xia Lei, and probed, “What are you asking about our Chief for?”

Xia Lei said, “I have to contact him for something. Hey, can you tell me where he lives and his phone number?”

Jiang Ru-Yi cut him short. “Why are you asking these questions?”

Xia Lei smiled as he said, “You think I’m going to do something bad? Even if I am going to, I won’t be so stupid as to look for the police, right? It’s my friend who has a problem so he wants some help from connections. You know how it is in this world – it works through connections.”

“I see.” Jiang Ru-Yi took her phone out of her pocket and opened her contacts window, then knelt on her balcony to hand her phone to Xia Lei.

Xia Lei looked at Li Qing-Hua’s picture, his phone number and home address. He remembered the details and returned the phone to Jiang Ru-Yi, then said, “Thank you.”

Jiang Ru-Yi put her phone away, then pursed her lips and smiled, “Thanking me is so tacky. Just call me big sister.”

Her smile was mesmerising. Xia Lei was about to go off but he paused to stare at her a little longer and his eye just happened to look at her waist and buttocks. The short uniform skirt and T-shirt Jiang Ru-Yi wore turned into gauze that soon disappeared. The most secret and sacred places of Jiang Ru-Yi’s body lay bare to Xia Lei’s eye. Her breasts, her buttocks, her long, long beautiful legs, white and soft… Xia Lei’s heart pounded faster and his breath quickened.

“I… really shouldn’t.” Xia Lei shook his head to hear it then lightly slapped himself, hitting his bad thoughts out of his head.

“What are you doing?” Jiang Ru-Yi looked at Xia Lei curiously.

“Um… Nothing…” Xia Lei was so embarrassed he could die but an idea hit him and he quickly said, “It was a mosquito. I was hitting a mosquito.”

At that moment, a real mosquito actually landed on Jiang Ru-Yi’s petite waist, as though to prove him right. Xia Lei did not want Jiang Ru-Yi to get bitten so he swung his hand and smacked her waist.

SMACK! The flesh of her waist rippled and the impact made her other soft parts jiggle too. Jiang Ru-Yi was in shock and her face was flushed red. She stared at Xia Lei, and her delicate mouth opened but no words came out.

Xia Lei held out the offending hand to Jiang Ru-Yi and opened his fist, revealing a flattened mosquito.

Jiang Ru-Yi glared at Xia Lei resentfully.

Xia Lei clumsily explained himself, “A mosquito. Mosquito! It’s okay, it’s dead.”

At that moment, another mosquito flew in front of Jiang Ru-Yi’s eyes. Slowly and lazily it flew, then settled on her bum. Jiang Ru-Yi looked at the mosquito on her bum, then looked at Xia Lei. She did not speak but the look in her eyes spoke volumes. — You like hitting mosquitoes, don’t you? If you dare hit this one, I’ll crush you!

Xia Lei raised his hand, but did not hit. He waved his hand and chased the mosquito away.

He could hit the mosquito on her waist but did not dare to hit the one on her bum. That area was too sensitive. Besides, if he, as a man, hit a woman’s bum, what would that make of their relationship?

“Okay, I’m off. See you.” Xia Lei did not dare to linger and got ready to scram.

“Chief Li likes to drink tea at Ju Shan Garden Teahouse. His favourite is Tung-ting oolong tea from Taiwan. Tell your friend that if he wants favours from the Chief he should buy some good oolong tea and bring it with him. Today happens to be a weekend, so tell your friend to look for him there and he’ll definitely find him.”

“Hm, got it.” Xia Lei waved and walked off.

“You haven’t called me ‘big sister’, you rascal!” Jiang Ru-Yi voice came from behind.

“Big sister!” Xia Lei smiled wryly and he quickened his steps.

“Remember, oolong tea!” Jiang Ru-Yi’s voice again.

Xia Lei thought to himself, “Oolong tea? Bastards like Li Qing-Hua should get treated to piss!”