We skirt the pond, passing the women practicing tai chi in the rock garden. They all smell of mortal yang qi.
‘It’s much better than those crusty poems about being drunk and leaning on pines,’ I say. My throat itches from the combined scent of the women’s blood and qi. I swallow, trying to soothe the burn.
Mr Lee chuckles, and I guide us away from the women towards the canals in town. As their scent fades, Mr Lee’s grows more intense. I can almost taste the honeyed overripe persimmon flavour of his blood, the cool watermelon crispness of his yang qi. My gums swell and ache, my fangs pressing to slide out. I recite cat poems to keep my mind off Mr Lee’s intoxicating scent, and when my throat is too dry to continue, I demand Mr Lee recite more of his friend Xunmei’s recent compositions.
We head to the white-washed buildings of Nanxiang where grey tiles ripple across the rooftops and stone dragons undulate along the ridges. The town is built on an ancient network of narrow canals, which makes it easy to meander, and easy to spot anyone following us.
When we reach the first bridge, Mr Lee holds out his arm. ‘Please help me across the bridge; I don’t much like water,’ he says with a gentle smile.
I swallow again, this time because I’m salivating and don’t want to drool. I can’t seem to deny the expectation in his gaze, so I take his arm and smile tightly.
‘Why thank you for your kindness,’ he says. ‘This is much better than being wrapped in a burlap bag.’
As soon as we are over the bridge, I put some space between us, and try to breathe through my clenched teeth. The sensation of being followed is still there but I’m too distracted to focus. We pass through groups of mortals, all out for a gentle stroll. Whoever is watching us might be any one of them but I when I try to sniff the air for strangers, all I can smell is Mr Lee.
We turn a corner and are faced with another bridge and another canal. He links his arm through mine and I practically drag him across, impatient to stop the physical contact. I pull away as soon as we are over. My fangs are out and my head spins. We turn a corner, and there is yet another bridge. I nearly cry in frustration and rub my face to try and soothe that ache in my gums. Mr Lee glances down at me and without a word offers me atoo seeroll from his pocket, then another, then another.
I lean against a white-washed wall and close my eyes. ‘I need blood.’
I feel him flinch, in the change of his scent, in the sourness that betrays his reluctance. Like before. I pretend not to notice, though it stings.
‘Right now?’ he asks.
‘No, not now. But soon.’
‘What happens if you don’t get any?’
I look at him. He’s pale, but there’s a steely resolve in his eyes.
‘I don’t know,’ I say. ‘I’ve never had to find out. You know, it’s been almost a hundred years and Big Wang has never failed to provide for me.’ I bite my lip. ‘I really should be nicer to the old bat.’
Mr Lee laughs but it sounds flat. We’ve come full circle in the small town and exhausted all the streets.
‘We’d better head back,’ he says.
Thetoo seerolls have dulled the edge of my thirst but my fangs haven’t retracted. The prickle is still there at the nape of my neck but my head hurts and I can’t focus on anything except making sure I don’t drain Mr Lee. The restaurant isn’t far – I can see it in the distance and a dark figure by the shiny black motorcar that can only be Willie. It’s a straight shot back. Willie will see, and hear, if anything happens to Mr Lee.
The drive home is frosty, Gigi refusing to be drawn into conversation with Ah Lang, no matter how hard he tries. I lean my head out the window, try to dispel the dizziness and Mr Lee’s scent. Slowly my head clears, and thinking back on that feeling of being followed... it seems to only happen when Mr Lee and I are on our own. I didn’t feel it at all when we were in Zhabei with Ah Lang and Gigi. Interesting, but I don’t know how that fits with everything else.
Now that my head isn’t pounding, I take a careful breath inside the car. My throat immediately feels like I’ve swallowed razors, so I stick my head out the window again.
‘The Paramount really is an amazing place,’ Ah Lang says, trying to engage Gigi. ‘You’ll love it, petal. It’s the best club in Shanghai.’
Gigi stares out the car window, as if she hasn’t heard him.
‘Mention my name if you have any trouble,’ Willie says. ‘The Paramount is a favourite playing ground for yaojing. Be wary of any hulijing.’
With Gigi in this mood, it’s unlikely we’ll be going anywhere tonight. I know what she’s like and when she’s in a temper, she is the most contrary woman I know. And there’s no way I’ll get to talk to Brother Zhu if we don’tallagree to go to the Paramount. However... if I play my hand right, I can make her thinkshewants more than anything to go the Paramount. I glance at Mr Lee, who is gazing out the window, his attention far away. His words grate at my conscience.Lying is the path of cowards.
I hesitate, then feel foolish for allowing a mortal’s opinions to sway my purpose. I take a deep breath of fresh air then pull my head inside. I say, ‘Big Wang said the hulijing are bound by the laws of Tian to behave, is that true?’ and then hold my breath again.
‘Mmmgh,’ Willie says, making that same non-committal noise Big Wang so favours. ‘They dare not cause blatant mafan, but I would not be surprised if they tried very hard to makeyoudishonour Tian. Big Wang says to remember your anger management lessons.’ Through the rearview mirror, Willie levels his cold gaze on me.
I nod as if really considering and infuse my voice with a smidgeon of fear. ‘Maybe it’s best we don’t go. Better to stay in the hotel,’ I say, then return my head out the window and wait for Gigi to be contrary.San, er, yi...
Right on cue, Gigi says, ‘I’m not sitting in my hotel room,’ at the same time as Ah Lang says, ‘Please, let me show you the Paramount?’
Gigi glares at him, but Ah Lang seems pleased that she’s even looking his way. ‘I’ve never seen any hulijing step out of line there. The bouncers are strict and have no hesitation in banning troublemakers. And you can get all dressed up, petal. Show off to everyone the goddess you are.’
