Ghost Infant

Li Hongfang had arranged to meet Liu Chang'an at the hotel where she had once worked. The last time Liu Chang'an had brought Shangguan Dandan and Zhou Dongdong there for Gao Cunyi's banquet, he had even swindled the two of them out of their pork knuckles, setting an example and teaching them firsthand about the treachery of the human heart. They had also been delighted to gain some experience and broaden their horizons.

It was another rare warm and sunny winter day. Liu Chang'an sat in a corner of the hotel lobby bar. The red-lacquered furniture, antique-style tea trays, the reproduced long scroll of A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains on the wall, and the waitresses in gold-thread qipaos fully catered to the tastes beloved by middle-aged and elderly patrons.

Gao Yening's F4 flower tea was still sold here. Probably because of its health-preserving gimmick, even male customers who preferred pu'er tea and the like would order it.

Liu Chang'an's gaze passed through the lattice glass window and settled on the plane trees that had sprouted new leaves. He sat there quietly, his long, strong fingers resting motionlessly on the lid of his teacup.

Li Hongfang came over from the corridor leading deeper into the lobby and spotted Liu Chang'an from afar. His profile was steeped in shadow, with only his forehead, nose, and lips outlined in light. Women sometimes called men of exceptional looks and charm "beauties" as well. Without question, at that very moment, Liu Chang'an was, in Li Hongfang's eyes, a beauty beyond the reach of any painter's brush.

"Brother Liu, sorry to keep you waiting." Li Hongfang's breathing was slightly unsteady as she set her bag on a chair and sat down beside him.

Liu Chang'an turned his head. Li Hongfang wore black shorts and