A young man with a composed bearing sat alone in the room. He wore a black brocade robe, his eyes long and narrow, his swordlike brows sweeping toward his temples, his thin lips tightly pressed together. The flickering candlelight threw the sharp contours of his face into relief.
Cui Zhixia! Bi Yunfei quickly recognized the young man before him, the leading figure of the Cui Family's younger generation.
Bi Yunfei's face paled. Unbidden, he recalled that other occasion, also here at the Grand View Tower, when Gu Qingzhou had thoroughly humiliated Cui Zhixia. He had been a bystander then, and Cui Zhixia was sure to remember him.
"Brother Yunfei, sit!"
The corner of Cui Zhixia's mouth curved upward as he rose and greeted him with effortless ease.
Several exquisite dishes and two pairs of chopsticks lay on an enormous rosewood table. Between the dishes, a small red-clay stove warmed a pot of wine.
The wine was still warm, the chopsticks untouched. Clearly, he had been waiting for a guest.
"May I ask why you wanted to see me, Young Master Cui?"
Bi Yunfei sat down uneasily, his hands resting on his knees, clenched tight.
"I've long heard of your reputation, Brother Yunfei, but never had an opportunity to get to know you. I took the liberty of inviting you today, and I'm very glad you came!"
As Cui Zhixia spoke, he picked up the wine pot and filled a cup for Bi Yunfei, then one for himself.
"What happened before... may have prejudiced you against me. You don't really know what sort of person I am. In truth, I'm very fond of making friends."
"There are really only two kinds of relationships between people: enemies or friends. Someone who cannot become a friend may well become an enemy someday. And