Chapter 88

Chapter 88: Who Could Be So Ruthless and Heartless? Chu Tang was taken aback for a moment, then immediately wiped the annoyance off her face and replaced it with a smile, her expression shifting rapidly. "Shixu-ge, you're here." Jiang Shixu's brows furrowed slightly. "Did you just say Gu Zechuan?" Chu Tang didn't hide anything and answered honestly, "Gu Zechuan just came knocking on my door." Only then did Jiang Shixu notice the breakfast bag by the wall. He lowered his eyelashes, his voice betraying no emotion. "He came to bring you breakfast?" "Yeah, I don't know what's gotten into him so early in the morning. I was sleeping just fine and he had to go and wake me up." The disgust and irritation in Chu Tang's eyes were plain to see as she said this. Jiang Shixu asked, "How did he know your exact floor and room number?" That question stumped Chu Tang. Right—she had never told Gu Zechuan her floor or room number. How did he know? Chu Tang said blankly, "I don't know either." Jiang Shixu furrowed his brow. "Don't worry, Tangtang. I'll look into this. For now, let me come in first." Chu Tang stepped aside to let Jiang Shixu in. Once inside, Jiang Shixu took off his gray pure cashmere coat and hung it casually on the hook by the wall. Chu Tang bent down, took out a pair of men's slippers, and placed them at Jiang Shixu's feet. While he was changing his shoes, Chu Tang tried her best to appear nonchalant and asked, as if casually, "Oh, by the way, Shixu-ge, you said last night that you suddenly had something urgent to deal with. What was it? Did everything get resolved?" Jiang Shixu paused briefly, his tone calm and unruffled. "It was about Chen Jingsu." Seeing how candid he was, the weight in Chu Tang's heart finally lifted. She let out an almost imperceptible breath, her tense body relaxing. Good—he wasn't planning to hide it from her. She knew she hadn't misjudged him. Shixu-ge was nothing like Gu Zechuan. "Chen Jingsu?" Chu Tang continued. "Wasn't she locked up in the detention center?" Jiang Shixu finished changing his shoes and replied, "I'm sorry, Tangtang. I didn't tell you before because I didn't want you to worry. A month ago, Chen Jingsu falsely claimed she was pregnant, and on her way to the hospital for a check-up, she was abducted." This was more or less the same as what Gu Zechuan had said last night. The only difference was that Jiang Shixu used the word "falsely claimed." "Falsely claimed? So she was never actually pregnant?" Jiang Shixu nodded. "Yes. After she was taken, our people kept searching for her, and we finally found her at a telecom fraud compound near the border of Country C. She admitted in person that she had never been pregnant." Chu Tang followed Jiang Shixu into the living room. "Who took her? And for what motive?" "That's exactly why I said I didn't want you to worry." Jiang Shixu turned to look at her, his expression grave. "The people who took her are not to be underestimated. My initial assessment is that they were targeting me." Jiang Shixu's brows knitted slightly. He paused for a moment, then said with a stern look, "Last night... on my way to pick you up, I received a call saying that Chen Jingsu had been killed." Chu Tang's eyes flew wide open, her expression one of horror. "After our people found her, we wanted to find out who was behind her, but before we could get anything out of her, she was silenced." Chu Tang was deeply shaken. Chen Jingsu was guilty, and Chu Tang hated her too. But she believed the law would punish her. With kidnapping and attempted intentional homicide, setting aside the fact that under current law she wouldn't be sentenced to immediate execution, even if she were—a hundred steps back—it should be the law that punishes her. Being murdered was still too cruel a fate. In truth, there was something even crueler that Jiang Shixu hadn't said out loud. Chen Jingsu had been killed by having her throat slit, her death was extremely gruesome. Her father, who had been ill for a long time, had also been disposed of by the mastermind, along with A-Gang, the one who had carried out the killing, and his elderly mother. In his position, Jiang Shixu had seen too much darkness. These things he could still handle. But Tangtang was different. She was kind by nature and had too strong a sense of empathy. If she heard about these things, she would definitely be so upset she couldn't even eat. After all, Chen Jingsu's father and A-Gang's mother were innocent. Jiang Shixu pulled Chu Tang into his arms, resting his chin in the hollow of her neck. The man took a deep breath and relaxed. "Tangtang, so much has happened lately. I have to keep a tight string at all times. Only when I'm by your side can I fully let go." Jiang Shixu held Chu Tang, his eyes closed. "Tangtang, you need to be careful these days too. I'm worried those people might come after you. I'll assign two more bodyguards to protect you. Remember to bring them with you whenever you go out." Chu Tang buried her head in Jiang Shixu's chest and gave a muffled "Mm." Unease rose in her heart. "Shixu-ge, do you have any leads? Who could be so ruthless and heartless?" Jiang Shixu thought briefly, then voiced what was on his mind. "I don't have any leads yet either, but we should have answers soon. Some things, once done, are bound to leave traces. Last night I already had someone report it to the police, and they're investigating as well." Chu Tang lowered her eyes, her mind heavy with worry. After a long moment, the girl said in a subdued voice, "Gu Zechuan came to find me last night." Jiang Shixu tightened his arm around her. "What did he come for?" Chu Tang's thin lips parted slightly, her voice soft. "He came to find me, told me that you were with Chen Jingsu last night, and also said... that you sent people to snatch Chen Jingsu from the police. He deliberately misled me, trying to make me suspect that Chen Jingsu was pregnant with your child." Jiang Shixu asked her gently, "So what did you think in your heart?" Chu Tang said, "To be honest, for a moment I really was so nervous and upset that my hands were trembling. I was afraid you had really done something to betray me... But then I thought it through—he must have been deliberately trying to sow discord. I believe you wouldn't betray me." At this point, a hint of sadness crept into Chu Tang's voice. She said in a low tone, "I never expected Chen Jingsu to be killed last night..." Jiang Shixu gently patted Chu Tang's back to comfort her. "It's alright, Tangtang. Even if you had doubted me, it wouldn't have mattered—I would have come to find you myself to explain and make everything clear. Of course, I'm very glad you trust me so much. As for Chen Jingsu, I never expected this either." Chu Tang asked in a muffled voice, "Chen Jingsu... was she being coerced by someone? When she... when she kidnapped Jiaojiao back then, the hand holding the dagger was trembling, and her expression was tense and frightened. She didn't seem like someone who was inherently evil..." Jiang Shixu hummed in acknowledgment. "She was indeed being coerced." Chu Tang hugged Jiang Shixu tightly. "Brother Shi Xu, this mastermind behind it all is completely a madman who kills without blinking. You must be careful." The man's eyes were sharp, his jawline taut. "Don't worry about me. I'll be careful."