MY - 37

Jiang Xi was too lazy to bother with him. She tried to pull her hand free from his.

Lu Nandu tightened his grip on her fingers, hissing, “Ow, ow, ow.”

This trick certainly worked. Jiang Xi stopped, looking at him coldly, “Is your back pain in your face?”

Seeing that her fingers had already absorbed some of his body heat, Lu Nandu finally smiled contentedly and released her hand.

The man’s warm palm left, but Jiang Xi’s fingertips still seemed to retain a faint warmth. Her fingers twitched uncomfortably. She lowered her gaze, silently withdrawing her hand.

The current Jiang Xi was much more emotionally reserved than she had been in high school; it was difficult to discern her feelings.

Lu Nandu kept watching her, asking, “Are you hungry?”

Only when he asked did Jiang Xi remember that they hadn’t eaten lunch yet; it was already three in the afternoon.

Although she didn’t feel particularly hungry, she still needed to eat. Her finger slid across the screen: “Then let’s go, eat out.”

But Lu Nandu said, “It’s already this late. What’s the point of eating out? We could even have dinner after chatting a bit more.”

He sounded quite serious.

He said, “Let’s just make some instant noodles. It’s convenient and easy.”

Jiang Xi was almost persuaded, but Lu Nandu’s next sentence dashed her idea.

“But this meal doesn’t count as the favor meal you owe me.”

He just wanted another chance to eat together, even if it meant eating instant noodles at home.

Jiang Xi looked up and glanced at him.

Lu Nandu smiled at her: “Don’t you agree with what I said?”

With such a clumsy excuse, Jiang Xi averted her gaze: “It’s just okay.”

Lu Nandu, however, heard her agreement and instantly leaned forward to look at her: “You agreed?”

Lu Nandu was too close to her. Jiang Xi instinctively leaned back slightly.

She said, “Go make the noodles.”

Lu Nandu chuckled: “Alright, going right now.” With that, he immediately got out of bed.

________________________________________

Cooking instant noodles was just a matter of tearing open a few seasoning packets. Even though Lu Nandu had never cooked since childhood, what he made was still acceptable.

They sat facing each other in the dining area. Lu Nandu served a bowl and handed it to her.

Jiang Xi took it.

They didn’t talk much while eating. Jiang Xi ate slowly. By the time she finished her first bowl, Lu Nandu had already eaten two.

Seeing her finish and push her bowl aside, Lu Nandu looked up at her.

“Not eating anymore?”

Jiang Xi nodded: “Mhm.”

Lu Nandu looked at her, his voice a few seconds later not very pleased: “Dieting?”

Female celebrities in the entertainment industry basically all diet, but Jiang Xi was already thin enough.

Jiang Xi had always been someone who couldn’t gain weight. She said, “No, I’m just full.”

Lu Nandu frowned slightly: “You eat too little.” He remembered Jiang Xi’s appetite wasn’t this small before.

Jiang Xi started eating less since the year she got sick, and even after getting better, she didn’t seem to eat more.

She didn’t say much: “It’s fine.”

She clearly didn’t want to discuss this topic. Lu Nandu’s brows didn’t relax, but he didn’t question her further.

It was Jiang Xi who spoke: “Let’s go to the police station later.”

Lu Nandu looked up at her: “Do you want to go?”

Jiang Xi’s expression was very calm: “Mhm.”

Lu Nandu seemed to be thinking of something; he didn’t speak for a moment.

Jiang Xi said, “He won’t do anything at the police station.”

Lu Nandu met her gaze. After a moment of silence: “Alright.”

________________________________________

After eating, they went downstairs. Jiang Xi casually brought her painting with her.

After a few hours, Jiang Xi’s emotions were no longer as tense as they had been at noon; she had returned to her usual demeanor.

After getting into the car, seeing that she still held the painting in her arms, Lu Nandu said, “Put it in the back seat. It’ll be fine.”

Jiang Xi didn’t look at him: “No need.”

Lu Nandu said nothing more, turned back, and drove towards the police station.

________________________________________

At the police station, the police officers were busy.

Thieves, brawlers, troublemakers—it was as lively as a wet market, with various noisy sounds.

Someone came out to lead Lu Nandu and Jiang Xi inside.

Jiang Xi saw the boy; he was sitting lazily behind a table, his defiant swagger clearly not diminished by being in the police station.

Opposite him was a police officer, probably in his forties or fifties, still lecturing: “You’re almost an adult, young man. It’s time to rein in your impulsive temper. Read more books instead of always doing these useless things.”

Ren Fei was unmoved, not taking any of the words in.

The police officer dealt with countless such cases every day and had seen all kinds of people. He had handled many like Ren Fei, and these were the hardest to teach.

His son was probably about Ren Fei’s age, and perhaps because of this, the police officer wasn’t irritated when he saw Ren Fei’s insubordinate demeanor.

He said, “You’re still young, and you have a long way to go. If you get detained, it’ll leave a criminal record, and you’ll have to carry it with you for decades.”

The police officer was still talking, but Ren Fei wasn’t listening anymore. He looked up at Jiang Xi who had just entered.

His gaze rested on her, and the look in his eyes was clearly unfriendly.

Ren Fei scoffed.

The police officer followed his gaze and turned around. The higher-ups had already been notified, and the officer also knew what was going on. He stood up: “Mr. Lu, right?”

Lu Nandu nodded and asked him, “What’s going on now?”

The police officer glanced at Ren Fei: “This kid hasn’t said a word.”

Ren Fei leaned lazily in the chair, not looking at anyone, unmoved by the glances directed his way.

He was just a seventeen-year-old boy, yet arrogant enough to believe the world couldn’t touch him.

Lu Nandu coldly looked away.

The police officer genuinely felt a bead of sweat for the person behind the desk. Young people were fearless, but they didn’t realize that power could crush their spine, and there was no one who couldn’t handle them.

Just as the surroundings fell silent for a few seconds, Jiang Xi spoke: “I want to talk to him alone.”

Ren Fei seemed a little surprised, lifting his gaze to glance at her.

The police officer also looked at her, kindly reminding her: “Miss Jiang, this young man attacked you earlier.” The implication was that the other party would never talk to her, and might even attack her again, especially since Jiang Xi had slapped him earlier.

However, the person in front of him showed no trace of fear. She looked at Ren Fei: “Then let’s see if he has the guts.”

Ren Fei was quite disdainful of Jiang Xi’s words, even finding them laughable.

These two were clearly in a head-to-head confrontation, and Ren Fei wasn’t the type to rein himself in just because he was at the police station.

The police officer: “This...”

________________________________________

Lu Nandu spoke up from beside them: “Let her talk.”

He believed Jiang Xi could handle it herself.

Jiang Xi looked at him: “Thanks.”

Lu Nandu said nothing else, only: “Be careful.”

“Mhm.”

She looked at Ren Fei, dropping three words: “Stairwell.”

Ren Fei still had that contemptuous look: “Why should I listen to you?”

Jiang Xi said, “Because you still want to find your father.”

Ren Fei’s expression turned serious, his brow furrowed.

Jiang Xi finished speaking without wasting another word on him, then turned and left.

The words indeed worked. Ren Fei, who was a thousand times unwilling to talk to Jiang Xi, stood up, kicked his chair aside, and followed her out.

The building seemed to have some history; the white walls of the stairwell were stained with grayish-black marks.

Today was already a cloudy day, and the two-story tall trees outside the window blocked much of the light, making the stairwell cool and dim.

Jiang Xi leaned against the wall. Behind her, Ren Fei followed in.

He kicked the stairwell door shut, walked a few steps, and sat on the stairs, his hand resting on the railing.

Jiang Xi: “Speak.”

Ren Fei found it strange, casting a sidelong glance: “Me speak?”

He seemed to have heard some huge joke: “Shouldn’t you speak?”

“To be precise, can you tell me what you did with my dad?”

Jiang Xi’s gaze was still on him: “What do you mean by that?”

Ren Fei: “What do I mean? Literal meaning. What methods did you use all these years to make him disappear without a trace?”

Jiang Xi had been listening seriously, but when she heard this, she suddenly chuckled: “So you think I have such great power?”

She slowly said, “I thought you were smarter.”

He was still just a teenager after all. Jiang Xi’s calm provocation clearly annoyed him. He frowned: “You know what I mean. You don’t have to do it yourself; someone will help you.”

Jiang Xi’s gaze lazily swept back.

Ren Fei felt a bit uncomfortable under her gaze. This woman, aside from showing some emotion a few hours ago when her painting was messed up, showed no crack in her composure at any other time.

She said, “Where Ren Shenghai is now, what he’s doing, and who he’s living with—I know everything.”

Jiang Xi’s sudden statement made Ren Fei’s impatient expression from a second ago turn to confusion.

He was doubting her.

Jiang Xi looked at his expression, crossing her arms: “See? You don’t believe it either, do you?”

She circled back to the question she originally wanted to ask: “Then why are you so determined to make trouble for me?”

Only then did Ren Fei realize he had been led into a trap. His eyes grew even colder: “Don’t try any tricks with me. I’m not someone who doesn’t hit women.”

This statement, however, did not intimidate Jiang Xi in the slightest.

Her gaze fell on a cigarette butt in the corner of the wall: “I know, so I didn’t want to fight with you, just talk.”

Ren Fei clearly knew what she wanted to talk about and that their endless bickering was pointless.

He didn’t speak, and neither did Jiang Xi. The stairwell was momentarily deathly silent.

________________________________________

After an unknown amount of time, Ren Fei suddenly spoke: “My mom passed away.”

Jiang Xi’s gaze paused.

Ren Shenghai’s wife. They, as students, used to often encounter her. Sometimes they would even visit their home. Ren Shenghai’s wife was a liberal arts professor, gentle and sensible by nature.

Ren Shenghai, in front of outsiders, was always gentle and elegant. He and his wife were once hailed as a model couple, well-matched and harmonious.

Ren Fei’s voice was a little hoarse: “She passed away half a month ago.”

Jiang Xi asked him, “Why?”

“Late-stage bowel cancer.”

Jiang Xi lowered her eyes, still able to recall the teacher’s wife’s voice and smile.

Before she could speak, Ren Fei asked her very calmly, “So do you know why I hate you?”

Jiang Xi lifted her gaze to look at him upon hearing this.

Ren Fei didn’t look at her, his gaze falling to the ground.

“Even though she didn’t care for Ren Shenghai, she would miss him.”

“But in these past few years, Ren Shenghai never came to see her once, nor did he ever send a single penny home.”

He finally looked at Jiang Xi, a hint of suppressed redness in his eyes: “And all of this is because of you.”

Jiang Xi met his gaze.

Ren Fei said, “You plagiarized, but then you turned around and harmed a victim, making him disappear from everyone’s sight. As long as he disappeared, no one would remember your scandals anymore.” A family was shattered because of this.

Even though his words contradicted the facts, Jiang Xi didn’t interrupt him.

But what puzzled Ren Fei the most was another matter.

“Even though you’re clearly the most unforgivable person, my mom, before she died,” he paused, “she told me not to hate you.”

Jiang Xi remained silent.

Ren Fei looked at her, a sad smile on his face: “Why would she forgive you? On what grounds?”

He stared intently at her: “You and Ren Shenghai are both sinners.” The sinners who killed his mother.

Only after he finished speaking did Jiang Xi calmly say, “Have you ever considered that your father was the one who plagiarized?”

Perhaps he had never heard these words before, Ren Fei frowned.

Jiang Xi didn’t continue talking about the plagiarism, but asked, “Do you understand Ren Shenghai?”

Ren Fei: “He’s my father.”

Jiang Xi’s gaze returned to him: “Then have you ever wondered why your mother, while gravely ill, didn’t want to see Ren Shenghai when she was in front of you?”

Ren Fei didn’t know what significance Jiang Xi’s question held.

“Does that even need asking?” he said, “Ren Shenghai abandoned his whole family, and he didn’t even come back to see her when she was sick.”

What kind of wife wouldn’t harbor resentment towards such a husband?

“What kind of person your mother was, I believe you should be very clear,” Jiang Xi’s voice remained calm, “sensible, not overly emotional, with a clear sense of right and wrong.”

“If she believed Ren Shenghai was being persecuted and couldn’t return to see her, do you think she would be angry about that?”

Everything Jiang Xi said was new to Ren Fei.

Jiang Xi could probably understand Ren Shenghai’s wife’s thoughts. Ren Shenghai, in Ren Fei’s mind since he was a child, had always been a good father.

His mother simply didn’t want to disappoint her child, didn’t want him to know his father’s true character. Such a person wasn’t worthy of being her husband and the child’s father, so she could only tell him not to hate Jiang Xi, the true victim.

She never told Ren Fei the truth until her death.

But Jiang Xi was not a good person.

She would not hide the truth from Ren Fei. She said: “Your father plagiarized my work back then.”

Ren Fei was highly defensive, his eyes filled with suspicion and hostility.

Jiang Xi looked at him and spoke a sentence.

“The girl in the fire in the painting is me.”

________________________________________

When Jiang Xi came out of the stairwell, Lu Nandu was no longer there.

She asked the police officer, who told her Lu Nandu was outside the police station.

When Jiang Xi went out, she saw this scene.

It was a cloudy day. Under a tree with bare branches, Lu Nandu leaned against the trunk, tall and long-legged.

He held a cigarette between his fingers, looking down slightly, exhaling a puff of smoke.

He had apparently come out to smoke.

Perhaps he noticed something in his peripheral vision, as he looked up. Seeing Jiang Xi come out, he stubbed out the cigarette butt and tossed it into the nearby trash can.

He walked towards Jiang Xi.

He didn’t ask Jiang Xi what they talked about, only asked her, “Going home now?”

Jiang Xi didn’t bring it up either, just nodded and hummed in agreement.

On the way back, Jiang Xi suddenly spoke: “Let Ren Fei go.”

She knew Lu Nandu’s nature; he wouldn’t let Ren Fei off the hook.

While it might seem like she was overestimating her importance, the truth was, from the past until now, anyone who had harmed a single hair on Jiang Xi’s head, Lu Nandu would make them pay back tenfold.

Sure enough, Lu Nandu frowned. He didn’t say a word.

Jiang Xi turned her head to look at him: “We’ve talked things out with him; there’s no need to keep him locked up.”

Then she added, “Oh, and I slapped him.”

Like coaxing a child.

Lu Nandu still said nothing, and Jiang Xi ignored him as well.

It wasn’t until he dropped her off at home, the moment she unbuckled her seatbelt, that he finally spoke: “Mhm.”

But his face was clearly not very pleased.

Jiang Xi found it somewhat amusing for some reason, wondering why he was sulking with her.

“Alright,” she said, “I’m leaving now.”

With that, she pushed the door open and got out of the car. Just then, someone not far away called her name.

“Xiao Xi.”

This familiar voice startled Jiang Xi.

She looked up.

Xia Xinyan was probably there to see her, standing at the complex entrance, waving at her. And beside her stood Chen Lin.