Chapter 267: Pain

“Brother, why are you doing this?” As she walked past him, Kazumi suddenly stopped and gazed at him with a mixture of sorrow and reproach in her eyes.

After a moment of silence, Lei Yin replied, “Kazumi, take good care of her.”

Kazumi looked deeply into his eyes before turning and running out the door to chase after the heartbroken girl.

After softly closing the door, Naoko slowly walked toward Lei Yin, who was sitting on the sofa.

When she reached him, she said nothing and gently knelt at his feet, resting her head on his knee.

Lei Yin withdrew his unfocused gaze from the television and began stroking her long, silky hair.

After a while, he lifted her into his arms and seated her on his lap. Holding her soft, delicate body, he asked, “Will you stay with me tonight?”

“Yes,” Naoko murmured softly, burying her face deep into his chest.

※※※

When Lei Yin arrived at the meeting spot, he saw Kazumi already waiting there. At the same time, she noticed him too.

Kazumi’s gaze was complicated as she watched him approach.

When he stood before her, Kazumi stared at him intently without blinking.

Lei Yin also looked at her with a serious expression.

For a moment, neither of them spoke, locking eyes in silent confrontation.

Then, out of nowhere, Lei Yin reached out with both hands and pinched her cheeks, pulling them outward.

Kazumi burst into laughter with a soft “Pfft!” She lightly smacked his hands and playfully scolded, “You’re so annoying! Can’t you ever be serious?”

Leaning back against the nearby railing, Lei Yin retorted, “Come on, do you think this is some kind of mafia negotiation? Why make the atmosphere so heavy?”

Kazumi glared at him briefly before sighing. “I had a lot of things I wanted to yell at you about, but the moment I saw you, I couldn’t say anything. That’s what makes me so angry.”

Lei Yin remained silent for a while before finally asking, “How’s that kid doing?”

Kazumi replied in a mockingly sharp tone, “Which kid are you talking about?”

“Kazumi.”

Seeing the seriousness on his face, Kazumi sighed and said, “Not good. She hasn’t been to class for several days. She’s lost a lot of weight. If this keeps up, I’m worried she’ll get sick.”

Lei Yin said nothing, his silence heavy.

Watching his expression, Kazumi pleaded, “Brother, will you go see her?”

Shaking his head, Lei Yin said, “Better a short pain than a long one—you know this as well as I do. If I see her now, everything I’ve done up to this point will have been for nothing. That’s also why I’ve been avoiding the apartment these past few days.”

Kazumi suddenly grew agitated. “Are you really just going to stand by and watch her get sick? Brother, do you even know how foolish Rumi is? She always suppresses her feelings when she’s around us, but Shinobu and I can tell. When she’s alone in her room, she cries under the covers so we won’t hear her. Every time I hear her muffled sobs, it breaks my heart.”

Lei Yin turned to look at the distant scenery. After a long silence, he said, “Maybe it was a mistake for her to meet me in the first place.”

Kazumi said nothing, simply watching him quietly.

After what felt like an eternity, Lei Yin felt a soft body pressing tightly against him.

With a hint of hesitation and a sliver of hope, Kazumi softly asked, “Brother, if… Naoko-sensei doesn’t mind, would you be willing to accept Rumi?”

Lei Yin gave a bitter smile. “Kazumi, do you think that would be fair to Rumi? Or to Naoko?”

Kazumi fell silent.

After a moment, she asked in a low voice, “Can I ask you one last question?”

“What is it?”

Lifting her head, Kazumi gazed deeply into his eyes and slowly asked, “Brother, can you truly let her go?”

Lei Yin met her gaze but remained silent for a long time.

Eventually, he turned back to the scenery before him and said, “Rumi is lucky to have you by her side to take care of her. Kazumi, teach her how to move on—she can do it.”

Kazumi didn’t press further, silently watching his back.

※※※

Halfway through their walk, Kuang Dao suddenly bent over and started vomiting.

Seeing his pitiful state, Lei Yin burst into loud laughter. “Serves you right! You drink like it’s a contest, even though you can’t handle it. Do you still think you’re the legendary ‘Sword and Booze Master’?”

Struggling to his feet with the help of a nearby lamppost, Kuang Dao cursed, “Even if my drinking’s declined, I’m still better than you, you bastard. Damn it, back in the day, I could drink ten catties of liquor without flinching. Now, I can’t even handle one bottle? What the hell is wrong with me?”

Lei Yin, who was also somewhat tipsy, leaned against a roadside wall and said, “Why bring up the past? Everyone who remembers you is probably dust by now. Want a beer? There are two cans left.”

“Of course, I do, you idiot.”

“Damn you, you’ve always had a punchable face,” Lei Yin grumbled as he tossed one of the cans over.

Kuang Dao caught the beer without wiping it off and plopped down on the ground. “Why’d you suddenly call me out for drinks?”

“To celebrate your promotion, of course,” Lei Yin said with a laugh, sitting down beside him.

Kuang Dao glared at him. “One of these days, I’ll beat you so bad, you’ll be picking your teeth up off the ground.”

Waving him off, Lei Yin replied, “Find a new line already. Even I’m tired of hearing that. But you know, Old Kuang, sometimes I really envy you. All you need is booze and a good fight. You don’t have to deal with all this complicated nonsense.”

Kuang Dao scoffed. “I was wondering why you suddenly asked me out. Turns out it’s about a woman. Never thought even an old ghost like you would get headaches over that.” He smirked, his expression full of schadenfreude.

“What do you mean by that?” Lei Yin was surprised by how perceptive this rough man was.

“Tch, I might not be interested in women, but I’ve been around long enough to know how they act. Even if I’ve never eaten pork, I’ve seen pigs walk. That little girl’s feelings for you are as clear as day.”

“Why does it sound so weird when you say it? Were you really a monk before?” Lei Yin teased.

“I stopped being a monk a long time ago.” At this, Kuang Dao’s expression darkened. If not for that incident back then, his bones would likely be buried in the Shaolin Temple’s pagoda forest. Life in Shaolin was austere, and even drinking was forbidden, but it had been his home since childhood, a place of solace—even if he had been exiled.

Seeing his expression, Lei Yin stayed silent and sipped his beer.

After a while, Kuang Dao suddenly said, “What’s there to be upset about? Just take the little girl in too. Spend Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays with your main wife, Tuesdays and Thursdays with the second, Saturdays with both, and Sundays sparring with me. Perfect, isn’t it?”

Lei Yin laughed and cursed, “Bullshit! That’s not just nonsense—it’s dogshit. Use that brain of yours that’s been collecting dust for centuries. This era is nothing like ours. Having multiple wives isn’t acceptable anymore. Think about it: if your beloved daughter married a man with another wife, how would you feel? Actually, forget ‘feelings.’ Knowing you, you’d probably grab a knife and storm over to chop him up.”

Kuang Dao snorted. “Tch, I don’t see the big deal. Besides, I don’t have a daughter.”

Lei Yin couldn’t be bothered to argue with him and kept drinking.

Before long, Lei Yin finished his beer, crushed the empty can, and tossed it into a nearby trash bin. Standing up, he brushed the dust off his pants.

Kuang Dao glanced at him, tilted his head back, and downed the rest of his beer in one gulp before slowly getting up.

Lei Yin looked up at the stars. Suddenly, Kazumi’s earlier question flashed through his mind, the one he couldn’t answer.

Can you truly let her go?

Perhaps that little girl would never again beg him to let her cook for him, nor show him her innocent, radiant smile.

The thought brought an inexplicable sense of loss to Lei Yin’s heart.

“What are you doing, old ghost?” Kuang Dao asked, noticing Lei Yin standing still for a long time.

Lei Yin snapped out of it, exhaled lightly, and began walking again.

When they reached a section of the road, Lei Yin suddenly stopped. “Old Kuang, do you hear something?”

“Yeah, you talking nonsense,” Kuang Dao replied.

Lei Yin’s expression turned serious. “I just heard gunfire, and it came from a silenced handgun.”

Although Kuang Dao knew Lei Yin wouldn’t make baseless claims, he still teased him. “Are you being paranoid?”

“Bullshit! I’ve handled guns for decades in my past life—do you really think I’d mishear this?” Lei Yin snapped.

“So, what now? Head to a phone booth, put your red underwear on the outside, and fly off to save the day?” Kuang Dao quipped, referencing the cartoons he had become familiar with during his time with Bibi.

“Tch, I’m not that bored. I’m just curious why there’d be gunfire here.” With that, Lei Yin continued walking.

But before long, he stopped again. “Old Kuang, stay alert. The gunshots are getting closer.”

A fiery glint appeared in Kuang Dao’s eyes.

Knowing how battle-hungry his companion was, Lei Yin didn’t bother saying more. He resumed walking, acting as though nothing was amiss. They weren’t particularly keen on meddling but also wouldn’t go out of their way to avoid trouble—as long as no one provoked them.

A few minutes later, hurried footsteps grew louder and closer.

From the sound, the two seasoned men deduced there were five people—one running ahead and four chasing behind.

Sure enough, moments later, a figure sprinted past them at high speed. Four men in suits followed in hot pursuit.

As the runner passed, Lei Yin gave the person’s face an unusually strange look.

Then, in a voice so low that only Kuang Dao and the runner could hear, Lei Yin said something.

Hearing this, the runner turned to look at Lei Yin.

Upon seeing Lei Yin’s face clearly, the runner’s expression became one of disbelief. The person faltered briefly but quickly resumed running.

Glancing back at the four pursuers, Lei Yin whispered, “Old Kuang, feel like a fight?”

Kuang Dao immediately perked up. “Against those four?”

“Be careful—they’re armed. And try not to let them see our faces. You take two, I’ll take two.”

“Deal,” Kuang Dao replied quietly.

Within seconds of their agreement, the four men were upon them.

As two of the pursuers ran past him, Lei Yin suddenly swung his left hand, striking one of them in the throat.

Caught completely off guard, the man collapsed to the ground without even a chance to cry out.

Hearing the commotion, the last man turned and caught sight of his companion falling. Alarmed, he immediately aimed his gun at Lei Yin, but Lei Yin was quicker. He kicked the man’s wrist, sending the firearm flying.

Before the man could react, Lei Yin followed up with a sweeping kick to his temple.

The force was so strong that the man blacked out instantly, not even realizing what had hit him.

With his two targets down, Lei Yin turned to see that Kuang Dao had already knocked out the other two.

Kuang Dao, however, looked dissatisfied. “That was too easy—not even a challenge.”

Lei Yin chuckled. “Drag them into the alley. It’s too conspicuous here.”

After hauling the four unconscious men into a nearby alley, Kuang Dao suddenly tensed, his expression alert.

But before he could act, Lei Yin said, “Relax, it’s a friend of mine.”

He then called out, “You can come out now—it’s all taken care of.”

A moment later, a figure slowly emerged from outside the alley.

“What are you doing here?” Lei Yin asked.

“I didn’t expect to see you here either,” replied a woman’s voice.

“Are you hurt?” Lei Yin asked, detecting the scent of blood.

“Yes, I took a gunshot. Masashi, help me.” With that, she slowly sank to the ground.