Chapter Six, Iron Blue (06)

"Last time was last time." Jiang Ci replied blandly

Time flowed by second by second, and she finally came to her senses, forcing herself to stand up from the bench, "I should go back"

Jiang Ci lowered her head to look at Zhang Yuno. The sixteen-year-old girl had slender, fair arms and well-proportioned, strong calves, swaying gracefully, resembling a flower bud adorned with raindrops at the tips of green branches in spring

After finishing the meal, Liang Jingxing escorted Jiang Ci back home

Zhang Yuno nodded and then looked up at Jiang Ci's head full of dark hair, "Sister Jiang, I have heard about your situation. In the future, try not to be so impulsive. Such beautiful long hair, why bother to take it out on others."

"It's nothing." Jiang Ci interrupted her, "Yunuo, how is Uncle Zhang doing?"

I am fine, the clothes are dirty anyway

Jiang Ci impatiently asked: "Is there time or not?"

Liang Jingxing slightly raised his eyebrows and asked, "What about you?"

Jiang Ci nodded repeatedly. After walking a few steps towards the alley entrance, she suddenly realized that Liang Jingxing already knew there was a Walmart here, so there was no need for her to show him the way

The girl was so angry that she was about to argue a few words when her sleeve was gently tugged by Jiang Ci.

The twelfth floor of the inpatient department was quiet and serene. Jiang Ci knocked on the ward door, and upon hearing a response from inside, she opened the door herself

Chen Juefei, angered, cursed under his breath. After a while, he obediently called back, suppressing his temper, and politely asked: "Go ahead, what time and what place?"

Chen Juefei saw that she had finally stopped struggling, and immediately took a step back, "I am leaving! Make sure to take the money; there won't be such good opportunities in the future!" Saying this, he took another step back, turned around, and ran out, hailing a taxi. He bent down and got into the car, which then sped away.

With a beep, Jiang Ci hung up the phone

fifteen thousand

Jiang Ci walked behind, quietly gazing at his silhouette

Jiang Ci has already stepped out through the door

One's own name prominently appears on the list

When he came to his senses, he realized that twenty minutes had already passed since the agreed time. Just as he was about to make a phone call to urge, Jiang Ci pushed the door open and entered. She appeared to be in a hurry, having worked up a sweat, and her cheeks were flushed red.

Jiang Ci's expression was indifferent as he walked up to the middle-aged woman and took out a bundle of money from his bag

What is this? A love letter?" He opened the seal, took a glance inside, and was instantly taken aback—inside was a thick bundle of banknotes.

The words faltered, and with a glance at him, "Whether or not it is your concern."

"That should be enough for two weeks." The woman let out a low hum, picked up the black leather bag from the chair beside her, and stuffed the money inside. After a moment of thought, she suddenly took out a card from her bag, pulled out a small receipt from the supermarket, wrote down the card number, and handed it to Jiang Ci, saying, "From now on, don't come over. Just transfer the money directly to the card."

The money that just came into my hands flows away like a stream, quickly dispersing.

The sunlight outside was scorching, causing her scalp to feel hot and painful, as if it were being burned. Jiang Ci boarded a bus, heading to Chongcheng First Hospital.

"Where did your money come from?" Chen Juefei blurted out, raising his head to meet Jiang Ci's suddenly heavy gaze. Realizing he had misspoken, he quickly added, "Did you not say last time that you couldn't afford it?"

Jiang Ci spoke concisely, "Is there any time to meet? I have something to give you."

She initially thought that Liang Jingxing would take the opportunity to educate her a bit, but to her surprise, he did not. He merely glanced down at her and said, "If it's too heavy, I can help you carry it"

A man lay on the hospital bed, with an intravenous tube inserted into his arm. Beside the bed sat a middle-aged woman, holding a plastic bowl, quickly scooping up rice with a mixture of scrambled eggs and tomatoes. The woman was momentarily taken aback, then put down the lunch box and sprang up from the chair like an arrow released from a bow, looking at Jiang Ci with a hint of disdain, "Why did you only just arrive"

Jiang Ci lowered her gaze, her lips pressed into a line, remaining silent

Jiang Ci did not expect there to be this layer of connection, and in surprise, remained silent

Liang Jingxing extinguished the cigarette and said, "You are a talented person, and I do not wish for you to give up easily; a momentary hardship is nothing significant."

Liang Jingxing took out a cigarette case, pulled out a cigarette, and was about to put it back when Jiang Ci reached out her hand and asked, "What are you smoking?"

Suddenly, with a "pop" sound, Liang Jingxing ignited the lighter, "Is there a supermarket nearby? Take me to buy a pack of cigarettes first."

Before Jiang Ci could react, Liang Jingxing picked up the backpack

The woman's gaze swept across Jiang Ci's face, "Do you still feel wronged? How could you not have thought about the cycle of karma and the principle of retribution when you shifted the blame onto my husband back then?"

Jiang Ci immediately turned her head to avoid it, and only then did she fully come to her senses. It felt as if the blood in her body had started to flow again, and the scorching sunlight above her head seemed to shine down on her once more. She tried to pull her hand back, but Chen Juefei held on even tighter, pressing the envelope firmly into her palm, "Take it."

Jiang Ci took off his backpack, pulled out a piece of waste newspaper from inside, and handed it to Liang Jinghang

Jiang Cijun stood for a moment, momentarily at a loss for words. "Then I will take my leave."

A momentary hardship ... Yet she only felt that what lay before her was a road of thorns, one that would never reach its end

What is the matter

Jiang Ci was taken aback

He entered a series of numbers, saved them for Jiang Ci, and with a thought, opened the contacts, tapping on the 'l' located on the right side of the navigation.

I will compensate you for the phone that you broke.

After a few seconds of silence, Chen Juefei closed the envelope and pushed it back to Jiang Ci, saying, "I really do not lack this little money, nor do I intend to ask you to compensate."

At that moment, he realized that Jiang Ci's hands were frighteningly cold and asked in surprise, "... what happened to you? Are you really sick?" Without thinking, he reached out his hand to check her forehead.

The two of them, an uncle and a nephew, are simply of the same character

This chair can accommodate three people, but the backpack takes up one space. After Jiang Ci sat down, there was only a fist's distance between him and Liang Jinghang

Chen Juefei stood up and said, "Take the money back!"

Jiang Ci's fingers slightly curled inward, pinching the envelope that had been dampened by sweat, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth

The woman wiped her hands on her jeans, reached out to take it, weighed its thickness, and asked, "How much is this?"

The woman snorted coldly, "A debt incurred by the father must be repaid by the son. As long as my husband remains unconscious, you should not think of severing ties."

There is indeed, but let me tell you...

"Your father once saved my life." Liang Jingxing looked at Jiang Ci, his voice deep, "Four years ago, I was collecting material in the southwestern mountainous area when I encountered a landslide while driving. Your father was there looking for land to build a factory and happened to pass by..." He paused, "I am not a philanthropist, and naturally, I do not have excess compassion to dispense kindness everywhere."

A tall and slender figure, resembling a tree standing atop a rugged cliff, reaching towards the sky, solitary and upright

Jiang Ci lowered her gaze and let out a soft "Oh," returning the cigarette case to him

As soon as the words were spoken, the bathroom door opened, and a girl of about fourteen or fifteen years old walked out. She smiled at Jiang Ci, then frowned and looked at the woman, saying, "Mom, what are you talking about?"

It is already somewhat far from the busiest street, and the surroundings are very quiet, occasionally interrupted by the passing of a car. Hidden in the bushes behind are a few cicadas, which suddenly call out a couple of times.

Jiang Ci did not respond, yet his footsteps did not cease

Upon reaching the third floor, I suddenly heard several muffled gasps coming from the darkness above, mixed with the coarse laughter of men and the sound of books. Jiang Ci couldn't help but stop, her face showing embarrassment. This building housed all kinds of people, and it was quite normal for women engaged in the flesh trade to bring clients back.

Jiang Ci lifted her eyelids, finished the remaining half cup of water, stood up, and said, "I have something to attend to, so I will take my leave first"

Liang Jingxing remained silent for several seconds, "I don't know"

Liang Jingxing nodded, "Give me the phone."

Mom! The girl could no longer bear to listen, grasped Jiang Ci's wrist, and pulled her into the hospital room. The girl released her hand, gently closed the door, glanced back, and said with a hint of guilt: "Sister Jiang, don't listen to my mom's nonsense, this has nothing to do with you..."

The grim reality seemed to momentarily fade away, and she felt that such a tranquil moment was particularly luxurious, as if it were a matter from a past life

Jiang Ci glanced at his neatly tailored suit and said, "No need."

Chen Juefei arrived early, ordered a glass of chilled watermelon juice, and leisurely played mobile games while waiting for Jiang Ci to arrive

Jiang Ci averted her gaze, bid farewell to Zhang Yuno, and slowly walked towards the elevator

The woman let out a "tch" from her nostrils and said, "What, is it not allowed to speak? She is no longer the young lady of the Jiang family, so why should we still have to serve her?"

Chen Juefei was somewhat at a loss for words, "... Jiang Ci, I have noticed that you tend to be particularly stubborn in places where it is not warranted. Do you realize that this personality of yours can lead to disadvantages?"

Liang Jingxing let out a low "mm" with a hint of nasal tone, listening intently yet somewhat dazed.

Chen Juefei wiped his sweat and shoved the envelope into her hand, saying, "I really don't want you to compensate; just remember this lesson for yourself and don't act impulsively in a moment of heat."

Upon reaching the sixth floor, Jiang Ci was about to take out her keys to open the door when she remembered something, "Could you give me Chen Juefei's phone number? I need to discuss something with him."

Jiang Ci mechanically shook his head

Chen Juefei found it difficult to voice her reproach, so she called the waiter to bring her a glass of ice water. Jiang Ci sat down, took a moment to steady her breath, and drank nearly half of the ice water in one go. She then took out a substantial envelope from her bag and handed it to Chen Juefei

Brown, with a flip-top lid, inscribed with the calligraphic character "Dao". Jiang Ci was toying with the box, "Do you know that there used to be a type of cigarette in Yunnan called 'Camellia'?"

After walking for a while, they saw a dilapidated long bench by the roadside. Jiang Ci walked ahead, the bag on her slender shoulder seemingly threatening to crush her entirely. Liang Jinghang squinted and said, "Let's sit for a while"

In the eyes of the public, unscrupulous entrepreneurs engaged in illegal fundraising have caused innocent people to suffer the destruction of their families, yet the benevolent causes they unintentionally sowed ultimately bore good fruits

Zhang Yuno's lips drooped, and she sighed, "What else can be done? The doctor said there is a hematoma in the brain, but it's in a critical area, and they dare not perform surgery to remove it. We can only wait for it to dissipate on its own... Perhaps by then my father will wake up."

Jiang Ci shook his head

Chen Juefei was somewhat taken aback when he received a call from Jiang Ci. As this thought flashed through his mind, he cursed inwardly, thinking, "Hey, I have become addicted to being tormented."

Chen Juefei had never been greeted so politely by Jiang Ci, which he found particularly strange, "What trick are you trying to play this time?"

She descended the stairs in a daze, and upon raising her eyes, she suddenly saw Chen Juefei standing under the shade of a tree ahead. He lifted the hem of his T-shirt to fan himself, and sweat dripped down his face. As soon as he spotted Jiang Ci, he immediately dropped his shirt and rushed over, asking, "What are you doing at the hospital? Are you sick?"

The streetlights by the roadside are dim, casting shadows of two figures on the ground, sometimes short and sometimes long

Understanding that Liang Jingxing was specifically there to help her, she did not foolishly head to the supermarket, but instead walked forward aimlessly

It was just past 8 o'clock, and the nearby bar street was bustling with activity. Liang Jinghang glanced at the distant flickering neon lights and asked, "Are you still working at the bar?"