Reminder

Translator: Cinder Translations

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They stayed outside until dawn before returning. Thinking back on what happened during the night, Fatty couldn't help but shudder with lingering fear. A gust of wind blew past, making him tremble from the cold. 

His opera costume was soaked, but he didn't dare take it off. The wet fabric clung to his body, making him feel extremely uncomfortable. 

"Doctor, you have no idea! Shi Liao Zhi's corpse was right under the boat, dressed in a bright red opera costume. At that moment… at that moment, we were this close!" Fatty gestured animatedly while speaking to Jiang Cheng, who sat at the table. "I was scared to death!" 

"I just knew it! Doctor, you guys must have been deceived. Shi Liao Zhi was definitely a ghost," Fatty declared with certainty. 

Then, with an expression of feigned nonchalance—though actually full of pride—he stole a glance at Jiang Cheng and said, "So I thought about how I could warn you, Doctor. But after racking my brain, I had no other way, so I made up the excuse that Young Master Huang was seriously ill." He licked his lips and looked at Jiang Cheng expectantly. "What do you think, Doctor? Not bad, right?" 

Leaning by the window, Xia Meng, who had been watching the scenery outside, seemed annoyed by Fatty's rambling. She turned her head and glanced at him before speaking, "Whether you came or not didn't really matter." She let out a cold snort. "You don't actually think he didn't already realize that Liao Zhi was a ghost, do you?" 

Fatty was momentarily stunned, then turned his gaze toward Jiang Cheng, seeking confirmation. A moment later, he visibly deflated. 

If he just thought about it rationally, it was obvious that someone as smart as the doctor had already noticed Liao Zhi's flaws. Did he really need Fatty to remind him? 

Looks like he was being overly sentimental again. Hanging his head, Fatty wondered if his actions were not only useless but downright foolish in the doctor's eyes. 

Curling up in his chair, he fell silent. 

A hand suddenly rested on Fatty's shoulder. His large body stiffened. Looking up, he met Jiang Cheng's calm, unwavering gaze. 

"Thank you, Fatty." Jiang Cheng spoke naturally, his tone devoid of any artificiality, as if what Fatty had done truly helped him greatly. 

He squeezed Fatty's shoulder firmly and nodded. "Well done." 

A spark of light returned to Fatty's once-dim eyes. 

Xia Meng stared at the two of them, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, especially toward Jiang Cheng—as if she were seeing him for the first time. 

"Liao Zhi hid himself very well," Jiang Cheng withdrew his hand and said, "I was careless this time." 

After a brief moment of daze, Fatty quickly waved his hands, looking a little flattered. "Doctor, don't say that! You've helped me so much before. This time, helping you is only right. And besides, this mission is so dangerous…" Fatty's face turned red as he stammered, "Even the wisest can make mistakes! You've already done a great job, Doctor." 

"If you notice anything next time, be sure to warn me." 

Fatty nodded repeatedly. "Got it, Doctor!" 

"Doctor," Fatty stretched his neck and asked, "What's our next move?" 

Although the ghost in last night's opera didn't kill anyone, Liao Zhi had died during the daytime. Fatty remembered that the doctor had once said that as the mission progressed, the ghost would gradually perfect itself, and its methods would become increasingly eerie. 

"First, keep watch for me outside," Jiang Cheng glanced at Xia Meng by the window. "I have something to discuss with her." 

"Got it, Doctor." Fatty immediately walked toward the door. He had developed an almost instinctive obedience to Jiang Cheng's words. After opening the door, he glanced around to make sure no one was nearby before turning back. "Doctor, hurry up. Someone might come by soon." 

Jiang Cheng clapped his hands as he stood up, adjusting his belt. "You should know by now, I won't take long. A few minutes is enough." 

With a loud bang, Fatty shut the door. 

"What do you want?" Xia Meng looked at the man approaching her, her voice betraying a lack of confidence. She pressed her lips together. "Last night's incident had nothing to do with me. You should understand that if I had returned to report, I would've likely been targeted by the ghost, or even directly killed," she said rapidly. "You can't expect me to act like that Fatty…" 

Before she could finish, a hand wrapped around her throat. 

The scene from the small village of Shijian replayed once again. But this time, the one being threatened wasn't that woman—it was her. 

With Xia Meng's skills, she normally wouldn't be subdued so easily. But Jiang Cheng didn't say a word before attacking, catching her completely off guard. After all… they had already made an agreement. 

If something happened to her during the mission, neither Jiang Cheng nor Fatty would have a good outcome once they left. 

Jiang Cheng stared at her coldly, his grip tightening. Xia Meng felt her feet lift off the ground—this seemingly unimposing man had just hoisted her up with one hand. 

"Cough, cough…" Xia Meng coughed violently, but even so, she could barely make a sound. She widened her terrified eyes, looking at Jiang Cheng as if he had lost his mind. 

"I gave you a chance," Jiang Cheng spoke calmly. "But you didn't cherish it." 

Her hands feebly clawed at the fingers around her neck. That defined, bony hand was like an iron vice. Xia Meng's mind blanked as she gasped for air, black spots clouding her vision. 

She had no idea what had angered this lunatic. 

And that was what terrified her the most. 

Her lips moved soundlessly. Watching her futile struggle, Jiang Cheng said indifferently, "If you're still thinking about your Uncle Gong, then you should give up." 

"First, he's not here," Jiang Cheng continued. "Second, even if he were, your situation wouldn't be much better than it is now. I suggest you wise up." 

"I like smart people," he added. "Because they live longer." 

Just as Xia Meng felt she was about to be strangled to death, the crushing force suddenly vanished. She collapsed onto her knees with a thud, then fell forward onto the floor. 

Sweat-soaked strands of hair clung to her face as she gasped for breath, utterly disheveled. 

Jiang Cheng's shoes tapped rhythmically on the floor mere inches from her face. She could feel the faint tremors through the ground. 

Madman… 

He's a complete madman! 

If she didn't have precise intelligence, she would've suspected Jiang Cheng himself was the Deep Crimson infiltrator of the mission. 

"It's getting late," Jiang Cheng looked down at her, then crouched to her level, his eyes devoid of any sympathy. "I'll only ask this once." 

"Besides Zuo Jing and An Xuan, was there anyone else who came with you?" 

Hearing this, Xia Meng, who had been trembling uncontrollably, suddenly froze. She struggled to lift her head and stared at Jiang Cheng with a changed expression. 

"What exactly are they?" Jiang Cheng pressed on. "Don't tell me they're just here to protect you—we both know you're not worth that much." 

(End of the Chapter)

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