Willie’s eyes widen at my outburst, but Mr Lee ducks his head. I can tell by his raised cheeks that he’s smiling.
‘Mr Lee did suggest—’ Mr Smith starts but I wag a finger, shushing him.
‘Come now, I’m sure you have a lot of work, and don’t need to be nannying one of your guests.’ I half-push, half-drag Mr Smith to the door. ‘Thank you! I will be sure to find you if I need you. And I’ll tell Big Wang that you were a wonderful help.’
Mr Smith shakes my hand, pumps it up and down three times like Mr Lee did the other day. I smile and close the door on him, catching his expression of relief. I have things I want to do; but first, food.
The bamboo baskets are emptied of xiao long bao; I’ve slurped all the noodles, as well as the sweet rice wine soup. Only the soya milk and three chocolate éclairs are left, which I’m saving for last.
Willie hangs up the phone. ‘Big Wang is sending reinforcements. They will arrive tonight.’
I put down my chopsticks. Willie is making it difficult to enjoy my snacks.
‘Itoldyou. I was hungry, that’s all. Blood and yang affect me more when I haven’t eaten. I wasn’t prepared. I will be now. I am perfectly capable of managing without help.’
‘My job is to make sure your visit is complication free. You passed out because you breathed our air. That is a complication.’ Willie’s lizard smile gleams.
‘You could’ve at least let me speak to him. I could’ve explained.’
‘Letting you meddle in my work is not doing my job.’
I snarl at him, and the shit stick actually smiles even brighter.
Mr Lee is wisely staying out of the conversation, sitting on the pink sofa and pretending to be engrossed in a newspaper. Coward.
‘Who’s coming, then?’ I ask.
‘Big Wang did not say.’
He is being intentionally infuriating. ‘You should’ve let me talk to him.’
He smirks at my show of temper. ‘As I said, letting you meddle in my work is not doing my job. And Big Wang values me because I do my job very well.’
I shove the whole éclair in my mouth and glare at him while I chew.
Willie clasps his hands behind him. ‘I understand from Mr Lee you are somewhat squeamish about corpses? I can certainly obtain blood for you since you aren’t capable of doing so yourself.’
The smug look on his face makes the tips of my ears go hot.Yi, er, san.I count to twenty before I can turn to him and speak cordially. ‘I’m perfectlycapablefeeding myself, thank you.’
‘Big Wang wanted me to remind you specifically to avoid the hulijing and to not cause any kind of mafan. The roosters depend on it.’
I hiss. Big Wang would throw that in my face. I cannot ask him about Brother Zhu without giving away my hand. I had heard he frequents the jazz bars here... Maybe an opportunity will present itself. I need to be patient.
Willie continues, ‘And he also said to have fun. He said to tell you this is a direct order from the King of Hell to his ward.’
‘I’d like to go the Zhabei,’ I say. ‘I heard there’s a good market there.’
The look Willie gives me makes it plain he doesn’t buy my piss-fart, but he says, ‘You have to wait for your reinforcements. You cannot go with only Mr Lee as your escort. It’s too chaotic there.’
‘Fine. We’ll go in the morning, after my reinforcements arrive.’
Willie nods. ‘I’ll arrange a car to pick you up first thing. But, if your reinforcements do not agree to go, you won’t be permitted to go either. Big Wang’s orders.’ Willie smiles at me, clearly enjoying my frustration. ‘You have my number if you need me,’ he says.
When he’s gone, I round on Mr Lee. ‘Why did you let him call Big Wang and make such a big thing out of me fainting? I was surprised, that’s all. I wasn’t prepared for the crowds or the smell.’
Mr Lee folds his paper. ‘I was worried about you. What if you had really been ill? What if the yang world was like poison to you? I wanted to break the jade, but Willie wouldn’t let me.’ The concern in his gaze deflates some of my anger.
I pick at the chocolate glaze on my last éclair. The thin crust crinkles under my fingers. ‘I’ve never met mortals before. You were my first. I didn’t know I’d react like that. When I drink blood, I always have a blood rush – it’s like drinking baijiu on an empty stomach – but nothing as intense as what happened on the dock. Blood rush is always less noticeable when I have blood with food. I’m guessing yang qi is the same. I was overwhelmed. I won’t let it happen again.’
