Chapter 155: Living Has Nothing to Do with Liking
As dusk approached, Jiang Yan appeared in the corridor of the inpatient department building at City C’s First People’s Hospital, wearing a white long-sleeve outer garment over a dark green sleeveless shirt dress, with a canvas shoulder bag slung over her shoulder and a large bag in hand. The bag contained clothes she had bought for Meng Huai, from head to toe and inside out.
“Ah, it’s so late during the New Year, and you still came to check on your brother in person!”
The middle-aged couple who were taking care of Meng Huai quickly stood up, their attitude towards their employer extremely enthusiastic.
There was no way around it; together, the couple earned twelve a day for their caregiving services, which was an income they couldn’t refuse. No holiday was more important than this.
“What did the doctor say about my brother’s condition?”
Jiang Yan set her bag down and sat at the bedside, habitually reaching for Meng Huai’s hand that was exposed outside the quilt, checking his pulse.
“He’s doing okay, nothing major… He wakes up about four or five times a day, each time for twenty or thirty minutes, he has a good appetite for meals, but his emotions are a bit unstable, often saying some nonsensical things.”
“The director of the department has also come by several times and checked on him a few rounds, saying that Mr. Li’s body is basically fine except for some malnutrition, but he needs time to recuperate. He will have another brain CT tomorrow.”
The middle-aged woman was more talkative than her husband, chattering away.
Is it those messy medications causing his memory confusion? Jiang Yan bit her lip, deep in thought.
“There’s been so much going on at home these days, I’ve been busy and have troubled you, uncle and aunt, to take care of my brother. If the hospitalization deposit is insufficient, just call me.”
“I’ll stay here for a few hours, you can take a break or go home to handle things, and come back at midnight to switch with me.”
Jiang Yan put her things down and fished out two thick red envelopes from her canvas bag, smiling as she handed them over.
Who wouldn’t be a wealthy person to be in such a luxurious single room that insurance wouldn’t cover? The middle-aged couple was extremely pleased with the generous young lady, taking the red envelopes with cheerful smiles as they left the ward.
……
Meng Huai was dreaming again, but this time it was no longer that strange misty world.
He was now standing on a huge playground, wearing military training attire with his hands clasped behind him, looking serious.
Military songs echoed in the air as small groups of soldiers ran in orderly formations, all equipped with their gear, appearing disciplined and spirited.
This was the Dark Arrow training center, where everyone would be assigned to various monitoring districts after completing a one-year, three-phase training.
Meng Huai had stepped away from the front lines and was now an instructor at the training center, using his rich combat experience to cultivate more excellent soldiers for the Dark Arrow.
Another running squad came to a halt not far away, turned, and marched toward Meng Huai in step.
At the front of the formation were two beautiful young girls, one with black hair, slightly taller, with a cold and stern expression, and the other with shiny light golden hair, looking laid-back.
Female soldiers were never a special presence within Dark Arrow. Or rather, as long as they had a rare blood type, they were obliged to serve under national secret recruitment. In the war against vampires, anyone meeting the service standards set by Dark Arrow could serve, regardless of gender.
They looked somewhat alike; they must be sisters. As he stared at the approaching formation, a sense of familiarity washed over him.
Meng Huai’s breath was gradually drawing closer, and a faint smile unconsciously appeared at the corners of his mouth.
No, why am I so familiar with her?
Meng Huai’s gaze fixed intensely on the black-haired girl, his smile turning into deep puzzlement.
It feels so familiar, and there’s an oddly alluring scent, which, as the contours of her body got closer, began to diffuse throughout the playground.
People began collapsing around him, looking intoxicated, and the number of people in the formation dwindled, eventually leaving only the two sisters standing before Meng Huai, silently, with teasing expressions.
Meng Huai couldn’t help but swallow hard, his hands nervously shaking behind his back, as if wanting to reach out and hold on tightly.
“Brother Meng, they are all unqualified, and if lucky, they will be forced to retire when their bodies reach the third phase. If unlucky, they will only be martyrs, just like now…”
Suddenly, a young lieutenant appeared next to Meng Huai, looking familiar but his name eluded him.
“Brother Meng, your task is to execute these infected unqualified personnel.”
The young lieutenant pulled out a handgun from his waistband and handed it to Meng Huai.
“They’ve been infected with blood? Impossible…”
Meng Huai looked at the loaded gun in his hand, then at the sisters right in front of him, horror filling his face.
“Why is it impossible? Can’t you sense the vampire aura on them?”
The young lieutenant scoffed and slowly walked away.
Right, I can sense it; they’ve become vampires… No, why can I feel the presence of vampires!?
My mission… what is my mission… No, actually, I’m here to take revenge… Where is my enemy?
Meng Huai aimed the gun but turned back to find the black-haired girl holding the light golden-haired girl’s hand, gradually walking away.
“Jiang Yan…”
Meng Huai’s throat moved slightly, finally calling out.
“Jiang Yan! Run! Run away!”
Meng Huai crouched down, picked up the gun again, and shakily aimed it at the black-haired girl’s back, but his vicious and fierce face was streaked with tears, his voice a blend of deranged shouting.
……
The phone was on the bedside table, playing soothing light music.
Wearing a mask to cover her face, Jiang Yan wiped Meng Huai’s drowsy face with a warm towel, and, as usual, secretly infused two hundred milliliters of her own blood into him.
After the extensive blood draws these days, Jiang Yan felt she was somewhat overwhelmed, but sensing Meng Huai’s stabilizing aura made it all seem worthwhile.
His aura was thicker than before; it seemed that after becoming a knight, Meng Huai’s body was recovering in a more optimistic direction. The only thing to worry about was probably his mind.
For the next while, Jiang Yan rested her hands on the bed, chin on her arms, a faint smile on her face, quietly watching the young man on the bed.
Maybe when Meng Huai truly recovers, he could follow Xu Xiaomeng’s suggestion and join a moderately-sized orthodox family, living steadily as a land-holding knight.
“Jiang Yan…”
The young man on the bed suddenly moved his mouth, clearly uttering a word.
Jiang Yan was startled, quickly straightening her body, and tremblingly touched Meng Huai’s face. “Where are you, Mom? I want revenge…”
Meng Huai opened his eyes, slowly turning his head, looking at the girl with the D Zhao in a daze, as if lost yet aware.
In the youth’s hazy gaze, a glimmer of clarity emerged, mixed with surprise.
“Jiang Yan, run fast…”
Meng Huai muttered again, his eyes becoming clearer, his expression shifting from surprise to panic as he began to move, seemingly about to leap up.
Jiang Yan slowly stood up, grabbed her canvas shoulder bag, and started to back away, feeling her eyelids begin to dampen, a tear gradually forming.
The black-haired girl had already begun to retreat towards the ward door, her face beneath the mask full of anticipation, shyness, embarrassment, and even fear.
Jiang Yan fled in disarray, the door quietly closing behind her.
The last traces of confusion in Meng Huai’s eyes vanished at that moment, and he abruptly sat up, turning to look toward the direction of the door.
The couple who had been taking care of him was gone, but there seemed to be a familiar aura drifting away, and Meng Huai felt a deep sense of loss.
Meng Huai sensed that his mind was still somewhat chaotic; although it didn’t affect his basic reasoning, fragmented memories would occasionally cause him anxiety, leaving him at a loss for words.
“Someone had been here just now, but it wasn’t the doctor… turns out I woke up hungry.”
Looking at the IV drip on the back of his hand, then touching his painfully empty stomach, Meng Huai revealed a bitter smile.
His gaze shifted, and he spotted a plate of fruit resting on the bedside table, along with a large bag on the floor.
“Nurse, is there a nurse around?”
Meng Huai withdrew his gaze and finally couldn’t help but press the call button.
……
This was already the second time Jiang Yan had chosen to avoid Meng Huai when he woke up, looking forward to his awakening while fearing he would recognize her.
Only when she reached the street outside the main entrance of the First People’s Hospital did she stop, hugging her canvas shoulder bag, sitting slowly on the edge of the road, staring blankly at her shadow under the streetlamp.
The sky was already dark, the New Year holiday dwindling, and the joyful clamor gradually faded, a kind of unease and fear brewing quietly.
A young woman rode past on a shared bicycle in a hurry. A car sped away from the hospital gates behind her, hastily departing.
In fact, urban people, if possible, would prefer to curl up in their warm comfort zones, even if their lives were already chaotic with trivial matters. Whether in life or love, no one wanted to face the uncertainties.
Taking out her phone, Jiang Yan opened the message icon again; the last exchange with Meng Huai seemed frozen forever in those drunken greetings to herself.
Jiang Yan even entertained the thought that she wished he would always remain in this confused memory, in a state of unclear consciousness, thereby maintaining a safe buffer from her world, allowing herself to enjoy the peace and closeness amidst lucky naivety.
A shadow approached, faintly carrying an excessively familiar aura.
Jiang Yan looked up to see Jiang Yao’s face, dressed in a black turtleneck sweater paired with a denim overall dress.
“Sit with me for a while, Xiao Yao.”
Jiang Yan moved aside slightly, hugged her knees, and rested her head on her lap.
Jiang Yao did not move, merely twisting a strand of long hair, her emotions somewhat strange: “I called Sister Xiao Ai. She said you had something to do and wouldn’t arrive at the club until after midnight; it’s different from what you said…”
“Um, I’m sorry, I lied.” Jiang Yan said coolly, avoiding Jiang Yao’s gaze, “I know I can’t hide it forever.”
“Who is the man in that hospital room?” Jiang Yao squatted in front of Jiang Yan and grabbed her hand, “He’s not from the Hyacinthus, and he’s a knight, not the kind of patient that requires you to sneakily take care of!”
“You’d better not know.”
Jiang Yan opened Jiang Yao’s hand, her face cold, continuing to rest her head on her knees, staring blankly into the distance.
“You picked up a guy from the south? Then I really want to see who it is that you’ve kept hiding for so long!”
Jiang Yao’s anger quietly flared again, and she stood up ready to head into the hospital.
Jiang Yan lightning-fast grabbed Jiang Yao’s arm, forcibly pulling her back.
“Sis, something’s off with you!” Jiang Yao sighed, then sat beside Jiang Yan, wrapping her arm around her shoulder with a pleading look, “You’re making me worried…”
“It’s Meng De; he was infected with blood…”
Jiang Yan pulled her arm from Jiang Yao’s embrace, burying her head down, her voice bitter: “He was found in the old streets; he’s been tormented by the Black Blood Clan for so long that he was almost driven insane…”
“Meng, Meng De?!”
Jiang Yao jumped up, her eyes wide with fear as she stared into the depths of the hospital, her tongue stumbling over the words.
Jiang Yan nodded, letting out a heavy sigh: “Yes, it’s him… I’ve had a feeling since the day he left City C… Xiao Yao, do you believe in this kind of intuition?”
“Crazy, completely crazy, you brought him back to City C, and plan to hide him? And he, being newly infected with blood, how could he become a knight? There aren’t that many big meatballs in the world!”
Jiang Yan felt a sense of despair, her hands gripping Jiang Yan’s body tightly, her expression frantic: “Did you infect him with blood, or did he drink your blood? Do you like him?”
“Yes! I do like him; so what!” Jiang Yan pushed Jiang Yao away irritably, gritting her teeth, “Why can’t I like him!”
“Well, you’re big, and all the logic is in your mouth!” Jiang Yan’s face turned serious, her whole body trembling, “Do you know how much he hates the blood clan… When his mind is clear, he’s a completely obsessed person!”
“Xiao Yao, I’m sorry… Actually, if I hadn’t recognized him back then and just shot him, it would’ve been alright…”
Hearing Jiang Yao’s piercing question, Jiang Yan’s gaze dimmed further, her voice becoming softer: “Actually, I don’t even know if I like him. Maybe it’s not just coincidence; I just did what I was supposed to do.”
“If he survives the blood infection and lives well afterward, just like us, wouldn’t that be good? Wan Jie and Hyacinthus have always been doing just that, right?”
“Living hard like us actually has nothing to do with liking; that’s what it means, isn’t it…” Jiang Yao paused, the sudden anger quietly dissipating.
Aside from the occasional honking of passing vehicles, the sisters sitting outside the hospital fell into silence.
“Xiao Yao, are you also concerned about Zhong Jing? If Zhong Jing was infected with blood, what would you do?”
A few minutes later, Jiang Yan turned her head, softly asking.
Jiang Yao moved her lips several times but couldn’t utter a word.
So… Sis, as we live well in the future, will you become a true woman? Will you leave me behind?
Jiang Yao looked back at the hospital entrance, finally lowering her head, her voice faint as a mosquito’s buzz.
“Fool, I won’t…”
There were two questions in total, but Jiang Yan’s reply was ambiguous, leaving uncertainty as to which question it referred to.
Looking at Jiang Yao’s slightly flushed face, Jiang Yan slowly extended an arm, gently embracing her.
Xiao Yao is, after all, still a pure and kind child… Jiang Yan shook her head slightly, half-smiling.
Late at night, Zhen Guangquan finally finished a day of overtime and headed towards the family quarters.
The follow-up tracking plan for Meng Huai had already been reported to the headquarters’ intelligence bureau, but Zhen Guangquan always felt that the headquarters seemed to have a ‘big thunder but little rain’ attitude toward Meng Huai’s issue.
But why did the Han family place such importance on Meng Huai before? Was it solely because Commander Wang Hongjun said he was someone with immense clinical research value?
With all these unresolvable doubts, Zhen Guangquan arrived at the entrance of his residential building and subconsciously glanced over at the nearby mailbox stand.
Under the dim light, he noticed a colorful letter lying in his mailbox. The exquisite print immediately indicated it was a common promotional advertisement, something he likely received ten or more of in a month.
Zhen Guangquan casually grabbed it, flipping it in his hands.
Suddenly, a strange red symbol appeared in an inconspicuous corner of the letter, causing Zhen Guangquan’s pupils to constrict.
Seeing that no one was around, Zhen Guangquan’s expression quickly relaxed, carelessly clutching the advertisement letter as he walked into the elevator.
“Old Zhen, if you’re hungry, there’s hot food in the kitchen… By the way, you won’t be working overtime anymore these couple of days, right? Our son is getting ready to return to school; we should take the family out tomorrow.”
In the living room, his wife was watching TV, and from the slightly ajar door of the second bedroom, he could vaguely see his son, a college freshman, playing a game with headphones on.
Okay, I’ll hurry up with my work, and you can decide where we go tomorrow.
Zhen Guangquan smiled, carrying his briefcase as he entered the study.
Locking the door, pulling the curtains closed, Zhen Guangquan took out that mysterious advertisement letter from his briefcase again, confirming the red pattern in the corner resembling a product logo, along with a web address underneath.
Next, Zhen Guangquan opened the desk drawer and took out a smartphone. The phone was registered under a third party and had no connection to the Zhen family.
Turning on the phone, a flurry of messages poured in as the signal connected, the vast majority being junk ads, with a large number featuring adult services or scams.
Cross-referencing the advertisement letter’s web address, he finally found a message within the heap that matched the address.
Zhen Guangquan let out a long breath; the consistency between the physical letter and the text proved that this communication was real and effective.
After modifying a letter in the web address, he began loading the page, progressing slowly as if the website server was located overseas. After ten seconds or so, a page opened up, revealing a glaring line of text.
“Investigate City L to acquire information on the Black Dragon Society’s bases. Wait for the opportunity. Aerial strike, leave no survivors, ensure total annihilation!”
After confirming the text several times, Zhen Guangquan shut the phone, burned the advertisement letter.
