With Secretary Zhao acting as the intermediary, the police arrived very quickly. There were two officers, one man and one woman. Judging by their appearance, both were around their thirties or forties, and their attitudes were very gentle.
Because Jiang Jiang's mental state was still extremely unstable, and she had an instinctive resistance and rejection toward men, the questioning was mainly handled by the female officer.
"On the afternoon of September 3rd, which was yesterday afternoon, you went with Liang to a rental apartment located on the third floor of Unit Four in Wenxin Residential Complex, correct?"
Hearing this, Jiang Jiang subconsciously tightened her grip on Ji Xu'an's hand. She turned her eyes to glance at Ji Xu'an. The other woman was looking at her with a gaze that was gentle yet encouraging. There was not a single trace of blame in her eyes. Only then did Jiang Jiang relax and nod lightly.
"At that time, what exactly did Liang say to you?" The female officer deliberately softened her tone.
Although Jiang Jiang was somewhat resistant to recalling the details of that moment, when faced with the police's questioning, her speech was not chaotic, and her logic remained fairly clear.
It was just that after every few sentences, she would turn her head to look at Ji Xu'an. Only after receiving the other woman's affirmation would she continue.
"He told me that the night before, after finishing dinner and returning to school, he picked up a stray cat by the roadside. He said the cat was in very bad condition. I was a little worried, so I wanted to go with him to take a look."
The female officer nodded. "Then why did you choose to believe what he said?"
"He showed me photos of the cat. And the night before, we were eating at the same hot pot restaurant. I ran into him in the restroom. He even showed concern for me and told me to go home early." As Jiang Jiang spoke, her gaze unconsciously avoided Ji Xu'an's line of sight. Her shoulders trembled faintly twice, almost imperceptibly. She seemed very nervous.
Ji Xu'an understood clearly. Jiang Jiang was worried that she would blame her for being foolish and for believing someone's nonsense so easily.
With outsiders present, Ji Xu'an could not openly comfort her. She merely moved a little closer to Jiang Jiang. The hand that was interlocked with Jiang Jiang shifted slightly, her fingertips gently stroking the back of Jiang Jiang's hand twice.
Jiang Jiang seemed to sense Ji Xu'an's silent comfort. Her body immediately stopped being excessively tense. After stealing a glance at Ji Xu'an with moist eyes, Jiang Jiang licked her dry lips and continued, "That night he also paid for the meal for me and my friends. So the next morning, I deliberately went to school to find him and thank him in person."
The female officer nodded again. After the incident, they had checked Liang Junsheng's phone. There was indeed a WeChat payment transferred to the relevant hot pot restaurant.
They had also questioned the staff at the hot pot restaurant, as well as the other girls who had eaten with Jiang Jiang. Everyone's statements were basically consistent. Various pieces of evidence showed that Jiang Jiang was not lying.
"So it was during that meeting that he brought up the matter of the cat, correct?"
Jiang Jiang made a soft sound of agreement. "After we met yesterday, we added each other's contact information. He even sent me photos of the kitten."
At this point, Jiang Jiang suddenly paused. She hesitated for a moment, but under the police officer's questioning gaze, she still decided to tell the truth.
"I thought about asking a friend to go with me, but she wasn't free. So in the end, only Liang Junsheng and I went upstairs. The driver waited downstairs."
When Liang Junsheng's name was mentioned, Jiang Jiang's breathing suddenly became rapid. Clear fear and resentment appeared in her eyes.
Before the two officers could react, Ji Xu'an had already reached out and gently patted Jiang Jiang's shoulder. "It's alright. Don't be afraid. He can't hurt you anymore."
She knew who the friend Jiang Jiang had mentioned was. This morning, when Ji Xu'an had just arrived at the hospital, Ji Heyuan had explained the whole sequence of events to her with reddened eyes.
Ji Xu'an did not blame Ji Heyuan. After all, when Ji Heyuan refused Jiang Jiang, she did not know what would happen afterward.
Moreover, Ji Heyuan was also a girl with no strength to truss a chicken. Even if she had been present at the time, she might not have been able to stop Liang Junsheng. The greater possibility was that there would simply have been one more victim.
Ji Xu'an did not blame Ji Heyuan, but that did not mean she did not vent her anger onto Zheng Zhouzhou.
Thinking of the last time Jiang Jiang said that Zheng Zhouzhou seemed to harbor hostility toward her, and the recent situation regarding Zheng Zhouzhou that had been investigated afterward, a new speculation suddenly formed in Ji Xu'an's mind.
Did Zheng Zhouzhou know something?
She had held Ji Heyuan back from leaving, and immediately afterward Jiang Jiang got into trouble. Was it really just a coincidence?
But the information showed that Zheng Zhouzhou indeed did not know Liang Junsheng. So Ji Xu'an was only speculating and had no actual evidence.
Under Ji Xu'an's soft reassurance, Jiang Jiang gradually calmed down again. "When we were going upstairs, the stairwell was too quiet. I was a little scared, so Liang Junsheng started chatting with me."
"What did he say to you?" the female officer asked again.
"He talked about what kind of people lived on each floor. He was very familiar with all the residents in the entire building."
This point had also been confirmed by the elderly gatekeeper.
In the mouths of the residents of Wenxin Residential Complex, Liang Junsheng was a steady and well-behaved good child. He always had a smiling face. No one had ever seen him lose his temper. He got along well with all the surrounding neighbors.
So after such an incident occurred, everyone found it hard to believe.
"And after you went upstairs?"
The darkest memory arrived. Jiang Jiang closed her eyes. Her complexion visibly worsened. Her face was devoid of blood, and her entire being exuded fragility and confusion.
"Don't be afraid. Take it slow. Say whatever you can remember," the officer comforted her.
Jiang Jiang could not help but tighten her fingers forcefully, gripping Ji Xu'an's hand tightly. Ji Xu'an's expression did not change. She even proactively slid her own fingers into Jiang Jiang's and intertwined them.
"He told me to walk in front. He even told me to push open the bedroom door. I sensed something was wrong and wanted to turn around and leave, but he… he covered my mouth and wouldn't let me shout…"
Jiang Jiang could not continue. Her emotions suddenly lost control. Tears rapidly gathered in her reddened eyes. With a dazed expression, she covered her head.
The officers hurriedly tried to comfort her, worried that in her agitation she might hurt herself.
But Jiang Jiang did not scream hysterically, nor did she make any self-harming movements. She only lowered her head and silently shed tears.
Seeing this, Ji Xu'an suddenly stood up. Her expression was cold. Although her tone carried not the slightest fluctuation, one could clearly feel the emotions she was suppressing.
"Jiang Jiang isn't feeling well. I'm afraid she can't continue cooperating with the statement. We'll discuss the rest after her health improves."
The two officers knew she was telling the truth. The victim's mental state was already on the verge of collapse. Continuing to question her would likely yield little useful information. After expressing a few more words of concern, they stood up, said goodbye, packed their things, and left the hospital room.
After everyone had left, Ji Xu'an lowered her head to look at Jiang Jiang and said gently, "It's alright. They've all left."
"It's my fault. I shouldn't have let them come."
Jiang Jiang lifted her neck to look at Ji Xu'an. The soft lower lip had already been bitten until it was flushed red, and a faint tooth mark remained on it.
Her eyes were misty with tears. Uneasy and frightened, she grabbed Ji Xu'an's sleeve and asked cautiously while sobbing, "Sister, am I too useless?"
In truth, Jiang Jiang did not want to appear so fragile. But opportunities to soften Ji Xu'an's heart were not many. And Jiang Jiang knew that the more pitiful she appeared now, the more miserable Liang Junsheng's fate would be in the future.
Besides, if after suddenly suffering such treatment she remained completely calm, Ji Xu'an would likely notice something was wrong immediately.
Jiang Jiang never dared to underestimate Ji Xu'an's sharpness. Even the slightest inconsistency in detail might expose a flaw.
She could only use tears to dispel Ji Xu'an's suspicions.
Moreover, after coming here, she had learned a new principle: the child who cries gets candy.
Now, with the right timing, the right place, and the right people, no matter how much she acted spoiled, Ji Xu'an would not grow impatient. Instead, she would feel even more heartache for her. Jiang Jiang thought, why shouldn't she be a little more unrestrained?
Sure enough, after hearing this, Ji Xu'an only let out a soft sigh and then placed her hand on top of Jiang Jiang's head.
"You've already done very well."
Ji Xu'an noticed that Jiang Jiang seemed to like this kind of physical contact very much. When she placed her hand there, Jiang Jiang's body first stiffened, and then her tightly strung nerves visibly relaxed.
"I don't know. I also wanted to cooperate. But whenever I think of what happened, my mind becomes chaotic." Jiang Jiang sniffed.
Perhaps because Ji Xu'an's attitude was too gentle and tolerant, after hesitating for a while, Jiang Jiang actually began trying to confide in her.
"Sister, I'm very afraid. Will others look at me differently?" She looked up at Ji Xu'an, her gaze cautious. "Will everyone think I deserved it, since I had no sense of guarding against others at all?"
Ji Xu'an lowered her eyes to meet hers. In fact, her tone could not be considered particularly gentle, but it carried an inexplicable strength that made her words convincing.
"Must a victim be perfectly flawless to be called a victim, to receive everyone's pity and sympathy?"
"Only those who are not clear-headed would place the blame on the victim. When a person wants to commit wrongdoing, no matter how harsh or difficult the conditions are, she will strive to overcome them."
"All external factors are merely excuses criminals make for themselves. The real reason lies only in the evil thoughts born in their hearts."
"When a person's brain is controlled by desire, she is no longer human. What does the mistake committed by a beast have to do with the human she harmed?"
Ji Xu'an gently stroked Jiang Jiang's long hair. The soothing meaning in her tone was so strong that it was like a warm spring breeze sweeping across Jiang Jiang's heart, gradually calming her originally tense and uneasy emotions.
"Jiang Jiang, the cause of this incident was never because you were not cautious enough. You simply chose to trust an old classmate who had a good reputation outside."
"The driver was downstairs at the time. There were other residents in the building. Who could have imagined that Liang Junsheng would be so bold?"
"He regarded you as a target and used your kindness to satisfy his own desire. Even if it wasn't this time, there would have been a next time. How many times could you have avoided it?"
"If Liang Junsheng had no evil thoughts, then yesterday you would have only gone to see a pitiful little kitten. So whether this incident occurred was never determined by whether you went upstairs, but by whether Liang Junsheng chose to lay hands on you."
Ji Xu'an's voice was indifferent. "If a venomous snake rushed out from the roadside and bit you, would you then blame yourself for walking that road?"
"But the road was built there for people to walk on. How could you know that a venomous snake was hidden in the grass?"
Jiang Jiang seemed to be persuaded by Ji Xu'an's words. She stared blankly at her for a long moment, then suddenly opened her arms and hugged Ji Xu'an's waist tightly.
"Sister!"
She did not know what to say. It felt as though thousands of words were lodged in her throat, yet not a single one could be spoken. She could only call Ji Xu'an again and again.
After suffering harm, the tolerance and understanding from someone close is the most effective way to quickly lower one's guard and step out of psychological trauma.
Jiang Jiang was afraid to face outsiders because she feared they would blame her and interrogate her.
What she needed most right now was encouragement and comfort from family. But her family was no longer here. The only person she could trust was Ji Xu'an. She could only rely on Ji Xu'an and obtain enough gentleness and tolerance from her.
"Don't blame yourself anymore."
After being hugged, Ji Xu'an subconsciously stiffened her body, but she did not push Jiang Jiang away. She continued, "Others have not experienced your pain, so they have no right to judge you. Do you understand?"
Jiang Jiang nodded forcefully. She buried her head in Ji Xu'an's waist, her cheek pressed tightly against Ji Xu'an's waist and abdomen, refusing to lift her head.
Scorching tears soaked Ji Xu'an's white shirt. After the thin fabric absorbed the moisture, it clung damply to her body. The coolness made Ji Xu'an's waist grow even stiffer.
She knew Jiang Jiang had no other meaning. She merely regarded her as someone to rely on. This embrace did not carry any ambiguous implication. Yet Ji Xu'an still felt somewhat uncomfortable.
Too close.
Since reaching adulthood, Ji Xu'an had never been this close to anyone. The defensiveness in her heart instinctively rejected others' proximity. So she handled many matters personally, preferring to work harder herself rather than have overly intimate contact with others.
But Jiang Jiang was different. Jiang Jiang was someone she regarded as a younger sister. Ji Xu'an did not dislike Jiang Jiang's embrace. She was simply not used to it.
Ji Xu'an tried her best to persuade herself, yet she still found it difficult to relax for a long time. Fortunately, this subtle discomfort of hers was not noticed by Jiang Jiang. Otherwise, Jiang Jiang might have misunderstood again.
After crying once more, Jiang Jiang grew drowsy from exhaustion.
It had been a long time since she had shed tears so frequently. From yesterday until now, she had cried many times. As a result, her eyelids remained swollen, and the redness at the corners of her eyes never faded.
Seeing that Jiang Jiang was so sleepy she could barely keep her eyes open, yet stubbornly refused to let go of her, Ji Xu'an softened her voice and coaxed gently:
"Sleep. I won't leave."
Only then did Jiang Jiang slowly loosen her grip. "I'm sorry, Sister."
She rubbed her sore eyes, her tone dejected. "I've delayed your work."
She remembered that Ji Xu'an had said she would be on a business trip for four days. Now it was obvious she had rushed back early.
"It's not delayed. There are people in M Country handling matters. It's fine even if I'm not there." Ji Xu'an said, "If anything comes up, they will contact me. Many things can also be resolved online."
Only then did Jiang Jiang reluctantly feel at ease. Coaxed by Ji Xu'an, she lay back down under the covers. Ji Xu'an tucked in the corners of the blanket for her. "Sleep."
Jiang Jiang sank entirely into the bedding. The lower half of her face was hidden beneath the quilt, leaving only a pair of reddened eyes exposed. She silently looked at Ji Xu'an just like that, until her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and finally she could no longer resist the drowsiness and fell into a deep sleep.
After Jiang Jiang had fallen asleep, Ji Xu'an finally let out a breath. She stood up, walked to the window, and returned a phone call to Ji Heyuan.
As soon as the call connected, Ji Heyuan anxiously asked, "Sis, has little Xiao woken up?"
"She woke up earlier and ate something. She's fallen asleep again."
Ji Heyuan let out a heavy sigh of relief. "That's good."
She paused for two seconds. "I… I want to come to the hospital to see Xie Xiao. Is that okay?"
Before Ji Xu'an could speak, Ji Heyuan quickly added, "And my roommates. They're also very worried about Xie Xiao."
Ji Xu'an did not say yes or no. "After she wakes up, I'll ask her for you."
Being able to receive such a reply, Ji Heyuan was already very satisfied. She knew her sister had no intention of blaming her, but she was afraid Jiang Jiang would hate her because of this.
She wanted to apologize to Xie Xiao in person.
After hanging up, Ji Xu'an then called Secretary Zhao and, after giving instructions regarding some work matters, asked about the kitten's situation.
"The kitten doesn't have any major problems. It's just malnourished, so it's a bit thin and weak. After being properly raised for a period of time, it'll be fine," Secretary Zhao replied.
"Mm." Ji Xu'an's tone revealed neither joy nor anger. "Have people prepare more supplies needed for raising a cat. Send everything to the apartment at Xingyue Bay."
It seemed she was preparing to adopt this ill-fated little kitten.
Secretary Zhao smiled. "Alright, President Ji. Please rest assured. I'll arrange for someone to deliver everything as soon as possible."
"Oh, right." Secretary Zhao lowered his voice. "President Ji, how is Miss Xie's condition?"
Ji Xu'an tiredly rubbed her temple. "Her emotions are very sensitive. For the time being, she can't be left alone."
Which meant that physically, there was nothing seriously wrong anymore.
Secretary Zhao felt relieved and then asked, "On the Old Madam's side, do we need to tell her the truth?"
"For now, there's no rush. I'll ask Jiang Jiang first before we decide."
Secretary Zhao seemed to sigh. "Alright, I understand."
He then brought up another matter with Ji Xu'an.
"Someone uploaded a video of yesterday's fall from the building on Weibo. We've already contacted the person and had it deleted, but the news has still spread."
Because Jiang Jiang had been lying on her back on the ground at the time, from the surface it was impossible to see her bound hands. On top of that, Liang Junsheng had always had a good public reputation, so now everyone was guessing whether it had just been a quarrel between a young couple.
This world is never kind enough to women. After something like this happens, simply because Liang Junsheng's public image had been relatively good, the pressure of public opinion almost entirely fell on Jiang Jiang.
For example, comments like "The woman cheated, the man couldn't endure it anymore," "This is what happens when you push an honest man too far," "The gold-digger wanted to break up, the man tried to use a lovers' suicide to make her stay," and "She was even wearing a sexy camisole—what kind of decent woman could she be?" and so on. Even Secretary Zhao would curse out loud when he saw them, unable to believe it. If Ji Xu'an were to see those comments, how furious would she be?
So Secretary Zhao did not dare repeat those disgusting remarks to Ji Xu'an. He was afraid his boss would become so angry that she would do something irrational.
But even without him saying it, Ji Xu'an could already imagine what kind of speculation the netizens would come up with.
Ji Xu'an pondered for a while with a cold expression. "Delete all the videos and photos. But regarding this matter, I want everyone to at least hear about it. Do you understand what I mean?"
Secretary Zhao tactfully reminded her, "There may be some unpleasant remarks directed at Miss Xie."
"Make the preparations first. I'll discuss it with Jiang Jiang again." Ji Xu'an looked out the window expressionlessly, her deliberately lowered voice carrying a chilling coldness that made one's heart tremble. "But no matter what, the police must issue a report and explain, word by word, exactly what Liang Junsheng did."
"President Ji, rest assured. I'll communicate with the police again," Secretary Zhao agreed.
After everything that needed to be said was said, Ji Xu'an ended the call.
She put away her phone and turned to look at Jiang Jiang on the hospital bed. The other woman was clearly sleeping uneasily, her brows slightly furrowed, looking troubled even in her dreams.
This incident had dealt Jiang Jiang too heavy a blow.
From the information Ji Xu'an had previously investigated, although Xie Xiao had lost her parents at a young age, her living environment had not actually been oppressive.
The main reason was that she had a grandmother who cared deeply about her. Fang Xunchun had protected her only granddaughter exceptionally well.
In addition, Fang Xunchun's profession was rather special. She was well-known in the surrounding towns and villages, a famous yin-yang master in the area. Whenever any household wanted to relocate their house or build a grave, they would have to invite Fang Xunchun to take a look.
Although Ji Xu'an did not believe in such things, that was merely her personal view. In reality, many people still maintained a certain degree of reverence toward these matters, so everyone respected Fang Xunchun and, by extension, felt an extra measure of fondness for her granddaughter.
In a small town where everyone knew one another, and with Fang Xunchun's careful protection, in the eighteen years of her life up until now, Xie Xiao had truly never encountered anything so terrifying.
Perhaps it was precisely because of that that Jiang Jiang had so easily trusted Liang Junsheng. After all, they had both once lived in that same small town.
In a big city where one has no relatives to rely on, a fellow townsman from the same place always makes one feel an added sense of familiarity. And when that fellow townsman shows care at every turn, who would have imagined that he was in fact an evil ghost wearing human skin?
Ji Xu'an could not help but begin to reflect on herself. In the end, it was still because she had given Jiang Jiang too little care.
She was the one who had brought Jiang Jiang here. She was also the one who had taken the initiative to have Jiang Jiang move out and live with her. Yet she had not given Jiang Jiang enough companionship. Instead, she had cast her aside and paid her no attention, complacently believing that by providing Jiang Jiang with a sufficiently abundant material life, she could satisfy all of her needs.
But she had forgotten that people have emotions. Sometimes spiritual needs are even more important than material things. Especially since Jiang Jiang had always been insecure and prone to anxiety over gains and losses, what she needed most was not something money could buy, but sufficient love and companionship.
Thinking of the way Jiang Jiang had looked at her with eyes full of loneliness and said, "I miss you so much," Ji Xu'an felt that she had truly been an incompetent elder sister.
If Jiang Jiang had lived in the school dormitory, she would at least have been able to stay with her roommates, instead of guarding an empty room alone like this, without even someone to talk to.
It was she who had turned Jiang Jiang into what she was now. She had the obligation to take responsibility for Jiang Jiang.
At this moment, Ji Xu'an only wanted to make it up to Jiang Jiang. She had already forgotten the decision she had once made. Once upon a time, she had thought about distancing herself from Jiang Jiang, so as not to cause her any misunderstanding.
Come to think of it, this was also related to Jiang Jiang's previous behavior.
During this period of time they had spent together, Jiang Jiang had already proven through her own actions that she did not harbor any feelings for Ji Xu'an that went beyond familial affection.
Ji Xu'an thought that as long as her own conscience was clear, then why couldn't they become a little closer?
After all, she did not dislike being with Jiang Jiang.
—
Jiang Jiang did not sleep for very long. When she woke up again, Ji Xu'an was eating lunch.
She had witnessed it before—Ji Xu'an hardly ever made any sound while eating. If Jiang Jiang had not smelled the aroma of the food, she would have thought Ji Xu'an was sitting on the sofa handling work.
"Older sister," Jiang Jiang called out to her.
Only after the words left her mouth did she realize that her voice was especially hoarse.
"You're awake?" Ji Xu'an put down her chopsticks, wiped the corner of her mouth with a tissue, and then stood up to walk toward Jiang Jiang.
"Are you hungry? Butler Chen brought lunch."
Since she had not been sure when Jiang Jiang would wake up, Ji Xu'an had not waited for her.
Jiang Jiang shook her head. She propped herself up and sat up, her gaze toward Ji Xu'an filled with hesitation. Under Ji Xu'an's puzzled look, two faint blushes gradually bloomed on Jiang Jiang's face.
"What is it?" Ji Xu'an did not react at first.
Jiang Jiang's voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz. If Ji Xu'an had not been standing close, she might not have been able to hear clearly.
"I want to go to the restroom."
Ji Xu'an understood. "Shall I help you over?"
Jiang Jiang quickly waved her hands, her entire face flushing red from embarrassment. "There's no need to trouble you, older sister. Could you… give me something to support myself with?"
Only Jiang Jiang's left ankle was sprained and could not touch the ground for the time being. Her right foot could walk normally. She only needed a crutch.
Secretary Zhao had been very considerate. This sort of thing had naturally been prepared long ago. But Ji Xu'an was still not at ease, because the ligature marks on Jiang Jiang's hands had not completely disappeared.
Her wrists were so slender and had been injured. They did not look as though they could exert any strength.
"It's better if I help you over."
Jiang Jiang grew so anxious that tears almost welled up in her eyes. "There's really no need. Besides, older sister can't keep supporting me all the time."
That was true. Ji Xu'an could not possibly follow her inside and watch her use the toilet.
She herself did not mind, but Jiang Jiang certainly would.
In truth, Jiang Jiang did not really think there was anything wrong with it. In the past, when she relieved herself, there had always been maids attending at her side. She had never felt any particular sense of shame about it.
It was just that, given her current persona of being thin-skinned and easily embarrassed, and with Ji Xu'an being the older sister she admired and liked the most, she absolutely could not let Ji Xu'an see her using the toilet.
After she refused twice, Ji Xu'an finally did not insist further, but she still did not go far. She simply stood outside the restroom door, waiting for Jiang Jiang to come out.
In order to prevent Ji Xu'an from hearing any sound, Jiang Jiang, in a futile attempt to cover it up, turned on the faucet. The rushing sound of water carried outside the door, and Ji Xu'an could not help but curl her lips slightly.
After finishing, Jiang Jiang pulled up her pants and stood in front of the sink, washing her hands while examining herself in the mirror.
The red marks caused by the tape had long since disappeared. Jiang Jiang tilted her head and looked left and right, finding no additional injuries on her body. She gently lifted the corners of her lips.
The injury on her ankle was not serious. Jiang Jiang had deliberately controlled the extent of her injury. Originally, in order to make herself look more pitiful, her injury should have been a bit more severe.
But Jiang Jiang had considered that in half a month there would be military training. She was looking forward to it and did not want to miss it because of her injury.
The current situation was just right. Half a month was enough time for her to recover.
With Ji Xu'an waiting outside, Jiang Jiang did not linger long. She soon pushed the door open and walked out.
She moved very slowly with the crutch. Ji Xu'an did not urge her, but instead loosely wrapped an arm around her until Jiang Jiang returned to the hospital bed. Only then did both of them secretly let out a breath of relief.
After Jiang Jiang lay down, Ji Xu'an said, "I have two things I want to tell you."
"First, little Yuan wants to come visit you, along with several of her roommates. Do you want to see them?"
Jiang Jiang's eyes lit up, and she nodded eagerly. "When I woke up last night, I think I saw little Yuan too."
"Yes. She only left the hospital this morning to go to class."
Jiang Jiang was stunned. "Then didn't little Yuan stay up the entire night?"
Ji Xu'an heard no trace of blame in her tone. Jiang Jiang was even concerned about Ji Heyuan. It seemed Ji Heyuan could be at ease now.
"She feels very sorry toward you and wants to apologize to you in person."
Jiang Jiang was stunned for even longer this time, her expression one of pure confusion and puzzlement. "Why would little Yuan apologize to me?"
She quickly reacted and looked at Ji Xu'an in a fluster. "I—I don't mean to blame little Yuan. I'm grateful she didn't go with me. Why would I blame her?"
Jiang Jiang was speaking from the bottom of her heart. She did not blame Ji Heyuan. The reason she had called her was merely to set Zheng Zhouzhou up.
Besides, with Ji Heyuan's mediocre skills, going along would only have been delivering herself up. If she had really agreed to Jiang Jiang, Jiang Jiang would instead have felt troubled.
"I'll send little Yuan a message to explain it clearly. How could she think like that?" Jiang Jiang turned her head to look for her phone.
Ji Xu'an pressed down on the back of her hand. "There's no rush. She'll come over. You can talk to her properly then."
Only then did Jiang Jiang lie back down and continue listening to the second matter Ji Xu'an wanted to discuss.
"At that time, there were quite a few onlookers. The matter has already spread, but Secretary Zhao handled it promptly. All related photos and videos have been deleted."
Jiang Jiang's expression shifted along with Ji Xu'an's explanation. Only after hearing the end did she barely relax.
"People's attention will shift. If no new information comes out, everyone will gradually forget about it."
Ji Xu'an observed the changes in Jiang Jiang's expression. "So I want to ask you—do you want this matter to pass quietly just like this, or should we directly expose Liang Junsheng's evil deeds?"
Jiang Jiang hesitated for a long time. "If everyone knows, will it affect my life at school?"
She was afraid of being noticed, of being disturbed.
"I won't let your information leak out. No one will know who the innocent girl in the incident actually is." Ji Xu'an very much wanted Liang Junsheng to be punished, but everything had to be built on the premise that Jiang Jiang's interests would not be harmed.
Hearing this, Jiang Jiang's gaze immediately grew firmer. "Then I want everyone to know Liang Junsheng's true face!"
"Even if it's not for myself, the cats that died at his hands need someone to seek justice for them!"
Afraid that she would become too emotional and hinder her recovery, Ji Xu'an quickly comforted her. "I'll have Secretary Zhao handle this matter."
She gazed at Jiang Jiang's brows and eyes, still tinged with a flush. "But Jiang Jiang, not everyone in this world is rational and clear-headed. There will always be people who spare no effort in using the greatest malice to speculate about others."
"If you see similar remarks, don't believe them, and don't condemn yourself because of them, alright?"
Jiang Jiang nodded, her voice muffled. "I only believe older sister."
Ji Xu'an's heart softened. "Good. You only need to listen to me. Older sister won't lie to you."
After soothing Jiang Jiang, Ji Xu'an sent several messages to Secretary Zhao, urging him to handle the matter as soon as possible.
While they were speaking, Ji Heyuan also arrived at the hospital, accompanied by Fu Xihe and the others.
Considerately, Ji Xu'an gave them space and turned to leave the hospital room. Jiang Jiang's gaze followed her figure reluctantly. If Ji Xu'an had not promised that she would stay just outside and not go far, Jiang Jiang might not have agreed to let her leave at all.
"Xie Jiang Jiang." Ji Heyuan's eyes were red as well. "Are you still feeling dizzy?"
Jiang Jiang pursed her lips and smiled at her. "I'm not dizzy anymore. Little Yuan, thank you for coming to see me."
She then looked at the other three. "Thank you all for worrying about me as well."
Fu Xihe and the others had already learned the truth of the matter from Ji Heyuan. Toward Jiang Jiang, they also carried a hidden sense of guilt.
If they had asked one more question at the time, perhaps none of this would have happened.
"Jiang Jiang, please don't say that. Actually, it's us who should be sorry…"
Jiang Jiang interrupted them. "Please don't think that way. I chose to believe Liang Junsheng myself. It has nothing to do with you."
As she spoke, her gaze fell on Ji Heyuan again. "Little Yuan, I don't blame you. In fact, I'm glad you didn't go with me."
"If even you had suffered at Liang Junsheng's hands, I really wouldn't have had the face to see older sister."
Ji Heyuan finally broke down and burst into tears. "Xie Jiang Jiang, why are you so foolish?"
Her guilt toward Jiang Jiang reached its peak. At this moment, even if Jiang Jiang were to make an excessive request, Ji Heyuan would not hesitate to satisfy her.
Jiang Jiang smiled and patted her head. "You're older sister's younger sister. I can be considered half your older sister too. As long as you're safe, I'm at ease."
"I heard from older sister that you stayed at the hospital guarding me all night. Thank you for your hard work, little Yuan. You should rest well afterward. Don't worry about me. I'm not seriously hurt."
The less Jiang Jiang blamed her, the more Ji Heyuan felt she had been truly wrong. She had treated Jiang Jiang that way before, yet Jiang Jiang was still so gentle toward her. What reason did she have to doubt Jiang Jiang?
Ji Heyuan did not realize that between Jiang Jiang and Zheng Zhouzhou, her heart had already unconsciously tilted toward Jiang Jiang.
Jiang Jiang saw through Ji Heyuan's thoughts. Not only did she not expose them, she even deliberately added a sentence.
"Although this may be a bit too much to say, I still want to say it—fortunately Miss Zheng fell ill in time, otherwise you might have experienced something so terrifying as well."
Upon hearing this, Ji Heyuan immediately recalled the phone call she had with Zheng Zhouzhou that morning. During the call, Zheng Zhouzhou had been subtly and overtly probing about Jiang Jiang's situation.
Previously, Ji Heyuan might have thought Zheng Zhouzhou was simply concerned about Jiang Jiang. But at this moment, hearing Jiang Jiang's words, Ji Heyuan suddenly felt that something was off.
Wasn't Zheng Zhouzhou's illness a little too coincidental?
—
Author's Note:
Jiang Jiang: (innocent face) This really has nothing to do with Jiang Jiang. Jiang Jiang doesn't know anything.
President Ji: My wife is delicate and unable to take care of herself. How could she possibly look like someone who would do bad things?
[The previous two chapters sparked some controversy. Let me explain; this might be a bit long.]
1- Why did Jiang Jiang put herself in danger?
First of all, Jiang Jiang could absolutely guarantee her own safety. From the way she kicked Liang Junsheng, you can see that she completely had the ability to protect herself. The reason Liang Junsheng was able to lay hands on her was entirely because she was holding back.
2- Wasn't Jiang Jiang afraid of falling to her death?
That situation was impossible. I don't know if everyone still remembers, but earlier in the story I wrote that Jiang Jiang knows qinggong and can jump down from a height of more than ten meters without suffering any injury. So even if Liang Junsheng had not cushioned her fall beneath her, she would not have been injured.
3-Would President Ji think Jiang Jiang is foolish?
No. Because President Ji is someone who fiercely protects those under her wing. As long as someone is within her protection, she will unconditionally favor them. You can refer to the example of the mischievous child Ji Heyuan.
Moreover, President Ji is a compassionate person. She does not subscribe to the idea of blaming the victim. You can refer to the scene where she comforted Jiang Jiang at KFC.
And in President Ji's heart, Jiang Jiang has always been someone who, although a little clever, is still fundamentally gentle and naive. This can be seen from the several times President Ji compared Jiang Jiang to a little white rabbit. In her eyes, Jiang Jiang does not have much scheming. So she would not think Jiang Jiang was deceived because she was foolish. She would only think that the bad person was too cunning.
As for why Jiang Jiang used such a roundabout method of revenge, many readers in the comments have already explained it very clearly, so I won't say more. I also thank all of you, my dear wives, for helping me explain. Thank you for your hard work!
Finally, I believe that the plot design in this segment is relatively reasonable, and I will not change it. If any of you feel uncomfortable or cannot accept it, please don't force yourselves. Cutting your losses in time is good for both you and me.
—
T/N: If you're still wondering why Jiang Jiang chose that method of revenge, it's because in the "original story," Xie Xiao commits suicide at the end due to public opinion being manipulated by Zheng Zhouzhou and Liang Junsheng. Basically, she wants Liang Junsheng to do the same and suffer what Xie Xiao suffered.
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