Chapter 227: The Strange Dinner
April 19, Sunday.
Today was supposed to be Jiang Yan’s day off, but she woke up early, having breakfast alone, doing housework alone, and watching TV alone.
Looking at the empty house, Jiang Yan felt an inexplicable emptiness that she hadn’t experienced in a long time.
She remembered the private conversation with Liang Tai about Su He yesterday, and the strange gaze Montan had cast upon her late last night when she was leaving work, which made her feel that there was something she couldn’t let go of in her heart.
Her phone rang; it was Jiang Yao.
“Hey, sister, you’re off today. Come stay at the new house for a day. You said you would come stay one or two days every week.”
Jiang Yao’s voice was cautious on the phone.
“Hehe, sure. The drainage at home is a bit blocked. I’m waiting for the cleaning company to come fix it. How about I come over in the afternoon and spend the night at the new house? What do you want to eat? I’ll buy some ingredients to bring over.”
Jiang Yan glanced at the time on her phone; it was just past nine in the morning, and she couldn’t help but smile.
In her opinion, when Jiang Yao had a day off, it was inevitable for her to play games or watch anime; it was impossible for her to wake up before noon the next day. But now, she had moved into a new house and was already up early.
After ending the call with Jiang Yao, Montan’s figure appeared in Jiang Yan’s mind again. She sighed softly and began dialing his number, but unfortunately, it was still turned off.
After thinking for a moment, Jiang Yan took her canvas backpack from the bedroom and grabbed a few bags of blood from her medical cooler, planning to head directly to the Jinha Club.
…
Just as she stepped out of the alley and was considering whether to take the subway or a taxi, Jiang Yan noticed a faint pheromone fluctuation in the air. This unfamiliar scent carried curiosity, vigilance, and a hint of anxiety.
If it reacts with my emotions, then it can’t be someone from the Wang family… Jiang Yan maintained her composure, slowing her pace, eventually crouching down to check the heel of her leather shoe while her peripheral vision scanned the surroundings, finally pinpointing the direction of the strange aura.
Winding through the alley, Jiang Yan’s figure vanished into a sparsely populated side street. A minute later, a young man who seemed to be a college student came running, looking puzzled as he searched for Jiang Yan.
Delving deeper into the alley, the young man completely lost track of Jiang Yan’s scent, and after hesitating for a while, he planned to turn around and leave.
“Who are you?”
Suddenly, a slender figure appeared behind the young man, her cold voice cutting through the air.
Before Jiang Yan had finished speaking, the young man immediately reacted, intending to flee in a panic.
Unfortunately, it was already too late.
An eerie boiling blood aura enveloped him entirely, causing the young man to instantly lose all perception of the outside world. That unusual, massive black hole-like gravitational pull also stripped him of bodily control.
It felt like being struck by a heavy hammer; the young man spat out a mouthful of blood, collapsing to his knees, his upper body convulsing violently. His eyes rolled crazily in their sockets, seemingly on the verge of popping out.
After a few seconds, the overwhelming sense of pressure disappeared, and his spasms stopped. He barely managed to support himself on the ground, his face as pale as paper, gasping for air.
There had been no direct hostility from the beginning, but the terrifying, abyss-like desire to consume behind him made the young man feel as if he were walking through hell.
Mixed with a collection of jumbled languages, several phrases in Mandarin escaped the young man’s lips, trembling, with no further resistance.
“Japanese? Are you one of Tsurumi Haruka’s men?”
Jiang Yan furrowed her brow slightly, circling around to stand in front of the young man, looking down at his pale face. This unfamiliar young man was a typical mid-level Yin Yang, but he appeared weak and powerless under the stimulation of her boiling blood pheromones, like a lamb waiting for slaughter.
The young man wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and shook his head slowly, avoiding Jiang Yan’s gaze.
“No hostile intent, yet you are secretly following me… Aren’t you afraid of being discovered by the Wang family?”
The young man didn’t dare look up, nor did he dare to speak, adopting an attitude of surrendering to fate as if waiting for death.
Although she hadn’t yet entered her physiological period, Jiang Yan still felt quite uncomfortable due to the boiling blood from earlier, which only allowed her to maintain a calm facade on the surface.
Jiang Yan glanced around, sighed, then turned and walked outside, disregarding the unlucky and overestimating stalker behind her.
“No, he’s not one of Tsurumi Haruka’s men…”
Jiang Yan turned back one last time, waving to hail a taxi.
…
“Hey? Xiao Yan, you’re off today, why did you come again, and so early too?”
As soon as she stepped through the door of the Jinha Club, Jiang Yan saw several Hyacinth girls cleaning, with Xiao Ai at the forefront.
Jiang Yan smiled and said nothing. Xiao Ai seemed to immediately understand and subtly pointed towards the staff passage.
Approaching the resting area where Jiang Yan temporarily stayed, she knocked on the half-open door. Both she and Montan could sense each other’s presence, yet there was a strange scene occurring in the hallway. Jiang Yan stood outside the half-open door, while Montan inside showed no reaction.
“Your aura is a bit off; is it a blood omen?” Jiang Yan whispered to the half-open door.
Though she had used hormone suppressants and a little Jin Dan, she wasn’t quite sure whether her aura would negatively influence Montan in this sensitive period.
However, for some reason, after maintaining a distance for a while, Jiang Yan particularly hoped to have a few words with Montan face to face.
“Nothing.”
Montan appeared, wearing a vaguely discernible smile, but his gaze didn’t meet Jiang Yan’s eyes.
“Is it withdrawal symptoms after stopping the purification medications? There are still over two hours until the business hours begin; let’s go to the nearby park. I should also teach you the basic exercises of the Aletai proper, which Wan Jie instructed me to do a long time ago but never had the time until now.”
“I brought some fast food; if you don’t mind, we can eat in the park at noon.”
Jiang Yan tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, smiling naturally and sweetly.
Montan was taken aback for a moment, then slowly nodded a few seconds later.
…
In the bustling heart of the city, there was a riverside park that could be described as a tranquil oasis amid the noise.
After confirming that there were no other blood clan auras within at least a kilometer radius, Jiang Yan began explaining the blood clan training methods she had inherited from Wanyue, enduring her physical discomfort to demonstrate at the lowest intensity.
Far from others, the two sat facing each other on the grass, looking at each other.
Montan listened attentively, or at least it appeared so on the surface; his gaze was glued to Jiang Yan, not straying. As for the so-called experience of boiling blood intensity, he didn’t seem to pay attention at all.
It felt as if he were probing layers of her outer surface with his gaze, and as Jiang Yan spoke, her voice became softer, her ears slightly flushing with heat.
Struggling with her physical discomfort before her physiological period, demonstrating with boiling blood, yet Montan focused elsewhere. Jiang Yan’s mood soured a little because of this.
“Montan, do you have something on your mind?”
Jiang Yan withdrew from her demonstration and turned away from Montan’s gaze, lowering her head as she drew her legs to one side, subconsciously pressing her skirt down—she was worried she might have accidentally exposed herself.
“No…” Montan noticed Jiang Yan’s reaction and quickly coughed lightly. “Everything you said, I took note of.”
“Did you meet someone yesterday?”
Jiang Yan’s curiosity grew, and she suddenly felt a surge of impulse to press Montan for more details.
Montan hesitated for a few seconds and could only nod. “I unexpectedly saw an old comrade from my past yesterday…”
Jiang Yan understood that Montan was not good at lying; what he said might not be the full story, but she felt he wasn’t lying at least on the surface. Observing Montan’s somewhat gloomy expression, she nodded in empathy, and her doubts eased considerably.
“Yeah, I understand. I used to be quite afraid of seeing people from the past too, always feeling like I had things to hide.”
Seeing that the time was about right, Jiang Yan began opening the fast food package she had brought, taking out each plastic pack while self-deprecatingly recounting her previous experiences.
One night, on the old Yushui Street at the entrance of the old street, Jiang Yan had seen Montan on duty—this scene appeared almost simultaneously in both their minds.
Do you remember that day…
Jiang Yan and Montan both blurted out almost simultaneously, and then paused, realizing in that instant that they almost knew what the other wanted to say.
“Montan, let’s have dinner tonight; I’ll invite you and Jiang… Xiao Yao. By the way, I have an idea I’d like you to help me with.”
As Montan spoke while eating, his tone was indifferent.
“Inviting Xiao Yao and me to dinner? Is there something you need Xiao Yao’s help with?”
Now it was Jiang Yan’s turn to feel awkward, or rather, she had never expected Montan to take the initiative to approach Jiang Yao—Jiang Yao’s disdain for Montan was quite evident.
Montan remained silent, only nodding slightly.
Hehe, Montan seems rigid, but he’s not completely oblivious to human emotions…
Seeing Jiang Yao’s somewhat embarrassing demeanor, Jiang Yan chuckled.
During a relaxed lunch in the park, Jiang Yan ate quietly. Although she occasionally felt Montan’s gaze wandering over her, she had grown accustomed to it.
Moreover, back in the old street, Montan had seen her from head to toe while she was in the shower.
“After becoming the queen, is my influence over him gradually growing? He now openly shows interest in my body, yet without malice, which aligns with his self-respect and discipline…”
Jiang Yan thought silently and glanced at her outfit today, a black Oxford cloth dress with white jacquard, paired with skin-colored stockings and short leather shoes.
Suddenly she wondered if she should try a more relaxed style as Xiao Ai suggested.
In the afternoon, Jiang Yan arrived at Jiang Yao’s new home, and surprisingly, every room, including the bedroom, was clean. It appeared that Jiang Yao was slowly learning to live alone.
After a long delay, they started exercising under Jiang Yan’s insistence. In the gym on the basement level, Jiang Yao was panting and sweating on the yoga mat.
“Now that you’re working at A信特斯, you have more personal time and space; you must maintain your workout routine. I’ve tried it; the stability of the queen’s realm can be achieved through exercise.”
Due to her physical condition, Jiang Yan didn’t join in but sat aside to supervise.
“Sis, are you about to get your period? I noticed the aura is different from before; how should I put it, you now have a bit of a baron feel, and your aura is becoming more ambiguous.”
Jiang Yao lay back on the yoga mat, turned her head, and said.
“You too.” Jiang Yan smiled, pointing at Jiang Yao’s body. “If we don’t deliberately control the aura fluctuations, we no longer seem like knights, but we’re definitely not barons either; that sort of chaotic feeling cannot be imitated.”
Probably recalling something, Jiang Yao quickly sat up with a mysterious expression. “By the way, sis, I heard from Zhong Jing that there’s a secret medicine from the Fujiwara family in Japan that can simulate lower realm auras; should we ask him to get some?”
The Fujiwara family in Japan… Jiang Yan suddenly recalled the mysterious Japanese blood clan knight she encountered when leaving in the morning and immediately understood a lot.
It seems that someone from the Fujiwara family, no, it should be Fujiwara Kiyotaka, has been watching me and Xiao Yao in the shadows… Jiang Yan silently nodded in her heart.
“Hey, you spaced out.”
Jiang Yao suddenly leaned in closer to Jiang Yan.
“Aren’t you very opinionated about Tsurumi Haruka? Why do you want to get secret medicine through Zhong Jing now?” Jiang Yao smiled, pinching Jiang Yan’s face. “Are you trying to take advantage of everything?”
Saying this, Jiang Yan paused, feeling that her words might have some ambiguity, and her expression turned strange.
Jiang Yao seemed to understand the implication, her face quickly turned red, then a few seconds later, she simply grabbed a towel to cover her sweaty hair, pretending to head to the shower.
Stealing someone else’s fiancé and now trying to take advantage from them, am I being a bit shameless?… Not that they’re even engaged yet!
As she stepped into the bathroom, Jiang Yao rolled her eyes at herself, feeling immensely embarrassed.
Not far from the Jinha Club, in a common restaurant on a commercial street, Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao were sitting side by side at a round table in the private room, whispering to each other.
The room wasn’t large, and the table was just an ordinary round one without a rotating surface.
“Dinner? Montan actually invited me to dinner!”
Jiang Yao still hadn’t processed it, feeling a bit confused.
“It should be related to Zhong Jing; maybe the content is sensitive and not convenient to discuss through others, or else he wouldn’t proactively try to be nice to you.”
Jiang Yan thought for a moment and could only find this line of reasoning.
“Tch, who plans to be on good terms with him… It’s just your overflowing sympathy…”
Jiang Yao grinned and sneaked a glance at Jiang Yan’s expression, but unfortunately, Jiang Yan had no special reaction.
Whether discussing Zhong Jing or Montan, they both seemed desensitized to the similar topics.
“Sorry, I was late swapping shifts with Brother Liang, but I have already ordered the dishes.”
The private room’s door opened, and Montan, dressed sharply in a suit, walked in. He glanced at the seating of the Jiang sisters, hesitated for a moment, then sat down across from them.
Watching Montan sit upright, Jiang Yao felt a habitual discomfort and disgust. Looking beside her at the calm expression of Jiang Yan, Jiang Yao could only pucker her lips, trying to keep her composure.
The atmosphere was quite heavy from the start; none of the three spoke, as if they were all accustomed to the silence.
The dishes were served quickly, including a portion of Montan’s favorite roast duck.
Dining commenced in this awkward ambiance. Jiang Yao said nothing but focused on eating, while watching Jiang Yan leisurely sample each dish, Montan felt heavyhearted.
His gaze traveled from Jiang Yao’s hair to her face, then to her chest… Montan once again fell into a strange daze.
“Mont… why are you looking at me?”
Jiang Yao was gnawing a piece of sweet and sour rib, her hands sticky as she reached for a napkin, only to realize Montan was staring at her intently, which made her feel quite annoyed.
“I heard you like roast duck too, but the taste here is average. You should go to a specialty restaurant instead.”
Montan smiled slightly as he shifted his gaze away.
“When did I say I liked roast duck… It’s too troublesome; you have to wrap it and dip it in sauce. I don’t like sweet bean sauce; I prefer the ginger stir-fried duck my sister makes, it’s spicy and refreshing.”
Jiang Yao shook her head, still chewing the food in her mouth, glancing over at Jiang Yan. Although her tone was still a bit aggressive, at least her attitude was much better than before.
Montan’s chopsticks trembled slightly as he glanced apologetically at Jiang Yan across the table.
“Montan, is it related to Zhong Jing? I remember we had dinner together during the time you were in the hospital last year, and Zhong Jing was also there; it surprised everyone.”
Seeing Montan struggling not to fall back into his usual habit of focusing solely on the meal, Jiang Yan smiled as she started directing the conversation while serving soup to each of them.
“Hmm, in the past few months, Zhao Peng has settled a few bonuses related to my missions in northern Myanmar, amounting to over a million. Now, I don’t have many big expenses.”
Montan put down his chopsticks, straightened his back, and spoke slowly. “Yesterday… I saw an old comrade; it reminded me of some things.”
In the next few minutes, Montan shared his thoughts one by one.
It had to be said that Montan’s performance in the old street was indeed quite impressive; especially the late-night airstrike in the valley, the results were staggering, leaving everyone surprised.
Even though investigating the aftermath found most of the black blood clan corpses lost value in the heat, it still brought total profits of tens of millions to the Hyacinth organization, with Shachu’s corpse recovery contributing a big chunk.
“Are you planning to use Zhong Jing to transfer all this money to the families of fallen comrades? Aren’t you afraid of exposing yourself?”
Jiang Yao wiped the grease from her mouth, looking astonished.
“Theoretically, transferring through a third-party bank abroad can avoid some risks, but as Xiao Xiong mentioned, there is still a certain exposure risk.”
Jiang Yan thought about it, speaking quite tactfully—she knew Montan had ties to the暗箭 and that he hadn’t denied it directly.
“Hmm, I know Zhong Jing handles financial issues at Hyacinth, but I’m currently not in a position to contact him, and I don’t intend to disclose my plans through others.”
Montan’s attitude remained firm, and while speaking, he took out an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Jiang Yan. “Here are the bank account numbers of those comrades’ families. You all are right; for safety, it’s better not to use a single account for the transfers.”
“You remember everyone’s bank account?”
Jiang Yao glanced at the envelope, her curiosity piqued.
“I can’t remember; so I saved them in a third-party email. I occasionally transfer funds during the years I was captain for the comrades who sacrificed in my unit…”
Montan’s tone was somewhat somber, seemingly recalling past events that yesterday’s circumstances brought back to mind.
So that’s why Montan has been feeling off… Jiang Yan finally understood the change in Montan’s emotions over the past two days; she hadn’t realized that he had quietly been doing things for so long, perhaps out of guilt or nostalgia.
Reaching for the envelope, she pulled out several handwritten letters, and just one glance made Jiang Yan’s pupils contract slightly.
A long list, more than a hundred names, notably including Xia Yan and Gu Yao, with their bank account numbers being Elder Jiang Chunhua’s personal bank account.
Behind each name was a notated transfer amount, generally similar, averaging seven to eight thousand per person.
What’s going on?
Seeing Jiang Yan’s expression change, Montan leaned forward slightly.
“It’s nothing… just over a hundred people; if one million is transferred overall, then each family would just receive a few thousand…”
Jiang Yan forced a smile, or rather, felt a bit incredulous.
What? Transferring money to over a hundred accounts? Let me see!
Before Jiang Yan could finish her sentence, Jiang Yao leaned over, and a few seconds later, her body slightly trembled. She raised her head to look at Montan, her mouth moving several times but she couldn’t utter a single word.
Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao’s emotional shift didn’t escape Montan’s notice.
Give it a try, Xiao Yao. Let Zhong Jing help handle it discreetly.
After staring in a daze for several seconds, Jiang Yan sighed lightly and handed the envelope to Jiang Yao.
But sis, what if…
Jiang Yao held onto the envelope, hesitant to say more.
Jiang Yan gently pressed down on Jiang Yao’s knee beneath the table.
Just this once, if Zhong Jing asks, help me keep it secret. Don’t mention it’s from me, thank you. I’ll transfer one million to you later. It’s nearly time; I need to go back for the night shift, the accounts have been settled.
Montan stood up, showing signs of his earlier fluctuation again—he didn’t even ask the Jiang sisters if they had eaten well or enough.
Montan left, and Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao looked at each other.
Sis, are we really going to transfer the money as he suggested? We’ll have to use various accounts to avoid detection—over a hundred accounts; it’s too complicated… What if we just forget it?
Jiang Yao’s brows furrowed, feeling that something was off.
He really doesn’t have much of a concept of money; since yesterday, his mood has been off. He was like this when we met at the welfare home last year… It’s not a big deal. We can help if we can, but sending money to the families of fallen comrades is definitely something we can’t let others from Hyacinth know.
Jiang Yan bit her lip and gently shook her head.
No… I think something’s off about Montan today! He has been secretly watching my face and body!
Jiang Yan recalled certain uncomfortable feelings at the start and quickly lowered her voice.
Jiang Yan was surprised but soon returned to normal. “It’s polite to look at older people when talking. Don’t overthink it. Unlike you, you always turn your head when talking to others, as if you’ve done something wrong.”
Montan’s nature is forced and awkward; he really doesn’t have the habit of being all open about his feelings, unlike you, whose thoughts are written all over your face.
As she spoke, Jiang Yan grabbed her canvas backpack and prepared to get up. “Let’s go; back to try out your surf bathtub tonight!”
Haha, that must be exhilarating!
The topic shifted, with Jiang Yao smiling silly.
Following Jiang Yan, Jiang Yao took another look at the envelope in her hand, her brows knitting a few more times.
…
Nightfall had arrived. After walking two hundred meters down the street, Montan stopped, slowly looking back.
Jiang Yao doesn’t have the same eating habits as me at all… She doesn’t share my love for roast duck at all… Why did Jiang Yan make up these things earlier? She has known about my situation for quite a while.
He didn’t know whether his attempt at probing today counted as a form of gain, but at least the reactions of Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao upon seeing that list of fallen暗箭 members caused his mood to sink once again.
Clenching his fist, he took a deep breath and turned back toward the Jinha Club.
