Xiao Shi hurt his leg and has various injuries on other parts of his body, but none of them are serious. However, he won't be able to get out of bed for the time being and will have to rest in the hospital for a while.
Cheng Jiu arrived at the hospital and saw Xiao Shi. Before he could say a few words, the door of the ward was knocked on. The people who came in were Jiang Yang and a few comrades-in-arms.
They were all very worried about Xiao Shi, so they specially found time to come and see him.
Xiao Shi had plaster casts on his legs and gauze around his forehead. He spoke very weakly and had no strength at all.
Cheng Jiu sat for a while, then walked out of the ward and smoked a cigarette in the smoking area before coming back. Jiang Yang happened to come out of the ward and ran into him. He greeted Cheng Jiu and said, "Brother Jiu, I thought you had left."
Cheng Jiu said, "I'm not leaving. I'll have a cigarette."
When they first entered the ward, those comrades-in-arms were all intimidated by him, fearing that if he were present, they would all feel uncomfortable.
Jiang Yang had a somewhat sad expression and said, "Xiao Shi's car accident has something to do with me. If I had gone on a mission with him the night before last, he wouldn't have had an accident."
Tell me, what's going on?
I received the news that there was the whereabouts of the fish head's men. Afraid of alerting them, I told Xiao Shi. We went to catch them separately, but something happened to Xiao Shi halfway.
So did you catch the person?
"No. I was a step late." Jiang Yang felt a bit powerless. "Brother Jiu, I'm responsible. I didn't expect this to happen. Please punish me."
Was it you who hit the person? Cheng Jiu glanced at him sideways, a casual smile playing on the corner of his mouth.
Jiang Yang paused for a moment and said, "No."
"What does that have to do with you? Don't take responsibility blindly." "
"But Ninth Brother..."
"All right, it's already happened. There's no use saying anything."
Jiang Yang's face was filled with guilt. He punched the wall with his fist and said, "I must catch those fish that slipped through the net."
Cheng Jiu didn't express any opinion. He had an idea in his mind, but he didn't tell Jiang Yang.
...
Back in the ward, there was only Xiao Shi left. Cheng asked Xiao Shi, "Is it okay?"
"Not bad. I won't die." Xiao Shi smiled, full of vigor and vitality. He was neither frightened nor left with any shadow. Their profession was bound to be far from peaceful, and all kinds of accidents could happen.
Cheng Jiu said, "Take good care of your injuries and don't think about anything else."
Xiao Shi was somewhat restrained and said, "Brother Jiu, I'm sorry to have worried you."
Cheng Jiu stroked his hair and said, "Take good care of your injury. Don't worry about anything else."
Not long after Cheng Jiu left, Xiao Shi sighed, her eyes moist, and wiped away her tears sadly.
The nurse came in to make her rounds. Xiao Shi asked, "Nurse Sister, how much do I still owe for my medical expenses?"
The nurse said, "Hasn't it all been paid in full?"
"I, I have no money to pay for the medical expenses. Didn't they come to urge me to pay this morning? How come I paid it in full?"
Don't you know yet? It was the man who just walked out who paid for you.
It was handed over by Cheng Jujiao.
Xiao Shi's family is poor and has no money. He has been hospitalized due to a car accident and has spent a lot of money all at once. He sends his monthly salary home as soon as he gets it and doesn't leave much for himself. When he has an accident, he doesn't let his family know.
Captain Meng said that the money raised by the team was actually far from enough for medical expenses.
Cheng Jiu paid a considerable amount out of his own pocket.
He is luckier than Xiao Shi and the others. He has a well-off family. Besides his salary, he also has some income, which is all earned through legitimate means. His family members are unaware of it, but only he himself knows.
Otherwise, I wouldn't have paid such a small amount of medical expenses.
...
For a while after that, Cheng Jiu was very busy and had no time for Xin Gan, so he didn't contact her. Xin Gan didn't take the initiative to contact him either. She wasn't clingy and didn't care much about him.
He also promised to give her half a year. During this period, she could think it over slowly and he wouldn't pester her too much.
However, He Cheng was a time bomb. Cheng Jiu was worried that He Cheng would still look for her. She took the opportunity to specially talk to He Chuan and asked him to keep an eye on He Cheng to prevent him from harassing Xin Gan again.
He Chuan had just finished a meeting, and his assistant beside him was still showing him documents for review. He flipped through them and replied to Cheng Jiu, "OK, I'll keep an eye on He Cheng."
Thank you very much. Cheng Jiu briefly understood and said "Thanks."
He Chuan smiled and said, "No need to be so polite. We're just a couple. But I've made it clear in advance that when you and Xin Gan get married and hold their wedding, I'll be the witness."
"Done."
"Also take care of your own safety. I saw on the news that it's quite chaotic over there on Beiyu Island." "
"Well, I know. By the way, Cheng Hui, you should also keep an eye on her over there. If she doesn't listen, scold her if necessary. Don't show any mercy."
"Huihui is just a bit naughty. She's a girl and easy to coax. She's not like my kid." " He Chuan gets agitated whenever He mentions He Cheng. If He Cheng weren't his younger brother, he would have been kicked out of the door by him long ago and kicked far away. How could he have had the chance to cause trouble?
When it came to this thing of his, He Chuan felt a lump of fire in his heart and said, "I'm going to have a meeting later. Let's not talk about it for now."
"Well, you go ahead and be busy."
...
In the afternoon, Cheng Jiu finished his work and was going to the hospital. When he got there, Jiang Tang was also in the ward.
Cheng Jiu and Jiang Tang had nothing much to say. They just glanced at each other and then poured Xiao Shi a glass of water, saying, "How are you? Do you feel dizzy?"
Xiao Shi shook his head and said, "I felt a bit dizzy when I woke up this morning, but I'm fine now."
Jiang Tang was ignored, and her heart was filled with great disappointment. Disappointed as she was, she also understood Cheng Jiu's attitude towards her, but she just couldn't accept it. If Xin Gan hadn't shown up, she and Cheng Jiu wouldn't have ended up in such a situation today.
Jiang Tang steeled her voice and interrupted the two of them, saying, "I've asked the doctor. Xiao Shi's reaction is normal. Take good care of yourself and you'll get better in some time."
Cheng Jiu didn't react. His eyes didn't look at her, but he did say "uh-huh", which could be regarded as his understanding.
Xiao Shi noticed that the atmosphere between the two of them was not quite the same. Recalling Xin Gan, he finally understood something. He hesitated to speak and finally said, "I think it's getting late. How about you, Jiang Tang..."
"Well, it's getting late. I should go too. Xiao Shi, I'll come to see you again in a few days. Jiang Yang said you like eating fruits. I'll bring you some again in a few days." Jiang Tang interrupted before Xiao Shi could finish speaking. She didn't even catch her breath. After she finished speaking, she looked at Cheng Jiu and said with a smile, "Cheng Jiu, I have an ungrateful request. Could you please give me a ride?"
Afraid that Cheng Jiu would refuse, she added, "If it's not convenient for you, then I won't insist. I'm sorry."
Cheng Jiu glanced at her and said calmly, "It's nothing. Let's go."
His tone was extremely cold, completely different from before Xin Gan appeared.
But I wasn't very enthusiastic before.
Jiang Tang's face turned pale. Even though she knew there was no hope left, she still wanted to be a moth, pouncing on him and burning herself.
She was reluctant and helpless. She had no capital to compete with Xin Gan. The only hope she still had was that Xin Gan didn't like her and left her voluntarily. So she still had a chance.
Jiang Tang got into Cheng Jiu's car again. She recalled the scene when she first met Xin Gan. At that time, she was also sitting in Cheng Jiu's car, making eye contact with Xin Gan from afar. Perhaps it was from that moment on that she and Xin Gan would always be on opposite sides.
Cheng Jiu was driving straight ahead without saying a word to her, deliberately keeping a distance.
You asked for leave to go home a while ago. Did something happen at home? Jiang Tang was looking for topics to talk about, hoping to draw closer to him.
Cheng Jiu glanced at the rearview mirror and said, "Yes, I'm home."
Jiang Tang lowered her eyes and her hand on her knee involuntarily clasped. She tugged at the corner of her mouth and said, "You haven't been home for the past few years. Are you planning to go home this year?"
"Back."
That's fine. I thought you wouldn't come home again this year.
Whether she goes home or not actually has nothing to do with her, but she just wants to talk to him, even if it's some meaningless nonsense.
Cheng Jiu said, "I've made an appointment with Xin Gan this year."
This sentence forced her into the eighteenth level of hell. She gritted her teeth, saying that she wouldn't have asked so much earlier.
Jiang Tang forced a smile and said lightly, "I see."
Xiao Shi was still in hospital. Jiang Tang didn't want to visit him at first, but she knew that Cheng Jiu would definitely go. If they ran into each other, they could chat for a while. If she didn't go, she wouldn't even have the chance to see Cheng Jiu.
So why not take a chance? Sure enough, today she got lucky.
Cheng Jiu still appeared very polite and gentle, but both of these adjectives carried a sense of estrangement. He was extremely polite and didn't offer any other superfluous emotions.
Jiang Tang was heartbroken to death. For a while, she couldn't accept the ending of their relationship. It was she who had spent four or five years by his side. During these four or five years, Xin Gan had never shown up. What was she? She couldn't even stand the dust.
Jiang Tang suddenly looked out of the car window, her emotions brewing for a while, and said, "Cheng Jiu, I can actually sense that you have no interest in me, and I understand your attitude. But could you be a little kinder to me? I haven't asked for anything. I just want to be your friend. That's all."
Cheng Jiu's eyes flickered: "Jiang Tang, my attitude is very clear. I don't want to emphasize to you every time. We can be friends, but just ordinary friends. There's nothing else."
Jiang Tang: "I know. I understand. I'm sorry."
There's no need to apologize to me.
I need to apologize. I caused quite a misunderstanding between you and Miss Xin. Director Meng talked to me before and asked if I wanted to be transferred. I think it's time to reconsider. I'll apply to Director Meng and won't disturb you in the future.
She made up her mind and blurted it out in a fit of pique.
Cheng Jiu didn't react either: "Then congratulations to you first."
His reaction was so cold that he didn't take it to heart at all.
She said all this was completely humiliating herself.
Jiang Tang said, "Stop at the intersection ahead. I suddenly remembered that I still have something to do. Thank you."
Cheng Jiu said, "OK."
...
Xin Gan started working at Song Chen's company and everything went smoothly. She also got to know a young lady sitting at the desk next to her, named Zhou Jinyan, who also had overseas study experience. They had common topics to talk about.
Over time, it gradually became familiar.
After she joined the company, only the HR manager who handled her onboarding knew that she was a relative of Song Chen. As they were in different departments and had no business dealings on a regular basis, the HR manager would greet her proactively when he met her in the cafeteria.
During the lunch break at noon, Xin Gan was having lunch at a restaurant near her company. Halfway through her meal, she received a call from Cheng Hui, who said, "Sister Xin, I have a date tonight and I don't know what dress to wear. Could you help me choose one?"
Xin Gan said, "OK. Send me the photos to have a look."
Not long after hanging up the phone, Cheng Hui immediately sent her several photos. The background was a shopping mall somewhere. On closer inspection, there was He Cheng's figure in the background. Xin Gan found it strange and typed to ask her, "Who are you with?"
Cheng Hui replied, "He Cheng is He Chuan's younger brother."