The First Volume of Natural Beauty Chapter 26: Always Having Bad Luck

  "Xiao Hong, what's wrong?" After responding softly a few times, Qijie's voice became urgent, her body suddenly sat up, the quilt slid down, revealing her snow-white chest.

  "What? Where are you? Near my residential area? Want to come over? Okay, okay, don't move, I'll go to the entrance of the community to pick you up!" Qi Jie hung up the phone and hastily turned to Tang Yi: "Xiao Hong is in trouble, says she wants to find a place to hide for a while, I'm going to pick her up." As she spoke, she began to hurriedly put on her clothes.

  "It's better I go, it's so dark outside and this is a new neighborhood with not many people living here, it's not safe for you girls to be alone at home." Tang Yi pushed Qi Jie down onto the bed, quickly got dressed, jumped off the bed and put on his shoes, but saw that Qi Jie was still lying in the same position she had been pressed into, happily gazing at him with a dazed expression.

  "Now, you're getting better at pouring the soup, and you've even learned to do it without leaving any marks!" Tang Yi laughed and scolded, turning around and walking out of the bedroom, but his heart was still dazed by the beautiful woman's happy expression.

  Down the stairs, out of the building, only to find that in the night sky, fine rain was falling like pearls. It was unknown when it started raining lightly, but although it wasn't heavy, it was very urgent. Tang Yi didn't even bother to go back upstairs for an umbrella, furrowed his brow and walked directly into the rain. Although it was just a light drizzle, it was dense and urgent, and his clothes quickly got soaked. Tang Yi ran towards the entrance of the residential area, thinking to himself that he had no idea what kind of trouble Yao Xiaohong had gotten herself into. With her being this type of woman, troubles were inevitable. And since Qi Jie only had this one good friend, there was no way to make Qi Jie distance herself from her.

  The streetlights at the entrance of the residential area were very bright. Tang Yi arrived in front and looked around, but there was no sign of Yao Xiaohong. Instead, there were several men strolling with umbrellas, who knows what they're doing on a rainy day? Taking a romantic walk in the rain like others do? That requires a woman to admire them, doesn't it?

  Tang Yit thought for a moment, there were two places near the residential area where he could make a phone call, the post and telecommunications business hall and a public telephone booth. Now it was over 10 o'clock, the public telephone booth must have been closed, only the public coin-operated telephone at the post and telecommunications bureau could be used.

  After admiring his own analytical skills for a moment, Tang Yi turned east and walked under the row of willow trees to avoid the rain, heading towards the post office.

  "Tang... Tang Yi?" A sudden voice from behind a willow tree startled Tang Yi, and out came a slender figure - it was Yao Xiaohong. But she didn't look as radiant as the last time they met; today she looked disheveled, like an African refugee, with her hair in disarray, her red skirt soaked through, and her alluring curves completely exposed.

  "Huh, what's this?" Tang Yi hadn't finished speaking when she grabbed his hand and pulled him into the shadows. "Shh!" Yao Xiaohong looked around nervously, her face full of fear.

  Troubles are not small, Tang Yi has come to a conclusion.

  Yao Xiaohong's face was pale with fear as she said: "Someone is after me, can't you see those men at the entrance of your residential area? They're here to catch me."

  Tang Yidao said, "Underworld?" Seeing Yao Xiaohong nodding and saying "about the same", he couldn't help but feel a little amused. Although in the 1990s mainland China did have some powerful underworld gangs that were only exposed after they were destroyed, what kind of underworld could this small Yan Mountain possibly have? Were they daring enough to openly kidnap people?

  "In that case, go to the post office and make a phone call to report the incident." Tang Yi didn't quite believe it, but in order to comfort Yao Xiaohong's heart, he could only come up with this idea.

  "No, no! I've offended them... Alas, we can't call the police." Yao Xiaohong shook her head like a rattle drum and said anxiously: "Really, believe me, they're here to catch me. Let's go to the post office business hall to hide for a while, and then go to your house after they leave."

  Tang Yi looked at Yao Xiaohong's flustered appearance and gradually put away his playful thoughts. After all, he had heard from Qi Jie that Yao Xiaohong was a pretty astute person, and she wouldn't be so paranoid as to think everyone was there to catch her, unless things were really serious to that extent.

  "Really! You said they came to catch you, have they seen you? How did they know to wait at the entrance of our residential area?"

  Yao Xiaohong shook her head: "They probably saw my photo, I, I escaped from home and took a tricycle when I mentioned the name of your neighborhood... only to realize that I didn't know where Qi Jie lived when I arrived at your neighborhood and made the call. By the time I finished calling, someone had already arrived at the entrance of your neighborhood, 90% likely to be waiting for me..."

  Tang Yi nodded slightly, her analysis was reasonable. Looking at the men wandering under the streetlights in the distance, they occasionally looked towards the residential area. Tang Yi remembered that when she came out, they kept staring at her. She had an idea and said to Yao Xiaohong: "Let's go!" She took off her jacket and put it on Yao Xiaohong's shoulders, saying: "Follow me." As they walked out of the shadows, Yao Xiaohong was stunned for a moment before being pulled by Tang Yi. Yao Xiaohong was scared and wanted to cover her head with Tang Yi's jacket, but Tang Yi pulled it down and whispered: "Don't hide, be calm, they must think you've already entered the residential area, they're waiting for you to come out!"

  "Believe me!" Tang Yi pulled Yao Xiaohong's icy hand and strode towards the residential area. As they got closer, several men's gazes turned in their direction, making Yao Xiaohong's heart skip a beat. Tang Yi released Yao Xiaohong's hand and walked up to the men, who were caught off guard. He patted one of them on the shoulder and said, "Hey, buddies, lend me your umbrella for a sec. I live all the way at the north end of the complex, it's gotta be hundreds of meters away. If I walk over there, my girlfriend will get soaked and catch a cold! What are you staring at? How about this, I'll give you 100 bucks for that umbrella!" Yao Xiaohong was on the verge of fainting - what was Tang Yi doing?! He was basically serving himself up on a silver platter!

  That guy with the whiskers pushed Tang Yi away and cursed, "Get out of here! If you pretend to be me again, I'll ruin you!" Several men laughed at this commotion, not thinking that the person they were looking for was right next to them, her companion dared to provoke him so openly.

  Tang Yihui dragged Yao Xiaohong into the compound, with a man's laughter echoing behind him. The man with the sideburns said smugly, "Look, rich people don't have any breeding, they're all bastards."

  Yao Xiaohong, however, gazed at Tang Yi walking in front of her with a peculiar expression. She realized that she really needed to take a good look at this man - rich, handsome, intelligent, brave and clean... where did such a perfect man come from? When Tang Yi let go of her hand, she even felt a slight sense of loss.

  ……

  Qijie, who was neatly dressed, opened the door to find two people looking like drowned rats and was startled. She quickly found towels for them to wipe their faces and then forced them to take a bath and change clothes. After bustling about, Tang Yi and Yao Xiaohong had both taken baths and put on dry clothes.

  Sitting on the sofa in the living room, drinking the hot tea made by Qijie, Yao Xiaohong finally let out a long sigh and said with hatred: "Those who have power and status are not good people, they forced me to be like this, no one will have a good ending!" She was wearing a red casual suit that Qijie had dressed her in, which fit her quite well.

  Tang Yishu sat comfortably on the soft sofa, sipping his fragrant tea. Qi Jie stood behind him, using a white towel to wipe his wet hair, and asked, "Xiao Hong, what's going on? There are no outsiders here, can you tell me so I can help?"

  Yao Xiaohong let out a long sigh, put the teacup on the tea table and said: "No one can help me with this matter. I'll go into hiding for a while. Qi Jie, can you lend me some money? I'll definitely pay you back later."

  Tang Yi laughed and said, "I just praised you for being able to make money, didn't I? Five hundred thousand isn't enough for you to hide? What's wrong? Want to flee overseas?" At that time, five hundred thousand could buy a house in a remote county town, and live comfortably for several years without any problem.

  "It was that 50,000 yuan that caused the trouble. This old thing, I've been with him for a few years, and he turns against me just because of 5,000 yuan? The heart of a rich man is truly poisonous!" Yao Xiaohong's face was full of indignation, and after scolding, she turned to Qi Jie and said: "Qi Jie, didn't I tell you not to invest the 50,000 yuan? Actually...” She glanced at Tang Yi and decided not to hide it anymore, saying: "Actually, all these years, I've been Old Hai's mistress. I thought that after helping him with so many things, taking a little money from him was only right. Who knew he would turn against me immediately? Hmph, he's really pushed me to the limit! I'll expose all his shady dealings, and we'll all die together!"

  When Tang Yi heard the name Lao Hai, he suddenly remembered, ah, it was her! Lao Hai was a well-known figure in Yanshan, a contractor, and was said to have many connections in the county. He had made a lot of money from contracting projects over the years. However, Tang Yi knew that a few years later, Lao Hai was imprisoned for bribery, and his mistress, known as Wan Ren Mi, was also sentenced to two years. And wasn't Yao Xiaohong exactly Wan Ren Mi?

  Tang Yi smiled and thought that it seemed he hadn't wronged Yao Xiaohong after all. From her words, it was clear that she had been involved in many illegal dealings.

  The hair dryer started buzzing again, and it was Qijie helping Tang Yi blow-dry his hair. Yao Xiaohong looked at her helplessly, thinking to herself, "Does she have to be so diligent?" Being a mistress is an art, being too good to the man will only make him tired of you soon. If you're not hot or cold, it'll keep him guessing and interested.

  "Xiao Hong, how much do you want?" Qi Jie asked Yao Xiao Hong while blowing dry Tang Yi's hair. Tang Yi waved his hand and smiled: "Hiding is not a solution, can't hide for a lifetime, besides this old Hai will eventually get into trouble, at that time I'm afraid you'll also be implicated."

  "Never mind! I'll think of a way!" Yao Xiaohong sighed, thinking that Tang Yi was also reluctant to part with his money.

  "I think it's better to report him, as a witness with a stain on his record. No, that's not it, anyway, as someone who turns himself in, you shouldn't have too much trouble, at most a suspended sentence. But if Old Hai gets angry, you can't escape." Tang Yi wasn't very concerned about her situation either, but since she was Qi Jie's friend, he gave her some advice.

  Yao Xiaohong shook her head immediately: "No, no, that old thing has people in the procuratorate and the court, not to mention others, just say the Public Security Bureau's Ma Ju, he has a special relationship with him, how much money has been sent through my hands? Hmph, that old thing even wanted to let Sister-in-law sleep with that surnamed Ma once, damn it, really not a good thing."

  Qijie felt a bit awkward, although she had long known that Yao Xiaohong was this kind of person, who didn't care what others thought of her. But as her best friend, in front of Tang Yi, she would say anything, which made Qijie feel somewhat disrespected. Tang Yi said "knowing a person by the company they keep", although Qijie pretended to take it as a joke on the surface, but in her heart, she had been thinking about it for several days, worrying that Tang Yi would think of her as that kind of person because of Yao Xiaohong.

  Her heart was racing, but suddenly she felt the small hand that was stroking Tang Yi's hair tighten, and it had already been grasped by Tang Yi's warm large hand. Then, Tang Yi turned his head to smile at her, and with a gentle touch, he brought her delicate hand to his lips and kissed it lightly. Qi Jie's heart felt all gloominess dissipate, she just never thought that he would be so meticulous.

  "What's going on with Ma Bureau? Do you know what those two are up to? Is there any evidence?" Tang Yi pricked up his ears when he heard the mention of Ma Penghua.

  "That's not true, the old thing is slippery, where did I get evidence? But I did record the amount of money sent every day and the date, as well as some engineering contract prices of the old thing. It was just hoping to get some compensation from him one day, but he didn't care at all." Yao Xiaohong shook her head in annoyance.

  Tang Yi smiled and said this can't be used as evidence, Old Hai wouldn't be afraid of it.

  "Hmph, but I know that old thing is the handle of that guy with the surname Ma, locked in his safe. Once he got drunk and proudly told me that as long as that Ma didn't fall, he wouldn't be finished either. Besides the protective charms in the safe, he also had a big handle on that Ma, something that even Ma himself didn't know about, which he prepared to save his life in times of crisis."

  Tang Yi's eyes lit up, and he nodded slightly, leaning back into the sofa in deep thought. Qi Jie didn't disturb him, instead sitting down beside Yao Xiao Hong and striking up a conversation. Yao Xiao Hong whispered to Qi Jie, "This man of yours is great in every way, but why does he seem so spaced out? He keeps asking me all these unrelated questions, what's he doing now? Closing his eyes and pretending to be profound, thinking he's Zhuge Liang or something?"

  Qijie glared at her and said: "He's thinking of ways to help you, but look at you, you don't even know how to say thank you."

  "Really want to help me? Then quickly give me some money so I can get out of here for a while."

  Qijie smiled and said, "Doesn't taking down Old Hai count as helping you?" She somewhat understood Tang Yi's way of doing things, but this time she had guessed wrong. Tang Yi's goal was not just Old Hai.

  "He? Take down Lao Hai?" Yao Xiaohong's face was full of disbelief, and she whispered to Qi Jie: "Qi Jie, you haven't chosen the wrong man, but Lao Hai and his people are not ordinary, they have abilities that you can't even imagine. At such a young age, don't overestimate him..."

  Qijie smiled silently and followed Tang Yijiu, she even felt that there was nothing in the world that could stump Tang Yijiu.

  "Tang Yi spoke up at this time: 'Where did you put your own things?'"

  "On me," said Yao Xiaohong, magically producing a small red notebook from her person, apparently something she carried with her even when changing clothes or bathing.

  "Hand it over to me," said Tang Yidao. "You can stay here for the next few days, I reckon it won't take long before things blow over."

  Yao Xiaohong hesitated, although Old Hai seemed to not care about the things she recorded, but she still felt a bit intimidated, and handing them over to Tang Yi made her feel uneasy.

  Tang Yi smiled and said, "Alright, you go to sleep first, think about it carefully and answer me tomorrow." He also told Qi Jie, "Tonight, you accompany her in the guest room, so she won't be afraid."

  Qijie tidied up the guest room bed, then went to be intimate with Tang Yi for a while before returning to the guest room. The two lay on the bed and chatted for a few sentences. Qijie said: "Xiaohong, didn't you want half of the shares in the song and dance hall? If you give this contract to Tang Yi, it will be considered as your investment, how about giving you half of the shares?"

  Yao Xiaohong exclaimed in surprise: "Was it Tang Yi who told you to say that?"

  "No!" Qijie smiled warmly: "You don't know him, even if he thinks so, he won't say it. It's like when he intervened in the song and dance hall, it was disrespectful to me. But I asked him just now, how important is this book? If he had to spend money to buy it, how much would he be willing to spend? Although he didn't say it explicitly, his tone seemed to suggest that it's very important." Qijie didn't dare to reveal Tang Yi's exact words, which were: "What's money? Isn't it easy to make money? This book is one of a kind." Firstly, Tang Yi's words would sound arrogant to outsiders, and secondly, Qijie didn't like to show off in front of friends.

  "So you're willing to exchange half of the shares in the song and dance hall with me?" Yao Xiaohong looked at Qi Jie as if she were a monster, Qi Jie nodded.

  Yao Xiaohong thought for a moment, then resolutely said: "Qi Jie, let's do this. If I really took half of your shares, what would I become? Since he thinks this book is useful, just take it away! However, Qi Jie, can you tell me what he does and why he wants this book?"

  Zijie said: "As for Benzi's affairs, I really don't know, I rarely ask about his business."

  Yao Xiaohong looked at Qi Jie helplessly, sighed and said: "You, when did you become so stupid?" Remembering that Qi Jie used to be as clever as herself, could it be that love really makes people blind?

  It's been a long time since the two of them had such an intimate conversation, chattering away excitedly, recalling the fun times from their childhood, laughing uncontrollably until they gradually fell asleep as the sky began to lighten.