Light Barrier

At half past eleven at night, the lights in Old Town were sparse, and the night sky was dim. Unlike the bustling atmospheres in River Shoal and other urban areas of Dadu, the lights here had the texture of the old era, reminiscent of a film captured on celluloid. Even the sound of the wind blowing seemed quieter, and the air seemed to be flowing with old songs.

Some people said that this was the atmosphere of the world, the essence of humanity.

But in the eyes of many silent people… it was the atmosphere of being left behind by time.

Only fashion models would make a special visit to Old Town of Dadu for photoshoots to showcase their unique artistic tastes on their personal social media accounts or to accept commercial orders. These people would leave after the photoshoots. Before the shutter clicked, they would be seen leaning against old alleys with coffee in their hands and smiling sweetly. After the photos were taken, they would rush to the next location, hoping to finish the photoshoots as soon as possible and end work early.

Things truly left behind by time were not scorned.

True obsolescence was about being forgotten and quietly leaving the stage. When people suddenly remembered, they might feel surprised, and perhaps there would be a fleeting moment of regret, but they would forget it in the blink of an eye.

Old Town no longer occupied much space in people’s memories… Nostalgic people couldn’t survive in Dadu.

Gu Shen stood at the corner of an alley.

He looked at the time and rubbed his forehead, thinking that he must have gone crazy.

According to his usual schedule, he should already be resting.

But Gu Shen received a call from Crow, warmly inviting him as a friend to have a late-night snack in Old Town. It was an invitation that didn’t sound appealing at all. Gu Shen didn’t know what was wrong with his brain, but he actually chose to go to the appointment on time.

As expected, the unreliable guy who extended the invitation had yet to arrive.

Is he going to bail on me?

“Here!” Someone waved from afar under the night sky.

A man in a suit and leather shoes waved while trying to remove the thick motorcycle helmet on his head with one hand. Perhaps because the helmet was too tight, he failed twice… The man’s unbalanced walking posture looked rather comical.

Finally, Song Ci stopped, bowed, lowering his head, knocked on the helmet, and said in a muffled voice,  “The helmet strap is a little tight… Help me pull it off.”

Gu Shen sighed helplessly and reached out to help. He had to say that the helmet was really on tight. He held it with both hands and pulled hard.

With a pop, the helmet came off.

“Ahh… Much better.” Crow exhaled a large mouthful of smoke, looking refreshed. He even had a cigarette burned all the way to the butt in his mouth. It was a wonder how he managed to ride his motorcycle through the smoky goggles.

“Madam gave me the cigarette. I couldn’t bear to throw it away.”

Song Ci shook his helmet with both hands, scattering smoke and ash everywhere. Taking advantage of the moment, he took a deep drag from the cigarette butt and smiled. “Why do you look so annoyed?”

Gu Shen snapped, “I actually believed you and stood in the cold wind for half an hour!”

“Hey… was it that long? After hanging up, I had something to take care of at the last minute.”

Song Ci scratched his head. “Old Town is different from River Shoal. Everyone is asleep at this hour. People would have cursed at me for revving a motorcycle down the streets. Although my mother is dead, and I don’t care about being scolded, I’m wearing this suit after all. It represents Madam’s dignity, so it’s better not to do anything unethical. I pushed the motorcycle the last bit of the way and just parked it outside an alley.”

“As long as you’re here, I guess I wasn’t deceived.” Gu Shen sighed softly.

“What are you saying?! Am I that kind of person? I always keep my word.” Song Ci said happily, “Eat to your heart’s content tonight. It’s my treat!”

…

“Welcome.”

At 11:30 p.m., Xu’s Beef Noodle was still open, though it was close to closing time. The boss greeted Song Ci cheerfully. “What do you want to eat? I’ll cook it for you. We’re about to stop taking customers, but I’ve saved you a spot in the back…”

Song Ci chuckled and shrank his neck slightly as he looked at the second floor of the shop.

“Don’t worry. She’s already asleep.” The boss gestured to keep quiet. “Don’t disturb her, or else… she’ll chase you away.”

Song Ci nodded in understanding and led Gu Shen to a small table in the corner. He whispered, “The lady boss doesn’t really like me. Let’s keep our voices down.”

Gu Shen smiled. “Isn’t that because of all the immoral things you usually do?”

Song Ci spat in annoyance. “Sure, I skip out on paying the bill sometimes, but it’s not like no one pays. I don’t owe her a single cent, but this woman never gives me a good look.”

“How do you know the people you brought here before actually paid?”

Song Ci sneered, extended his large fists, and said proudly, “See this? With this, I make sure people pay.”

Gu Shen signed helplessly.

“Please give me a serving of beef, some stir-fried meat, and spicy stir-fried chicken.” Song Ci didn’t even glance at the menu he knew by heart, ordering three dishes in one go. Then he asked meaningfully, “Anything else you want to add?”

Gu Shen immediately understood what he was hinting at. “No need. This is enough.”

“Ahem… Why are you looking at me like that?” Song Ci grinned shamelessly. “I’m just a rough person. I don’t have any fancy hobbies, and I don’t like going to River Shoal and spending three hundred yuan on a glass of wine. The wine here is delicious and cheap!

“The young people at River Shoal like to drink saké at night. It’s a drink from the Ying Sea District that sounds fancy and elegant. Try this instead…” Song Ci whispered a few words to the boss. Old Xu took out a mysterious long bottle wrapped in black newspaper from the innermost cabinet. Song Ci chuckled. “Real men should drink this!”

Gu Shen narrowed his eyes at the small cup of white wine in front of him, thinking that this drink was even smaller than the one at the Pure Peach Bar. Wouldn’t he finish it in one gulp?

To a young man with his background, drinking wasn’t exactly his forte. Out of the need to investigate a case, he had gone to River Shoal and tried the 300-yuan-a-glass metropolitan. The taste wasn’t bad, not as unbearable as Song Ci had said.

With the thought of giving it a try, Gu Shen raised his cup and downed it.

As soon as he swallowed, he coughed violently, nearly spewing out snot and tears.

This drink was clearly different from the metropolitan. The moment it entered his mouth, it was extremely spicy, like swallowing a raging fire. This fire spread from his throat until it burned his entire body.

“You’re really… fierce.”

Seeing Gu Shen make a fool of himself, Song Ci couldn’t hold back his laughter.

He took a small sip and explained, “This kind of wine is meant to be drank slowly. You should take seven or eight sips to finish it.”

“What kind of wine is this?” Gu Shen felt a surge of heat rushing to his head.

Song Ci narrowed his eyes and said casually, “The name of this wine is Lion Awakens. A sleeping lion wakes up with fury in its eyes. After drinking it, you will feel that you have endless strength throughout your body. But the name hardly matters now because the Lion Awakens stopped production ten years ago. One cup is less than one cup. I’ve kept it with the boss for a few years, and this is the first time I’ve taken it out to drink with someone.”

He raised his wine cup and asked softly, “How does the Lion Awakens taste?”

The sleepiness or late-night tiredness dissipated before the small cup of wine.

Gu Shen felt a wonderful illusion.

He seemed to be examining himself… from the perspective of looking down. His consciousness wasn’t drunk at all but remarkably clear.

“I have a feeling I’m finally awake,” Gu Shen murmured. “This wine is very good. Why did it stop production?”

“Actually, it’s not accurate to describe it as stopping production because Lion Awakens was never mass-produced.” Song Ci lowered his eyes. “Its formula only existed in one person’s mind, and that person passed away ten years ago. So naturally, Lion Awakens ceased to exist.”

Gu Shen was startled.

Song Ci took out his worn-out wallet and took out a yellowed photo from the inside. He smiled and said, “Last time, I was really in a hurry to pee, so I didn’t have time to show it off to you before I left… Here, my childhood sweetheart, Little Lu. Isn’t she beautiful?”

The photo had been rubbed by his fingers many times, and it was already yellowed and old to the extent of almost developing a patina.

The girl’s face in the photo was blurry. Her head was slightly tilted, revealing a faint smile and canine teeth.

As expected… Little Lu was his senior sister.

Lu Nanjin.

He didn’t expect his senior sister, who was usually quiet and serious, to smile so sweetly when she was young.

Gu Shen replied honestly, “Yes, she’s—”

Before he could finish speaking…

“Of course she’s beautiful!” Crow took back the photo proudly and tapped the table with a smug expression. “Little Lu is mine. Don’t look at her too much!”

Gu Shen smiled and threw out a question. “Yes, she is indeed beautiful, but why do I feel that… she looks a little like Madam?”

“… They’re sisters, biological sisters.” Crow took another sip of Lion Awakens. “Don’t get the wrong idea. My liking for Little Lu is one thing, and working for Madam is another. There’s no relationship between the two at all. Madam brought me out of Old Town. I owe Madam too much, and there’s nothing I can repay her with except this wretched life.”

“Wretched life?” Gu Shen glanced at Crow.

Although he didn’t understand this guy, anyone who could be Madam’s personal guard was definitely top-notch transcendent.

“I owe Madam… and the entire Lu family.”

Song Ci’s words were brewing in his throat. After he drank Lion Awakens, his voice was as hoarse as a wild beast’s. This was indeed not a wine that could be mass-produced because every drop of wine contained extraordinary mental elements that could make people mistakenly think they were sober… until they were completely drunk and unconscious.

“Oh, what do you mean?” Gu Shen was in excellent condition, not affected by Lion Awakens at all.

He took small sips of the wine. It was because the wine was really strong and caused him to choke if he drank too quickly… Throughout, apart from his cheeks flushing slightly, there were no other adverse reactions whatsoever.

The mental elements in the alcohol seeped into his mind and were devoured by the Blazing Fire. He was someone truly suitable to drink Lion Awakens.

Hundreds of cups wouldn’t get him drunk.

Thousands of cups wouldn’t bring him down.