61. Jiang Yan Will Always Be Loyal to Lin Xingzi

Li Yao arranged for a helicopter to pick them up, bringing Jiang Yan, Lin Xingzi, and another injured person back to Haishi, where they were admitted to the best hospital.

Three days later, a 50-person armed police unit arrived.

The gunshots on the day of the incident had attracted the attention of local police. With the hostage escaped, three brothers captured, and their plans disrupted, they were trapped in the mountains. Now, with armed police officers conducting a sweeping search, they could be exposed at any moment.

The situation in Haishi was even more perilous. Lin Xudong personally led round-the-clock shifts, sealing off all major checkpoints, while the investigation team extensively searched Haishi for the hiding place of the two tons of drugs.

With the hostage, there was still a chance to turn the tables. Even if they didn’t get the money, they might have a chance to escape abroad. But now that the hostage had escaped, all plans and arrangements had come to nothing.

The armed police unit could comb through this mountain in less than a week.

“How did that woman, tied up so tightly, escape? How did she escape with you useless people taking turns watching her? The terrain here is complex; how did she escape without a guide? And who fired the gun? Ah! Not talking, huh? Then let’s all f**king die together!”

“Boss... it, it was Brother Shui who fired the gun. I saw it with my own eyes.”

“Sanshui?” The enraged man threw a heavy punch at Jiang Yi. “Are you f**king out of your mind? Firing a gun to draw the cops over!”

Jiang Yi bent over, propping himself against the corner of the wall, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, and explained, “The police had already entered the mountain at that time. I was afraid she would expose our whereabouts, so I fired in a panic.”

“Bullsh*t! You’ve been with me for nine years. If you couldn’t tell the severity of something like this, I would’ve shot you a long time ago! Sanshui, I treated you like a brother who would risk his life for me. If you f**king dare to betray me, I’ll save the last bullet in this gun for you before I die!”

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Li Qing was truly terrified this time. After Li Yao brought them back, she stayed by Lin Xingzi’s side in the hospital constantly, only leaving to go home and cook. Jiang’s mother also came to help with the care. The only person Lin Xingzi didn’t see during her hospitalization was Lin Xudong.

She had watched the USB drive Jiang Yi gave her. It contained a video of Lin Xudong and Zhan Tianxiong’s conversation, which repeatedly mentioned Lin Xudong taking money from Zhan Tianxiong and secretly providing him conveniences.

Yan Li must have a backup.

Lin Xingzi recalled the ledger still hidden at home. The profits Zhan Tianxiong gained through drug trafficking were beyond ordinary comprehension. Perhaps Lin Xudong was involved in one of those transactions.

She had once dared not believe, nor was she willing to believe, but now with the evidence before her, she couldn’t continue to deceive herself.

Lin Xingzi was seen by Li Qing wiping tears in the restroom alone. Li Qing’s heart ached. She wanted to ask but dared not.

“Jiang Jiang’s emotions aren’t right. She doesn’t tell me because she’s afraid I’ll worry, but it’s different with you. Xiao Jiang, find an opportunity to ask her. The doctor said she already shows signs of miscarriage. Continuing like this isn’t good for her or the baby.”

Jiang Yan and Lin Xingzi ate and slept together. He was also a perceptive person and naturally sensed she was hiding something.

“She doesn’t know yet.”

“Doesn’t know what?”

“Jiang Jiang doesn’t know she’s pregnant yet,” Jiang Yan turned to look at the ward, his gaze tinged with a gentleness he himself wasn’t aware of. Lin Xingzi was still the same after she returned, he was just being careful everywhere. “Mom, you and my mom should go back and rest. There are nurses at the hospital.”

“...Okay, we’ll come back tomorrow morning.”

Lin Xingzi didn’t sleep well at night and lacked energy during the day. After everyone left, the ward was quiet. Jiang Yan’s embrace was warm. With Li Qing gone, she openly climbed into Jiang Yan’s bed, finding a comfortable position in his arms that wouldn’t press on him.

As dusk deepened, the unlit ward was bathed in a dark greenish hue.

Soft, moist kisses fell on her forehead and the corners of her eyes. The subtly ticklish sensation made the already drowsy Lin Xingzi burst into laughter.

“Why are you secretly kissing me?”

“Because you’re beautiful.”

Her body and face were covered in wounds, freshly scabbed from applied medicine. Every morning and night, she looked in the mirror, suspecting she might not be far from disfigurement. “I’m clearly hideous right now. Jiang Yan, are you deliberately mocking me?”

Of course he wasn’t.

These past few days, people had constantly visited them at the hospital—her friends, his comrades. Li Qing and Jiang’s mother were there almost every day. He even had to find opportunities just to hug her.

Jiang Yan didn’t speak. He cupped her chin, lifting it slightly, meticulously tracing her lip line. After moistening her dry lips, his lips and tongue delved between her teeth for a deep, lingering kiss. She had just taken medicine, so there was a faint medicinal taste in her mouth, which, after its bitterness faded, left a lingering sweetness.

“The doctor said there won’t be any scars,” his breathing grew heavier, his voice slightly hoarse in the night, hinting at unspoken affections.

Color returned to Lin Xingzi’s face, a touch of red spreading from her cheeks. “Then when can I be discharged? I want to go home for a bit.”

He didn’t ask her what she wanted to go home for. His kisses traced downward along her neck, leaving damp marks on her skin, then unbuttoning the top button of her hospital gown.

The hand at her waist lifted her gown and slid inside, repeatedly stroking and lightly rubbing along her waistline.

It was warm under the covers.

“Jiang Yan, did you know all along?”

“I only suspected.”

Lin Xingzi covered her eyes, her low voice muffled. “He’s my dad...”

“He’s also the Director of the Haishi Public Security Bureau, Jiang Jiang. As your father, he’s blameless towards you, but he has responsibilities and a mission. He needs to give an account to the country and its people.”

“...I understand.”

He propped himself up, removed her hands from her eyes, and in her fragile, tear-filled gaze, he promised her, word for word, “There will be many unpredictable things in the future, but Jiang Yan will always be loyal to Lin Xingzi.”