Chapter 27: Unease and Subtlety

Xin Gan didn’t dwell on it, but she vaguely sensed that Cheng Jiu and Xiao Shi were keeping something from her. The fire that broke out tonight seemed inexplicable, and Xin Gan recalled the group she had offended at the noodle shop earlier in the day. Could it be that they had followed her for revenge?

Her intuition told her the fire was sudden and suspicious—how could a place catch fire without reason? Doubts and unease gnawed at her, and she trusted her sixth sense, which had rarely failed her.

Fortunately, neither she nor A Songli was injured; they were merely shaken. In the latter half of the night, Cheng Jiu and Xiao Shi finally arrived at the hospital to find Xin Gan. Cheng Jiu asked, “Are you hurt?”

“No.”

“As long as you’re alright,” Cheng Jiu said. “The inn’s been burned and can’t be stayed in. We’ll find another hotel nearby and leave at dawn.”

Xin Gan had no objections.

They found a hotel near the hospital and settled in after a night of turmoil. Despite the exhaustion, Xin Gan didn’t feel tired and had no desire to sleep. She lay on her bed staring at the ceiling, anxiety prickling at her.

In Cheng Jiu’s room, after coaxing A Songli to sleep, Xiao Shi went to Cheng Jiu’s side and called out, “Brother Jiu, should you treat your injury?”

Cheng Jiu smoked indifferently. “Just patch it up, it’ll be fine. Don’t mention what happened at the inn to Xin Gan.”

He meant the incident from a few hours earlier, when the fire broke out. Cheng Jiu had spotted the same group who’d argued with them earlier, sneaking after them for revenge. In stopping them, Cheng Jiu sustained a minor injury next door. The group had hidden weapons and had followed them covertly, seeking retaliation. They were also behind the arson.

Xiao Shi said, “Brother Jiu, I suspect those men are not ordinary troublemakers—otherwise, they wouldn’t have tracked us all the way here and ambushed us at night.”

Normally, petty criminals wouldn’t take such risks; only those with a history and a grudge would go so far for revenge. Xiao Shi feared that if these men were backed by some greater force, things could become much more complicated. They were only two men, and with a woman and child to protect—what if…

Cheng Jiu finished his cigarette and said, “Contact Jiang Yang, have him investigate.”

“Alright, Brother Jiu.”

Cheng Jiu managed a few hours’ sleep before dawn. His stamina was excellent and he could get by on little rest. But Xin Gan wasn’t so fortunate—after a restless night, dark circles appeared beneath her eyes. She hadn’t brought any concealer, so her pale complexion made them all the more obvious. She sighed helplessly as she looked in the mirror.

Xiao Shi immediately joked, “Miss Xin, how did you turn into a national treasure overnight?”

Cheng Jiu, hearing this, glanced lightly at the rearview mirror.

The two men were seasoned—having weathered countless storms, they didn’t take last night’s fire to heart. A night’s sleep was enough to restore them, and they could still joke about it. Xin Gan, however, was still shaken and couldn’t play along; worry was etched plainly on her face.

Cheng Jiu, watching her through the mirror, noticed this but said nothing, not picking up Xiao Shi’s banter. The atmosphere in the car grew subtly tense.

Feeling awkward, Xiao Shi rubbed the back of his head and said, “Miss Xin, were you frightened? Don’t worry, don’t worry. With us here, nothing will happen.”

His reassurance only made things seem more ominous.

Xin Gan hesitated, her small face serious. “Did something happen? Was there an accident?”

Xiao Shi remained silent.

The chaos of last night, with Cheng Jiu and Xiao Shi absent, left Xin Gan with no way to ask what had really happened.