Chapter 501

Chapter 501

Something's Amiss

They had made up their minds to go all out, prepared to risk everything for success.

If they succeeded, they would leave the capital far behind and never want for anything for the rest of their lives.

If they failed, there would be no turning back.

"If you're scared, stay out of it. I'll leave you what’s left, and you can leave right away," Jiang Xiaopeng said softly, looking at his younger sister whom he had grown up with.

If she left, she wouldn’t be implicated if they failed.

If they succeeded, he could still take care of her.

Jiang Xiaomeng sighed and said, "If I leave, who will help you distract Lin Nannan?"

On his own, he wouldn’t even be able to get close to Lin Nannan.

Jiang Xiaopeng fell silent.

"Alright, don’t overthink it. Focus on recovering first. Right now, everything is just talk!" Jiang Xiaomeng reassured him. "Only when you are back on your feet can we succeed. Otherwise, it’s all just talk. Besides, if we delay any longer, Lin Nannan might leave."

"Yeah, I’m almost there, but I can’t just discharge myself directly. That would draw their attention!"

Jiang Xiaomeng nodded.

...

Thinking that things were about to come to an end and that they would soon leave the capital, the two of them were happily browsing around, planning to buy something to take to the Zhang household.

It would be impolite to show up empty-handed.

"What should we buy?" Lin Nannan was completely clueless about this.

"Just some pastries and fruit will work!" Lu Hang said.

They didn’t choose anything expensive and brought some modest gifts to the Zhang family.

When they arrived, Zhang Shengguo hadn’t returned yet. Only his wife was home, and she had stayed back only because Zhang Shengguo had mentioned their visit.

"You’re here," Yin Lan greeted them warmly upon seeing them, then scolded, "That unreliable Ah-Guo. He’s busy himself, but it’s not like there’s no one at home. He still had you come over at this time."

She knew Lu Hang and was aware of his close relationship with Zhang Shengguo. She also knew that Zhang Shengguo had nearly lost his life and that Lu Hang had saved him.

At the time, she was in poor health, and they had kept it from her. Even after Zhang Shengguo recovered, she got so worked up she almost had a relapse. Because of this, she felt immense gratitude toward them.

"We had some business to take care of this morning and went to the hospital," Lu Hang explained, holding Lin Nannan’s hand as he introduced her. "Sis, this is my wife, Lin Nannan."

Lin Nannan smiled and greeted, "Hello, Sis!"

"Hello, hello! I’ve heard so much about you for a long time, but I was unwell before and never got to meet you," Yin Lan said, holding her hand.

Lin Nannan was warmly pressed to try many treats, and the enthusiastic hospitality made her feel a little embarrassed.

Yin Lan appeared gentle and refined but was warm and lively by nature. She made sure not to neglect Lin Nannan while also chatting with Lu Hang.

"After Ah-Guo was seriously injured, he recuperated for a while and then got transferred back. Here in the capital, he’s actually even busier," Yin Lan said with a helpless sigh as she mentioned Zhang Shengguo.

"It's good to be busy. When he was recovering from his injury before, he was bored out of his mind and constantly complaining. Now that he's busy, he has no more complaints," Lu Heng said with a smile.

Yin Lan said with a look of disdain, "Him? He's just busy and is too swamped to handle anything. By the way, I heard you have a daughter? Why didn’t you bring her? With the friendship between our two families, we should get to know each other."

"We went to the hospital to visit a patient, so it wasn’t a good idea to bring her. Next time we have the chance, we’ll definitely bring her," Lu Heng replied.

Noticing they had mentioned the hospital several times, Yin Lan asked curiously, "Didn’t they say Old Master Lin and the others have been discharged from the hospital? Why are you still going there?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Nannan explained what had happened earlier. "The siblings have had a hard time. He was injured because of me, so I need to make things right."

"The surname Jiang..." Yin Lan murmured, frowning. "I haven’t heard of any relatives with the surname Jiang in Beijing. Where are they from?"

"Yun City," Lin Nannan replied. "We originally met on a train. She jumped in to take a hit for me because she recognized me."

Yin Lan frowned and said, "Something about this doesn’t sound right."

Lin Nannan and Lu Heng exchanged glances, both looking at her and waiting for her explanation.

"When did Beijing have such brazen people daring to rob others in broad daylight? Besides, she only met you once. Was it necessary to put her life on the line to save you?" Yin Lan asked, puzzled.

If it were her, she would have called for help or given a warning but would never have rushed forward herself...

Lin Nannan was stunned and hesitated before saying, "But the doctor said if it were any worse, she could’ve been brain damaged."

"You don’t understand—there are many skilled people. Pulling a punch isn’t that hard!" Yin Lan insisted.

"But what would she gain from it?" Lin Nannan didn’t understand.

"Didn’t you say her older brother is in the hospital? With just the two siblings, how are they paying for it? Can a young girl like her take care of her injured brother? Moreover, I have a feeling this isn’t the end of it. Just wait and see," Yin Lan analyzed instinctively, sensing something was off but unable to pinpoint it.

Lin Nannan didn’t argue. She knew Yin Lan meant well, and after being reminded, she also felt something was amiss—Jiang Xiaomeng had been coming on too strong toward her.

"After just one meeting, some stranger you barely know—if she and her brother really depend on each other for survival, would she have saved me?" Lin Nannan asked, looking at Lu Heng.

"Save what? Who saved whom?" At that moment, Zhang Shengguo arrived and happened to overhear Lin Nannan’s words, jumping in.

Yin Lan stood up and said, "There you are. Let’s eat quickly—they must be hungry."

Zhang Shengguo entered and patted Lu Heng’s shoulder, smiling. "I heard the mission this time went really well. You caught quite a few people."

Lu Heng shook his head and said, "It’s not that simple. This time, it was pretty much a fluke."

"What coincidence?" Zhang Shengguo asked curiously.

Since the matter was significant and couldn’t be concealed, coupled with some pretty bad stuff that had already been disclosed locally, Lu Heng didn’t beat around the bush and explained the situation involving Lin Shuang.

"Lin Shuang was actually saved by you!" Both Zhang Shengguo and Yin Lan were blown away.

They were aware of the major incident that had happened in the Lin family—Zhang Shengguo had even helped out—but they truly had no idea about Lin Shuang’s whereabouts or fate.

"My wife and I were just discussing earlier, trying to figure out what happened to Lin Shuang. We never expected you’d be the ones to save her."

Lu Heng and Lin Nannan followed them to the dining room, making small talk on the way. The topic continued even after they sat down to eat.

"It was also a coincidence. If it weren’t for her, our mission might not have gone so smoothly. But she was injured too," Lu Heng said frankly.

Zhang Shengguo went quiet for a sec before saying, "She’s nothing like her mother, after all."

"Even if she’s different, we can’t ignore her identity. Zhang Ling caused Nannan so much suffering. Even if Lin Shuang is innocent, it’s hard to accept," Yin Lan said with fierce loyalty. "Nannan, if the Lin family ever gives you any trouble, come stay at our place. We have plenty of rooms—take your pick!"