Cat 237: The Second Treasure Map
by CristaeChapter 237 The Second Treasure Map
Yan Jiyun watched as Cheng Xueying, with practiced ease, lifted his skirt to relieve himself, confirming once and for all that he was indeed a man.
He would have liked to follow Cheng Xueying back to the Cheng household to observe the situation, but at present, Cheng Xueying could not return—he still had to keep vigil for his recently deceased husband.
Of course, perhaps he had no real desire to return at all, merely maintaining appearances. No, Cheng Xueying had entered the Liu family with a purpose and had been searching for something all along. Could it also be the treasure map? But Yan Jiyun had already checked with the system—Cheng Xueying’s goal was not the treasure map. There had to be another reason.
Yan Jiyun darted out of the restroom, waiting until Cheng Xueying left as if nothing had happened before returning to change himself back into human form. He removed the white lab coat he wore as a cat and slipped his suit, fallen to the floor, back on before stepping out of the hospital.
He needed to visit the Cheng family. No, that wasn’t necessary; it would suffice to find that young master of the Chengs—the one who had made such a scene before Ninth Master earlier. He might as well use Ninth Master’s influence to get that man to help with some matters, since Ninth Master was now functioning as an NPC—perfect for exploitation.
As soon as Yan Jiyun got into the car, he told Yang Er, “Take me to find the young master of the Cheng family.”
Yang Er: “Who? Which young master from the Cheng family?”
Yan Jiyun: “The idiot we ran into at the meeting this morning, full of himself.”
Yang Er: “I wasn’t at the meeting this morning. No clue.”
Yan Jiyun fixed him with a look. “Don’t play dumb, Yang Er. Is there anyone in Jiangnan Town you don’t know? Why else would Ninth Master keep you close? If you had no talent, he wouldn’t bother with you.”
Yang Er hadn’t expected to be seen through so easily, but still tried to defend himself. “Ninth Master saved my life. I’m loyal to him. Why would he think I’m no good?”
Yan Jiyun replied, “Ninth Master has saved plenty of people; you’re just one of many. Enough talk, take me to that soon-to-inherit-the-family-fortune cousin of mine from the Chengs, and tell me about the family as well.”
Yang Er grumbled, “You sure like bossing people around. I don’t even know you that well.”
Yan Jiyun responded lazily, “Then I’ll just ask Ninth Master, and let him tell you to tell me about the Chengs. If you want to go through all that trouble, I won’t stop you.”
Yang Er thought to himself that this newcomer really knew how to handle people. He’d assumed Yan Jiyun was an innocent lamb, but now saw the wolf under the sheep’s clothing. Did Ninth Master know he’d let a wolf in?
“Well, I just don’t know what it is about you that Ninth Master likes,” he muttered, thinking Yan Jiyun couldn’t hear him.
But Yan Jiyun replied with a grin, “He likes my soul.”
Yang Er: “So shameless. Fine, I’ll take you to the Chengs’ young master. He’s probably either with a woman or gambling his money away.”
Halfway there, Yang Er suddenly recalled, “Aren’t you hunting for treasure anymore?”
Lounging in the back seat, Yan Jiyun said, “Of course I am, but first I have to figure out what the treasure even is. Otherwise, I’d be like a headless fly, running around wasting time. Start by telling me about the Cheng family.”
Though a little reluctant, Yang Er was not short on gossip. Normally, he had to bite his tongue around Ninth Master, and he couldn’t gossip with the other staff—but with Yan Jiyun, it came easily. After all, Ninth Master did rather spoil this one.
“The Cheng family’s really strange. You’d think, in this day and age, they’d be past all that patriarchal superstition, but they won’t even let their daughters show their faces outside. The young master is the son of Cheng Liang’s second sister; Cheng Liang is your third cousin-sister’s father, so this young master is a cousin from the father’s side. Now, he’s being heavily groomed by the matriarch.”
Yan Jiyun didn’t mention knowing Cheng Xueying’s true gender, but asked, “What sort of status does this Cheng Liang have at home? If he has a son, would that son inherit the family estate?”
Yang Er shook his head. “No chance. The Cheng family’s current generation is small, but the previous one was prolific—mostly thanks to Cheng Liang’s own father, your third cousin-sister’s grandfather. He made money when he was young, but as he grew older, he spent all his time in brothels. Strangely, he fathered several daughters but no sons—until Cheng Liang came along from a brothel woman. Of course, the legitimate wife refused to let her in, so they kept the child but not the mother.”
“Cheng Liang was the only son, but he never got much attention from his father, who still favored the children of his daughters.”
“So,” Yan Jiyun concluded, “even if Cheng Liang did have a son, that child would never inherit—not unless he adopted one of his sisters’ kids instead.”
Now, it was clear. The Cheng family wasn’t as complicated as the Liu family.
The Lius were all actors, and it was too early to judge about the Chengs, but from what he could tell, Cheng Liang and his family were simply out of favor. No wonder Cheng Xueying’s mother had disguised her son as a girl from birth.
So perhaps the family’s prejudice wasn’t about favoring males over females, but about purity of blood—children born in brothels were considered impure, tainted, a typical feudal sentiment.
Yang Er took Yan Jiyun straight to the place the Cheng family’s young master loved most.
They stopped before a Western-style house. Yang Er said this was the residence of the young master’s favorite dancer—he often stayed here. Gazing at the beautiful building, Yan Jiyun commented, “Does your Ninth Master know everything about everyone in Jiangnan Town?”
Yang Er replied, “Not everyone, but any potential partner or rival—he finds out what he needs to, just in case.”
Yan Jiyun nodded, knowingly. “That fits his style.”
Yang Er led Yan Jiyun upstairs. The dancer lived on the third floor, and as soon as they reached the landing, the heavy scent of perfume greeted them.
Yang Er displayed his lock-picking skills—none of the tools Yan Jiyun had brought were even necessary. It seemed the relationships and tools in this instance were best collected locally.
They pushed open the door to find a mix of laughter and flirtation within. Luckily, the couple inside seemed to be finished; both were half-dressed. When Yan Jiyun and Yang Er entered, they startled the pair— the woman dove back under the covers, and the man was in only his boxers.
Compared with his cousin in the Liu family—already preparing to inherit the family estate—this young master of the Chengs was a pale imitation, forced to fend for himself.
Recognizing Yang Er from Ninth Master’s force, the Cheng family’s young master was alarmed. “Wh-what do you want?”
Yan Jiyun knew this young master didn’t recognize him and jumped straight to quick-fire questions: “You answer my questions, or I’ll photograph you like this and have it on the front page tomorrow.”
The young master thought he’d simply offended Ninth Master that morning. “I—I can apologize to him. Really, if I’ve upset Ninth Master, I’ll face him myself!”
But a photo like this could ruin his claim as the Cheng heir—his hungry cousins circling below.
The camera Yan Jiyun held had been found in Ninth Master’s car. He pressed the shutter. “Relax—it’s just about the Cheng family. If I’m satisfied with your answers, the photo disappears. If not…”
The young master had entirely lost the arrogance he’d shown at the office earlier. He shouldn’t have crossed the Ninth Master!
Yan Jiyun asked, “Why did Cheng Liang, your uncle, marry Cheng Xueying off to the Liu family?”
The young master, Song Kai, shook his head frantically. “I—I don’t know.”
Yan Jiyun snapped another photo. “Pull the other one. Good, keep that pose. Bite your lip—look a little wronged, some folks really go for that~”
Yang Er: …This newcomer was more conniving than he looked. No wonder the Ninth Master had taken to him at first sight—they were cut from the same cloth.
Song Kai was genuinely frightened. “Don’t leak my photos! It was all my mother’s idea!”
On the way here, Yang Er had confided in Yan Jiyun that Song Kai’s mother was the force in the Cheng house, which was why Cheng Liang was always suppressed. Most importantly, the old patriarch trusted his daughter implicitly, so Song Kai was being groomed as heir—leaving Cheng Xueying out in the cold.
Yan Jiyun: “So which of you runs the Cheng family—your mother or your uncle?”
Song Kai: “My uncle.”
Yan Jiyun: “Your uncle must like you a lot, letting you handle those contracts with big firms.” Shame all the same—hopeless as ever.
To let a half-brother put his own business in his nephew’s hands—it was hard to fathom.
Cheng Liang really was something, forcing mud to stand upright; the Cheng estate would likely go to ruin in Song Kai’s hands.
Song Kai, for all his fear, did have some pride in his status and privileges at home: “My uncle dotes on me most.”
Yan Jiyun could see for himself how well he was treated and shifted the subject to Cheng Xueying.
“How does he treat his own children—your cousin and such?”
Song Kai: “My cousins are all illiterate, already married, raising families. My uncle treats them, well, just so-so.”
That made things clear. Song Kai saw only what Cheng Liang’s family allowed him to see. Perhaps Cheng Liang always knew his daughter was actually a son—but still chose to “marry” the girl off. Why?
The Chengs remained prosperous, and Cheng Liang was no fool; surely he knew the truth unless he hated this “daughter” from the start, neglecting her on purpose.
Yan Jiyun asked again, “Did your uncle marry for love?”
Song Kai: “How would I know? That’s family business. Uncle and Aunt treat each other with respect—never argue, very harmonious.”
Yan Jiyun: “Not bad, using a proper idiom.”
Now, he wanted a look at this Cheng Liang in person.
He wondered if word had come back since Ninth Master announced his intention to buy the map.
Song Kai: “I’ve told you all I know. What do you want? I have decision-making powers for contract signings.”
Yan Jiyun: “We don’t care about your signatures.”
Song Kai: “What do you want, then? I can pay you!”
In this world, Yan Jiyun had no real use for money—it couldn’t be taken out of the instance anyway. But that wasn’t the point. Focused, he kept steering the conversation about the Chengs, refusing to give up the upper hand.
“Does your uncle let you waste money on music halls and shows, or does he give you money for fun?”
“Of course he gives me money! If he tried to short me, Grandpa would give him hell.”
“Oh.” Yan Jiyun understood—Song Kai was confident because he had the old man wrapped around his finger.
Now he had a clearer grasp of the Cheng family’s situation. As for the map, there was no way Old Cheng would give it to Cheng Liang, whom he disliked. If Song Kai got it, everyone would know; likely, the treasure map was still with the old patriarch.
And truly, Song Kai was just a wastrel. He couldn’t keep a secret for two days, much less something as precious as a treasure map.
Yan Jiyun developed another theory: perhaps the map concealed not a treasure, but a secret. If so, all the more reason to uncover it.
Outside the villa, Yan Jiyun found a public phone booth and dialed Ninth Master’s office.
Yang Er, standing at his side, watched him dial the number with practiced ease; the more he saw, the more he wondered—had the new recruit been targeting Ninth Master all along? How else could he have the office number memorized so soon?
Since parting with Yan Jiyun, Ninth Master had stepped out, but had just returned to the office—ironically, to look for his cat. Yet asking all around, no one had seen his black feline.
It was then that he received a call from Yan Jiyun.
“It’s me,” Yan Jiyun said.
Ninth Master’s creased brows eased slightly. “If I couldn’t remember your voice, that sort of self-introduction would deserve a beating.”
Yan Jiyun replied confidently, “You won’t forget, unless you’re ready to admit you’re an old man now, losing your memory.”
Ninth Master’s mood visibly improved. “Sharp tongue. What’s the matter?”
Yan Jiyun asked, “Has anyone brought you a treasure map?”
Ninth Master: “Not yet.”
Yan Jiyun: “So, this second map doesn’t lead to treasure at all.”
Ninth Master: “What have you guessed?”
Yan Jiyun: “It must be a big secret—like maybe, a body buried somewhere?”
Ninth Master: “Disappearance cases like that are always on police record.”
Yan Jiyun: “True.”
As they speculated, a secretary knocked on the door. Ninth Master covered the receiver. “What is it?”
Secretary: “Mr. Cheng is here, says he’s brought the item you expressed interest in.”
Ninth Master understood at once. “Invite him to the reception room next door—I’ll be right there.”
Once the secretary had gone, Yan Jiyun briefly passed along all he’d discovered about the Cheng family, especially his own theory: “Cheng Liang isn’t favored by his father; the chosen heir, Song Kai, was deliberately raised to be a wastrel. It was all part of Cheng Liang’s plan.”
Ninth Master: “Is that all?”
Yan Jiyun: “No, there’s a bigger secret. Wait for me, I’ll be back soon and tell you everything.”
Ninth Master was suddenly filled with anticipation.
After hanging up, he went to the private restroom to straighten his clothes. Not bad—he still looked smart and composed, even by late afternoon.
Yan Jiyun genuinely wanted to meet Cheng Liang. The man had actually come to see Ninth Master in person.
At Yan Jiyun’s urging, Yang Er got him back to Ninth Master’s company at top speed. Ninth Master had just picked up the tea his secretary brought when Yan Jiyun arrived.
Ninth Master gestured to the seat beside him. “Come, sit here.”
Yan Jiyun sat as directed, taking the chance to study Cheng Liang across the table.
He looked to be around forty, bespectacled, with the appearance more of a scholar than a businessman.
“Mr. Cheng?”
Cheng Liang didn’t recognize Yan Jiyun and wondered what this stranger’s presence had to do with his business with Ninth Master. “Who is this?”
Ninth Master said, “My man—responsible for collecting map fragments.”
Since Yan Jiyun had speculated that the map hid a secret rather than treasure, Ninth Master went along with the ruse.
Yan Jiyun smiled. “Mr. Cheng, you probably don’t know me.”
Cheng Liang replied, “No need to waste time then. I’ll be frank: the treasure map you’re looking for—I’ve seen it. It’s in my father’s possession.”
Yan Jiyun had guessed as much; given Cheng Liang’s standing in the family, of course the old man wouldn’t have handed the map to him—it was a secret he kept to himself.
There was definitely something fishy about the map.
Ninth Master: “I want the map, but you don’t have it. Trying to fool me, Mr. Cheng?”
Cheng Liang: “Ninth Master, I swear I have no such intention. Though I don’t have the original, I made a copy years ago. The way I obtained it may not be honorable, but you know my status in my family—I have nothing left to hide.”
Ninth Master: “Then what do you want from me?”
Cheng Liang: “I have a daughter who married into the Liu family. Who would have thought her husband would drown just after they wed? If she ever falls on hard times, I ask that you help her—offer her a refuge.”
Of course, Ninth Master would not agree so easily. “That’s a little too vague. What if she commits murder—must I shelter her then?”
Cheng Liang: “No, just within reason—help her as you see fit!”
Ninth Master: “Still too broad.”
While he was weighing the idea of giving an empty promise, Yan Jiyun, sitting beside him, suddenly laughed.
“Mr. Cheng, pardon me for asking, but is your second daughter really a daughter?”
Cheng Liang’s face paled, words stuck in his throat. How did they know?
Observing his expression, Yan Jiyun saw that Cheng Liang was aware of Cheng Xueying’s true gender and had kept it hidden, yet still sent her from the family.
A loving parent always plans far ahead.
Ninth Master raised an eyebrow, remembering that Yan Jiyun had promised to reveal a big secret. He nodded. “So that’s it.”
Yan Jiyun went straight to the point. “Mr. Cheng, you want Ninth Master’s help if your second son’s true identity is revealed, don’t you?”
After several deep breaths, Cheng Liang nodded, stiffly. “Yes.”
He had never imagined the secret he’d guarded for eighteen years would be so easily exposed to outsiders.
Sensing his tension, Yan Jiyun smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry, Mr. Cheng. Right now, only Ninth Master and I know—the Liu family hasn’t a clue.”
Cheng Liang produced a leather scroll from his bag. “Here is the map.”
Yan Jiyun unrolled the scroll.
[Congratulations, player, on obtaining the second mysterious treasure map fragment—keep going!]
When he looked up, he found Ninth Master leaning close, both of them studying the map together.
Yan Jiyun met his gaze, fluttered his beautiful eyes—and thought, Why sit so close!