Chapter Thirty-Four: Restraint

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“Do you want another girl?”

“Get lost, and make it far away. Just keep my glass full!” Qiu Fengyu shot a glare at Brekin. This was an embarrassing subject, yet the man seemed to take great delight in bringing it up with him.

“All the girls here are from Russia,” said Harry Davis, who was seated beside Qiu Fengyu. “They keep a tight leash on them. It used to be David in charge, but now that he’s gone, those people have taken over.”

“Don’t talk to me about that. If you want a girl, go find one yourself.” Qiu Fengyu snorted and downed his drink.

Davis laughed, clearly aware of Qiu Fengyu’s embarrassing incident. Truth be told, it wasn’t something worth mentioning, but the Russian girl had a big mouth, and with Brekin’s gossiping, it was enough to turn the matter into the talk of the town.

The town was small, and such things could keep people entertained for days.

“Hey, she’s coming over,” Davis suddenly lowered his voice, turning slightly to glance at the bar, speaking out of the corner of his mouth to Qiu Fengyu.

“She? Oh, it’s her! Are you scared of this little minx?” Qiu Fengyu chuckled, seizing his chance to mock Davis in return.

“Come on, don’t say that, Qiu. She’s not a minx, she’s a good girl,” Davis protested quietly, sounding somewhat aggrieved. “I swear, she really is a good person. It’s just… this place isn’t right for her.”

“Not only is this place wrong for her, you’re wrong for her too. Let go of your unrealistic fantasies and focus on being a good waiter. Do you even know what kind of life she had before this?”

“No, not really. But I did find out her name.” Davis looked at Qiu Fengyu. “April Malloy, right?”

“That surely can’t be her real name, but since you’ve gone to the trouble of learning it, why not invite her for a drink? Go on, see if you’ll succeed this time.” Qiu Fengyu teased him with a mocking tone.

“Just wait!” Davis’s eyes reddened with provocation. He grabbed the glass of vodka in front of Qiu Fengyu, drained it in a single gulp, and strode toward the girl’s table.

“Hey, fancy seeing you again.” Davis stood before her.

April glanced at him, her look icy. “Excuse me, what do you want?”

“Can I buy you a drink?” Davis pressed on.

“No. I’ve told you, I’m not interested. Why don’t you focus on your job as a waiter? Please, get out of my sight and don’t ruin the only thing I remotely like about this town,” April replied coldly.

“Alright, maybe I should have more self-awareness. But… our town is just fine, it doesn’t need your judgment. And… you live here now too,” Davis replied, his pride wounded.

“I won’t be here long. I hate this place, is that clear? Oh God, what kind of people have I run into? This damned place, these damned fools.” April didn’t bother to soften her words.

“Hey, I know your name, and this is how you talk about the people in town?” Davis’s face flushed crimson, his raised voice drawing stares.

At that moment, the bar’s door swung open. April’s father, Anthony Malloy, appeared. He strode quickly to her side, checked that she was unharmed, then exhaled and turned to Davis. “Hey, buddy, I don’t care who you are—stay away from her from now on, alright?” His tone left no room for argument.

“She insulted our town, and the people here…”

“I know, but I’m asking you not to bother her. This isn’t a request, it’s an order. Understood?” Anthony Malloy’s voice was cold.

“Sorry… what did you say?” Davis stared at Anthony in surprise.

“Just get out of here. I said, don’t come near her again, alright?” Anthony frowned, glanced at Qiu Fengyu at the bar, then addressed April, “Finish your drink and come home. This isn’t where you belong.”

“Leave me alone!” April rose abruptly and stormed out of the bar. Anthony hurried after her.

“Hey, buddy, she hasn’t paid yet,” Brekin called loudly.

Anthony stopped, pulled a hundred-dollar bill from his wallet, and slapped it on the counter. “Keep the change,” he said, then rushed out the door.

“What a little firecracker,” Brekin chuckled, pocketing the cash. He turned to the dejected Davis and said, “You’re no match for David. If he were here, he’d have won that girl over.”

“David wouldn’t have managed either,” Qiu Fengyu snorted.

Whether David could or not was hardly important, since David wasn’t here. Davis thought on it and seemed to agree—David probably wouldn’t have managed it either.

Out on the street, April wandered aimlessly after leaving the bar, but Anthony soon caught up and grabbed her arm.

“Must you behave this way? We just need to get through the next two months quietly. Don’t get into trouble, don’t draw attention. That’s all we need—keep a low profile.”

“Low profile? Ha—what a joke. I was sitting quietly, minding my own business, and that idiot came up to me. And you want me to keep a low profile? My God, were you dropped on your head as a child?” April retorted loudly, showing no mercy. “I’ve had enough. This isn’t my fault.”

“Don’t come to places like this again.”

“No way. It’s the only thing I can even half enjoy in this damned town.” April looked at him with disdain. “Just make sure that bastard leaves me alone and I promise not to stir up trouble.”

Anthony was silent for a while, then said, “You’d better keep your word.”

Just then, a police siren sounded nearby, and a patrol car approached. The window rolled down, and Coffin poked her head out, looking at the two of them.

“Hey, Mr. Malloy, do you need any help?”

“No, thank you very much. We’re just out for a walk…” Anthony Malloy smiled politely at Coffin. “Thank you, officer, but we’re fine.”

Coffin nodded and drove off.

Once Coffin’s patrol car had disappeared, Anthony turned to April. “Let’s get going—let’s not attract suspicion.” He started toward home, and after a hesitation, April followed.

As soon as they left, Coffin’s patrol car emerged from a nearby alley. She considered for a moment, then picked up her phone and called Qiu Fengyu. “It’s me, Officer Coffin. I didn’t see anything unusual, but… to be honest, they don’t really look like father and daughter.”

“That’s all you’ve got?” Qiu Fengyu stepped out of the bar, smiling at Coffin. “Alright, I’m coming out—no need to keep them under surveillance. For all we know, the guy’s already wise to it.”

“Fine. I hope we’re wrong about them. I don’t like troublemakers disturbing our town,” Coffin said, about to hang up. Truth be told, she loved the peaceful life here—not the constant unpredictability.

“That’s not for you to worry about. No one can say what the future holds.” Qiu Fengyu ended the call before Coffin could reply. He didn’t care for trouble in the town, either.

Early the next morning, Qiu Fengyu opened his shop, only to find Anthony Malloy at the door, which did little to improve his mood. “I don’t do business in the morning—you saw the sign, didn’t you?”

“No, that’s not it. I just… wanted to talk,” Anthony Malloy glanced around. There weren’t many people about—this was a more remote part of the small town.

“Come in,” Qiu Fengyu said, stepping aside.

They sat face to face in a booth. Qiu Fengyu regarded him seriously, then said, “You want to talk about Davis, right? I suppose you’ve learned his name by now.”

Anthony Malloy nodded. “Yes, Mr. Qiu. I’ve always respected you—and your masterful cooking. Davis is your employee. Perhaps you can restrain him, or give him some advice. You know my daughter… she has an aversion to people like him.”

“Perhaps not just Davis,” Qiu Fengyu scoffed. “She dislikes everyone in this town—or to put it plainly, she despises the town itself.”

Anthony Malloy’s expression remained unchanged, betraying no embarrassment.

“Yes, perhaps so. But… you understand, neither of us belongs here. We’ll leave—maybe in a year, maybe two. She just lacks a sense of belonging…”

Qiu Fengyu shook his head. “I don’t know what brought you and her here, but don’t drag others into your mess. The people of this town are good-hearted. They shouldn’t have to pay the price for your troubles.”