WHCTIL - 53

“Help me grab my phone—it’s in the bag.” 

Jiang Chuan handed her the phone. Qin Tang glanced at it—it was Old Yuan calling. 

“Old Yuan, what’s the matter?” Qin Tang answered the call and walked toward the bathroom. “There’s an issue with the accounts? … How could there be an extra zero? Did the finance team make a mistake? … Mm, check it carefully first. I’ll return in a few days.” 

Jiang Chuan leaned against the doorframe and heard everything. 

After hanging up, she frowned slightly and looked at him. Jiang Chuan was already watching her. 

He spoke first: “Is there a problem with the An Yi Foundation’s accounts?” 

Qin Tang replied: “Mm. Did you foresee this?” 

Looking back, his insistence on attending the auction and securing an entry slot seemed purposeful. She stepped closer, tilted her face up, and asked calmly: “Did you approach me initially to investigate the case?” 

Jiang Chuan’s expression darkened. “What did you say? Say it again.” 

Qin Tang’s eyes were as still as still water. “Did you approach me to investigate the case?” 

Jiang Chuan’s eyes were dark and bright. He bent down and wrapped his arms around her waist. “No.” 

Qin Tang tilted her face up. “Then, was there another purpose?” 

A long, drawn-out half-minute passed. 

Jiang Chuan lowered his head and lightly kissed her eyes. “Yes.” 

“What?” 

“I wanted to sleep with you.” 

The air instantly softened and grew ambiguous. 

Jiang Chuan pressed her against the sink counter, lowering his head to kiss her lips. His hot breath brushed against her face. 

Qin Tang closed her eyes, stood on her tiptoes to respond, and tightly hugged his waist. 

Voices and footsteps echoed outside the door. 

When a knock sounded, Jiang Chuan finally released her, squinted slightly, and touched her face. “I’ll go check.” 

Qin Tang nodded and turned to face the mirror. 

The woman in the mirror had rosy cheeks, sparkling eyes, and a radiant expression. 

Jiang Chuan stood behind the door and asked: “Who is it?” 

“Sir, would you like room service?” 

“No, thank you.” 

Jiang Chuan suddenly opened the door. A man in a white chef’s uniform smiled politely. “Sorry to disturb.” 

The man pushed the food cart forward. Jiang Chuan glanced at his hands and stared at his back, his gaze darkening. 

After closing the door, Qin Tang came out of the bathroom after washing her face and asked: “What happened?” 

Jiang Chuan smiled faintly. “Nothing.” 

Qin Tang said: “I’m hungry. Let’s go eat.” 

Jiang Chuan: “Mm.” 

Qin Tang carried her camera, and Jiang Chuan carried her backpack. They left the room. 

They didn’t go far and found a nearby restaurant. Since it was the weekend, it was quite crowded, but they arrived just in time to find available seats. 

Once seated, Qin Tang asked: “Do you have anything specific you’d like to eat?” 

Jiang Chuan: “Whatever you choose is fine.” 

Qin Tang stopped asking and quickly placed their order. 

Jiang Chuan called Cao Yan. “Where are you now?” 

Cao Yan replied: “Still near the hotel, looking for a place to eat.” 

Jiang Chuan put down the phone and looked at Qin Tang. “Do you mind if Cao Yan joins us?” 

Qin Tang blinked: Why would I mind? 

He said a few words into the phone, hung up, and Qin Tang remembered that Cao Yan hadn’t returned to Yi Station these past two days. After the dishes were served, Cao Yan arrived—but he wasn’t alone. He brought a short-haired woman with him. They didn’t sit at the same table but chose another one instead. 

Qin Tang glanced over. “Do you really need to be so cautious?” 

Jiang Chuan said: “It was his idea.” 

Qin Tang didn’t ask further and focused on eating. 

Halfway through the meal, Jiang Chuan went to the restroom. Cao Yan followed shortly after. 

Cao Yan lit a cigarette and glanced around. Seeing no one, he handed Jiang Chuan something. Jiang Chuan immediately recognized what it was. 

It had been years since he last touched one of those. 

Cao Yan smirked. “Still accurate?” 

Jiang Chuan weighed it in his hand and tucked it into his waistband. “Who told you to give this to me?” 

“My brother. For self-defense. Don’t let yourself get shot full of holes if something happens.” 

Jiang Chuan’s lips curved faintly. “Impossible.” 

Cao Yan said: “But unless absolutely necessary, don’t use it lightly…” He mimicked pulling a trigger. 

Jiang Chuan: “I know.” 

Someone passed through the corridor, and Jiang Chuan shifted to avoid them. “Where are you staying now?” 

Cao Yan: “Still at the hotel.” 

Jiang Chuan nodded. “That hotel still has issues worth investigating. Some of the surveillance footage disappeared mysteriously. There must be someone from Jiang Kun’s side in the hotel; otherwise, my room information wouldn’t have been leaked as soon as I checked in.” 

“What about Qin Tang? The An Yi Foundation’s accounts have problems.” 

Jiang Chuan looked at him. 

Cao Yan raised his hands defensively. “Don’t blame me for this.” 

Every public welfare foundation Jiang Kun had contact with had been secretly investigated. 

Jiang Chuan said nothing, turned around, and said: “I’m leaving.” 

When he returned to the table, Qin Tang had already finished eating. She pointed at the remaining dishes. “I’m full. You take care of the rest.” 

Jiang Chuan chuckled and picked up his chopsticks, finishing off the leftovers. 

After leaving the restaurant, Qin Tang said: “Let’s take a walk.” 

Jiang Chuan: “Alright.” 

The streets were bustling with people—it was lively.

Passing by the park entrance, there were elderly people, couples taking walks with their children, and street musicians playing guitars and singing for tips. Qin Tang glanced over and said: “Have you been to Dali? There are a lot of street musicians singing by the roadside there.” 

Jiang Chuan: “I’ve been.” 

Back then, it was with Zhao Qianhe. 

Qin Tang turned around, walked backward a couple of steps, and stopped in front of him. “With Lu Sha?” 

Lu Sha had indeed been there at the time, volunteering at a public welfare foundation. That’s how they met. Back then, Jiang Chuan was undercover, working closely with Zhao Qianhe. He lived a life of luxury—expensive cars, upscale apartments—and appeared close to Zhao Qianhe, calling him “brother” in public. 

Lu Sha had just graduated and was new to society, still innocent. 

Their relationship initially began under Zhao Qianhe’s encouragement. Zhao Qianhe was a flirtatious man, and in their circle, it was common to be surrounded by women. Jiang Chuan couldn’t appear too different, though he didn’t like the women Zhao Qianhe brought along. 

He had planned to leave that world with Lu Sha once the case was over. 

But then the unexpected happened—Zhao Qianhe was imprisoned, Jiang Kun remained unscathed, and Jiang Chuan was stripped of his police credentials, disappearing from that circle and losing everything. 

Lu Sha broke up with him. 

As for how she later became involved with Jiang Kun, he didn’t know. 

Jiang Chuan looked at Qin Tang, his expression ambiguous. “Are you very concerned about her?” 

Qin Tang gazed at him quietly. “It’s not that I care about her, but I don’t like her always clinging to you. I can tell she’s trying to seduce you. She came to Yi Station with an agenda, and I don’t like her.” 

Jiang Chuan knew she was speaking the truth. “I have no relationship with her anymore.” 

Qin Tang: “I know.” 

Jiang Chuan looked down at her. She said: “I just want to ask—when will she leave Yi Station?” 

“Soon.” 

Qin Tang bit her lip, her voice lowering. “I might need to return earlier. Old Yuan said there’s an issue with the accounts, and I need to go back to handle it. The An Yi Foundation has already been handed over to me. I can’t keep relying on my parents to clean up after me. I know this matter isn’t simple.” 

Jiang Chuan glanced at a stone bench near the park and led her over to sit down. 

The surroundings grew quiet, with only the occasional passerby. 

Qin Tang asked: “Tell me honestly—is this related to Jiang Kun and Lu Sha?” 

At this point, Jiang Chuan no longer hid the truth from her. “Mm.” 

“Why? Isn’t he afraid of being exposed?” 

Jiang Chuan squeezed her hand. “If a newspaper were to publish an article today claiming that Jiang Kun is a fake philanthropist using public welfare funds for illegal profits, how many people do you think would believe it?” 

Over the years, Jiang Kun had carefully cultivated his image as a charitable entrepreneur. Both he and his company enjoyed excellent reputations. If such accusations were made without evidence, many people wouldn’t believe them. Worse, it could be used against them in court, leading to defamation charges. 

This wasn’t unprecedented. The year Zhao Qianhe was imprisoned, Jiang Kun had won a lawsuit. 

The news company paid a significant amount in compensation, which Jiang Kun promptly donated to impoverished mountain areas, earning even more goodwill. 

What set Jiang Kun apart from other criminals was that he operated openly, doing the darkest deeds while ensuring only his good deeds were visible. His dirty transactions remained hidden in the shadows. 

Qin Tang paused, then said: “No one would believe it.” 

Jiang Chuan: “It’s not just the An Yi Foundation. All the public welfare foundations and volunteer organizations Jiang Kun has been involved with are connected to the case.” 

Qin Tang: “You mean… someone at the An Yi Foundation is colluding with Jiang Kun?” 

“Mm.” 

Qin Tang was shocked. 

Jiang Chuan pulled her up and looked down at her. “Be careful when you return. Act as if you know nothing. Even Old Yuan—you mentioned him—I don’t know if he’s trustworthy, but it’s better to be cautious. Cao Sheng’s people will stay close to you.” 

Qin Tang looked up at him. “And you?” 

Jiang Chuan frowned. “I can’t leave.” 

Qin Tang fell silent for a few seconds, gripping his hand tightly. “Alright. Then you be careful too.” 

He smiled faintly. “Mm.” 

... 

Back at the hotel, Qin Tang opened her laptop and searched for information about Jiang Kun online. Before the An Yi Foundation auction, there wasn’t even a single photo of Jiang Kun available. After the auction, Jiang Kun stopped avoiding public appearances and attended two or three charity auctions and public events. 

Online speculation suggested that Qin Sen and Jing Xin, the founders of the An Yi Foundation, were close friends with Jiang Kun, and their influence was enough to persuade him to appear. Following the auction, there were numerous reports analyzing the relationship between her parents and Jiang Kun. 

Qin Tang frowned. “All of this is fake. My parents aren’t that close to him.” 

Clearly, someone was manipulating things behind the scenes. The An Yi Foundation had been exploited by Jiang Kun. 

Jiang Chuan stood behind her, his hand covering hers, and closed the webpage. “Don’t bother with these useless things. They’re meaningless.” 

Qin Tang: “Mm.” 

She opened a ticket booking website. “I want to return within the next couple of days.” 

Jiang Chuan watched as she booked her flight without saying anything. When she closed the laptop, he patted his lap. Qin Tang walked over and sat on his lap, hugging his neck. “When will we see each other again?” 

Jiang Chuan pressed his lips to her cheek. “After this is over, I’ll come to Beijing to find you.”