Chapter 2 Chapter two

With these last words, he calmly closed the secret door, and the uneasiness he felt in "Yi Yuan" all night reached its peak—this place is not suitable to stay any longer, and Meng Feiyang decided to leave immediately. The last few beams of fireworks roared up into the night sky, exploded in the white snow mist, and then slowly disappeared.The lights in the room suddenly went out, and someone shouted: "The fireworks are over, everyone go to the front hall, the last program is Richard playing piano music for everyone!" Meng Feiyang glanced at his watch, it was past ten o'clock, he looked at the change In the pitch-black room, Wei Wei felt surprised. Even if the headlights were turned off to create an atmosphere, when she left the office just now, she remembered that the door was not closed. Why was there no light coming from there?Could it be that Yaukawa Kosuke has left?Bright candles were lit in the lobby on the first floor, and the guests came back from the outside in twos and threes. Meng Feiyang walked close to the railing and took advantage of the dim light coming from downstairs, and soon reached the outside of Zhang Naichi's office.

He raised his hand and pushed, and the door opened.It was just as dark inside, only the unique gray of a snowy night seeping through the windows.Meng Feiyang tried his best to look inside, and there was no one on the leather chair in front of the desk, and it seemed that he had indeed left... He was relieved, but in a blink of an eye, he found a person lying under the wall near the door on the right!Meng Feiyang's heart was beating wildly, that figure was clearly You Chuan, his obese body and Meng Feiyang's gleaming silver suit in the pitch black were very familiar. Meng Feiyang instinctively reached out to the wall, felt the switch and pressed it several times, but the light didn't turn on.He swallowed, and shouted a few times in a low voice: "Mr. Youchuan! Mr. Youchuan!" There was only applause from downstairs in his ears, as if the performance was about to begin.Meng Feiyang took a step forward, there was a "click" sound under his feet, and a broken wine bottle rolled from his feet to the door.He retracted his feet in horror, and vaguely saw scars of different shades growing on the carpet... Meng Feiyang suddenly realized something, he took a deep breath, ran to the railing quickly, and shouted towards the hall downstairs: "Something went wrong, turn on the light!"

In the hall downstairs, Zhang Naichi, who was wearing a full black tuxedo, was sitting in front of the piano. He lifted the lid of the piano with a smile, and the sudden shouts above his head startled everyone.Everyone looked at the second floor together, but before they could clearly see Meng Feiyang, who was waving his hands on the railing, there was another heart-piercing scream in front of the piano, and everyone turned their terrified eyes to the front again. Yingying's candle flame danced on Zhang Naichi's face. This famously handsome face was completely distorted. He stared at the lifted piano cover as if he had seen a ghost.People standing in the front row noticed that there seemed to be something frighteningly shining on the black and white keys.

After a moment of suffocating silence, the piano bench crashed to the ground.Zhang Naichi trembled all over, backed up and burst into a new scream: "It's him! It's him! He wants to kill me!! It must be him!!!" Just after ten o'clock, the customers in the cafe "Shuangmei 1919", which is just across the street from "Yiyuan", have all gone, and only Dai Xi is left alone in the whole shop.After the candles on the other tables were extinguished, the already dark space looked even more gloomy. Dai Xi dialed Meng Feiyang's mobile phone number for the nth time, and the recorded reply changed from "the user you dialed is temporarily unavailable" to "the user you dialed has turned off the phone".Dai Xi gripped the phone tightly, hearing her teeth chattering, she really didn't want to wait any longer.But she couldn't even see a ray of light outside the window. She leaned her face against the cold windowpane, and the dense snowflakes wove into a big net, silently waiting for the prey to fall into her bosom—it was absolutely impossible to call a taxi when she went out. car.

Now Dai Xi feels extremely regretful, in fact, he shouldn't have come to wait for Meng Feiyang today - what on earth is he doing?Why not come? ! Meng Feiyang only came back from a business trip in Beijing at noon, and in the evening he had to accompany his Japanese boss to attend the partner's New Year's annual meeting. Originally, he wanted to go to Dai Xi's residence after he finished his work at night, but she insisted on coming and waiting for him.That's why Meng Feiyang thought of such a location, because "Twin Sisters 1919" is not far from the headquarters of West Bund Chemical, where he attended the annual meeting.

"Shuangmei 1919" is a well-known nostalgic theme cafe in Shanghai. It has been a nostalgic symbol talked about in fashion magazines for ten years since its establishment.The business of the cafe was very good. When Daixi arrived three hours ago, there was only one empty table left under the draped window. Meng Feiyang sent a text message, saying that the situation of the Japanese boss was not good, and he could not escape for a while, so he asked Dai Xi to eat something first.Although Dai Xi was reluctant in every possible way, she had no choice but to sit down at the only empty table.She looked around, the dimly lit room was full of people, only a black-clothed clerk was busy among them, and had no time to look at her at all.The dark wall panels extend from the ceiling to the floor, and are fully decorated with iconic objects of colonial Shanghai: record jackets, newspaper photocopies, and black and white charcoal paintings of female stars look more vivid than in old photos.

On the wall facing Daixi was a series of three month cards. She was bored reading the product advertisements of that era: Indanthrem cloth, Beauty brand cigarettes, Shuangmei cream.Shuangmei cream—the appearance and costumes of the two women from the Republic of China who are swaying their heads and blushing are exactly the same. So this is the Shuangmei who is said to be "Shuangmei 1919"? Dai Xi felt that she was suffering from hunger and cold, so it was better to eat something like what Meng Feiyang said... But, there was no menu on the table!She raised her head in dissatisfaction, and just about to greet the clerk, she found a woman in a cheongsam standing in front of the table.

On the stand-up collar of the dark ochre-colored cheongsam was the face of a middle-aged woman. She looked down at Dai Xi, as if she was examining a little wild cat that strayed into the yard by mistake: "This table has a reservation, you can't sit there." "Oh, I... don't know, I'm sorry." Dai Xi bowed up awkwardly, and sat down again, "But no one told me just now, and there are no empty seats next to me." "Then you can't take this seat either." The middle-aged woman's tone was extremely blunt.Dai Xi glanced out of the window, the color of the glass was getting darker, and there was a faint white light, did it start to snow?Dai Xi felt irritable, and suddenly got angry: "Who are you? The shop didn't say anything, why don't you let me sit? I'm going to sit here..."

"Miss, there is indeed a reservation for this seat. This is our lady boss." A flustered clerk appeared with a low voice.The middle-aged woman put her hands together on her chest and reprimanded arrogantly: "What are you doing? You want me to take care of this kind of thing. How many times have I told you that this seat must be vacant tonight!" Dai Xi couldn't sit still anymore, just as the guests at the next table got up and left the store, the glass door opened and closed, and the whole room was swept away by the cold air. "It's snowing!" The exclamation fell into her ears, and Dai Xi stood up: "Let me change that table and give me the menu."

"Miss, dinner here is over." Dai Xi stared at the lady boss's face that was colder than frost, bit her lips, and sat back down again: "I want coffee, do you always have coffee? Unless you tell me to close the door now!" "Huh? I close at eleven o'clock." The proprietress put on a perverse look on her face, and she became more and more old-fashioned, "But miss, it's cooling down tonight, and it's already snowing outside. Look, people are paying the bill, coffee? I advise you not to drink, and leave early, so that you won’t be able to get a taxi if you are late.”

leave early?But I have to wait for someone, and I don't know when I will wait!At this moment, Dai Xi hated Meng Feiyang to the core. She raised her head pretendingly: "I'm drinking coffee here, and someone will pick me up later." She kicked her legs in high leather boots under the table, Dai Xi added: "He's having a meeting in the 'Yi Garden' on the street behind, otherwise I wouldn't be waiting here!" "You said 'Yi Yuan'?!" "Huh?" Dai Xi looked puzzled at the face of the proprietress who suddenly turned pale. "'Yiyuan'?...So that's how it is. It's very good." The proprietress turned around and left with a mutter, and squeezed out a sentence, "Then you can take this seat, it's reserved for you." Dai Xi was in a daze, and couldn't move anymore. "Miss, your coffee." The clerk put down the coffee cup and fled immediately.Dai Xi took a sip, and it turned out to be a rare top-quality coffee. The mellow taste had just diffused between her teeth and cheeks, but the hand holding the cup trembled uncontrollably. The unspeakable uneasiness made Dai Xi's heart tense slightly. She took out her mobile phone from her bag, and dialed Meng Feiyang's number in a panic. "Beep, beep, beep..." After calling several times in a row, no one answered. ...Three long hours passed like this, and Dai Xi waited from a full house to a room full of desolation.She has been sipping coffee pretending to be calm, but she finally drank the cup of coffee after taking another sip.She wanted to have another drink, but when she waved her hand to greet her, there was no sign of the clerk in black. The only response to her was the old records in the old phonograph playing back and forth. The monotonous singing made her feel chills all over her body. The smoke is gone, no matter how hard it is to get back... "Miss, this table has a reservation, can you please change it?" Anger rushed to the top of her head, even though Dai Xi was usually a very good-tempered girl, she almost yelled: "There is a reservation, there is a reservation, didn't your lady boss let me sit! This place is going to close soon, which reservation is still there?" Will come?! Unless it is a ghost!" More complaints were swallowed back, and Dai Xi stared at the woman standing in front of her with her mouth gaping. She had a handsome face on the royal blue cheongsam, and the dim light softened the traces of the years, making the sense of age less conspicuous.She looked at Dai Xi with a look of surprise and confusion: "Miss, who are you?... Uh, this seat is indeed reserved, and he will come right away, so..." "That's why I let her wait here! Sister, don't worry about it, I've arranged everything to make sure he's satisfied!" The dark ochre-colored cheongsam appeared like a ghost, and for a moment Dai Xi felt a little nervous. Dizzy, in front of her there were two identical faces and identical figures, but they exuded very different auras: one docile and the other surly. Oh, Sisters... Dai Xi turned her eyes to the month plate on the opposite wall, so it was like this! "Wen Xin, what are you talking about? How do you call it arranged?" "Sister, are you confused again? Isn't it the same old way? This little girl came here a long time ago and waited until now!" "No, it's impossible. He agreed to come and see me today, and we..." "Bah! Don't get involved with me! You were waiting for him to come to see you, but unfortunately he is still playing the same old way, just to make you happy. Why are you dressed up so beautifully? You are an old woman in her forties. How can you compare to others?!" "I don't believe it, he won't lie to me." "If you don't believe me, that's fine." The woman in the ocher cheongsam smiled miserably at Dai Xiyin, "Miss, are you waiting for someone from 'Yi Garden'?" "I, yes...but what does this have to do with you?" Dai Xi was completely confused. "Yes, of course! He is like this every time. He invites a woman to come here, and our sisters will be mothers, serving food, drinking, and such things..." "shut up!" A man's voice.In an instant, the twin sisters gathered their breaths and turned to the man together.His hair and black coat were covered with a layer of snowflakes, born in the depths of the dark shop like a shadow outlined by white snow.He went straight to Dai Xi, and nodded towards Dai Xi expressionlessly: "Miss, who are you waiting for in 'Yi Garden'? I just came from there, maybe I can help?" "I..." Dai Xi was weak in thinking, because she was sure that the man didn't enter through the store door. The situation was so weird that she just wanted to get out quickly, so she said frankly, "I'm waiting for my boyfriend , His name is Meng Feiyang, and he went there to attend the annual meeting of the West Bund Chemical Company." The twin sisters beside them let out soft panting sounds, one after another.The man frowned: "Meng Feiyang? The invitations to the annual meeting are all signed by me. I don't remember inviting such a person." "Impossible!" Dai Xi blushed with anxiety, she tremblingly grabbed the phone, "I, I'll call him right now." The phone rang loudly at the right time, it was an unfamiliar phone number.Dai Xi answered hesitantly: "Hello? Ah, Feiyang! Where are you? What are you doing? You..." Her eyes were moist, and the grievances of the whole night were about to burst out. "Xiaoxi, Xiaoxi! Don't worry, listen to me first, I'm still in 'Yiyuan', the mobile phone signal here is very poor, I use a landline phone. Xiaoxi, tell you something big happened, Yaukawa Kosuke died!" Dai Xi felt that he was already in the scene of a horror movie. Another mobile phone rang again in the shop, and the man stepped aside and answered the phone in a low voice. The twin sisters stood there in a daze, looking at each other in blank dismay.Soon after the man finished speaking on the phone, he walked back to Dai Xi's desk and said politely: "It turns out that Meng Feiyang accompanied Kosuke Atsukawa from Ito Co., Ltd. to the 'Yi Garden', and neither of them was at the annual meeting." On the invitation list, I misunderstood just now, sorry." He raised his jaw slightly towards Dai Xi's cell phone: "Is it Meng Feiyang's call? His boss had an accident and was just found dead in the office of the director of our plastics department." Dai Xi lowered her head: "Well, he told me just now." The man nodded: "Yes, the police have been called, and you probably won't be able to meet tonight." His tone became very gentle, "Hurry up and go home, it's almost eleven o'clock." Dai Xi rolled up her purse and walked towards the door without looking at anyone. "Wait," the man came to her side quickly, "You didn't come here by car, did you?" Dai Xi shook her head. "Well, let my driver take you back, it's snowing very hard outside." He pushed open the frosted glass door, and the wind blew snowflakes onto Dai Xi's face. She stretched out her left hand, and a few snowflakes fell on the palm of her hand. They were really big, but so light, they instantly turned into a few clear waves. Just slightly cool.Behind him, the man spoke in a low and commanding tone: "Wen Xin, Wen Yue, you have closed the shop, go to rest early, goodbye." On the street facing the store door, at some point there was a big fluffy white beast.It can be seen from its shape and the sign standing high on the front end that this is a black Mercedes-Benz, but because it is covered with a layer of snow from top to bottom, it has changed. The man opened the door on the right rear side, and Dai Xiluo hesitated and sat in.He immediately sat on the right side of Dai Xi, closed the car door with a "slam", and said to the driver in the front row: "Zhou Feng, take me to 'Yi Garden' first, and then you take this lady home, and then Come back and pick me up." The car started slowly, and the man turned his head slightly: "'Yiyuan' and 'Shuangmei' are only separated by a street, but both sides are one-way streets, so if you drive, you have to go around and wait until I get off at 'Yiyuan'." After the car, you just need to tell the driver the address." He stretched out his right hand to Dai Xi, "This is my business card." Dai Xi took it over, and the slightly convex font on the smooth and jade-like paper gave the fingertips a concise and elegant feeling: Li Weilian, Senior Vice President of Asia Pacific and President of Greater China of West Coast United Chemicals Co., Ltd. The blare of police sirens cut through the special silence of the snowy night, and several motorcycles with flashing yellow lights passed them one after another. Li Weilian said in a low voice: "The efficiency of the Shanghai police has improved a lot." Suddenly a sudden brake. "what happened?" The driver surnamed Zhou replied calmly: "The road ahead is closed." Through the car window ahead, several police cars could be seen blocking the way. Under the flashing police lights, several policemen were pulling up roadblocks. The flying snowflakes made them look like silhouettes on a stage. After a short period of silence, Li Weilian asked: "Have you been to 'Yi Garden' before?" "Ah?" Dai Xi suddenly realized that he was talking to himself, "I...not." "Why not? Is your accent a local?" "My home is far away from here, I rarely come to this area, and I don't understand these old houses." "Well, then you can take a look at it now—'Yi Garden', a beautiful baroque building, which is rare." Dai Xi poked her head forward, and she saw a huge milky-white building in the thick snow, standing high above the wall, with bright lights shining from every window, magnificent and brilliant like a lighthouse in the deep dark night . "Shanghai hasn't had such a heavy snowfall for a long time, and tonight feels a bit like years ago." Li Weilian pushed the door to get out of the car, walked around to the other side, and knocked on the window next to Dai Xi, "May I ask your name?" ? Oh, just in case, maybe the police will ask me for an alibi." "My name is Daisy." "Okay, Miss Dai, I'll try not to bother you, goodbye." With vigorous steps, he walked slowly but resolutely towards the orange cordon. The snow was still falling, and the entrances to the elevated roads were closed.Driver Zhou drove very carefully and took Dai Xi home for an hour.As soon as she stepped into the house, Dai Xi turned on all the lights in the small two-bedroom room. She curled up and sat on the sofa for a long time. The coldness tonight went deep into her bones, surpassing all the winters she had experienced. I don't know how long it took, Dai Xi suddenly woke up from a half-dream, she ran over and opened the door: "Feiyang!" Meng Feiyang turned around: "Xiaoxi, you haven't slept yet? I... just came to take a look." "I'm waiting for you." She opened the door wider, Meng Feiyang's pale face seemed to be flushed, and then stepped into the room.The door closed behind him, and they hugged tightly, after waiting for so long, the warmth finally began to pass between their bodies.Meng Feiyang whispered in Dai Xi's ear: "Xiao Xi, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." "It's not your fault." Dai Xi put her face on his still frozen shoulder, her eyes blurred, and it was the first time she felt his embrace after returning from the United States. It turned out that nothing had changed, but they had no time to experience it. . "Nowadays, the police are quite humane. After asking a question, they let us go home first. Otherwise, I really don't know how long we will have to wait." Meng Feiyang gently let go of Dai Xi, pulled off the zipper of the down jacket, and took out a small dark blue velvet box from the suit pocket: "Xiaoxi, happy birthday to you." He glanced at the wall clock on the wall, "Oh... it was all yesterday." Inside the box was a Swarovski crystal makeup box. Dai Xi opened the exquisite mirror box and smiled at herself in the mirror. The hair and makeup that had been carefully prepared a few hours ago had been eclipsed. Her twenty-sixth birthday And so it passed.