Chapter 19
The increasingly loud sound of helicopter rotors drowned out his voice. The girl turned back to look at him, her pale lips slightly parted, seemingly saying something, and then collapsed right in front of him.
He stepped forward to catch her. But at that moment, several well-trained Black bodyguards stepped off the helicopter, and one White man swiftly took the unconscious girl from his arms.
"Jin, oh damn it! Dr. Norman, quickly check on Jin!" The White man's face was full of anger, and the worry in his blue eyes was impossible to hide.
"Jonathan, get the young lady on the bed."
"I'm going to tear those damn kidnappers to pieces!" Jonathan's expression was terrifying with rage.
"Jonathan, that's for the Chinese police to handle. Our only job is to bring the young lady back to S City." The man in a white lab coat, Dr. Norman, spoke calmly to soothe the impatient man. Yet even as he spoke, his hands moved swiftly, examining the girl, then instructing a nearby nurse to bring a syringe. After administering an injection into the girl's arm, he started an IV drip.
Inside the helicopter, everything was orderly and calm.
But he stood outside, helpless.
Only when the medical equipment beside Dr. Norman started showing normalized readings did he turn to the Black bodyguard and say, "Inform the boss that the young lady has been found. Also, there was a bruised and battered teenager with her."
The bodyguard received the order, and in heavily accented Mandarin, reported into his headset. Whatever the reply was, he promptly lifted the boy into the helicopter.
Dr. Norman glanced at him and instructed a nurse to treat his external wounds.
He looked at the girl lying on the medical table nearby, eyes closed, looking so fragile. It was hard to believe that the heart-racing scene from last night had actually happened—it all felt like a dream.
"Child, where is your home?"
He came back to his senses and looked at the kind-eyed doctor, whose name seemed to be Norman.
"B City," he answered.
"Alright, child, there's nothing wrong with your body. I think you can contact your family now."
He knew he had no reason to stay, yet a strange and indescribable emotion welled up inside him—one he couldn't comprehend.
Where it came from, he didn't know.
In the end, he said, "I understand. Thank you." It was the first time he had ever expressed such sincere gratitude.
He would remember what the girl had done for him and repay her one day. It was just a pity he couldn't say "thank you" to her in person.
Jonathan gestured to the Black bodyguard, who understood immediately. Half an hour later, the helicopter landed on a tarmac in B City.
"Kid, call your family to pick you up," said the bodyguard, closing the cabin door. The rotor wash blew hard, forcing him to shield his eyes.
The man named Jonathan had just stuffed a one-hundred-yuan bill into his hand. He looked at the cash, and a cold raindrop fell on his face, bringing with it a strange chill.
Then, he took a cab home.
On the way, the rain fell harder.
Fat raindrops slammed against the car window with a pitter-patter, as if beating against his heart, evoking a strange sense of pain.
As he stepped out of the car and saw the Jiang family's historic mansion bathed in the rain, it all felt like a lifetime ago.
Then he saw his older brother Jiang Suofeng and the butler standing in the rain.
They looked shocked and disbelieving. Considering his battered appearance and swollen face that made speaking difficult, he said nothing.
Back at the Jiang residence, the family doctor examined his injuries, and he slept for an entire day and night. When he woke up, he saw his parents looking at him with eyes full of worry and tenderness. At that moment, he felt maybe he'd been too impulsive.
"If you want to go somewhere in the future, we won't stop you. Just don't disappear without a word again, okay?"
Seeing the tears brimming in his mother's eyes, he nodded. "Okay, Mom."
Once he recovered, he thought again of the girl.
He wondered how she was doing.
About half a month later, he saw a newspaper article reporting that the serial killers had been apprehended. From the report, it was clear the three kidnappers had been caught. That day, he didn't tell his family what he had experienced, nor did his parents or brother ask—but that didn't mean they didn't know.
Later, under his parents' arrangement, he went to the UK.
He didn't object—without the Jiang family, he was nothing.
His brother Jiang Suofeng could adapt quickly to the rules of the world even without the Jiang family. But he—he knew nothing but indulgence.
When Jiang Suofeng laid out various university brochures before him, his mind unexpectedly drifted to her. A few days later, he handed his father the Oxford University brochure, choosing to apply to their medical program.
Though his parents found his choice surprising, they were also very pleased.
He'd always had decent grades in school but never took things seriously, coasting through day by day.
And so, under the guidance of private tutors, he got into Oxford Medical School on his own merit.
Medical studies were more boring and difficult than he'd imagined, but they slowly tempered his personality, smoothing out his once-razor-sharp edges.
During this time, he heard she was already engaged. That extinguished any desire to return to China. He focused on the research his advisor assigned him.
He stopped thinking about her, as if deliberately burying those memories deep in his heart.
But some things, the more you suppress, the more deeply they root—eventually becoming obsessions.
Since his parents and brother often stayed in the UK for extended periods, no one suggested he return.
So, he remained in the UK.
Until—
"Secretary Jiang, your drink is about to spill."
A calm yet firm voice brought him back. Jiang Suoliu saw his glass tilted slightly, the other end held up by a slender white hand. His gaze moved upward and landed on a familiar yet unfamiliar face.
In ten years, much had changed about her, but traces of the past still lingered in her features.
As he quietly looked at her, the once-cold, slightly upturned eyes now held a complexity of emotion, making them appear darker.
The fact that she didn't remember him made him feel a bit suffocated—yet also made his own unwillingness seem laughable.
Feng Jin seemed to smile at him, those captivating eyes even more soul-stirring—but somewhere in them was a trace of sorrow. Feng Jin felt puzzled but didn't ask. When this man didn't smile, he was cold and distant. But when he did smile, he exuded a strange charm.
It suited him.
The second son of the Jiang family—Jiang Suoliu.
After ten years studying in the UK, he didn't return to his family's business but instead came to S City. Coincidentally, it was when Sheng'an was facing its most challenging period.
From nearby came the sound of ice clinking gently in a glass.
Jiang Suoliu collected himself, regaining composure as if the momentary emotional lapse had never happened. He looked at Feng Jin across from him.
He had imagined this conversation many times, even prepared perfect answers. But now, face to face with her, a wave of inexplicable emotion surged in his chest. He pushed it down, looked her in the eye, and said unhurriedly, "Becoming a doctor was a goal I set at seventeen. Going into business was to fulfill a personal wish."
Feng Jin understood the literal meaning of his words and didn't press further. She smiled and asked, "Goals and wishes—sounds great. What are your plans for the future?"
"To fulfill my responsibilities and become part of Sheng'an."
"You're giving up being a doctor?"
"Invisible wealth can never be taken away. It will always belong to me." Jiang Suoliu's voice was as calm as ever, but now carried a different kind of strength. "I should control wealth—not let my profession dictate my life."
Hearing this, Feng Jin couldn't help but laugh. "A perfect answer. If I were the interviewer, I'd definitely hire you."
"Thank you for your appreciation."
"Did the interviewers ask you the same questions?"
"Theirs were more formulaic—ruthlessly competitive."
"But you succeeded."
"I'm honored."
...
In the end, Jiang Suoliu and Feng Jin conversed calmly, like old friends, without the usual distance between superior and subordinate.
This calm conversation unexpectedly brought them closer, and the time no longer felt hard to bear.
From S City to New York, there would be nearly fifteen hours of daylight. When they arrived in New York, it would be around 2 p.m.
The time difference was hard to adjust to.
Due to his background, Jiang Suoliu's insight into the business world was no less than Feng Jin's. No matter the topic, he could always offer his perspective and accurate judgment.
With pleasant conversation, time passed quickly. Feng Jin began to feel sleepy. At the right moment, Jiang Suoliu said, "President, there are still four hours until arrival. You should get some rest, so you'll have energy for what's to come."
"Mm, you too." Feng Jin clinked her glass against his, finished the wine, and got up to rest until they landed.
Jiang Suoliu watched her departing figure until she was out of sight, then turned to the swirling clouds outside the cabin window. His eyes lowered slightly, as if deep in thought.
That brief moment of probing from her confirmed it—she truly didn't remember him.
He had had no expectations before returning to China, but now a wave of restlessness stirred within him.
Jiang Suoliu took a deep breath and hid the shadow in his eyes.