Chapter 123: Playing Dumb

Guilty consciences make for anxious hearts. Zhang Can knew exactly how formidable Su Xue was; had she been conscious at the time, his actions would certainly have invited her retaliation.

However, the ripple of alarm in Zhang Can’s heart quickly subsided. He reasoned that with Su Xue’s explosive temper, she never would have tolerated such behavior in silence had she been awake. She would have beaten him half to death on the spot. Reassured, a smile returned to his face as he looked at her and asked, "How are you feeling? Still uncomfortable?"

Su Xue murmured, "My chest aches a little. I’m not sure why—it’s a sharp, stinging pain. It shouldn't be snake venom; that’s a neurotoxin that causes dizziness, not physical pain."

Zhang Can felt his face flush. He still felt a lingering sense of awkwardness and regret. At the time, he had only been looking to vent his frustration and had no malicious intent, but he realized now that if she ever found out, he would surely suffer a brutal beating.

The two sat in silence for a moment before Su Xue spoke. "Zhang Can, tell me about yourself. How were you able to treat that sea snake venom? Did you have some kind of medicine on you?"

"Medicine?" Zhang Can paused, then shook his head. "No. Didn't I tell you? That was just a water snake, and water snakes are non-venomous. You must have felt that I didn't use any medicine or anything else to treat you. I just sucked some of the blood out of the wound—it’s a technique anyone back in my hometown knows. Besides, the main point is that the snake wasn't poisonous. If it had been, I wouldn't have been able to save you."

Seeing that Zhang Can still wouldn't admit anything, Su Xue didn't press the matter, nor did she get angry. She simply sighed and shook her head. "Fine, if you don't want to talk about it, so be it. But I am genuinely grateful to you."

Zhang Can smiled. "No need for that. Maybe next time I catch a couple of big ones, I'll make a water snake stew. It’s delicious!"

Su Xue gave a faint smile. Water snake stew? She doubted she would ever want to see a snake again in her life, let alone eat one. After a moment, she asked, "There’s one more thing I want to ask. Zhang Can, your... your ability to dive—did you really train for that back in your hometown?"

Zhang Can felt a jolt of alarm. Had she noticed something? He pondered for a moment before replying, "Yes. There’s a river in my hometown, and where it meets a mountain stream behind the hills, there’s a deep pool. Nobody knows how deep it is; people say it's bottomless. You often see fish weighing dozens of pounds churning the surface there. When we were kids, we practiced diving by holding onto a rock and sinking down; when we couldn't take the pressure anymore, we’d drop the rock and swim back up. That’s how I developed my lung capacity. I don't know exactly how deep I can go, but I’d guess a few dozen meters."

Su Xue felt somewhat relieved. It seemed plausible; practice makes perfect, after all. Today, whether the gear was good or bad, he had been wearing a full diving suit, which naturally enhanced his abilities. Still, she remained astonished that he had reached 110 meters without showing the slightest sign of distress. It was something she had witnessed with her own eyes.

She had always assumed Zhang Can couldn't possibly dive deeper than her, and she had dismissed his claims as lies, simply unable to believe an ordinary person could reach such depths with standard equipment. But after today, she felt there was nothing left to doubt. The equipment had been prepared by her, and it was genuine. It proved that Zhang Can truly possessed that capability.

Seeing Su Xue lost in thought, Zhang Can smiled again. "But that was all just practice in the river and the pool. I’d never been in the ocean until that last time. Who knew that the moment I dove in, I’d run into someone throwing boxes into the sea? I still regret touching that box!"

Hearing him mention that incident, Su Xue couldn't help but laugh. "Let the past be the past. But if you were in my position, surely you wouldn't have just let a lead like that go, would you?"

Zhang Can understood her point—no one would have let it go. He had, in fact, been tempted by greed at the time. He gave an awkward laugh. "Honestly, when I dragged those three boxes to the shore and saw two were filled with drugs and one with US dollars, I was tempted. But not by the drugs—I’ve never had any interest in that stuff, and I certainly wasn't going to touch it. I planned to bury the drugs and let them vanish forever. But that case of dollars... it’s hard not to be moved by that much cash. I’m only human."

By now, Zhang Can had lost his guard against Su Xue. Although he wasn't fond of her, he understood she no longer posed a threat to him. He wasn't involved with drug traffickers; he had just been momentarily greedy, and in the end, he had returned the money.

Su Xue waved a hand. She understood his perspective perfectly. Very few people wouldn't be tempted by such a windfall, yet Zhang Can hadn't touched the money, and he had returned the drugs as well. Even though she had broken her word and punished him initially, once she understood the truth, she was truly grateful. If Zhang Can hadn't voluntarily turned those boxes over, she never would have solved the case. Without physical evidence, she couldn't have brought the traffickers to justice. She had secretly filmed them dumping the boxes with an underwater camera, but she never imagined that someone was hiding in the deep water right below them—a move that had nearly ruined her entire operation.

Thinking back on how Zhang Can had stammered while confessing that day, she couldn't help but smile. She felt a twinge of regret for the way she had treated him—the beatings that left him bloodied and the night she had locked him in the living room. Since verifying his background through her uncle, she knew his wealth was legitimate and that no one in his circle was connected to drugs.

Of course, she had also witnessed his ability to appraise antiques—like the sandalwood beads on her wrist. Even after she had secretly swapped them, he had identified the change instantly. Few people could possess such a keen eye.

"Su Xue, you should get some rest. I think I’ll head back and get ready for the trip with your uncle tomorrow." Zhang Can rose to leave. After the commotion at sea and the check-up at the hospital, it was getting late.

Su Xue had wanted to ask more questions—to understand him better. The longer she knew him, the more mysterious he became. This young man was like a never-ending novel; the more she looked, the more she wanted to read.

But since Zhang Can was ready to go, she couldn't force him to stay, and she couldn't treat him as roughly as she had before. She rose to see him out, thinking it didn't matter; they would be heading to Xinjiang tomorrow, and there would be plenty of time to talk then.

They parted ways at the elevator. Once Zhang Can reached his car, he let out a long sigh of relief. Truth be told, he was still wary of Su Xue. There was no point in provoking her further; it was best to keep his distance.

It was nearly five o'clock. Zhang Can drove straight to the Old Stone Studio. It was the perfect time to pick up Liu Xiaoqin, Liu Xiaoli, and Zhang Hua for the evening.

The sisters were new to the job, finding it refreshing and far less exhausting than their old work in the city, with a much better salary to boot.

Liu Xiaoli, however, felt a bit uneasy. Zhang Can hadn't specified her monthly pay, only that it would be more than what she earned in the city. In the city, she rarely cleared two thousand yuan, and her boyfriend, Li Yong, earned even less. Between rent, living expenses, and Li Yong’s gambling, they were always broke.

Before Zhang Can reappeared, she had resigned herself to a life with Li Yong. But seeing Zhang Can again—now her sister’s brother-in-law and incredibly wealthy—she found herself unable to accept her previous life. She grew to despise Li Yong and wanted nothing more to do with him.

Zhang Can’s support for Liu Xiaoli wasn't born of any ulterior motive, but rather for Liu Xiaoqin’s sake. They were sisters; if one was unhappy, the other would be too. But as Liu Xiaoli spent more time around Zhang Can, she couldn't help but develop feelings for him. She felt growing regret, comparing his success to Li Yong’s failures. And because Zhang Can had once shown interest in her—a long-standing, complicated ambiguity—she couldn't help but wonder: if he were to pursue her again, would she have the strength to say no?