Reservoir Dogs chapter 32
Past Events (Bonus Chapter)
When he saw that Xiao Zhou was sound asleep, Jiang Chengyuan stood up. Even with his injured hand, he used some force to pick him up, wrapped him in a bath towel, and carried him back to the room.
Though Xiao Zhou appeared tall and robust, he was actually quite light, with his fragile bones poking out uncomfortably.
Jiang Chengyuan tucked him into bed and was about to leave when his fingers were caught.
Jiang Chengyuan looked down. Xiao Zhou was nestled in the soft bedding, his face pale and thin, his hair black, and his lips lightly colored. As he slept, his sharp features softened, giving him a gentle appearance. However, he didn’t seem to sleep peacefully, with his brows furrowed and mumbling something in his sleep.
Jiang Chengyuan used his other hand to smooth out Xiao Zhou’s brows. Perhaps due to the comfort, the hand holding Jiang Chengyuan’s finger gradually relaxed and fell, resting on the edge of the bed.
Jiang Chengyuan tucked his hand back under the covers and, after ensuring he was settled, stood for a moment watching him before heading to the study.
At the desk, he took out a stack of materials from a drawer, thick and heavy.
He turned on the lamp. Outside, the rain began to fall again, pattering down as if someone in the sky had broken a necklace, scattering crystal beads everywhere.
After reading for a while, he lifted his eyes from the documents, quietly listening to the rain as it fell to the ground, shattered on the roof, and occasionally hit the metal railings.
In a daze, it reminded him of another stormy night.
It was late that night, with a storm ten times heavier than today’s. Raindrops the size of soybeans pelted his face like iron beans bouncing in a hot pan, hitting his body with sharp pain. The overwhelming water engulfed his mouth and nose.
The rain washed away the blood, his thumb torn repeatedly under the impact, his eardrums ringing loudly,
His ribs were kicked, fists collided with flesh, and the sharp pain didn’t hinder his movements.
Gradually, the force of resistance waned, his limbs becoming weak, replaced by cries and pleas for mercy.
But he didn’t stop, entirely consumed by rage, turning the fight into a one-sided assault.
Until someone suddenly rushed from behind, knocking him to the ground, breaking his nose with one punch, the crimson blood flowing out, then another solid punch to the abdomen, dissolving his fighting spirit.
He curled up on the ground, seeing stars, his mind blank. His abdomen spasmed after being hit, but since he hadn’t eaten in a long time, only acidic bile surged up.
The rain blurred his vision. He opened his eyes and saw a young face amidst the chaotic view, with slightly deep-set eyes and ordinary but sharply defined features.
The young guy clenched his fists, looking tense and guarded, like a young wolf.
Jiang Chengyuan opened his mouth to breathe, but only swallowed more rainwater. His nasal cavity was filled with water, making it difficult to breathe.
The people who had been beaten to the ground without any power to fight back were groaning. Seeing their savior finally arrive, they didn’t even have time to say thank you before fleeing in a panic.
The rain pattered down, and the smooth puddles on the ground reflected the narrow alley entrance and a sliver of sky like mirrors.
Jiang Chengyuan relaxed, spread his limbs out, and lay on the ground motionless, staring at the looming dark sky pressing down on him.
It was suffocating and oppressive, making it hard to escape.
The guy seemed puzzled as to why those people ran away so quickly. He hesitated for a moment before walking over. His white sneakers stepped into a dirty puddle, soaking through. He crouched down and asked, “Are you okay?”
Jiang Chengyuan rolled his eyes to look at him, spat out a mouthful of bloody foam, and after a moment, pulled out a mocking smile. The rainwater seeped into the curve of his cheek. “They just tried to drug an omega in the bar. When they were caught, they tried to use force.”
The guy was stunned for a moment.
Jiang Chengyuan propped himself up on the ground, his body swaying. The guy wanted to help, but Jiang Chengyuan shook him off. “Get lost.” His eyes were fierce, his voice hoarse.
As the guy got closer, Jiang Chengyuan smelled a strong alpha scent, mixed with the overwhelming smell of rainwater. It was stimulating, powerful, the dominant suppression of a top alpha.
Dizzy and nauseous, Jiang Chengyuan felt like he was about to vomit again.
With a crunching sound, the five fingers clutching the paper tightened.
Looking back, Jiang Chengyuan didn’t really doubt that if that guy hadn’t stopped him, he would have killed those punks.
Just for harassment, it wouldn’t have gone that far, especially since they were just a few drunken cowards, bluffing and bullying the weak.
He was just venting his anger, or rather, deliberately venting his frustration. To put it bluntly, he was doing it on purpose.
At that time, he was too young, too reckless, too fragile, too easily swayed by emotions.
Back then, he thought, finding a legitimate reason, either he would be beaten to death or he would beat them to death. Either way, he could be freed.
That was the mindset he had.
But that attempt was ruined by someone rushing out.
In hindsight, if that guy hadn’t appeared, maybe he would have been charged with murder, spending his life on the run or serving a prison sentence. He wouldn’t have the chance to stand where he is today.
To use vigilante justice as revenge for a crime, under the guise of morality, despite being well-versed in law, he had committed such an act of legal transgression. In the face of humanity, all the rational restraint built from knowledge was powerless.
It was that guy who stopped him, pulling him back when he was about to fall into an abyss.
Was he grateful?
Jiang Chengyuan couldn’t say. He felt his heart had hardened long ago, becoming cold and unfamiliar.
Before he got that file from the Clemency Court, he had almost forgotten about this person. It was the deep blue background of the photo that brought back these old memories, carrying the scent of rain.
A buzz cut, thin, with slightly fierce deep-set eyes, and a face showing a kind of deathly pallor, devoid of the youth and vitality from their first meeting.
He stared at the person in the photo for a while, then turned the file over without hesitation. There were dozens of omegas waiting to be matched. After reading the files, none of them left a strong impression on him.
He was naturally arrogant and picky. Coming to the Clemency Court this time was just to show the old men at the judicial office that he was making an effort, avoiding criticism.
Leaving the Clemency Court, he walked slowly along the curb. He occasionally thought of the crime listed for that person: intentional injury leading to death. It indeed fit his reckless and impulsive behavior, young and passionate, often making lifetime-regrettable decisions out of a moment’s indignation.
After walking a while, Jiang Chengyuan stopped. The river wind lifted the hem of his coat. His gaze swept over the various ships on the river, the ripples reflecting a pale golden light, white seagulls spreading their wings and soaring towards the sky.
Would someone really be willing to go from an Alpha to an omega just to get out? Was the attraction of this world that strong?
He squinted his eyes, feeling an unbearable suffocation at the glands on the back of his neck.
He remembered the intense smell of rainwater surrounding him back then. No matter what, that heavy rain had saved him, waking him up.
If someone truly had such a strong belief and was willing to pay any price, he didn’t mind giving them a chance.