"I just thought a thief was breaking in. I'm sorry to disturb you. I'll leave you alone now."

Ye Fei turned around to leave again. He had no intention of hanging out with a femme fatale like that.

Liu Manman's heavy sigh came from behind him. It sounded extremely sad and dreary in the cold night, and made Ye Fei feel a little callous.

"I really... can't find someone to talk to," her plaintive voice heaped her endless grief on his shoulders.

Despite himself, Ye Fei felt a little worried for her. It suddenly occurred to him that they were on the balcony - if Liu Manman got too depressed, she might just jump off the ledge!

Although he disliked Liu Manman, he couldn't ignore her plight. If she died because of him, Ye Fei would never be able to forgive himself.

He turned back to her stiffly. "Well, I can't sleep anyway. I'll have a drink with you."

Liu Manman's seemed a little relieved.

There was a box of beer at her side. Ye Fei took out a bottle and cracked it open.

After taking a swig, Ye Fei looked at Liu Manman and said, "You don't need to worry. Fire Dragon is wanted by the police now; he's on the run. He's probably out of the country by now, or hiding in some remote village. He called you just to scare you. You don't need to worry about him. You have to trust our government, trust the police."

Liu Manman scoffed, "Do you even believe your own spiel? Do you?"

Ye Fei was silent for a while. He really did not know how to answer this question.

Before joining Falcon, he fully believed in the government and the police. However, after returning home, he gradually discovered how unfair this country was.

The government and the police simply lacked credibility with the people.

The police force's work ethic was so flawed that it was inefficient.

He didn't know if he could trust in the government anymore.

There was still an important unsolved issue in Ye Fei's heart: the members of Falcon who had been killed. He vowed to take care of his comrades' families. He had to find out who betrayed Falcon and exact their revenge.

Seeing that Ye Fei was suddenly silent, Liu Manman smiled, "Even a three-year-old wouldn't believe that c.r.a.p."

In Ye Fei's view, Liu Manman's problem was actually fairly easy to solve. "Then you can go back to your hometown or move to another city for some time. As powerful as Fire Dragon is, he can't scour the entire country for you. Wherever you go, it's better than staying here."

Liu Manman resolutely shook her head. "I can't leave! I have a reason to be here."

"Oh?"

Ye Fei asked, "What reason can be more important than your life? You know what Fire Dragon might do to you."

"Of course I know. But..."

Liu Manman grabbed a bottle of beer and poured it all down her throat. After a long time, she looked at Ye Fei seriously and said, "Thank you for sitting with me. I hope you do not repeat to anyone what I'm about to tell you."

"Don't worry about it. I won't use it against you, either. If you don't believe me, you don't have to say anything. In fact, I have no interest in listening."

Ye Fei yawned.

Liu Manman gave Ye Fei a sidelong glance. It was impossible to conquer this man. Eventually, she said, "Other men call me a G.o.ddess, they think I'm so ladylike. In reality, I come from a small mountain village in the northwest, where there's nothing but sand, drought and poverty."

Ye Fei was amazed despite himself. Liu Manman's skin was as smooth and soft as tofu. A careful observation confirmed that she had no make-up on.

"Really? Did you have cosmetic surgery in Korea?"

Liu Manman grabbed a bottle of beer and angrily hurled it at Ye Fei. "Your mother had cosmetic surgery in Korea! I am a natural beauty!"

Ye Fei casually caught the beer and opened it, taking a quick gulp. "It's rare to see a beauty like you," he smiled.

Liu Manman's mood improved somewhat. "Well, you're not some kind of monk from a temple then, hah. You know I am a beauty."

Ye Fei chuckled. He was actually a little curious about her experiences in life.

"Even though my family was poor, I studied very well," Liu Manman proudly proclaimed. "I was at the top of my cla.s.s in primary school, middle school and high school."

"So you're an honor student. I'll toast to that. I never got that much schooling." Ye Fei smiled and raised up his beer. The atmosphere was much more relaxed.

A certain haziness fell upon the two alcohol-fueled roommates under the soft moonlight.

"When I finished high school, I didn't go on studying. I regret it a little now. With my grades, I could go to any top university…" A touch of gloom appeared in Liu Manman's eyes.

"So why didn't you? It's a real pity," Ye Fei said.

"Because... we had no money," Liu Manman sighed. "My family was always very poor. My mother was sick in bed all year, so I had to go to work to support her. However, I did not have a diploma or connections, so it was hard for me to live in the big city. After a few years, I became a model... It's a fun job and the money is actually quite good."

"Now that you have the job, you could live in another city, such as Beijing. It's good too, you don't need to always stay in Shanghai," Ye Fei said.

"No... I'm not here because of work. I'm here for a man."

When Liu Manman mentioned this man, her eyes immediately shone.