Shoutout to Alinaza for the commission!
Lu Huaiyan’s voice was lower and raspier than usual.
Today was his first time officially visiting the Jiang family. The gifts had been sent to Liyuan Street yesterday by Li Rui.
Not particularly expensive gifts, but each one went straight to the heart.
For example, the heavy motorcycle Jiang Chuan had longed for when he was young but that had long gone out of production.
And the special brew of liquor that Yu Shiying had always regretted never getting to taste.
They had never imagined that an offhand remark would be remembered by Lu Huaiyan, who then went to great trouble to make up for their regrets.
Their impression of him grew even better, they even brought out their best aged liquor to entertain him.
Tonight on Liyuan Street, Lu Huaiyan really did drink a lot. Everyone in the Jiang family could drink. He drank with Jiang Chuan, then Yu Shiying, then had to accept Jiang Ye’s toast as well.
Fortunately, he had a strong tolerance. Even with a belly full of alcohol, his expression didn’t change.
Jiang Se had been running around from morning to night and was already quite tired. But somehow, hearing his voice soaked with strong liquor made her want him even more.
Probably because his voice right now was too sexy, clouding her mind a little.
She kicked off her shoes, raised her hand to touch his Adam’s apple, her eyes fixed on this line just as sexy as his voice, and said: “Lu Huaiyan, go turn on the TV. Turn the sound to the lowest.”
Lu Huaiyan’s eyelids half-lowered. He looked at her and let out a laugh of unclear meaning: “I ask for a kiss, and in that time, you’re already thinking about sleeping with me?”
When the man spoke, his Adam’s apple moved right under Jiang Se’s fingertip. She traced the shape of his Adam’s apple with her finger and gave an offhand “mm.”
Lu Huaiyan pressed down her hand.
Jiang Se lifted her eyes to meet his gaze: “Not letting me touch?”
Lu Huaiyan’s Adam’s apple sank down, then he let go and allowed her to touch, while he took off his glasses and lowered his head to brush her lips, asking her: “Touch wherever you want, where else do you want to touch?”
Jiang Se parted her lips and let him kiss her deeper. Her hand went up from his Adam’s apple to touch his jawline.
Her touch was clearly very light, yet it itched a man straight to the bone.
Lu Huaiyan didn’t hold back anymore. He picked her up decisively, turned on the TV, and turned the volume to the lowest.
The bedroom door closed quickly, and right after that, the sound of water came from inside the bathroom.
Mixed in with the pattering water was the man’s hoarse, low voice: “Touched enough, miss? Can we start?”
The silk scarf Jiang Se used to cover the bruises was long soaked through by water. Lu Huaiyan hooked one side of the fabric, slowly pulled it off, lowered his head, and kissed her slender neck.
Jiang Se felt like she was just like that soaked silk scarf, sometimes kneaded until wrinkled and soft, sometimes rinsed by water until even her toes tensed.
This night was the same as yesterday. She was so tired she practically fell asleep the moment her eyelids closed.
The next morning, they woke and went to Liyuan Street for breakfast.
Jiang Chuan and Yu Shiying hadn’t stayed long at “Wangchuan” last night before riding the little electric scooter home to sleep.
Young people want to play all night. Them standing there as elders would only be in the way. The kids couldn’t have fun, and they themselves would be tired.
“Little Ye went to Huang Xu’s house. He won’t be back until evening.”
Yu Shiying poured a cup of health soy milk each for Jiang Se and Lu Huaiyan, saying: “For breakfast, soy milk, steamed buns, and crab-shell pastries, are you used to eating these?”
Jiang Se had eaten all of these and liked them. Yu Shiying was asking about Lu Huaiyan.
Lu Huaiyan said: “I’m used to it. My tastes are pretty much the same as Sese’s.”
As he said this, he opened the sugar jar and added half a spoon of sugar to Jiang Se’s soy milk, while he put none in his own.
Seeing this, Yu Shiying smiled, didn’t ask more, and went into the kitchen to ask Jiang Chuan to heat the pancakes.
After breakfast, Lu Huaiyan went to Lianan Old District to inspect the project progress. He was busy all the way until afternoon before returning to Liyuan Street.
The courtyard door was half-closed. The murmuring voices inside drifted out now and then with the wind through the crack.
“Then from now on, let’s change the name of ‘Wangchuan’ to ‘Fuchun Riverside’. I’ve long been considering a name change.” Yu Shiying tossed the shelled beans into a bamboo basket. “Your dad has said countless times that the name isn’t lucky.”
Jiang Se lowered her eyes while shelling beans and asked with a smile: “Why did you think of changing it to that name back then?”
“Back then your grandma and grandpa opposed me being with your dad. I agreed with him that we’d elope. But your dad insisted on sending me back, and even promised your grandparents that he wouldn’t bother me again. I got angry and went straight back to Tongcheng to take over the Yu family tavern and changed the name along the way.”
Thinking of the past, Yu Shiying couldn’t help sounding earnest: “If a man doesn’t even have the determination to stay with you, if he gives up just because others object once or twice, such a man isn’t worth having.”
Jiang Se knew Yu Shiying was worried about her future with Lu Huaiyan, so she smiled and said: “Don’t worry. If a man won’t choose me with certainty, I’ll run faster than you did back then. But Dad didn’t fail to choose you. He was just afraid you’d one day regret turning against Grandma and Grandpa.”
When young, you can throw yourself into love without hesitation. But once passion fades, who can guarantee they won’t regret their impulsiveness?
Jiang Chuan was simply afraid Yu Shiying would regret it.
Yu Shiying had been a university student back then, while Jiang Chuan dropped out of middle school and worked in a distillery.
In others’ eyes, Jiang Chuan didn’t deserve Yu Shiying at all.
If not for the accident that took the grandparents Jiang Se never got to meet, and if Yu Shiying hadn’t been entangled by a group of greedy relatives, their story might’ve ended differently.
The three Jiang siblings might not even have been born.
Yu Shiying picked through beans and smiled: “I know. Back then he only wanted to guard me quietly, then leave Tongcheng once I married a good man. But even that kind of reason wasn’t enough. If he hadn’t shamelessly refused to leave later, I absolutely wouldn’t have looked back.”
Jiang Se smiled softly.
The three siblings all carried a bit of stubbornness and fierceness in their bones, probably inherited from Yu Shiying.
Yu Shiying set aside the prepared beans, drew a bucket of well water for Jiang Se to wash her hands, and said: “When Ah Tang and Little Ye turned eighteen, your dad and I told them that No. 48 Liyuan Street will always be their retreat. Now Mom is giving you the same words, though late. Our Sese can always love bravely, go forward bravely. No matter the outcome, you still have us and this home as your retreat.”
The well water was cool. Jiang Se looked at the pair of almond eyes in the water that looked so similar to Yu Shiying’s and softly said “mm.”
Yu Shiying added: “Dad and Mom fully support you dating Huaiyan. But if the Lu family gives you any grief, don’t hold it in. Tell us.”
“Mm.” Jiang Se lifted her eyes and smiled. “Don’t worry. No one in the Lu family will give me grief, including Lu Huaiyan.”
Yu Shiying looked at her, her gaze very gentle: “The way you brought him to meet us this time, compared to the last time you brought him to ‘Wangchuan’, is completely different.”
Jiang Se froze for a moment.
Thinking carefully, the last time she brought Lu Huaiyan to “Wangchuan” had indeed been more casual. Unlike this time, seriously wanting to bring him back to the Jiang family.
Seeing her dazed, Yu Shiying smiled: “And you’re happier than before. Even your complexion looks better.”
As she spoke, she pointed at Jiang Se’s jaw. “Next time you get up at night, remember to turn on a light. Don’t bruise your chin again.”
Yesterday, as soon as they met up with Jiang Chuan, the two had immediately frowned and asked how she got that bruise on her chin.
The bruises on her neck could be covered with a silk scarf, but the bruise on her jaw couldn’t be hidden even with concealer, so she could only say she’d bumped it when getting up at night without turning on the light.
Jiang Se obediently replied, “Mm, I know.”
After pausing, she smiled again and said, “I really am happier than before now, whether it’s with you guys, or with him.”
The door creaked open right then.
Jiang Se and Yu Shiying both stopped talking and looked toward the courtyard gate.
Lu Huaiyan held the wooden door, first meeting Jiang Se’s eyes, then shifting his gaze the next second to greet Yu Shiying with a smile: “Auntie Yu.”
He wore a light-colored shirt today, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, his posture upright, brows and eyes gentle with a smile, looking very refined and elegant.
Yu Shiying let out an “eh,” picked up the bamboo basket full of beans, and said, “I’ll go in and give these to Sese’s dad. You sit and keep Sese company.”
“I’ll go,” Lu Huaiyan stepped forward and took the bamboo basket from her hand, saying, “I’ll help Uncle Jiang while I’m at it.”
After going into the kitchen, Lu Huaiyan didn’t come out again for a good half hour.
Yu Shiying had thought that “helping out” was just something he said casually. Kids from families like his, nine out of ten didn’t even touch dishwater.
Who knew that when she went in to look, Lu Huaiyan was holding a knife slicing potato shreds, and his knife skills were no worse than Jiang Chuan’s.
Coming out of the kitchen, she couldn’t help praising him again: “Huaiyan is really a good kid. I told him to come out and have some tea, but he refused, saying he wanted to learn how to make plum spare ribs from your dad.”
Jiang Se was sitting on the sofa eating dragon fruit with a spoon. Hearing this, she responded with a quiet “mm”: “Once he asked me what I wanted to eat, and I said plum spare ribs. He didn’t know how to make it, so he grilled small ribs for me instead.”
Jiang Se was picky. Even a simple home-cooked dish, if the plums were wrong and the flavor wasn’t what she wanted, she wouldn’t take a single bite.
Yu Shiying didn’t know what she suddenly thought of, but she laughed.
“This dish, plum spare ribs, was something your dad learned from Uncle Tong before you left Beicheng. He practiced it secretly who knows how many times, afraid he wouldn’t be able to make it the way you liked. Now Huaiyan is learning from your dad too. When you return to Beicheng, with him around, you can eat it anytime.”
There will always be someone who goes to great lengths to bring the things you like right in front of you.
In the past it was her father, now it was Lu Huaiyan.
Jiang Se glanced toward the kitchen.
The door there was half closed. You could vaguely see two tall, lean male silhouettes.
She lowered her eyes and scooped another small spoonful of dragon fruit. At the turn of spring and summer, even dragon fruit tasted sweeter than usual.
Their flight back to Beicheng was at noon the next day.
Jiang Ye had been out playing for a full day and night, came back with two dark circles under his eyes for dinner, and brought strawberry popsicles for Jiang Se and Lu Huaiyan.
“Lin Ke checked in and certified that these are good. Should be tasty.” After saying that, the teen gave Jiang Se a mysterious wink. “Second Sis, check your WeChat.”
Jiang Se took out her phone.
Two minutes ago, Jiang Ye had sent: 【Second Sis, will you marry him?】
Jiang Se replied: 【What is it?】
Jiang Ye: 【Just… checking how much time I have left to save up your betrothal gift, so people won’t think you don’t have a family when you get married.】
This kid was always afraid she’d be mocked by people from her old circle, always wanting to earn her money.
Jiang Se lowered her head and typed: 【If I really do marry him, whether there’s a betrothal gift or not won’t matter. But—】
She didn’t bother finishing the sentence. Instead, she put down her phone and said to Jiang Ye, “Save a part of this competition’s prize money as your dating fund, and give the rest to me. I’ll invest it.”
Jiang Ye had been reading her WeChat reply. Hearing her suddenly say that, he flushed, and muttered awkwardly, “I already saved all the prize money for you. I discussed it with Dad, Mom, and Big Sis. This time’s prize money is all yours. Spend it however you want: a car, investments, or for your bethr—… whatever. As for a dating fund, I can earn more. Your little brother—”
He pressed his lips together, trying to look mature and steady: “Your little brother is very good at making money.”
…
On the way back, the corners of Jiang Se’s lips never dropped.
When they reached the apartment, Lu Huaiyan glanced sideways at her. “That happy?”
“Mm, I’ve got more startup capital. Why wouldn’t I be happy?”
Lu Huaiyan laughed. “Then how about I invest another sum in you?”
“No.” Jiang Se slowly untied the silk scarf around her neck. “Big Sis said she’s investing too. The current starting capital is enough.”
She set the scarf aside. “For my twenty-fourth birthday, I want to spend it on Liyuan Street.”
Back then she’d come to Tongcheng to investigate Zhao Zhicheng’s past. Even when she felt Yu Shiying and the others were good to her, she didn’t dare form too many ties.
Now, she wanted to fully enjoy family.
Lu Huaiyan had no objections to where she wanted to spend her birthday. As long as she was happy, it was fine.
“Okay. Anywhere else you want to go?” He lowered his head and pecked her eyelid. “I’ll clear a few more days and take you wherever you want.”
Jiang Se thought for a moment and said, “Stay on Liyuan Street for two or three days, then let’s go to South Guanyin Mountain to see Auntie Han.”
Lu Huaiyan lowered his gaze at her. “You don’t need to go to South Guanyin Mountain just for me. Choose the place you really want to go.”
Jiang Se lifted her eyes. “Who said it’s for you? Can’t I want to see Auntie Han myself?”
The last time she’d seen Han Yin was at the manor. That meeting wasn’t exactly unhappy, but it wasn’t pleasant either.
Han Yin even called the next day to apologize.
After that, Han Yin left Beicheng twice for South Guanyin Mountain, and Jiang Se hadn’t gone to see her off either time. Sentimentally and logically, she ought to go visit.
And conveniently, Lu Huaiyan could spend time with Auntie Han too.
These days, he’d spent almost all his free time accompanying her.
“Alright, why not?” Lu Huaiyan leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Wherever the miss wants to go, I’ll accompany her.”
After kissing her, he looked into her eyes and added slowly, “After all, being with you makes me very happy too.”
Jiang Se glanced at him.
She already knew he had heard what she said this afternoon in the courtyard.
Showing off his knife skills and cooking so actively was clearly to let her parents see how much he treasured her.
She asked him, “How’s your learning that plum spare ribs coming along?”
“Want to eat it again? Half a plate of plums already went into your stomach tonight, and you’re still not satisfied?” Lu Huaiyan held her hand, walking with her through the dim living room. “I’ll make it for you when we return to Beicheng tomorrow.”
Jiang Se didn’t get to eat that plum spare ribs the next day.
The moment the plane landed in Beicheng, Mo Jichen’s call came through.
“The Fu family has hired a lawyer for Fu Yun, requesting bail on account of his health. He’s currently in the inpatient department at the affiliated hospital of A University. I’ve arranged someone to keep an eye on him; he won’t have a chance to escape. Of course, with his current health, he couldn’t run even if he wanted to,” Mo Jichen said as he crushed out the cigarette in his hand. “Also, Fu Yun’s aunt and cousin have already arrived in Beicheng from Bai County. Right now, Tian Xiangyi is at the police station giving statements and recording testimony.”
That villa was under Tian Xiangyi’s name, and she often sent beer to Fu Yun, staying in contact with him. Naturally, she was one of the key people the police were investigating.
When Jiang Se arrived at the station, Tian Xiangyi had just finished giving her statement, and the person handling it was Huang Jia.
Huang Jia’s eyes lit up when she saw Jiang Se, waving warmly: “Miss Jiang.”
Then she turned to Tian Xiangyi: “This is the victim the suspect tried to kidnap.”
Tian Xiangyi held a canvas bag in her hands. Hearing that, her grip stiffened involuntarily.
“Officer Huang, if there’s nothing else to ask, I need to go to the hospital to see my nephew.”
Huang Jia glanced at her and nodded: “Go ahead. Isn’t your daughter still at the guesthouse waiting for you? Should I have someone take you there?”
“No, I’ll call my own car.”
Tian Xiangyi hastily tidied the canvas bag and walked down the corridor with her head lowered. The duty room door faced the corridor; she didn’t lift her eyes and didn’t know which pair of shoes ahead belonged to that “Miss Jiang.”
Almost at the exit, the canvas bag slung over her shoulder swung sharply. Tian Xiangyi quickly looked up and apologized: “S-sorry—”
Her gaze met Jiang Se’s face. Her voice froze for a moment, then she quickly regained composure and repeated: “I’m sorry.”
Jiang Se looked at her thoughtfully: “Have you seen me before?”
“No, I haven’t!”
Tian Xiangyi hurriedly looked away, her peripheral vision catching the large bruise on Jiang Se’s neck.
Her gaze dropped further and glimpsed the bandaged hand.
This girl was covered in injuries everywhere.
Tian Xiangyi swallowed, instinctively stepping back. At that moment, a calm voice as smooth as water rang out in sync with her footsteps—
“Seven years ago, I was younger than your daughter, only sixteen. Back then, like her, I was waiting for my family to come pick me up. I waited three days and no one came.”
Tian Xiangyi slowed her steps.
“The fact that you came to the station can’t be hidden from Fu Yun. Do you think he might, to settle things, make you disappear from this world silently, just like your husband?”
Tian Xiangyi’s lashes fluttered. Her breathing grew heavier, but she didn’t answer Jiang Se at all.
Jiang Se watched her anxious retreating figure. She didn’t follow. She took a silk scarf from her bag, tied it on, and, while undoing the bandage on her hand, walked toward Huang Jia.
Huang Jia looked at her injuries: “Healing well.”
Jiang Se nodded: “She must have seen my photo before, either from Fu Yun or from Shen Qiang. She refuses to say anything?”
The little collision earlier was intentional on Jiang Se’s part. Huang Jia had seen clearly, Tian Xiangyi’s expression was strange the instant she looked up.
“Mm.” Huang Jia put down her pen, leaned back in his chair, and said: “She’s honest but timid. She might have some feelings for Fu Yun. Whatever you ask, she claims she doesn’t know, only saying that the villa was a gift Fu Yun gave to encourage his little cousin to study for a university here in Beicheng.”
Jiang Se guessed: “Tian Xiangyi should know something about Fu Yun.”
Huang Jia nodded: “She’ll stay in Beicheng for a few days. I’ll continue talking to her tomorrow.”
Although Jiang Se was a victim, there were some things Huang Jia could only touch on lightly. After a few words, she smiled and asked: “Your boyfriend didn’t come?”
Huang Jia had already learned Lu Huaiyan’s identity from an elder.
Little Chariman Lu of the Lu family in Beicheng, no wonder he carried such an air of wealth and authority.
Jiang Se looked at her watch: “He’ll pick me up in about half an hour.”
Half an hour later, Lu Huaiyan’s car arrived at the station gate on time. After having dinner at a private restaurant, they returned directly to Ruidu Huafu.
After a day of rushing around, Jiang Se was exhausted. She showered as soon as she got home. Just as she was about to undo her bathrobe and lie on the bed, her phone rang again.
“Miss Jiang, Tian Xiangyi just came from the hospital. She says she has recordings of Fu Yun and Shen Qiang from back then.” Over the phone, Huang Jia’s voice was a bit higher than usual, his speech lighter. “I can’t give details yet. Captain Mo has arranged for someone to verify the recordings. As long as they’re not fabricated, your case from seven years ago should have a result.”
Jiang Se froze for a few seconds until a hard, warm chest pressed against her back. Then she asked, coming back to her senses: “Why would Tian Xiangyi suddenly be willing to hand over the recordings?”
Tian Xiangyi was honest and timid, perhaps still had a trace of conscience, but she wasn’t stupid.
The recordings left by Shen Qiang could bring even bigger trouble to her and her daughter if handed over.
The best strategy was to feign ignorance and act innocent.
“I asked her why she didn’t hand them over from the start. She hesitated, only saying she had to do the right thing. No matter what, these recordings could be a major breakthrough for the cases Fu Yun committed over the years,” Huang Jia said. “Once there’s a result, I’ll let you know.”
Because of the recordings, Huang Jia would have to work late tonight. She rubbed her face, about to say good night and hang up, when Jiang Se suddenly asked: “Officer Huang, when Tian Xiangyi came, was her daughter with her?”
Huang Jia’s gaze tightened. Realizing what Jiang Se meant, she immediately sat up straight and glanced at Tian Xiangyi standing outside the corridor.
Since handing over the recording, that woman had been like she’d lost her soul, unable to sit still.
“You think someone is using her daughter to threaten her?”
Jiang Se gave an “Mm”: “This is only my guess. If her daughter is neither at the hospital nor at the guesthouse, you can try starting the investigation from Zhu Mingli. Based on what I know of Zhu Mingli, she likely used some means to trick Tian Xiangyi’s daughter out of the guesthouse and take her away.”
“Alright, I’ll send someone to check right away.” Huang Jia hung up the phone.
Her phone had barely beeped twice when it was pulled out of her hand.
Lu Huaiyan turned off Jiang Se’s phone and set it aside, speaking in a calm voice: “Sleep.”
The man switched off the bedside reading lamp, removed the robe from her body, and pulled her into his arms.
In the darkness, Jiang Se rested her head on his shoulder: “Lu Huaiyan, the kidnapping case from seven years ago has progress.”
“Mm.”
“Before Fu Yun’s uncle died, he left some recordings. Those recordings are with Tian Xiangyi.”
Lu Huaiyan said nothing, his palm patting her back, slow and absent-minded.
Jiang Se paused for a moment before continuing: “To force Tian Xiangyi to hand over those recordings, Zhu Mingli most likely took Tian Xiangyi’s daughter.”
Zhu Mingli naturally did all this for her brother.
The more cases Fu Yun carried, the lighter Zhu Yinlin’s sentence might be.
Afraid that Fu Yun would come after their siblings for revenge once he got out, she was determined not to let Fu Yun walk out of prison.
“She used to dislike me, envied that I had a good father, a good mother, and a good brother.” Jiang Se said. “But she doesn’t understand. I envied her even more for having a younger brother who would give up everything to kill for her.”
“What’s there to envy?” Lu Huaiyan’s hand slid upward, tugging gently at her soft ear lobe. He chuckled. “You have them now too. An older sister and a younger brother, a father and a mother, and a boyfriend who also doubles as an older brother.”
Jiang Se was silent for a while, then curled her lips in the darkness: “Mm.”
“Jiang Se, do you remember what I told you?” Lu Huaiyan lifted her chin with his knuckles and leaned in to kiss her lips. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Anyone else’s choices are not your fault.”
Zhu Yinlin chose to kill.
Zhu Mingli chose to take Fu Yun’s cousin and force Tian Xiangyi to hand over the evidence.
These were all choices they themselves made.
“What happened to that girl has nothing to do with you. Everything was the consequence of what her parents sowed. If she wants to hate, she should hate her parents, hate her cousin. As for you, she should be grateful. If not for you, the police could not have noticed her situation so quickly.” Lu Huaiyan asked her, “Do you remember that, Jiang Se?”
“Mm, I know.” Jiang Se said. “And I don’t regret it.”
Their lips touched, and when they spoke, their breaths mingled.
Lu Huaiyan didn’t dare kiss her deeply. He lightly bit her lower lip: “Weren’t you the one who said you were tired and wanted to sleep? Sleep.”
At his words, Jiang Se closed her eyes: “I want you to pat me like just now.”
Lu Huaiyan kissed her forehead. His hand once again rested on her back, coaxing softly: “Sleep, Miss.”
…
At 5:46 a.m., Beicheng Major Crimes Division sub-bureau.
“Mom!”
Seeing the girl running toward her, Tian Xiangyi’s tears burst out: “Nannan!”
Watching the mother and daughter hugging and crying, Huang Jia twisted open her bottle of mineral water and drank half of it in one go.
Tian Xiangyi wiped her tears and bowed repeatedly to Huang Jia: “Thank you! Thank you, Officer Huang!”
“Don’t thank us. This is our job. If you must thank someone, thank Miss Jiang whom you met this afternoon.”
Huang Jia licked the water from her lips and said, “Miss Jiang got rained on herself but couldn’t bear for your daughter to get wet with her. Save your gratitude for her. If not for her, we couldn’t have found your daughter so quickly.”
Finishing, Huang Jia didn’t bother with Tian Xiangyi’s dazed expression and walked straight toward Mo Jichen, who had just gotten out of the car.
“Captain Mo, Little Liang just called me. Fu Yun wants to see Miss Jiang. That b*stard said he won’t say a word before seeing her.” Huang Jia asked, “Do I need to call Miss Jiang and ask her to go to the hospital tomorrow?”
Mo Jichen rubbed his brow: “No need. It’s not appropriate for us to ask.”
He took out his phone to call, then changed it to a message when something occurred to him:
【The suspect requested to meet Miss Jiang. Ask her if she’s willing. This isn’t mandatory. The evidence we have is already enough to prosecute him.】
As Huang Jia left, she happened to glance over. The top of the chat clearly displayed three large characters: Lu Huaiyan.
She raised a brow. Was Captain Mo asking Miss Jiang’s boyfriend to speak on their behalf?
—
By the time Mo Jichen sent the message, Lu Huaiyan had already seen it.
He rose earlier than Jiang Se. Before dawn, he had already gotten out of the bedroom and gone downstairs to work.
Mo Jichen sending the message to him carried a sense of helplessness.
Fu Yun had been arrested in public and narrowly saved from death, yet he hadn’t cracked at all. He was as steady as stone. No matter how Mo Jichen questioned him, he gave no response and left everything to his lawyer.
The Fu family had hired a famous criminal litigator for him. The lawyer practically stayed at the hospital twenty-four hours a day like a nanny, terrified that Fu Yun might say the wrong thing.
A suspect asking to meet the victim made no sense, but Mo Jichen hoped Jiang Se’s appearance would make Fu Yun talk, so he messaged Lu Huaiyan.
With him relaying the message, Jiang Se wouldn’t feel pressured if she didn’t want to go.
Lu Huaiyan didn’t even need to ask to know how Jiang Se would respond.
When Jiang Se came down for breakfast, he directly showed her the message.
“Do you want to go?”
“No.”
Jiang Se accepted the red tea he handed her and said calmly, “Officer Huang said the authentication results for the recordings came out. They’re all real. Fu Yun won’t escape this time. Other than court, I won’t see him anywhere else.”
Lu Huaiyan inclined his head: “Then don’t go. I’ll have Jialuo come up to play with you later?”
“Okay.” Jiang Se took a sip of black tea and lifted her eyes to look at him. “You don’t need to come back at noon to eat with me. I’m going to the Cen family this afternoon to return something.”
Lu Huaiyan didn’t ask her what she was returning, he only asked: “Do you want me to go with you?”
Jiang Se shook her head: “I’ll come back right after I return it.”
After breakfast, once he had the auntie bring Jialuo upstairs, Lu Huaiyan took the elevator down to the parking lot.
He didn’t go to the company, and drove straight to the hospital.
Mo Jichen was waiting for him at the entrance of the inpatient department.
“You’re pretty early.” The man had a cigarette in his mouth, his brows and eyes filled with the exhaustion of an all-nighter. “When I came down, he had just finished breakfast. The lawyer the Fu family arranged for him is also there.”
“Mm.”
“I’m actually surprised he’s willing to meet you. I don’t know what he wants to say.” Mo Jichen took the cigarette from his mouth. “Come on, let’s go up.”
Fu Yun’s ward was on the eighteenth floor, in the VIP wing. The lawyer the Fu family hired was surnamed Fang, called Fang Xiang.
Knowing Fu Yun was going to meet with Lu Huaiyan, he tried to persuade him gently, saying it was best if he didn’t say anything right now.
Fu Yun was half-lying on the bed, tubes inserted all over his body, his face pale.
While Fang Xiang was speaking, he kept his eyelids lowered, listening with no expression. Only when Mo Jichen led someone in did he lift his eyelids and look toward the newcomer.
Their gazes met for a moment.
Lu Huaiyan slowly swept him with a glance and said coolly: “I hear you can’t even speak a word now without your lawyer?”
Fu Yun’s gaunt face, like a puppet injected with life, slowly became animated.
He curved his lips into a warm smile: “Lawyer Fang, go out first.”
Fang Xiang frowned. He was about to speak when the man leaning by the door suddenly looked over and said coolly: “You’re Fang Xiang, Lawyer Fang from Zhengtong Law Firm?”
Fang Xiang’s brow twitched.
When the Fu family had sought a lawyer for Fu Yun earlier, he had already heard: any law firm defending Fu Yun would be blacklisted by the Lu Group.
Not just the Lu Group, several other conglomerates friendly with the Lus were saying similar things.
If he didn’t owe old Master Fu a favor, Fang Xiang wouldn’t have wanted this case at all.
This big Buddha that was the Lu Group, he absolutely couldn’t afford to offend it again.
Since Fu Yun wouldn’t listen to him, there was nothing he could do.
“Yes, yes, that’s me. I’ve long admired you, Chairman Lu.” Fang Xiang put on a professional smile. “Since Chairman Fu doesn’t need me here, I won’t disturb you both.”
After he left, Fu Yun shifted his gaze to Mo Jichen.
Mo Jichen shrugged, making no move to leave.
Fu Yun said nothing, turning his gaze back to Lu Huaiyan. His voice was warm: “I figured long ago that Sese wouldn’t come see me, but I didn’t expect you to come.”
His posture was loose and unrestrained, and when he mentioned Jiang Se, his tone was exceedingly familiar.
Lu Huaiyan glanced at the medical monitor beside the bed. The ECG line was steady, with only a slight fluctuation when he mentioned Jiang Se.
“She’ll only see you in court.” Lu Huaiyan’s voice was as steady as the ECG, his eyes like a cold pool, quietly fixed on Fu Yun. “Looking at the way you are now, neither human nor ghost, where do you get the face to ask her to come here and meet you?”
Fu Yun’s expression remained gentle. He stared at Lu Huaiyan with a smile: “She was supposed to be mine. If you hadn’t barged in back then, I would have gone in to save her and been her savior. The one she liked would only ever have been me. Everything you have now should have been mine.”
