Chapter Sixty-Five

After Zhou Yu left, he told Xiao Jie that Nian Yu was calling her. Then he summoned Liu Long to another room.

In the room where Zhou Yu and Liu Long were, Zhou Yu faced Liu Long and asked, "Why didn’t you keep an eye on her?"

Liu Long shook his head and replied, "Do you think, with Xin Xin’s temper, any of us could keep her under control?"

Zhou Yu lowered his voice, "Brother, I’m sorry, I was impulsive just now."

Liu Long said, "Forget it."

Zhou Yu asked, "When did she get the tattoo?"

Liu Long answered, "Shortly after you left."

Zhou Yu asked, "Why didn’t you contact me back then?"

Liu Long said, "We tried calling you, but your phone was always off."

Zhou Yu remembered that after he left, he had removed that SIM card.

He asked again, "Do you know what she tattooed?"

Liu Long replied, "At first, we didn’t know. Later, after Yang Ting came and started sleeping with her, I found out."

Zhou Yu took out a cigarette, lit it, and said nothing more.

Liu Long continued, "Actually, we all knew how much she cared for you. So, after finding out, none of us said anything."

"Let’s not talk about it anymore, it’s in the past," Zhou Yu said. "Tell me about you and Yang Ting."

Liu Long replied, "At first, I just felt sorry for her. She worked hard to support herself while studying, and she had no one to rely on. She’s an orphan, so that accident happened."

"Later, after spending time together, I realized I started to like her."

"In the beginning, she was very insecure because of what happened. But later, maybe she realized I truly didn’t care about it, and she slowly started to accept me."

Zhou Yu asked, "How have you been making a living these years?"

Liu Long replied, "Don’t forget, we started out on this same path. If it weren’t for you founding Asura, do you think we would have starved?"

Zhou Yu asked, "Aren’t you afraid she’ll worry about you?"

Liu Long said, "I told her about our background when she was about to be discharged from the hospital. She said as long as she’s with me, it doesn’t matter where I come from."

Zhou Yu patted Liu Long’s shoulder. "She’s a good girl, don’t let her down."

Liu Long was taken aback. "Do you have to tell me that? I’m a devoted man!"

Zhou Yu smiled, "Come on, you taught me how to chase girls back then. Devoted, my foot."

Liu Long laughed, "Get out of here, it’s not the same."

Zhou Yu burst out laughing, saying nothing more.

Liu Long continued, "Xiao Yu, you seem different this time."

Zhou Yu paused, "How am I different?"

"You don’t smile as genuinely as before," Liu Long said. "These years of ordinary life haven’t suited you, have they?"

Zhou Yu forced a smile, "Not suited at all. It’s been terrible."

"Whatever it’s been, at least we’re together again," Liu Long said. "Don’t think too much about it."

Zhou Yu said, "Alright, let’s go outside. Your wife will start to worry soon."

Liu Long laughed heartily and was the first to leave.

After Zhou Yu stepped out, he asked Liu Hu, "Is there a chair? Get something for us to sit on, why stand around?"

Liu Hu replied, "Yes," and hurried off to fetch chairs.

When Liu Hu returned, everyone took their seats. Only then did Zhou Yu speak, "Now that we’ve all met, I think it’s time we discuss how we’re going to survive from here on."

Wang Hao asked, "Xiao Yu, do you have another idea? Just tell us directly."

Zhou Yu said, "I want us to have a base—a place where we can keep living, where we can always survive."