17: Chapter 17

17

His gaze sharpened and regained its calm as he set off, walking at a measured pace toward the guarded hospital room.

"Halt!"

A bodyguard dressed in black took a step across, blocking the door like a guardian deity, his voice cold and hard. "Who are you?"

"The people staying inside are my parents."

Jiang Haojie stopped in his tracks, his voice flat and devoid of emotion.

The bodyguard scrutinized him for a moment, appearing somewhat surprised, but eventually stepped aside to clear the way.

Inside the ward, the atmosphere was as stagnant as frozen ice.

Jiang Shangquan and Xiao Yufen huddled by the hospital bed, their faces pale as they stared in fear at the woman sitting in the chair opposite them—Xu Jing.

Behind her, over a dozen bodyguards in matching black attire stood in silence, radiating a heavy sense of oppression.

They had already packed their simple belongings, waiting only for their son's return to complete the discharge procedures and leave this place filled with the scent of disinfectant to return to their small but warm home.

But these uninvited guests had suddenly burst in, taking control of the situation without explanation and repeatedly interrogating them about a name they had never heard of—'X'.

.

No matter how they explained or pleaded, the other party remained cold-faced, insisting that they must know and must contact this 'X'.

.

Fortunately, the other side had not yet resorted to direct violence, but those fierce gazes made them feel as if they had fallen into an ice cellar, as if disaster could strike at any moment.

"It seems you've made up your minds not to speak."

Xu Jing's voice was icy, having lost the last of her patience. "Then don't blame me for finding another way to invite you to talk."

Behind her, a burly bodyguard stepped forward in response, expressionless as he approached the cornered Jiang Shangquan and his wife step by step.

The sound of footsteps was exceptionally clear in the silent ward, like a dull drum beating against the heart.

"This... this lady, we really don't know any X!"

Xiao Yufen's voice trembled, her face growing even paler.

The bodyguard acted as if he hadn't heard, his pace never faltering as his tall shadow gradually enveloped the elderly couple.

The invisible pressure made it almost impossible for the two to breathe, their backs pressed tightly against the cold wall with nowhere to retreat.

The bodyguard raised his arm, his fan-like palm bringing a gust of wind as it was about to fall heavily toward Jiang Shangquan's shoulder—

Bang!

The ward door was suddenly pushed open, hitting the wall with a loud bang.

A figure stood at the doorway, backlit by the hallway lights so his face couldn't be seen, with only a bone-chilling voice that hammered clearly into everyone's ears, word by word:

"Let's see who dares touch my parents."

When Jiang Haojie and his group stepped into the room, the air inside seemed to suddenly freeze.

The bodyguard who was about to close in on Jiang Shangquan and his wife paused, turning his head to look at Xu Jing, who stood quietly to the side.

Xu Jing's gaze bypassed everyone else and landed directly on Jiang Haojie's face, a hint of barely perceptible surprise flashing in her eyes.

—It was actually him?

She naturally remembered this young face, but she hadn't expected this youth to be the child of that couple.

What made her pause even more was that this person seemed to have some connection with the Su Family... things had become quite subtle.

Xu Jing's expression remained unchanged as she lightly raised her hand. "A Liang, stand down."

The bodyguard immediately stopped his momentum and silently retreated behind her like a silent shadow.

"Xiao Hao!"

Jiang Shangquan and Xiao Yufen cried out simultaneously, their faces turning pale in an instant.

Regardless of what happened to them, they absolutely did not want to see Jiang Haojie get involved in this.

Jiang Haojie walked quickly to his parents' side, his gaze swiftly scanning their bodies. "Dad, Mom, are you hurt?"

Only after confirming they were unharmed did his tense shoulders relax almost imperceptibly.

"We're fine."

Xiao Yufen shook her head, though her fingers unconsciously gripped the hem of her clothes.

Jiang Shangquan pulled his son to his side and lowered his voice. "Get behind me."

Though he no longer had the strength of his youth, if anyone wanted to touch Jiang Haojie, they would have to step over his fallen body first.

"Don't worry, Dad."

Jiang Haojie gently pressed his father's arm, then looked up to meet Xu Jing's gaze. "We meet again.

I wonder what the meaning of this display is?"

Jiang Shangquan and Xiao Yufen exchanged a look, both seeing astonishment in the other's eyes—Jiang Haojie actually knew this woman?

"You remind me of someone,"

Xu Jing spoke slowly, her tone as calm as if she were discussing the weather, "a... very familiar feeling."

"So,"

Jiang Haojie's voice turned cold, "this is your reason for bringing people to 'visit' my parents at the hospital?"

"Presumptuous!"

Another bodyguard beside Xu Jing shouted sternly, "Do you know who is before you?"

Jiang Haojie glanced sideways at the man, a hint of cold mockery flashing in his heart.

If it weren't inappropriate to expose himself right now, a single sonic wave would be enough to ensure this person never made a sound again.

But he didn't show it on his face, merely carving that face into the depths of his memory.

There would be a time for reckoning.

He looked back at Xu Jing, a faint sarcasm in his tone: "Ms. Xu, I know you are Bai Yang's mother. If today's actions are for the slight personal grudge between Bai Yang and me, then I will have to re-evaluate the magnanimity of the Bai Family."

Xu Jing had already investigated the entanglements between Jiang Haojie and Bai Yang.

After learning yesterday that Yin Decai had also been attacked by 'X',

she had inquired into the details—Bai Yang stealing someone's girlfriend, Yin Decai forcing Jiang Haojie's parents to retreat; she understood every piece of it. She just hadn't expected that the youth her son described as having 'decent talent but merely an Ancient Martial Artist, destined for mediocrity' would be standing before her right now.

"I'm not interested in your private matters with Bai Yang."

Xu Jing took half a step forward, her gaze like a thin blade. "I'm here for 'X'."

"This person not only injured my Bai Family subordinates but also broke into our residence and severely wounded my son. And yesterday, when he made a move against my people, it was precisely to stand up for your father."

She paused for a moment, her gaze slowly sweeping over Jiang Haojie's family of three.

"Don't tell me you're unaware. I won't believe such words."

Jiang Haojie's eyes flickered slightly.

So the flaw was here.

Yin Decai—this name sank silently into the depths of his heart.

Jiang Haojie cursed his own negligence in his mind, having forgotten to deal with that hidden danger. Had he acted sooner, no matter how great the Bai Family's capabilities, they wouldn't have been able to trace it back to him.

"The 'X' you speak of, I've never heard of him."

A cold smile played on the corner of Jiang Haojie's mouth. "The Bai Family has many enemies; why fixate only on us?"

Xu Jing ignored his sarcasm, her tone remaining outwardly peaceful: "Please cooperate with our investigation. For the sake of the Su Family's relationship, I won't make things difficult for you."

If it weren't for her wariness of the Su Family, she would have lost her patience long ago.

"There's nothing to cooperate with."

Jiang Haojie refused categorically. "The Bai Family and we have nothing to say to each other. Please leave."

A ripple finally crossed Xu Jing's expression. "In that case, I can only invite you all to speak in a different place."

To deal with X, she would pay any price, even if it meant opposing the Su Family. She didn't believe the Su Family would truly turn completely against the Bai Family for the sake of an ordinary household.

Jiang Shangquan and Xiao Yufen turned pale upon hearing this.

Jiang Haojie looked at Xu Jing expressionlessly, knowing full well this woman was capable of it. He slowly took out his phone. "You can try to take us away, but I wonder if the Su Family would agree."

As he spoke, he made a gesture as if to dial a number.

His fingertip hovered above the screen, but his heart was in turmoil. The call would certainly go through, but would Su Qingxue intervene? Helping would mean incurring the enmity of the Bai Family. Even if Su Qingxue were willing, would the Su Family elders agree? Everything was an unknown.

But at this moment when he couldn't expose his identity, this was his only fallback. He could only gamble—gamble that Xu Jing wouldn't dare truly enrage the Su Family.

"No need to disturb the Su Family."

Just as the number was about to be dialed, Xu Jing suddenly stood up. "Today was merely a routine inquiry. Since it's inconvenient for you all, we shall take our leave."

Jiang Haojie breathed a secret sigh of relief, but his knuckles quietly tightened. This incident further solidified his determination to become stronger.

Only when one is strong enough will no one dare to use their family as a threat. The hidden danger that was the Bai Family had to be eradicated.

Xu Jing gave Jiang Haojie a deep look before turning to lead her people away.

In the hallway, A Liang asked in a low voice, "Madam, we're leaving just like that?"

"Leave two people to keep a close eye on them."

Xu Jing waved her hand. "Report to me immediately if there's any movement."

She naturally wouldn't truly give up. This family was bound to be connected to X; it was just that the evidence wasn't clear yet.

Because of the Su Family, she couldn't use force. But as long as they kept a firm eye on them, clues would eventually surface.

Once the evidence was in hand, even if she acted, the Su Family would have nothing to say.

"Yes."

A Liang responded and stayed behind, leading two others to vanish into the shadows of the corridor.

The ward door closed softly, and silence once again enveloped the room.

There was still a trace of unease in Jiang Shangquan's voice: "Xiao Hao, just now... what was that all about?"

"Yes, Xiao Hao,"

Xiao Yufen's gaze also fell on her son, filled with worry. "What was the background of those people?"

The aura of that group was far too overbearing, not something an ordinary family like theirs could handle. What she feared most was that Jiang Haojie would get into trouble because of this.

Jiang Haojie just smiled easily and didn't offer much explanation. "Dad, Mom, don't worry, it's already over. Let's go handle the discharge procedures so we can go home."

He would handle the remaining matters himself; there was no need to let his parents worry further.

After finishing the procedures, the family of three set off on the way home.

During the journey, Jiang Haojie mentioned his application to Longcheng University.

Although the elderly couple was somewhat puzzled by their son's choice of an ordinary institution, they ultimately respected his decision.

After dinner, Jiang Haojie returned to his room and lay down.

The start date for Longcheng University was a month away, unlike those top-tier prestigious schools or academies that would welcome new students in three days.

This meant that he would have a full month of free time ahead.

However, even with a month's time, Jiang Haojie still felt a sense of urgency.

He needed to improve his strength, deal with the potential trouble from the Bai Family, and find a way to earn some money to buy a home that truly belonged to his parents.

Amidst his tangled thoughts, fatigue quietly set in, and he drifted into sleep without realizing it.

Early the next morning, Jiang Haojie got up early, greeted Jiang Shangquan and Xiao Yufen, and left the house with his backpack.

Before he had walked very far, he keenly sensed someone tailing him.

This was not unexpected.

In fact, when he left the hospital yesterday, he had already felt that shadow-like gaze following him.

He didn't even have to guess to know it must be someone sent by Xu Jing.

Jiang Haojie didn't alert his pursuer but instead walked straight into a bustling shopping mall.

Shaking off a tail in a dense crowd was the most effective method.

He wandered aimlessly, specifically heading toward crowded areas, and in just a short while, he successfully ditched the tail.

Hiding in a corner, Jiang Haojie caught a glimpse of the tracker—a man with no distinguishing features, about 1.6 meters tall, who would be easily overlooked in a crowd.

At this moment, the man was looking around anxiously, searching for his figure.

An imperceptible curve touched the corner of Jiang Haojie's mouth, and he then quietly slipped out through a side door of the mall.

Finding a deserted, quiet corner, he quickly took a different set of clothes from his backpack to change into and put on the Wolf Spider Mask.

This was precisely the reason he had left the house with a backpack—if he only changed masks without changing his clothes, his true identity would be easily exposed.

After changing his attire, Jiang Haojie went to Boss Li's residence, found out which hospital Huang Xingshan was in, and immediately set off.

Huang Xingshan had been hospitalized because of him, and he hadn't visited yet. Today was a good time to go and also gather some information.

Soon, Jiang Haojie arrived at the hospital.

Having already learned the room number from Boss Li, he walked straight toward the ward.

Before he even entered, a complaining female voice drifted out from the ajar door:

"Look at you, look at the kind of friends you hang out with all day! Now that you're lying here and can't even scrape together the hospitalization fees, has even one of them come to see you?"

Walking outside the ward, he heard Huang Xingshan's intermittent coughing, mixed with the resentful nagging of a woman.

"Coughing like that and you still won't rest more, yet you have plenty to say."

Jiang Haojie stopped outside the door, momentarily caught in a dilemma of whether to enter or leave.

After a moment's hesitation, he still raised his hand to knock on the door and pushed it open.

The single-occupancy ward was quite peaceful and free from disturbances—which could be considered a rare benefit in this day and age.

"And you are?"

An ordinary-looking, thin middle-aged woman turned her head, her eyes full of scrutiny.

"Mr. X, you've come."