Jiang Yao lowered his gaze to Xu Changxia, whose eyes were now shining brightly as she stared at him, as if stars resided within them.
He couldn’t help but smile slightly and said, “Coincidentally, I passed by your house on my way to a mission and had a couple of things to remind your uncle about.”
“Oh…” Xu Changxia’s eyes dimmed a little, looking somewhat awkward.
In truth, Jiang Yao had mainly come to see Xu Changxia.
He wasn’t sure if she would be back at this time, but he simply wanted to stop by and take a look.
He didn’t know what had come over him.
Even though she had avoided being seen with him in the dormitory that afternoon, he inexplicably kept thinking about her.
Seeing that the young couple had something to discuss, Xu Cheng tactfully went inside without disturbing them.
Watching Xu Cheng enter, Jiang Yao lowered his voice and said to Xu Changxia, “The investigation into Zhou Yun’s matter is still ongoing. Once the TV factory director is captured, there will be further interrogations. It’ll probably take three to five days.”
“I noticed your uncle seems a bit unsettled. If anything urgent comes up in the next couple of days, go to the military base and find Deputy Lu.”
“Okay.” Xu Changxia nodded.
Now she understood—he was afraid Xu Cheng might take his frustration out on her, so he had come to put pressure on Xu Cheng.
But regardless of whether he had come specifically for her, his direct purpose was for her sake, and that was enough.
“Would you like to come in and sit for a while?” Xu Changxia thought for a moment and asked him, “You haven’t had dinner yet, have you? I can make you a bowl of egg noodles. My noodles are really delicious—I’ll add some greens and poach an egg in it.”
“No, I have a mission. My comrades are waiting for me in the car, and I have to leave immediately,” Jiang Yao declined.
Xu Changxia pursed her lips and replied softly, “Alright then.”
Seeing her somewhat disappointed expression, Jiang Yao couldn’t bear it.
After a brief pause, he added, “When I come back, you can make it for me then. Poach two eggs—one isn’t enough.”
Xu Changxia was taken aback for a moment before squinting her eyes and smiling.
“Also, I bought this for you this morning but forgot to give it to you in the car,” Jiang Yao said as he handed the item he was carrying to Xu Changxia.
Xu Changxia looked down and saw a large, beautifully wrapped pink box.
He really had gone to buy her a gift this morning!
“Open it after you go inside. Be careful not to drop it,” Jiang Yao reminded her again.
“Okay, I’ll open it once I’m inside!” Xu Changxia nodded in reply.
The box felt heavy in her hands, and she had no idea what was inside.
Jiang Yao knew she would be happy.
He reached out and ruffled her hair. “Deputy Lu will come by at seven tomorrow morning to take you and your third uncle to the Haicheng Military General Hospital for a check-up.”
“Mhm.” Xu Changxia obediently nodded in agreement.
“I have to go now.”
Xu Changxia was reluctant to see him leave. She held onto Jiang Yao’s arm and walked him out a few steps.
However, when she looked up and saw Jiang Yao’s colleague in the passenger seat of the car in the distance, grinning as he watched them, she felt a bit embarrassed and let go.
“Be careful on your way,” she reminded him.
“Alright, it’s getting dark. Go inside,” Jiang Yao stopped where he was and said to her, “I’ll watch you go in.”
Xu Changxia stepped into the Xu family courtyard, looking back every few steps. Jiang Yao waited until she closed the door before turning to leave.
As he turned, he couldn’t help but smile silently and shake his head.
He didn’t know why, but he just couldn’t stop worrying about her.
“…What did Xiaolin’s Mother mean by what she said this morning?” Just as he was about to leave, a voice suddenly came from nearby.
Hearing the words “Xiaolin’s Mother,” Jiang Yao immediately looked over.
Two women were sitting in their own yard chatting. The gate was slightly ajar, so Jiang Yao could see them, but they had their backs to the door and couldn’t see him.
“Speaking of this, you just moved here recently, so you don’t know! Actually, Xu Cheng’s father-in-law doesn’t like Xu Fangfei and her daughter living here. He’s always wanted to drive them away! Guess what Xiaxia did to get her uncle’s family to take in her and her mom?”
“What did she do?”
“She seduced Xu Luyuan! Even though Xu Luyuan is an adopted son of the Xu family, they’re still siblings in name! Getting involved with her own brother—how scandalous!”
“Cousin-in-law, you can’t just say things that ruin someone’s reputation! Did anyone actually see it?”
Jiang Yao’s footsteps slowly came to a halt.
“Of course someone saw it! The young man who sells vegetables at the entrance said he saw Xiaxia and Xu Luyuan holding hands with his own eyes! Xiaxia only let go of Xu Luyuan’s hand when she realized someone had seen them!”
“Cousin-in-law, I don’t think that’s right. It must be that vegetable seller talking nonsense! I’ve only been here a short while, and I’ve already noticed him always staring at Xiaxia. He must know he’s not good enough for her, so he’s making things up!”
“Besides, Xiaxia is so beautiful. She could just find a rich man and leave the Xu family. Why would she seduce a useless loafer like Xu Luyuan?”
“Well, she was too young back then, wasn’t she? She was already dating that rich man with the big jeep when she was sixteen!”
“And look, hasn’t she already found someone even richer now? She’s engaged, so there’s hope! Look at how arrogant Xu Cheng has been lately… Besides, Xiaolin’s Mother lives right across the street. She must see things more clearly than we do, otherwise she wouldn’t say something like that in public!”
“Oh, let’s talk less about such things. It’s bad luck, and you don’t even know if it’s true! It’s already pitiful enough that she and her mother are living under someone else’s roof! I don’t think Xiaxia is that kind of person at all! Maybe Xu Luyuan forced her!”
“Alright, let’s not talk about it anymore! Time to go home and cook!”
Jiang Yao stood in the shadows, watching the two women carry their stools back into the house.
After a long while, he turned and looked toward the Xu house, where the lights were now on. His eyes were filled with mixed emotions.
So, this was what Xiaolin’s Mother had wanted to say this morning but was interrupted by Xu Fangfei.
“Jiang Yao!” His comrade in the car had been waiting for him for a while. Seeing that he still hadn’t come over, he called out to him.
Without a word, Jiang Yao turned around and quickly walked toward the alley entrance.