009 After All, He's So Handsome, It Would Be a Pity If He Got Scarred
Wang Song had just finished sorting the records when he noticed one of the four girls who had left earlier had come back.
She sat quietly on the bench, hands on her knees, back straight, her dark, clear eyes fixed on the direction of the mediation room.
With his years of experience reading people—this girl seemed well-behaved and quiet on the surface, but there was a stubborn streak in her bones.
He stood up from his seat and walked over to the water dispenser.
“Young lady, have some hot water.”
Zeng Keqin looked at the kind face in front of her and took the cup, flattered. “Thank you, Officer.”
Wang Song returned to his desk and casually asked, “Waiting for that tallest guy?”
Was he referring to Jiang Shiyu?
Zeng Keqin pressed her lips together and replied softly, “Mm.”
“Your friend?”
Were they friends?
Zeng Keqin held the paper cup in both hands, hesitating.
Seeing how nervous she was, Wang Song smiled reassuringly. “That kid’s been here a few times. He’s a bit hot-tempered, but he’s not bad at heart.”
Zeng Keqin was slightly surprised and gathered her courage to ask, “Then why did he get into a fight?”
Wang Song didn’t answer directly. He took a sip from the teacup on his desk. “Ah, you’ll have to ask him yourself later.”
Just then, the door to the mediation room opened, and people began filing out.
Jiang Shiyu walked out last. Even with his head down, he was a head taller than the others, his upright figure standing out in the hallway.
His hat was gone at some point, revealing a pale face covered in wounds.
A police officer stood beside him, lecturing him.
Jiang Shiyu responded perfunctorily, but turned his head impatiently—and happened to see Zeng Keqin on the bench.
Their eyes met.
Jiang Shiyu frowned slightly, strode over on his long legs, and stopped in front of her in a few steps.
“Why are you still here?”
Zeng Keqin’s heart tightened. Staring into those dark eyes, she slowly spoke. “Waiting for you.”
Jiang Shiyu froze for a second, then frowned even deeper. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the thugs approaching, cursing.
“Who’s this girl?”
He shoved his hat onto Zeng Keqin’s head, grabbed her wrist, and walked toward the door.
Zeng Keqin stumbled a few steps from the pull. His strides were long, and she had to jog to keep up.
They stopped at a deserted alley entrance.
Jiang Shiyu let go, stepped back, and leaned against the wall. “Alright, what is it?”
Zeng Keqin was slightly out of breath. “You… why did you fight those people? Is it related to the fraud case?”
Jiang Shiyu’s gaze fell on her. “No, it’s not related.”
Zeng Keqin took off the hat and smoothed her hair. “Then why?”
The faint scent of shampoo drifted in the air.
Jiang Shiyu frowned. “You want to know?”
Zeng Keqin nodded.
He pulled a cigarette from his pocket, put it in his mouth, and was about to light it when he suddenly turned to Zeng Keqin. “Mind if I smoke?”
Zeng Keqin didn’t speak, but her furrowed brows were answer enough.
Jiang Shiyu twirled the cigarette between his fingers. “One of those guys was my high school classmate. We used to be pretty close.”
His gaze drifted into the distance, as if recalling something long ago. “Then something happened… He did time for a few years. After he got out, he ended up like this.”
“What happened?”
Jiang Shiyu skipped the question. “When he first got out, his family didn’t care about him, and he had nowhere to go, so he hung out on the streets. At first, petty theft. Then he joined a crew, working as a lookout.”
Zeng Keqin thought of Officer Wang’s words. “So you fought to help him?”
Jiang Shiyu’s mouth twisted into a bitter smile. “Something like that.”
The dim light fell on his bruised face, which looked quite shocking.
Zeng Keqin felt a pang of sympathy. “But that doesn’t solve the real problem. If you really want to help him, you should persuade him to leave that environment.”
“You think I haven’t tried?”
He ran his hand through his hair irritably, then snapped the cigarette in half, growling in a low voice, “I’ve tried everything, dammit. He’s doing this on purpose, just to make me feel bad!”
“I don’t know what happened between you two.”