The north wind poured in through the window, scattering the mist rising from the teacup and making the handsome, refined face of the man opposite all the clearer. His cool, aloof phoenix eyes were so sharp that one scarcely dared meet his gaze.

“Did Zhao Gongzi go to such lengths to see Ben Hóu, only to say these things?”

本侯 (běnhóu) literally means “this marquis,” with 本 referring to the speaker himself and 侯 being his rank. It is a self-reference used by a marquis when speaking in a formal or authoritative setting. When using this term of self-address, Xie Zheng has that deliberately distant, aristocratic tone.

The brocade-robed man knew that Xie Zheng was referring to his earlier declaration of unwavering loyalty. For a moment, he wondered whether he had somehow committed a taboo by mentioning Xie Zheng’s wife, and hurriedly said, “Of course not.”

He then presented a brocade box. Seeing that Xie Zheng had no intention of opening it himself, he opened the box and showed him its contents instead, wearing the particular smile of a merchant: “One wonders if this is sincere enough?”

Xie Zheng merely gave it a cursory glance. “Gold and silver are of no use to me.”

The other man fell silent for a breath. Then, all at once, he rose and bowed deeply to Xie Zheng.

“Zhao Xun is but a common merchant, naturally unworthy of entering Hóuyé’s eyes. But during last year’s Lantern Festival, my younger sister came to the capital for the first time and was abducted by Wei Xuan at the lantern fair. She was brutally killed in his tent…”

His eyes reddened, and tears streamed freely down his fac “If I do not avenge this hatred, how will I ever have the face to meet my parents in the afterlife?”

Only then did Xie Zheng turn his full attention to Zhao Xun. “You managed to find Ben Hou, and you even know that Ben Hou has fallen out with the Wei family’s father and son. You have some ability, after all.”

Zhao Xun hurriedly waved it off. “One wouldn’t dare. The Zhao family’s business is neither particularly large nor particularly small. It just happens to extend across several prefectures and provinces, so we have some dealings with the local authorities and naturally hear more rumors than others. Ever since Wei Xuan took over Huizhou Prefecture, many of the senior generals under Houye have been stripped of their military posts and banished to the frontier. Meanwhile, the scholars Wei Yan keeps under his employ in the capital have been churning out articles denouncing Houye. That was what made Zaixia realize something was amiss.

在下 (zàixià) — A humble first-person pronoun traditionally used by a man when addressing someone of higher or equal status. Literally, it carries the sense of “the one below.”

“Zaixia surmised that Houye must have encountered some misfortune, so One had my people secretly search for traces of Houye. Unfortunately, we found nothing. Then, as it happened, a few days ago, the authorities in the main city of Jizhou Prefecture arrested a large number of refugees. There were also soldiers from Huizhou Prefecture who had come specifically to search among those refugees for someone, carrying portraits with them. Zaixia used a few connections of my own to obtain one of those portraits from the Huizhou Prefecture soldiers. After studying the person depicted, with his striking bearing and heroic air, One guessed that the one they were searching for was none other than Houye.”

At this point, delight appeared on Zhao Xun’s face: “Perhaps Heaven itself took pity on me. Recently, one of the Zhao family’s bookshops received a new batch of model essays. The shopkeeper praised one of the pieces as a truly precious work. After reading it, Zaixia found every word to be a gem. One assumed it had been written by some talented scholar from a humble background and wanted to make his acquaintance, so One came here in person to pay him a visit. Who could have imagined that the person here would turn out to be Houye himself!”

Xie Zheng’s long, slender knuckles continued tapping intermittently against the red sandalwood table. He said nothing. The soft “tok, tok” of his fingertips striking the wood was enough to make unease creep into one’s heart.

Zhao Xun’s earnest explanation had, at last, made clear how he had managed to find him.

When writing the model essays, Xie Zheng had deliberately disguised his handwriting. The fact that Zhao Xun had managed to track him down truly did seem to have been a coincidence.

Xie Zheng remained silent for a long while. His counterpart seemed to grow somewhat uneasy as well, but he had the composure to hold his tongue and did not say anything more.

Looks like he’s someone who can get things done.

Xie Zheng half-raised his eyelids and finally spoke.

“Before spring arrives, turn the banknotes in that brocade box into 200,000 shi of grain.”

>银票 (yínpiào) → “banknotes” These are traditional Chinese silver certificates, paper notes that could be exchanged for silver.

石 (shí) was a traditional unit of grain volume/weight, and its precise modern equivalent varied historically.

</div Upon hearing this, surprise first flashed across Zhao Xun’s face, followed quickly by delight. Xie Zheng had just said that gold and silver were of no use to him. Now that he was telling Zhao Xun to turn those banknotes into grain, he was essentially showing him a way forward. Ordinarily, however, the court collected grain in the autumn, and rice merchants bought grain around the same time. After all, it was the season of the autumn harvest: the common people were not short of grain, and prices were correspondingly low. It was now the end of the Twelfth Month. The people would certainly still have surplus grain in their hands, so there was no harm in buying it now even if the price was a few *li* higher than during the autumn harvest.

厘 (lí) is a small traditional unit, often used for very small amounts or differences in prices and interest rates. I would keep li here rather than translating it into an arbitrary percentage because the exact numerical interpretation depends on the context. The important point is that buying grain now would cost slightly more than buying during the autumn harvest.

But the northwest was never a land rich in grain to begin with. If 200,000 shi were purchased before spring, there would still be a long stretch of time before next year's autumn harvest. Should fighting break out in the region again, the troops stationed there would find themselves unable to requisition enough grain locally. Thinking of this, Zhao Xun felt a chill run through him. He hurriedly cupped his hands and said, “Zhao Xun will certainly not fail in what **Houye** has entrusted to me!” Seeing that Xie Zheng was dressed plainly, he thought to curry favor with him. “**Zaixia** could arrange another residence for **Houye** and **Furen**, and provide a few servants for your use. Would that be acceptable?” Xie Zheng gave him an indifferent glance. The scrutiny and pressure hidden beneath that calm gaze made Zhao Xun, whose body was already half-bowed, bend another three degrees lower. “Do not presume to be clever.” Zhao Xun did not dare mention arranging a residence or purchasing maidservants again. Growing even more cautious, he said, “Then… shall **Zaixia** send someone to escort **Houye** home?” When they had come here, Zhao Xun himself had gone to the alley in the western part of the city to fetch him. Xie Zheng thought of Fan Changyu just now walking down the street with a whole gang of street thugs in tow. His brows eased slightly as he declined: “No need.” His handsome yet piercing phoenix eyes swept over the richly dressed merchant before him. “Set your mind at ease and attend to the matters **Ben Hou** has entrusted to you. As for **Ben Hou**’s presence here, simply act as though you know nothing of it. Should words get out…” Zhao Xun hurriedly cupped his hands. “Zhao Xun would never dare. Zhao Xun came to Lin’an Town today solely to seek out a poor scholar of humble origins. Unfortunately, that scholar’s whereabouts are uncertain, and Zhao Xun never managed to meet him. As for buying grain, it is merely because Zhao Xun saw how profitable the grain merchants were and wished to have a share of the profits.” The corner of Xie Zheng’s eye lifted slightly. As expected, this was a clever man. A single hint was enough for him to understand. “You can leave.” Only then did Zhao Xun bow and withdraw. Once the door to the private room had closed again, Xie Zheng slowly lowered his eyes amid the mist rising from the boiling water over the red-clay brazier. The exquisite features of his face were veiled by the steam, growing indistinct. Only his eyes and brows remained, stripped of their usual languid weariness and instead carrying a heavy, blood-chilling aura of slaughter. This Zhao Xun had appeared a little too conveniently. But what could be determined with certainty for now was that he was not one of the Wei father and son’s people. Otherwise… it would have been officials from the government who came, not someone who had approached him with such *empty pleasantries and professions of loyalty*.

虚与委蛇(xūyǔwēiyí) — This idiom means to engage in superficial politeness, evasive pleasantries, or insincere dealings with someone while concealing one's true intentions.

The 200,000 shi of grain were the touchstone Xie Zheng had given him. If this man truly proved useful to him, having those 200,000 shi of grain in hand would make his subsequent arrangements much easier.

试金石 — Literally a touchstone, the stone traditionally used to test the purity of gold. Figuratively, it means a test that reveals someone's true nature or worth.

But if he had ulterior motives, then beyond those 200,000 shi of grain, an even greater trap would be waiting for him—and for the master behind him. Voices drifted in from outside the private room. “Come on, let’s go see what’s happening! I heard Wang’s Braised Meats Shop across the street got jealous of the business at Fan’s Butcher Shop and smashed up their things. The people from Fan Shop have gone over to make a scene!” Someone sighed. “Wang Shop is a century-old establishment. How could they do something so disgraceful?” “What won’t people do to steal business?” Xie Zheng broke off his train of thought and opened his eyes. When he rose, his legs were as nimble as those of an ordinary man. It was only when he left the private room that he took up his crutch.

The entrance to Wang’s Braised Meat Shop was already surrounded by a great crowd of onlookers. The shop assistant looked at Fan Changyu, then at Jin Laosan and the others standing behind her with their arms folded and faces like fierce demons. His legs went weak, and even his voice trembled. “Wh-what can we do for you?” Seeing how pale with fright the assistant had gone, Fan Changyu couldn't help frowning. She hadn't even laid a hand on anyone! She had come here to reason with them and demand an explanation. Why was the shop assistant so terrified? Could they have a guilty conscience? “Call your shopkeeper out. I’m here today to demand an explanation.” The assistant stammered, “Th-the shopkeeper isn’t in the shop.” Fan Changyu’s brows drew together sharply. “He dared send people to smash up my shop, and now he’s playing the coward and hiding?” Behind her, Jin Laosan and the others obligingly let out a heavy, collective snort. The assistant's face turned even more ashen. Fan Changyu glanced back at Jin Laosan, the corner of her eye twitching. She had brought this lot along to confront the other side—so how had it somehow looked like her bringing them to smash the place up? The assistant said timidly, “We’ve already sent someone to notify the shopkeeper. Whatever business you have, perhaps… perhaps you could wait until the shopkeeper arrives.” Having said that, he shakily dragged out a grand armchair (太师椅) for Fan Changyu to sit in, then brought out a brazier for her to warm herself by. Fan Changyu glanced at the expressions of the shop assistants and the gathered onlookers. She, too, began to feel that something was rather strange. How had it somehow ended up looking as though **she** were the female tyrant who had come barging in to cause trouble? Still, since they had already brought out a chair and a brazier, and the weather was so cold, there was no reason for her not to sit down and warm herself while she waited. Before long, the proprietor of Wang’s Shop came hurrying over, dragging his portly body along with sweat streaming down his face. He was a businessman who had always believed in the maxim that harmony brings prosperity, so upon seeing Fan Changyu, he first offered her an ingratiating smile. “Fan **Guniang**, I’ve already heard from my shop assistants about what happened at your shop. The Wang Shop name is an old sign passed down through my ancestors, and I, Wang **Mou**, would never stoop to using such methods to bully an orphaned girl…” As he spoke, he glanced over Fan Changyu’s shoulder at Jin Laosan and the others. His tone remained courteous, but there was a hint of disdain in his bearing. “Fan **Guniang** has taken the word of these people alone and decided that Wang Shop was responsible. Could there… perhaps be some misunderstanding?” Fan Changyu sat unmoving in the grand armchair, as steady as a mountain. She merely shot Jin Laosan a glance: “You tell him.” Jin Laosan immediately said, “Your Wang Shop has a shop assistant named Chunsheng. Yesterday, he took five taels of silver to a tavern in the eastern part of the city and sought out some of my brothers, asking them to go stir up trouble at Fan Shop. The people at the tavern can all testify to it.” The moment the Wang Shop proprietor heard the shop assistant’s name, his expression changed slightly, and his attitude softened considerably. “That man is my eldest son’s personal attendant. Please, Fan **Guniang**, wait a moment while I summon my eldest son and get to the bottom of this.” The young master and heir of Wang Shop was a notorious *wastrel* in Lin’an Town. As if having a whole brood of concubines at home were not enough, he spent his days *carousing among courtesans*. This time, it had taken Wang’s Shop’s own employees going to the brothel to drag him out by force.

纨绔 (wánkù) — Lit. "silk clothes". A spoiled, privileged wastrel, especially a young man from a wealthy family who has grown arrogant and useless through indulgence.

He was still thoroughly drunk when he returned, his clothes hanging in disarray. His father had someone force a bowl of hangover soup down him, and only then did he become somewhat clear-headed. The shopkeeper of Wang Braised Meat Shop demanded in front of Fan Changyu, “You unfilial wretch! Was it you who ordered people to smash up the things at Fan Shop?” The young master of Wang Shop swept his swollen, puffy eyes toward Fan Changyu, looking her up and down several times before letting out a mocking laugh. “Well, well. You really are quite the pretty little thing. You climbed into that old bastard Chef Li’s bed to steal my family’s business and the business of Yixiang Restaurent, and you still have the nerve to come knocking on our door? You’ve got even thicker skin than a courtesan.” It was common knowledge that Yixiang Restaurant frequently bought famous dishes from other establishments and served them in its own restaurant. The female proprietor had always had her own way of doing business. Others said her approach was more trouble than it was worth, yet by taking the best of what everyone else had to offer, Yixiang Restaurant had managed to far outstrip the other restaurants that stubbornly stuck to their old ways. After all, those with enough money to dine at Yixiang Restaurant were all local gentry and wealthy merchants with plenty to spare. There were only a handful of famous eateries in town, and whenever people wanted to eat one of their specialties, they would normally have to send someone back and forth several times just to get it. At Yixiang Restaurant, not only could diners enjoy the restaurant’s own signature dishes, but if they wanted a famous local specialty, all they had to do was call for a waiter, and it would be brought out to them at once. Thus, whether they sold pastries and candied fruits or braised meats and cooked delicacies, every food shop in town considered it an honor to establish a connection with Yixiang Restaurant. After hearing what the young master of Wang Shop had said, the expressions of the onlookers immediately became varied. Some were astonished, some skeptical, while others were simply there to enjoy the spectacle. Their eyes kept drifting toward Fan Changyu. She certainly was a beauty, but with a temperament this bold and fierce, people might actually believe that she had gone into the business of being a female tyrant and robbing people for money. But to say that she had gotten involved with a man over a bit of business... Everyone shuddered in unison. What fool who valued his life would dare entertain such thoughts about her? After seeing her slaughter pigs and hack apart meat with their own eyes, who would even dare harbor such notions about her? The shopkeeper of Wang’s Shop also widened his eyes and barked, “You unfilial wretch! What nonsense are you spouting?” The young master of Wang Shop was completely unfazed. He had long been accustomed to throwing his weight around in town and bullying men and women alike; he simply did not regard Fan Changyu, a mere woman, as someone worth taking seriously. “Father, our business with Yixiang Restaurant is already ruined anyway. Why won’t you let me say it? Are you still afraid of offending that old bastard Chef Li?” His gaze slid mockingly over Fan Changyu. “You’d sleep with a man and pick someone that old—” **Bang!** Jin Laosan and the others turned at the tremendous crash. The thick chopping block used to display the braised meats outside Wang's Shop had been kicked over by Fan Changyu. The force of her kick had even punched a gaping hole straight through the heavy hardwood. Braised meats went scattering across the ground, while the drunken young master of Wang Shop was pinned beneath half of the overturned chopping block. He and the little gangsters under him stared at the hole smashed through the ironwood, all of them swallowing hard before edging away. Only now did it dawn on them: when this **Gu Nainai** had dealt with them before, she had actually been holding back. If she had used this much force back then, several of their bones would probably have been broken. They might still be lying there now, unable to get up. The young master of Wang Shop cried out in agony, then shouted at the two servants beside him, “Are you two dead or something? Hurry up and get **Ben Shaoyé** out of here!”

Similar to Ben Hóu, Ben Shaoye means this young master, with 本(běn) referring to the speaker himself and 少爷(shàoye) means young master.

The two servants glanced at the black-iron meat cleaver Fan Changyu had drawn. Behind her, Jin Laosan and the others were also cracking their knuckles, looking very much as though they were ready to join in the fight. How could they possibly dare approach? Their legs had already gone soft as noodles, and they even shuffled two steps backward. Seeing this, beads of sweat immediately broke out along Shopkeeper Wang's temples. The sight of Fan Changyu holding that cleaver frightened him badly as well. “Fan **Guniang**, my son was simply speaking without thinking. I will certainly teach this unfilial son of mine a proper lesson. Fan **Guniang**, please, do not lose your temper…” Fan Changyu ignored him completely. She planted one heavy foot on the chopping block. **Crack!** The thick chopping block—one that had required two men to carry together—was crushed through with another hole beneath her foot. Wang Shop’s young master promptly foamed at the mouth and rolled his eyes back. The surrounding onlookers collectively sucked in their breath. Some of the more timid women even raised their sleeves to cover their eyes, terrified that Fan Changyu would bring the meat cleaver in her hand down on the young master’s head the very next second. Shopkeeper Wang pointed at Fan Changyu with a trembling finger: “You… you’re not actually planning to kill someone, are you?” Fan Changyu shot him a glance and sneered. “How could I possibly kill anyone? Killing someone would land me in prison. At most, I’ll cut out your fine son’s tongue and make him chew it up and swallow it himself. That way, he won’t be able to run his mouth again.” Shopkeeper Wang was so frightened by her words that he nearly lost the strength in his legs. Several servants had to support him to keep him from collapsing straight onto the ground. His face had gone white. He pointed at Fan Changyu with a trembling hand, managing only to stammer out, “You… you…” over and over without producing a complete sentence. Wang Shop’s young master, still pinned beneath Fan Changyu’s foot, finally realized that he had gone too far and that he really ought to be afraid. His face was deathly pale. Through his tears, he looked toward his father. “Father, save me…” Shopkeeper Wang trembled. “Report it to the authorities. Quickly, report it to the authorities…” One of Wang Shop’s servants tried to go and report the matter to the authorities, but Jin Laosan and the others blocked his way. “So you’re allowed to bully people, but they’re not allowed to come here and demand justice?” Fan Changyu gave Wang Shop’s young master’s nauseatingly fat face a hard smack with the meat cleaver. “Tell me. When exactly did I steal Yixiang Restaurant’s business from you?” The meat cleaver in her hand was heavy and cold. After years of chopping bones and cutting meat, the blade still carried a lingering metallic tang of blood that no amount of washing could completely remove. Half of the young master’s face had gone numb where she had slapped it with the blade, and his entire body was shaking like a sieve. “W-Wang Shop’s business selling braised meat to Yixiang Restaurant stopped. I heard… I heard it was because Chef Li recommended your family’s braised meat…” Fan Changyu sneered. “And that alone was enough for you to make up such filth about me?” The women among the onlookers had heard what the Wang Shop’s young master had said. They had never imagined that after all those filthy insinuations, the truth was nothing more than this. A woman’s reputation was of utmost importance. He had deliberately tried to drive her into a dead end! They could not help spitting curses at him. “What a rotten excuse for a man! He saw Fan Shop start selling braised meat and doing such brisk business, so he decided to drag that young woman’s reputation through the mud?” “No wonder I haven’t seen Chef Li buying meat from Fan Shop these past few days. So this black-hearted bastard had been spreading rumors, and Chef Li was avoiding suspicion!” “Wang Shop has wealth and influence, yet they bully a lone girl like this. They really have no shame!” “He spends every day hanging around brothels, so I suppose that’s the only thing his mind is capable of thinking about!” “If you ask me, Wang Shop is just throwing its weight around because it’s a big establishment. Their food has been getting worse and worse, and I even bought spoiled meat from them once! No wonder Yixiang Restaurant didn’t want to keep buying their braised meat!” Shopkeeper Wang listened to the surrounding accusations, his face burning with embarrassment as he stamped his feet in fury. “You unfilial wretch! You unfilial wretch!” Wang Shop’s young master was crying so hard that bubbles of mucus had formed beneath his nose. “Please, let me go! I’ll give you money! Lots and lots of money! I know your family is short of money…” Fan Changyu said nothing. Her gaze turned cold and vicious, and she hurled the meat cleaver forcefully toward the ground. The surrounding onlookers erupted in cries of alarm. The Wang shopkeeper nearly fainted from fright, while Wang Shop’s young master let out a shrill, terrified scream. **Crack!** The cleaver had not struck the young master himself. Instead, it sliced directly past his scalp, severing his hair and hair crown in one stroke. The blade sank partway into the blue-stone paving beneath him, its metal still trembling from the impact. It was quite some time before Wang Shop’s young master recovered his senses. His face was as pale as a corpse, and then a foul, fishy stench rose from beneath him. A yellowish puddle slowly spread out from beneath the chopping block. Shopkeeper Wang, supported by several servants, was also gulping down great breaths of air. Feeling the lingering chill against his scalp, the young master of Wang Shop was thoroughly terrified. He had long since forgotten all concern for his dignity and burst into tears. “Don’t kill me! Don’t kill me!” Shopkeeper Wang had only this one useless son. He was practically crying as he pleaded for mercy. “Fan **Guniang**, my son spoke without thinking and damaged your reputation. I swear I will properly discipline him. I’ll prepare a modest gift and personally go to your residence another day to apologize to you. As the ancients say, cutting off one’s hair can stand in place of losing one’s head. You have already cut off his hair, so please, in your great mercy, let him go!” Fan Changyu sheathed the cleaver and looked coldly at the young master of Wang Shop: “Don’t let me see you again.” She picked up her cleaver and walked away, no longer paying the Wang father and son any attention. The young master of Wang Shop had been bullying men and women in town for more than a day or two. Fan Changyu’s lesson today was immensely satisfying to the people. The onlookers even broke into cheers and applause: “Well done!” “Thank goodness she’s Fan Laohu’s daughter! If it had been some ordinary family that got bullied like this, they’d have been utterly helpless!”

Like mentioned before, Laohu is the nickname the people had for Fan Erniu, meaning Old Tiger.

“Exactly! There’s a village girl from Liu Family Village who was such a pretty girl. Wang Shop’s young master got her pregnant, then the Wang family refused to acknowledge the child. In the end, that poor girl threw herself into the river and drowned herself!” “That’s only the sort of thing that gets out because it became such a big scandal. Who knows how many other wicked things he’s done behind closed doors! And his braised meat really isn’t as good as Fan Shop’s. Fan Shop slaughters their meat fresh every day. Who knows what sort of meat this family uses!” Shopkeeper listened to the surrounding people pointing fingers and whispering accusations, his old face practically falling to the ground with shame. At last, the wooden chopping block weighing down the Wang Shop’s young master was hauled away by two servants, who grunted and strained as they carried it off. The grown man looked toward his father, crying so hard his face was covered in tears and mucus: “Father…” Instead of receiving any comfort, he was met with two furious kicks from the enraged Shopkeeper Wang. “You useless piece of trash! You spend your days sleeping with women and haunting brothels—that’s bad enough! But you had to pull this stunt too! You’ve disgraced the entire Wang family today!” Fan Changyu paid no further attention to what was happening behind her at Wang Shop. Having vented her anger, she was just about to head home when someone suddenly called out from behind her. “Fan **Guniang**, wait.” Fan Changyu turned around in confusion and saw a man with a small mustache approaching her: “Fan **Guniang**, you certainly have some impressive skills. I’m the manager of Huixian Money House. Would you be interested in coming to work for our money house?” “Money house?” Fan Changyu frowned. “What would I do there?” The manager smiled pleasantly. “Collect debts.” Fan Changyu: “...…” Jin Laosan and the others, however, were already rubbing their fists in anticipation. “Fan **Da Guniang**, if *you* take up debt collecting, we’ll work for *you* from now on!” Fan Changyu glared at them: “Didn’t you say you wanted to take up honest work?” Jin Laosan and the others immediately hunched their necks and fell silent. Fan Changyu turned down the manager’s offer. He did not say anything more, but before leaving, he handed her a sheet of paper listing all sorts of benefits that came with working as an enforcer for Huixian Money House. “Fan **Guniang**, there’s no need to give me an answer right away. You can think it over.” Fan Changyu held the sheet of paper, her feelings rather complicated. What, exactly, had she become in the eyes of the people around town? She sighed and turned to head home, only to see someone standing at the street corner ahead. Snowflakes drifted through the air. The man’s broad robes were blown open by the wind, the bustling marketplace behind him. His cool, impassive features were fixed on her with an expression that was remarkably difficult to read. Fan Changyu glanced at the sheet of paper in her hand, where the words “debt collection” were written in plain sight, and instinctively blurted out, “I didn’t go rob money.” Jin Laosan and the others spotted Xie Zheng, and every muscle in their bodies instantly went taut. In unison, they called out, “Greetings, **Guyé**!”

姑爷 (gūye) is a traditional term for a daughter’s husband, especially when referring to him from the perspective of her family or household. It literally identifies the man as the husband of the family’s daughter, and historically it was also a respectful way for servants, retainers, or people around the household to address the son-in-law. So calling Xie Zheng "Guyé" makes them seems like they're indentifying Fan Changyu as their boss

Xie Zheng: “...…” Fan Changyu: “……” Somehow, that had only made things even harder to explain.