Translator: Cinder Translations
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The sky brightened.
The night had been unexpectedly quiet. Jiang Cheng hadn't slept all night. After sunrise, he leaned against the pillow to rest, sending Fatty to get breakfast and bring some back for him.
"Fatty," Jiang Cheng said while sitting at the table. He glanced at the roujiamo in his hand, then at the one in Fatty's, and complained, "Why does yours have so much more meat?"
TL/N: Roujiamo (肉夹馍) is a Chinese street food often referred to as the "Chinese hamburger." It consists of a crispy, flaky or soft flatbread (mo, 馍) stuffed with slow-cooked, braised, or stewed meat—typically pork, beef, or lamb—chopped into small pieces and soaked in a rich, flavorful sauce.
Fatty licked his lips and awkwardly explained, "Doctor, yours is normal. Mine is two roujiamo combined."
"You Qi didn't come for breakfast today," he added. "So I took his and stuffed all the meat into mine."
"Tsk." Jiang Cheng shot him a look and immediately reached out his own roujiamo, righteously saying, "Fatty, eating that much meat is bad for your health. Come on, let's switch."
Upon hearing this, Fatty immediately shielded his roujiamo. Under Jiang Cheng's gaze, the overly stuffed bun continued to ooze oil, looking incredibly tempting.
"Doctor," Fatty said with embarrassment, "I wasn't planning on eating this. It's for the little beggar. The food she stole before was just leftover buns and scraps—nothing nutritious. She's still a kid, and she needs to grow."
Jiang Cheng was instantly moved. "I'm also in the middle of a second growth spurt. I'm still growing!"
Fatty switched the roujiamo to his other hand and hid it behind his back, out of Jiang Cheng's sight.
Fortunately, despite his words, Jiang Cheng eventually gave in with a pout and started eating his own roujiamo. After a few bites, he tossed the remaining half onto the table, huffing as he went back to bed to catch up on sleep.
Fatty stared at the leftover half and couldn't help but lick his lips. The layers of fatty and lean meat peeked out from the bun, still glistening with oil.
"Doctor," Fatty hesitated, watching Jiang Cheng lying on the bed in a strange posture, and worriedly asked, "You didn't sleep all night. How can you not eat more?"
"I'm full." Jiang Cheng buried most of his face into the pillow, leaving only a small part exposed to breathe. His voice was muffled.
Since Jiang Cheng said so, Fatty didn't hold back. He licked his lips, grabbed the leftover half, and took a massive bite.
He hadn't eaten enough for breakfast—he had only eaten the plain bun, stuffing all the meat into the little beggar's roujiamo until it was nearly overflowing.
Skipping a meal didn't matter to him. The little beggar was just too pitiful. Every time he thought about her, he felt a dull ache in his chest.
Most importantly, she had helped him a lot.
Without her warnings, he and Jiang Cheng might have been in grave danger.
As he chewed, he realized with surprise that Jiang Cheng's leftover roujiamo had an unusually generous amount of meat. He was practically drowning in the rich flavors, his mouth full of oil. After swallowing, he eagerly took another bite.
"Doctor," he said, turning to look at the bed. "Are you sure you don't want more? It's really good—"
Fatty abruptly stopped mid-sentence.
As he turned to look at Jiang Cheng, he suddenly realized that the doctor seemed to be peeking at him with one eye open.
But when he took a second look, Jiang Cheng's eyes were shut as if he were sleeping.
Fatty wasn't sure if he had imagined it. After a brief pause, he cautiously whispered, "Doctor?"
Jiang Cheng made a faint smacking sound with his lips and turned over, presenting Fatty with his back.
Fatty let out a sigh of relief. Looked like the doctor was sleeping soundly after all.
Just as Fatty was wondering when he could sneak out to give the roujiamo to the little beggar, a knock suddenly came at the door.
"Knock, knock, knock."
The knocking was light, polite. It didn't sound like the middle-aged woman or like Xia Meng returning.
Jiang Cheng immediately sat up in bed.
"Is anyone there?"
Fatty recognized Chen Qiang's voice. He had a decent impression of the guy, but instead of responding, he turned to Jiang Cheng—after all, the doctor was the one who made the decisions here.
Seeing Jiang Cheng nod, Fatty jogged over and pulled the door open.
Chen Qiang seemed relieved to see them both. He greeted Jiang Cheng first, nodding politely, before turning to Fatty and saying, "Brother Fatty, that's great—you're both here."
"What is it?" Jiang Cheng asked directly.
"Can I move in with you guys?" Chen Qiang's posture was humble. His face, which wasn't particularly memorable, now carried a hint of vulnerability.
"Something happen in your room?" Jiang Cheng asked, sitting down at the table.
"No, not exactly. But I'm the only one left." Chen Qiang hesitated. "It's too dangerous here, so I was wondering if I could stay with you two."
"You both seem like good people," he added sincerely.
Jiang Cheng chuckled as he poured himself some tea. "That's an interesting thing to say. Are you suggesting there are bad people among us?"
Chen Qiang glanced outside, then turned back and lowered his voice. "Last night, You Qi came to my room. He asked me a few things—some of which..." He paused, seemingly testing their reaction.
But—
"Fatty," Jiang Cheng yawned and waved dismissively. "See our guest out. I'm going back to sleep."
Chen Qiang immediately interjected, "Some of the things he asked were about Miss Chen, and you, Mr. Hao."
Having seemingly grasped Jiang Cheng's temperament, Chen Qiang got straight to the point. "You Qi climbed in through my window last night. He startled me. He seemed very tense and asked if I wanted to leave this place alive. If I did, he said he could help me."
"He had conditions, of course—he wanted me to work with him," Chen Qiang recalled. "He asked if I knew about your background. He said you, Miss Chen, and Mr. An are part of some secret organization called Deep Crimson. He said you're all ruthless, bloodthirsty killers, and that if I didn't cooperate with him, I'd soon meet the same fate as Miss Zuo and Miss Tang."
"He claimed you were behind their deaths—that you used the ghosts as cover to get rid of them."
After a moment, Jiang Cheng leaned back against the chair and, in an odd tone, asked, "And how do you know You Qi was lying?"
"I can feel it," Chen Qiang said seriously. "You and Brother Fatty are good people. You Qi is the real problem."
"So..."
"I want to be with you guys," Chen Qiang said. "Tell me what to do, and I'll do it."
Jiang Cheng studied the young man for a long while. He looked even younger than himself—still had a university student's face, probably hadn't even left campus yet.
But that didn't mean he wasn't sharp.
He had a solid grasp of the situation.
"You can go back for now," Jiang Cheng finally said. "Come back later."
Chen Qiang nodded. "Alright."
No unnecessary words. He turned and left. Fatty had thought he'd beg to stay even during the day, but Chen Qiang hadn't hesitated at all.
Once he was gone, Fatty turned to Jiang Cheng and said, "Doctor, I think he's alright."
"Not sure about him, but at least he's not dumb," Jiang Cheng replied.
Just then—hurried footsteps approached.
Xia Meng's face appeared at the door. "Come with me."
Her expression was grim. "The steward wants us to watch."
"Watch what?"
"They're torturing someone." Xia Meng's voice was sharp. "And we have to witness it."
The group exchanged uneasy glances.
As they followed, their nerves grew heavier.
Only two people were missing.
Would it be You Qi—or An Xuan?
And why had they been captured?
They reached a secluded courtyard. The bright red doors were tightly shut, with a young woman standing outside.
She stared blankly ahead. Only when they got close did her eyes finally focus.
"Wait outside," the middle-aged woman instructed coldly. "After the punishment, you'll be called in to see."
Fatty was about to ask something when—
"Thud!"
A heavy, muffled sound echoed from inside.
"Thud! Thud!"
Repeated, rhythmic.
Fatty's expression changed.
That sound... he'd heard it before.
(End of the Chapter)
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