Golden Buddha

Guan Yi was momentarily stunned. He set down the food container he had brought and chuckled, saying, “Surely I haven’t offended her—I’ve only spoken a handful of words to her.”

He wasn’t a fool, though.

When he saw Ye Mian today, the worry in the girl’s eyes was genuine.

Just from how the two had behaved earlier, he could tell their relationship was far from ordinary.

Yet when he suggested that Ye Mian stay and wait for the others to wake up, she refused outright—without any hesitation or softness.

It was the first time he had seen Ye Mian’s expression darken like that.

Even when Zhou Yu relentlessly pursued her with shameless persistence, she had never shown such a face.

The sudden tension left Guan Yi puzzled, so he repeated Ye Mian’s words again to Jiang Chen.

“Brother Jiang, this is exactly what she said. You should hear it yourself.”

Clearing his throat, Guan Yi relayed the message.

“No need. He doesn’t need my care.”

“He’s quite capable.”

“I’m going back now. Please don’t tell him I brought him to the hospital. I’m worried he’ll overthink, and I don’t want others to misunderstand.”

The surrounding air fell into complete silence.

Without Guan Yi’s analysis, Jiang Chen understood from that tone alone that Ye Mian was undoubtedly angry.

He narrowed his eyes, pondering what mistake he might have made.

After much thought, if he had offended the young lady at all, it was probably because of losing contact.

That was indeed something he shouldn’t have done.

Jiang Chen, injured and unable to move easily, sat propped up on the hospital bed. Unable to apologize in person, he still didn’t want to let her anger fester. So he gently said to Guan Yi, “Help me get a phone later.”

Guan Yi naturally agreed to handle such a small matter but, noticing Jiang Chen’s wounds, worriedly advised, “Brother Jiang, you’re abroad... Maybe it’s better if you come back. At least it wouldn’t be so dangerous.”

Jiang Chen’s gaze was cold and clear as he looked out at the falling snow. “Soon,” he replied.

Guan Yi knew he had plans, and that this involved his future—something beyond his persuasion.

After leaving the ward, he stepped into the corridor and took several deep drags of a cigarette, yet his mood remained unsettled.

They say wealth is sought in danger.

He truly admired Jiang Chen.

It was obvious without thinking that the many wounds on the man’s body must bring excruciating pain.

Especially the gunshot wound beneath his left shoulder, which had torn a hole through flesh and muscle—it must be agonizing even to lift his arm.

Yet Jiang Chen acted as if nothing was wrong, not even furrowing his brow.

Guan Yi thought he had forgotten, but when he closed his eyes, he was instantly transported back to when he first met Jiang Chen—feelings of fear, dread, and a faint, lingering anxiety.

That summer, when he met Jiang Chen, the man had saved his life.

...

Ye Mian saw off Jiang Yuan and returned home alone.

Having just finished showering and dried her hair, a flicker of irritation stirred in her heart.

Saving a life is worth more than building a seven-tier pagoda; besides, Jiang Chen had never wronged her while they were together. She had no regrets about rescuing him.

She was angry at herself.

Even though she knew sending Jiang Chen to the hospital was the right choice, and that nothing more could be done—

She still found herself constantly worrying about his safety.

Several times, she had the urge to call and check on him.

Despite being hurt, she was hopelessly infatuated.

Her hard-earned peace and quiet had once again been disturbed by him.

Ye Mian almost felt as if she couldn’t catch her breath from frustration.

This situation was unbearable.

At the very least, from a moral standpoint, she did not want to secretly care about a man who had been unfaithful.

One must understand that being hopelessly in love is the sort of thing even zombies would disdain.

...

By around two in the afternoon, Ye Mian sat on the sofa, rarely turning on the TV to watch an idol group’s performance.

She hoped to distract herself from her infatuation with celebrities.

Yet as she gazed upon one vibrant, handsome face after another, her expression remained heavy and furrowed, showing no trace of fascination.

These idols were undoubtedly attractive, but somehow...

The person in her mind was even more stunning.

With a mature, gentle, and somewhat cold aura; a flawless face and a perfect figure...

The doorbell suddenly rang.

It interrupted her tangled thoughts.

Opening the door, a rush of cold air swept inside. Standing outside was a delivery boy holding a high-end packaged box.

“Hello, your delivery,” he said.

Ye Mian blinked uncertainly, shaking her head. “You must have the wrong place. I didn’t order anything.”

The delivery boy checked the address on the receipt and compared it with the door number. “No mistake. Building 30, apartment 303, Ms. Ye, phone ends with 6358. Isn’t that you?”

Ye Mian was momentarily stunned. “Oh, it is me. Sorry, thank you.”

Taking the delivery, she couldn’t tell what was inside.

After the courier left, she stared at the box for a moment before opening it.

A strange premonition stirred in her heart.

Inside were all desserts—a rabbit-shaped pudding, a strawberry-covered mousse cake, a specially blended yogurt, handmade cookies, and several tempting milk-filled chocolates.

They emitted an especially rich and sweet fragrance.

Beside the box lay a pink heart-shaped card. Where sweet words should have been written, only three simple characters were inscribed:

“I’m sorry.”

“...”

Ye Mian: ?

If she guessed correctly, this was from Jiang Chen, right?

She hoped she wasn’t mistaken.

He wouldn’t think that just three words could earn forgiveness for betrayal, would he?

No way.

Fuming, Ye Mian slapped the card onto the table, ignoring the desserts.

At that moment, the doorbell rang again.

This time it was another delivery boy, not the previous one.

He brought a bouquet of champagne-colored yellow roses, a huge bunch with thick floral foam—so heavy Ye Mian nearly dropped it as she took it in.

She took a deep breath.

This was a matter of principle; even flowers were unacceptable.

Things happen only thrice.

Yet the doorbell rang again, as if on a timer, ringing urgently once more.

Ye Mian felt that if she could avoid it, she didn’t want to open the door at all.

But the delivery boys hadn’t offended her.

Thinking this through, she opened the door again.

This time, it wasn’t a delivery boy but a man wearing a helmet.

Ye Mian blinked in surprise. “Hello, is there something I can help you with?”

The man smiled sincerely. “Hello, I’m a same-city courier service. Please give me the pickup code.”

Ye Mian: “...”

She looked down at her phone and found a message with a pickup code. She read the number aloud.

After entering the code into his phone, the courier took out a box and handed it to Ye Mian.

“Your parcel. Please take good care of it.”

After the courier entered the elevator and left, Ye Mian slammed the door shut.

Inside this box... was a large golden Buddha statue.

She didn’t know much about luxury items, but every citizen knew the price of gold.

Judging by its weight, it was incredibly expensive.

This golden Buddha must be worth over a hundred thousand.

Ye Mian: “...”

What kind of tactic was this?

Guess what the golden Buddha is for.

(The End of this chapter)