"Okay."
Leng Chuanjin nodded.
"I'll have Yun Ye send the summary to your email after I'm done."
The two of them briefly discussed Jing Zhan's upcoming treatment course. As the sky gradually darkened, he prepared to go home.
"You're leaving already?"
Seeing his friend coming down from the upstairs, Fu Lingshi quickly stood up from the sofa.
"Chuanjin, don't be in such a hurry. Stay for dinner," Fu Zeming said, looking up.
"No, thank you, Uncle Fu," Leng Chuanjin replied.
"Wan Qing must be worried sick since I haven't been home for so long."
As he said this, he put on his coat and walked towards the door. Fu Lingshi chased after him and went out with him.
The temperature in the evening was lower than at noon. Leng Chuanjin exhaled a puff of white air.
"Speak quickly if you have something to say. I'm freezing to death," he said crossly, glancing at his friend beside him.
"You deserve it. Who told you to go out dressed so lightly?" Fu Lingshi glared at him.
"Tell me, what did you do in Huanhuan's room today?"
He put his arm around his friend's neck, his tone half - inquiry and half - threat.
"What else could I do?" Leng Chuanjin pushed his arm.
"Let go quickly. You're choking me."
"I won't let go until you tell me."
"Chuanjin, Huanhuan is the youngest in our family. If you run away with her, I'll definitely make you pay," Fu Lingshi said through gritted teeth, looking at his friend with a strange look in his eyes.
Realizing that his friend had misunderstood something, Leng Chuanjin sighed helplessly.
"I didn't do anything."
"I just discussed Jing Zhan's illness with her."
Fu Lingshi was about to ask, "Does it take so long to discuss Jing Zhan's illness?" but suddenly he seemed to realize something and silently swallowed his words.
"Fine," he said, taking his arm off his friend's neck.
Both of them were cold, but neither of them moved.
"Is your injury healed?" Leng Chuanjin asked first after a brief silence.
"It's been healed for a long time," Fu Lingshi said nonchalantly, pressing his chest where he had been stabbed by a knife.
The two of them hadn't seen each other or even had a conversation since his last hospitalization.
"How's your investigation going on that matter?" he continued.
Instead of answering, Leng Chuanjin asked him a question.
"If I do something out of line, will you still support my decision?"
"What out - of - line thing could you possibly do?" Fu Lingshi frowned. "You're not hiding anything from me, are you?"
A look of worry appeared on his face.
"Of course not," Leng Chuanjin chuckled.
"The Shen family and the Xie family have had a feud. But I don't think it's a good idea to associate with the Shen family."
Fu Lingshi nodded.
"Right. Shen Siyuan is not an easy person to deal with. If you want to cooperate with her, you'll have to pay at least twice the price."
Leng Chuanjin looked down at his watch.
"Do you have any other questions?"
"No."
"Are you in a hurry to go back?"
The man took out his car keys from his pocket.
"Yes."
"I have something to talk to Wan Qing about."
"Then I'll go back first," he said, waving goodbye to his friend.
"See you."
Watching his friend drive away, Fu Lingshi fell into deep thought.
He naturally trusted his best friend. But wasn't it a bit too hasty when he changed the topic just now?
He shook off the bad thoughts that popped up in his head and then turned around and went back into the house. If he stood outside any longer, he would definitely have a fever tomorrow.
As soon as he entered the house, he saw Fu Moning and Fu Youqing pulling Xia Sanghuan and asking her something.
He walked over and happened to hear his third sister say,
"Huanhuan, you didn't do anything strange with Chuanjin in the room, did you?"
"Youqing, what are you talking about?" Fu Moning pinched her face.
"Who told you to ask like that?"
Fu Youqing leaned back to avoid her sister's hand. She rubbed her sore cheek and pouted.
"Then how else should I ask?"
"Can't you be a bit more tactful?"
The girl pressed her temples and helplessly watched the two sisters bicker.
"Moning, Youqing," just as she was wondering what to do, Fu Lingshi walked over.
She thought her eldest brother was coming to save her, but he also asked,
"Huanhuan, nothing happened between you and Chuanjin, did it?"
She covered her face and said weakly,
"Really nothing happened!"
Seeing her like this, the three of them finally gave up asking further. But the two sisters still pulled her and repeatedly told her not to fall in love so early and not to have any thoughts about Leng Chuanjin. Even her eldest brother nodded in agreement beside them.
...
After dinner, Xia Anying still locked herself in the bedroom.
"Huanhuan, have you and Chuanjin sorted things out?" Fu Zeming asked worriedly, looking up at the upstairs.
"Yes," Xia Sanghuan replied, holding a chess piece in her hand and looking absent - mindedly at the chessboard in front of her. The next second, she captured one of Fu Lingshi's horses.
"Anyway, I'm working on a research project for him now. Consider it as me working off my debt."
She looked at her eldest brother proudly. Fu Lingshi didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"Aren't you going to talk to Anying?"
"I think she's really scared."
It was obvious that her father really cared about Xia Anying, but she really didn't want to have much contact with this elder sister for the time being.
"Dad, don't worry about it," Fu Youqing said, seeing the embarrassment on her sister's face.
"They've lived together for so long. They must have their own unique way of getting along."
"If you keep interfering, you might end up doing more harm than good."
Xia Sanghuan gave her third sister a grateful look. Her third sister winked at her.
Fu Zeming sighed and had no choice but to let it go.
...
However, Xia Anying in the bedroom didn't know about their conversation.
As usual, she curled up in the corner and answered the phone call from Chen Jiayuan.
Every time he called her, she always felt like the god of death was coming for her. Only this action could make her feel a little more at ease.
"I heard from Cheng that you haven't been at the Leng family for the past two days. Where are you?"
His voice was cold, and it was even colder to the bone on this winter night.
She opened her mouth but found that she couldn't make a sound.
"Not going to say?"
"It doesn't matter if you don't. I know you're at the Fu family," he laughed. His voice was like the sound of two rusty iron pieces rubbing against each other.
"Do you think hiding will do any good? Or do you think Leng Chuanjin will let you go?"
His words were like a hammer, pounding on her fragile nerves one after another.
"Stop talking! Stop talking..." Her voice was tinged with sobs. She was really scared.
"But it's okay," ignoring the about - to - collapse Xia Anying, Chen Jiayuan continued on his own.
"I still have a way to save your life."