Chapter Forty-Nine: Graduation and Entering the Tomb

"I'm sorry!"

Outside the operating room, Gu Qing bowed deeply in apology and remained that way for a long time.

Through Su Yingying's explanation, he already understood what had happened. If it hadn't been for Jiang Changyuan today, Su Yingying's scoundrel of a father would probably still be making a scene.

He had indeed wronged Jiang Changyuan. The nosebleed earlier had been stopped by Su Yingying, and the injury to his nose was entirely Su Yingying's fault.

Gu remorse filled Gu Qing's heart. One could say Jiang Changyuan had helped the Su family immensely, yet he had blindly pressed down on the other man's injury just moments ago, acting much like an ingrate repaying kindness with enmity.

"It's really nothing. President Gu, if you don't get up soon, I won't have any hands left to help you up."

"Wrong is wrong. Um... can I help too?"

Before long, Jiang Changyuan found himself with the male lead on his left and the female lead on his right, sandwiched in the middle and forced to undergo the treatment of adhesive bandages.

Being tended to by both the male and female leads, he felt he had reached the peak of his life, except...

"How's my application?"

"It looks great. The ones I put on are pretty good too."

The mutual admiration mode between the male and female leads kicked in. Jiang Changyuan glanced at the back of his left hand, then at the back of his right hand, and closed his eyes.

The backs of his hands were covered in crooked, twisted bandages—what beauty could possibly be found here?

No wonder the male and female leads were a pair; their aesthetic sense was equally bizarre.

The lights of the operating room went out. Shen Yu walked out, glancing at Jiang Changyuan once, twice, and a third time.

She had only been inside performing surgery for two hours; how did Jiang Changyuan manage to look even more miserable?

After giving instructions on postoperative care, Shen Yu took Jiang Changyuan away.

"How come that doctor took Jiang Changyuan away?"

"Director Shen is Jiang Changyuan's fiancée."

"Fiancée?"

Gu Qing distinctly noticed Su Yingying's mood instantly plummet. The words of comfort on the tip of his tongue danced around for a moment before he swallowed them back down.

For some reason, a trace of secret delight rose in his heart.

"Ah!"

"Can you not feed me like a toddler? I'm not three years old."

Jiang Changyuan opened his mouth to eat the food off the spoon while letting out a casual complaint.

"I don't want to do this either, but what can I do? You insisted on asking for trouble, and now you've made yourself unable to eat on your own, haven't you?"

"Come on, good boy, open wide again, ah!"

At that moment, an inexplicable scent of lotus seemed to emanate from Shen Yu.

After the meal, at Jiang Changyuan's strong insistence, she finally put away her teasing demeanor and properly re-dressed the wounds on his nose and the back of his hand.

"I'm coming over to your house for dinner tonight."

"Why the sudden decision to come to my house?"

"In light of your little stunt reporting me last time, Ms. Cao sternly stated that she must personally bring me to your house to apologize to you in person."

Shen Yu said this with a calm expression, but Jiang Changyuan had a hunch things weren't that simple.

If Shen Yu were truly an obedient person, she would have dragged him off to get married by now.

"How are you going to deal with Su Yingying's father?"

"What else can I do? Find a way to make him leave Beining City, of course."

"Just like that?"

"Otherwise? I'm a good person, after all."

Jiang Changyuan put on his coat and waved his hand as he left to handle Su Yingying's father, paying no mind to Shen Yu's upcoming dinner visit.

Fatty and the others would be there tonight too. With strength in numbers, the advantage was on his side!

"Young Master Jiang, this old geezer is just a spineless coward. Once the brothers gave him a little scare, he spilled everything."

"He owed gambling debts to Tiger, and today was the deadline. Not being able to pay up is going to be painful for him."

"Hmm, what about Wang Guiyun's side?"

Mentioning Wang Guiyun, Zhang Qiang sneered.

"We spent two days checking up on her, and guess what happened when we went to the family quarters, Young Master Jiang?"

"Her younger brother, Wang Youhui, personally drove his elder sister back to her old home in the countryside. We didn't even have to lift a finger."

"Wang Youhui used to get beaten up by Bold, so he shamelessly gave himself the title of an unofficial member of the Fierce Dragon Society."

"Over the years, he's done plenty of rotten things under the banner of our Fierce Dragon Society. I gave him a stern warning. Should I have him leave Beining as well?"

Jiang Changyuan shook his head. As long as Wang Youhui posed no threat to Su Yingying, he could be left alone.

Driving Wang Guiyun away was only because she had crossed the line, but there was no need to make too many enemies for the Su family.

"Good job. As for Su Yingying's father, dump him at Tiger's doorstep."

"By the way, tell Tiger that if Su Yingying's father ever shows up in front of me again, he can kiss his turf goodbye."

"Understood!"

With the matter settled, Zhang Qiang should have left, but instead, he lingered, fidgeting with a hesitant expression.

A tough guy acting shy was a truly eye-searing sight for Jiang Changyuan.

"Spit it out if you've got something to say."

"Young Master Jiang, um... some of the brothers want to leave the agency. What do you think about this?"

"They feel the agency isn't making money and only deals with trivial, petty matters?"

"That's pretty much it. Back when we were in the Fierce Dragon Society, we made a lot more than this, and we didn't have to bow and scrape to anyone."

Zhang Qiang finished speaking with palpable anxiety, awaiting Jiang Changyuan's verdict. Truth be told, he wanted to go back to his old ways too.

Jiang Changyuan swept his gaze across them one by one. Those who met his eyes lowered their heads in shame, unable to face him.

Young Master Jiang had pointed them toward a righteous path, but they simply weren't cut out for it.

"Go find Zheng Wenqing. If she lets you leave, then you may go."

"However, let me make this clear upfront: once you leave the agency, there will be no more ties between us."

"What I want is for the brothers to lead clean lives and build families of their own, not end up like Ma Xiaodao and the others, never knowing when they'll end up behind bars."

Without waiting for Zhang Qiang and the others to respond, Jiang Changyuan stood up and left.

Words had been spoken; excess leads to failure. If they still couldn't figure it out after this, there was no point in keeping them in the ranks, lest resentment build up over time.

Upon returning to Blue Bay, seeing Jiang Changyuan covered in injuries, Little Fatty immediately clamored to go exact revenge.

It took a great deal of comforting from Jiang Changyuan to force these guys—who were ready to go beat up Su Yingying's father—back into their seats.

"Shen Yu is coming over tonight. If you guys really want to help me get revenge, you'd better put on a good show for me then."

He shouldn't have said that. As soon as Jiang's parents came home early, Little Fatty and the rest immediately offered their farewells and bolted!

"Sorry, Young Master Jiang, we're terrified of Devil Shen too."

"I'll pray for your soul in my dreams tonight, Young Master Jiang! Amen!"

Jiang Changyuan was quite depressed. Weren't brothers supposed to be of one heart? These traitors had actually used their brains to ditch him!

As night fell and the city lights began to twinkle, the doorbell of the Jiang family villa rang.

Shen Huayang, who always wore a perpetually stern expression, arrived for a visit accompanied by his elegant wife, Cao Qixiu.

"Little Yuan!"

"Little Yu!"

Both mothers rushed toward each other's children as if it were time for a paternity test.

Whether sincere or just putting on a superficial show, this routine had persisted for over a decade.

From the moment they arrived until the dishes were served, Shen's parents kept their eyes fixed on Jiang Changyuan's injuries.

The four elders chatted and laughed merrily. From time to time, Shen Yu picked out food for Jiang Changyuan, her smiling face suggesting she was up to no good.

Jiang Changyuan smiled right back as he thanked her, a sharp glint of wisdom shining in his eyes.

After three rounds of drinks and numerous dishes, before Shen Yu could pull any of her mischievous stunts, Shen's mother dropped a bombshell.

"Zhengguo, Zhongqing, Little Yuan will turn sixteen when he graduates next year, and our Little Yu is considered established in her career now."

"She's not getting any younger either. How about we hold their wedding right after Little Yuan graduates from high school?"

Graduate and step straight into a grave?