Qian Ran dialed Jiang Zhida’s number.

As soon as the call connected, Jiang Zhida’s nervous and excited voice came through the phone: “Xiaoran, have you found Zhiyi?”

Qian Ran looked at Jiang Zhiyi and replied with a smile, “Mission accomplished. Your sister is safe and sound, not a hair out of place.”

Jiang Zhida relaxed and said, “I’m relieved. We’ve been worried about her these days, afraid she might encounter some trouble.”

“Dazi Ge…” Jiang Zhiyi almost cried when she heard Jiang Zhida’s words, her voice a bit choked.

Jiang Zhida noticed the change in her voice and asked anxiously, “Zhiyi, what’s wrong? Did something happen on the train?”

Jiang Zhiyi didn’t want her family to know what had happened—the theft and the near abduction.

If she told them, they would be extremely worried and would come to Yangcheng immediately to take her back.

Since she had endured so much to get here, she couldn’t give up halfway.

Jiang Zhiyi wiped her eyes and said, “Brother, I’m fine. It’s just that hearing your voice so suddenly made me miss you.”

“Now that you know we’re okay, why didn’t you think to inform us before you ran away?”

Jiang Zhiyi lowered her eyes, filled with regret.

“Brother, I was afraid that if I told you, you would inform Mom and Dad, and I wouldn’t be able to leave.”

Jiang Zhida said, “Silly!”

Jiang Zhida’s uncle, Jiang Erjiu, and Zhou Huaying, who had been waiting impatiently, ignored Jiang Zhida’s objections and took the phone from him to inquire about Jiang Zhiyi’s train journey.

Zhou Huaying was still angry.

Now that she knew Jiang Zhiyi was safe, she ordered her to buy a plane ticket and come back immediately.

Jiang Zhiyi was stubborn and refused without thinking: “Mom, I’m already in Yangcheng. I’m not going back now.”

“Jiang Zhiyi!”

“Enough! You were anxious when you couldn’t find her, and now that you have, you’re still causing a fuss. Second family, just calm down!”

Grandpa Jiang spoke up, and Zhou Huaying realized she shouldn’t pressure Jiang Zhiyi further; otherwise, she might run away again.

“Jiang Zhiyi, if you don’t listen to your parents, you’ll end up suffering sooner or later.”

Jiang Zhiyi remained silent.

This was the path she had chosen, and even if she faced hardships, she wouldn’t speak up.

After talking to her family, Jiang Zhiyi went to rest.

Jiang Zhida said he had work matters to discuss with Qian Ran, and the rest of the Jiang family left the study.

“Xiaoran, tell me the truth. What happened to Zhiyi?”

Jiang Zhiyi’s tone earlier could fool the angry Jiang Erjiu and his wife, but not Jiang Zhida.

Qian Ran had no intention of hiding anything from Jiang Zhida.

Jiang Zhida wouldn’t reveal what Jiang Zhiyi had experienced.

“Her money was stolen on the way, and she encountered a group of kidnappers when she got off the train. She almost got abducted. Dazi, if you hadn’t instructed me to stay at the station to meet her, Zhiyi would have been in real danger.”

Qian Ran, even recounting the scene, was still shaken.

They dealt with various dark sides of business in Yangcheng, but seeing the reality of human trafficking there was unsettling.

Yangcheng was becoming economically developed and more open, with many gray areas and high rates of theft and robbery.

Qian Ran knew that girls who were trafficked here would face a ruined life.

Jiang Zhida’s face darkened with shock, anger, and fear: “Comfort Zhiyi well, take her out to relax. I’ll come to Yangcheng tomorrow.”

Qian Ran smiled, “Sure, the factory is nearly finished. It’s a good opportunity for you to see it.”

Jiang Zhida smiled too: “The entertainment venues in Jingcheng are almost done too.”

The next day, Chu Xia learned that Jiang Zhiyi had safely arrived in Yangcheng.

Knowing that Jiang Zhida was going to Yangcheng, she asked him if he needed anything.

Yangcheng had many foreign-imported, trendy items not available in Jingcheng.

Chu Xia expressed regret that she couldn’t take a long leave due to her internship and would have taken An An to Yangcheng to see the changes and shop for fashionable items.

Chu Xia didn’t want Jiang Zhida to pick clothes because his taste wasn’t reliable.

She only asked him to bring back some unique herbal medicines from Yangcheng.

“Simple enough, I’ll take care of it. Cousin, I’ll be looking at the factory when I’m there, so if there are any issues, I’ll need your help. Don’t ignore my calls!”

Chu Xia joked, “Well, that’s not guaranteed.”

Jiang Zhida frowned, “Cousin, you’re not serious, are you?”

“It’s just a joke.”

That evening, Cen Zhengnian came home for dinner.

Chu Xia said at the table, “Zhiyi must have encountered some trouble.”

Cen Zhengnian looked at her, “Why do you think so?”

Cen Huai’an also looked at Chu Xia in confusion.

Chu Xia picked up a piece of egg from the tomato egg dish and said, “Dazi was in the midst of busy times at the Jingcheng entertainment venues. He hadn’t mentioned going to Yangcheng before but suddenly did. It must be related to Zhiyi.”

Cen Zhengnian asked Chu Xia for details of Jiang Zhida’s visit, and after hearing them, he agreed with Chu Xia’s suspicion.

However, Jiang Zhida was tight-lipped, and he wouldn’t reveal anything Jiang Zhiyi wanted to keep secret.

Chu Xia looked worried. “I wonder what happened to Zhiyi and how she’s doing now?”

Cen Zhengnian said, “Dazi isn’t in a rush, so it means the issue has been resolved and Zhiyi is safe.” Otherwise, Jiang Zhida would have gone to deal with it as soon as he got the call yesterday.

“You’re right,” Chu Xia said, serving some tomatoes to Cen Huai’an and An An.

She then looked at Cen Huai’an and said, “An An, if you ever want to go somewhere, you mustn’t go alone without telling us. The safety situation isn’t great these days, and it’s easy to get into danger when you’re out by yourself.”

Cen Huai’an nodded seriously. “Mom, I understand. I won’t make you and Dad worry.”

Jiang Zhida flew to Yangcheng and first went to see Jiang Zhiyi.

Qian Ran told him, “Last night, Zhiyi cried herself awake while sleeping. I happened to hear her when I went out for water. Dazi, should we take her to see a doctor?”

Extreme shock sometimes requires medication.

Jiang Zhida frowned, understanding that it was normal for Jiang Zhiyi to be emotionally unstable after such a terrifying experience.

“If she’s still crying tonight, I’ll take her to the hospital tomorrow.”

“Alright!”

However, Jiang Zhiyi was determined and, upon learning that Jiang Zhida was there to check on their new factory, immediately grabbed her new camera and said, “Brother, I want to go with you. I came here to document the changes in Yangcheng, and your factory is the best example!”

Jiang Zhida pinched her cheek. “You went through so much just to document this? Aren’t you going to give up?”

Jiang Zhiyi shook her head with a resolute expression. “The more difficulties I face, the more determined I am. Otherwise, all the hardship would have been for nothing.”

Jiang Zhida looked at Qian Ran and waved. “Take her with us. Let’s go.”

Qian Ran smiled and nodded. “Sure!”

The factory was located in Shenshi.

Since Jiang Zhiyi didn’t have a permit to enter Shenshi, Qian Ran first took her to get one before driving her and Jiang Zhida to the factory.

Shenshi was even more open than Yangcheng, with street vendors everywhere and ongoing construction.

The workers and vendors left a deep impression on Jiang Zhiyi, making her feel the city’s new vitality.

She suddenly felt a surge of passion; this was the land of her dreams.

The factory construction was different from the entertainment venue; it wasn’t as designed or complex.

But it covered a large area, giving it a grand and impressive feel.

As soon as Jiang Zhiyi saw it, she began taking photos with her camera non-stop.

Besides photographing the factory, she also captured the surrounding construction sites.

When Jiang Zhida and Qian Ran bought the land, other plots around them had also been taken by others, and everyone was developing their own land, providing ready examples.

Jiang Zhiyi, who aspired to be a reporter, had learned a lot and made many preparations in this field.

So, while following Qian Ran, she frequently asked him questions to deepen her understanding of the factory’s changes.

At the Capital Research Institute Affiliated Hospital, Chu Xia’s department had lost Cheng Jun, and a new recruit had joined.

The new girl, full of energy, greeted Chu Xia and Dr. Yan with enthusiasm.

“Hello, Teacher! Hello, Senior Sister! I’m young and don’t mind running errands. You can assign me anything. I can do anything!”

The girl’s round face was like a blooming flower, making it hard not to smile along with her.

Chu Xia declined. “No need. I can handle my own tasks.”

Dr. Yan added, “Miscellaneous tasks aren’t important. Your focus should be on improving your medical skills.”

The girl nodded earnestly, her big round eyes fixed on Dr. Yan. “Okay, I’ll listen to the teacher.”

Jiang Zhida had been in Yangcheng for five days.

He brought back the photos of the factory taken by Jiang Zhiyi and went straight to Chu Xia’s home.

Chu Xia wasn’t home, and neither was Cen Huai’an.

Jiang Zhida knew where Chu Xia worked, so he went to the hospital to get the key.

He planned to wait at his cousin’s house for his cousin’s wife to get off work. He wanted to show the photos to Chu Xia as soon as possible.

When Jiang Zhida arrived, Chu Xia and the new girl, Feng Xiaoyuan, were busy with Dr. Yan.

He casually sat outside the consultation room, waiting for Chu Xia to finish before entering.

“Dazi, what are you doing at the hospital? Is there an emergency?”

Jiang Zhida, with a casual smile, patted the back of his head. “I came to get the key from my cousin’s wife. If it weren’t for this hot weather, I would have waited outside. In this heat, I’d be sunstruck if I waited too long.”

Chu Xia handed him the key. “You know the stuff at home. Help yourself to whatever you want.”

She then looked down at the recent case records, noting that Dr. Yan’s treatment approach was somewhat different from what she had in mind.

Jiang Zhida took the key, waved goodbye to Chu Xia, and left, not wanting to disturb his cousin’s work.

Feng Xiaoyuan, who was with Chu Xia, watched Jiang Zhida leave and, blinking, pulled her chair closer to Chu Xia’s. “Senior Sister, was that just now your cousin?”

Chu Xia responded with a “Hmm,” focusing on analyzing the case and not in the mood to discuss Jiang Zhida, so her response was not very warm.

Feng Xiaoyuan, seemingly oblivious to Chu Xia’s subtle rejection, leaned in closer.

Chu Xia indicated with her hand that she was too close.

Feng Xiaoyuan didn’t come any closer but fidgeted with her clothes, staring intently at Chu Xia. “Senior Sister, is he married? Does he have a girlfriend?”

Chu Xia looked up from the case records, frowning at Feng Xiaoyuan. “Why are you asking about this?”

Feng Xiaoyuan’s round face flushed. “Senior Sister, I really like your cousin’s type. If he’s not married…”

Before Feng Xiaoyuan could finish, Chu Xia cut her off, saying firmly, “You don’t need to think about it. He’s already in a relationship.”