Reservoir Dogs chapter 120

Sorry

In just half a month, another accident occurred.

Luo Jing was released on medical parole from prison. After taking a taxi back to his previous residence, he was shot in the head as he got out of the car, dying instantly.

When Xiao Zhou heard this, he took a sharp breath and turned to Ji Yang in disbelief. “Did you have someone kill him?”

“Didn’t you say you wanted to teach him a lesson?”

Xiao Zhou’s face turned pale, and he stared blankly for a while.

Ji Yang raised an eyebrow and asked him, “If he had killed Jiang Chengyuan in prison, would you have reacted the same way after I killed him?”

Xiao Zhou said nothing more and stood up, leaving.

After leaving Ji Yang’s place, Xiao Zhou aimlessly drove around the city until after sunset. He then went to the prison and changed into his uniform.

When he found Jiang Chengyuan, Jiang Chengyuan was lying in the warehouse reading a book.

Xiao Zhou opened the door with a key, and the clinking sound revealed his presence.

Jiang Chengyuan looked up and put down his book when he saw Xiao Zhou’s dazed expression. “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Chengyuan was lying on the lower bunk, and Xiao Zhou walked to the head of the bed, sat down on the ground as if drained of energy, propped one leg up, and let the other leg lie flat, resting his head against the iron bars. “Luo Jing is dead.”

Jiang Chengyuan moved his arm to make room for him, letting him rest his head on him. “He’s dead, but you are sad?”

Xiao Zhou felt a dull, indescribable emotion. “No, after knowing what he did, I also hated him. He deserved to die.”

Jiang Chengyuan stroked his hair. “But why do you have this reaction?”

Xiao Zhou remained silent for a while before shaking his head. “I don’t know, maybe it’s too unexpected, so it feels absurd.”

Jiang Chengyuan looked down at him, and Xiao Zhou was now gazing up at him, completely caught in his eyes. Jiang Chengyuan suddenly smiled and shook his head. “This is where you’re different from us. We are beasts, but you’re still a civilized person. This is good. You’ve been in this environment for so long and haven’t been assimilated.”

Jiang Chengyuan quietly held him for a while. Xiao Zhou, feeling weary, leaned against him. After a while, he recovered and, as if recharged, quickly sat up from the ground and took out the porridge he had cooked. “I brought you some food. You never eat, and you’re so thin.”

Jiang Chengyuan wasn’t refusing food out of spite but simply because he had no appetite. He had a stomach illness, and after an illness, his stomach acted up, causing him to vomit whatever he ate.

The porridge was still barely drinkable, seafood porridge, salty and fresh, with sea cucumber, squid, and shrimp. He took a small sip, stopped before his stomach could churn again, managing to digest a little.

Seeing him finally eat, Xiao Zhou sighed in relief and put the items away. “Tomorrow is the follow-up appointment.”

When it came to the injury, Jiang Chengyuan’s expression changed. He had been avoiding thinking about it these days, and now he tried to move it, shaking his head. “It hurts a lot.” It was full of steel nails and plates, of course, it hurt.

Seeing his pained expression, Xiao Zhou couldn’t help but ask, “Why did you do this?” This was the first time he asked this question after all this time.

“I know what you and Ji Yang are doing outside,” Jiang Chengyuan said. “But there’s no need for you to continue. It’s meaningless.”

The investigation into Wen Ruohan was not easy. Xiao Zhou spent over a month vaguely inquiring, only finding some clues. It was easy to investigate a mistress, but what did that amulet mean? It was a matter of unraveling old events, connecting everything to her father’s death before there was any clue.

After Ji Yang figured out the whole story, he pondered for a while and shook his head. “I understand why he did this. It’s a last-ditch effort.”

“What do you mean?”

“It means he can’t come out.” Ji Yang said coldly. “It’s the condition he exchanged. Even medical parole is considered a form of trickery.”

Seeing Xiao Zhou didn’t understand, Ji Yang said, “We have a habit of recording all the cases we handle. When necessary, these records are a lifeline. But sometimes, holding onto these things can also become dangerous.” Ji Yang continued, “Jiang Chengyuan ruined the Jiang family and betrayed the forces behind him. He became a time bomb that could explode at any moment. Unless he’s dead, the bomb won’t disappear, and those people won’t be at ease. To survive, Chengyuan had to pay something to prove he was no longer a threat.”

So, going to prison was his proof.

….

Misfortunes never come singly. The prison recently reduced its budget, and after a period of understaffing, it began laying off staff. Temporary workers were the first to go.

Before the shift, the warden called Xiao Zhou in for a talk. He offered compensation, but Xiao Zhou still had to leave; this was the last month, and there was no room for negotiation.

After leaving the office, Xiao Zhou went to the duty room to change clothes. He felt gloomy and couldn’t think of a solution.

“I noticed you keep going to that guy’s cell,” a colleague nudged Xiao Zhou’s arm. “Are you interested in him?”

Xiao Zhou turned his head, snapped back to reality, and replied dismissively, “No, it’s just that he’s in poor health, right? Here, people always bully the weak and fear the strong. I’m in charge of this area, so I should take care of him.”

The colleague looked at him with a sly grin. “Don’t play around with prisoners; it’s dangerous. If someone reports you, it could get serious. Losing your job would be the least of your worries—your life might be at stake.”

“Stop talking nonsense. I don’t have any such intentions,” Xiao Zhou said, buttoning up his shirt and tightening his belt. He looked quite handsome in his fitted clothes.

Someone else chimed in, “Well, he’s good-looking. It must be exciting to play around with such a high-status alpha.”

Xiao Zhou felt disgusted by the topic and walked out of the duty room.

He went into the storage room and saw Jiang Chengyuan lying there, seemingly asleep. As he approached, he realized Jiang Chengyuan wasn’t asleep but rather unconscious, drenched in sweat with pale lips and a flushed face.

Xiao Zhou was startled and tested his temperature with the back of his hand, finding it extremely high. He quickly carried him to the medical room. Jiang Chengyuan was half a head taller than him, with a tall, bony frame. Though he was emaciated, carrying him was still quite difficult. Xiao Zhou noticed how frail he felt, as if he might break him with a single hug.

When he picked him up, Jiang Chengyuan woke up, resting his chin on Xiao Zhou’s shoulder, his hot breath against Xiao Zhou’s ear. “Zhou Zhou?”

Xiao Zhou was out of breath from running and could only respond briefly.

Jiang Chengyuan recognized his voice and felt a bit reassured before slipping back into unconsciousness, murmuring, “It hurts…” He was burning up and appeared very pitiful, making Xiao Zhou’s heart ache.

Xiao Zhou was trembling all over. He rushed Jiang Chengyuan to the medical room, where only one on-duty doctor was present. He carefully placed Jiang Chengyuan on a bed in the examination room and then quickly fetched the doctor, “Can you check him? Why is he burning up like this?”

After an examination, the doctor said the wound hadn’t healed well, and the environment was not very clean, causing some infection. To see improvement quickly, he needed to change the dressing and get an IV drip overnight.

Xiao Zhou was barely holding it together and realized he was also drenched in sweat, feeling disoriented and weak. He staggered back, collapsed into a chair, looked at Jiang Chengyuan on the bed, and asked the doctor, “Can he still stand up?”

The doctor, an older man with limited skills, performed a superficial check on the leg’s healing condition. “The leg isn’t in great shape; having any sensation is a good sign.”

Xiao Zhou seemed to have anticipated this and reacted with numb acceptance, nodding slowly.

Jiang Chengyuan needed an IV for the night. Xiao Zhou instructed the staff and then secretly returned to stay with him, giving the doctor money to keep it quiet.

By midnight, Jiang Chengyuan’s fever had subsided, and he was much more conscious. Xiao Zhou wet a towel and wiped his body, both to lower his temperature and to make him more comfortable.

Jiang Chengyuan obediently let Xiao Zhou attend to him.

After wiping him down, Xiao Zhou poured out the water, quickly rinsed himself with cold water, and came back in.

Jiang Chengyuan, now awake, stared blankly at the moon outside the window, the moonlight casting a pale glow on his face, giving him a surreal feeling.

Xiao Zhou walked over and gently held his hand, “Are you still uncomfortable?”

Jiang Chengyuan turned to look at him, his expression calmer. “Much better.”

Xiao Zhou sat down and whispered, “The wound is infected, and we had to change the dressing. You need to be careful in the future—avoid getting it wet. If the infection worsens, you might need another surgery.”

Jiang Chengyuan nodded, “Yeah, it might have been from a careless bath earlier. I understand.”

Xiao Zhou slowly withdrew his hand, hesitating before saying, “I might have to leave. I can’t stay to watch over you anymore. Take care of yourself; don’t skip meals or push yourself too hard. If you need anything, let me know, and I’ll find a way…”

Jiang Chengyuan looked at him quietly and then smiled slightly, “Why are you so nagging? Do you think I’m a child?” He pulled his hand away and tapped Xiao Zhou’s forehead. “Got it, old man.”

Suddenly, Xiao Zhou stared at him for a moment, then leaned down, hugging his shoulder and crying, “I’m sorry. I can’t get you out.”

Jiang Chengyuan stiffened, then gently stroked Xiao Zhou’s hair and said calmly, “It’s okay. It’s not your fault. Honestly, I didn’t expect to see you. You’ve given me a big surprise.”

“What’s the use of seeing me? I still can’t do anything.”

Jiang Chengyuan firmly held Xiao Zhou’s shoulders and made him face his eyes, “You should go back to your own life now, not just stay with me.”

Xiao Zhou shook his head. “I don’t want to. It would be too dangerous for you.”

“Don’t be silly.” Jiang Chengyuan smiled. “You’ve helped me a lot already. I can handle the rest on my own. I’ve only lost the use of a leg, not half my body.”

“I’ve stayed here before,” Xiao Zhou said. “I know how hard it is.”

Jiang Chengyuan wiped away his tears. “You’ve already paved the way for me. You have to trust me. Am I really that useless?”

Xiao Zhou fell silent.

Jiang Chengyuan traced the outline of Xiao Zhou’s face with his fingers and whispered, “Kiss me, will you? You’re about to leave.”

Xiao Zhou lifted his gaze and stared at him without blinking, his thick lashes still wet with tears, trembling like a glistening sheen. Then he leaned down and softly kissed Jiang Chengyuan’s lips, as gently as if kissing a snowflake, not daring to apply any pressure. His tongue slipped between Jiang Chengyuan’s lips and teeth, softly exploring and entwining.

Jiang Chengyuan raised his hand to grip Xiao Zhou’s shoulder, pressing him down, gradually deepening the kiss.

The moonlight quietly filled the room, so bright that there wasn’t a single shadow.

It was a long time before they finally pulled apart, still leaning on each other without speaking.

Suddenly, as if struck by a sudden realization, Xiao Zhou pulled back a little and hesitantly asked, “Did you do something? Is that why they’ve suddenly started laying people off here?”

Jiang Chengyuan released his grip on Xiao Zhou, leaning back against the bed. “It’s better for you this way,” he said softly.

Xiao Zhou’s eyes widened in surprise. “It was really you?”

He stood up abruptly, retreating a step. “Why? Why do you always make decisions for me without asking?” Xiao Zhou was furious, almost yelling. His body shook as he thought of how many things Jiang Chengyuan had done on his own, how many favors he had forced him to accept, how many painful days he had endured. Did Jiang Chengyuan really think what he decided was always best for him? Did he ever consider that this made it even harder for him to accept?

Jiang Chengyuan raised his weak hand with the IV drip to grab him. “Just listen to me one more time. What’s the point of staying here with me? If I drag you down, I won’t be at ease either.”

Jiang Chengyuan was a patient, so Xiao Zhou couldn’t do anything to him, nor would he push his hand away. He just stared blankly with empty eyes, tears streaming down his face like a continuous line.

After a moment of tense silence, he finally calmed down, slowly pulling Jiang Chengyuan’s hand off his body and placing it on the bed. Then he straightened up and took a step back, his expression a little strange. “You’re always like this. I can’t argue with you.”

Jiang Chengyuan tilted his head slightly to look at him. Now Xiao Zhou was standing where the moonlight couldn’t reach, a shadowy figure, indistinct.

Xiao Zhou’s voice was low. “If this is what you want, then let’s do it your way.” With that, he turned and left, stumbling slightly as he went out, as if something painful was holding him back.