Translator: CinderTL
Following his memory, Jiang Cheng arrived at Nan Huaili's home. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, he could see many people inside. Judging by their attire, they were likely friends who had come to offer condolences to the Nan family.
Nan Jin's mother sat on the sofa, her entire demeanor one of numbness. The light had vanished from her eyes.
Jiang Cheng scanned the room but didn't see Nan Jin.
She was probably still in her room on the second floor of the villa.
Choosing a secluded spot, Jiang Cheng swiftly climbed to the second floor and appeared outside Nan Jin's bedroom window. Through the glass, he could see her sitting on the bed, lost in thought.
After a moment's consideration, Jiang Cheng tapped on the window.
Nan Jin looked up. The moment she saw Jiang Cheng, her eyes widened slightly, and a flicker of something suddenly flashed in their depths.
"Miss Nan," Jiang Cheng said as he entered through the opened window. "I'm truly sorry for having to meet you this way." He pointed to the ground below, explaining, "There are too many people downstairs. I didn't think it would be appropriate to appear so suddenly, so..."
To Jiang Cheng's surprise, before he could finish speaking, Nan Jin suddenly rushed forward and embraced him, sobbing, "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have let you go. Something must have happened to Father. I thought something had happened to you too, that you'd never come back."
When Jiang Cheng received the bar owner's call in Jiang City, he already had a good idea of what had happened.
Nan Jin must have come to the studio to find him, but since he and Lin Wan'er were trapped in the Ghost Hospital at the time, she had eventually gone to the bar.
He hadn't expected the bar owner to concoct such a melodramatic soap opera based entirely on speculation.
They had nearly ended up misunderstanding each other.
"See? I'm fine," Jiang Cheng said softly, trying to reassure her. "If you'd used any more force, I might actually be in trouble."
He was telling the truth. He hadn't realized Nan Jin, who seemed so gentle, possessed such strength.
This experience was different from any he'd had before. After leaving the Ghost Hospital, neither his physical stamina nor his mental energy had recovered, and even his physical injuries remained unhealed.
He was currently very weak.
Across from him sat a sofa. Jiang Cheng sat there in silence for a moment before finally speaking. "I'm sorry. I couldn't bring back your father."
To his surprise, Nan Jin only remained silent for a few seconds after hearing this before quietly replying, "I know."
Her reaction left Jiang Cheng feeling unusually awkward. He desperately wanted to say something to break the oppressive atmosphere and offer the girl a glimmer of hope.
But after careful consideration, he realized the only comfort he could offer was a lie.
But Jiang Cheng didn't want to deceive the girl, giving her false hope only to have it dashed. Even he found the emotional rollercoaster cruel.
Yet, seeing the light fade from Nan Jin's eyes, Jiang Cheng decided to speak. He wanted to try, perhaps he could change something.
"I met Mr. Nan Huaili," Jiang Cheng said slowly, sitting up straight. His height advantage, combined with his handsome face, made him appear incredibly credible. "He was trapped in a very strange place. I stumbled into it by accident, along with a few others."
"It was incredibly dangerous, more dangerous than you can imagine. Many people died there," Jiang Cheng said, looking at Nan Jin. "Your father was very brave. He saved many lives, but in the end, he didn't make it. The situation was critical, and I couldn't save him."
Jiang Cheng took a deep breath and looked at Nan Jin. "Mr. Nan Huaili loved you very much. He wouldn't want you to grieve his passing. He wants you to live a good life."
"Please rest assured, Mr. Nan Huaili didn't suffer when he passed." Jiang Cheng wasn't sure why he'd added that unnecessary detail.
"Thank you, Mr. Jiang," Nan Jin said, turning to Jiang Cheng. "Actually, I already knew my father was gone. But it's wonderful that you returned safely."
The purpose of his visit had been achieved. There was no point in staying any longer. He had many urgent matters to attend to: the items on Lin Wan'er, the Guild website Huai Yi had mentioned, and Fatty, who was being kept in custody by the middle-aged man.
He had made it clear to the middle-aged man that any clues unearthed from Fatty's background, and their ultimate disposal, would be his decision.
Moreover, Xia Meng must not learn about this.
He knew that given Xia Meng's friendship with him, even out of consideration for his sake, Fatty would likely still meet a tragic end.
After bidding farewell to Nan Jin, Jiang Cheng chose to leave through the window again. The crowd below was too dense; his appearance might trigger an emotional breakdown in Nan Jin's mother.
Besides, he had no time or need to offer lengthy explanations.
The fewer people who knew about the Nightmare, the better. The chances of ordinary people being killed in a supernatural event were slim.
But if it caused widespread panic, the consequences would be catastrophic.
Based on current evidence, the Night Watcher has existed for quite some time. This suggests that supernatural events must have occurred even earlier.
To Jiang Cheng, the Night Watcher was an organization officially sanctioned and backed by the state, specifically tasked with handling supernatural events.
All the bizarre disappearances in Rong City eventually ended up in their hands.
Their goal was not difficult to guess: to eliminate potential threats and resolve supernatural events across the country.
There were also privately formed groups and individuals with the ability to deal with supernatural events. Huai Yi and the friends he mentioned belonged to this category.
For these individuals, relying solely on morality and justice to restrain them was both ineffective and unrealistic. They simply wanted to survive and enjoy life. Morality and righteousness held no value in the face of their primal instinct for survival.
Crimson was the most ruthless and uncontrollable faction among them.
From Yu's conversation with the middle-aged man, Jiang Cheng learned that Crimson was a group of utterly unscrupulous lunatics. They were highly organized, acted with brutal decisiveness, possessed exceptional cunning, and seemed to have an understanding of Nightmares far beyond that of ordinary people.
Jiang Cheng even felt that the Nightmare wasn't a burden for them, but an opportunity.
They coveted something within the Nightmare, something deep within its core. Once they obtained it, they would inevitably shatter a delicate balance, unleashing disaster.
Even Jiang Cheng could sense the Nightmare's terrifyingly rapid encroachment on the real world, blurring the lines between the two realms.
It was an irreversible trend.
And behind it all, could there be a Crimson Shadow at play?
"Mr. Jiang."
The sound snapped Jiang Cheng from his reverie. He realized he had been standing by the window, lost in thought, while Nan Jin remained before him.
He had been rude.
"I'll be going now," Jiang Cheng said, gesturing to leave. But as he turned, his peripheral vision caught Nan Jin's face, instantly reminding him of the timid girl from the bar that night.
Despite her obvious excellence, she carried herself with a humility that made her seem as though she were trying to wrap herself up and retreat into an eggshell.
He stopped, then stepped forward and leaned down to give her a brief, shallow hug.
(End of the Chapter)
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