Chapter Fifty-Five: Shadowing (Part Two)

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The days as Wukong's junior brother were without a care. Liu Yunfei felt that the smooth spot on Bettia was growing hotter and suddenly thought, If anything leaks out now, wouldn’t I end up covered head to toe? Frightened, he immediately transformed into a fly and slipped out through the seam of her underwear. Bettia was chatting with the piano teacher about recent changes at work when she suddenly felt a chill below, an emptiness in her underwear. She quickly looked down but could see nothing; the piano teacher and the others nearby, prompted by her abrupt action, also looked at her short skirt. Bettia’s face flushed deeply, unsure what had happened, grabbed her bag, and rushed to the restroom, leaving those around her exchanging confused glances.

Meanwhile, Liu Yunfei, in his fly form, had landed on the classroom wall, choosing a higher spot to avoid being swatted. The piano lesson began; since the class was still new, the teacher was covering basic techniques and the layout of the keys. Liu Yunfei listened once and mastered it completely, thinking, If I studied seriously, I’d become a world-class pianist in no time, and then countless beauties would be clamoring to throw themselves at me.

Lost in these fantasies, Liu Yunfei noticed someone peeking into the classroom from the back—a Middle Eastern man! Liu Yunfei tensed. Had Ram’s words come true? Every time, an Arab comes looking for Yuqing. Was he really here for her? Was Yuqing secretly meeting someone behind his back? Sure enough, Yuqing spotted the man, stood up, apologized to the teacher, and hurried out through the back door, glancing pointedly at Ram seated in the front row as she left. Liu Yunfei’s heart felt as though a jar of mixed flavors had been overturned, his mind filled only with sorrow. Why betray me? What good can come of such secrecy?

The distraught fly followed Yuqing downstairs and watched her slip into the back seat of the Arab man’s car. Inside, Yuqing seemed in perfect sync with the man, not uttering a single word. The car twisted and turned through the city, and Liu Yunfei felt dizzy, as if reliving all his moments with Yuqing—their first meeting, the little tavern, her bedroom in the small apartment. Was this all real? Why was it happening? At the height of his sorrow, anger surged. Liu Yunfei was on the brink of transforming and confronting Yuqing, demanding answers. But then, he felt deeply dejected. Why abandon me? I used to have no money, no looks, no taste, no grace, discarded by women. Now I have everything. I can give you anything, even risk my life for you. Why do you still treat me this way?

When the car finally stopped, Liu Yunfei realized they had arrived at an Arab restaurant marked with a green halal sign. He’d been to many places in Florence, but had never known such a place existed here. Yuqing stepped out and walked into the restaurant in small strides, her snowy legs and swaying waist making Liu Yunfei feel a surge of disgust. He thought, When you two meet, I’ll reveal myself and see what ugly expression you wear.

Yuqing seemed to frequent the place; the staff nodded and greeted her, and Yuqing responded gracefully. An Arab matron in a black veil approached, speaking in flawless Saudi-accented Arabic: “Hello, beautiful girl, welcome.” Liu Yunfei, after much effort, had gained a decent grasp of Arabic, able to understand anything not too technical. Unexpectedly, Yuqing replied in Arabic, “Hello, auntie. Are they in the back?”

Her greeting was perfunctory—she knew those waiting for her were in the back, so without waiting for a reply, she walked straight through a door into what seemed like a kitchen, just like in Chinese restaurants, with a screen door to keep out flies and mosquitoes.

Liu Yunfei, seeing two staff with fly swatters, dodged anxiously and failed to follow Yuqing, blocked by the screen door. He quickly dropped lower, hoping to crawl through the gap at the bottom, when he overheard the Arab matron whispering to a young staffer, “She’s such a good girl. I hear she’s going to marry an Arab prince, so she comes every day to learn to cook Arab dishes. Whoever marries her is truly blessed. May Allah bless her.”

“Yes, I hear that Arab prince is very wealthy, living in a knight’s castle in the hills outside the city. To live in such a place must mean he’s rich. And that girl is so polite to us—such a good girl,” the staffer responded.

Liu Yunfei was dumbfounded, abandoning the pursuit of Yuqing, and landed beneath the screen door, his mind in utter chaos. If earlier his heart was a jar of mixed flavors, now it was a muddle of paste—an indescribable confusion. He was relieved Yuqing hadn’t betrayed him as he’d feared, angry at his own narrow-mindedness and suspicion, saddened that he had doubted his lover and resorted to secret tracking, and delighted that Yuqing cared so much for him, learning to cook Arab dishes for his sake.

But mostly, he felt self-reproach. Liu Yunfei truly hated himself for listening to idle gossip and acting so despicably. Yuqing had invested all her affection in him, yet he doubted her behind her back. If he had revealed himself and accused her in the car, how awkward would he have been? More importantly, how much would he have hurt Yuqing? Lost in thought, Liu Yunfei flew out of the Arab restaurant, not caring where he was going, circling the sky above Florence. “I despise you, Liu Yunfei. You’re a petty man,” a voice in his heart shouted.

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Without realizing it, Liu Yunfei arrived at the main road, where he recognized the way home. He shook his wings and resolved that this would be the last time. From now on, he would cherish this woman who loved him deeply, never doubt her again, never listen to others’ tattling. He also decided to confess everything to Yuqing as soon as possible—his true self, his form, his abilities, his history. From now on, Yuqing would be the person he trusted and relied on most.

Returning to the knight’s castle, Liu Yunfei slipped into the bathroom and soaked in the luxurious tub—not just because of his encounter with Bettia, but mainly to cleanse himself of all the selfishness, suspicion, and other sordid things lurking in his heart.

When Yuqing and Ram returned to the castle, Liu Yunfei was already waiting in the hall. Watching Yuqing approach, swaying gracefully, he stepped forward and hugged her tightly, breathing in her faint fragrance, rubbing his face against her like a child who had done wrong, clinging to her and refusing to let go.

Yuqing didn’t know what was wrong, thinking perhaps he’d encountered trouble in his business dealings, so she let him hug her, soothing him by gently patting his back.

Suddenly, Liu Yunfei wondered: Since Yuqing was learning to cook Arab dishes, why hadn’t she told him? Why hadn’t he seen her cook them? Why all the secrecy? And why hadn’t she mentioned she spoke Arabic?

But then he reconsidered. The foundation of love is trust. He was overthinking—still doubting her even now. Everyone has secrets, just as he did. Not revealing them didn’t mean he would betray her.

Looking up, Liu Yunfei caught Ram’s resentful glare, and anger flared in his heart. You little wretch—if it weren’t for your meddling, would I have followed Yuqing? He shot a fierce look at Ram.

Ram was clearly startled, taking half a step back, then turning and fleeing up the stairs like a frightened bunny.

“Tomorrow evening, I’ll treat you to dinner,” Liu Yunfei whispered softly in Yuqing’s ear without letting go.

“Don’t you already treat me to breakfast, lunch, and dinner here?” Yuqing teased.

“No, I mean we’ll go out together, just the two of us. Chinese food, how about it?” Liu Yunfei felt another pang of guilt; he hadn’t taken Yuqing out on a proper date. Women love romance, but since bringing her home, he hadn’t taken her out alone.

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“Alright. Let’s go to that Chinese restaurant in the square by the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, shall we? That’s where we met, and that day I spotted the restaurant and thought, once I got my salary, I’d go try it.”

“Yes, tomorrow evening,” Liu Yunfei agreed, still clinging to Yuqing.

“Alright, my dear prince, let go now. Aren’t you hot? You’re making me sweat all over.”

“But you have to promise me one more thing,” Liu Yunfei pleaded.

“Alright, tell me.”

“When you bathe tonight, let me scrub your back.”

“Ah, no thanks! I dare not try your ancestral, single-line, Arab-style back-scrubbing—every time you scrub, I lose a layer of skin. Ha! Do all Arab women have thicker skin?”

Yuqing broke free from Liu Yunfei’s embrace, laughing as she ran upstairs.

“Hey, that skill is passed down only within the family, from men to men, not women!” Liu Yunfei called after her.

From upstairs came Yuqing’s distant voice: “So the Saudi royal family started out as bathhouse attendants, huh?”