Chapter 61: Don't addle your bodyguard's mind

The next day, Xi Zirui waits for Su Xueyi to leave for work first, despite his suggestion that they ride on the same car.

He has some important questions to ask Ni Ni, the kind that he needs privacy for.

Sprawling out on the huge kingsize bed, he pulls up the holo screen and says. "Ok, you're going to tell me what the fuck is going on with Su Xueyi's side hustle."

"Answering Host: Ni Ni doesn't know."

"I'm getting really tired of that excuse."

She chimes in a higher register. "Ni Ni means it! Su Xueyi is supposed to be a shady businessman, making his fortune by selling low quality goods as luxury items."

Xi Zirui refrains from pointing out that all luxury items are a scam, low quality or not. But he's not in university anymore, and Ni Ni isn't the Marxist theory professor he was always trying to impress.

"He's doing more than that, and you know it!"

"Ni Ni can see that, but he wasn't supposed to."

"How wasn't he supposed to?" Xi Zirui hisses into the silver bracelet. "Aren't you, or the Transmigrator 4000, whatever, in control of his 'multi-dimensional' experience?" 

Ni Ni whimpers mechanically. "Ni Ni is just a simple system. This is all very confusing to her, but when we get back to Host's original world, Her Hea-...the Shopkeeper, might be able to explain this better."

Xi Zirui thumps his head against the velvet headboard. "And until then, I just wander around in the dark in this world?"

"Host is smart, he always figures everything out."

In the first world, there was a lot he didn't understand because of his own stubbornness, but the second world was very straightforward. Don't get on the Emperor's wrong side, and be careful with the rest of the harem. Xi Zirui failed on both counts.

He thought this world offered him the perfect opportunity to get rid of Su Xueyi cleanly while enjoying many long years of happiness with Han Yu.

He just had to have Su Xueyi wrapped around his little finger, and then turn him into the authorities for labor code violations, and tax evasion. 

Xi Zirui would promise him eternal loyalty, swearing up and down that he would wait for him to get out of prison, therefore keeping his favor up and leaving him free to be with Han Yu.

Simple. Efficient. Foolproof.

But Su Xueyi just had to go and throw a wrench in his plans, in the form of something that sounds at once much more illegal and dangerous.

"More illegal is good, right? It means more time in prison!" Ni Ni says, the eternal optimist.

Tax evasion would be a slam dunk though, it would guarantee Su Xueyi at least seven years in prison if Xi Zirui got him terrible lawyers - and he would- and after he got out Xi Zirui could just fake his own death, or run away with Han Yu to another country! Su Xueyi would remember him fondly as his loyal, dearly-departed husband!

But now, it sounds like he's dealing with much bigger fish. And that means trouble.

If Su Xueyi has big friends in low places, it means they could grow antsy if he were to be arrested, and decide he had become too much of a liability. 

If Su Xueyi dies, Xi Zirui dies with him, and there goes his carefully constructed life.

"What is Han Yu's role in all this?" Xi Zirui asks. Han Yu clearly knows more than he's letting on.

"Ni Ni can answer that!" she thrills excitedly. "Han Yu is the brother of one of Su Xueyi's former employees who became blind after an accident at one of Greydot's warehouses. Su Xueyi denied any responsibility for the accident, and the civil lawsuit was decided in Greydot's favor, since the employee was still at company propriety after working hours."

Xi Zirui's blood boils. "Working unpaid, un-logged, overtime, no doubt."

So, Han Yu started working for Su Xueyi to get revenge on him, fucking his husband was probably a nice perk too. That makes sense.

"What was his goal?" 

Ni Ni beeps. "Same as Host's original plan: to reveal Su Xueyi's illegal business practices and turn him in to the authorities. That's why Ni Ni didn't mention it." She sighs dramatically. "She thought it was romantic."

It kind of is, a little, but Xi Zirui isn't going to admit that.

Besides, it's obvious Han Yu found out more than he bargained for in the time he's been working for Su Xueyi. 

Is that why he hasn't turned him in yet?

If Ni Ni doesn't have any more answers to give him, Xi Zirui needs to go directly to the one person who can.

---

He finds Han Yu in the suspended garden, leaning against the glass railing and observing the city skyline.

He doesn't give any sign of hearing Xi Zirui approach, but he must have, because he says, "A flowering garden at this altitude, and some people down there can barely get sunlight in their tiny, cramped houses." 

He turns around to face Xi Zirui, bracing his elbows on the railing. The glass barrier behind him makes it seem as if he's about to plummet into an abyss of blue. "What do you think about that?"

"I think it's disgusting."

The corner of Han Yu's lip ticks up. "You know, I believe you. Why is that?"

"Because I'm telling the truth."

Han Yu shakes his head. "No one changes that much in such a short time."

"We all have hidden depths," Xi Zirui says, holding Han Yu's gaze. "Including you. I think you should tell me what exactly Su Xueyi's side business is."

"Why do you care?"

"Because I hate his fucking guts," Xi Zirui says, his nostrils flaring. "I want to bring him down, no matter how."

Han Yu gives him an assessing look, his dark eyes probing into Xi Zirui, trying to take the measure of him. Xi Zirui notices the moment the uncertainty drains out of him when the harsh line of his lips softens into a sigh.

"It's not his side business, it's his main one," Han Yu says returning the intensity of Xi Zirui's stare. "Greydot is just a front. A money laundering scheme."

"A front for what?" 

Han Yu pushes out on the railing and bridges the distance between himself and Xi Zirui. When they're almost nose to nose, he cups the back of Xi Zirui's head, threading his fingers into the soft hair. 

"Baby..." The way he says that word, so sultry, nothing like Su Xueyi's sickening croon, makes the fine hairs on Xi Zirui's nape stand on end. "Your husband is working for the mob."

---

Han Yu wants to show him something. He makes a call, and they go down to the building's garage.

A few moments later Liao Min shows up. "Get in," she says, stretching her arm over the passenger seat to get the door open for Han Yu. "I never know when the bastard will call for me."

She does a double take when she sees Xi Zirui. "What the fuck is he doing here?"

Han Yu gets in the passenger seat and Xi Zirui climbs into the backseat.

"He doesn't like his husband either."

Liao Min curses under her breath and shifts the car into gear. "This is why I told you sleeping with the Su dog's kept boy was a bad idea." She shakes her head and drives out of the garage. "Good pussy will addle your brain."

"I'm sitting right here," Xi Zirui says through gritted teeth. He already misses General Liao. This Liao Min reminds him too much of Director Liao.

Liao Min meets his eyes through the rearview mirror. "What? I'm paying you a compliment." Smirking, she adds, "Personally, I would lay down my life for good pussy. Doesn't mean it's the smart thing to do."

Han Yu groans. "Can we stop talking about pussy? You're dating my sister, this conversation is very disturbing for me."

And that's how Xi Zirui finds out where exactly they're going.

---

Liao Min takes them out of the large, open avenues, and into the winding streets leading into Beijing's hutongs. She parks near a narrow street from where they can only go on foot.

These aren't the charming, polished hutongs that have been refitted as luxury housing and tourist attractions. Instead Liao Min leads them to backalley where the structures are in disrepair, and many of the houses still don't have inside plumbing. Absolutely no different than they were in the 13th century.

She courses through the streets as if she's used to them, Han Yu following behind her just as assuredly. 

They both stop in front of a red door, Han Yu knocks.

An old, wrinkled woman opens the door. Xi Zirui recognizes her at once; Granny Ma. 

She looks no different than in the previous world, her iron coloured hair still gathered on top of her head in a messy bun, her clothing simple and clean.

"I'm so glad you came, she's having another of her episodes," Granny Ma says, ushering them all into her tiny house.

They find Li Siqi sitting on the ground at the feet of rocking chair near a window, hugging her knees to her chest and sobbing uncontrollably.

Liao Min rushes to her side and wraps her arms against her thin frame. "Hey there little bird, what's all this about?"

Li Siqi lets out a relieved sob and runs her trembling fingers over Liao Min's face. "You're here," she says, her voice shaking.

Liao Min takes her hand in hers, and kisses her palm. "I'm here."

"I'm here too, not that I'm needed," Han Yu says. His words are petulant but he's smiling.

His sister laughs against Liao Min's chest. "Thank you for bringing Min Min, you can leave, now."

Xi Zirui can't help his amused snort, and Li Siqi stiffens in Liao Min's arms. "Who else is there?"

Her eyes, usually dark brown, have become grey and dull as a consequence of her blindness, but her senses are clearly as sharp as ever.

"You might want to be sitting down, to hear this," Han Yu says,

---

Han Yu and Liao Min try to help Li Siqi sit back down on her chair, but she bats their hands away and does it herself.

"This is Xi Zirui, Su Xueyi's husband," Han Yu says, sucking on a shuddering breath when Li Siqi gasps.

"What is he doing here?" Li Siqi asks, reaching out towards her left side, until Li Siqi grasps her seeking fingers and holds her hand.

"He can get closer to Su Xueyi than I can. We've been making such slow progress. Things could move a lot faster with him."

Li Siqi's eyebrows knit over her eyes. She looks frail, in the same way anyone who has been badly hurt does, but whoever mistakes that frailty for weakness does so at their own peril.

"How do we know we can trust him?"

That's a good question. And Liao Min gives Han Yu a pointed look from above the edge of her mirrored sunglasses.

"I might not know much about what exactly Su Xueyi has gotten mixed up in, but I don't like any of it. I didn't like it when I thought he was just another businessman exploiting his workers and I don't like it any better now that I know he's involved in organized crime," Xi Zirui says, trying to steep his voice in has much hatred as he feels. 

He can't say anything regarding his past resentment, but he can let it show.

"I'm very sorry about your accident. I'll do everything in my power to make sure you're payed every yuan you're owed in damages."

Li Siqi goes very still. Han Yu and Liao Min too give him odd looks.

"I didn't lose my sight because of an accident," she says, getting up from the chair and walking towards Xi Zirui until the tip of her feet bump into his socked ones. "He did this to me on purpose."