Chapter 123: Brawl in the Bathhouse!

【Not just that, Fang Yama’s pants wrinkled up at the thigh.】

【I noticed too. They were so crisp before, but after one trip inside, they’re wrinkled right there. What’s going on? So hard to guess.】

【Brother Fen’s eyes are all red at the corners. Did he cry?】

【In what situation could Brother Fen’s face end up pressed against Fang Yama’s chest? Ugh, can’t even imagine it.】

【Come on, confess! What naughty things were you two doing in there?】

【Damn camera, the feed cut out in the infirmary too.】

【Privacy, right? Gotta check wounds and stuff, means taking off clothes for sure.】

【No prison doc in there.】

【So it’s just Fang Yama and Brother Fen playing doctor and patient.】

【Hehehehe…】

【They didn’t start another fight in there, did they?】

【…Can you not ruin the mood!】

【Ugh, mood killed.】

【Someone, sew this traitor’s mouth shut for Zhen!】

The live stream chat exploded with thirsty comments. Under the live stream camera, Fang Si Ting and Chief Inspector Ulysses locked eyes for a full ten seconds. Finally, Ulysses lowered his gaze, uncrossed his hands, planted his heels, and stood up straight.

Everyone in the live stream chat saw it. How could Ulysses, standing so close, miss the marks on their bodies?

“As chief inspector, getting too close to a criminal isn’t a good thing,” he advised kindly.

“This doesn’t need Chief Inspector Ulysses’s concern,” Fang Si Ting replied coldly.

“I’m afraid you’ll get bewitched.” He smiled frankly. “Especially by a criminal like this. Hard not to be moved, right?”

“My position tells me I’ll never feel anything extra for a criminal.”

Xiao Fen’s heart tightened. He looked up at him.

Fang Si Ting let go indifferently and walked off down the corridor without looking back.

Before Xiao Fen could call out to him, a familiar scent approached.

“Looks like my Little Puff got dumped. What now? You were just used up.” With that, a slender, cool index finger hooked the collar of the bright orange prison uniform and flipped it open.

“Not even wiping your mouth after sneaking a bite.”

He shot Ulysses a dissatisfied glare and unceremoniously swatted his hand away.

Ulysses didn’t mind the angry stare at all. Instead, he narrowed his eyes with a smile and pointed to his own mouth to remind him.

Xiao Fen wiped his mouth. Sure enough, there was a bit of chocolate smeared there.

“Be careful. Others can easily take advantage of the opening.”

“None of your damn business.”

He bared his little tiger teeth and glared viciously before turning to leave.

This guy loved stirring up trouble everywhere, always lighting fires.

Ulysses licked his lips. He could almost still taste the chocolate candy breath Xiao Fen had huffed at him in anger.

Why’d it have to benefit that bland, grieving-widower type of man?

————

Chief Inspector Ulysses escorted Xiao Fen from the infirmary back to his dorm. Only then did Xiao Fen remember Ou Yu hadn’t returned yet.

The prison dinner bell rang again. Xiao Fen was already full from the infirmary and had no appetite for the slop. He gave some snacks and little cakes from his pocket to Matthew in the next dorm.

Matthew lit up with excitement. “Fenfen, I knew you loved me.”

【Fang Yama’s got a lot of love rivals. How was he still stubborn as a mule at the infirmary door?】

【I’m anxious for him. If he ever lands a wife, I’ll eat my hat.】

【Any prior history between Matthew and Brother Fen? Don’t remember any.】

【No clue. Maybe good buddies thanks to Ouyou.】

【Yeah, didn’t he swear he’d chase Ou Yu before?】

【Those two have zero spark. They’re cold to each other daily. But Matthew and Brother Fen are always messing around. Matthew’s like a clingy puppy—eyes all gooey for Brother Fen.】

“I’ve told you a million times, that was a mission. Mission!” Xiao Fen said helplessly. “All fake, just for show.”

“And this proves you still love me.”

“Give it back then.” He’d been nice bringing food, and this was the thanks?

Matthew swiftly tore open a wrapper and shoved it in his mouth. He choked, face turning beet red, but refused to spit it out.

Xiao Fen fetched water and thumped his back. It took a while before Matthew could breathe easy and his color returned.

Sooner or later, he’d witness how this weird offed itself through sheer stupidity.

“Being human is such a hassle,” he said, wiping sweat from his face.

He used to swallow guys twice his size without a hitch.

【Sometimes I feel the same. Being human is exhausting—endless overtime. Didn’t expect carefree idols to have these woes too.】

He and the live stream chat were totally on different wavelengths.

“Back to cafeteria chow tomorrow,” Xiao Fen said. “What do you think of the food there?”

“Not good.”

“Huh.” He could actually tell.

Matthew read his expression. “I’m human, not an idiot.”

“Plenty of idiots among humans. But all idiots are human.”

Matthew’s brain short-circuited, dizzy from the loop.

“See?”

Exhibit A: a human idiot.

Xiao Fen spread his hands and burst out laughing.

Bullying idiots was pretty fun.

Matthew watched the worry fade from between Xiao Fen’s brows. Back to his usual carefree self, Matthew finally relaxed.

“Don’t be unhappy,” he said. “Xiao Fen should always be happy.”

Xiao Fen’s smile froze on his lips.

“That way the meat tastes… mmph!” His mouth got covered halfway.

“How’s your learning coming?” Xiao Fen seriously suspected Matthew had picked up some garbage lately.

Matthew pulled his hand away.

“Learning to be human? I know that much.” He had the original body’s memories, after all.

Just the diet didn’t match up. Hard to adjust on the fly.

“You sure?” Xiao Fen narrowed his eyes and leaned in a bit.

Seeing that scheming look, Matthew sensed trouble. He gripped the dorm’s iron door, shrinking back.

He couldn’t beat his favorite food right now.

Just then, Vice Squad Officers brought Ou Yu back.

“Shower time, gotta shower.” Matthew quickly changed the subject, darting into his dorm for toiletries.

Ou Yu said, “Together?”

He dumped a pile of snacks from his pockets—like a squirrel prepping for winter—stashing them under his pillow before grabbing his basin and towel.

Prison facilities were basic: one public bathhouse with a dozen cement-and-tile stalls. Fronts covered by shower curtains as doors. Most guys showered right under the row of wall taps.

This in 5°C weather.

Xiao Fen’s wounds weren’t fully healed, so no water for him. He just wiped down and skipped the curtain, using the showerhead and basin for hot water.

Steamy mist billowed. Men’s sweat stench mixed with cheap soap. The changing room door stayed shut, muffled grunts leaking out now and then. No one disturbed— all guys anyway. Others changed right there.

By the curtain, Ou Yu and Matthew chatted idly while waiting for his water.

Gradually, Xiao Fen sensed the bathhouse vibe turning off.

Nearby, a few X Country-faced inmates whispered. Less than a minute later, three approached, tilting heads to signal them out. “Hey, bros, know whose bath this is?”

“Isn’t this public?” Ou Yu asked oddly. “It was empty when we got here. No poaching, right?”

“No one dares use it ’cause it’s our boss’s private stall.”

“Oh, got it. He hasn’t shown yet. Resources are tight—waste not to hog a spot.” Ou Yu smiled amiably. “Give us two minutes. Water’s almost ready, then we’re gone.”

“So your point is our boss waits while you finish?”

With that, five or six guys twice their bulk closed in.

Ou Yu glanced at the man on the crowd’s edge: two-pronged mustache, not huge but ripped, covered in cryptic tattoos.

He slowly dropped his friendly smile, setting down his basin and clothes.

Courtesy first—he’d smiled. No blaming him for what came next.

“Matthew, you can fight, right?” he murmured sideways.

Xiao Fen was skilled, but injured this time.

This half-baked rookie felt queasy.

Matthew looked to Xiao Fen, all dumb and cute. “Can I?”

Xiao Fen: “…How should I know if you can.” Why ask him?

“I can’t.” Matthew shook his head like a good boy.

Can’t show his bad side to his favorite person. Fenfen would hate him.

“Weren’t you?” Ou Yu said strangely. “Back when you barged into my place with goons, threatening me—not like this. Like a whole new guy.”

“That wasn’t me.” Matthew’s eyes shone innocently.

“Fine, I’ll handle it. Whichever I can take down.” Ou Yu rolled up his sleeves. “If I win, bail me from the infirmary.”

“What if you lose?” He tilted his head.

“They step over your corpse first.”

“What?!” Matthew’s eyes bulged.

Mid-joint stretch, a hand blocked him.

Ou Yu figured Matthew, but looked up: M Country guest Yevgeny.

Towering half a head taller, burly yet agile, imposing next to him.

He stood before Ou Yu and explained, “They didn’t know this was Jin Q’s turf. First time grabbing hot water here—they’re newbies, didn’t know better. They’ll steer clear next time.”

“Hey, that weakling tone doesn’t match a newbie,” Yevgeny said. He wanted to smooth it over, but they picked this bathhouse—off camera—to haze rookies and set rules.

Then five or six Eastern European-looking inmates approached. “Yevgeny, they dissed Jiangnan Society at lunch. No gang’ll take ’em now. Help them, and you’re against Jin Q. We can’t protect you.”

Yevgeny arched thick brows, hand on hip, gesturing. “To me, Xiao’s way better than you lot.”

They laughed. “If you ditch us for those meat chickens, your ragtag bunch might scrap a bit.”

A few inmates caught their boss’s eye. While they talked, they’d slipped to the bathhouse door unnoticed. No Vice Squad Officers nearby—they locked it from outside, shooing away entrants.

Everyone knew the drill.

Dozens showered, eyes flicking over.

“Make way, coming through.” Xiao Fen carried a huge basin of hot water over.

Slimmest and fairest among them, that face screamed innocent in the steam.

Many paused at his misty features, then whistled excitedly.

“Ladies,” a big guy with arm tattoos stepped up, “Silver Snake Gang’ll take you in…”

Before he finished, scalding hot water splashed him full-force. He clutched his face, howling as he dropped.

Chaos erupted.

A dozen rushed Xiao Fen at once, fists flying for his head.

The big guy charged red-eyed to slam him down.

Xiao Fen blocked with the basin—plastic bottom punctured instantly. In that split-second blind spot, his leg snapped out twice. Big guy cupped his crotch, wailing in agony—out for good.

Stealing a glance at the writhing man: left arm “Rare Breed,” right “Cold Palace.”

“Uh…”

Pretty rare indeed.

No culture, no global stage.

That delay let a fist fly at him.

Ou Yu chopped it hand-knife style, dragging him deeper into the bath amid howls.

“I’ll handle it! Wounds not healed—stay back!”

“Outta the way. Today I beat him till his great-grandpa won’t know him.” Xiao Fen shook free, yanked a towel from the shower valve, lunged into the hulking meat forest, and looped it around Jin Q’s neck from behind.

Chaos intensified. Screams and roars mixed with gut-wrenching wails.

Ou Yu rubbed his forehead with a headache.

Seeing Xiao Fen make his move, Matthew immediately jumped into the fray, grabbing one with each hand like chopping watermelons.

He couldn’t beat Xiao Fen, but surely he could handle these trashes!

Yevgeny had just beaten four or five men to the ground when he turned around to see the remaining thirty or forty all taken care of.

He whistled admiringly and gave a thumbs up.

“Trash, can you still fight?” Xiao Fen put his hands on his hips, clearly displeased. “As heavy criminals, you shouldn’t be this frail. You definitely haven’t used your full strength yet—saving backhands for a sneak attack on me. So insidious.”

With that, he kicked a burly man weighing over two hundred jin hard by his feet. The lump of meat didn’t dare move an inch.

“Really good at playing dead.”

Matthew’s green eyes stared fixedly at Xiao Fen’s snow-white, slender nape. Taking advantage of the moment when Xiao Fen was calling out to Ou Yu and Yevgeny, he lowered his head and sneaked in a bite.

Xiao Fen: “……”

“Awoo!”

“I’ve told you not to nibble me, not to nibble me, not to nibble me!”

Matthew hurriedly hugged his head and scampered off like a rat.

Xiao Fen irritably spat out the stale air from his chest, draped his towel over his shoulders, and swept his gaze across the room with eyes full of killing intent.

The prisoners nearby, who had been itching to jump in, hurriedly raised their open hands to chest level, signaling their harmlessness and urging him to calm down.

Yevgeny looked at him like he was a madman.

He even beat up his own combat partners this ruthlessly.

“He’s not usually like this,” Ou Yu said with an awkward smile, explaining softly. “He’s a bit irritable today. Not sure who provoked him.”

He nudged Jin Q’s body with his toe. Seeing the other man lying on the ground with hands clasped together, begging pitifully with a fawning expression, Xiao Fen planted his foot on Jin Q’s left cheek and extended his hand to the crowd.

“Anyone got a face basin I can borrow?”

Half an hour later, the bathhouse door was kicked open from the inside amid a cloud of steam.

Under the surprised and stunned gaze of the lookout boy at the door, Xiao Fen, Ou Yu, Matthew, and Yevgeny strode out feeling refreshed.

【What’s going on?】

【I saw a dozen guys come out earlier to guard the door. Thought something was about to happen inside. Good thing nothing did.】

【Or maybe the ones who didn’t know any better are the ones in trouble.】

【Dozens of guys in there taking a bath in one bathhouse, and not a single one comes out for half an hour.】

【Didn’t catch it on cam, didn’t see it, don’t know about it.】

【R.I.P. inmates. Your good days are over.】

From that day on, the ownership of the bathhouse’s four private bathrooms changed hands.