Reservoir Dogs chapter 53
Be Good
Xiao Zhou widened his eyes, unsure if Jiang Chengyuan had really seen through him.
Jiang Chengyuan’s grip relaxed, “You don’t want to go back, right?” His fingers curved and rubbed Xiao Zhou’s jawbone, his eyes never leaving him, “You’ve learned about another way of living. You know it’s not bad here with me, and most Alphas wouldn’t be this tolerant. If their Omega ran away or used their body as a wager without permission, that Alpha would no longer want them.”
Xiao Zhou understood his meaning and felt even more relieved.
He smiled slightly, raising his head a bit, slightly moving away from Jiang Chengyuan’s hand. “I know. So, I was surprised you saved me. If you think it’s unnecessary to continue, I understand.”
Jiang Chengyuan said, “But now you really don’t seem like someone asking for help, more like I’m begging you.”
Xiao Zhou looked at him steadily, his tone natural. “How do you want me to prove it? I do want to stay.”
“Promise me a few things,” Jiang Chengyuan’s expression became serious. “First, don’t let this happen again. Nothing is worth risking your life for.”
Xiao Zhou nodded. “Okay.”
“Second, if you want to leave, leave cleanly. Don’t leave anything behind.”
Jiang Chengyuan’s implication was clear, and Xiao Zhou understood the reason for his return. He wasn’t someone who would want to owe any favors or have any lingering ties.
Xiao Zhou’s smile stiffened for a moment but he still nodded.
Jiang Chengyuan’s fingers moved up, stopping at the slight indentation at the corner of Xiao Zhou’s mouth. “Third,” he leaned down to kiss him, enveloping his upper lip, the tip of his tongue touching the fresh scab at the corner of his mouth, “Be good. Don’t make things difficult for me.”
Xiao Zhou stiffened for a moment, then slowly became compliant, even actively reciprocating the kiss and getting closer.
Jiang Chengyuan hugged him, feeling that his waist seemed to have become thinner than before.
Xiao Zhou had to half-kneel on the bed, his arm resting on Jiang Chengyuan’s shoulder, but as he took a breath, a sharp pain shot through his chest where his ribs were fractured.
He groaned in pain, bending over, clutching Jiang Chengyuan’s arm, gasping for air, which only made the pain worse.
Seeing his face turn pale, Jiang Chengyuan stroked his back. “Does it hurt a lot?”
Xiao Zhou gradually steadied his breathing. “It’s okay, it’ll get better.”
Jiang Chengyuan flattened the pillow for him to lie down slowly, wiping away the cold sweat on his nose. “I’ll have Amoline prepare some food for you. She said you’ve been fasting for a day. With your condition, you can’t skip meals.”
Xiao Zhou tilted his head, not refusing, as he was indeed very hungry.
For a severely injured patient, resuming food intake must be gradual. After eating a bowl of chicken porridge, he was told to sleep for a while and eat a bit more after waking up.
Jiang Chengyuan took the bowl away, wiped Xiao Zhou’s mouth, and asked gently, “Do you want anything else?”
Xiao Zhou was not a picky eater and had no strong preferences, but Jiang Chengyuan’s question reminded him of his mother’s signature glutinous rice chicken, which made his mouth water.
Jiang Chengyuan listened to his description of its appearance and taste, smiling slightly, as if indulging a child with a sweet tooth. The usually sharp shape of his lips softened into a gentle curve.
Watching him, Xiao Zhou thought Jiang Chengyuan looked best when he smiled. When he didn’t smile, he seemed too cold; when he did, even his sharp eyes became gentle and approachable.
He suddenly remembered that there is a psychological disorder called Stockholm Syndrome, which refers to a sense of dependency that hostages develop towards their captors. Their lives and suffering are controlled by the captors, so they develop a sense of affection and dependency, empathy, and a shared fate. Even a bit of leniency feels like a gift.
The two of them stared at each other for a while. Jiang Chengyuan couldn’t stand being looked at like that by him, so he raised his hand to cover Xiao Zhou’s eyelids, “Go to sleep, you need to rest.”
With Jiang Chengyuan’s warm and firm palm pressing down, Xiao Zhou instinctively closed his eyes. But his mind was chaotic, and even in sleep, he felt like his world was turned upside down.
After making sure Xiao Zhou was asleep, Jiang Chengyuan stood up. He had just gotten off the plane and hadn’t even gone home to change his clothes before coming over.
To handle the relocation of workers after the demolition of a food factory, a task entrusted by Jiang Heng, the chairman of Wansheng Group, he owed Lin Jian’an a favor. And favors must be repaid. The relocation of 120 workers was expensive, costing him 5 million, so Lin Jian’an asked him to go abroad to help.
Over the years, he had obtained many cases and connections through Lin Jian’an, gradually establishing himself in the city and handling some dirty business. Lin Jian’an came from a murky background, and his business wasn’t clean. Despite years of trying to go legitimate, there were still many tangled affairs.
Living on the edge like this was acceptable at first but couldn’t last forever. Jiang Heng’s business was legitimate, with strong government relations, making him an ideal next client for the firm.
So, he had agreed to Ji Yang’s request to take on Zhou Jun’s case, as a show of loyalty, and everything developed smoothly, although Xiao Zhou caused some trouble during the process.
This time, taking Xiao Zhou away so openly, Liu Neng would surely inform Lin Jian’an. This wasn’t actually safe for Xiao Zhou.
He half-closed his eyes in thought. Later, Liu Neng had come to find him again under Lin Jian’an’s instructions, bringing 100 million yuan that was won, saying he didn’t dare to take it, and explained everything in detail about Xiao Zhou’s gambling technique. Jiang Chengyuan pieced together the whole story which left him both surprised and amused.
The skill Xiao Zhou displayed in Liu Neng’s casino was not rare; it had been reported by the media years ago. The casino was old-fashioned and focused only on making money without updating. The desperate fight was reckless, though impulsive and rash, but Jiang admired Xiao Zhou’s courage.
Daring to go against the current, even at the risk of being battered and bruised, was already commendable.
Jiang Chengyuan opened his eyes and looked again at the person in the hospital bed. Xiao Zhou’s black hair made his face look even paler, almost blending into the hospital’s overwhelming whiteness. Whether out of a sense of justice or for a loved one, his recklessness was genuine.
Watching for a while, he noticed a faint glow in Xiao Zhou’s loosely clenched right hand. Leaning in for a closer look, he found it was a button gripped by Xiao Zhou’s slender fingers.
Recognizing it, Jiang Chengyuan was slightly stunned and sat back down.
As the sky darkened, the summer night breeze cooled, lifting the white curtains. The movement of the curtains seemed to awaken him. Standing up again, he thought for a moment, took his coat, and left.
As he went downstairs, his phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, he quickly answered.
Stepping outside, his voice was gentle, with rare patience, “Yes, I remember, I’ll come back. … Okay, I’m driving now, talk to you later. Mom, take care of yourself.”
Hanging up, he got into the car.
The call was from his mother, reminding him of her upcoming birthday. He hadn’t visited much recently, and she missed him, using this opportunity to remind him to come home.
Starting the car again, he drove to Xiao Zhou’s home.
As dinner time approached, the smell of cooking filled the air from every household.
Before going upstairs, he felt it inappropriate to arrive empty-handed, so he went back out, made a round, and returned with something proper this time.
Knocking on the door, he heard hurried footsteps and the sound of someone rushing to answer.
When the door opened, Jiang Chengyuan smiled. Always smooth in social situations, he was relaxed and composed, while Xiao Zhou’s mother seemed nervous and eager to please.
Sitting on the sofa, Jiang Chengyuan didn’t rush to reveal his intentions, instead chatting casually about various topics, quickly learning about the Xiao family. His humility and good looks soon had Liu Xia in a daze.
Upon learning that Xiao Ping had dropped out after losing his study abroad opportunity, Jiang Chengyuan was silent for a moment, then discussed the matter in detail.
Xiao Zhou thought 200,000 yuan could settle everything, but it was never that simple.