The Golden Cane and the Wild Rose - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Gu Hongfei waited outside for a while, but Yun Ran still hadn’t come out. He was worried she was being tormented by the dance hall staff again, so he decided to go in. Just then, the gray, paint-chipped metal door to the backstage area opened, and Yun Ran walked out, her face pale.

“Ah Ran, what happened?”

The manager’s bloodcurdling scream still echoed in her head. Yun Ran closed her eyes in pain, then opened them and forced a smile. “Senior, I couldn’t find the white roses you gave me.”

Yun Ran lied. She hadn’t dared to go inside because the “King of Hell” of Hong Kong was in there.

“It’s okay. If you like them, I’ll send you more in the future. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“It’s getting late. I’ll take you home, Ah Ran.”

“Okay.”

She followed her senior forward, but Yun Ran couldn’t help but look back. Her heart thumped uneasily, a feeling like telepathy in a movie. Dad. Her dad, who hadn’t been home for a month. A wave of anxiety washed over her.

“Senior, my dad… can you help me find him?”

“Don’t worry, Ah Ran. I’ve already asked some people I know to look for him.”

“Okay.”

Yun Ran’s mind was in turmoil. She wasn’t paying attention to where she was going, and several times her senior had to grab her hand to pull her out of the way of a car. They stopped at a familiar corner. Gu Hongfei had driven Yun Ran home many times before, but she never let him take her all the way to her door. He had never insisted, stopping at that corner and never pushing her.

But this time, Yun Ran looked at him anxiously and asked, “Senior, will you take me all the way home?”

Gu Hongfei froze for a moment, then was overjoyed. This was a clear positive signal from Yun Ran, a sign that they were about to get closer. He couldn’t help but feel excited.

“Of course,” Gu Hongfei answered with a solemn tone.

After turning the corner, Yun Ran slightly lifted her chin. “It’s all uphill from here.”

“Once we get to the top of the hill, and then down the big slope on the other side, we’ll be at my place.”

Yun Ran felt very uneasy as she gave her senior directions to her home. She had walked this path for over ten years but had never brought any friends or classmates here. She didn’t want anyone to see what a chaotic environment she lived in.

The narrow streets, the brightly lit signs, the smoke-filled air, the sound of loud laughter and curses. The further in they walked, the more they could hear vulgar remarks from men and shrill cries from women. Yun Ran lowered her head, looking at her feet moving forward, not daring to look at her senior. See? This is the kind of place I grew up in. Her senior finally knew.

But even when they reached her front door, he didn’t say a word.

“This is my house.” Yun Ran stopped and tentatively looked up to see his expression.

Gu Hongfei’s expression hadn’t changed. His features were gentle, and there was a faint smile on his lips when he looked at her.

“This place has a very down-to-earth feel, but I’m really worried about you living here alone, Ah Ran.”

Yun Ran tilted her head slightly, straining to hear him more clearly. She wanted him to keep talking. Honestly, she didn’t think any man, even one with a modern education like him, wouldn’t have a bad opinion of her after seeing all this.

“Ah Ran, do you want to move out of here?” Gu Hongfei suddenly asked.

See? I knew it.

Yun Ran hesitated for a moment, then quickly nodded. She had wanted to move out for a long time, but her dad had a terrifying scar on his face, and they would be easily found by his enemies if they moved, so they could never live in peace.

“My family owns a lot of properties. Last year, my dad gave me a house for my 18th birthday. It’s in my name now. You and your uncle can live there.”

The gloom on Yun Ran’s face was completely gone. She joked, “Are you trying to keep a mistress in a gilded house, Senior?”

Gu Hongfei’s face immediately flushed red. So, her colleague had been right. Before, Yun Ran hadn’t really paid attention to whether he blushed or not.

“Ah Ran, you know I don’t mean it that way.”

“Yeah, I know. Thank you, Senior. But there are other reasons why my dad and I haven’t moved. When my dad comes home, I’ll take you to meet him.”

Gu Hongfei’s eyes lit up.

“It’s getting late, Senior. You should go home.”

Yun Ran ran into the yard and closed the gate. A gentle night breeze blew, making the wild roses growing along the fence sway. One of them bent down and lightly brushed her arm. The roses were a permanent fixture of the yard. Unlike the white roses from her senior, these were a dusty purple, stained by the same debauchery as this neighborhood. They were anything but pure.

Through the crack in the door, Yun Ran watched her senior stand outside for a while before finally leaving. It was as if she had taken a calming pill. Yun Ran felt much more at ease.

Her dad had warned her that if he didn’t return home for more than a month, it meant something had happened to him. If that happened, she would lose his protection and might even be found by his enemies, which would be unthinkable. She didn’t have any grand ambitions. All she wanted was to live a safe and healthy life in Hong Kong, save up money for university, and marry a man like her senior—a man with a good family, looks, and education—and live a stable life. She wasn’t sure if her dad was safe and sound, so she desperately needed her senior as a safety net.

Thankfully, he hadn’t been scared away. He liked her more than she had imagined and was willing to be her safety net.

…

The next evening, Yun Ran went to work at the dance hall as usual. The only thing different was that her senior was taking her. He brought another bouquet of white roses, carefully wrapped in old newspapers that smelled of ink. The scent of the roses and the ink mixed together, a rather jarring combination. Yun Ran leaned in and kissed them, but she couldn’t bring herself to give a dishonest compliment.

“Actually, I prefer the purple ones.”

“Purple?” Gu Hongfei was taken aback for a few seconds before saying with a determined look, “I’ll remember that.”

According to the dance hall’s rules, her senior wasn’t allowed backstage. He also didn’t like listening to the songs or watching the dances, so Yun Ran told him to come back to pick her up in two hours. Gu Hongfei then left.

Yun Ran held the white roses and walked backstage, her steps light. As she passed a green trash can, she casually glanced inside and saw the white roses her senior had given her yesterday, lying in a miserable heap as if someone had stomped on them. It was too late to save them.

Yun Ran continued walking and heard her colleagues gossiping about last night’s events.

“Why was Boss Jiang so angry yesterday? I heard he had his men beat the manager so badly he was sent to the hospital.”

“I heard Boss Jiang’s most beloved sister was kidnapped, and the guy who did it hid here in our dance hall. That’s why Boss Jiang…”

“Oh, did they rescue Boss Jiang’s sister?”

“I don’t know. The news is all sealed up. How would a small fry like me find out?”

“So it was related to his sister. No wonder he was so furious.”

“But who has the nerve to kidnap Boss Jiang’s sister? Are they tired of living?”

“They must be. Everyone knows Boss Jiang dotes on his sister. She even has bodyguards with her in class. I have no idea how that lunatic managed to abduct her.”

“Who knows?”

“When I came in, I saw Ah Ran’s white roses lying in the trash, looking ghastly. Could it have been Boss Jiang?”

Someone nodded silently.

Another person whispered, “I think when Boss Jiang’s sister was kidnapped, a bouquet of roses was left behind on the ground.”

“No wonder.”

As Yun Ran walked to her station, she instinctively hid the roses behind her. But the gossiping colleagues still saw them. This time, however, they didn’t gossip, probably because they were a little afraid to talk about that person.

The three ladies all arrived late today, so Yun Ran had nothing to do and sat at her station, lost in thought. Suddenly, a young dancer holding a purple gown came to her for help.

“Ah Ran, I have an upset stomach, but I have to go on stage and dance with the others. Please, do me a favor and fill in for me for one song. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t know how to dance,” Yun Ran immediately refused. She was absolutely unwilling to go on stage as a dancer.

“You just have to swing your skirt and kick your legs. It’s easy, Ah Ran, please.”

Yun Ran remained unmoved.

Just then, a girl who was in charge of giving flowers to the singers volunteered to help instead. Yun Ran was left in peace and went back to daydreaming.

One song passed, then two. The backup dancer didn’t return, and the flower girl continued to fill in for her. There was no one to bring flowers now. Yun Ran was assigned by the assistant manager to go present the flowers. She couldn’t escape the fate of being on stage. But she thought, It’s just presenting flowers. No one will notice me. She comforted herself.

Yun Ran quietly presented the flowers, ignored all the noise from the audience, and rushed backstage as soon as she was done. Miss Peony had arrived by now, and Yun Ran returned to her station.

She thought she would spend the rest of the night in the peace of her work. Suddenly, a rough hand grabbed her arm. It was a very strong grip, and Yun Ran’s arm hurt. She winced in pain.

“It really is you, the little girl who just presented the flowers.” The man’s face was all smiles, but a strong smell of smoke and alcohol hit Yun Ran’s face. Yun Ran struggled desperately.

Miss Peony saw what was happening and stood up. This man was an old acquaintance of hers. “Boss He,” Miss Peony said, walking toward him and wrapping her arms around his arm, simultaneously freeing Yun Ran. “Boss He, you came backstage and didn’t come to see me?” Miss Peony skillfully threw out a coquettish, sweet wink.

It was a common occurrence for a man from the audience to take an interest in a performer and come backstage to find her. Miss Peony was used to it. Yun Ran, however, didn’t seem interested in entertaining him, so Miss Peony decided to help her, but she had to see if Boss He was willing to let go.

“Ha, so Peony’s here, too. But I’m not looking for you today. I’m looking for that little girl.” Boss He smacked his thick lips and looked at Yun Ran with his narrowed, slightly cruel, smiling eyes.

Yun Ran felt utterly disgusted, but she didn’t dare show it. She just tried to hide behind Miss Peony and let her shield her. From the looks of it, Miss Peony wanted to keep this boss for herself. Miss Peony turned her head and glanced at Yun Ran, a hint of worry in her eyes.

Before Miss Peony could fully turn back, Boss He roughly pushed her aside. He walked directly toward Yun Ran and reached out to touch her face. Yun Ran had nowhere to run.

In this moment of desperation, a name that could intimidate anyone in Hong Kong popped into her head.

“Jiang Musheng…”

Boss He’s hand stopped mid-air. He was clearly startled by the name and glanced behind him, but didn’t see the legendary ruthless man.

“Little girl, be good. You’ll get plenty of benefits…” Boss He continued to reach for Yun Ran.

Yun Ran had no other choice. In her utter terror, she screamed out, “I’m Jiang Musheng’s person!”

Instantly, the entire backstage area fell silent. The playful look in Boss He’s eyes vanished, replaced by a reflex of fear and sycophancy. His fingers, which had been frozen mid-air, twitched, and his legs gave way, making him fall to the ground in a comical heap.

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