This was the first time Lin Jiang had recounted the entire ordeal from beginning to end.
"Back when I was interning at the provincial station, Zhang Jiantao—your father—was very supportive of me at first. But one time, I accidentally walked in on him and my classmate, the woman you know as Cheng Yunchuan, in the middle of... I was terrified. Just as I turned to leave, Cheng Yunchuan saw me. I remember it so clearly; the look in her eyes hit me like a bolt of lightning. I was consumed by fear. When I got home that day, I didn't say a word and went straight to my room without eating. When my mother asked what was wrong, I lied and said I had period pains."
Lin Jiang’s voice hitched, but she pressed on. "After that, I did my best to avoid both Zhang Jiantao and Cheng Yunchuan. But I was young then and didn't know how to hide my feelings. They must have sensed something was off. That’s why, one day, Cheng Yunchuan suddenly asked me out to dinner, saying she wanted to explain everything... I didn't want to go, but she was persistent. Since the restaurant was a public place, I eventually agreed."
Reaching this point, Lin Jiang began to tremble so violently she could hardly speak.
Zhang Jiaojiao’s face was crumbling inch by inch, yet she gritted her teeth and said, "Go on."
"I thought a public place would be safe, but on the way there, Cheng Yunchuan handed me a bottle of water... I distinctly remember checking that the seal wasn't broken before I drank it, but I lost consciousness immediately after... Then she took me to an apartment—an apartment your father used for his illicit affairs." Lin Jiang spoke slowly, her voice breaking twice. She took a deep, ragged breath, feeling as though she were trapped in a plastic bag with the oxygen being slowly sucked out.
Zhang Jiaojiao looked at her, her gaze filled with an expression so complex it defied description.
"But thank God for Shen Yan. Before I left, I’d had a bad feeling and asked Shen Yan to follow me discreetly. When he saw me being taken into the apartment, he made up an excuse to get the security guard to go up with him. It’s a good thing he arrived when he did..." Lin Jiang wiped her nose and forced a small, hollow smile. "You know the rest."
Zhang Jiaojiao let out a scoff, her eyes unfocused as she stared at Lin Jiang, still refusing to yield. "Then why didn't you stand up years ago?"
Lin Jiang sighed. "Do you know why Cheng Yunchuan helped him drug me? Do you know why she chose to endure the pain rather than find the courage to escape him? It was because he had numerous videos and nude photos of her that he used as blackmail. I intended to come forward back then, but Cheng Yunchuan knelt and begged me. She said if I breathed a single word, he would release everything..."
Zhang Jiaojiao’s eyes grew red.
"Do you know what kind of person Cheng Yunchuan used to be? She was just as proud and arrogant as you are today. Can you imagine someone like her kneeling to beg?" Lin Jiang stood up and stepped closer to Zhang Jiaojiao, her presence pressing. "But psychological torture is far more lethal than physical pain. Imagine how much she must have suffered to finally stop caring and release those photos herself—the very things she feared most—just to bring him down with her."
Zhang Jiaojiao’s face was deathly pale, making her look like a ghost haunting the night.
Finally, she could listen no longer. With a stiff face, she bolted out the door.
Lin Jiang watched her retreating back in a daze. She saw Shen Yan enter the room, grab his car keys, and chase after her. A moment later, Jiang Weifeng walked in and pulled Lin Jiang into his arms.
She had finished her story. It felt as though she had exhausted her very life force, yet from start to finish, she hadn't shed a single tear.
Jiang Weifeng kissed her hair and told her he was taking her to the Yunbian Wonton Shop.
Lin Jiang didn't refuse; she realized she was actually hungry.
She believed in the conservation of energy. Her grandfather often said, "Man is iron, food is steel." No matter what happened, one had to eat first. Once you were full, you had strength, and with strength, you could find a way forward.
Influenced by this philosophy, Lin Jiang finished a large bowl of wontons.
Jiang Weifeng understood this principle well. The next day, he took her skateboarding.
"You'll fall at first," he told her, "but once you get moving, it’s an incredible feeling."
Lin Jiang pursed her lips without a word. She took the board, set it on the ground, and stepped on. With two powerful kicks of her left foot, she went flying forward.
She even performed a few smooth maneuvers on the longboard.
These were steps she had been familiar with since her teenage years. She knew exactly where to apply pressure and how to control her speed; it was as if the movements were etched into her muscle memory. Back then, she had fallen countless times and stood up just as many. Whenever she thought of him flying on his skateboard, she felt as though she, too, possessed freedom.
After a lap, she braked steadily in front of him and asked with a smile, "How was that?"
A surge of emotion rose in Jiang Weifeng’s heart. His eyes darkened with deep affection as he said, "That’s my girl."
Three hours later, as he sat in Zhang Yijia’s office, Jiang Weifeng was still replaying her movements in his mind. At first glance, it looked like a dance—lacking raw speed or complex technique—but in reality, it was clean, decisive, and effortless.
She truly was his girl.
Zhang Yijia tapped the desk, breaking his reverie. "Have you made up your mind? Once you sign these papers, there’s no turning back."
Jiang Weifeng snapped back to the present. Without a hint of hesitation, he gripped the pen and signed his name on the contract.
Zhang Yijia was clearly provoked by his nonchalant, almost indifferent attitude. "Can you really bear to let it all go?"
"It’s all yours," Jiang Weifeng said flatly. "Just settle the accounts."
Zhang Yijia smiled. "When I asked you to start this business with me, I truly valued your talent. I wanted us to be partners and make our dreams big."
"However, I’ve realized over the past two years that it’s not that you’re wrong, and it’s not that I’m incompetent. The problem is simply that we aren't the same kind of people." Zhang Yijia laughed. "Fine then. I'll see you around."
Jiang Weifeng curled his lips into a smile. He stood up and walked away, waving a hand over his shoulder at Zhang Yijia without looking back.
Outside the door, Lillian and Gu Xiang were waiting for him, each holding a cardboard box.
"Boss, I want to work with you. I don't care about the salary; I just want to learn from you," Lillian said with a smile.
Gu Xiang added, "You have to agree to this whether you want to or not, because I’ve already promised her she can come with u—Ow!"
Before he could finish, Gu Xiang winced and cried out, clutching his shin and hopping in place.
He shouted at Jiang Weifeng’s retreating back, "Dammit! I’ve never seen you play soccer, so why are you always kicking people?!"
***
That evening, Jiang Weifeng and Gu Xiang were drinking at Green Island.
It had been a long time since they’d gathered. This time, it was to celebrate—a "happy unemployment" party.
"How do you have time to come out today?" Gu Xiang asked. "Aren't you staying home with your girl?"
Jiang Weifeng had started drinking heavily, and he was already feeling a bit lightheaded. He frowned and said, "She went to see Cheng Yunchuan. Cheng Yunchuan’s mother is sick."
Gu Xiang frowned. "Why is everything happening at once? Cheng Yunchuan is already a mess; how could her mother get sick now?"
"Lin Jiang said that even though she didn't go through as much as Cheng Yunchuan, her own mother was already heartbroken. So imagine how Cheng Yunchuan’s mother must feel." Having had a bit too much to drink, Jiang Weifeng became more talkative.
Gu Xiang sighed. "I heard from Wang Jiaqian that Cheng Yunchuan’s mother works for the government. She was in the middle of a political review for a promotion back then. Cheng Yunchuan’s silence was probably largely because of that. Her mother must feel even worse knowing that."
Jiang Weifeng didn't comment, instead tilting his head back to drain half a bottle of beer.
Gu Xiang suddenly grew angry. "Dammit, Zhang Jiantao looks so respectable on the outside, but how can a human heart be so twisted?"
"Everyone has a weakness," Jiang Weifeng murmured, his voice so low only he could hear.
He looked utterly exhausted, his expression somber, yet his eyes glittered in the dim light. It was a look of hatred he never showed in front of Lin Jiang—and half of that intense emotion was directed at himself.
"It’s been a while since Lin Jiang posted that Weibo. Is that scumbag not going to respond?" Gu Xiang asked.
Jiang Weifeng remained silent.
Before he could speak, he was interrupted by a ringtone.
Jiang Weifeng glanced at Gu Xiang before answering. Within thirty seconds, Gu Xiang saw his jawline tighten like a string about to snap.
Jiang Weifeng lowered his head, hiding his expression from Gu Xiang. His voice was bone-chillingly cold when he spoke: "Zhang Jiantao has responded."
Without a moment's hesitation, Gu Xiang scrambled to check his phone. With just one glance, his fingertips turned white as he gripped his beer bottle, trembling so hard he nearly crushed it.
The tree craves peace, but the wind will not subside.
Thirty-one hours after Lin Jiang had posted her long Weibo post—confirming Cheng Yunchuan’s allegations and recounting her own near-assault—Zhang Jiantao’s lawyer released a statement:
Zhang Jiantao was filing a private prosecution against Lin Jiang for defamation regarding her false statements.
Immediately following this, someone started the hashtag #LinJiangTheLiar, posting photos of Lin Jiang traveling around the world over the past few years along with her freelance columns.
The tide of online opinion shifted completely toward Zhang Jiantao.
— *Just asking: Why would someone who claims they were almost assaulted and suffered psychological trauma have the mood to travel all over the place?*
— *Isn't this just using 'female vulnerability' to gain sympathy? Everyone assumes a woman wouldn't joke about her own reputation, but look at the result. All I see is Ms. Lin having plenty of money and leisure to travel and fall in love, while Ms. Cheng looks like a bitter woman abandoned by a man. Teacher Zhang is the real victim here!*
— *The feminazis are at it again. Some idiot bloggers think they're so 'woke' and take sides without evidence. Look at the reversal! Getting slapped in the face now, aren't you? The public is the victim! Zhang Jiantao is the victim!*
...
Lin Jiang didn't have the courage to read any further. Tears splashed onto her phone screen. She stood alone in the hospital stairwell for a moment of silence before making a brief call to Shen Yan.
As she hung up, a man smoking in the corner asked, "Is your family member not doing well? Or is it the medical bills?"
Lin Jiang wiped her tears. She didn't answer but managed a forced smile.
The man gave her a simple, honest smile of encouragement. "It’s hard for everyone. Let’s keep fighting."
Lin Jiang blinked, then smiled. "Thank you." She turned the corner toward the ward.
Cheng Yunchuan was sitting on a chair outside the room, waiting for her.
"My mom just fell asleep," Cheng Yunchuan said.
Lin Jiang nodded and looked at her. "Did you see the Weibo post?"
Cheng Yunchuan took a long breath. "Of course." Her voice was devoid of any major emotional fluctuations.
This made Lin Jiang even more worried. She grabbed Cheng Yunchuan’s hand. "Are you okay?"
Cheng Yunchuan shook her head, a look of relief crossing her face. "I’ve dragged you into this. I owed you from years ago, and now I owe you another favor."
Lin Jiang comforted her softly, "Don't say that. This isn't just your burden."
Cheng Yunchuan’s smile was bleak. "Seeing my mother fall asleep with her brow furrowed in worry... I suddenly felt that I shouldn't be so cowardly. My past cowardice caused me so much suffering; I should have learned my lesson. So why am I still being so weak? Lin Jiang, I’ve been thinking a lot, and I’m a little angry at myself..."
As she spoke, a spark began to return to Cheng Yunchuan’s eyes—the spirit she used to have. "But after these past few days, it feels like my backbone has returned. At this point, I’m not just doing this for myself. I’m doing it for my mother, and for all of you who have been helping me."
Lin Jiang looked at her, her own resolve hardening. She smiled. "Shen Yan just called me. I’ve decided to countersue Zhang Jiantao."
Cheng Yunchuan was stunned for a second. "But he’s banking on the fact that you don't have any key evidence."
Lin Jiang tilted her head, her eyes shining with the same light as Cheng Yunchuan’s. She offered an encouraging smile. "Who cares? Shen Yan is no pushover."
"True." Cheng Yunchuan smiled as well. "After all, you have more than one knight standing behind you."
Cheng Yunchuan gestured with her chin toward the space behind Lin Jiang.
Lin Jiang turned around. Jiang Weifeng was standing a short distance away, gazing at her steadily with a deep, unabashedly tender look in his eyes.
***
Enjoying the story? Rate this novel:
Waiting for the Wind to Come | Chapter 56 | The Bitter Truth | Novela.app | Novela.app
