But he knew this was not the time to feel sorry for himself. Suppressing the acidity welling up in his heart, Jiang Wu gave a brief, chronological account of what happened, emphasizing that Lu Xin had been taken away.
The more Shen Yifeng heard, the tighter his grip on his phone became, and the gloomier his expression grew. He felt both worried and angry about Lu Xin.
“What should we do, Shen Yifeng?” Jiang Wu’s voice was filled with anxiety and helplessness. “It is all my fault. I should have been firmer and brought her home.”
“It is not your fault. Do not be afraid; I am here.” Hearing Jiang Wu’s flustered and self-reproachful voice, Shen Yifeng felt a sense of discomfort. He comforted him first before asking, “Do you remember what the person who took Lu Xin looked like?”
“He was tall, and he did not look old, at most in his early twenties. He had a buzz cut and a large scar near the corner of his eye,” Jiang Wu replied quickly.
Lu Xin lived abroad most of the year and only returned home during holidays, at which time she had been about fifteen or sixteen. For her safety, Shen Yifeng had investigated Lu Xin’s social circle in China very thoroughly. Hearing Jiang Wu’s description, he guessed who it was almost instantly. However, it was only a guess, and he needed to be sure. He decided to head to the bar to check the security footage.
“Wait there for me. I will be there soon.”
“Okay.”
After ending the call with Shen Yifeng, Jiang Wu’s suspended heart eased slightly. But as his mood relaxed, the pain in his ankle became increasingly intense. Meanwhile, Shen Yifeng was already walking toward the door while dialing Uncle Liu’s number.
On the other end, the person who had taken Lu Xin was indeed her boyfriend, Gu Xiao. As soon as he carried the sleeping Lu Xin out of the bar, he hailed a taxi to take her back. Upon arriving at the villa gate, he searched through her bag, found her phone, and dialed the number saved as Uncle Liu.
Uncle Liu was not surprised when he saw Gu Xiao. He had always known about the young man; Lu Xin had even once made him pose as her father to trick Gu Xiao. However, sensing the current tension, Uncle Liu shrewdly guessed that Gu Xiao had discovered her secret. He took Lu Xin from Gu Xiao’s arms, but before he could say a word, Gu Xiao turned and left with a dark expression.
Looking at the alcohol-soaked Lu Xin, Uncle Liu was baffled. What happened to make her drink so much? He had just finished settling her into the backseat and closing the door when his phone rang. It was Shen Yifeng.
“Young master, is something the matter?”
“Has Lu Xin returned?” Shen Yifeng asked.
“She just arrived. I am not sure what happened, but she is completely drunk. Gu Xiao brought her back,” Uncle Liu replied, his voice tinged with faint worry.
“Understood.”
Discovering that Lu Xin was safe, Shen Yifeng’s anxiety vanished, leaving only anger. It seems Lu Xin needs a good lecture, he thought. Lu Xin, fast asleep, suddenly felt cold and pulled her thin blanket tighter.
After hanging up with Uncle Liu, Shen Yifeng thought of Jiang Wu’s worried tone and called him. Jiang Wu’s right ankle was now twice the size of his left, and sharp, throbbing pain traveled through his nerves to his brain. He was deathly pale, his lips colorless, and he felt like crying. He looked at his phone, hesitating whether to call an ambulance. Calling seemed embarrassing, but the pain was unbearable. Ultimately, he decided against it; he did not want to waste medical resources on a minor injury. Besides, Shen Yifeng would be there soon, and he could take him to the hospital then.
Just then, his phone screen lit up, an incoming call from Shen Yifeng. Jiang Wu answered immediately. Before Shen Yifeng could speak, Jiang Wu asked eagerly:
“Did you find Lu Xin? Is she alright?”
“She returned safely,” Shen Yifeng replied calmly.
Jiang Wu finally let out a sigh of relief. He exhaled, and for a moment, the pain seemed less noticeable. “That is good. That is good.”
After confirming the details, they hung up. Jiang Wu felt lucky that Lu Xin was safe; he would have felt horribly guilty if something had happened to her. However, the relief did not last long; if Lu Xin was found, would Shen Yifeng not stop coming here? The corners of Jiang Wu’s mouth drooped instantly.
This is a disaster. What should I do? Do I really have to call an ambulance? Or should I call Shen Yifeng back and ask him to pick me up? But thinking of how rare Shen Yifeng’s holiday was, Jiang Wu felt embarrassed to intrude. After much thought, Jiang Wu decided to hop to the roadside on one foot and hail a cab to the hospital. It was only three or four hundred meters away; he could rest if he got tired.
With this in mind, Jiang Wu tried to get up from the flower bed and stand on one leg. It took a Herculean effort for him to hop two steps toward the main road. With every jump, his right ankle throbbed painfully from the impact. Perhaps the pain had numbed him, but he found himself thinking of the story of the Little Mermaid he had read as a child. He suddenly felt that the Little Mermaid was incredible for enduring such pain for the sake of the prince, though that prince was truly a terrible person.
He hopped several dozen meters before leaning against a nearby wall to rest. Cold sweat trickled from his forehead down his cheeks. He took a deep breath, leaning against the wall with his eyes closed. He had not been resting for long when he felt his body being shadowed by something. Jiang Wu opened his eyes.
Shen Yifeng’s tall figure loomed over him. Shen Yifeng looked at the shock in Jiang Wu’s eyes and felt an urge to laugh. But before his smile could form, he saw that Jiang Wu’s eyes were moistening, and he heard a voice thick with tears: “Why are you here?”
Shen Yifeng’s usually impassive face showed a rare hint of anxiety. “I am here to pick you up.” He followed up with, “What happened? Did someone bully you?”
Hearing Shen Yifeng’s concerned voice, Jiang Wu’s innate delicacy exploded. Tears fell instantly. “I twisted my ankle.”
Shen Yifeng immediately shifted his gaze to Jiang Wu’s right foot, which was not touching the ground. From a distance, he had thought Jiang Wu was just posing, but he had not realized he was actually injured. Shen Yifeng’s face turned black. I am such a fool.
“Let me see.” As soon as the words left his mouth, he knelt down and lifted Jiang Wu’s pant leg. When he saw the ankle, his expression darkened further. It was swollen and red. It was no wonder Jiang Wu was crying. Remembering his Princess and the Pea temperament and constitution, Shen Yifeng stood up decisively, scooped Jiang Wu into his arms, and strode toward the parking area.
By the time Jiang Wu realized what was happening, he was already held tightly in Shen Yifeng’s arms. The clean, crisp scent of Shen Yifeng enveloped him, and Jiang Wu felt his heart settle; his ankle did not seem to hurt as much anymore.
Jiang Wu leaned his head on Shen Yifeng’s shoulder and whispered, “Thank you.”
The hot breath against Shen Yifeng’s ear, combined with the soft, nasally sound of the thank you, made Shen Yifeng pause. He glanced down at Jiang Wu, tightened his grip, and continued walking toward the car. His long legs carried them to the parking lot quickly, despite him carrying Jiang Wu.
The driver was already waiting.
“To the hospital.” Shen Yifeng tossed this order to the driver who opened the door, then carefully bent down to place Jiang Wu in the back seat before getting in himself.