Chapter 24: You Won’t Be Smug for Long

Song Jiajia: "Sang Yu!"

Song Zhenhua cared most about his reputation; if he were to find out about this, she certainly wouldn’t have an easy time.

Auntie Pang looked at Sang Yu with confusion: "Little Yu, what is your relationship with her?"

"She is my cousin," Sang Yu explained.

"How could you have a cousin like that?"

Upon hearing this, Song Jiajia glared at Auntie Pang: "What do you mean by that?"

Auntie Pang replied, "Take it however you like."

Song Jiajia was choked by the retort, her entire face flushing red.

"Sang Yu, don't get too smug!" Unable to win against Auntie Pang, Song Jiajia turned her hostility toward Sang Yu.

Sang Yu: "???"

Was Song Jiajia out of her mind? She hadn’t even said anything yet.

"How much longer do you think you can be smug? Jiang Jingming is going to die soon, and then we'll see what you do!" Driven by extreme anger, Song Jiajia became reckless with her words.

"Hey, what kind of way is that to talk?"

"That is too much! How could you curse Captain Jiang?"

"I never imagined a woman like you could be so vicious!"

Song Jiajia’s words immediately provoked public outrage. A crowd surged forward, surrounding her.

She looked at them, shouting: "What are you doing? Don't come near me, I am about to become a wealthy man's wife!"

The crowd thought Song Jiajia must be mentally ill; otherwise, why would she say such things in broad daylight? Amidst the insults and shoving, Song Jiajia was driven out of the vegetable market.

Auntie Pang said, "Little Yu, don't listen to that person's nonsense. Captain Jiang is blessed with great fortune; how could anything happen to him?"

Auntie Pang felt that Sang Yu's cousin was truly vicious for cursing someone to die.

Sang Yu nodded: "I understand, Auntie Pang. I won't take it to heart."

However, Song Jiajia had reminded her of something. In the original novel, the time when Jiang Jingming was supposed to die in the line of duty was drawing near. It seemed necessary for her to properly warn him.

"Good, as long as you don't take it to heart," Auntie Pang said, feeling relieved to see Sang Yu’s expression return to normal.

—

In the evening, Sang Yu prepared dinner and waited for Jiang Jingming to return.

But the hour passed, and there was no sign of him. Sang Yu grew worried and was just about to call when the phone rang.

"Hello," Sang Yu answered.

"Sister-in-law, it’s Lin Wen."

Sang Yu frowned: "Is something the matter?"

"Oh, it's like this. The Captain has some business this evening and isn't sure when he'll be back. He asked me to tell you to eat first and not wait for him," Lin Wen said.

Listening to Lin Wen’s tone, which seemed normal, Sang Yu figured he must have gone on a mission. It was still early, which suggested the mission wasn't particularly dangerous.

Relieved, Sang Yu said, "Alright, thank you."

"You're welcome, Sister-in-law. Goodbye." Lin Wen hung up.

After the call, Sang Yu ate dinner by herself. Once finished, she returned to her room to continue drawing. She now had the time to work on two manga series simultaneously, which allowed her to earn two sets of royalties.

Time slipped away minute by minute. When Sang Yu looked up, it was already past ten o'clock. After stretching her neck, she grabbed her pajamas and took a shower.

Realizing Jiang Jingming still hadn't returned, she recalled the descriptions of him in the book and, knowing it wasn't time for his incident yet, she didn't worry too much.

At that moment, Jiang Jingming was almost home. This mission had been tricky; the opposition appeared to be a highly experienced criminal syndicate. They needed to play a long game to catch the big fish. He had spent the day staking them out with his team, and he had made sure Lin Wen called Sang Yu at six o'clock since he hadn't returned to the police station by then. He wondered if she was asleep.

As he reached his front door, he suddenly noticed the lights were on. His dormant heart suddenly skipped a beat, much like a silent bell being struck and ringing out a clear, soft chime.

Jiang Jingming opened the door gently and stepped inside. A lamp had been left on in the living room—was it left on for him? Standing in the living room, he felt a sense of "home" for the very first time. Since his parents passed away, he had rarely spent time at home, because every time he returned, he was the only one there. Occasionally, he would visit Jiang Songwen's house, but that wasn't his own home; no matter how well they treated him, he never felt that sense of belonging.

This time, he wasn't greeted by an empty, dark space, but by a dim yet incredibly warm light.

"You're back?"

After her shower, Sang Yu glanced into the living room and saw Jiang Jingming standing there; she instinctively walked downstairs.

The man looked up, and his gaze fell upon the freshly showered Sang Yu. She was wearing pink silk pajamas, her damp hair cascading down her back, and her bright eyes seemed misted over, making one want to sink into them. Because she had just bathed, she carried a faint, fresh fragrance, and her fair cheeks were tinged with a soft pink, like a delicate, dew-kissed rose. It was a sight that made one long to reach out and touch.

The man stood in the shadows, his eyes filled with intense, predatory fervor as his Adam’s apple bobbed.

"What's wrong?" Sang Yu asked after a long moment of silence.

Jiang Jingming took a deep breath, suppressing the restlessness in his heart, and said in a low, hoarse voice, "Nothing. Why aren't you asleep yet?"

"I just finished my shower and was about to go to bed. Have you eaten? I can heat something up for you."

As Sang Yu moved toward the kitchen, Jiang Jingming reached out and caught her wrist. The soft, delicate touch against his fingertips caused the defenses he had just built to crumble instantly. He immediately pulled his hand away, fearing he might lose control. "No need, I’ve already eaten."

"Alright," Sang Yu said, not taking it to heart.

"I might be quite busy over the next few days. You don't need to wait for me to come home; get some rest early. As for the backyard, I'll handle the tilling once I'm done with these next few days," Jiang Jingming said.

"It's fine, I can take my time with the backyard myself."

"No, wait for me."

The man seemed stubborn, and Sang Yu didn't argue with him. However, he mentioned he was busy—could it be that the event from the book was about to happen?

She felt a sudden wave of fear. "Jiang Jingming, do you have a particularly difficult mission lately?"

Jiang Jingming looked up at her, but before he could speak, she continued: "I don't mean to pry. I know these things are confidential. I just want to say, no matter what the mission is, I hope you ensure your own safety."

Hearing her words, Jiang Jingming’s heart turned soft in an instant.

"I promise you." The man’s tone was serious and solemn, striking Sang Yu’s heart like a hammer. She couldn't help but tremble slightly.

Looking up, she met his deep, dark eyes, which seemed to threaten to pull her in. She quickly averted her gaze. "I—I'm going upstairs to rest."

Jiang Jingming watched her back until she disappeared. Even if she hadn't asked, he would have been careful. After all, how could he bear to leave her here all alone?