The moment she stepped out, someone blocked her. Startled, Jiang Xiao heard the man say, "Miss Jiang, hello. Madam sent us."
"Madam" referred to Zhang Rong.
Jiang Xiao: "Something?"
The man: "Madam instructed us to take you to a safer place."
Jiang Xiao had an agreement with Zhang Rong—a mutually beneficial one. Zhang Rong helped her leave Cheng Yuan, and Jiang Xiao made the Jiang Group unconditionally support Zhang Rong's entry into the board.
After half a year of cooperation, both parties were satisfied.
But Jiang Xiao didn't want to go with Zhang Rong's people. She was innocent but not stupid. Would Zhang Rong be so kind as to arrange accommodation for her? Probably just trying to hide her away.
It seemed everyone wanted to scheme against her.
Calming herself, Jiang Xiao adjusted the sunglasses on her nose and smiled. "I have a place to stay. No need to trouble your boss."
"It's no trouble," the man said. "Our boss ordered that we must safely escort you there."
"What if I don't go?"
"Then... sorry."
Meaning they would use force.
Jiang Xiao, a weak woman, couldn't outrun three men. She curled her lips and said, "Wait for me. I'll change clothes."
The man nodded. "Okay."
Jiang Xiao went back to the hotel room and made three phone calls. The last one was to the patriarch.
"Grandpa, you'll help me, right?"
Patriarch Cheng said, "Yes."
Jiang Xiao: "I'm trapped in the hotel room right now. Please help me get them away."
Patriarch Cheng: "Okay."
More than ten minutes later, there was a commotion at the door, and then the police arrived and took the three men away.
Jiang Xiao dragged her suitcase out and saw a car waiting by the roadside. The driver, leaning against the door, bowed and said, "Miss, I'm sent by the patriarch to escort you away."
It was someone arranged by Patriarch Cheng. Jiang Xiao nodded and got into the car.
Meanwhile, Jiang Yu was still waiting. When he saw a woman come out, he stepped forward to block her. "Madam, you—"
The woman looked up, startled. "Who are you? Why are you blocking me? Pervert! Help! There's a pervert!"
It wasn't Jiang Xiao, but a strange woman.
Only then did Jiang Yu realize he had been tricked.
Coming out of the police station, he called Cheng Yuan. "Sorry, President Cheng. Madam is gone."
Half a year apart, and Cheng Yuan had lost track of Jiang Xiao again. He thought he would find her quickly, but a year later, he still had no leads.
This time, Jiang Xiao had truly disappeared.
*
"Enough, stop drinking." Xu Cong snatched the glass from Cheng Yuan's hand and set it heavily on the coffee table. "A Yuan, that's enough. You just recovered from a gastric hemorrhage last month. Do you want to go back to the hospital?"
"Leave me alone," Cheng Yuan pushed Xu Cong away. "I want to drink."
"Drink, drink, drink!" Xu Cong cursed. "Keep drinking and you won't even live to see next year."
"Better to die," Cheng Yuan said, staggering up from the sofa, supporting himself. "I didn't want to live anyway."
Bringing up old topics, Xu Cong grabbed Cheng Yuan by the collar. "Are you that obsessed with Jiang Xiao? Can't you even live without finding her?"
"Yes!" Cheng Yuan didn't even bother struggling, his arms hanging limply, looking half-dead. "Without Xiao Xiao, I'd rather die."
"Fine, then go die," Xu Cong cursed.
"What are you saying?" Zhou Jin tugged at Xu Cong. "A Yuan is drunk. Why are you saying such things to a drunk? Aren't you afraid he'll actually do something?"
"If he wants to die, let him," Xu Cong said, fed up with Cheng Yuan's half-dead demeanor. He didn't look like the president of a listed company. "Look at him—drinking all day, neglecting the company. I'd say he might as well be dead."
Zhou Jin pushed Xu Cong aside and helped Cheng Yuan up. "There's one thing A Cong is right about. For over a year, you've let Zhang Rong grow unchecked. Look what she's done to the company. Don't forget, you're the president."
"President?" Cheng Yuan snorted. "Whoever wants it can have it."
In the past, Cheng Yuan had been somewhat dedicated to his work, but this past year, all his energy went into searching for Jiang Xiao. He hadn't checked on company projects in a long time. Those who knew thought he was the president; those who didn't might have thought Zhang Rong was.
"It's still the Cheng family company. If you don't take charge, it'll soon become the Zhang family's," Zhou Jin said. "A Yuan, I don't think Jiang Xiao would want to see you like this, right?"
"Xiao Xiao..." At the mention of her name, Cheng Yuan sank into memories. This wasn't his first gastric hemorrhage. Before, Jiang Xiao always took him to the hospital, stayed with him, and cooked all kinds of meals for him.
If he didn't eat, she would coax him like a child.
He didn't like taking medicine because it was bitter. She would prepare candy in advance and stuff it into his mouth as soon as he finished the pills.
She once said she would love him forever.
But...
She didn't want him anymore.