On the twenty-eighth day of the sixth month in the Year of the Tiger, it is auspicious for trading, marrying, and all taboos are lifted.

Li Yan lay under a sun umbrella, clad in a pair of vividly patterned shorts, pinching a document in his hand. It detailed the upcoming boxing match with Xu Tianci, just a few days away.

"Worried about losing?"

Li Yan chuckled and tossed the boxing match document aside, his gaze naturally drifting towards Judy as she approached.

The sapphire blue swimsuit perfectly accentuated the woman's curves, her tender and plump cheeks, and her slightly upturned chin added a touch of sweetness to her smile.

These days, Li Yan's life had been particularly lush. Below the Seventh Arena, hardly anyone was willing to face this "Yama" in the Boxing Ring. And Li Yan, just one fight away from ticking off the "fight to the Seventh Arena in the Nine Dragons Boxing Ring" from the Yanfu Incident checklist, was not in a hurry. He did not actively seek any fights, maintaining his condition with daily practice at the Fuk Yee Mansion, and was inseparable from Judy.

"Inseparable, my foot," Li Yan cursed inwardly. His eyes wandered over Judy twice before he suddenly spoke, "Judy, are you hungry?"

"Hmm?"

Judy sat beside Li Yan, her legs together, palms cradling her cheeks.

"How about I treat you to some wonton noodles?"

"Huh?"

...

The wisps of steam wafted through the air, and the eatery buzzed with noise.

Judy took a deep breath, her ample chest rising and falling. Her fair hand pressed against the table, suppressing her anger, "Speak to me now as if nothing happened."

Li Yan, with his face buried in a large bowl, wolfed down his food, oblivious to Judy's words.

A dangerous smile crept onto the woman's face:

"I spend millions every night to support your matches, and even buying a pair of Klein underwear for you costs thousands. And you're breaking up with me over a bowl of wonton noodles that costs eighty-something dollars?"

Judy's voice was not loud, but it drew the attention of everyone in the eatery. Even Li Yan nearly choked on his soup.

Li Yan set down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and suddenly raised his hand, signaling the waiter. Judy bit her lip, waiting for Li Yan to explain. To her surprise, he simply called the waiter over.

"Another bowl, please. Thank you."

"Bang!"

Judy slammed the table and stood up, her eyes nearly shooting flames.

Li Yan couldn't help but laugh, "Sister Judy, don't be so agitated. This isn't like you at all."

"You listen to me..." Judy's tone turned dark, "If I wanted, I could have you swimming in the sea tonight, and I guarantee that by tomorrow, the name 'Yama' would be no more in Nine Dragons City. Do you believe me?"

Li Yan steeled his heart and replied, "Sister Judy, hearing you say such things to my face does indeed make me nervous. But let's settle our accounts clearly. In the boxing matches, I never made you lose money. The clothes and watches you bought for me, I've already shipped to your villa in Shallow Water Bay, postage paid by me. We've been together for just over twenty days, and if it's not working out, then we break up. We haven't slept together, so no one's at a loss. Do you understand what I'm saying, clearly or not?"

Judy clenched her silver teeth, making a grating sound as she nodded.

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“Fine, very fine.”

She snatched up her handbag from the side, cast one last glance at Li Yan, and left without any hesitation.

“Wait.”

Judy scoffed coldly and asked with evident reluctance, “What else is there?”

Li Yan pondered for a moment before replying indifferently, “Those who practice martial arts often know some medicine. The Calming Medical Prescription I gave you a few days ago is a family remedy. It’s quite effective for insomnia and palpitations. You may be angry with me, but you should still take care of your own body.”

The woman turned around, her teeth clenched in anger, “I’ll flush it down the toilet when I get home!”

The sound of her high heels gradually faded away, and Li Yan, head bowed, dipped into the soup and nibbled on some greens. Judy had barely touched her bowl of wonton soup. She couldn’t even get used to Lan Kwai Fong, let alone enjoy the food stalls in Causeway Bay or Temple Street.

Li Yan reached for Judy's leftover bowl of wontons, unceremoniously swallowing them down, lost in silence.

Apartment No. 22 on Su Temple Street had its perks, but the pungent smell from the fish ball factory was overpowering. Li Yan could now choose to live in the Fuk Yee Mansion, where there was air conditioning, alcohol, and even women.

Yet he chose not to move.

Nine Dragons City was dim even at noon, and Li Yan felt a chill despite the daylight.

“Meow~”

Li Yan smiled and picked up the lively kitten, which didn’t struggle and looked around curiously.

He glanced at the number plate on the door and, instead of heading to his own Apartment 413, he went to Apartment 411 where Ah Xiu and her daughter lived. As expected, the door was ajar.

“Ah Xiu, your Ah Mi has run out again, Ah Xiu?”

Li Yan gently pushed the door open.

“Creak.”

Even with Li Yan's strong will, the stench in the room made him furrow his brow. It was hard to imagine how a delicate girl like Ah Xiu could live in such conditions.

“The factory stinks so much, and you don’t even close the windows properly.”

Li Yan put down the cat and went to secure the window.

“Who are you looking for?”

The hoarse voice beside him made Li Yan’s hair stand on end, and he instinctively raised his knee. But remembering this was Ah Xiu’s home, he changed his kick to a retreat, floating back two steps. He fixed his gaze and saw a face with rough, wrinkled skin, purple-black lips pressed tight, and eyes as lifeless as a dead fish. The guarded look reminded Li Yan of the witch in "The Thirteenth of July."

Li Yan swallowed hard, his heart still racing, “You…”

…

“Snow Maiden's Seven Friends, seven little dwarves~”

“Snow Maiden's Seven Friends, seven along with the heart~”

"The seven dwarfs have so many tricks up their sleeves," she mused.

"The witch finds no peace when she meets them."

Ah Xiu wiped her cheek, her hand clutching a crumpled banknote. She climbed the stairs step by step, humming an indistinct tune.

It wasn't until she reached her front door that she realized it wasn't properly locked. Then, hearing a man's voice inside, Ah Xiu gasped and hurriedly pushed the door open and entered.

Li Yan stood on a stool, fiddling with a lightbulb. In the kitchen, a woman, apron-clad, was busily stir-frying something.

"Ah Xiu, you're back," Li Yan nodded to the girl.

"Yan, Brother Yan?"

"Your Ah Mi ran out, and I brought her back. I thought I'd help you change the lightbulb while I was here."

"Little Yan, stay for dinner at my place," the woman's voice called from the kitchen.

"Sure. Thank you, Auntie."

Li Yan looked at the silent Ah Xiu and said with a smile, "Hey, Ah Xiu, Brother Yan is giving you a hundred bucks. Why don't you go buy some pork to bring back, okay?"

"No need, we've got plenty at home."

Ah Xiu suddenly looked up, her smile radiant.

Li Yan gazed at her intently.

"Is that so."

...

The lightbulb flickered with a crackling sound, then brightened.

The three of them sat around the table.

"See, I told you it would work."

"I haven't had the chance to thank Little Yan for always looking out for my daughter."

"It's nothing, Auntie. Your Char Siu is delicious. But it's strange, even with the windows closed for so long, there's still this foul smell in the house. I'll bring some incense next time, to ward off evil spirits."

"You get used to it."

"I'm always eating plain rice; I'm really sorry."

"We're all neighbors here; there's nothing to be sorry about."

The woman's withered face broke into a smile.

"Ah Xiu is still young, and with everything so chaotic outside, I worry about her getting into trouble. At my age, I only have one daughter. If something happened to Ah Xiu, I wouldn't rest in peace even as a ghost. Don't you think?"

Li Yan smiled but said nothing more. The meal was eaten in relative harmony.

"See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

"Clang."

Ah Xiu closed the door. She turned around silently to see her mother sitting in a chair, her complexion ashen, motionless.

Facing the door with the number 411, Li Yan stood for a moment before taking out his phone and dialing a number.

"Hello?"

"Brother Red Ghost, is there still room in the building? I'm thinking of moving over..."

Li Yan's voice faltered, "Brother Red Ghost, I'll call you back later."

With that, he hung up.

"Hello? Hello?" Red Ghost called into the phone a few times, only to hear a series of busy signals. "All this supernatural nonsense," he muttered.

Across from Li Yan, a man with dyed blonde hair wearing a deep red tank top approached. Li Yan recognized him as one of Floral Shirt Nine's henchmen.

"Brother Le wants to see you. He says he's found the thing you were looking for."

**********

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