Chapter 17: Not Breaking Up Just to Celebrate the New Year Together?
“Miss, are you alright?” The smell of blood filled the car; Wang Qiang, terrified, slammed on the accelerator, sending their pursuers spinning more than ten meters behind.
“I’ll live,” Shen Qing replied, glancing at Xia Mang’s bleeding shoulder. Her gaze sharpened, lashes lowered as she helped Xia Mang sit up, then pulled a small white bottle from her pocket.
“Painkillers from the medical organization?” Xia Mang was surprised, but swallowed one. The medicine took effect quickly.
“If you pay, I’ll give you a ten percent discount,” Shen Qing said coldly, her expression icy and severe.
“Is that the legendary wound medicine?” Xia Mang asked, watching as Shen Qing produced a tiny porcelain bottle, pouring the white powder directly onto the bleeding wound.
Numb from the painkillers, Xia Mang barely felt a thing; it was as if her arm didn’t even belong to her.
Shen Qing let out a soft affirmative sound.
After a while, sure they’d shaken off their tail, Shen Qing spoke to the front, “Hey, stop at the next intersection where there aren’t any cameras.”
“Miss, my name isn’t ‘hey’ or ‘you,’ it’s Wang Qiang.”
Shen Qing: …
Xia Mang: …
No one responded, and Wang Qiang felt a bit awkward.
As soon as the car stopped, Shen Qing helped Xia Mang out. Wang Qiang abandoned the vehicle by the roadside and parted ways with them.
At the next intersection, Shen Qing hailed another car. As soon as the two got in, the driver caught a whiff of blood. Nervous, he studied them in the rearview mirror. Their clothes were odd—all black, bundled up tightly despite the summer heat.
“Sorry, sir, my boyfriend is taking me to the hospital—I just had an abortion,” Xia Mang said apologetically.
Shen Qing: ?
Driver: !
“Oh, you’re not going to dirty the car, are you?” The driver didn’t question it. There was indeed a small hospital nearby, and he couldn’t help but sigh about the ways of the world…
“No, it’s all handled cleanly.”
The driver, a middle-aged man, needed only a few words to piece together the story: a scumbag and a naive girl deceived. He felt a wave of sympathy for Xia Mang, and spent the ride dispensing advice on postpartum care and life lessons, nearly moving Xia Mang to tears.
When they got out, he pulled Xia Mang aside and whispered, “Girl, why keep a man like that around for the holidays? You deserve better.”
Shen Qing, with her keen hearing: …
*
“You moved out of the Yu family?” Xia Mang looked around the new apartment. Not much decor, about 200 square meters—spacious enough.
“Yes. I still need to pick up a few things before the semester starts.” Shen Qing glanced at her phone. Yu Fei had called more than ten times and sent a message instructing her to report to First High School on September 1st.
WeChat showed unread messages, but Shen Qing ignored them. She took out a medical kit and began extracting the bullet from Xia Mang’s shoulder, then treated the wound.
“You’re pretty skilled at this,” Xia Mang remarked, eyeing the well-stocked kit.
Shen Qing shot her a look but said nothing. Her touch, however, was gentle.
“Qing, I think…”
Beep beep beep!
Xia Mang’s phone rang. The caller ID: Boss.
“Boss, your intel was off. The men the Gu family hired were formidable,” Xia Mang said weakly.
“That’s my mistake. Those were mercenaries from S Continent. Hey, Xia Mang, you and Goudan are alright?” Qi Lin sounded worried.
“We’re together. I’ll come back once I’m healed.”
“Alright, get some rest.” Qi Lin hung up, but then his face froze. Late at night, a man and a woman alone! Fortunately, Xia Mang was injured…
Qi Lin breathed a sigh of relief.
After Xia Mang put down her phone, Shen Qing looked at her and asked, “What were you about to say?”
“Ah? I forgot…”
“…”
*
At Fancheng City Hospital, Dongfang Cheng strode out of the testing room, eyes narrowed with a hint of menace.
“Look at these numbers—this is ruthless!” He turned and entered a ward. The man in the bed leaned against his pillow, a bruised calf exposed.
Dongfang Cheng handed the report to Gu Ting.
“Take a look.”
Gu Ting took it, eyes moving to the final line: N9 anesthetic, 85%.
This anesthetic was potent, but its side effects were severe—it could damage nerves. The state had banned its clinical use and sale.
With that many nails, if such a dose had been injected into Gu Ting, the consequences would have been disastrous.
“Hmm.” Gu Ting gave a low reply, his expression unchanged.
Dongfang Cheng was stunned. So calm? He glanced at Gu Ting’s slightly swollen calf—had he been hit too hard?
“How’s the shipment from the Luo family?” Gu Ting asked.
“We recovered a bit more than half.” Dongfang Cheng recalled the gunshot from last night—it nearly hit Li Goudan!
“We lost their trail. The car was abandoned in the roadside grass. Nothing found.”
“Leave it for now.” Gu Ting glanced at the phone on the table, lips pressed tight.
Seeing Gu Ting’s demeanor, Dongfang Cheng guessed he was waiting for news—and was instantly amused.
“Waiting for a message from the little goddess?” Dongfang Cheng clicked his tongue, shooting him a mischievous look. Who in this world doesn’t love beauty?
Even heroes are helpless before a beauty’s charms. Gu Ting had never been interested in women—he just hadn’t met someone of Shen Qing’s caliber.
“Ah! Longing always brings sorrow!”
“Get out.” Gu Ting shot him a glare.
“Alright, I’ll go check what your little goddess has been up to lately.”
“No need!” Mo Wuxie came in from outside.
“The Yu family’s old house almost erupted into chaos last night.” Mo Wuxie spared a glance at Gu Ting’s swollen calf—tch, who did this?
Gu Ting’s gaze darkened. “How’s Shen Qing?”
“She’s lively as ever. Their old lady nearly landed in the ICU—out of sheer anger.”
“As long as she’s fine.”
“If the old lady gets into trouble, Shen Qing’s days won’t be easy.”
Watching the two, Dongfang Cheng couldn’t help but think that when Gu Ting said ‘as long as she’s fine,’ he meant Shen Qing. Mo Wuxie just didn’t get it!