WHCTIL - 34

It was barely dawn when Jiang Chuan woke up. 

Glancing at the time, he saw it was still early. He swept the scattered tissues on the table into the trash bin, his brow furrowing slightly. 

Last night, Qin Tang had truly unsettled him. The current situation wasn’t suitable for full honesty—not with the unresolved matters involving Jiang Kun and Zhao Qianhe. If they were together, it would inevitably invite trouble. What worried him most was dragging her deeper into danger. 

But he also understood Qin Tang’s personality. If he didn’t push her, she would only retreat further. 

As it turned out, his decision had been the right one. 

No matter what, he needed to keep her tied to him—only then could he truly feel at ease.

Jiang Chuan tapped his index finger on the table and made a call to Cao Sheng. Cao Sheng chuckled, “So early in the morning, what’s up?”

Jiang Chuan said, “I’ll be back in Xi’an in a few days. Send someone to discreetly protect Qin Tang.”

There was a brief silence on the other end. “Is it really necessary?”

“Yes,” Jiang Chuan replied firmly. “Twice now, she’s been with me. This time, Jiang Kun has already extended his reach into the An Yi Foundation through the auction.”

“Alright, I understand.”

After hanging up, Jiang Chuan went to take a shower.

When he stepped out of the room, he paused in front of Qin Tang’s closed door. In the past, when he was at the volunteer station, he usually woke up early and rarely saw her in the mornings. Girls tended to sleep in, so he assumed she would still be asleep for a while.

He opened the fridge and raised an eyebrow in surprise. There was quite a bit of food and fruit inside.

Qin Tang had drunk a fair amount the previous night and gone to bed late, so she didn’t wake up until after nine. She walked into the bathroom, her hair tousled, and proceeded to wash her face, brush her teeth, and apply skincare products while carefully listening for any sounds outside. It was quiet.

Jiang Chuan must have left already.

She walked out in her loungewear, but stopped in surprise at the doorway.

Jiang Chuan was sitting on the couch, legs crossed, beckoning her over with a crooked finger. Qin Tang pursed her lips and walked up to him, saying, “I thought you’d already left.”

Jiang Chuan stood up, lightly touching her cheek before pinching it gently as he moved away. “Come have breakfast.”

Qin Tang was momentarily stunned, then followed him to the dining table. On the table was a large white porcelain bowl filled with vegetable and lean meat congee, accompanied by two small side dishes. She looked at him. “Did you make this?”

“Who else? A ghost?”

“...”

Qin Tang sat down and watched as Jiang Chuan ladled the porridge into smaller bowls, placing one in front of her. “Eat.”

She picked up her chopsticks, feeling somewhat awkward as she looked at him. “Jiang Chuan.”

“Hmm?”

“How old are you?”

“Thirty.”

She nodded slightly. “My birthday is next month. I’ll be twenty-four.”

Jiang Chuan glanced up at her and smiled. “The 13th?”

Qin Tang poked at the porridge with her chopsticks. “Yeah, how did you know?”

“I looked it up on my phone.”

As a well-known photographer, her information, including her birthday, was easily searchable online.

Qin Tang looked up at him. “If you want to know anything in the future, just ask me. No need to search. Some of that information isn’t accurate.”

He gazed at her.

Then she added, “Same goes for you. If there’s something you need to tell me.”

Their eyes locked.

Jiang Chuan stared at her for a moment.

Qin Tang broke the gaze first, pretending nothing was amiss as she continued eating her porridge.

Before leaving, Qin Tang walked him to the elevator. Jiang Chuan pulled her into his arms, hugging her with one hand, and nuzzled the top of her head with his chin. “Lu Sha is just a passerby now. No need to be jealous of her.”

Qin Tang tiptoed slightly, denying it outright. “I’m not jealous.”

But then she added, “Still, it didn’t feel great seeing her hug you while you’re pursuing me.”

Yet she had noticed—his eyes showed no emotion, not even a flicker of warmth.

She waited for him to explain.

Jiang Chuan merely chuckled softly and kissed her lips lightly. Qin Tang’s ears turned red. Whenever she was shy, her ears always reddened first, while her face remained pale. Her ears were hidden beneath her long hair, making it hard to see, which allowed her to maintain her usual cold and aloof demeanor perfectly.

“What are you doing today?” he asked.

She hesitated for a moment. “I’ll go to the foundation this afternoon. There’s still a lot of work to do.”

“Mm, I’ll get going then.”

With that, Jiang Chuan left.

Qin Tang returned home, grabbed an apple, and sat on the couch to eat it. Halfway through, she suddenly stood up and walked into the guest room. The bed was neatly made, but something felt… off. She glanced down and noticed the wastebasket filled with tissues and a few cigarette butts.

Suddenly, she remembered what she had said last night—telling him to “take care of himself.”

She touched her face, her ears turning red again.

That rogue—he actually did that in her house.

---

Jiang Chuan returned to the hotel and ran into Zhao Feng and a few tall, burly men dressed uniformly at the entrance. He pressed his tongue against the corner of his mouth and narrowed his eyes.

Zhao Feng approached him. “Jiang Chuan, Boss Kun wants to meet with you.”

What was bound to happen eventually had finally arrived.

Years ago, Jiang Chuan had spent several years undercover by Zhao Qianhe’s side, hoping to trace the connection between Zhao Qianhe and Jiang Kun. Perhaps there was an even larger criminal organization behind Jiang Kun. However, Jiang Kun was notoriously suspicious and extremely cautious about who he trusted. Gaining his trust was nearly impossible. One after another, those close to him had fallen, including Zhao Qianhe.

Jiang Kun always managed to distance himself cleanly. The police had no evidence against him, and as a local tycoon and famous philanthropist, moving against him wouldn’t be easy.

Even the undercover agents who had spent years infiltrating his circle hadn’t earned a shred of his trust. They had ended up dead under mysterious circumstances.

They all knew—it was no accident.

Zhao Qianhe had been one of Jiang Kun’s closest associates. When Jiang Chuan brought down Zhao Qianhe, it caused an incident that ruined the team’s leads and cost him his badge.

Perhaps Jiang Kun knew about his identity but chose not to bother with someone who had already lost their status as a cop—it wasn’t worth the risk. Or maybe he didn’t know, because otherwise, Jiang Chuan’s life wouldn’t have been so calm and stable these past few years.

Jiang Chuan shoved his hands into his pockets. “Let me change my clothes.”

He was still wearing yesterday’s outfit.

Zhao Feng smirked. “Sure, don’t try anything funny. Boss Kun just wants to have a meal with you.”

Jiang Chuan ignored him, turned around, and headed upstairs. First, he sent a text to Cao Sheng, then changed his clothes before heading back down.

Jiang Chuan and Zhao Feng sat in the back seat. Zhao Feng smiled faintly but didn’t speak.

Jiang Chuan didn’t know Zhao Feng well. He only knew that Zhao Feng had been by Jiang Kun’s side for many years. Over the past three or four years, as those close to Jiang Kun fell one by one, Zhao Feng had risen to prominence, often staying by Jiang Kun’s side.

It wasn’t mealtime yet, so the restaurant was quiet, with only the staff moving around. Jiang Kun’s private room was at the far end. Jiang Chuan followed Zhao Feng inside.

At the door, Jiang Chuan said, “I need to use the restroom.”

Zhao Feng glanced at him. “I’ll wait for you here.”

As Jiang Chuan walked, he memorized the layout of the place. Passing by the women’s restroom, he thought he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye. He paused and glanced inside, but the person had already slipped in, leaving no trace.

Jiang Chuan sent out his location and returned to the private room. 

Zhao Feng gave him a glance before pushing open the redwood door. Inside, Jiang Kun sat with several familiar faces—buyers from last night’s auction. Jiang Kun smiled and gestured toward Jiang Chuan. “Jiang Chuan was also at the auction last night.”

“Mr. Jiang is tall and handsome—it’s hard to forget him,” a woman in her early thirties said with a smile. 

“But didn’t Mr. Jiang leave empty-handed last night? Or did I remember wrong?” 

Everyone present was a well-known philanthropist who had successfully bid on items at the charity auction the previous night. 

Jiang Chuan pulled out a chair and sat down. “You’re right. I didn’t win anything last night.” 

Jiang Kun chuckled. “Participation is what matters. The rest isn’t important. Having the intention is enough.” 

“Yes, yes. Last night there were so many people and only about twenty items up for auction. More than half of the bidders went home empty-handed.” 

The others chimed in agreement. 

Jiang Chuan remained mostly silent, listening carefully. He soon picked up on something. 

One of the men, Chen Yuan, mentioned wanting to invest some money to build a Hope Primary School in the mountainous areas of Jia County. However, his resources were limited, and he hoped those present could offer their support, even if it was just a small contribution. 

At the mention of money, the expressions of the others shifted slightly. They had just donated large sums the previous night, and another round would feel like pulling teeth. 

One by one, they began to evade the topic, avoiding any mention of donations. 

Jiang Kun smiled faintly. “Alright, count me in.” 

He turned to Jiang Chuan. “What about you?” 

Jiang Chuan lightly tapped his index finger against his thigh, a faint smirk playing on his lips. “Perfect timing. Since I didn’t win anything last night, the money’s still in my pocket.” 

Chen Yuan grinned. “Straightforward.” 

---

After the meal ended, the guests gradually dispersed. 

Jiang Kun looked at Jiang Chuan, stood up, and patted him on the shoulder. “Do you remember Lin Hao?” 

Jiang Chuan clenched his jaw, his cheek muscles tightening imperceptibly. His voice was calm as he replied, “I remember.” 

“What a pity. He was once my most trusted man. And then… he got into that accident with you. You were lucky to survive.” Jiang Kun smiled faintly. “Do you know who those young people were—the ones whose car collided with yours?” 

“It was just an accident,” Jiang Chuan said impassively. 

Jiang Kun let out a soft hum. “Indeed.” 

Jiang Chuan pressed his lips together tightly. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.” 

Jiang Kun stroked the jade thumb ring on his finger and chuckled. “Sure. After all, we’ll have plenty of time to meet again once we’re back in Xi’an.” 

Jiang Chuan smiled faintly, turned around, and left. 

---

Standing under the scorching sun, Jiang Chuan’s tightly clenched fist slowly loosened. 

Was that accident years ago truly an accident—or was it deliberate? 

To this day, it remained unclear. 

He would never forget it for the rest of his life. 

On that muddy, rugged, perilous road in Zhenba, with fierce winds and an impending storm darkening the sky, Jiang Chuan had been driving urgently to the county hospital with the critically injured Lin Hao. 

The torrential rain blurred his vision, making it nearly impossible to see the road ahead. 

Under such conditions, continuing the journey was dangerous, but stopping meant certain death for Lin Hao. Gritting his teeth, Jiang Chuan cautiously navigated through the heavy rain. 

At that moment, his focus was entirely on Lin Hao, who carried crucial evidence. If Lin Hao died, all the efforts of his colleagues over the past period would have been in vain. 

The details of the crash were hazy now. Somehow, his car collided with the vehicle ahead, sending both vehicles tumbling down the cliff. From the other car came piercing screams that shattered the air. 

Two voices. 

Jiang Chuan’s mind went blank. All he could do was shout, “Lin Hao!” 

When he crawled out of the wreckage and dragged Lin Hao free, the latter was already covered in injuries and lifeless. Jiang Chuan collapsed on the ground for a moment, ignoring his own wounds and the pain in his legs. He scrambled up to the overturned black SUV above and pulled out the girl sitting in the passenger seat. Her face was streaked with rain, mud, and blood. Her long hair clung to her face, obscuring her features, while her exposed skin was deathly pale.