People Really Do Laugh When They're Speechless

The moment Chen Fan heard that, he knew tonight's drinking party was going to fall apart.

He hurriedly called out, "She's had too much. She's talking nonsense. Don't be shy, everyone. Have a drink."

But no matter what Chen Fan said, the men looked like children who had done something wrong. None of them dared pick up the cups on the table.

"What? You don't want to drink anymore?" Fujiwara was clearly displeased, her expression darkening instantly. "Then get out. Don't get in the way of me drinking with Chen-san."

Oh, we get to leave?

Yamada and the others were overjoyed at once. Yamada said to Chen Fan, "Chen-san, take good care of Section Chief Fujiwara. We'll take our leave."

"We can talk some other time."

Yoshino chimed in, "Yes, Chen-san. Make sure you take good care of Section Chief Fujiwara."

"We'll have plenty of time in the days ahead."

With that, they scrambled to grab their things and fled in a flash.

The remaining hostesses looked utterly bewildered. None of them knew what had happened.

How had all those men vanished in the blink of an eye?

Fujiwara looked at them. "Do you still want to drink?"

Even a fool would have known not to linger. They hurriedly rose, bowed, and left the room.

They collected payment before providing their services, so they had lost nothing and could even finish work early. Why not?

Seeing the whole crowd dwindle to just himself in an instant, Chen Fan involuntarily felt a flicker of foreboding.

I called people here to provide company at the table, not to provide company in bed. What the hell is this now?

Fujiwara leaned against Chen Fan. "Now it's just the two of us. Come on, let's drink..."

Chen Fan patiently tried to persuade her. "Miss Fujiwara, you've had too much. Let me take you back to rest."

"Rest? Hehe, I don't want to rest. I want to drink. If you dare leave, I'll eat you..." As she spoke, Fujiwara bared her teeth and clawed at the air.

Chen Fan's head throbbed. He muttered, "If we don't leave soon, I'm really afraid something will happen between us."

Outside Inoue Cuisine, the men scrambled into the car, their clothes already soaked with sweat. Huddled together, they panted heavily.

Inoue complained, "You really are something, dragging Section Chief Fujiwara into drinking with you."

"Do you know who she is? Her father is Fujiwara Masao, one of the empire's most eminent figures."

"He's a prominent Kyoto aristocrat. Not only is he on good terms with the imperial family, but he's also a member of His Majesty's chamberlain's office. He can discuss national policy with His Majesty at any time."

"And you actually dared treat his daughter like a dancing girl and make her drink with you."

"Tell me, did any of you take liberties with her? If you did, I'll buy your coffins tomorrow..."

Yamada swallowed. After thinking back for a long while, he shook his head. "Apart from pulling her inside, I never touched her."

"She was hanging on to Chen-san the whole time. Wait, Shimura-kun, weren't you the one who encouraged Colonel Fujiwara to feed him wine mouth-to-mouth?"

"When Colonel Fujiwara wakes up tomorrow, you're done for."

Shimura shuddered in fright, the fat on his body quivering.

"That's enough. What happened tonight ends here," Yoshino said slowly, having sobered up by now. "Ladies from distinguished families care about their reputations more than anything."

"If people find out she behaved so wantonly, not only drinking with men but doing something so outrageous right there, it won't be good for her reputation."

"So this will most likely blow over. The important thing is to keep your mouths shut."

Still shaken, Shimura said, "Yoshino-kun, what if... what if she kills us to silence us?"

"Kill us? What are you talking about?" Yoshino said impatiently. "If she kills anyone, it'll be Chen Fan. We're imperial soldiers. How would she dare?"

"I told you, what happened tonight ends here. Once you get back, you mustn't tell anyone."

"If any of you goes blabbing, don't blame me for showing you no consideration."

The men exchanged looks and hurriedly nodded their agreement.

Early the next morning, at the Yamato Inn on Wusong Road in Hongkou, Shanghai.

Sunlight streamed through the latticed window, divided into squares by the lattice and falling evenly across the floor.

Chen Fan seemed to have had a long, rather unreal dream...

Of course, it was perfectly normal for a young man in his prime to have that sort of dream occasionally...

Especially an old pervert like Chen Fan...

As his thoughts wandered, Chen Fan distinctly felt something beside him seem to move.

Then a soft, sleepy murmur sounded...

"Kyōichi, I want some water."

Kyōichi... who's that?

Chen Fan shook his head, picked up the cold water by the bed, mixed in a little hot water, and handed it to Fujiwara.

Without opening her eyes, Fujiwara gulped down the large glass in two swallows.

The next moment, as though sensing something was wrong, Fujiwara immediately opened her eyes.

Then came the familiar scene from countless television dramas: the classic three questions...

"Who are you?"

"Where am I?"

"What did you do to me?"

Chen Fan pointed at the various marks left on his body by fingernails and teeth, then spread his hands. "Miss Fujiwara, would you like to keep looking?"

Fujiwara froze for a moment, then patted her head, instantly recalling what she had said last night: "You're not allowed to go anywhere tonight. I want you to stay with me..."

Seriously? I only wanted you to keep me company. I never said to do it in bed.

So those indescribable scenes Chen Fan had experienced earlier hadn't been a dream?

What exactly had the two of them done all night? Judging by the marks left on Chen Fan, the battle must have been extremely, exceedingly fierce...

Fujiwara's face was filled with regret...

With a man seven years younger than her-even if he really did look like Kyōichi, he wasn't him after all.

"Turn around. If you dare take another look, I'll gouge your eyes out."

This woman really is temperamental. All that time Chen Fan spent teaching her driving techniques last night, wasted.

She really doesn't know what's good for her.

Chen Fan turned around, and a faint rustling came from behind him.

Before long, Fujiwara had finished dressing. She coughed softly, and only then did Chen Fan turn back around, pulling his pajamas closed as he did.

Looking at that young yet familiar face, Fujiwara fell into a daze. If she hadn't known what sort of person Mrs. Suzuki was, she would have suspected that Chen Fan was her illegitimate son.

How could he look so much like Kyōichi? Apart from their height and hairstyle, the two looked like twins.

Of course, Chen Fan was like a larger version of Kyōichi. Whether in stamina or certain other respects, he far surpassed Kyōichi...

Kyōichi had been frail since childhood. In the old saying, he was a consumptive...

A mere cold, and not even a serious one, had led to pulmonary fibrosis...

Of course, that term hadn't existed back then. The only conclusion had been that he had died of lung disease...

Fujiwara struggled to rein in her emotions and said sternly, "What happened today was an accident. If you tell anyone, I'll make sure you die without a burial place."

Chen Fan asked quietly, "What if you're the one who lets it slip?"

Fujiwara said coldly, "You'll still die without a burial place..."

Uh... Chen Fan nearly choked. How could she turn on me the moment she got dressed...

He knew women could be unreasonable, but he hadn't imagined they could be this unreasonable.

As it turned out, people really did laugh when they were speechless...

After holding it in for a long while, Chen Fan sighed and said with a bitter smile, "Your insight misses nothing, Colonel. I have nothing to say..."