Chapter 146: Bidding Farewell to the Old and Welcoming the New (Part 1)
January 24th, Friday, New Year’s Eve.
St. Ci Hospital, W District, City C.
Last night, Zhong Jing received a call from Su Xiaomeng, informing him that the results of his second round of physical examination and illness analysis were out, and she hoped he could come by.
Today is New Year’s Eve, but for the vast majority of medical institutions, aside from reasonable personnel rest shifts, the pace of work has not changed much.
Ascending to the top-level special ward, walking alone through the empty treatment hall, Zhong Jing’s expression was slightly solemn, one hand instinctively pressed against his upper abdomen, as it had been dull pain since getting up.
To the side, in the corridor of the intensive care unit, two nurses pushed out a hospital bed and hurried past Zhong Jing a few seconds later.
Zhong Jing sidestepped to avoid them, glancing slightly and saw that the patient was a tall young man, wearing a breathing mask and covered with a quilt, making it difficult to see his face.
Watching the hospital bed move further away, Zhong Jing straightened his appearance and reached for the door to Su Xiaomeng’s office, but froze the moment he opened it.
Sitting behind the desk was not Su Xiaomeng, but a calm-faced Lao Jin.
“Old Jin, what are you doing here? Where’s Su Xiaomeng?”
Zhong Jing glanced around, confirming that this was indeed Su Xiaomeng’s office. Looking again at Lao Jin’s serene expression, doubts filled his heart.
“Have a seat… It was me who asked Mengmeng to contact you.”
Lao Jin picked up a thermos cup from the side, took a sip, and pointed to the seat opposite: “You two little sly ones have been keeping a lot from me and Wanyue, treating your health as a joke.”
“Hehe, she told you everything? No wonder she was too nervous to wait for me in the office today… Seems like she’s on the run for her sins.”
Zhong Jing lazily sat down across from Lao Jin, hands resting on the table, smiling at him: “Old Jin, what’s your opinion? Am I still salvageable?”
“She didn’t sell you out; that girl is very tight-lipped. It was He Jianqingya who told me. I forced Mengmeng to confess…”
Lao Jin glanced at Zhong Jing’s expression, slightly shook his head, his tone very serious: “You should be quite aware of your importance. No matter from those above, the Zhong family, Windflower, the Wang family, or even the Fujiwara family, none of them want any accidents to happen to you.”
“Mengmeng’s physical examination for you was quite thorough. Although she has been with me for so many years, she is still not of the blood family, naturally, many finer details will be overlooked.”
As he spoke, Lao Jin opened a drawer and threw out a thick stack of examination and medical history documents: “He Jianqingya used the initial embrace blood invasion agent of the Fujiwara family on you, indeed of the British lineage. It seems she intends to go all the way with you.”
“Is it really of the British blood family lineage? What garbage… Luckily, I interrupted it.”
Zhong Jing laughed, seemingly already mentally prepared, surprisingly a bit carefree.
“You do have some composure. To find a treatment method for you, He Jianqingya nearly sold herself to the Engel family. They came running to me… which shows she really doesn’t have a way, but it also lets me understand the whole situation.”
Lao Jin sighed, pointing at the examination documents in front of them: “The blood invasion process was interrupted, and side effects caused pancreatic lesions. Abdominal pain, low fever, vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice—these early tumor symptoms, you’ll get to experience them all… Too bad, the normal treatment methods for pancreatic cancer have poor effects.”
“So, it means, the Fujiwara family can’t do it, and the Wang family can’t do it either?”
Zhong Jing opened his mouth, unfazed.
Naturally standing up, he let out a long breath: “If the Wang family has come to this conclusion, then it’s alright… I want to ask, with just conservative treatment, how long can I live?”
“Don’t know, maybe six months, maybe a year. It’s uncertain when it could suddenly worsen,” Lao Jin shook his head again, his expression more serious, “Because your illness is caused by the components of the blood invasion agent in your body that cannot be metabolized normally, rather than a typical pancreatic tumor.”
“Compared to running to the Engel family for medicine, finding me in the end is considered one right thing He Jianqingya did… kid, the treatment method to terminate the initial embrace blood invasion, the Wang family definitely has, but with some aftereffects, I must make it clear to you.”
At this point, Lao Jin opened the drawer again, took out a small box, and gently placed it on the table: “You could comply with He Jianqingya’s wish and become a blood family; then all these aftereffects would cease to exist. But I believe, no one wants to see that outcome.”
After hearing Lao Jin’s last teasing remark, Zhong Jing forced a smile, sitting back down in his chair. He reached for the small box, opened it, and inside were six small syringes.
“Is this just another lousy choice… what are the aftereffects? Becoming a fool, or being paralyzed for life?”
Closing the box, Zhong Jing lightly pushed it back toward Lao Jin, his expression grave: “Based on your expression, does the so-called aftereffect make it difficult for most people to accept?”
Lao Jin snorted coldly through his nose, shaking his head directly: “That’s treatment effects that aren’t presentable among European and American families… The Wang family’s medicine should have the least toxic side effects.”
“Inject one every month for six consecutive months, and your problem will be resolved. However, you will permanently lose your fertility, and your immune system will be significantly weakened, making you more susceptible to illness.”
“If properly maintained, you could live another fifteen to twenty years, and if you give up some bad habits, thirty years wouldn’t be impossible.”
Lao Jin’s words felt like a gleaming knife, cutting without shape against Zhong Jing, causing the latter’s pupils to slightly constrict.
“For the first time, I feel the Wang family finally has some spirit… Thank you, Old Jin, at least my life is still here.”
Zhong Jing took back the small box, pondering for several seconds, he smiled and placed it into his suit pocket, standing up to slightly bow to Lao Jin: “Since this is already the best treatment method in the world, even if my master knows, no miracles will happen… So, please keep it a secret, from everyone.”
Just as Zhong Jing was about to open the door to leave, Lao Jin suddenly muttered from behind: “Zhong Jing, how about you and Mengmeng hurry up and have a child? I think you two are a good match…”
Zhong Jing slowly turned around, a look of astonishment on his face: “Old Jin, are you planning to take me as your disciple and teach me your emotional techniques? Or is it that you can’t bear Su Xiaomeng anymore, and you’ve hit your limit?”
“She seems to be planning to never marry, saying something about directly going for IVF to be a single mother later; it pains me to hear that… Besides, the Su family and the Zhong family, after all, need to have some thoughts, right?”
Lao Jin approached Zhong Jing with a grin, sizing him up several times, then placed a hand on Zhong Jing’s shoulder, an expression of mystery on his face: “This skin of yours is quite nice, and you and Mengmeng are childhood sweethearts; I can create opportunities for you…”
“She doesn’t dislike you. Even if you can’t be husband and wife, you could still be the parents of a child. She may not be able to provide a dowry, but she can ensure the Su Group doesn’t end up in someone else’s hands.”
After finishing, Lao Jin winked several times, clearly suggesting coaxing Zhong Jing into the water.
At that moment, Zhong Jing thought to himself that the master’s decision not to kill him back then was her biggest miscalculation, and he took his leave!
Staring quietly at Lao Jin for several seconds, Zhong Jing brushed off Lao Jin’s hand and burst out of the door.
Watching the young man disappear around the corner of the corridor, Lao Jin chuckled, straightened his expression, then shook his head repeatedly.
…
Besides the invited Zhong Jing, Huang Gu, and Liang Tai, Su Xiaomeng showed up uninvited. Thankfully, her tiny appetite evidently wouldn’t cause any trouble for Jiang Yan, who was orchestrating the New Year’s Eve dinner.
Jiang Yan and Su Xiaomeng were busy in the kitchen, while Huang Gu and Liang Tai played chess in the living room. Jiang Yao, as always, had shrunk into her bedroom, starting a new round of gaming sessions.
Usually, Su Xiaomeng, who didn’t lift a finger in cooking, was somewhat surprised by Jiang Yan’s culinary skills because girls who generally worked hard have hands that reveal their craftiness. Clearly, Su Xiaomeng couldn’t associate those delicate fingers with Jiang Yan’s skilled knife work.
“Xiaoyan, Meng… Li Huai’s condition has stabilized; he was moved out of the intensive care unit in the morning. Do you plan to go today…?”
Stealing a glance at the kitchen door behind her, Su Xiaomeng lowered her voice.
“Yeah… Anyway, I’m spending New Year’s Eve alone at home tonight; Xiaoyao is going to the club for night duty.”
Jiang Yan spoke calmly, her hands continuously working as she prepared the braised pork ribs.
“So, what are you and Aunt Wan planning?” Su Xiaomeng didn’t dare to help but fiddled with the cabbage in her hands, a somewhat mysterious expression on her face, “If you ask me, his identity is too sensitive; what if someone finds out?”
“Can the Wang family protect him?”
Jiang Yan paused her slicing, tilting her head to look at Su Xiaomeng, her face displaying an unclear expression, “A rare blood type is always of some value to cultivate, right?”
“He’s just a mixed type; he can never become a baron. Besides, the Wang family never takes in people from Dark Arrows… Sorry, don’t mention my grandfather, even he doesn’t have that authority; that’s the Wang family’s iron rule.”
Su Xiaomeng sighed, avoiding Jiang Yan’s gaze, her voice lowered: “If you can trust him, my grandfather could introduce him to the Sun family in City L; who knows, he might become a knight of a fief in the future…”
At this moment, Su Xiaomeng felt the most complicated since meeting Windflower. Both Meng Huai and Zhong Jing were caught in a difficult predicament that was hard to describe, while Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao faced an even more challenging future.
Jiang Yan didn’t respond directly but continued to focus on the ingredients, her expression growing colder.
Meanwhile, in the second bedroom, due to Zhong Jing’s foolish mistake, Jiang Yao suffered a devastating defeat.
“What’s wrong with you? You seem off these days?”
Jiang Yao, feeling disheartened, dropped her mouse, leaning back in her chair to stare at Zhong Jing’s face and noticed that his complexion was unusual again.
“I caught a cold last night; I have a slight fever… This is my first time in your room; it doesn’t feel like a girl’s place?”
Zhong Jing casually sat off to the side, intending to pull out a cigarette, but then hesitated upon seeing the bedroom window.
“Uh… does it?”
Jiang Yao was taken aback, awkwardly looking around the room, playing with a strand of long hair, a little confused: “Are you referring to the style of decoration?”
“There’s no feminine aura.”
Zhong Jing sneezed, smiling and vaguely pointing around, “Although He Jianqingya isn’t from another dimension, her room definitely smells like a girl’s.”
“Who gave you such a keen nose? Are you a pervert?” Jiang Yao snorted in disdain.
With a contemptuous expression, she continued, “You often run into her room to sniff around, don’t you? She’s still waiting for you to go back for dinner, right?”
“She went back to Japan to recuperate…”
That woman is more complicated than you think; try not to engage with her too much.
Zhong Jing stared at Jiang Yao with a strange smile: “If I’m not mistaken, did you do that?”
“Not me! What, planning to give your future wife some justice? Do you really see me as a third party?”
Jiang Yao turned her head, avoiding his gaze, still stubborn: “You’re so close to her; don’t you know what she does all day? She got hurt; how can that be on my head?”
Zhong Jing smiled, noncommittal, and stopped pursuing the topic.
“Um… Zhong Jing, why are you so lenient with women? Aren’t you afraid some of them have ill intentions?”
Perhaps recalling something, Jiang Yao bit her lip, then murmured something under her breath.
“Women having bad intentions for me? That’s an interesting question…”
Zhong Jing laughed even more freely, even getting up to walk around the room, “In the world of ordinary people, my label as a rich second-generation is enough to make most women throw themselves at me or for some women to dislike me, but no one targets me; they don’t even have the right to harbor ill intentions against me.”
“As for women in the blood family world, before they can have bad intentions towards me, they first need to deal with the Wang family, Dark Arrows, and Windflower. If they really manage to get something, it only means that I have lost my value to these protective charms.”
“Of course, there is another kind of woman who doesn’t have real bad intentions but is pure and naively foolish. She might think everything she does is for my good, but in the end, it could potentially make things worse for me. My patience for those women is merely a ridiculous pity.”
After saying this, Zhong Jing shrugged, a look of helplessness on his face.
“Scumbag, narcissist, shameless… only He Jianqingya sticks to you like a fly.”
Jiang Yao’s face turned slightly red, and she turned her head away.
As they spoke, Jiang Yao seemed to recall someone who had once entangled with Jiang Yan and quickly lowered her voice: “I almost forgot, how’s your brother Meng Huai doing… I feel like he and my sister really don’t have any contact anymore.”
“He… is fine, I guess.”
Zhong Jing felt a weight in his heart but maintained an indifferent demeanor, “No contact is good; that way, you and Jiang Yan won’t be uncomfortable.”
“Forget about my brother, are you on duty at the club tonight? Should I keep you company while counting down?”
Seeing Jiang Yao’s expression, Zhong Jing couldn’t help but smile.
“On New Year’s Eve, shouldn’t you go home? You, your parents, your brother—shouldn’t the family be together?” Jiang Yao’s heart leapt, quickly turning to focus on Zhong Jing, “Zhong Jing, why do you seem so indifferent about your family?”
“Who said that? You haven’t been to my house, how do you know I’m not enthusiastic about people… Alright, since you say so, then I’ll stay home and countdown with them.”
Outside the door, it sounded like Jiang Yan and Su Xiaomeng were calling everyone to dinner, and after Zhong Jing finished, he walked out.
“Hey! No…”
Jiang Yao’s mouth dropped open, watching Zhong Jing’s retreating back, suddenly unsure of what to say. Feeling a wave of irritation, she grabbed the wireless mouse, gritted her teeth, and squeezed it, breaking it!
Unfortunately, the cheerful sounds of the television program in the living room and Huang Gu’s distinctive loud laughter covered up this outburst, leaving Jiang Yao’s emotions untroubled.
At seventeen hundred hours, the last dinner of the pig year commenced ahead of schedule.
Another lunar New Year’s Eve dinner, but for Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao, it felt like an extraordinary dream had opened a new chapter, filled with indescribable freshness and anticipation.
Because on the previous New Year’s Eve, previous New Year’s Eves—even all the past New Year’s Eves, their life trajectories were so ordinary, clearly predictable, with blandness stirring only a few threads of future yearning, only to sink back into a spell of desolate silence shortly thereafter.
This time, perhaps since Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao left the welfare home, it was the most interesting New Year’s Eve dinner they had experienced— not only had they changed, but the people around them were also markedly different from years past.
There weren’t many dishes, but the portions were generous. Having been busy for most of the day, Jiang Yan nearly handled it all by herself. In the living room, the atmosphere was unique beyond familial bonds, with three men and three women sitting around the dining table, glasses clinking and blessings continuously exchanged.
However, one person, in this festive gathering, sensed a subtle disharmony among the other four.
As an experienced elder, Huang Gu noticed that Jiang Yan, Su Xiaomeng, Zhong Jing, and Jiang Yao all harbored emotions that were difficult to detect. If the three women showed any emotional reactions at this moment, it would be understandable; women are inherently hard to decipher. However, certain feelings surfacing from Zhong Jing puzzled him.
Fortunately, both Huang Gu and Liang Tai were straightforward characters, and with their back-and-forth banter, the atmosphere during dinner remained pleasant, gradually moving towards 7 PM.
After supper, Huang Gu, Liang Tai, and Jiang Yao rushed to the club first to replace those on night duty. Zhong Jing and Su Xiaomeng also said their goodbyes, each planning to attend their next New Year’s Eve gathering.
As the lights came on, the joyful atmosphere on the TV in the living room intensified, with occasional pops of Chinese New Year fireworks exploding in the distant night sky under regulation.
In the grand house, only Jiang Yan remained, slowly cleaning up.
Her phone in her pocket rang, a custom ringtone, and the caller was Wanyue, marking Wanyue’s first contact in a week.
Jiang Yan quickly took off her rubber gloves, pulled out her phone, and habitually walked into the bedroom, closing the door.
“Xiao Ai and Xiao Dong’s calls were just busy; please inform them to enter a Level 2 alert. The holiday schedule remains unchanged, and I’ll return the day after tomorrow.”
“Okay, Sister Wanyue!”
The call was concise, and as soon as Jiang Yan responded, the call ended as if the other party was extremely occupied at that moment.
What emergency did Sister Wanyue encounter at the Liang family that could affect S Province? As the phone switched from her ear to her eyes, Jiang Yan slightly frowned.
At eight o’clock, the eagerly anticipated Spring Festival Gala from CCTV began, raising the festive atmosphere yet another notch, and Jiang Yan had completed all household chores.
After relaying Wanyue’s latest instructions to Xiao Ai and others using a secure number, Jiang Yan prepared to head out.
Level 2 alert means staying in combat readiness at all times. Jiang Yan had to choose a dress, changing into the outfit she had worn when she went to Zhong Jing’s house to take over night duty for Jiang Yao.
Her handgun and dagger were concealed beneath the hem of her skirt, while several vials were tucked into the back of her head, blending freshness and beauty with a hint of lethality.
After some consideration, Jiang Yan took a bag of her own blood and a syringe from the blood preservation refrigerator, and finally, with a canvas bag over her shoulder, she exited the small courtyard.
