Jing Xin was so scared that she covered her mouth, her feet frozen, forgetting to leave. The tall man seemed to have eyes in the back of his head.
He lowered his body, dodged the knife behind him, quickly turned around, and single-handedly restrained the attacker. With a swift kick, the man holding the knife rolled several meters away.
The man was agile, with clean movements. As he turned, the hair on his forehead lifted. Beneath his thick eyebrows, a pair of eyes seemed carved from thousand-year-old ink jade, deep and cold with a sharp light.
It was the man from the cemetery! Jing Xin thought that if looks could kill, his would definitely be a celestial sword.
Jing Xin saw the thin man who had run past her earlier return to the fight, desperately trying to signal her. It seemed he was with the man from the cemetery. Jing Xin hesitated before pulling out her phone book and dialing: “San Bao, what’s happening? I’ve been trying to call the boss, but no one’s picking up.” The voice on the other end was anxious.
Jing Xin whispered, “Hello, I’m not San Bao. They’re fighting here.” Her voice trembled.
“What? Where are they?” the voice on the phone shouted.
“They’re at the Angel Cemetery, fighting with many people. A thin man told me to call you. The scene is chaotic.” She finally explained clearly.
“I understand.” The man on the phone seemed to roar.
Jing Xin vaguely heard him say, “Grab your weapons, the old man is in danger.” The call ended, leaving her uneasy about gang fighting. Before she could process it, she shouted, “Watch out behind you!” The fighting group froze for a moment, but the tall man was still stabbed in the shoulder. He swiftly retaliated, moving fiercely like an enraged lion.
After dealing with the attackers, the man looked towards the roadside and was stunned to see the girl from the cemetery, pale and foolishly standing there. Jing Xin, lost in her thoughts, moved closer to him, forgetting her fear amidst the blood flowing from his shoulder.
The moon, hidden by clouds, gradually revealed itself, while strange sounds echoed in the distance. Jing Xin gazed at the unfamiliar, dark forest, feeling a rising fear. Jiang Xiangyang pulled her, saying, “You’re injured, come with me to clean the wound.”
His movements were somewhat rough as he pulled her into the house, causing her to stumble.
In the center of the room stood a statue of Guan Er Ge, covered in dust that obscured its originally vibrant colors. One of the lotus lamps was broken, and the other flickered dimly. The offering plates were empty except for one containing cigarette butts and ash.
“Oh, Guan Er Ge, how have you fallen to such a miserable state!” Jing Xin remarked with a smile.
Jiang Xiangyang pulled Jing Xin into a room on the left, where a young man was arranging medical instruments. He nodded to Jiang Xiangyang without exchanging pleasantries. To them, the shocking wounds appeared commonplace.
The young man started to carry a tray to Jiang Xiangyang, but Jiang Xiangyang raised his hand: “Du Jian, check her first.”
Du Jian glanced at Jing Xin’s bleeding wound without comment and turned his attention to her.
“I’m fine; his wound is much more serious, treat him first!” Jing Xin insisted.
Jiang Xiangyang, visibly angry, pressed her into a chair and replied, “Shut up, get checked when I say so.”
Jing Xin obediently shut up, not wanting to provoke this hot-tempered man. Remembering how he looked when cutting people, she involuntarily shivered.
Du Jian examined her wound: “It’s nothing. Though it looks serious, it’s just a shallow cut below the ear and won’t leave a scar.”
He cleaned the blood around the wound, causing Jing Xin to gasp from the sharp pain of the cold alcohol. Du Jian smiled and gentled his movements, usually rough when treating men’s wounds.
“Such a small injury and you can’t handle it? It’ll be fine soon, just need some medicine and bandaging,” Du Jian said, sprinkling powder on the wound. He was experienced in handling such injuries, as Xiangyang and his group often got hurt.
Jing Xin touched the wet area on her earlobe and said softly, “Dr. Du, can we not bandage the wound? I’m afraid my mom will worry.”
Du Jian, holding gauze and scissors, was taken aback. “I’m Du Jian, not surnamed Du. And you must bandage the wound. It’s sensitive around the ear and prone to infection.”
“Du Jian, let her go if she doesn’t want bandaging,” Jiang Xiangyang, who had been silent by the window, spoke casually.
Jing Xin glanced at him; his slashed sweater was soaked in blood. He seemed unconcerned, leisurely smoking by the window, his face revealing a wisdom beyond his years.
He extinguished the cigarette, his gaze sweeping past her. Jing Xin quickly lowered her head, her heart racing.
After her wound was treated, she stood and rubbed her stiff neck.
“Wait outside. I’ll take you back,” he said, his voice carrying an irresistible command.
Jing Xin obeyed, sitting on a bench and feeling bored. She found a cloth and wiped the Guan Er Ye statue. “Guan Er Ye, I’ll clean you up. Don’t cause trouble anymore. Bless them to be safe.” She froze, realizing she’d spoken carelessly. Why would she want Guan Er Ye to bless them? She shook her head and turned, almost bumping into someone. Jiang Xiangyang caught her before she hit the table.
“You scared me, standing behind me so quietly,” she said.
Jiang Xiangyang released her and walked to the door. “Let’s go, I’ll take you back.” At the doorway, he stopped, his sharp gaze locked on her face. “It’s not that I was quiet; you were so engrossed talking to Guan Er Ye that you didn’t see me.”
“His eyebrows raised, his tone playful.
Jing Xin blushed, realizing he’d heard everything. She lowered her head and walked past him.
Someone drove an old Passat. She sat in the back seat, and Jiang Xiangyang opened the other door and sat down.
The atmosphere was tense. Besides her father and brother, she’d never been this close to a strange man. She unconsciously moved toward the car door. He didn’t seem to notice, closing his eyes to rest, his hawk-like eyes less intimidating when shut.
Jing Xin looked out the window. Thin blue fog draped over the forest. The mountain air was cool, slightly biting on her face. Massive mountain shadows were hidden in the cool night, blurry and indistinct.
If I could live in these deep mountains and old forests, away from worldly disputes, living a life of picking chrysanthemums under the eastern fence, leisurely viewing the southern mountains, wouldn’t that be wonderful! Unfortunately, life is not a novel, and one cannot rely on imagination. No matter how beautiful the imagination, reality awaits when returning home.
Thinking of her chaotic home, the domineering sister-in-law, and her weak brother, Jing Xin couldn’t help but sigh.
If life could be chosen, she wished to choose again, but could she? The answer would definitely be no.
Chapter Five: Farce Unfolds
The car had been driving for over two hours.”
When they reached the entrance of Yuan Mountain Village, Jing Xin called the car to a stop, opened the door, and hesitated before stepping out. She felt she should say something but found herself at a loss.
They had just met, and he wasn’t a good person!
The man in the car leaned casually against the seat back, appearing tired due to his shoulder injury.
After a moment, Jing Xin pointed to his shoulder and asked, “Jiang Xiangyang, is your wound okay?” She noticed the wound was neatly bandaged but knew it must still hurt; her own was throbbing slightly.
“It’s fine,” he replied decisively, sitting up straight and pulling out a cigarette.
Jing Xin, already outside the car, looked back. “Smoking after being injured isn’t good for your health.” Her voice was soft, as if she felt she had no right to say it.
Jiang Xiangyang glanced at her impatiently, his thick eyebrows furrowed.
