The little crybaby in the group, the young master is a softie

The second hall master's eyes lit up and he quickly bent over and moved closer.

"Snapped--!"

"Snapped--!"

Xiao Heidan's two slaps landed precisely, and the crisp sound startled Mingxi so much that he covered his ears fiercely. The Second Hall Master froze in place, and his cheeks instantly swelled up with five finger marks.

He immediately knelt down, put his forehead to the floor, and said tremblingly: "Master Bai, calm down, Master Bai, calm down! I don't know what taboo I have committed to make you so angry!"

Xiao Heidan lifted the Second Hall Master's chin with the tip of his shoe, "I asked you to keep an eye on the hidden agents at the dock and investigate the traitors, and this is how you share my worries?"

The Second Hall Master's sweat slid down his swollen cheeks into his collar: "Master Bai, please understand! I am busy investigating cases during the day and only have time at night..."

"Take time out for a beauty pageant? Which of the twelve branches of the Tianyan Society dares to be half-hearted when doing things? Do you think my rules are a joke?"

"Master Bai! I am loyal to you! I saw you working hard day and night, so I wanted to find a few caring people to serve you..."

This sudden scene frightened the four girls nearby so much that they trembled all over, and one of them even sobbed softly.

Huang Mao secretly shrank back behind the pillar, fearing that Xiao Heidan would glance at him and get beaten up as well. He saw the young man standing there without moving, and his heart was beating fast with anxiety, wishing he could rush over and drag him away.

But before he could move, he saw the young man slowly walk up to Mingxi and patted him gently on the shoulder.

"Don't worry," he said in a gentle voice, as if coaxing a child, "I've learned to paint before, how about I give it a try?"

Ming Xi was feeling worried and confused. Upon hearing this, he looked at the young man, then at the crumpled drawing paper on the table, hesitated for a moment, and nodded.

"First, mix the ink." The young man picked up the ink stick and slowly ground the ink in the inkstone. "You see, too much water makes the ink lighter, and too little water makes it easier to dry. Take your time."

He spoke calmly, as if the tense atmosphere around him had nothing to do with him. Little Black Egg frowned and said nothing, leaning back on the armchair with his arms folded, wanting to see what tricks he could come up with.

The young man dipped the brush into ink and lightly touched the rice paper. The outline of the distant mountains instantly blurred. He turned his wrist and a few wisps of smoke-like clouds swirled around the mountains. Then he drew a few tall pine trees, with dense but not messy pine needles.

In less than ten minutes, an ink-and-wash landscape painting appeared on the paper, with distant mountains and nearby water, and clear layers. Even the black lump that Mingxi had just painted was cleverly changed by him into a thatched cottage at the foot of the mountain.

"Wow..." Mingxi's eyes widened, "How can you draw so well!"

The young man smiled modestly, "Just practice more. Look at the pattern of the stone. You have to follow the terrain, don't scratch it hard."

Xiao Heidan reached out and pulled the painting over, looked at it carefully, and then looked up at him: "What's your name?"

The young man cupped his hands and said, "My name is Jin Mu."

"Okay," Xiao Heidan put the painting on the table, "You stay here and teach him how to paint every day." He paused, glanced at the second hall master who was kneeling on the ground, "You guys, get out."

The Second Hall Master stood up as if he had been pardoned, dragging the yellow-haired man and the four girls and ran out. Only after running out of the red lacquered gate did he dare to wipe the sweat from his forehead, turned his head to look at the gate behind him, and a smug smile appeared on his face.

"Haha!!..." The Second Hall Master patted the yellow-haired man on the shoulder, "That's great, Master Bai asked your cousin to stay. You did a great job, you will definitely get benefits in the future!"

Huang Mao laughed dryly, but his heart was in turmoil. He felt uncomfortable watching Jin Mu staying in the cage-like yard.

But the Second Hall Master was watching from the side, so he didn't dare to say anything and could only nod: "Yes, Hall Master."

After returning to the villa, the second hall master asked his men to give severance pay to the four girls, and then brought a box of cash and threw it in front of the yellow-haired man.

"Here," the Second Hall Master crossed his legs, "this is a subsequent reward for you."

Late at night, in a rental house in the urban village.

Huangmao stared at the open suitcase. The brand new banknotes shone coldly under the light, but he only felt blinded. The red banknotes seemed to have thorns, pricking his eyes. He suddenly kicked the suitcase hard, and the hundred-dollar bills scattered on the ground like snowflakes.

"Damn it!" He fell down on the sofa, grabbed the beer bottle next to him and took a big gulp. The cold liquid went down his throat, but it couldn't extinguish the fire burning in his heart.

During the day, Huang Mao could still force himself not to think about it when he followed the Second Hall Master to deal with the gang's chores. But now that night had fallen, the empty rental house was like a monster with its mouth open, and Jin Mu's shadow was swaying in every corner.

The kitchen stove still had traces of being polished to a shine, and a blue and white checkered apron hung empty on the hook. On the coffee table in the living room, the book "Six Records of a Floating Life" that Jin Mu often read was still spread out in its original place, and the dried osmanthus bookmark sandwiched between the pages trembled slightly in the breeze.

He scratched his hair in annoyance, stood up and went to look for food in the cupboard, but what he touched were a few dusty packs of instant noodles. He tore open the packaging, poured water in, and watched the noodles swell in the hot water. This series of actions was so mechanical that it seemed like he was completing a task.

When it was ready and brought to my mouth, my stomach churned as soon as I took a bite. The bland taste of the seasoning mixed with the soft noodles was completely different from the noodles made by Jin Mu.

He threw the instant noodles to the ground, the soup splashed on the tiles in the corner, and the sticky noodles curled up on the floor like a dead snake.

"Eat shit!"

He kicked over the folding table, and the empty wine bottles on the table fell down with a clatter. The bottom of the bottle rolled over the tiles that Jin Mu had polished to a shine, and hit the corner of the wall with a dull sound.

A month ago, he went to the deep mountains and forests to hunt wild game. Fully equipped and full of energy, his efforts paid off. After a busy day, he not only caught no game, but was also knocked to the ground by a sudden earthquake.

He got up cursing, but found the unconscious Jin Mu on the way down the mountain. Huang Mao approached him out of curiosity and saw that he was covered in blood, but he looked really good. In accordance with the principle that a thief never leaves empty-handed, he picked him up.

After carrying Jin Mu back to the rental house, Huang Mao immediately bought various anti-inflammatory drugs from the pharmacy and worked non-stop. A few days later, Jin Mu woke up and knew that it was Huang Mao who saved him, and expressed his gratitude.

Later, with her excellent cooking skills and gentle personality, she turned his doghouse-like rental house into a homely place.

Huangmao collapsed on the sofa, staring at the ceiling in a daze.

In the past, I dreamed of making more money and becoming prominent in the gang, but now, holding this box of money, I feel empty inside, as if I have lost my soul.

The noisy sounds from the night market outside the window drifted in in waves. The cumin aroma of the grilled skewers, the shouts of the vendors, mixed with the music coming from the bar in the distance, sounded particularly harsh in the silent room.

Huangmao stood up and walked to the balcony, watching the people coming and going downstairs. A young couple walked by hand in hand, the girl coquettishly snuggled into the boy's arms, the boy smiled and lowered his head and said something, making the girl giggle.

This scene made his eyes sore. He remembered a rainy day when he was soaked outside and came home. When he opened the door, he saw Jin Mu busy in the kitchen wearing an apron, and the aroma of food floated in the hot air.

"Hurry up and change into dry clothes, don't catch a cold." Jin Mu said as he handed over a hot towel. The concern in his eyes was warmer than a heater in winter.

"Damn, I'm such a bastard!" Huang Mao punched the balcony railing, and the metal railing made a dull sound. Jin Mu once said, "It is not a gentleman's behavior to break his promise to others," but now he would rather be a villain himself, as long as he can pull Jin Mu out of that dangerous place.

He turned and rushed into the house, grabbed the phone thrown on the ground, and slid his finger quickly on the address book, finally stopping on the name of the second hall master.

After much hesitation, he deleted the edited text message. He knew that with his position in the Tianyan Society, the Second Hall Master would not take his words seriously, and might even get scolded.

At three o'clock in the morning, the road was empty. Huang Mao's second-hand Volkswagen was circling back and forth on the tree-lined avenue outside the Tianyanhui Villa. He parked the car under a locust tree a hundred meters away, took out the wrench hidden under the floor mat, and hesitantly put it back in its place.

"What can I do inside?"

He patted the steering wheel, "Mr. Bai has already said to stay, wouldn't it be death for me to go?"

"Brother, go back quickly."

Jin Mu's voice suddenly came from inside the car, scaring Huangmao so much that he shivered violently. He turned back quickly to check, but saw that the back seat was empty, as if it was just an hallucination.

"Jin, Jinmu? Is that you?" Huangmao called out in a low voice without giving up, but the only response he got was silence.

He sighed, thinking that he had really been hallucinating, and then drove away.