Jiang Chen casually moved a chair and sat down beside the bed.

"How do you feel?"

The other person grinned, "Pretty good."

"You should consider yourself the luckiest; they’re still on the operating table."

"Really? Well, when they come out, I’ll make sure to tease them a bit." 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Having survived a disaster, this man who traveled afar seemed to have become quite talkative, despite being covered in wounds, he was completely at ease.

And suddenly.

He got serious.

"Mr. Jiang... Ah Hai, he..."

Even after witnessing the scene of the other person lying in a pool of blood, he still held onto a sliver of hope, unwilling to accept reality.

Jiang Chen shook his head.

The light in Green Wing Bat King’s eyes slowly extinguished, yet he still grinned, "Ah Hai’s sacrifice was honorable. As long as Mr. Jiang is safe."

Jiang Chen neither confirmed nor denied, "Take good care of yourself. I promised, survive and you’ll be richly rewarded."

"Mr. Jiang, we don’t need anything. Ah Hai, he has a younger brother..."

"His, it’s his."

Green Wing Bat King stopped, "Thank you, Mr. Jiang."

"Get some good rest."

Jiang Chen rose to leave, paused for a moment, then turned back, "What’s your name?"

Green Wing Bat King was taken aback, then replied, "Dong Yongjun."

Jiang Chen nodded, continued to walk out, and a voice sounded behind him.

"But Mr. Jiang, just call me Green Wing Bat King. That name’s cool."

Jiang Chen’s lips slightly curved, he didn’t linger and left the ward.

————

Ignoring the chaos and raging storms outside.

After returning from the hospital late at night, Jiang Chen had a long sleep, from dusk till dusk.

It seems the best remedy for insomnia isn’t sleeping pills.

But exercise.

Intense exercise.

Wash up, order food.

Sleep might replenish mental energy, but it can’t fill an empty stomach.

Yet who knew that along with the meal, it wasn’t just the server who entered the room.

"When did you arrive?"

Looking at the suddenly appearing Princess Cao, Jiang Chen asked with a surprised smile, as if nothing had happened after the nap.

"An hour ago. Seeing you sleeping so soundly, I didn’t wake you up."

Princess Cao glanced at the domestic watch on her wrist, still as considerate as ever.

"Have you eaten?"

Jiang Chen invited.

"What do you think? It’s past seven already."

It’s only a bit past seven in the evening; some office workers might not even be off work yet, so it’s not too late.

"Eat a bit more?"

Princess Cao looked at the server setting the meal on the table, "You haven’t eaten all day; you should eat more yourself."

Harsh words can chill like June cold, but one kind word can warm three winters.

Jiang Chen didn’t insist further.

After the server finished setting the meal, he left and closed the door.

"What happened last night?"

Cao Jinse asked as she sat down.

Jiang Chen smiled, "Not waiting for me to take a few bites first?"

"You eat yours."

Jiang Chen picked up his chopsticks, "Don’t you already know?"

Last night’s incident was certainly a confidential matter not to be spread, but was Princess Cao an outsider?

"Rumors never compare to hearing it personally from you, the eyewitness."

"Here just to watch me make a fool of myself?"

"What fool?"

Cao Jinse looked serious, "Do you realize how much merit you’ve gained again this time? If it weren’t for you stepping up, risking everything, Fujiwara Reiki’s harm could’ve been a huge blow to our interests and reputation. Not to mention, it would provide a perfect excuse for hostile forces to stir trouble. Jiang Chen, once again you are a national hero! I forgot, I should’ve brought you a banner."

It sounded sincere at first, but the latter part was clearly a veiled sarcasm.

"I didn’t have a choice either."

Jiang Chen looked helpless, as if he truly had no choice.

"What do you mean, ’didn’t have a choice’?"

Princess Cao didn’t agree, "Didn’t you run there on your own?"

Jiang Chen stopped the chopsticks, "What else could I have done? Let someone die without saving them? Pretend not to know?"

"Why didn’t you call the police?"

"I did call."

"Hmm?"

"I called. But there was no signal."

Jiang Chen was quite honest, especially since it was hard-earned to resolve misunderstandings.

"I’m asking why you didn’t call the police immediately after receiving her call? You had ample opportunity, yet you chose to recklessly rush there yourself."

Seems like she’d read his "confession" thoroughly, right?

Jiang Chen took a bite, then leisurely explained, "You know Fujiwara Reiki; you should be familiar with her personality. It’s capricious and unpredictable. How could I tell if she was joking?"

Jiang Chen was speaking from his heart, from his perspective it was perfectly reasonable. Like the boy who cried wolf, but he forgot Princess Cao and Fujiwara Reiki weren’t that "familiar."

"Joking?"

Cao Jinse was skeptical, "You say she would joke about something like this?"

Jiang Chen’s heart skipped, realizing he’d slipped.

He tried to be thorough enough, right?

Yet still couldn’t be entirely flawless. People aren’t machines and machines make mistakes too. Past events can’t be pretended non-existent.

Sure, one can pretend, but to pretend every second of twenty-four hours a day is impossible.

"She’s not a child, is she? To joke about something like this, not knowing the consequences? Or are you saying you’re familiar with her to the point..."

"What I meant was—"

Jiang Chen hurried to interrupt, but still couldn’t produce a proper follow-up.

Princess Cao didn’t rush him, patiently waiting, understanding and serene, giving him the chance to explain, "Go ahead."

Alright.

Mental exhaustion knows no bounds.

In a rush, he couldn’t come up with a plausible excuse.

Jiang Chen could only confess, "Actually, before last night, I’d heard some related rumors."

"What rumors?"

"Someone intending to disrupt the trilateral talks, planning to target the delegations of two countries."

Cao Jinse was silent, studying him for a while, then calmly, "Is that why Aunt Lan arrived so timely?"

What constitutes soul connection.

The term soulmate holds a distinction in the dictionary separate from romantic love, as it transcends superficial pleasures of the flesh.

Clearly, the moment warranted questioning, like why not report the forewarning to relevant departments instead of keeping it secret.

Yet Princess Cao did not bring it up, seemingly understanding his predicament.

"Mm."

Jiang Chen nodded, though she didn’t ask, he still proactively explained, as a mutual respect and understanding.

"Since I couldn’t confirm the accuracy of the rumor, to be on the safe side, I sought her beforehand, hoping she’d help if truly faced with an emergency."

Cao Jinse remained quiet, seeing Jiang Chen pausing his chopsticks, said: "Eat. Aren’t you hungry?"

Jiang Chen resumed eating.

"Have you considered what the consequences would be if Aunt Lan hadn’t arrived in time?"

As soon as he resumed, Cao Jinse immediately spoke up.

Is this making him eat well or not wanting him to eat well?

Still, Jiang Chen certainly understood, her intentions were genuinely good.

If it wasn’t genuine concern, why waste her time rushing here and waiting over an hour to avoid disturbing his rest?

This era.

Everyone is quite busy.

"She promised me. I trust her."

Jiang Chen succinctly replied.

Trust is a precious term, but it shouldn’t be gambled over life.

With Lan Peizhi involved, Cao Jinse didn’t say much.

"Why didn’t you tell me?"

She asked.

Jiang Chen paused his chopsticks again, turning to her.

"Do you think I’m not trustworthy, or don’t you think I could provide the wanted help like Aunt Lan?"

Princess Cao’s face remained gentle; Jiang Chen found himself a bit dazed.

"Speak."

Princess Cao tapped her fingers on the table.

The exhausted Jiang Chen smiled, finally perhaps recovering, showing ease in his gaze.

"Weren’t we still giving each other the cold shoulder then?"

Princess Cao hesitated, struggling to find the words to object, eventually managed only.

"Eat."