Chapter 54

***

Xiang ChangKong tilted his head towards Wei YiChen and laughed. “I didn’t expect the third fight I would have in my entire life would be because of you.”

Qian Liang had a lot of men, and honestly, there wouldn’t be much of a difference if Xiang ChangKong joined the fight. Wei YiChen was good at fighting, but no matter how skilled he was, two fists would find it difficult to beat four hands. Xiang ChangKong had good physical fitness and decent strength, but he lacked any sort of fighting experience. When it came to fighting, Wei YiChen’s philosophy was ‘practice makes perfect.’

The two underdogs suffered a lot. Qian Liang stood on the side and indifferently watched the show, but he never personally raised a hand.

After a blow to his chin, Wei YiChen angrily kicked his attacker in the gut- he remembered that this was the man who cut his arm with a knife back then.

With this past grudge added to his current hatred, Wei YiChen’s eyes turned red. Another enemy tried to lock Wei YiChen into a death-grip, but Wei YiChen turned around and broke free.

This thug had been kicked by Wei YiChen was also mad at him. He rushed towards Wei YiChen and pulled out a familiar object from his pockets- it was a knife.

Xiang ChangKong beat up the two men next to him and turned around, just in time to see a man with a knife run towards Wei YiChen’s back. Xiang ChangKong’s eyes narrowed, and he warned Wei YiChen with a shout: “Be careful!”

Wei YiChen didn’t even have time to turn around before the man was already upon him. Using his fast reflexes, Xiang ChangKong flew towards Wei YiChen and, like a basketball defender, blocked the thug with his body.

The man with the knife stabbed the person in front of him, regardless of who it was. Xiang ChangKong was quick and managed to grasp the hand that held the knife, but the thug was too strong. The tip of the knife still plunged into Xiang ChangKong’s abdomen.

All of this happened in less than a second. By the time Wei YiChen looked behind him, the knife was already in Xiang ChangKong’s abdomen, and blood was already bubbling out.

Wei YiChen’s head exploded, and his brain shut down.

Extremely furious, Wei YiChen’s strength abruptly shot up. He pressed the thug who stabbed Xiang ChangKong down to the ground, then punched him in the face.

Clutching at his wound, Xiang ChangKong’s complexion was beginning to turn pale due to blood loss.

Qian Liang’s men saw that Xiang ChangKong was injured. They were all here for Wei YiChen, so once they saw that Xiang ChangKong would no longer be an obstacle, they ignored him and ran to Wei YiChen.

As he tried to endure the severe pain in his abdomen, Xiang ChangKong kicked the knife that had fallen from him towards an inconspicuous corner. He was afraid that someone would pick it up and use it again.

“Brother Chen!” A sudden shout from the alley was like thunder in the chaos. Xiang ChangKong raised his eyes and gazed towards the mouth of the alley.

Xiang ChangKong recognized the person running towards them to be one of Wei YiChen’s buddies. He remembered that he had seen the man in Xu Lian’s store.

The man was none other than Ah Mao. When Wei YiChen ran out of the bar earlier to go find Fang QiuYun, Ah Mao had asked him what his relationship was with Fang QiuYun. Of course, Wei YiChen didn’t say anything because he had no relationship with Fang QiuYun.

Of course, Ah Mao didn’t believe him.

After Wei YiChen left, Ah Mao asked two other brothers to go with him and spy on their Boss.

Fang QiuYun saw them sneaking around near the door of her bar and simply came out and asked them what they were up to. Ah Mao was embarrassed that he had been caught, but when he noticed that Wei YiChen was nowhere to be found, he became confused.

Ah Mao and Fang QiuYun immediately had a bad feeling and quickly ran around to search for Wei YiChen.

Unexpectedly, it turned out that Qian Liang had lured Wei YiChen out.

The anxious Ah Mao saw the situation and immediately led his two brothers to fight with Qian Liang’s men. Fang QiuYun saw the injured Xiang ChangKong and immediately rushed towards him. She frowned and asked: “How are you?”

“It’s nothing…” Xiang ChangKong’s forehead was already covered in sweat, and his body could no longer keep him upright. Fang QiuYun quickly helped him sit down, then took off her coat to press it on Xiang ChangKong’s wound. Last time, Wei YiChen only got slashed in the arm and still had to go to the hospital. Xiang ChangKong, who had been stabbed in the abdomen, was clearly in much worse condition. Fang QiuYun quickly called emergency services, then ran towards the nearest open bar to get some medical supplies. She wanted to try and stop the bleeding before the ambulance came.

Xiang ChangKong was left alone to lean against the wall. His gaze was becoming blurry, and the chaotic scenes in front of him had gotten distorted. Even his hearing was beginning to fuzzy. Suddenly something cold fell on his face. This unexpected chill made Xiang ChangKong’s drowsy mind focus.

With some effort, Xiang ChangKong opened his eyes and looked up.

It was snowing.

No wonder he felt so cold.

As if he suddenly remembered something, Xiang ChangKong took his cellphone out of his pocket with difficulty. The screen was cracked, but fortunately, the phone still worked. Xiang ChangKong covered his wound with one hand and opened Xu Lian’s WeChat with the other.

Xiang ChangKong: Look out the window, it’s snowing.

Xu Lian was currently in her workshop, making candles. When she saw Xiang ChangKong’s message, she got up and looked through the glass.

It really was snowing.

“Boss, boss! It’s snowing! Come out and see.” Zhang GuoEr, who was downstairs, also saw the falling snow and excitedly called out to Xu Lian.

Xu Lian walked downstairs and took a photo of the floating snowflakes with her cellphone.

She added a few filters, then sent it to Xiang ChangKong.

Xu Lian: [picture]

Xu Lian: The snow looks beautiful.

Xu Lian didn’t get a reply from Xiang ChangKong. The next time she received news about Xiang ChangKong, it was to inform her that he was in the hospital.

Weng ShuLi had called her, saying that Xiang ChangKong was injured and had been rushed to the hospital. Xu Lian dropped all her unfinished work, and for the first time in her life, rushed to a hospital.

The hospital was crowded. In addition to Weng ShuLi, Wei YiChen and Wei YiChen’s mother was also standing in the corridor.

On the way to the hospital, Xu Lian had learned from Weng ShuLi the sequence of events that led to Xiang ChangKong’s injury and that Xiang ChangKong had been hurt because of Wei YiChen. When Xu Lian saw Wei YiChen, he was full of injures, and his face had gauze around it. But Xu Lian wasn’t the least bit sympathetic. She coldly glanced at him, then asked Weng ShuLi: “Auntie Weng, how’s Xiang ChangKong?”

Weng ShuLi told her: “He was stabbed in the abdomen with a knife. Fortunately, the wound isn’t deep, so none of his organs are hurt. The doctor said that he could be discharged from the hospital after a few days’ rest.”

“Then I’ll go in and see him.” Xu Lian nodded, then went into Xiang ChangKong’s room.

Xing ChangKong was in a single room, thanks to Wei YiChen paying for his medical expenses. Xiang ChangKong was currently lying down on the hospital bed, eyes closed. When he heard the door open, he opened his eyes and turned his head.

“Xu Lian…” Xiang ChangKong tried to sit up, but his wound was jostled, causing him pain.

Xu Lian quickly pressed him down and sat on the chair next to the bed. “How are you feeling?”

Xiang ChangKong smiled. Although his face was a bit pale, his eyes were still bright and lively. “It’s nothing; just a small wound.”

Xu Lian frowned. “Getting stabbed with a knife is a small wound?”

“I wasn’t really stabbed, just pricked. The wound really isn’t that deep.” Xiang ChangKong was afraid of worrying Xu Lian, so he tried his best to pacify her. “The doctor said it wasn’t a serious problem. Think about it this way: whenever women give birth, some of them get stabbed in the belly for a cesarean section. That’s a real knife wound, ah. Compared to that, my wound is much less serious.”

Xu Lian remained silent, but her expression was much more relaxed compared to before.

Seeing her unwillingness to speak, Xiang ChangKong muttered to himself: “Speaking of, women really are amazing, ah.”

After a while, Xu Lian opened her mouth and asked: “What exactly happened today? I thought you were going to go looking at commercial spaces with your friend?”

“Ah…well, we just happened to visit a space that was near QingNan street.”

Xu Lian really didn’t know what she owed Wei YiChen in her last life. First, he got her shop vandalized, and now, he managed to send Xiang ChangKong to the hospital. “Are you and Wei YiChen familiar with each other?”

Xiang ChangKong replied: “We aren’t…to be honest, I hated him because he was always around you…”

“Then why did you help him?”

“After I crossed paths with him a few more times, I realized that he was a pretty nice guy. He helped me before.”

Xu Lian was slightly incredulous. “He helped you?”

Xiang ChangKong smiled and said: “I was delivering an order, and someone stole the takeaway that I had placed in my scooter. He helped me catch the guy.”

Xu Lian said nothing as she digested this surprising piece of information.

She looked at the bruise on Xiang ChangKong’s face and said: “Do you have any more injuries?”

“Just some bruises. Wei YiChen’s injures are much more serious.” Speaking of, Xiang ChangKong recalled the last time he saw Wei YiChen in a hospital. “There’s also one other thing I haven’t told you. When I visited Cheng Peng in the hospital a few months ago, I actually bumped into Wei YiChen. His arm was injured, and it didn’t look small. When he saw me, he specifically told me not to tell you.”

“Oh, of course he didn’t want me to know. Just like it wasn’t his fault when those thugs smashed my store.” Xu Lian sarcastically commented.

Xiang ChangKong thought for a moment, then said: “I don’t think the situation’s that simple.” Those men who ganged up on Wei YiChen didn’t look like ordinary delinquents.

Xu Lian thought back to the last time Wei YiChen visited her. He had told her not to go to QingNan street for a while. It seems that something really did happen. However, Xu Lian wasn’t in the mood to care about such things. She was more worried about something else. “Can you still take your exam?”

Xiang ChangKong firmly reassured her: “Yes! I can get discharged after a few days. I can definitely catch up.”

“Have you already talked with the police?”

“Ah, Wei YiChen dealt with it.” Later, the police came and broke up the fight.

Xu Lian asked: “What did the police say? Is this going to affect you?”

“No, don’t worry.” Xiang ChangKong told her.

Wei YiChen seemed to have been just as afraid as Xu Lian that this incident would somehow affect his exams. Xiang ChangKong heard Wei YiChen vehemently deny to the police that he had anything to do with it. Wei YiChen explained that Xiang ChangKong had just been a passerby that he had roped into the fight.

After the initial police investigation, it was verified that Xiang ChangKong really wasn’t a QinNan resident and that the police call had come from his phone.

“What about the man that hurt you?”

Xiang ChangKong replied: “He’s been detained.”

After Xiang ChangKong said this, a nurse came into the room to remind Xu Lian to let the patient rest. Xu Lian didn’t want to leave yet, so she simply sat back on her chair and told Xiang ChangKong: “Go ahead and sleep.”

“Alright.” Xiang ChangKong smiled and closed his eyes.

The author has something to say:

I actually wrote a kidnapping plotline, but my editor told me to change it, so here I am.
I actually struggled with this chapter a lot [covers face] it ended up being quite mild. [hides behind a tree]