bustling city

In the half month before the start of the match, time passed faster than Zhou Jin imagined.

When passing through each of these days, it is clear that life is like being pressed in slow motion. It is so long that people almost think that the sun will hang high in the sky forever, and the night will never come—or vice versa. The long night may have eroded the space that should have been occupied by the day, it overflowed the edge, and began to extend unscrupulously.

The strange thing is that when these seemingly endless units of time are connected together, time suddenly speeds up, making people feel that before they have time to experience or taste something, a part of life has withered and peeled off.

Zhou Jin was studying the notes that Yan Jun had compiled for him, and he still couldn't fully understand some parts. The calculation methods used by Yan Jun were too difficult and had already surpassed the highest limit he could understand with his current level of knowledge.

Fortunately, he has an extraordinary memory ability, and can memorize all the so-called "principles" Yan Jun said, which is enough to adapt to the situation in the gambling game.

The sun has risen.

In the past night, Zhou Jin only enjoyed three hours of sleep.

The nicotine patches used to pick you up are turned into post-use waste, littering tables.

The dazzling brilliance fell on the leaves of the whole row of delicate and green plants under the window sill—those were slowly accumulated by Ms. Luo moving a few pots from time to time, but Zhou Jin knew that they were all specially selected by Yan Jun , and some he even dug himself from a nearby nursery.

The scene in the basement is very different from what it was a few months ago.

The green plants brought life to the overly spacious environment, the dust on the boxing ring was cleaned up, and two pairs of gloves were hung side by side on the fence; Unable to withstand Zhou Jinshi's anger, he finally collapsed under the weight of being kicked by him at the foot of the table.

Perhaps it also took away the resentment that Zhou Jin had accumulated over the years.

After changing to a new table, Zhou Jin's temper calmed down a lot. Even if he felt impatient from time to time, he no longer vented his anger in such a brutal way.

Another part of the excess internal anger obviously turned into his teasing towards Yan Jun, which was mixed with lust and desire to win.

Occasionally, Zhou Jin feels that he is a burning fireball, full of energy, but incomplete.

This cognition of his own vacancy disturbed him, making it difficult for him to restrain his desire to chase Yan Jun.

Either beat him at the table, or conquer him emotionally.

Which kind of Zhou Jin likes to hear and see, and is even willing to devote himself wholeheartedly to this goal, regardless of the consequences.

It was easier to ignite his enthusiasm than the big bets, or the life of high society.

He crossed out another space on the calendar with a pen, only to realize that adding today, there are only three days before the game between him and Doroer.

A new corner table was added next to the gaming table, and there was a bookcase full of miscellaneous books that occupied half of the wall.

Yan Jun insisted that he read some difficult and boring books, almost all of which had nothing to do with gambling. Zhou Jin didn't understand his purpose, but unfortunately he couldn't beat him—the invasion of these bookcases was the result of his compromise and obedience to Yan Jun.

Now, as usual, there was a hearty breakfast on the corner table, with a cup of strong coffee.

He took out the half-read book from the cabinet, put it in front of him, picked up the bread and devoured it.

In the absence of outsiders, he retained the dispositions he had brought from his grimy life beyond the wall, and stubbornly refused to discard them.

The door at the top of the spiral staircase was opened and closed, and Zhou Jin felt excited for a moment, but when he heard footsteps, he found that it was not Yan Jun.

Miss Luo walked down quickly, said good morning to Zhou Jin, and asked him to go up with her.

"Sir wants you to try on the clothes you will wear the day after tomorrow."

she says.

Zhou Jin recalled those exaggerated suits a few months ago, and thought of his funny appearance when he wore them, and he couldn't help but feel bored.

I didn't see Yan Jun when I went upstairs.

Ms. Luo brought more clothes than last time. A set of clothes was carefully wrapped in a dust cover, and the style of the clothes could not be seen from the outside, but Ms. Luo herself clearly knew what they were, so she brought movable hangers , arranged them in an order that only she could understand, picked out a set and handed it to Zhou Jin.

Zhou Jin couldn't help admiring her omnipotence at times like this.

In the middle of changing clothes, Zhou Jin was a little surprised when he heard Yan Jun come back from the outside and had a brief conversation with Ms. Luo, and occasionally there was a soft cry similar to that of a baby animal, Zhou Jin thought he had heard it wrong up.

When I went out, I saw Yan Jun holding a puppy that had just grown fluff in his arms, standing not far away.

The puppy is a purebred border collie, I don't know if it has been weaned.

It lay comfortably in the crook of Yan Jun's arms, with its eyes closed, turning into two thin slits on its pointed face.

From the ears to around the eye sockets, darker gray markings are intermingled with the pure white background, which adds some noble and handsome shadows to the animal's natural cuteness when it is young.

Zhou Jin shifted his eyes from the puppy to Yan Jun. He hugged the cub, showing a gentle expression that made people want to get close to him. The soft side profile made people almost think that his usual stern and cold aura was just an illusion That's all.

Yan Jun put the dog on the ground, the little plush ball reluctantly opened its eyes, stood up with its short limbs, staggered to find a corner, and curled up against the wall.

"Very good, it looks more temperamental than before."

Yan Jun looked at Zhou Jin's attire and commented.

Only then did he think of turning his head to look at himself in the mirror, and at first glance he felt a little strange.

That was a very different self from Zhou Jin's memory.

He also tried this suit with black background and gold embroidery a few months ago. At that time, he looked at himself and felt like those nouveau riche who became rich overnight, lacking background, but insisted on pretending to be aristocratic.

Now I can't tell what has changed, but the clothes seem to exist exclusively for him. Its dark mystery and golden arrogance can be seen from Zhou Jin's eyes and demeanor. ——This is truly an ambitious upstart who is about to enter Vanity Fair.

Even Zhou Jin himself was amazed by this change, and was rarely at a loss.

"There's nothing left to change."

Ms. Luo reported.

Yan Jun nodded, walked to Zhou Jin's side, and raised his hand to help him straighten his uneven shoulders.

The boy was thin and tall, and looked only half a head shorter than Yan Jun.

He looked at himself in the mirror standing next to Yan Jun in a black shirt and black trousers, and suddenly felt that they were a good match.

"Go and change," Yan Jun ordered, "and then go see your dog."

"Mine?" "It will be yours from now on."

Yan Jun gently pushed him on the back to urge him to hurry up, and said.

Zhou Jin stood a few steps away with some resistance, watching the little life rub Yan Jun's hand with the top of its head affectionately.

He was torn between two strong emotions. The puppy's cuteness and obedience made him feel pity instinctively, but its appearance made him unable to restrain himself from recalling those dark memories over and over again. He didn't want to get close to this life at all.

Zhou Jin didn't know whether he was repelling it or it was repelling himself.

But the dog did fear him.

Zhou Jin heard a saying that these animals are inherently sensitive, they will instinctively stay away from humans who are stained with the bloody smell of their companions, and regard them as murderers and enemies.

Zhou Jin thought sarcastically, but you don't know that I am the one who saved your companion. I stained its blood to save it. When it was abandoned and forgotten by everyone, I was saddened by its death.

The puppy didn't understand this, it was like an extremely pure and ignorant judge, arbitrarily condemning Zhou Jin to death.

Yan Jun allowed him to stand and watch from afar, and played with the puppy for a while, then suddenly picked it up, and stuffed it into Zhou Jin's arms without warning.

Zhou Jin held the little animal stiffly, and both of them seemed to resist.

The cub writhed uncomfortably in his arms and nearly fell to the ground. Yan Jun stood aside to protect him, and ordered involuntarily, "Comfort it."

"I don't use a dog, I can't keep it alive."

Zhou Jin stuck his neck and insisted.

"You have to raise it," Yan Jun looked into his eyes without any warmth, "I said, starting from today, it is your dog."

Zhou Jin maintained the same posture and held a stalemate with him until Yan Jun let go of his hand indifferently. The puppy struggled twice and was about to fall out of Zhou Jin's arms. Caress on the puppy's soft fur.

After a while, it was probably discovered that this dangerous animal would not harm it. The puppy finally settled down and lay down obediently, although its eyes were still open in shock, and Zhou Jin could feel that its back was aroused by the tense and taut.

"You told me about that dog," Yan Jun sat down on the sofa next to him, poured himself another glass of wine at some point, and was sipping lazily, "If I remember correctly, it's this breed, right? ?""yes."

Zhou Jin was not surprised at all that he would ask such a question.

Everything Yan Jun does is extremely sophisticated and cruel, and he already knows this well.

"Do you know why?" "You want to fight fire with fire, so that I won't think about the past."

Zhou Jin smiled and replied with a sarcastic tone.

Rather than saying it was an answer, it was better to say that it was venting an impulse of revenge in the bottom of my heart.

"I'm not that boring yet."

Yan Jun raised his head and drank the glass of wine, then refilled himself another glass.

"You like it."

He pointed out firmly.

Zhou Jin has no room to refute, he knows best what Yan Jun said is the truth.

"When we first met, you said you didn't have anything to love. I told you at the time that that was the saddest thing, because that—" "—that, everything I did was just animal instinct."

Zhou Jin continued.

Yan Jun gave him approving eyes: "So many people in the casino went bankrupt after being crazy, and went to the end of the road. They treated themselves and the people around them in the most vicious way, because they gave up loving and lived by instinct—you Father is also one of them.

The road I push you to walk is dangerous and full of countless temptations.

Even if there is me, even if you are naturally lacking in material desires, it is impossible to be unaffected at all. I trained you to be my weapon, but I also hope that after this matter is over, you will live a better life than before. "

Looking at Yan Jun's emotional eyes, Zhou Jin felt the sway of his mind for the first time in his life: it was a kind of pure stability and dependence driven by abandoning passion, which he never had for anyone other than Yan Jun. the feeling of passing.

Yan Jun pointed to the puppy in Zhou Jin's arms - it has relaxed now, enjoying the warmth in the boy's arms with its eyes closed, he continued: "You have to raise it, and even if you know it will leave you one day , will stab you in the most extreme way of death, and you have to love it.

Because to have the courage to fight, you must first have the courage to face your love. "