novelaction Chapter 949 It hurt Xiao Ji and harmed you as well.
Chapter 949 It hurt Xiao Ji and harmed you as well.
Xiang Xiaowu tightened his grip on the steering wheel slightly, the engine of the van roared, and the sound of the tires rolling over the road carried an undeniable urgency.
He glanced at Jiang Chengyu in the back seat through the rearview mirror every now and then, his brows furrowed – something was definitely wrong with his boss.
When Jiang Chengyu emerged from the hospital lobby, his face was extremely grim, and he walked with such hurried steps that it was as if he were being chased by a ferocious beast.
The shirt collar was torn, revealing a faint dark mark on the side of the neck.
At that moment, he was tightly wrapped in his suit jacket, his fingertips gripping the fabric, his knuckles turning white.
"Fengteng International Guze Private Apartments".
Upon receiving the address, Xiang Xiaowu quickly opened the car door, and Jiang Chengyu climbed into the car and immediately closed the door.
Xiang Xiaowu had been holding back his questions the whole way, but in the end he didn't dare to ask any more, only keeping the car's speed at the legal limit.
We sped toward Gu Ze Private Apartments, a property owned by Feng Teng International.
The car came to a smooth stop in front of the apartment building. Jiang Chengyu practically pushed open the car door and got out, his voice hoarse as if veiled: "Wait here."
After saying that, he turned around and walked quickly toward the door, his back view revealing a lonely stiffness.
The moment Jiang Chengyu pushed open the apartment door, he took a barely audible breath.
The living room was a mess, with cushions lying on the floor and magazines scattered about.
The most jarring sight was the dried, dark red bloodstain on the edge of the coffee table and next to the sofa.
Like a frozen flower, next to it lay a fruit knife stained with blood, its blade gleaming coldly in the light streaming in from the window.
He stood there, as if he could hear the lingering despair in the air—
How much pain must Gu Ze have been in? Physical pain, emotional pain, until finally he picked up a knife and slashed his wrist.
Jiang Chengyu closed his eyes, suppressed the bitterness in his throat, and walked straight upstairs to his bedroom.
Pushing open the bedroom door, a familiar scent wafted towards him. This was where he had temporarily stayed after leaving Mu Xiaoji last year, and he had lived here for a year.
The balcony door was open, and the wind whipped the curtains into a fluttering dance, scattering dried carrots all over the floor—Shengxue's favorite snack.
On the day of the birthday banquet, he and Teng Zijing entertained guests and drank quite a bit of alcohol, becoming somewhat drunk and confused.
At the same time, she was startled by the plate that Jiang Shuo suddenly threw at her; if Mu Xiaoji hadn't stood up and shielded her, she would have been the one who got hurt.
Holding Mu Xiaoji, whose head was bleeding profusely and whose face was covered in blood, and seeing him unconscious, he was so frightened that he almost lost his mind.
Mixed in with it was a white porcelain bowl shattered into several pieces, with brown stains on the rim—the hangover soup Gu Ze had brought him that morning.
Jiang Chengyu went to the bathroom and silently picked up the broom from the corner. He first swept away the broken tiles and dried carrots on the balcony.
The crisp sound of porcelain shards shattering is just like the mundane, broken feeling in life, piercing one's heart with a pang of sorrow.
Then I went downstairs and carefully wiped the bloodstain with disinfectant, over and over again, until no trace of it could be seen anymore.
The scattered fruit was picked up and put into the trash can, the toppled cushion was put back in its place, and the mess was gradually smoothed out.
But the lingering oppressive atmosphere in the air just wouldn't dissipate.
After the living room was restored to its original state, he vaguely saw Gu Ze nestled on the sofa.
Holding the script in his hand, he excitedly recounted jokes from the film set: "You didn't see it,..."
The guy in the cameo role, his expression during the kissing scene, because he wasn't hugging a female actor...
He was hugging the camera lens, which really threw the cameraman off balance! The director was furious...
The two laughed so hard they were doubled over, and the sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows onto Gu Ze's face, dazzlingly bright.
It was as if I could see Gu Ze wearing an apron, busy in the kitchen, the spatula clattering against the pot.
Then, carrying a bowl of soup, she came out with her eyes crinkling and her voice gentle as she called out:
"Cheng Yu, I've made your favorite corn and pork rib soup. Go wash your hands and eat."
When I was working late at night, hunched over the coffee table, losing track of time, a warm feeling suddenly fell on my shoulder.
Gu Ze's voice was sleepy: "It's late, the living room is chilly, go back to your bedroom and rest, don't catch a cold."
Those fragmented moments, which he regarded as "caring for each other among friends," now surged like a tide, each scene carrying a heavy weight.
Jiang Chengyu slowly sat down on the sofa, his back pressed against the cold cushions, and the scene of the hospital ward flashed before his eyes again—
Gu Ze was covered in tubes, his face was as pale as paper, and his breathing was so weak that it seemed like a thread might break at any moment.
"I'm sorry... Gu Ze."
He muttered to himself in the empty living room, his voice filled with an overwhelming weariness and helplessness.
"I thought you always treated me as an ordinary friend. I really didn't expect... your obsession would run so deep."
He raised his hand to press his temples; his whole body still felt slightly sore.
That was the mark left by Mu Xiaoji when he said goodbye the night before, settling old scores from New Year's Eve.
"It's my fault. I shouldn't have bothered you. I hurt Xiao Ji and you..."
The sky outside the window gradually darkened, and the streetlights lit up one after another, casting long shadows on the floor through the window with orange light.
Jiang Chengyu sat on the sofa, motionless, as if trying to sort out the entanglements and chaos of the past year in this empty room.
The deep roar of the engine drew a smooth arc across the quiet street.
Deng Zhouyi gripped the leather steering wheel of the Maserati Levante, but his gaze kept drifting towards Teng Zijing in the passenger seat.
The car was filled with a faint scent of cedar essential oil, which complemented the texture of the leather seats, but couldn't suppress the curiosity in his eyes.
"Brother, what kind of people do you think Jiang Chengyu and Mu Xiaoji are?"
He tapped his fingertips lightly on the steering wheel, his tone slightly flippant.
"How come these two people, who seem so ordinary, act in such an... uh... unconventional way?"
Teng Zijing glanced at him sideways, her tone carrying a hint of criticism: "Just drive properly. You've been through so much in the business world all these years."
"Brother, what do you mean by that?" Deng Zhouyi didn't understand and looked bewildered.
"I'll tell you you're blind. Look at the skills she showed when she rescued Yu Qianqian in Dongheng Community. Do you still think she's ordinary?" Teng Zijing said, somewhat exasperated.
Deng Zhouyi retorted, "I witnessed Jiang Chengyu's skills with my own eyes, but what about Mu Xiaoji?"
Despite his physical disability, he possessed a compassionate heart, dedicated to helping others and saving lives.
Feng Tao was absolutely certain that Mu Xiaoji inflicted Jiang Chengyu's injuries. Is Jiang Chengyu really that fragile?
Teng Zijing didn't respond, his deep gaze sweeping over Deng Zhouyi, and asked in return, "Do you remember that news report about the case of the abuse of a young girl, the one involving Feng Yuhang?"
Deng Zhouyi frowned and thought for a moment, then shook his head: "When did this happen? I don't remember."
Teng Zijing didn't respond to his comment, his tone remaining calm yet carrying an undeniable certainty:
"When you get home tonight, don't just focus on cheating on Qianqian. Search for news videos about the Feng Yuhang case and take a look."
You know Mu Xiaoji is far more than just the fragile person you see on the surface!
"What did you say? He's a cripple and he's hiding his true abilities?" Deng Zhouyi questioned.
Teng Zijing didn't explain further, but simply turned his head to the side and closed his eyes to rest.
As night deepened, the streetlights cast flickering shadows on his face; no one knew what was in his heart at that moment.
That night, while Gu Ze was in his apartment, sharing a room with Jiang Shuo, Jiang Shuo secretly told him about Jiang Chengyu's background.
He was told to keep it a secret, otherwise Jiang Chengyu would attract unnecessary trouble and distress.
As Deng Zhouyi gazed at Teng Zijing's profile, the doubts in his heart rippled outwards like a pebble thrown into a lake.
He suddenly realized that he had never truly understood these two people.
The Maserati Quattroporte smoothly glided into the designated parking space downstairs at Antai Company, the tires making a slight sound as they rubbed against the ground, before coming to a steady stop.
The car door opened, and Teng Zijing stepped out alone. His well-tailored dark suit accentuated his tall and straight figure.
His brows held a hint of somberness, as if he had just come from the hospital, but his gaze softened as he looked up at the massive office building.
He straightened his cuffs and strode towards the building. The glass revolving doors slowly turned, leading him into the high-ceilinged lobby.
As he rode the private elevator upwards, the mirror inside the car reflected his slightly tired face.
Recalling the argument in the ward and Gu Ze's pale face, he frowned slightly, then relaxed his brows—right now, there were more important people who needed his company.
The elevator arrived at the floor where Antai Company was located with a "ding," and the doors slowly slid open.
Through the floor-to-ceiling window at the entrance of the studio, Teng Zijing immediately spotted An Ran sitting behind her desk, busy at work.
A thick stack of documents lay before her, her fingers rapidly tapping on the keyboard.
His profile appeared exceptionally focused under the warm yellow glow of the desk lamp, with a few stray hairs falling from his temples, adding to his weariness.
Teng Zijing walked over quietly and gently knocked on the frosted glass door.
The people inside seemed not to hear, still engrossed in their work.
Without waiting for a response, he pushed the door open and entered. The door hinges turned with a slight creak, finally startling An Ran, who was busy at her desk.
An Ran looked up and saw it was him. A gentle smile instantly bloomed on her tired face, but the bloodshot eyes couldn't hide the hardships of the past few days.
"Zijing, you're here. I'm sorry, I got so busy I lost track of time. Did I keep you waiting?"
She raised her hand to rub her aching temples, her voice filled with undisguised weariness.
Teng Zijing strode closer, first naturally bending down to place a gentle kiss on her smooth forehead.
With a comforting warmth: "Don't work so hard. Once I find that bastard Qi Haoyu..."
"Make him return all the financial documents that the company has transferred out over the years, and Antai can be brought back to life."
Looking into his determined eyes, An Ran felt a surge of warmth instantly fill the void in her heart caused by the difficulties she was experiencing.
She nodded, reached out and closed her laptop, then quickly tidied up the scattered documents on her desk.
He gathered them into a folder: "Yes, I believe you. Let's go."
As she spoke, she naturally took Teng Zijing's arm, and the two walked out of the office together.
Passing through AnTai Company's spacious office area, the vast space was completely empty.
Only a few employees were still busy at their posts, and most of the workstations were covered with dust cloths, making the place look particularly desolate.
An Ran's gaze swept over the empty seats, recalling the bustling scene that used to be here, with people coming and going and the constant clatter of keyboards.
The smile faded from his lips, and a hint of undisguised loneliness surfaced in his eyes.
Teng Zijing noticed the slight pause in her arm, looked down at her expression, and understood what she was thinking.
He raised his hand and gently patted the back of her hand that was linked with his. The warmth of his palm seeped through the fabric, and his voice was gentle yet firm.
"Don't be sad. Xiao Ran is so hardworking and capable. This place will be back to normal sooner or later."
It might even be better than before. I'll personally cut the ribbon to celebrate then.
An Ran turned her head to look at him and saw the undisguised trust and support in his eyes, and the gloom in her heart gradually dissipated.
She tightened her grip on his arm, gently rested her head on his shoulder, and whispered, "With you here, I'm not afraid of anything."
The two walked hand in hand out of the empty office area. The road ahead may still be bumpy, but as long as they walk side by side, there will always be a day when the gloom is dispelled and the light is ushered in.