Chapter Ninety-Four: Wait One Minute

The next day, the OPEC summit opened smoothly. At Liu Yunfei’s suggestion, the Saudi government held a press conference early that morning about the strange sight in Mecca the night before and the total annihilation of the Sun Temple Cult. The hardliners who had still been itching to make trouble lost both the will and the strength to launch any further attacks after hearing the news.

Even so, the old prince still felt uneasy, and Liu Yunfei had no choice but to spend another day as a volunteer.

In truth, things here were basically settled. The remaining cult members had been rounded up, and the sealing of the demon spirits that had been released no longer concerned Liu Yunfei. He was already preparing to bid farewell to the Arabs. The old king wanted to introduce him grandly at the evening reception before leaders from many nations. Liu Yunfei thought it over several times and finally suppressed his vanity. It was better to keep a low profile.

Having refused to become a celebrity, Liu Yunfei went alone to the Zurich branch of a Swiss bank after the American president had left safely. If he was going to be rich, then he might as well do it properly. First he opened an empty account for himself, then took on Hadina’s appearance. Before Hadina died, he had reminded Liu Yunfei to record his fingerprints, so now, apart from DNA, there was no way to distinguish Hadina from Liu Yunfei.

The bank’s VIP room had a fully automated transfer system. Following the prompts, Liu Yunfei entered the account number, password, and fingerprint, and six hundred million dollars was instantly transferred into his name.

Just like that, Liu Yunfei became a tycoon on an Asian scale. In a rather good mood, humming a tune, he had just stepped out of the bank when his phone rang.

It was the old fox, Lawrence.

“Hello? You found Yu Qing? Not bad, kid. You handled things honestly.”

Liu Yunfei had called Lawrence that night after taking care of Hadina. There was no help for it: Yu Qing had left, and her phone number had changed, so only a local snake like Lawrence could find her.

“You’re too kind. We’re partners, after all. Rome’s Academy of Fine Arts is about to open for the new term, and Miss Yu Qing has already returned to her old lodging. Very easy to find, no trouble at all.”

“Then I’ll head to Rome right away. Wait—where are you? I’ve never been to Rome. Give me a landmark. Oh, right, the most famous one in Rome is the Colosseum. Then go wait for me there now. I’ll definitely get there before you.”

After speaking, Liu Yunfei found a deserted spot and transformed into a pigeon. In European cities, pigeons were the most common birds of all, and no one bothered to scare them away, to the point that they practically overwhelmed the place.

Once he reached Rome, the landmark was easy to find. He spotted Lawrence in his bright red shirt standing at the entrance of the magnificent ancient Colosseum. Add the bald head to that, and although he was not tall, he was extremely conspicuous.

Liu Yunfei walked up and slapped the old fox on the shoulder.

“I heard that male birds in heat like to dress themselves up in bright colors. Could it be that you’re one of those old rutting birds?”

Lawrence was somewhat bewildered. Who was this young Chinese man? He didn’t know him, yet the boy looked so sunny and handsome, and still he was speaking so indecently. Lawrence could only nod politely.

But the two bodyguards beside him, still wearing black in the sweltering heat, were unhappy. They raised their fists and came at him. In all their years following a godfather-level boss, no one had ever dared make such a joke. They were determined to teach this kid some manners.

Lawrence stopped them in time. He was still a man of some cultivation and saw no reason to quarrel with a nobody.

Only then did Liu Yunfei realize he had made a mistake. He still had not quite mastered the rule of using the right face in front of the right people. He himself was confused about it too. Things he felt were worth remembering, he remembered clearly; things he thought unnecessary, he kept muddled.

In Chinese, that word could carry another vulgar meaning, but in Italian, the word for a bird was completely different from that other thing. To make sure the old fox understood, Liu Yunfei added, “Old man, even if you dress more brightly, you still won’t attract the opposite sex.”

The bodyguard could no longer restrain himself. He had seen insolence before, but never anything this outrageous. He swung a backfist straight at Liu Yunfei’s face.

If that bodyguard had not been standing behind Lawrence, he would already have been missing an arm or a leg. Liu Yunfei caught the fist and held him in place.

“Lawrence, what the hell are you doing?”

“Ah! You—you’re the prince?” Lawrence had heard his own name, and the voice sounded familiar, but this was clearly not that person. He stared as though he had seen a ghost in broad daylight.

Only then did Liu Yunfei realize his mistake. He shoved the bodyguard’s fist aside.

“Let’s walk and talk.”

As Liu Yunfei explained and Lawrence apologized, the car soon stopped beside a narrow street near the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome. It was a tiny passageway cars could not even pass through, with messy trash bins lined up on both sides. To get through the middle, one had to move with the agility of a circus performer; otherwise, a careless step would stain one’s clothes.

Passing through the corridor, they came to the back of a shabby little building of brick and timber. It was an old structure, but the staircase was very clean. The steps were wooden, and every footfall made them creak, as if reminding anyone who climbed them that they had seen many years. Now, each time Liu Yunfei went up the stairs, he would notice whether there was dust on the steps, and he would also think of Yu Qing.

Along the way, he had also wondered whether he should appear as Avaheed to see her. In the end, he decided to come in his own form. Only sincerity could earn forgiveness.

At the end of the hallway was a small orange door.

“She shares this place with two other girls from China,” Lawrence said.

After a knock, the door opened a crack. A Chinese girl with a ponytail looked out. She was quite innocent-looking, with a slightly long oval face, large eyes, and a pouty mouth. She stared in confusion at the two people outside, and when she saw the black-clad bodyguards standing far behind them, fear covered her face.

Lawrence smiled, doing his best to look friendly.

“Miss, don’t misunderstand. We’re friends of Miss Yu Qing. We came to see her today.”

The girl still did not dare open the door, so she called Yu Qing over. Liu Yunfei saw at once that she had grown thinner. Her beautiful eyes were ringed with dark shadows, and her clothes were sloppy, as if she had just thrown on whatever came to hand. Even the way she looked at people was listless.

When Yu Qing saw that Lawrence had brought a Chinese boy with him, she said nothing. She opened the door and led the two into her room.

Liu Yunfei noticed that the room was fairly large, but the furnishings were far too old. The wooden floor was split in many places, and the ceiling had been stretched with thick white paper, which looked very new, probably something the girls had just put up. Near the window in Yu Qing’s room was a desk, and beside the desk stood a small bed, half of which was covered in a messy pile of clothes.

The first thing Liu Yunfei saw when he entered was the flower-shaped granite base he had once smashed. It now stood almost completely restored on the inside ledge of the window in front of the desk.

The sight stirred old feelings. Suddenly Liu Yunfei’s heart tightened with pain. For an instant, it was as though he could see Yu Qing bent over the desk, silently shedding tears as she carefully glued the base back together. If he remembered correctly, he had been furious at the time and had struck it with such force that it had shattered into many pieces. To have it pieced together like this was truly no easy task.

With a soft sigh, Liu Yunfei walked to the desk and traced the inscription on the base with his index finger.

Yu Qing, I love you forever.

Who knew how many sleepless nights she had spent over it? No wonder the dark circles under her eyes were so severe.

“Don’t touch it!”

From the moment Liu Yunfei entered, Yu Qing had been trying to guess who this young man was. She had already heard from the people of the Sun Temple Cult that Avaheed was really a young Chinese man in disguise, and when she saw Lawrence treating him with such deference, she could not help wondering if this was the man she had thought of day and night. Was her prince here to see her? So he really was Chinese. He was handsome, too. If it really was him, what was she supposed to do? Forgive him?

Then, hearing the familiar sigh he gave upon entering, her heart stirred even more. And when he went straight to the base, it was enough to confirm that this was indeed the man who had deceived her and then hurt her.

Unexpectedly, all at once she felt an overwhelming urge to throw herself into his arms and cry, then to pummel him with all her strength. No, no—she should hate him. His suspicion had wounded her so deeply.

Yu Qing kept saying this to herself, but her tears would not cooperate. She could not let him see her cry.

Liu Yunfei met her aggrieved gaze, and his heart trembled. Even his voice shook when he spoke. But remembering that Lawrence was still beside him and that he still had some pride left, he forced himself to say, “Avaheed sent me to apologize to you. He knows he was wrong now. He wants to ask you to—”

“I don’t know this person. Get out!”

Afraid that her tears would really fall, Yu Qing roared and pushed Liu Yunfei and Lawrence out into the living room.

Liu Yunfei’s heart tightened even more. He hated himself for still caring about his dignity at a time like this.

“I am Avaheed, Yu Qing. I know I was wrong. I’m sorry. Please forgive me!”

Yu Qing slammed the door shut. Leaning against it, she could no longer hold back the tears, and they poured down her cheeks like a burst river.

Liu Yunfei was losing control as well, and with a choking voice he cried, “I came to apologize to you. Don’t be like this. Open the door! It was the steward, Shadi, who overheard your conversation. Open the door! Your prince is begging you to spare him, begging you to forgive him...”

Yu Qing did not open the door. The two girls who shared the apartment did, however, peek out and stand at the doorway curiously watching the scene.

Lawrence felt awkward being watched and pulled Liu Yunfei outside.

“Brother Yunfei, everyone’s emotions are running high today. Let’s calm down a little. Come back another time.”

Liu Yunfei still refused to give up. He strode back inside and knocked on Yu Qing’s door, speaking softly.

“Yu Qing, please forgive me. I’m a bastard. I know I hurt you deeply. I can feel how wronged you are. Everything is my fault. I’ll change, all right? I’ll change. Isn’t that enough?”

There was still no sound from Yu Qing’s room. Covering her nose with one hand, she cried silently. She wanted to open the door and forgive that man, but the words “you poisonous snake” and “you despicable, shameless devil” kept echoing in her ears.

“Do you still remember that night in Florence? We were in that Chinese restaurant—the night I gave you flowers. You were so beautiful that night. I thank the mercy of the Almighty for letting me have His angel. I swore I would protect you for the rest of my life, and never let you worry or grieve. But instead I brought you the deepest hurt. That day, I had planned to tell you all my secrets, but who could have known that so many things would happen afterward? I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

Liu Yunfei pressed himself against the door and spoke in a low voice.

“Brother Yunfei, let’s go. Let her calm down. Come back next time.” Lawrence could tell that nothing would be settled today.

“Wait a little longer,” Liu Yunfei insisted stubbornly. “Yu Qing, I love you. Come out and hit me if you want. You can curse me too. Just give me a chance to make up for my mistake, for what I did to you.”

“Let’s go. Come back next time. Ice does not melt in a single day.”

“Just one more minute.”

Liu Yunfei thought to himself: I have to hold on. Maybe next minute she will come out. Maybe next minute she will forgive me. Maybe next minute, the two of us will become the happiest couple in the world.