Chapter 26: Do Me a Favor

The owner of the small convenience store was a man in his forties. When I asked for a pack of slim cigarettes, he took them from the glass display case, handed them to me, and chuckled.

"Young man, why are you smoking women's cigarettes? They're so weak, aren't they?"

I tore open the pack, lit one up, and took a drag. "Ugh, my health isn't great, and I can't quit just yet, so I smoke these lighter ones to take the edge off."

"If your health is poor, why smoke at all? If you ask me, looking after your health is what matters most."

"Haha, the pressure is too high. It's unbearable if I don't smoke."

"True, life isn't easy for anyone these days."

Stepping out of the store, I turned the speakerphone back on and heard Lin Hangfan shouting on the other end.

"Are you fucking smoking again? Do you want me to tell Ji Leqing about this?!"

"I'm only having this one today, and that's it. Why would you tell her? Are you expecting her to keep me on a leash?"

I said it with bravado, but at the thought of Ji Leqing’s cold face and her sharp, unforgiving tongue, I felt a slight twinge of dread.

"Heh, just you wait until Ji Leqing gets back. And you still haven't told me why you're in such a rush to return."

I hesitated over whether to tell him about the agreement I’d signed with Xu Zhixia, so I changed the subject. "Are you at the hospital? Working the night shift again?"

"Don't you dare dodge the question, kid. Start talking."

Man, this guy!

I had no choice but to give him a concise summary of everything that had happened today.

Lin Hangfan let out a string of profanities. "You shouldn't have saved her! Is she even human after what she's done?!"

"Are you not in the duty room? Why are you shouting so loud?"

"I'm in the restroom. Xu Zhixia is a monster—it would have been justice if she’d been buried by that landslide. She treated you like dirt, and you still saved her!"

"I think you’re a lost cause. You keep saying you've let go and don't love her anymore, but it looks to me like you're still head over heels!"

"What am I and Ji Leqing to you? A part of your sick little power play?"

"Hold it right there. How did you end up going so far off the rails? Am I the kind of person who would watch someone die? And for someone in a lab coat, how can you say things that go against medical ethics like that?"

"You finally escaped her clutches, and now you’ve gone and agreed to her terms? Aren't you afraid she's cooking up some scheme to ruin you?"

"I only said I’d go back to Tianhai with her, not that I’d move back into her house. Stop getting so worked up."

I heard the line go dead; I figured Lin Hangfan was absolutely furious.

I really don't get it—he's the one getting angry. If I hadn't agreed to Xu Zhixia’s terms, forget about my father’s grave; their family’s ancestral graves would have been leveled by now.

He didn't even thank me, and then he hung up on me. What an ungrateful guy.

***

After I finished my cigarette, I drove back to the hotel. It was the most upscale place in the city, so even a standard room cost three or four hundred a night, but the interior decor was quite decent.

I took a hot shower, put on a bathrobe, and carried my clothes to the common laundry room in the hallway, tossing them all into the machine at once. Fortunately, I had packed the few outfits Ji Leqing had bought me to change into.

Back in my room, I pulled out my phone to scroll through videos to kill time when a WeChat message popped up.

【Ji Leqing: You've returned to your hometown. How is the situation?】

She must have heard from Lin Hangfan. I typed back a response.

【Me: I'm fine, don't worry.】

【Ji Leqing: Take your medicine on time.】

I sent an "OK" back, and there was no further reply; she was probably busy.

Once the laundry was done and dried, I hung the clothes on hangers, lay down on the bed with my eyes closed, and plugged my phone into the nightstand to charge.

I woke up before seven the next morning, washed up, dressed, packed my things, and headed downstairs. I ran into Xiao Zhu in the elevator.

"Brother Jiang, are you heading to the restaurant for breakfast?"

"The standard room doesn't include breakfast. It costs nearly two hundred to eat at the buffet; I’d rather spend that on gas. I'm going to find a nearby breakfast shop to grab a bite. What about you?"

"Mind if I tag along? I'm also struggling to figure out where to eat."

We wandered around until we found a small breakfast shop and sat down. The cramped storefront was packed with people—office workers and kids in school uniforms.

At the entrance, large bamboo steamers were being opened and closed, releasing clouds of steam accompanied by the savory scent of steamed buns.

"Auntie, ten small meat buns, please, and a bowl of egg drop soup. Xiao Zhu, order whatever you want."

"I'll have the same."

When it was time to pay, I scanned the code for both of us.

"Brother Jiang, how much is it? I'll transfer it to you."

"It's just a dozen yuan or so; consider it my treat."

"It's that cheap?!"

Tianhai had its share of rich and poor, and Xiao Zhu was one of the local "poor" ones, but even he was shocked by these prices.

We found an empty spot and sat down. The table still felt oily even after I’d wiped it several times, and the chopstick holder was filled with disposable chopsticks.

Before long, two plates of small buns and two bowls of egg drop soup were served.

The leavened meat buns were small with thin skin and generous fillings; the dough had soaked up the savory juices from the meat. The soup was served in common white porcelain bowls, with stainless steel spoons tucked inside; the thickened egg broth was dotted with bits of tomato and cilantro.

Such a simple yet satisfying breakfast—it really brought back memories.

Watching Xiao Zhu wolfing down his food, I asked, "Why are you eating so fast? Isn't it hot?"

"I have to get back quickly. I don't know when President Xu will wake up, and I have to go buy her hand-ground coffee."

"Heh, the cafes aren't even open at this hour. Buying hand-ground coffee is going to be tough. Just go to KFC or McDonald's and get a cup."

Xu Zhixia was extremely conscious of her figure and had to drink a cup of hand-ground black coffee every morning to reduce puffiness. Back when I lived in her villa, I was the one who woke up early to grind it for her. I could say I was a jack-of-all-trades cook for her sake.

Xiao Zhu looked miserable and shook his head. "If President Xu finds out I tried to pass off fast-food coffee as the real thing, I'm done for!"

"It's fine. With her background, she might not even be able to tell the difference. At most, she'll just think the quality of the coffee is off."

Xiao Zhu wavered.

"Brother Jiang, how about I buy it and you deliver it for me? I really need this job."

Seeing Xiao Zhu on the verge of tears, I had no choice but to agree. Besides, when you've got nothing to lose, you don't fear the consequences.

After finishing our breakfast at a leisurely pace, we drove to KFC to buy a coffee, then went back to the hotel to ask the staff for an empty, unbranded coffee cup to pour it into.

When we reached the door to Xu Zhixia’s room, Xiao Zhu gave me a pleading look and handed me the spare key card he had registered with the front desk. I sighed helplessly, unlocked the door, and carried the coffee inside.

"Why is it you? Where’s Xiao Zhu?"

Xu Zhixia was wearing a bathrobe, half-propped up in bed. When she saw me, she pulled the quilt tighter, as if afraid I might do something to her.

She was really full of herself.

"Xiao Zhu didn't know where to buy coffee and didn't have a car, so he asked me to get it for you. Drink up."

Xu Zhixia looked me up and down suspiciously, then glanced at the coffee cup on the nightstand.

"You aren't putting something weird in there to get back at me, are you?"

I stared at her, speechless. "Suit yourself. If you don't want it, I'll take it away."

"Put it down! Who said I wasn't drinking it?!"