Chapter 11

Jiang Ji carried Jiang Bei out of the room, turned off the lights, and locked the door. He walked quite fast, not slowing down even with someone on his back.

Qin Qingzhuo followed behind and noticed two sheets of music on the ground. He bent down to pick them up and saw that they were music scores, most likely scattered by those debt collectors who had ransacked the room just now.

Jiang Ji had already descended the stairs, so Qin Qingzhuo temporarily put away the two sheets of music, planning to return them later.

Exiting the bar, Qin Qingzhuo saw Jiang Ji heading in a certain direction and quickened his pace, raising his voice, “Jiang Ji.”

Jiang Ji halted and looked back at him. Qin Qingzhuo pointed to the black car parked at the bar’s entrance. “Over here.”

“I can take her,” Jiang Ji glanced at Qin Qingzhuo.

“Get in the car,” Qin Qingzhuo raised his hand to stop him, his tone gentle but carrying an unspoken implication of non-negotiability. “I have other things to talk to you about, you know.”

He hinted at something, and Jiang Ji evidently understood what he wanted to discuss. After a moment of silence, Jiang Ji changed direction.

Descending a few steps, Qin Qingzhuo opened the car door and helped Jiang Ji put Jiang Bei inside.

Seeing Jiang Ji also getting into the car and closing the door, Qin Qingzhuo walked around and sat in the passenger seat. “Uncle Zhao, find a nearby *A-grade tertiary hospital.”
*the highest level

“Okay,” the driver replied out of habit, without asking further questions, and started the car.

No one spoke along the way. Qin Qingzhuo rolled up the two sheets of music and held them in his hand, lightly tapping his palm, contemplating how to handle this matter.

Demanding money from a celebrity by using stolen privacy photos was a common tactic of paparazzi. It was called “public relations” but was essentially extortion, and it was the one action Qin Qingzhuo detested the most.

On the way to Honglu Slope Street, Qin Qingzhuo had already planned his next move while resting his eyes. How to obtain the photos, induce Jiang Ji to reveal his intention to demand money, step by step collect evidence, and turn from being passive to proactive—Qin Qingzhuo had roughly outlined everything in his mind.

At nineteen, Jiang Ji was an adult, and Qin Qingzhuo had to make him understand that adults had to face the consequences of their mistakes.

However, just witnessing Jiang Ji being cornered by several burly men in the room, and seeing his frail and helpless sister who couldn’t even stand up after being knocked down… Qin Qingzhuo suddenly felt a pang of softness in his heart.

This moment of softness made things a bit tricky.

The hospital the driver found was nearby, and a few minutes later, the car stopped at the emergency room entrance.

“Can you walk by yourself?” Qin Qingzhuo heard Jiang Ji in the backseat asking Jiang Bei.

“My stomach doesn’t hurt anymore,” Jiang Bei suddenly said, surprising Qin Qingzhuo.

“Since we’re here, isn’t it a bit late to say that now?” Jiang Ji glanced at her and pushed open the car door, walking straight towards the emergency room.

Jiang Bei also got out of the car, standing by the car and raising her voice to shout again, “My stomach doesn’t hurt anymore!”

Ignoring her, Jiang Ji walked ahead, already entering the hospital lobby by the time Qin Qingzhuo caught up with Jiang Bei.

Qin Qingzhuo walked over and took Jiang Bei’s hand. “Let’s go. Whether it hurts or not, it’s better to get checked.”

Jiang Ji always walked fast. Without waiting for Jiang Bei and Qin Qingzhuo’s response, he didn’t even glance at the signs indicating the way to the hospital, showing a familiar demeanor with the place. By the time Qin Qingzhuo and Jiang Bei caught up, Jiang Ji had already registered for the emergency room.

There weren’t too many people coming to the emergency room at night, and they were called after a short wait. Jiang Ji entered the examination room and briefly explained the situation to the doctor: “She was kicked and her stomach hurts.”

The doctor in a white coat pressed on Jiang Bei’s abdomen. “Does it hurt here? What about here?”

After the examination, the doctor stood up straight. “It’s a temporary pain caused by external impact, without causing internal injuries, so it’s nothing serious.” Then, looking at Jiang Bei’s elbow, which had been scraped when she hit the wall, the doctor called for a nurse. “Take the child to dress the wound.”

The nurse was quite gentle and led Jiang Bei to the adjacent examination room to dress the wound, but Jiang Bei didn’t move. “No need.”

“What’s wrong?” The nurse bent down and patiently asked, “Are you afraid of pain?”

Jiang Bei didn’t say a word, but Jiang Ji spoke up, urging her rather harshly, “Hurry up!”

After speaking, he grabbed her arm and dragged her to the adjacent dressing room without further ado.

Jiang Bei was seated on a chair to have her wound dressed, and she didn’t even whimper in pain, silently staring at the wound on her elbow.

This little girl’s reaction was quite strange. She suddenly said her stomach didn’t hurt when they got out of the car, and later, she didn’t want the nurse to dress her wound. Qin Qingzhuo initially thought she was like other children, naturally afraid of hospitals, but judging from Jiang Bei’s expression at this moment, it seemed that wasn’t the case.

Qin Qingzhuo quietly observed these two siblings, feeling that both of their personalities were a bit peculiar.

After Jiang Bei’s wound was taken care of, Jiang Ji walked out to settle the bill. Qin Qingzhuo raised his hand to stop him. “You should also take care of the wound on your forehead.”

Jiang Ji glanced at him. “I don’t need to.”

“Since we’re already here, let’s handle it together,” Qin Qingzhuo said, not only addressing Jiang Ji but also the nurse.

“Hey, your wound doesn’t look light,” the nurse said, looking at Jiang Ji’s wound. “It’s on your forehead, so it needs proper treatment. Come, sit here, and I’ll disinfect it for you.”

Seeing that the nurse had brought disinfectant over, Jiang Ji frowned slightly but didn’t insist further. He sat down.

“Your brother is so caring about you. With such a handsome face, it would be a pity if it leaves a scar. Do you still want to find a girlfriend in the future?” The nurse carefully treated the wound while speaking.

At first, Qin Qingzhuo thought she was talking to Jiang Bei when she said “brother,” but he realized she was referring to him only later. Qin Qingzhuo glanced at Jiang Ji, whose frowned deepened slightly.

The nurse kept chattering, “Did you get into a fight? Kids your age are rebellious. My brother is the same. No matter how many times I tell him… you should fight less in the future. Your brother will worry about you.”

With each mention of “brother,” Jiang Ji’s expression grew worse, while Qin Qingzhuo found it amusing to observe his reaction — the young man seemed irritated by the repeated mentions of “brother,” with no outlet for his frustration.

“Your brother…” the nurse was about to say something else, but Jiang Ji couldn’t stand it anymore and interrupted in a low voice, “He’s not my brother.”

“Huh?” The nurse looked surprised and turned to Qin Qingzhuo. “Isn’t he your brother? Why would he care so much if he isn’t?”

Seeing Jiang Ji’s displeased expression, Qin Qingzhuo suddenly found it interesting and decided to tease him a bit. He temporarily accepted being called “brother” and leaned against the door frame, intending to pick on Jiang Ji about something he wouldn’t like to hear. “Jiang Ji, I just said a few words to you, and now you don’t even recognize me as your brother? Watch how I deal with you later.”

“I told you,” the nurse chuckled, “how could he come to the hospital with you so late if he’s not your brother?”

Jiang Ji glanced at Qin Qingzhuo, his expression turning even more unfriendly.

Qin Qingzhuo casually observed him, finding the situation quite amusing.

Exiting the hospital, the atmosphere changed as soon as the night breeze blew. The camaraderie they had in the examination room dispersed.

“Get in the car,” Qin Qingzhuo opened the car door. “I’ll treat you to dinner.”

“No need,” Jiang Ji said. “I’ll take a taxi with her.”

“Jiang Ji, is your immediate response to anything I say always ‘no need’?” Qin Qingzhuo looked at him somewhat helplessly. “It’s just dinner. You don’t have to overthink it.”

Before Jiang Ji could reply, Jiang Bei, standing next to him, suddenly shouted, “I’m hungry!”

Jiang Ji frowned and gave Jiang Bei a warning glance, but Jiang Bei had already opened the car door, ignoring his gaze.

“Let’s go,” Qin Qingzhuo chuckled and turned his gaze to Jiang Bei. “Help your brother get into the car.”

Jiang Bei swiftly climbed into the car, looking at Jiang Ji through the window, while Jiang Ji coldly returned her gaze, his warning look intensifying.

A moment later, Jiang Bei pursed her lips, pushed open the car door, and, with an unhappy expression, muttered, “Fine, I won’t eat then.”

Jiang Ji remained unyielding, making Qin Qingzhuo somewhat exasperated. “Fine, I’ll take you home. Get in the car, Jiang Ji. You don’t have to refuse this small favor, right?”

Seeing Jiang Bei sitting motionless in the car, Jiang Ji finally opened the car door and got in.

The car entered Honglu Sloping Street, stopping at the bar’s entrance. The three of them got out, and Qin Qingzhuo said, “Jiang Ji, let your sister go upstairs first. I want to talk to you.”

Watching Jiang Bei push the door and enter the bar, Qin Qingzhuo, standing at the entrance, casually asked, “How old is your sister?”

“Eight,” Jiang Ji replied.

“Her personality is quite like yours. Is she in elementary school?”

“No,” Jiang Ji furrowed his brow. “Just say what you want to say, no need to beat around the bush.”

“Okay,” Qin Qingzhuo nodded. This boy’s way of speaking was not much different from when they discussed appearance fees with Chen Jia last time—straightforward and concise. “How much money do you owe?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“How did you end up owing money?”

Jiang Ji fell silent, and Qin Qingzhuo assumed the answer to this question would be similar to the previous one. “Let’s switch to a question related to me. What are your plans with that photo you have?”

“Going to the hospital again, inviting me to dinner,” Jiang Ji sneered, a hint of sarcasm in his tone. “After a night of goodwill, we finally get to the main point.”

“Are you not also waiting for me to ask about this?” Qin Qingzhuo raised an eyebrow slightly.

“Regarding that photo…” leaning against the bar’s wall, Jiang Ji took out a cigarette. He bit the cigarette, lowered his head to light it with a match, and took a puff. With that indifferent and rebellious look, he said, “Teacher Qin, you didn’t keep your promise.”

“I don’t recall making any promise with you, did I?” Qin Qingzhuo suppressed the discomfort from the secondhand smoke. “That was just your unilateral assumption. Besides, even though I didn’t choose you, you still got promoted. Now that your goal is achieved, whether I chose you or not doesn’t matter, right?”

Jiang Ji turned his head and chuckled, releasing some white smoke.

“Or is it that your goal isn’t about promotion?” Qin Qingzhuo hinted, “but something else?”

Jiang Ji looked at him with interest. “About what?”

“Jiang Ji, don’t beat around the bush. How much money do you owe? To be honest, an hour ago, I had no intention of spending a penny on this. But now,” Qin Qingzhuo paused, sighed, “give me a figure. As long as it’s not too outrageous, I can buy that photo.”

“But what changed now?” Jiang Ji exhaled a puff of white smoke, gazing at Qin Qingzhuo with narrowed eyes.

Through the smoke, Qin Qingzhuo couldn’t clearly see Jiang Ji’s expression. He felt a sudden chill, as if facing a beast about to launch a silent but fierce attack. It was strange; wasn’t this young man only nineteen years old?

Without going into details, mindful of Jiang Ji’s pride, he didn’t want to make things too clear. “I cannot turn a blind eye to what happened today.”

Jiang Ji, who had been leaning against the wall, stared at Qin Qingzhuo for a while. He then leaned forward, closing the distance between them, and looked into Qin Qingzhuo’s eyes. In a low voice, he repeated, “But what changed now? Weren’t you planning not to spend a penny? Why the change of heart?”

Qin Qingzhuo furrowed his brow; Jiang Ji’s tone made him uncomfortable.

“Did you suddenly discover that I’m more pitiful than you imagined, and your benevolence surged?” Jiang Ji blew out a plume of white smoke. Qin Qingzhuo’s brow furrowed even tighter. After a few seconds of silence, he raised his hand, removed the half-smoked cigarette from Jiang Ji’s fingers, and said, “Didn’t anyone tell you that this low-quality cigarette will only ruin your throat?”
The mocking expression in those pitch-black eyes grew even stronger. Qin Qingzhuo looked at him. “Jiang Ji, you don’t need to be hostile towards me. Everyone faces difficulties at some point, and accepting help from others is not shameful. If you truly want to sing well, I can help you, so you can sing freely on stage without any worries…”

“Save it,” Jiang Ji interrupted Qin Qingzhuo as he stood up. “Put away your overflowing saintly heart. I don’t need it. Singing is just a means of making a living, nothing more. Whoever wants to do it can do it.”

Seeing Jiang Ji’s indifferent and even contemptuous expression, Qin Qingzhuo suddenly felt an uncontrollable anger surge within him. He took a deep breath. “Jiang Ji, if you want to get money from me, take back what you just said.”

“And if I don’t take it back, and don’t want the money?” Jiang Ji stared at the angry Qin Qingzhuo, disdainfully sneering. “It seems you’re the one who should be worried, isn’t it? Thinking that by offering some money that means nothing to you, you can make me wag my tail and be grateful to you like a street dog?”

Qin Qingzhuo couldn’t believe his kindness was being trampled upon like this. Anger surged up uncontrollably, and his voice turned cold with emotion. “Fine, you can handle that photo however you want, sell it to the paparazzi, or publish it. But Jiang Ji, I have to warn you, there will be consequences for doing so. For example, you’ll end up with even greater debts later, or years of lawsuits will haunt you, leaving you no room to focus on anything else. By then, forget about earning money to pay off debts, your whole life might be dragged down because of this.”

“Is that a threat?” Jiang Ji sneered.

“It’s just giving you a choice,” Qin Qingzhuo said. “You can choose the path that’s more beneficial to you.”

“The path that’s beneficial to me seems to be more beneficial to you, isn’t it? And the path that’s not beneficial to me, you seem to be more afraid of it than I am?” Jiang Ji laughed, this time not a cold laugh, but an indifferent one. “Teacher Qin, my life is already a mess. Even if it gets worse, it’s just the difference between being bad and worse. But you and your… boyfriend, with such a bright life, even a slight stain could ruin it.”

“So, don’t speak to me with such authority,” Jiang Ji’s voice turned cold as he looked at Qin Qingzhuo. “As long as the photo is in my hands, the initiative is mine. Whether I want to sell the photo or how to deal with it, it’s up to me.”

After Jiang Ji finished speaking, he turned around and left.

Qin Qingzhuo looked at him. “You’re too impulsive right now, Jiang Ji. It’s better to go back and think about it.”

Jiang Ji’s hand was already gripping the handle of the glass door. He glanced sideways at Qin Qingzhuo with that mocking expression again, then pushed the door and walked into the bar.