As night fell, on the bench in the hospital courtyard, Monet fell silent after listening to Xia Chan's words .
He said slowly: "So what you mean is that Qin Xiaosi used the social outcast to threaten you in order to possess Jiang Huainan. This was what she did."
Xia Chan raised her eyes and looked at the vast night ahead. She said without any hesitation: "At least I can't get away from it."
Qin Xiaosi's feelings for Jiang Huainan are more of a possessive desire than true love. She has experienced the pain of losing her loved ones since she was a child, so she has a terrible obsession with her beloved things. She holds the sand in her hands, afraid that it will flow away, so she will do everything she can to hoard it together. When the wind blows or the rain falls, she will destroy anything that affects the sand without mercy.
They only care about and have feelings for the things they want, and treat everything else as worthless.
Qin Xiaosi is such a person.
There is a bright full moon in the sky, but unfortunately, people disperse when the moon is full.
Monet sighed and consoled her, "I will find out, even if I have to use my father's connections. If she really did it, she will pay the price."
Xia Chan stammered, "Thank you for helping me..."
The air was filled with tranquility, and the wind blew into Xia Chan's blue and white hospital gown. She tilted her head and looked at a ward on the third floor behind her, with worry in her eyes.
I wonder how Ella is doing? Is she awake? Has she eaten?
It has always been Da Fei who has been taking care of Ella. He still rejects Xia Chan's approach and makes it clear that Ella must not be provoked. He refuses visits from this "disturbance".
Xia Chan went there several times, but was turned away each time.
Monet frowned and looked at her, knowing her thoughts: "I'll go and take a look tomorrow and tell you the situation. Dafei is angry now, and he is completely a beast who has lost his mind. I force myself not to blame him, and I hope you will do the same."
"I don't blame you." She smiled.
It is Ella's blessing to have a boy who loves her as much as his life.
It is Ella's misfortune to have a "jinx" friend like her.
On the path downstairs, a couple was walking with a gray-haired old man. Xia Chan looked at them for a while, her face gradually becoming heavy: "I just don't know what will happen if Ella's relative Aunt Dong knows about this..."
Monet pointed to the sky and said, "Let it be."
She smiled bitterly and said nothing, her heart as cold as the night.
A gust of cold wind blew and Xia Chan sneezed.
Monet looked at him, stood up and said, "Wait for me a few minutes." Then he turned and left, disappearing into the flower path in the corridor.
Ten minutes later, Monet returned with one of her coats, a thin blanket, and a thermos.
"You're always worrying about other people's affairs. How's your own health?" He put his coat on her shoulders, unscrewed the thermos and handed it to her.
Xia Chan drank a sip of hot water, moved her neck, and said, "I'm fine. It may be that my bones are hard, so it doesn't hurt that much."
Monet spread out the blanket, squatted down in front of her, and covered her knees with the blanket: "We can't change what happened, we can only solve the current problems."
He took the teacup lid from her hand, lowered his head and turned it on, and continued, "I used to think that life was extremely boring . A few decades passed quickly, and we would end up in the grave. But I was also very afraid of death. When I thought about death when I was a child, I sat on the stairs and cried for a whole day. Sometimes I closed my eyes and dreamed that my mother came to find me like a goblin, and I would run as fast as I could, for fear that she would take me away."
He put the thermos on the chair, looked at her and smiled: "When I grew up, my father beat and scolded me, and I became numb, rebellious, and disobedient. When I heard news about suicides, I thought they were so cool and that death was a relief. During that time, I really wanted to go to heaven, but I lacked a little courage."
She asked calmly, "What about now?"
Monet seemed to ignore her question and said to himself, "Only when people are really close to death can they realize how happy it is to be alive. I think those who clamor to die are just idiots! People have thoughts and expectations, concerns and cares, who wants to die? Now I just hope to live a few more decades without illness or disaster, and enjoy this ups and downs of life happily."
Xia Chan's heart skipped a beat, and she looked gloomy. She said, "Why are you suddenly talking about life and death? You're not usually like this..."
"Tsk." Monet smiled unnaturally, turned his head, and hesitated to speak. He looked at her carefully for a few times, raised his voice and said seriously: "Axia, I just want to tell you that no matter what happens to people, it will pass. Being alive is good."
Before she had time to chew on these words, Monet suddenly laughed to himself.
"Oh, I feel like a knowledgeable philosopher." He couldn't help but praise himself. He stood up and stretched, with a proud look on his face.
It's getting late, they should go up.
"It's time to go to bed, philosopher." Xia Chan interrupted his laughter, picked up the thermos and blanket and left.
Monet trotted after her, grinning in his true nature: "Want to sleep together? It's an honor."
Xia Chan, with a headache, rushed him to the accompanying room next door.
Passing by Ward 314, the lights were off.
Maybe Ella is asleep?
She stood by the door, her hands pressed against the cold glass, and whispered "goodnight".
After all, Ella didn't get to spend a wonderful birthday with Dafei.
Xia Chan lay on the hospital bed, looking at the white curtains blown by the wind. Thinking of Ella, she felt a dull pain in her heart and couldn't sleep for a long time.
Some pains will never be forgotten even if you don't deliberately think about them.
Five days later, Xia Chan completed the discharge procedures from the hospital.
There are some things that she must seek results for.
The school days have become shorter, and the big exam will be in less than ten days. The number of students gathered in groups of three or five in the flowerbed downstairs has decreased, and the classroom has become quiet without anyone noticing.
During this period, the head teacher and subject teachers only showed up occasionally, so no one cared about her whereabouts during the days she was in the hospital.
She came with a lot of questions in her mind, but Qin Xiaosi's empty seat made her heart feel empty .
The classmate at the front desk looked at her strangely and told her that Qin Xiaosi had not come to school for several days. Qin Xiaosi applied to study abroad, and it was said that she was with Jiang Huainan.
Some people don't need to be bound by rules. They have money and power, and they can get whatever they want easily.
You may not be realistic, but this is a real and cruel world. It has its own rules of the game, and the winner takes all.
But as civilians, they still have to move forward with scars all over their bodies just to gain a place.
The man named Qin Xiaosi destroyed everything Ella and her had, then he waved his hand and turned away.
Xia Chan stood on the rooftop, looking at the busy traffic below the high-rise building, and took out a pack of cigarettes from her trouser pocket. Her cell phone was out of battery. Half an hour ago, she went to the newsstand outside the school and silently recited Jiang Huainan's phone number, but she didn't call him.
She really wanted to ask him if Qin Xiaosi was with him, but she was afraid that she would reveal her feelings as soon as she spoke.
The salesperson, who was chewing sunflower seeds, urged her impatiently not to delay her business. Her eyes fell on the display cabinet, and she asked to buy a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.
She leaned against a cement board, holding a cigarette between her fingers, puffing and exhaling, the smoke lingering on her pale young face. She suddenly felt that life was extremely sad.
"When did you learn this?" Monet's voice was filled with extreme disappointment.
She turned her head and found him standing only a few centimeters behind her. His eyes were so dark and deep that one could not see the bottom of them.
She suddenly smiled, with a hint of worldly desire on her pretty face: "I just learned it today, do you want one?"
Sometimes, good and bad are just your illusion.
For example, she used to think that girls who smoked, drank, and fought must be bad girls; for example, she thought she was very good and strong, and when she was particularly sad, she had to pretend nothing happened.
She always thought she was a sensible person, but when faced with everything that was beyond her control, she realized that she was deceiving herself.
She was a little tired after acting for so long.
Monet raised the corners of his mouth and looked at her, his voice full of temptation: "Compared to cigarettes, I know something better. Do you want to try it?"
She smiled and shook her head.
He could see the sadness on her face, but he couldn't feel the pain in her heart.
"But I really want you to know."
She was about to turn around, but her hand was suddenly pulled over by Monet and pressed against the wall. His body then pressed up against her, holding her other wrist tightly.
The back of her head hit the cement board and it hurt. She frowned and felt a sudden surge of anger in her heart. Before she could react, his kiss came like a heat wave, his hot breath sprayed on her ears, his kiss was crazy and lingering, with an overbearing attitude that could not be refused.
She opened her eyes wide with hatred, staring at the handsome face that was magnified in front of her, and suddenly regained consciousness. She sobbed and struggled hard.
He held her down tightly, tightening the grip on her wrists.
She opened her mouth and bit it hard, the sweet and fishy taste spread in her mouth, and Monet let her go in pain.
"Snapped--"
At the same time, crisp applause sounds rang out in the air.
Monet's head tilted to one side, with five bloody finger marks on his face. Xia Chan's angry panting rang in his ears.
He paused for a long time before looking up at her, his hoarse tone filled with joy: "Too light, Axia, remember to eat more next time!"
"Bastard!" she roared with red eyes, tears suddenly falling uncontrollably.
"Just be an asshole." He curled the corners of his mouth and chuckled, leaning lazily on the concrete slab with her, looking at the distant horizon.
Being a jerk is better than watching you smoke.
He is such a jerk, knowing that there is no result, he still loves her obsessively. Time is limited, and it is not a loss.
At his feet lay a half-smoked cigarette that had been crushed into pieces. The brown tobacco leaves were crushed all over the ground. A gust of wind blew by, making everything look desolate and fragmented.
There is no decadent smell of cigarettes in the air, only the cool breeze blowing on the body, which slowly sobers people up .
She asked, "Why did you come to me?"
"I'm here to tell you the whereabouts of those people."
She looked at his solemn expression, tilted her head, and frowned: "Did you catch it?"
"Things are more complicated than I thought. They are toxic people in that area and have a criminal record. Everyone in the police station knows them. The leader is very cunning. He just said it was a joke among friends. Plus, there is insufficient evidence, so they can't be convicted." His tone was filled with fatigue.
"Are they joking? They surrounded, attacked, and tore off their clothes. You tell me they were joking?" Her tone was cold, and she screamed in his ear angrily, "They made my friend lie in the hospital like a madman!"
"Asha, calm down." Monet hurriedly came to hold her shoulders and comfort her.
She pushed him away angrily: "How can I be calm!"
Compromise and cowardice will never lead to justice. Who did they offend to deserve this?
She closed her eyes, her voice suddenly as cold as ice: "Tell me, do they have any relationship with Qin Xiaosi? "
"No one mentioned this name. Although people like them are despicable, they abide by the rules. If they receive money, they will never reveal it even if they die," he replied.
"I will ask Qin Xiaosi sooner or later."
Monet was silent for a long time, looking at her eyes as still as dead water, and asked tentatively: "Axia, do you want revenge?"
"Yeah." She looked at the roof of the building opposite and said nothing.
"I'll help you."
Something cold hit her arm. She looked up and watched the raindrops falling from the sky, the walls, and the eaves, falling continuously.
The rain was getting heavier and heavier. Looking into the distance, my vision was blocked by a large curtain. The world was gray. Streets, buildings, and pedestrians were only vague outlines.
There was thunder, heavy rain, and I couldn't see anything.
There was a cold and chilly breath in the air, as if foreshadowing the arrival of darkness in the city.
The next afternoon, in a luxuriously decorated auto repair shop, Xia Chan and Monet stood upstairs, watching the movements on the first floor through the glass window.
The glass windows were covered with an imported one-way transparent film, so people outside couldn't see what was going on inside, but they could see everything below clearly.
There is a loudspeaker installed on the glass, so the sound can be heard clearly.
Monet said, "Wait until they come over."
She leaned against the wall, lowered her eyes and asked, "Did you have any trouble finding someone to help you this time?"
"Don't underestimate me, I'm not a punching bag that can be beaten by anyone. I've told you before that thieves and pickpockets have their own organizations and territories, and hooligans and ruffians are also under the control of people. The time when I took my wallet and was punished by the Black Dragon's people is an old account, and it has long been turned over. Who can't get along with money? Money makes things easier." Monet put his hands in his pockets, looked around, and smiled, "Of course, some people can't be hired even if they have money. They have plenty of money, so for this, it depends on the relationship. Didn't the boss of Old Shanghai say that there are three bowls of noodles that are the most difficult to eat in life: face, appearance, and feelings. I think it makes sense."
Xia Chan smiled and said, "You know so much, your family isn't involved in gangs, right?"
"It's not that serious." Monet spread his hands and said it as a matter of course. "Before my father became rich, he had friends on the street. Of course, they were not the young and dangerous guys in the movies, shouting and killing. Heilong was a little troublemaker when he was young. At that time, he was a brother to my father, and we took care of each other a lot. Later, my father met my mother through business, and Heilong also became famous. They both liked my mother, and my mother followed my father. As for men, it's complicated when women are involved. Later, I don't know how they gradually became estranged. But when we really encounter something difficult to deal with, Heilong still tells his subordinates to take care of me, and this time is the case. According to seniority, I have to call him uncle."
There is still this layer of entanglement regarding the affairs of the previous generation.
"Then how did his men beat you last time?" She looked at him in confusion, then immediately understood, "You really deserve a beating..."
"Who deserves a beating? I was just young and hot-tempered that time, and I couldn't stand a singer singing in a bar. He sang my favorite rock band's songs like a pig being slaughtered, how could I tolerate that? Absolutely not. I got so angry that I accidentally smashed his electric guitar and started fighting with him, and then I accidentally smashed the bar." Monet rolled his eyes and said unhappily, "Later I found out that the bar was opened by Heilong. In my opinion, from ancient times to the present, places like inns, restaurants, and bars should have a slogan on the wall: If you want to fight, please go outside."
"Oh, accidentally." She emphasized, with hidden meaning in her words.
At this moment, there was a noise from the door downstairs.
She and Monet leaned against the window and looked down nervously.
The leader was a young man in suit pants and a white shirt. He rolled up his sleeves and said calmly, "Bring it in."
"This is Lin Jiaxuan, one of Black Dragon's right-hand men." Monet leaned over and whispered in her ear, his tone respectful, "He was the one who beat me up last time. "
Xia Chan glanced at Monet, then at Lin Jiaxuan. He was a real hero who dared to beat up Monet. She couldn't help but have a better impression of the man downstairs.
The men brought in seven men from outside : the bald man, the big black man, the man with a nose ring, two others with baseball bats, and two men chewing gum.
It’s them, every one of them.
Hatred burst out of Xia Chan's eyes. She involuntarily took a step forward and stared at the faces of the seven people.
She would recognize these people even if they turned into ashes.
It was these executioners that she wished she could torture them to death with her sword.
Monet sensed her reaction, stood side by side with her, and said in a gentle tone: “Don’t worry about Brother Jiaxuan’s work.”
When she heard the name, she turned around with a confused look on her face.
He smiled and said, "He is the adopted son of the Black Dragon. He and I are friends."
After listening to this, she said nothing and continued to look down.
There was silence downstairs. The seven people looked at each other, not knowing what was going on.
"Lin Jiaxuan, what's your intention in arresting us brothers?" The bald man rushed forward angrily, but before he took a few steps, he was kicked in the knee. He knelt on one knee and cursed, and was ready to stand up, but a cold, hard dagger was pressed against his neck.
"Find someone who can talk." A cold voice sounded in the quiet room. Lin Jiaxuan didn't even look at the bald man, but stared at the remaining six people.
The incandescent light on the ceiling illuminated his shirt collar. He slowly walked to the wine cabinet and poured a glass of tequila. The sound of the flowing wine made the quiet surroundings even more depressing.
"Master Lin, we are all in the same business and should keep to ourselves. Please tell us clearly how we have offended you." The big black man stepped forward and asked respectfully.
"What did you do at the old factory in the west?" Lin Jiaxuan took a sip of wine, walked to the sofa and sat down, and spoke casually.
The big black guy tried hard to recall and wiped the sweat from his forehead: "You mean those two female students..."
Lin Jiaxuan shook the wine glass in his hand, and the expression on his face gave his answer.
"Brother Heizi, stop talking nonsense with him! We were the ones who did it, why should we be afraid of him? This guy is about the same age as me, and he looks like he's just trying to fool people." The man with a nose ring walked up swearing, pointing at Lin Jiaxuan, spitting.
"That's right! We are not pushovers. Let's teach them a lesson! Whoever has the harder fist is the boss!" Another gangster rushed to the wine rack nearby, smashed a bottle on the crossbar, and shouted at them with the broken bottle mouth.
The situation was not right. Before the big black guy could shout to stop, Lin Jiaxuan winked at the men next to him and said, "A Ming."
The man called Amin stepped forward, quickly grabbed the arm of the gangster holding the bottle and twisted it. The joint snapped and dislocated, and the gangster held his hand and wailed in pain.
The bald man pushed the person in front of him away and stood up.
A-Ming looked at the others and shouted, "Come on, everyone!"
For a moment, the two gangs fought each other. Some kicked people in mid-air, some grabbed nearby wooden sticks and hit them, and some pulled people by their hair and threw them aside to beat them. The room was filled with screams and curses like ghosts and wolves howling.
Xia Chan looked at everything in front of her in horror , as if she was watching a real-life gangster movie.
Within ten minutes, the strengths and weaknesses of both sides became clear. All the bald men were injured and pressed face down on the ground by Lin Jiaxuan 's men. There was reluctance and fear in their eyes, but they hummed and moaned and dared not say a word of disrespect.
"Young Master." A Ming walked up to Lin Jiaxuan and reminded him.
Lin Jiaxuan sat there drinking leisurely, as if he was watching a play. He raised his head to drink the last sip of wine, put the glass on the table, stood up and walked to the row of people.
He asked calmly, "Who ordered you to do this?"
"Butler Qin, it was Butler Qin. Butler Qin ordered us to do it. Master Lin, please spare us. We were wrong. We didn't recognize the great man. We are sorry, sorry..."
"Which Butler Qin?"
"Qin Yue, secretary of Qin Chengtian, chairman of Futian Group, is now working for Mr. Qin." The big black man answered.
Lin Jiaxuan nodded.
"Go and surrender yourself or leave one hand behind. It's your choice."
Lin Jiaxuan's question was as simple as asking about the weather, but the faces of several people changed. The bald man's face was beaten like a pig's head. He struggled for a few times and tried to speak, but the big black man told him to shut up.
"Master Lin, we'll go tomorrow."
Lin Jiaxuan didn't look at them again. He raised his head and glanced at the window where Monet was standing. There seemed to be a smile on his calm face. He walked through the crowd and walked up the stairs slowly step by step.
Behind him, Amin gave a few instructions and took everyone away.
The messy ground and broken glass were quickly cleaned up and everything returned to normal as if nothing had happened.
Xia Chan watched Lin Jiaxuan step onto the last step of the second floor, and slowly walk up to them from the other end of the corridor.
He had an aura that could not be ignored, the kind that only people who had seen big scenes had.
Monet passed her and punched Lin Jiaxuan on the shoulder, saying with a smile: "Brother, thank you!"
Lin Jiaxuan nodded, and his scrutinizing eyes fell on Xia Chan. Just when she thought he would ask something, he came over and said, "These people are as tough and ugly as cockroaches. Their crimes do not deserve death. Give them a chance."
When will the cycle of revenge end? In fact, she never thought about what to do, but she just couldn't swallow the anger in her heart.
But Lin Jiaxuan's handling method was enough to seek justice.
She understands the truth.
When things developed to this point, she did not feel much relief, but instead felt empty.
"I understand." She replied calmly, "Thank you."
"Call me Brother Lin. Anai's friends' business is my business." He led them to the first floor, and his broad back gave people a down-to-earth feeling.
After having dinner together, Lin Jiaxuan sent someone to take them back.
When passing Shuyuan Road, Xia Chan wanted to take a walk, so Monet accompanied her out of the car.
The stars were dim in the night sky and there were crowds of people on the road. She walked silently in the wind, without a destination.
Monet looked at the vehicles coming and going, and said, "Don't think too much, just take the test well first."
She nodded. The exam that would determine her life was imminent, but she didn't really care. Perhaps, after experiencing some extreme things, people would know what was important and what was not.
"I'll help you find out about Qin Yue, don't worry." He continued.
She smiled: "I know."
He looked up at the night sky: "I'm sorry about the rooftop."
Sighing inwardly, she didn't blame him.
"It's okay..." She smiled and shook her head, deciding that there was no need to say any more.
Sometimes, taking things lightly does not mean being cruel, and forgiveness is just a kind of wisdom to avoid being hurt again.
Human nature has inherent weaknesses, such as greed, laziness, cunning, and selfishness. In order to survive, too many people do things by hurting each other to achieve victory and satisfy their inner desires.
Every behavior will affect the rest of your life. Today's indulgence will be tomorrow's price. Tomorrow's mistakes will be the regrets of the day after tomorrow. There will be another tomorrow. Life is too long, and there are too many and too messy accounts to settle around us.
Instead of worrying, it is better to learn to let go.