Chapter Eleven: My Fish

“Alright, that’s fine by me too. I’ve always believed in fairness. Honestly, if you gave me such a large fish just to thank me, I’d feel a bit guilty. Since that’s the case, I suppose if I tried to pay you more, you’d refuse out of embarrassment. So I’ll just pay you the market price. Judging by the weight, your fish is about forty kilograms. At the current market rate, that’s forty thousand yuan. Don’t turn it down, it’s really not too much,” the girl said, rather pleased with herself.

Hearing her words, Fang Yuan couldn’t help but wonder how there could be such an earnest girl in the world—someone who was afraid the money she offered might be too much.

Well, the price was actually about what Fang Yuan had estimated from the start. Still, after all the girl’s preamble, he couldn’t help but feel that he’d suffered a loss, and a significant one at that. He knew it was all in his head, but the thought that he might have gotten even more money made his heart ache.

“Why are you staring at me?” The girl noticed Fang Yuan was simply gazing at her, silent, as if he wanted to say something but was too shy.

“Oh, you must be thinking about how I lied to those two police officers earlier, right? Here’s what happened—at that moment, I happened to be passing by and saw you having some kind of dispute with them. I was worried you were in trouble and couldn’t extricate yourself, especially since when you left me earlier, you didn’t seem to have any ID with you. So I had no choice but to say what I did. It wasn’t a big deal, but if they really took you away, it would have been a hassle,” the girl explained, assuming Fang Yuan wanted to thank her.

“My name is Fang Yuan, as in the area within a radius of several dozen miles. May I ask your name, miss?” Fang Yuan decided it was better not to continue this conversation, lest he feel more and more exasperated.

“My name is Pei Xi—Xi, as in hope,” she replied, watching Fang Yuan carrying a giant fish nearly as big as herself with effortless ease, inwardly impressed. He didn’t look particularly muscular, but his strength was astonishing.

An eighty-jin fish was no light burden to carry on one’s shoulder, yet he seemed unbothered. She wondered if he was just making it look easy, or if it truly was nothing to him.

“I’ll deliver the fish to your hotel. You go ahead and get the cash ready—I only accept cash,” Fang Yuan said, feeling that walking alongside this girl would surely cost him a year of his life. It would be best to have her return early to prepare the payment. Once he delivered the fish, he could take the money and leave, and he certainly would not linger a moment longer.

“That won’t do. What if you run off? I can’t miss out on such a fresh fish,” the girl said, entirely unaware of how superfluous her presence was.

“Very well, let’s move quickly then. I’m worried the sun will spoil the fish,” Fang Yuan replied, not bothering to see whether Pei Xi could keep up, striding off at a brisk pace.

“Wait for me!” Pei Xi called after him, half running, but Fang Yuan seemed suddenly deaf, not slowing down at all—if anything, picking up speed.

By the time they reached the hotel, Pei Xi was utterly breathless, while Fang Yuan seemed as relaxed as if he’d just had a good rest, not the least bit tired.

“Are you even human? How can you be so freakish? Walking fast is one thing, but carrying something so heavy and still moving at a run—that’s just not fair,” Pei Xi gasped, lifting her head to see Fang Yuan not even breathing hard, as if she’d been the only one running all the way.

Pei Xi had never felt so much like a pig in all her life.

But her question sparked Fang Yuan’s curiosity. He’d never really thought about it before—was this strange insect really an Earth creature? If not, could he be what people call an alien?

If that were true, wouldn’t he be even rarer than those adorable giant pandas?

“I don’t have that much cash on me. Can I transfer the money? It’ll be quick,” Pei Xi said. She was used to making large purchases, so her bag contained hardly any cash, just a collection of different cards.

One card, everything’s possible.

“No, I only accept cash.” Fang Yuan shook his head, making no move to put down the fish on his shoulder. It was clear that if Pei Xi couldn’t follow his terms, he’d simply leave with his prized catch.

On the way here, Fang Yuan had already scoped out the area—this whole district was full of luxury hotels, and their guests were hardly short of money. He was certain his big fish would be well received, and perhaps someone else would pay even more than Pei Xi.

Fang Yuan had always prided himself on being a gentleman and keeping his word. He’d promised to sell it to Pei Xi, and wouldn’t break that promise for a higher offer. But if Pei Xi failed to hold up her end, that was another matter entirely. After all, who in this day and age would turn down money, especially when he was in such need of it?

“You want cash? That’s easy. Just wait here a moment—I’ll have someone bring it right over,” Pei Xi said, and went out to make a phone call.

Each room here had a private pool. Worried that the fish might spoil in the heat, Fang Yuan checked to see that it was still alive, then tossed it into the swimming pool.

The fish, which moments before had seemed on the verge of death, immediately began frolicking in the water. It showed no sign of realizing it was soon to become someone’s dinner. Enjoy yourself while you can, Fang Yuan thought, for by the end of today, you’ll be on someone’s plate.

He hadn’t had a moment’s rest all day. Seeing a recliner outside, and guessing Pei Xi wouldn’t be back soon, Fang Yuan decided to lie down for a bit—and before he knew it, he’d fallen asleep.

After making her call, Pei Xi quickly found someone to bring over forty thousand yuan in cash, muttering the whole time, “Is this guy crazy? Who pays in cash these days?”

The person who arrived was Pei Xi’s childhood friend, Zheng Hao, who also happened to be the owner of the hotel. This was an extremely exclusive resort; you couldn’t get a room here without an introduction, and it wasn’t just a matter of money. Pei Xi had come only because she’d accepted Zheng Hao’s invitation. It was her first day here—and she’d already encountered such an eccentric as Fang Yuan.