Xiao Cheng’s body was fine, just a slight cold, which made his face look a little pale.
However, the marks on his wrists were quite severe.
His skin was naturally prone to bruising; even when Luo Jingshu pressed a little harder than usual, the fingerprints would take a long time to fade, let alone the marks left by a rope.
It felt like undeniable proof, blatantly telling Luo Jingshu that he had failed to protect Xiao Cheng.
Luo Jingshu wasn’t just angry at Xiao Cheng; he was also angry at himself.
He had promised Brother Cheng multiple times, yet in the end, Jiang Ying still found an opportunity.
The more he thought about it, the worse he felt. Luo Jingshu even reached into his pocket, trying to find something that could help ease his emotions.
He wasn’t addicted to smoking and didn’t particularly enjoy it. Plus, since Xiao Cheng didn’t like the smell of smoke, Luo Jingshu had only smoked a handful of times.
He was still young, with plenty of ways to vent his emotions, and he didn’t need cigarettes to numb himself.
But at this moment, he suddenly craved one.
With that thought, seeing that Xiao Cheng was still talking to He An, Luo Jingshu got up and walked out of the hospital room.
Xiao Cheng was speaking, but his gaze followed Luo Jingshu’s figure until he disappeared through the door.
Retracting his gaze, Xiao Cheng’s face showed obvious disappointment.
Having experienced Luo Jingshu’s gentleness and attentiveness, he found it especially unbearable when he was cold.
He An caught the disappointment in Xiao Cheng’s eyes and said, “Jingshu is just upset for now. If you talk to him properly, he’ll come around.”
After all, as his mother, He An didn’t completely approve of Xiao Cheng’s actions, but she was still biased toward and indulgent of her son.
No matter what, Xiao Cheng was the one who had suffered this time.
“He won’t talk to me.” Xiao Cheng didn’t know how to get Luo Jingshu’s forgiveness.
Before, he could think of many ways to coax Luo Jingshu, but now, none of them seemed to work.
Xiao Cheng had considered using certain methods, but they would only work if Luo Jingshu had already forgiven him in his heart.
He knew that Luo Jingshu was upset because he didn’t show enough trust in him.
But he swore that he hadn’t hidden things from Luo Jingshu because he didn’t trust him—it was just that the situation was urgent, and he hadn’t had time to explain.
Besides, if Luo Jingshu had known, he would have definitely stopped him.
Xiao Cheng knew he had taken a big risk, but he couldn’t bear to give up the plan.
Luo Jingshu was angry that Xiao Cheng had chosen to trust Jiang Zihe over him.
Xiao Cheng really wanted to explain that he didn’t value Jiang Zihe more than Luo Jingshu.
But trust wasn’t something that could be proven just by words.
After thinking for a long time, a thought suddenly flashed through Xiao Cheng’s mind.
He might have found a way.
While Xiao Cheng was thinking about how to appease Luo Jingshu, Jiang Ying was having a rough time at the police station.
He wasn’t completely unprepared—he had just been caught off guard by Jiang Zihe. Who would have thought that the younger brother who had always been afraid of him would actually have the guts to set him up?
And Zhao Xian had betrayed him just like that.
The more Jiang Ying thought about those two, the more his anger boiled. When faced with police questioning, he remained silent.
No one knew how long the standoff lasted before the two officers in front of him suddenly got up and walked out. A moment later, someone entered the room—someone Jiang Ying hated to his core.
“You actually dare to come see me.”
Hearing this, Jiang Zihe’s body tensed for a moment before he slowly sat down.
“Brother.”
He only called out once, then didn’t know what else to say.
After all, he had worked with others to bring Jiang Ying down—at this moment, Jiang Ying probably wanted to tear him apart with his bare hands.
“You still consider me your brother?”
Jiang Ying’s eyes were bloodshot with rage. When Jiang Zihe wasn’t in front of him, he could barely keep his anger in check.
But the moment he saw that face, Jiang Ying immediately recalled how humiliated he had just been.
“You plotted against me with Xiao Cheng—did you ever think that I was your brother?!”
Jiang Ying wished he could crack open Jiang Zihe’s skull and see what was inside.
Not only had Jiang Zihe refused to help his own brother, but he had even stabbed him in the back, causing Jiang Ying’s heart burn with pain.
“Brother, then why did you do those things?”
Jiang Zihe waited until Jiang Ying finished yelling before asking in a low voice.
With just that one question, Jiang Ying fell silent.
At first, he had been somewhat wary of his younger brother, but after all, he had raised him himself. His love for Jiang Zihe outweighed his caution.
There were many things he had deliberately kept from Jiang Zihe—not only to prevent him from using them against him but also because he didn’t want his naive younger brother to know just how terrible he really was.
Jiang Zihe knew very well that Jiang Ying loved him.
If Jiang Ying had truly wanted to ruin him, he could have granted his every request, spoiling him rotten, instead of being the strict older brother who kept him away from things he shouldn’t touch.
Jiang Zihe had struggled with this decision.
He appeared calm, but in reality, he had to lean against the table just to sit upright—otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to face Jiang Ying at all.
Even deciding to meet Jiang Ying had taken him a long time to mentally prepare.
“So just because I did some wrong things, you decided to turn me in?” Jiang Ying sneered after a long silence.
“What do you get out of defeating me? If the Xiao family really wants to go after the Jiang family, do you think you can fight them?”
Jiang Zihe had never been involved in business, so Jiang Ying didn’t believe he could handle the company.
To Jiang Ying, his brother had simply made a foolish decision. Maybe he had been too strict before, causing Jiang Zihe to rebel.
Did he really think he had what it took?
Jiang Zihe took a deep breath. “I will do my best to protect the Jiang family, brother, I—”
He wanted to say, “I will wait for you to come back.” But those words would only sting Jiang Ying more, so he hesitated for a long time, unable to say them.
But Jiang Ying instantly understood his meaning, and his rage flared again.
“That’s not set in stone yet—don’t be in a hurry to mourn for me!”
Jiang Zihe was at a loss for words. He gave a few reminders before hurriedly leaving.
–
Luo Jingshu had been gone for over half an hour, and Xiao Cheng was growing impatient.
He kept glancing toward the door, looking like a forlorn stone waiting for its lover’s return, making He An sigh internally.
Finally, when Luo Jingshu’s figure appeared at the door, Xiao Cheng’s eyes brightened.
He An stood up. “Jingshu, take care of Cheng Cheng for me. I have something to do, so I’ll head out first.”
Luo Jingshu nodded silently, and without hesitation, He An grabbed her bag and left, even thoughtfully closing the door behind her.
Even though Xiao Cheng had already come up with a plan, seeing Luo Jingshu’s indifferent face still made him nervous.
“Nian Nian, where did you go just now?”
Hearing that nickname, Luo Jingshu’s cold expression finally wavered. He glanced at Xiao Cheng. “Just went out for a walk.”
As Luo Jingshu approached, Xiao Cheng caught a faint scent from him—something fresh, with a trace of cigarette smoke mixed in. He wasn’t sure if he was imagining it.
Licking his lips, Xiao Cheng immediately grabbed Luo Jingshu’s hand when he sat down.
He rarely took the initiative like this. Luo Jingshu’s thoughts were unclear, but his face remained composed.
Xiao Cheng held his hand tightly and leaned in closer. “Please don’t be mad at me, okay?”
His face was red from embarrassment, his eyes shimmering with a soft, watery glow.
After hesitating for a moment, he added, “Didn’t you say before that you wanted to lock me up?”
“I’ll let you…”
