The private room was indeed empty of guests, lacking a lobby altogether. It held only a bar counter, a ordering area, and what appeared to be private rooms lining both sides.
“Three, please follow me upstairs,” the man said, leading the way and subtly signaling the Prefect with his phone.
We ascended to the second floor, navigating a series of turns until we reached a door. Prefect He and his wife were already waiting inside, along with a young beauty, perhaps twenty-one or twenty-two. She stood demurely behind Madam He, her lips pursed, her small hands clutching her mother’s hem. She seemed a little nervous upon seeing our attire, and was likely He Zihan, Prefect He’s daughter, as per the Lin Chi files.
Prefect He stepped forward, seemingly taken aback that there were three of us.
The attendant quickly introduced us, “Prefect, these three are all Elder Huang Xian. This is Elder Huang Da Xian… Mr.” He seemed to have almost said “comrade,” a habit from his past.
“This is Ms. Huang Er Xian.”
“And this is Huang Xiao Xian.”
Prefect He shook hands with each of us in turn and invited us to be seated. Originally, only four chairs were prepared. Prefect He, being quite adept, offered us three seats – left, center, and right – while he sat at the lower end. He asked his wife and daughter to stand aside. After introductions were exchanged, he suggested his wife and daughter leave.
How could I not see through this? I waved my hand, feigning profundity, “Prefect He, we, your siblings, have come today only to express our gratitude. We have no other business. Consider us family, sharing a meal and intimate conversation. Adding two more chairs is no trouble at all.”
The attendant promptly fetched two chairs from an adjacent room. I gestured for Yaoyao and Old Ba to move closer to me, making space for them.
“Prefect, I’ll go hurry along the food and wait downstairs. Call me if you need anything,” the attendant said.
“Go ahead, Xiao Zhang. Thank you for your trouble.” Prefect He patted the attendant’s shoulder. From their exchange, it seemed Xiao Zhang was Prefect He’s secretary. I wasn’t sure of Prefect He’s rank (he was, in fact, the deputy prefect of Fucheng), whether he was entitled to a secretary. He likely didn’t have a dedicated one, but typically they were assigned a few staff members whose official positions might lie elsewhere, but whose daily duties were to serve a specific leader. They were perhaps called “special team members.”
A change of title, same old trick.
After the attendant left, I noticed Prefect He appeared a bit tense. I took out a cigarette, deciding to use this human habit to build rapport.
Prefect He, true to form, immediately produced his own cigarettes. He rose from his seat, walked around to my side, and lit one for me.
I glanced at the brand name on the pack. “Yuhuashi? I’m not familiar. These past few days, I’ve only tried this brand called Yuxi. Which one is better?” I had to act the part of a demon.
“This brand and your Yuxi are produced in different regions, each with its own unique flavor. Both are good, both are good,” Prefect He replied diplomatically. His were fifty yuan a pack, mine only twenty-three.
I took a deep drag, pretending to be unused to smoking, and coughed. Prefect He raised his hand, perhaps intending to pat my back, but hesitated.
“Prefect He’s kind offer. Sisters, you should try some too,” I said with a smile.
Prefect He quickly offered cigarettes to Yaoyao and Huang Xiao Xian. To my surprise, Yaoyao outdid herself in her performance. She took a cigarette, smelled it, and then proceeded to chew it.
“Hey, hey, Second Sister, this isn’t chicken! You can’t eat it!” I stopped her.
Yaoyao chewed a bit more, then spat it out with a frown, licking her lips. “Not tasty.”
Huang Xiao Xian, perhaps realizing she shouldn’t overact, lit her cigarette normally. This was quite unexpected, and I couldn’t help but ask, “When did you learn to smoke?”
“Just these past couple of days, from Kun Kun… Elder Fox Xian.”
“Ah, you know an Elder Fox Xian?” Prefect He inquired tentatively.
Huang Xiao Xian blew out a perfect smoke ring. “Very well. We’ve practiced together since we were young.”
“Oh, if only I had known! I should have invited her to join us, so I could show her some respect!” Prefect He chuckled.
“No problem,” I said, demonstrating my supposed abilities. I looked at Yaoyao. “Second Sister, use your spiritual connection to call Elder Fox Xian to join us for the meal.”
“...It’s too far,” Yaoyao whispered.
I rolled my eyes at her and criticized her in an elder brother’s tone, “Four hundred years of practice, all for nothing?”
“It’s alright, it’s alright,” Prefect He quickly intervened to ease the situation. “Next time, next time I will personally invite Elder Fox Xian again. I sincerely request the three of you to accompany us then.”