Translator: CinderTL
Startled, he instinctively took a sip of tea to calm his nerves, only to find that the tea was cold.
The tea leaves hadn't even been properly steeped.
What surprised Fatty even more was that the water was also raw, unboiled, likely taken directly from the tap.
"Doctor," Fatty said, looking at Jiang Cheng's expression and the icy cup of tea, feeling an inexplicable panic. "Are you... are you okay?"
He instinctively thought that this mission had deeply affected Jiang Cheng.
Or perhaps it was that strange Bronze Door.
At that time, the Doctor had stood in front of that door, and maybe he had been influenced by it in some way that Fatty couldn't comprehend.
"Are you still not going to tell the truth?" Jiang Cheng's suppressed emotions finally erupted as he stared at Fatty.
He couldn't understand why, even after all this, Fatty still refused to admit it.
He had given Fatty many chances.
He had imagined Fatty would come up with many excuses—being coerced, or trying to steal something from him... He had thought that as long as Fatty admitted his mistake, he could let it all go.
What he couldn't bear was being treated like a fool.
Reaching out, Jiang Cheng grabbed Fatty's collar with lightning speed, pinning him against the back of the sofa. The sheer force of it scared Fatty so much that his face turned pale.
"Doctor, what's wrong with you?" Fatty exclaimed in shock, the teacup falling to the ground, its sharp shards glinting coldly under the light. "I've never lied to you! Everything I've said is true! If you don't believe me, I can go with you to Goose City—"
At the mention of Goose City, a cold glint flashed in Jiang Cheng's eyes. He hadn't expected this timid Fatty to be such a good actor.
Even now, he was still trying to bluff his way through.
Unable to contain his anger, Jiang Cheng raised his hand and punched Fatty in the face. He had held back, but the blow still sent Fatty's nose bleeding.
Just as he was about to throw a second punch, Fatty's expression—both fearful and aggrieved—made him stop.
Memories of their past together flooded his mind. To be fair, Fatty had always treated him well—not just superficially, but genuinely.
In that ancient dungeon, Fatty had even risked his life to come back and warn him.
And in the dungeon they had just left, if it hadn't been for Fatty convincing Li Zumei, both he and Banana Wolf would have died.
And it was Fatty again who had shouldered the pressure of the Gate, giving him a chance to escape.
If Fatty had wanted to kill him, he could have done so without lifting a finger.
After trembling for a long time, Jiang Cheng finally let go, staggering back and collapsing onto the sofa. At that moment, he looked even more desolate than Fatty.
"Just go."
Fatty's face was covered in blood, but he didn't even bother to wipe it. He was completely stunned, unable to comprehend why things had turned out this way when everything had been fine just moments ago.
What was wrong with the Doctor? What did he want him to confess? He had told the truth every time... Suddenly, he remembered what Boss Lin had said to him not long ago. Connecting the two incidents, it seemed they were both suspicious of him.
Suspicious of his origins? Fatty knew the Doctor had been through a lot recently, so it was natural for him to overthink.
But he never expected that the Doctor would suspect him.
"Go ahead," Jiang Cheng said as he sat on the sofa. He reached out, grabbed a backpack from beside the couch, and with a flick of his hand, slid it across the floor to Fatty's feet.
It was his own bag.
The bag was bulging, clearly packed by the Doctor in advance.
He was being driven away.
All good things must come to an end, but he hadn't expected it to be so soon, so sudden.
Fatty pursed his lips tightly, tears welling up in his eyes, yet he managed to hold them back in such an undignified manner.
Perhaps out of stubbornness, or perhaps because he was too heartbroken, Fatty wiped the blood from under his nose, then stood up and bowed to the Doctor.
"Regardless, thank you for taking care of me all this time, Doctor," Fatty said. "I've never deceived you, nor betrayed you. Not in the past, and never in the future."
Fatty picked up the bag and walked alone toward the Gate. "I'm leaving now, Doctor. Take care of yourself."
Fatty, who had always been hesitant, surprised everyone with his decisiveness this time. It wasn't until long after Fatty had left that Jiang Cheng, still sitting on the sofa, finally snapped out of his daze.
He slowly walked to the kitchen, seemingly intending to make himself a cup of coffee. But just as he finished adding the coffee, his hand, as if possessed, carried the coffee cup to the faucet and turned it on.
Cold water splashed onto the metallic coffee grounds. Jiang Cheng's hand trembled, and the coffee cup fell into the sink with a sharp clink.
It didn't break, just kept spinning inside.
Leaning on the edge of the sink, Jiang Cheng gasped for air. A sudden sense of panic washed over him. Darkness seemed to spread around him, and he felt as if he were being swallowed by it.
Trembling, he raised his left hand. Just below his palm, a faint Crimson Gate began to appear.
As the sound of the Gate opening echoed, his shadow on the wall began to twist. A pair of blood-red eyes, unable to contain themselves, slowly opened.
Under the streetlights, people hurried by.
The night grew deeper.
A light rain began to fall from the sky.
A tall woman tightened the collar of her trench coat, lowered her head, and quickened her pace, even changing direction at one point.
Because she caught a glimpse of a man by the roadside.
Very fat, very tall, and very strong, but something about him seemed off.
He was walking slowly, without an umbrella, carrying a large backpack. The strap was so long that part of it dragged on the ground, mixing with the muddy water.
He gave off a disoriented vibe, not someone who seemed trustworthy.
A drunk.
Or perhaps a homeless vagrant.
The woman didn't dare to look any longer, fearing something might happen, and hurried away.
Fatty, walking alone on the street, didn't care about the woman's opinion of him. To be more precise, he hadn't even noticed her.
He was completely drenched, but strangely, he didn't feel cold.
His mind was filled with the words the Doctor had said to him.
It seemed the Doctor wanted him to explain himself.
But the funny thing was, he didn't even know what he was supposed to explain.
He even had a bizarre thought—maybe if he just made something up, the Doctor would let him stay.
Wouldn't drive him away.
The rain grew heavier.
Thunder rumbled in the distance.
The pedestrians on the street were almost nowhere to be seen. Fatty looked up at the dark night sky, where countless raindrops fell like arrows, seemingly about to pierce his eyes.
The bag in his hand felt heavy, so he reached out and opened it.
Inside was a large workman's jacket he had worn when he first arrived.
He casually picked it up and draped it over himself, not for any particular reason but simply because he was tired of carrying the bag, which now felt like a burden.
But the moment he put on the jacket, he felt something substantial in the left pocket.
He slowly pulled it out—it was an envelope-sized package wrapped in brown paper.
He untied the string.
Inside was a thick stack of money.
It even carried a pleasant scent of perfume.
(End of the Chapter)
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