Chapter Twelve: Uncle

Yuan Xiaoying tried her best to maintain composure and calm, yet Liu Jingye could see the anxiety, pain, and inner turmoil she was suffering. The wedding was a sham, meant to preserve her parents’ dignity, but she had truly been betrayed by her fiancé. Only she knew the agony, and only she could silently endure it.

The two sat in silence, absentmindedly watching television. Suddenly, Yuan Xiaoying’s phone rang. After the call, she became visibly tense.

“Hurry, hurry, help me clean up! My aunt is coming!” Yuan Xiaoying sprang up as if revived from the dead and started frantically picking up trash.

Liu Jingye shifted on the sofa and reached beneath the cushion, pulling out a pack of sanitary pads. “Is this what you’re looking for?”

Yuan Xiaoying shot him a fierce glare. “It’s my real aunt, my mother’s sister. She and my uncle have lived abroad for years and came back especially for my wedding. She’ll be here any moment.”

Yuan Xiaoying was panicking. If her aunt saw her living space in such disarray, it would reflect poorly on her parents as well.

Under her intense gaze, Liu Jingye had no choice but to stand up and help. In truth, tidying up the place was simple—it just meant tossing everything out.

While cleaning, Liu Jingye found Yuan Xiaoying’s police badge in a sock. The young woman was a second-level inspector in the city bureau’s criminal division, deputy section chief.

He also discovered a photo in a bright red cover—a family portrait. A handsome middle-aged man, her elegant mother, and a youthful, beautiful Yuan Xiaoying.

“This guy looks familiar,” Liu Jingye mused. “I think I saw him recently on the provincial news channel. He must be a senior official in the provincial police department.”

Liu Jingye was even more puzzled. “Why would such a high-ranking police officer allow his daughter to be engaged to someone with mafia connections?”

A family of cops and crooks? Or was Yuan Xiaoying an undercover agent in a tangled web of intrigue? But now, none of that would come to pass.

After tossing all the garbage and spraying copious amounts of air freshener, the apartment was finally presentable. Just then, the doorbell rang.

Yuan Xiaoying changed into a tasteful long dress, put on a warm smile, and opened the door. Standing outside was an elegantly dressed, beautiful middle-aged woman, with a tall, burly man behind her—curly hair, a full beard, clearly an Arab.

Yuan Xiaoying warmly embraced the woman—her aunt. The man was her uncle, an imported uncle.

Yuan Xiaoying invited them inside, visibly hesitating, conflicted, but finally summoned her courage and took Liu Jingye’s arm, introducing him affectionately, “This is my fiancé, Liu…”

She stalled, having only glimpsed Liu Jingye’s name on the hotel license earlier and forgotten it in the excitement.

The matter was settled; Liu Jingye just needed to play along.

He introduced himself, “My name is Liu Jingye.”

Her aunt frowned slightly, obviously aware of Yuan Xiaoying’s supposed fiancé. Yuan Xiaoying quickly pulled her aunt aside and whispered to her.

Her uncle extended his hand warmly and introduced himself in Arabic.

Yuan Xiaoying didn’t understand Middle Eastern languages. Her aunt was about to translate, but Liu Jingye suddenly responded fluently.

Not only were Yuan Xiaoying and her aunt stunned, but her uncle was taken aback as well—Liu Jingye’s Arabic matched his accent perfectly, as if they were from the same hometown.

From his accent, Liu Jingye immediately knew the man was from that war-torn country, a place filled with memories for him.

Her uncle asked in surprise, “You’ve been to my homeland?”

Liu Jingye nodded. “I spent some time there. The people are very hospitable.”

Listening to their lively conversation, Yuan Xiaoying was utterly astonished. Just moments ago, Liu Jingye was merely the owner of a modest inn in her eyes; now, shrouded in mystery, he was impossible to read.

But what shocked Liu Jingye was what came next. After some chatting, her uncle suddenly said, “I’ve asked some acquaintances around here; I know about your family’s deep connections to the underworld. I came here specifically to discuss business with you.”

Oh? Liu Jingye was momentarily taken aback, thinking, “This uncle must assume I’m the young master of the Huang Dynasty, and has heard about me through reliable channels. Opening with such direct talk of the underworld, he clearly has significant clout himself.”

To avoid trouble, Liu Jingye decided to play along. He smiled, “Money is always worth making.”

Before getting down to business, her uncle cautioned, “Only I know about this deal. Please don’t tell my wife.”

Liu Jingye nodded. Her uncle switched to their local dialect, which was so distinctive even her aunt couldn’t understand.

But Liu Jingye was shocked, for her uncle immediately began discussing arms deals.

“Does the Huang Dynasty also dabble in weapons?” Liu Jingye wondered, stunned. “In that war-ravaged country, armed groups of every kind abound, from all over the world, with countless internal factions. There’s no clear right or wrong—everyone fights for their own interests.”

This made arms trading extremely lucrative there.

He didn’t know which faction her uncle belonged to, but the fact that he had traveled so far and was so eager to strike a deal suggested he was desperate.

Liu Jingye didn’t answer directly, instead asking, “Surely you wouldn’t approach us for such business just based on rumors of our underworld ties?”

As expected, her uncle’s so-called ‘rumors’ were actually reliable intelligence. An old associate, who had done several deals with them, had told him about the connection to the Huang Dynasty.

“May I know who this person is?” Liu Jingye asked.

To show his sincerity and foster trust, her uncle pulled out his phone with a photo of himself and another man. The moment Liu Jingye saw that face, he was utterly stunned…

……

The novel officially enters the rankings phase—calling all gods to return! My brothers, sisters, and dear friends, please lend your support.

Thanks to ‘Wind of Wind, Frost’s Lament, Qianxu, Dear Hello, Treasure Killer, Pilot K, ZNight, Lonely Heaven and Earth’—thank you all for your red tickets, monthly tickets, and big gifts! Many thanks!