Chapter 29

The two walked side by side for a while before Jiang Ji spoke up, “How did you know about the basketball team?”

Qin Qingzhuo didn’t answer directly. Instead, he asked, “Speaking of which, how exactly did your captain get removed from the team? Do you mind telling me?”

“You looked into me?” Jiang Ji glanced at him. “What, do you think I’m not a good person?”

Qin Qingzhuo smiled, “I had no choice. Someone was planning to blackmail me, I couldn’t just sit back and do nothing.”

At first, Jiang Ji remained silent. After a few more steps, he spoke, “Because I sent one of those debt collectors to the hospital.”

“In your first year of high school?” Qin Qingzhuo was somewhat surprised. “You were only sixteen then, right?”

“Sixteen,” Jiang Ji replied casually.

“They started coming to collect debts from you since then?” Qin Qingzhuo frowned, recalling the tall and burly debt collectors from last time. No one would willingly jeopardize their future by getting into fights. How did they corner a sixteen-year-old boy like this?

“More than that,” Jiang Ji chuckled lightly as if he didn’t want to dwell on the topic. He changed the subject, “Apart from that, what else did you find?”

After a pause, Qin Qingzhuo said, “I found that your grades are good, and your past is clean, without any stains.” He turned his head to look at Jiang Ji. “Jiang Ji, with your academic performance, you could have a bright future if you continue your studies. Why did you choose to drop out?”

“Because I think I’m a genius, staying in school to study is too restrictive for me,” Jiang Ji said, in the same nonchalant tone.

Qin Qingzhuo could sense that Jiang Ji didn’t harbor as much hostility towards him as before. He spoke more, and occasionally made harmless jokes. However, whenever it came to personal matters, Jiang Ji always seemed to evade them.

But everyone has things they don’t want to share with others, and Qin Qingzhuo didn’t intend to press further on this issue.

As they reached the corner of Honglu Slope, Qin Qingzhuo saw that the group of children on the steps had already dispersed. Changing the subject, he said, “By the way, I saw a group of kids here today watching Jiang Bei play games. Did you know she’s pretty good at gaming? She was so serious, like a little adult.”

“Oh, she’s probably scamming kids again, asking them to pay her to play for them,” Jiang Ji said. “She’s good at all kinds of deceiving and swindling.”

“Is that how you evaluate your sister?” Qin Qingzhuo chuckled.

“Just telling the truth. I don’t really want to have a sister like her. If you want her, I’ll give her to you for free.”

Qin Qingzhuo laughed, “You say that, but last time she got injured, weren’t you quite worried? You’re quite a responsible older brother, after all.”

“I can’t just let her fend for herself,” Jiang Ji said lightly.

Qin Qingzhuo smiled and didn’t say anything more.

They were just a dozen meters away from the bar, and the car was parked on the side of the road. Qin Qingzhuo tilted his chin in that direction. “Your guitar is in my car, it’s been fixed. Take it back and give it a try.”

Jiang Ji uttered a non-committal “mmh” and walked with Qin Qingzhuo towards the car.

After retrieving the guitar from the car, the two entered the bar.

As evening approached, the bar had already opened its doors, but there weren’t many customers yet.

Footsteps echoed, and the motion sensor lights in the corridor lit up as they walked. When they reached the corner of the stairs, Jiang Ji saw three people standing at the entrance to the second floor, with the leader being Ma San, who was tall and sturdy.

“Oh, hanging out with a big celebrity again?” Ma San looked down at Jiang Ji, his tone full of sarcasm.

Jiang Ji first glanced at the security door, confirming it hadn’t been opened, then reached out to grab Qin Qingzhuo’s wrist, attempting to pull him behind himself, but Qin Qingzhuo didn’t move.

“Jiang Ji, I heard your dad’s back. Such a big deal and you didn’t even let us know? Did he hear you’re going to make big money and come back to enjoy the good life with you?” Ma San taunted.

“I still have a dad?” Jiang Ji sneered. “I didn’t know about that.”

“Hey, that’s not right of you. He’s your real dad, how can you just deny him like that? Tell us where he is, we’ll go say hi to him,” Ma San insisted.

Jiang Ji’s voice turned cold. “If you want to recognize him as your dad, go ahead. Don’t make me uncomfortable here.”

Ma San was angered by Jiang Ji’s provocative words and cursed, “You little bastard, your dad ran away, your mom died, and there’s no one to teach you how to behave, huh? Fine, let me teach you.”

Jiang Ji’s expression darkened instantly. “Try cursing at me again.”

“What? You dare to lay a hand on me?” Ma San spat on the ground. “Let me tell you, nobody can save you this time. If you don’t pay up, I’ll smash your guitar and phone!”

Before he could finish his sentence, Jiang Ji bent down, placing the guitar and phone against the wall.

Jiang Ji’s brows, which had just relaxed, were now heavily furrowed with an ominous air surrounding him, as if he were a beast suddenly provoked.

Even Ma San, who had just threatened to teach Jiang Ji a lesson, noticed something was off about him at this moment.

Ma San had experienced Jiang Ji’s reckless demeanor before. About three years ago, one of his debt collecting brothers ended up with three broken ribs and a fractured leg after Jiang Ji beat him with his bare hands. The guy spent half a year in the hospital. If Jiang Ji hadn’t been under sixteen at the time, and if the local cops hadn’t mediated the situation, claiming the other party had initiated the violence by trying to collect debts from a minor, they would have sent Jiang Ji to jail for a while.

However, it seemed that this kid had also learned a lesson. The next time they increased the number of debt collectors to deal with him, he surprisingly became obedient, not resisting anymore. He actually learned to endure and take a beating.

After that incident, Jiang Ji changed his ways. He no longer behaved like a hot-headed young beast, fiercely resisting whenever attacked. Even if he did resort to violence, he knew when to hold back.

Ma San momentarily forgot Jiang Ji’s previously reckless demeanor in fights. He thought Jiang Ji had been intimidated and scared. But at this moment, Jiang Ji’s face darkened as he stared intensely at him, reminding Ma San of the old Jiang Ji who used to fight recklessly.

“If only I had brought a club,” Ma San thought. “I need to find a way to teach this kid a lesson, or he’ll get too big for his britches again.”

Qin Qingzhuo also noticed the heavy hostility emanating from Jiang Ji. Although Jiang Ji’s action of placing down the guitar was gentle and careful, Qin Qingzhuo knew all too well that Jiang Ji had been thoroughly provoked.

He saw in Jiang Ji a reckless anger and aggression, heedless of consequences.

As Jiang Ji took a step towards the three on the stairs, Qin Qingzhuo firmly grasped Jiang Ji’s arm, stopping him from advancing further.

Feeling the coolness of Jiang Ji’s arm in his palm, the visible veins indicating Jiang Ji’s imminent eruption of violence, Qin Qingzhuo didn’t release his grip immediately. Instead, he slowly and forcefully tried to pull Jiang Ji back, attempting to diffuse the situation.

In this moment, he had already planned for what would happen next—if he couldn’t successfully stop Jiang Ji, he would join the fray. He couldn’t remember the last time he got into a fight out of youthful exuberance, but regardless, two against three gave them better odds than one against three.

Just as Qin Qingzhuo had made up his mind, Jiang Ji’s phone, which had been left against the wall, suddenly rang.

Jiang Ji hesitated for a moment, showing no intention of answering the call.

Qin Qingzhuo glanced at the brightly lit screen, seeing an unfamiliar local number.

“Who’s calling?” Ma San squinted and also glanced at the phone. “Isn’t it your dad? Answer it.”

As the phone continued to ring and Jiang Ji didn’t do as he was told, Ma San signaled to the person behind him.

That lackey immediately jogged down, and as he passed Jiang Ji, Jiang Ji once again shook off Qin Qingzhuo.

The lackey picked up the phone, answered it, and put it on speakerphone.

Just a few steps away from Ma San, Jiang Ji’s arm muscles tensed, his fist clenched.

A man’s voice came through the phone’s speaker, “Hello, this is the Hongu Slope Street Police Station. Is this Jiang Ji?”

As soon as they heard “police station,” everyone fell silent. The debt collectors were even more surprised—could the police now predict fights?

The lackey who answered didn’t know how to respond, looking at Ma San, unsure of what to do.

Jiang Ji relaxed his clenched fist and walked downstairs, taking his phone back from the lackey’s hand and answering, “Yes.”

“Is Jiang Keyuan your father?”

Jiang Ji didn’t speak, and everyone’s attention was on him.

There was no response from the other end, then a “Hello?” came through.

After a pause, Jiang Ji spoke in a deep voice, “Yes, what happened to him?”

“We found the body of your father, Jiang Keyuan, and we need you to come in for identification.”

TN:
I have no sympathy for the man but I do feel sorry for JJ.

Release scheduled upped to 3 chaps a week. Mon, Wed & Sat. Happy Easter!