TSMLI CHAPTER 11

Lin Chu looked suspicious and took a few steps closer to the streetlight.

Jiang Jin was a large man, covered in sweat, with a wound on his forehead, and looked rather pitiful squatting by the roadside. As soon as Lin Chu approached, he suddenly stood up, startling her and causing her to take a step back. “What are you doing here?”

Jiang Jin answered irrelevantly, “You just came back from Chuqian? Do you want me to help you with your things?” As he spoke, he held out his hand.

Lin Chu quickly dodged and asked again. Jiang Jin then replied, “I was robbed. I just happened to drive here and ran out of gas. I don’t have my wallet. Can you lend me a hundred yuan?”

Lin Chu was skeptical. “I’ll call the police for you!”

Jiang Jin glanced at her. “Lending you a hundred yuan, are you that stingy?”

Lin Chu immediately realized that Jiang Jin was lying, and impatient with his idle chatter, she said, “Alright, I don’t have any money to lend you, goodbye.” With that, she turned to leave, but Jiang Jin grabbed her arm.

The slender arm landed in his hand, a cool sensation seeping through, especially refreshing on the sweltering, windless summer night. Jiang Jin felt instantly cool and involuntarily squeezed it, immediately earning an attack from Lin Chu, who left a footprint on his calf.

“Release!”

Jiang Jin awkwardly let go, rummaged through his pants pockets, and pulled out the empty fabric, revealing nothing but his phone. “Look, I really have no money. I’ll have to sleep on the streets tonight. It’s not like I’m not going to pay you back. You can go and arrest me at the Nanjiang Evening News!”

Seeing that he didn’t seem to be faking it, Lin Chu genuinely believed he was penniless. However, she didn’t have more than a hundred yuan on her. “Would fifty be alright?”

Jiang Jin said directly, “That’s too little, no way.”

Lin Chu didn’t know much about gas prices, so she simply said, “Here’s fifty. That should be enough for a taxi home. You can park your motorcycle in the neighborhood and come back to pick it up tomorrow!”

Jiang Jin thought for a moment and said, “Okay, give me your phone number, and I’ll pay you back tomorrow!”

Lin Chu wanted to give him her bank account number, but then thought it was too much trouble, so she just gave him the number. Jiang Jin then called her and asked her to save it. Lin Chu nodded, as she didn’t have a free hand.

It wasn’t late, and the neighborhood was bustling with activity. Residents chatted in small groups along the way. Jiang Jin put Lin Chu’s luggage on the motorcycle and slowly walked with her inside. His expression was somber, and he didn’t say a word. Lin Chu felt a little uncomfortable and secretly glanced at him a few times.

Her dislike for Jiang Jin remained from before the attack. Whether Jiang Jin had helped her for his own sake or for hers, it was better than standing idly by. Lin Chu was grateful and said, “I haven’t thanked you yet. I read the report you wrote. Was that person impersonating an insurance broker you?”

Jiang Jin then laughed and said, “Who else could it be but me?” He glanced at Lin Chu and said, “I thought you were just being ungrateful. It’s been half a month, and you haven’t even sent me a flower basket!”

Lin Chu smiled and pointed to the flowerbed by the roadside, telling him to pick whatever he wanted. Only then did Jiang Jin show a genuine smile.

Jiang Jin’s phone kept vibrating in his pocket, but he didn’t answer it. Lin Chu pretended not to notice and walked to the apartment building after a long time.

She asked Jiang Jin to park the motorcycle temporarily on the grassy area next to the building, but then asked, somewhat worried, “Shouldn’t we park it upstairs?”

The community had three gates, two of which were small gates that were never locked. Nobody knew who might sneak in in the middle of the night. Neighbors who had electric bikes always put their bikes on the elevator and parked them in front of their own doors.

Jiang Jin waved his hand. “It’s alright, just leave it here for now, it should be safe.”

Lin Chu didn’t say much, just took out fifty yuan and handed it to him. Jiang Jin flicked the bill, looked down at Lin Chu who was stuffing her wallet back, and suddenly asked, “Hey, the person who brought you back just now, is he your boyfriend?”

Lin Chu put her wallet back in the compartment and replied, “No.” She pointed to the stairwell door. “I’m going upstairs. Are you alright now?”

Jiang Jin waved for her to go inside, but seeing Lin Chu walk in without looking back, he stood on the grassy field for a while before getting on his motorcycle and driving back across the field.

The city of Nanjiang at night was more extravagant than during the day. Although the main urban area lacked the vibrant lights and lush greenery, who knew what lay hidden beneath those neon lights? The motorcycle sped forward, the scenery on both sides stretched into an overexposed film. Jiang Jin’s eyes were bloodshot, his teeth clenched, and his facial features were sharply defined, adding a chilling and sinister touch, making him completely different from his usual self.

He drove around the city several times, and the shops along the street gradually closed. Perhaps because he had been exposed to the wind for too long, his stiff face softened slightly. Seeing that the fuel was really about to run out, he drove towards his apartment.

Jiang Jin took out the key from his trouser pocket, which was close to his knees, and tried to insert it into the keyhole for a long time before finding the right spot. As soon as he entered the door, he saw the living room lights were on, and he immediately looked at the sofa.

Shen Zhongxun slowly sipped his coffee, lowered his eyes and said, “Go apologize to your grandfather tomorrow.”

Jiang Jin scoffed. “I’m not going!”

Shen Zhongxun took another sip. “Before you lose your temper, think about who pays for your education, who gives you a place to live, and who feeds you.” He frowned at Jiang Jin. “He is your maternal grandfather. No matter how wrong he is, whether he hits you or scolds you, you have to put up with it!”

Jiang Jin tossed aside the keys, kicked the shopping bags beside the sofa, glanced at the pile of sandals in front of him, and said, “I’m going to look for a place tomorrow. I’m not going to stay in his shabby place.”

Shen Zhongxun smiled, put down his coffee, and said, “Is this how children throw tantrums and refuse to eat?”

Jiang Jin clenched his fist, sat down on the sofa, and after a moment of restraint, gritted his teeth and said, “You said it yourself, a reporter’s duty is to report the facts. The factory in Huitian North is indeed being dealt with now, covered with tarpaulins, and things are being moved one by one. But the residents there are still worried. What’s the use of tarpaulins after the recent torrential rains? What’s meant to seep into the soil will still seep into the soil. The Environmental Protection Bureau detected more than twenty kinds of chemicals, and I was just reporting the facts. The residents have a lot of complaints and are demanding compensation, and I was just reporting the facts. Where did I do wrong?”

Shen Zhongxun gently tapped the sofa, and after a long while said, “You were in the wrong because he is his grandson. You should avoid suspicion.”

Jiang Jin scoffed. “Now you’re certainly up to some sarcastic remarks. You certainly know how to avoid suspicion. Who set this trap for me in the first place? It was you! I thought I’d discovered something big, but it turns out you deliberately let me see Huitianbei’s information. I should thank you!”

Shen Zhongxun curled his lips. “Vanity!”

Jiang Jin frowned, confused by these two seemingly unrelated words. Shen Zhongxun continued, “Ask yourself honestly, how much of your so-called justice is driven by vanity?” He said seriously, “You know in your heart that your grandfather wouldn’t be this angry with any other reporter. You’ve tasted a bit of success and want to keep eating sweets. Things aren’t that easy. You carelessly signed your name in the newspaper; what will the others in the group think when they see it? Your grandfather will be hated by everyone!”

Jiang Jin was stunned for a moment after hearing this, and remained silent, only pursing his lips. Shen Zhongxun continued, “Your maternal grandfather is getting old, and he only has one year left in his position. You know how much he loves you. You don’t want to go abroad, and he hasn’t forced you yet. What’s wrong with you thinking of him this once? He’s not an incompetent official. If he really held a grudge about this being exposed by the media, he could have dealt with you right after the incident, but in the end, he acquiesced. He can only do what he can. There’s a saying, ‘Absolute power corrupts absolutely.’ Just because he hits or scolds you doesn’t mean you should consider him a corrupt official. You need to know that this house was earned by your eldest uncle. Your maternal grandfather is still living in that old building in his old age. His life savings have supported our education and entrepreneurship. His responsibility is not only to serve the people, but also to balance the interests of all parties!”

Jiang Jin lowered his head, hiding his flushed face. Shen Zhongxun stood up and walked towards the bedroom. “I’ll sleep here tonight. Remember to apologize tomorrow.”

Jiang Jin remained silent. After a while, he tidied up the coffee on the coffee table and put it in the kitchen. He then went to the bathroom to rinse off, found a band-aid, and applied it to the wound on his forehead.

As Jiang Jin picked up the dirty clothes and stuffed them into the washing machine, fifty yuan fell out of his pocket. He picked it up, smiled, thought for a moment, and then took out his phone to type a text message: “Are you asleep yet?”

After waiting for a long time without receiving a reply, he was somewhat disappointed, but then thought that there was plenty of time, and he could go find Lin Chu again tomorrow.

The living room light was still on. Jiang Jin was a little hungry. Seeing the plastic bag next to the sofa, he squatted down and rummaged through it. He took out a can of juice, wondering why Shen Zhongxun had suddenly changed his taste.

With no food available, Jiang Jin had no choice but to go to the kitchen to fry eggs. Just as he started frying the eggs, he heard Shen Zhongxun say to him, “Fry two eggs for me too. I saw you have noodles in your kitchen, so make me a bowl of noodles as well.”

Looking back, Jiang Jin saw Shen Zhongxun standing outside the kitchen in a shirt and trousers. He said something and returned to the living room. Jiang Jin cursed under his breath, disapproving of his nighttime attire, but obediently took out noodles and another soup pot to cook them.

Lin Chu, clutching her burning-hot phone, listened expressionlessly to the sobbing on the other end: “He’s with his wife tonight, and I waited for him for three hours, a full three hours!”

Lin Chu saw that she had finally finished speaking before slowly saying, “Ye Jing, are you even thinking straight? Do you even know what you’re saying?”

Ye Jing paused for a moment before saying, “I know very well. I didn’t mean to tell you, but I’m really upset and have no one to talk to.”

Lin Chu smiled and said, “So, you’ve finished talking. What are you planning to do next?”

Ye Jing choked up and said, “I don’t know. Don’t try to persuade me to break up. I won’t let him get a divorce. This is enough for me. You don’t understand matters of the heart.”

Lin Chu was speechless for a moment. “Do you think that as long as you don’t let him get a divorce, you’re not wrong, and you’re not a third party?”

Ye Jing immediately said, “Who exactly is the third party, others may not know, but don’t you know? In short, I won’t let him get a divorce, I won’t hurt his wife, that’s enough. All I want now is your support!”

Lin Chu didn’t consider herself a particularly noble person, but she couldn’t stand Ye Jing’s words at this moment. She retorted angrily, “So you’re acting all high and mighty now? Can’t you put yourself in someone else’s shoes?”

Ye Jing seemed to start crying again, sobbing as if she were about to choke, muttering incessantly, “I know, I know I’m shameless, I’m in pain, Chu Chu, I’m really in pain, please don’t scold me!”

Lin Chu remained silent for a while, then sighed and said, “It’s very late now, you should go to sleep first. How about we go shopping tomorrow?” Ye Jing sobbed, “Tomorrow… tomorrow won’t work. Our company is going to Hainan tomorrow for training.”

She was going on a business trip for four days, which would be a good time for her to calm down. Lin Chu gave her a few words of advice and comforted her not to overthink things before hanging up the phone after a long while.

It was already very late, and the neon lights on the opposite bridge were still flashing and changing colors, but there were few vehicles, leaving only desolation in the colorful summer night.

Lin Chu opened the unfamiliar text message and stared at those words for a long time, her mind in a daze. After a while, she realized that it was Jiang Jin’s phone number, so she casually replied with a text message, telling him to put the money in the mailbox on the ground floor tomorrow.

When the text message ringtone sounded on the coffee table, Jiang Jin was scooping noodles. Shen Zhongxun put down the remote control and glanced at it unintentionally. He was stunned to see the words “Lin Chu” appear on the screen.

Jiang Jin brought out a bowl of noodles, shouting as he ran, “You eat first, I didn’t put in enough, I’ll go make another bowl!”

Shen Zhongxun did not respond, but his expression was not good, which Jiang Jin did not notice.

The late-night TV programs were boring and tedious, with the same content repeated over and over again. As the roar of the range hood grew louder and louder, Shen Zhongxun felt slightly annoyed. He glanced at Jiang Jin’s phone, hesitated for a long time, and then picked it up. He stared at the unopened text message for a long time before flipping through the phone book, immediately taking out his own phone to write down the number, and then calmly putting the phone back. His heartbeat remained normal, and his expression did not change.