Translator: CinderTL
Seeing Lin Wan'er slowly open her eyes, Jiang Cheng finally let out a sigh of relief. "You're awake. How do you feel?"
Lin Wan'er's eyes were dazed and unfamiliar, as if she were seeing the world for the first time.
"My head hurts," she finally managed to say after a long moment.
At least her mind wasn't damaged.
Contrary to Jiang Cheng's expectations, he didn't see fear on Lin Wan'er's face. After a moment, he cautiously asked, "Do you remember what happened yesterday?"
"I think so..." Lin Wan'er sat up, rubbing her temples. "It feels like someone was chasing me. I don't know... my head is so muddled right now."
As if her memories were being suppressed, Lin Wan'er's expression turned pained as she tried to recall what had happened earlier.
"Don't force yourself to think about it," Jiang Cheng said soothingly. "Just rest."
He had already sensed the anomaly in Lin Wan'er. Her memories were clearly distorted, as if forcibly hidden.
Without a doubt, this was the influence of the Ghost.
He feared forcing Lin Wan'er to unlock her memories would trigger catastrophic consequences.
The Ghost might even go berserk again.
As long as he confirmed she was safe, he would have time to slowly address the issues within her body.
As he spoke, Lin Wan'er lowered her head and noticed her clothes, her expression becoming strange.
Seeing this, Jiang Cheng calmly said, "You drank too much last night, fell, and passed out. Your clothes got dirty, so I changed them for you."
"Oh no," Lin Wan'er said, standing up and immediately searching for her phone. "What about Nan Huaili?"
Jiang Cheng went upstairs, found Lin Wan'er's phone, and handed it to her. "We've made some progress, but Nan Huaili... is dead."
Lin Wan'er's body stiffened slightly at the news, but she showed no other emotion. The outcome was expected. After being missing for so long, with such strange circumstances and no ransom demands, the chances of survival were slim.
Lin Wan'er seemed to want to stand up, but she was still too weak. Jiang Cheng called a car and took her to a familiar club.
The person in charge here was very familiar with Lin Wan'er, so Jiang Cheng had arranged for her to stay here.
As things stood, the thing inside Lin Wan'er wouldn't cause trouble anytime soon. What worried him more was her current physical condition.
He didn't trust her to stay alone in the studio.
Afterward, he hailed another taxi and headed to Nan Huaili's place.
On the way, his phone rang again. Without even looking, Jiang Cheng answered. A man's anxious voice came through the line. "Brother Jiang, where have you been these past few days? I've called you dozens of times, and you haven't answered once! You're going to drive me crazy!"
Jiang Cheng immediately recognized the voice of the bar owner from the bar he frequented.
"Spit it out," Jiang Cheng snapped. "I'm busy right now."
"Right, right," the owner said, surprised by Jiang Cheng's sharp tone. "It's about that girl you brought in last time. Do you remember her?"
Jiang Cheng had brought in at least fifty girls, maybe even a hundred. How could he possibly remember every one? Besides, he had no interest in business matters right now.
Sensing Jiang Cheng's impatience, the owner immediately spoke up. "It's that girl you gave the Kawasaki Rose to, the one you folded from banknotes."
Kawasaki Rose.
Though Jiang Cheng had brought many girls to the bar, he had only ever folded a rose for one.
It wasn't for any particular reason. Jiang Cheng simply found the girl too reserved, like an egg completely sealed off from the world.
Nan Jin.
Jiang Cheng immediately realized the owner was referring to Nan Jin.
Nan Huaili's daughter.
"What happened?" Jiang Cheng asked.
"Oh, don't even get me started. Don't you know what you did?" The owner lamented. "Brother Jiang, I have to say, you really outdid yourself this time. We don't have private rooms here, but that doesn't mean you can just... just grope her in a booth in the dark like that!"
"Now what? The girl can't find you, so she came crying to me. How am I supposed to run a business like this?" the owner complained.
If it were an ordinary girl, Lei Laohu could have found a way to send her away. After all, his reputation as "Tiger Lei" wasn't for nothing. Besides, this was essentially a matter between Jiang Cheng and the girl, with little to do with him. He ran a bar, not a hotel with king-sized beds.
But this girl was clearly no ordinary person. Three luxury cars had arrived, and seven or eight bodyguards in sunglasses stood behind her.
Seeing this display, Lei Laohu's arrogance instantly deflated. He knew he couldn't afford to offend this person; there was something deep and dangerous going on here.
To be honest, the girl wasn't bad-looking, and Lei Laohu had a sliver of chivalry in him. He immediately launched into a tirade, cursing Jiang Cheng's ancestors for eighteen generations, hoping to vent the girl's anger.
To his surprise, the girl's sadness instantly turned to fury. She raised her hand and slapped the cursing Lei Laohu across the face, leaving him stunned.
So, it turned out he was wrong to curse the scoundrel who'd pulled up his pants and abandoned her?
Now he was caught in the middle, with no way out.
In the end, Lei Laohu had to admit that Jiang Cheng was truly something else. This wasn't just about persuading people to drink and taking a commission; it was straight-up brainwashing.
"Look at what you've done to such a good girl!"
Fueled by alcohol, he couldn't help but lament his current situation. If he had even half the skills of others, he wouldn't be here, enduring humiliation from his wife's family.
"Alright, I understand," Jiang Cheng said. "Don't worry about this anymore. I'll go to her place right now."
"That's the spirit, Brother! One man takes responsibility for his actions. Besides, I checked her out for you. Don't you know how accurate Brother Lei's judgment is? She's a great girl, genuinely sincere towards you. I hear she's even a college student, with a top-notch appearance and figure. Go get a checkup at the hospital later, and she'll definitely give you a big, healthy son. When that happens, Brother Lei can even claim to be half your matchmaker, right?"
Lei Laohu continued his enthusiastic pitch, unaware that Jiang Cheng had already hung up.
"Driver," Jiang Cheng said, handing over a 50-yuan bill. "Could you please drive faster? I'm in a hurry."
"Even if you're in a hurry, you can't go empty-handed," the driver said, glancing at Jiang Cheng with a condescending tone. "Young man, when you visit someone's home for the first time, you should bring a gift. Showing up empty-handed... you..."
The driver then watched in surprise as Jiang Cheng reached out, took back the 50-yuan bill, and stuffed it into his own pocket.
(End of the Chapter)
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