At the same time, in the Furong tea room, after the police inquiry, Lin Zhaoming realized that the young man who had saved him was nowhere to be seen.

He frowned and asked. “Just now, where is that young man?”

Lin Zihui scratched his head with a dazed expression: “Yes, he was here just now. When did he go?”

“Fine” Lin Zhaoming waved his hand, “Anyway, I left the card. If he wants me to return the favor, he will definitely look for me.”

In truth, Chen Jianan, who had slipped away with Qiao Wen on his back, had never thought of asking for this big oolong favor.

After puffing and panting around two turns and leaving the hustle and bustle, he finally gasped and slowed down. But, he still didn’t let the person on his back down.

Qiao Wen reminded him: “Brother Nan, I’ll walk by myself.”

Chen Jianan said: “It’s okay, I’ll carry you on my back, so you don’t have to take two steps and catch your breath.”

Qiao Wen laughed but broke free from him and went to the ground.

Chen Jianaan looked him up and down in the dim yellow night light and asked suspiciously: “Is it all right?”

Qiao Wen smiled and spread his hands: “It’s alright.”

Still feeling uneasy, Chen Jianan scanned him closely and confirmed that nothing was wrong. He couldn’t help but sigh with emotion: “You’ve been hanging for a breath this morning. It’s only a day, but you look so much better. It’s really amazing.”

Qiao Wen: “I couldn’t eat anything before. But after waking up today, I drank water and ate porridge. So naturally, I’m much better.”

Chen Jianan nodded: “That’s true. I’ve never been sick since I was a kid, but I’ve had a good appetite. As long as I’m hungry, I could eat a bowl of pig food.”

Qiao Wen: “…” There is no need for such a comparison.

As if thinking of something, Chen Jianan stretched out his hand and tore off the bushy beard in his mouth. Perhaps it was too tight, he groaned in pain and inhaled a sharp breath.

His young, beardless face fell into Qiao Wen’s eyes. That’s how he came to have an intuitive picture of how he looked like. There was no detailed description of Chen Jianan’s appearance in the original book, except that he should be good-looking. After all, he was nicknamed a ‘handsome boy’.

Nevertheless, Qiao Wen was stunned by his appearance at this moment.

He initially thought that even if Chen Jianan was handsome, his handsomeness must have been in the line of fierce and rough based on the ruthlessness depicted in the original book.

However, Chen Jianan without a beard was surprisingly handsome, and today he specially wore a shirt, even with quite a bit of elegant temperament.

It’s just that Qiao Wen’s surprise did not last for two seconds and was broken by a national curse from the handsome young man with a beard: “Fuck, what a shit!”

Although Chen Jianan was a native of Hong Kong City, his father was from Beijing and Tianjin, and he arrived here only after the war, so his family still retains a northern accent. From time to time he would utter a few words of his hometown.

The walled city and even the entire port city originally came from all corners of the world. Shanghai people would gather together to speak Shanghai dialect, Minnan people speak Minnanese dialect, and Chaoshan dialect could be seen everywhere. The original Xiao Qiao Wen grew up listening to his grandmother’s Wu Nong’s soft words, and he spoke with a soft voice.

Qiao Wen retracted his evaluation of clean and handsome and said: “By the way, that was the assassin in the teahouse just now. Although you did a terrible job, you also did a great job by saving the boss. So why do you say that you got into trouble? Do you know the killer? Afraid that someone will come to your door to find trouble?”

Chen Jianan shook his head: “I don’t know he is an assassin.”

“That’s all right. You are distinguished today. I don’t think he will recognize you when he sees you in the future. So don’t worry, it’s good to save people anyway.” 

“I…” Chen Jianan stroked his head and stopped talking. He certainly didn’t know him, but Lord Leopard definitely knew him.

Seeing him like this, Qiao Wen tentatively asked: “Brother Nan, are you hiding something from me?”

Chen Jianan hurriedly clasped his shoulders and shook his head: “Of course not. How can I hide anything from your golden eyes.”

Although the original body was thin and weak, perhaps because of the good genes he was not very short, but compared to Chen Jianan, he was still half a head shorter. At this time, although Chen Jianan was still a teenager with a thin body, he was a big man by northerners’ standards, and Qiao Wen only felt that he was really weak.

Fearing that his deeds of becoming a killer would fail, Chen Jianan touched his cheek affectionately and changed the subject: “Why is your face cold? Your body has just improved. The wind is strong at night, don’t catch a cold. I will put my clothes on you.”

Qiao Wen didn’t feel any discomfort from such a touch probably because the original body had grown accustomed to it. His thin calloused palm was warm, and it was quite comfortable against his face.

He shook his head: “It’s May, I still feel hot, and it’s cool to blow.”

Chen Jianan didn’t take off his clothes again when he heard the words, only wrapped him in his arms, and said: “You have always been afraid of cold and not heat, then I hold you to block the wind for you so that there won’t be too much wind.”

The young man’s body was warm, and Qiao Wen didn’t really feel cold. He laughed and said, “It’s very hot.”

Because the original body was always short of breath, this voice seemed to act cute.

Chen Jianan still embraced him: “Why don’t I feel hot?”

While chatting and laughing the two slowly walked to the entrance of the walled city. Upon entering the alleyway, the neon flashing of the metropolis suddenly became a distant background, like an invisible boundary that divides the inside and outside of the walled city into two worlds. Inside was the dark and dirty slum, while outside was the prosperous and bustling Metropolis.

It should be another power outage. The walled city that hadn’t been seen for the day at this moment was dimly shrouded by faint moonlight. A few mice passed by the cramped lanes, making harsh squeaking noises, and they did not run away when they saw people, which was outrageously arrogant.

Although Qiao Wen felt a little disgusted, he didn’t feel scared. In addition, he had seen this scene clearly in the daytime, so he was extremely calm at the moment.

On the contrary, Chen Jianaan nervously stood in front of him, stamping his feet hard while driving away from the unknown creatures in the dark, leading the Qiao Wen along.

His consideration suddenly made him reminded of Lin Nan. From childhood to adult, he would always rush in front of him whenever he encountered danger.

He didn’t feel anything when he was young. At the time, he didn’t realize that such a friendship was precious until he lost it.

Qiao Wen in this world was tragic but also lucky. At least during the years when he lived in the Kowloon Walled City, he met Chen Jianan, who protected him and took care of him as his brother.

If it weren’t for his short life, Chen Jianan in the original book would probably not embark on the road of no return. Since he had replaced the poor young man, no matter what he might become in the future, he at least had to lead Chen Jianan in the right direction.

The two lived in an eight-story tenement building. One on the second floor and the third floor, just above and below.

Before reaching the door, Chen Jianan called out loudly: “Grandma, we are back.”

As soon as the voice fell, the door at the corridor entrance on the second floor opened from the inside, and the old woman poked out her tired face called with a soft smile: “Finally, he is back. Haozi said that Awen was in good health and went out to get some air. I was worried if anything would happen to him. After waiting at home for a long time, I was relieved to see that he was coming back with Anan.”

Chen Jianan said: “That right, with me, Awen will never have an accident.”

Granny Qiao laughed: “I have cooked the soup. Anan have a bowl before you go upstairs.”

Chen Jianan rubbed his belly: “I just had evening tea with Xiao Qiao, my stomach can’t hold anymore. Xiao Qiao can drink it. I’m going up call me if you need anything.”

Qiao Wen watched him upstairs then sauntered into the house.

Granny Qiao looked at him up and down in the candlelight: “Are you really alright? Anan said that you are at Uncle Hua’s place for treatment, and you can’t see the wind. I didn’t go to see you for a while. I’ve been really worried about you for the past few days.”

Qiao Wen looked at the grandmother in front of him. She was wearing an old indigo-blue coarse cloth cheongsam, embroidered black cloth shoes on her feet, and her hair was tied with a bamboo hairpin. Although she dressed in an extremely simple manner, and her face was covered with wrinkles, but it was true, she quite had a legacy of the eldest daughter of the Republic of China.

Because of the original body, Qiao Wen had an instinctive sense of closeness to her. He held the granny’s hand into the door: “Grandma, I’m fine.”

As soon as he finished the speech, he became dizzy and gasped twice.

Upon seeing this, grandmother quickly helped him sit on the old cloth sofa next to her: “Sit down, Haozi got your medicine back. It is warming up on the stove. Drink the medicine first, and then have some soup.”

Qiao Wen said: “Thank you, grandma.”

Granny Qiao smiled and said: “What are our grandparents and grandson doing politely?”

Looking at the bowl of black Chinese medicine in his hand, Qiao Wen hesitated and drank it with his head up. Then he had maltose stuffed into his mouth by his grandmother.

Instantly, the bitter taste in his mouth was replaced by sweetness.

He smiled sweetly at his grandma.

Seeing him smile, the grandmother smiled heartily: “Yes, you should smile more it’s not good to be glum all day long.”

Qiao Wen looked at her calmly. A rich daughter experienced war and family downfall, after her son, daughter-in-law, and husband left one after another, leaving her to raise a sick grandson alone in a chaotic slum. This woman couldn’t be said to be not strong.

Qiao Wen ate the candy and drank a small bowl of white fungus soup. After putting the bowl slowly, he said: “Grandma, when I get better, I’ll find a job. When I make money, we will move to an apartment outside. You don’t have to sell dry goods anymore.”

Grandma looked at him lovingly and said, “Grandma doesn’t expect much from you, as long as you are in good health.”

Qiao Wen didn’t say much, just nodded and said: “Grandma, don’t worry about me, go and rest.”

“Okay, Haozi helped fetch two buckets of water. I boiled a pot, you wash up while it’s still hot, and go to bed early. If you have anything to do, call grandma.”

“Okay.”

During this time, there was no running water in Kowloon Walled City. There were only eight public faucets and wells. Residents had to fetch water every day. Qiao family members were old and weak, so the water was basically brought by Chen Jianan and Haozi during these years.

In such an environment, there was no water heater and flush toilets in the home, and the bathing place was on the balcony, the two-square-meter balcony was serving as a kitchen and a shower room.

Fortunately, Qiao Wen had rich experience in the field, so he wasn’t that prescriptive.

This body had been lying in Uncle Hua’s black clinic for four or five days being filled with an unknown amount of medication, the whole body smells pungent.

Earlier in the teahouse, he was knocked. After taking off the clothes he found the area was green and purple and it was painful when in contact. What kind of body is this, it’s so fragile.

Helpless, he sighed and took a hot bath. It made him feel more comfortable, but he felt exhausted as if he had done a lot of work.

Back in the room, the room was quiet grandma was already asleep.

Qiao Wen sat down on his wooden single bed and blew out the candle on the table. While wiping the hair, he looked around the small room with the moonlight borrowing from the window.

Originally, this was one room, divided into two parts inside and outside. Grandma slept inside while he slept outside.

The outside room was less than ten square meters, it also serves as a living room and dining room. Except for the bed underneath, there was only a narrow cloth sofa, a small coffee table, and a wooden cabinet. As for home appliances, there was only a floor fan and a radio.

There was a little space left for people to accommodate.

However, the room was very clean it seemed that both grandparents and grandchildren were quite sophisticated people.

Qiao Wen’s hair was short after blowing on the fan for a while it was almost done.

He laid down on the bed. The quilt smelled clean and fresh, which made people feel at ease.

Probably because this body had been lying down for too long, he was not sleepy for a while, so he just stared at the faint moonlight outside the small window in a daze.

He couldn’t help but think of Lin Nan again, wondering like him if he had also gone to another world, whether his life was good or bad?

It should not be bad. After all, he was a person who shone everywhere.

He was in a daze, suddenly a black shadow climbed up the window under the moonlight and hung on it like a giant bat, blocking out most of the already dim light.

Qiao Wen was startled and thought that the bats in this walled city had become refined? Why is it similar to a human?

No, the “big bat” suddenly popped into his head and said in a low voice: “Xiao Qiao, are you asleep?”

It turned out not to be a big bat, but Chen Jianan.