Waiting for the Wind to Come | Chapter 58 | The Truth Exposed | Novela.app

Lin Jiang took a taxi to the hospital to see Cheng Yunchuan, trying to call Shen Yan three times along the way, but none went through. When Shen Yan’s phone finally rang, he was standing motionless in his rented apartment. Outside his window stood a massive tree, its shadow cast into fragmented pieces by the sunlight. As the ringing stopped, someone asked him, "How much money will it take for you to drop this case?" Shen Yan replied, "This isn't about money." "I can give you triple the legal fees." The man’s voice was steady, seemingly brimming with confidence. Shen Yan laughed. "Zhang Juntao, aren't you afraid I'm recording this? Aren't you afraid your daughter will find out about these things?" Hearing this, Zhang Juntao pushed up the gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose and smiled as well. "First, this was a surprise visit; you didn't have time to set up a recording. Second, you aren't fit to mention Jiaojiao. You have nothing to do with her." A look of deep disdain flashed in Shen Yan’s eyes. "Looking at your statement on Weibo, you seemed quite sure of yourself. So why come to me? A guilty conscience?" Zhang Juntao’s expression remained unchanged. "Shen Yan, you’re a lawyer. You should know how much of the evidence in Cheng Yunchuan’s hands can actually be called 'evidence' in a court of law. As for Lin Jiang, she has absolutely no proof that I ever did those things." Shen Yan’s face hardened. He looked at Zhang Juntao with utter incomprehension, finally laughing out of sheer anger. "I don't understand. You have reputation and status—why would you throw it away to act like the dregs of society? Aren't you afraid Jiaojiao will be heartbroken if she finds out?" Zhang Juntao didn't think much of Shen Yan. Hearing the question, he didn't bother acting mysterious, answering in a matter-of-fact tone, "Who doesn't have a hobby or two? We’re all just mortals; it’s only natural." "A fine 'only natural'!" A woman’s voice suddenly erupted from the doorway. Shen Yan’s eyelids twitched when he saw Zhang Jiaojiao. She had always had a key to his apartment, and perhaps because of the phone ringing earlier, the sound of the door opening had been overlooked. When Zhang Juntao saw Zhang Jiaojiao, his face turned deathly pale. His mouth twitched, and for a long time, he didn't know whether to force a smile first or try to scramble for an explanation. "Aren't you... supposed to be visiting your mother?" Cold sweat broke out on Zhang Juntao’s forehead. Zhang Jiaojiao held up her phone, staring fixedly at Zhang Juntao as if trying to see right through him. She laughed through her tears. "I went to ask my dead mother if you really were the bastard everyone says you are!" Zhang Juntao gasped, his gaze unfocused, forcing a smile. "Jiaojiao, listen to me..." "But I changed my mind halfway. I realized I shouldn't ask my mom; I should ask you. And I shouldn't just ask you in private—I should bring Shen Yan along so he could hear your 'innocence' with his own ears!" Zhang Jiaojiao laughed, her eyes bloodshot. Zhang Juntao panicked completely. "Daddy... Daddy didn't do anything! You have to believe me." "Zhang Juntao!" Zhang Jiaojiao screamed, tears streaming down her face. "I just recorded everything you said! Don't keep making the same mistakes!" With that, Zhang Jiaojiao turned and bolted! Zhang Juntao stood with his mouth agape, his eyes hollow. He muttered to himself for a long moment before finally snapping to his senses and chasing after her. The moment Zhang Juntao slammed the door shut on his way out, Shen Yan felt as if a massive hole had been shaken into his heart. The gears of fate ground forward. *** Before the next turning point arrived, Jiang Weifeng chose to take a drink. In the bedroom, Jiang Weifeng and Cheng Minghao sat barefoot on the floor, each with a can of Tsingtao. The moment their cans clinked, it felt as if they had returned to their teenage years. After finishing half his beer, Cheng Minghao clicked his tongue. "I still missed things 'Made in China'." Jiang Weifeng’s eyes flickered, but he didn't speak. Cheng Minghao leaned in closer and asked, "Between you and Lin Jiang, who chased whom?" He then immediately stopped him, slapping his own forehead. "Wait, don't answer yet! Let me think... wait, that’s not right. The person Lin Jiang liked back then—it couldn't have been you, could it?" "You knew?" Jiang Weifeng paused mid-swallow, raising an eyebrow. "After all these years, I know Lin Jiang too well. There’s always been someone living in her heart. If it wasn't you, how could you have landed her so quickly?" Cheng Minghao fell back into his habit of being overly dramatic. "What is this? The woman I chased for so long was actually pining for my best friend? And now she’s my sister-in-law?" Jiang Weifeng rubbed his chin and gave a playful smile. "Are you done? I was the one who pursued her first." "What do you mean?" Cheng Minghao was stunned. "You think you're the only one allowed to have eyes for her?" Jiang Weifeng teased. Cheng Minghao sucked in a breath. "Holy crap! So you two were pining for each other? I could make a movie out of this material. The title would be *A Movie for Three, But I Don't Even Get a Credit*..." "Get over yourself!" Jiang Weifeng laughed. "Hmph, it's not the thief you fear, but the one who's always watching," Cheng Minghao grumbled, feeling wronged. Jiang Weifeng made a move to kick him again, but this time Cheng Minghao was prepared and scrambled out of the way. "Don't get physical! Let's talk business. Lin Jiang went out just now because of *that* matter, right?" The atmosphere suddenly grew much heavier. Jiang Weifeng gave a barely audible "Yeah." Cheng Minghao’s mood shifted quickly. Seeing Jiang Weifeng like this, he sighed and ended up hugging him melodramatically. "I know I probably won't be much help now that I'm back from abroad, and I know you can take care of her, but I came anyway. A brother’s gotta stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you guys. If there’s anything you need from me, don't you dare be polite." The clock in the room ticked rhythmically. When Cheng Minghao finished speaking, he suddenly let out a beer burp. Jiang Weifeng pushed him away with a look of mock disgust. "You won't be getting out of it." A long-awaited reunion, a long-awaited talk. Two hours later, seven or eight empty beer cans lay scattered haphazardly around the room. After seeing Cheng Minghao off, Jiang Weifeng stood on the balcony and talked on the phone with Director Sun Ping for a while. He remembered not long ago when he had dinner with the director. During the meal, he had been intentionally or unintentionally asking about the director's former work. At first, the director didn't think much of it, sharing many sincere memories about his days as a journalist and producer. Halfway through the meal, the director took a bite of a taiyaki and asked, "Kid, you've got something on your mind, don't you?" Jiang Weifeng’s gaze shifted slightly. He didn't delay any further and stated his purpose. As he spoke slowly, the smile on the man across from him gradually turned solemn. Finally, Jiang Weifeng asked, "Director, do you still want to do journalism?" He hadn't expected that this single question would lead to a critical breakthrough. The director had just returned from the home of another girl who had been victimized by Zhang Juntao. As they spoke, the background noise on his end kept changing. Finally, he must have entered a supermarket; music was playing over the speakers, making the director’s voice sound a bit muffled. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Jiang Weifeng nodded. "I owe you one, Director." The director laughed. "Don't mention it. Like I said before, doing this is also a way to fulfill my own wish." Jiang Weifeng remembered. The reason the director had switched to entertainment was that he had once made a film where "emotion outweighed reason," leading to a subject being so hounded by the public that they chose to jump into the sea before the truth came out. Emotion outweighing reason is a cardinal sin in journalism. The director felt regret and remorse, but what was done was done. He had chosen to escape. Therefore, the director quitting his job to investigate this matter wasn't entirely because of his casual friendship with Jiang Weifeng. Regardless, Jiang Weifeng was grateful. He promised to treat him to drinks once the matter was settled. The director, being easygoing, laughed and said it was a deal. When Jiang Weifeng hung up, the song in the director’s supermarket changed to a familiar melody: *"You know that when you need a summer, I’ll strive with all my might."* He had listened to Lin Jiang’s radio show last night and realized that her very first episode had used this song as an interlude. At the thought of this, Jiang Weifeng’s eyes brightened, like the glowing ember of a cigarette caught in the wind. Then, he called Lin Jiang. *** Lin Jiang had just stepped out of the hospital ward. Cheng’s father had gone downstairs to handle the discharge paperwork, and Cheng Yunchuan was helping pack things, so she didn't come out to see her off. The Zhang Juntao incident was causing a massive stir. Even though Cheng Yunchuan wore a mask all day, she still couldn't avoid being recognized. First of all, in the ward, a young girl in the neighboring bed had secretly filmed their family and posted it on Douyin. When Lin Jiang told Cheng Yunchuan the good news Jiang Weifeng had shared, Cheng Yunchuan froze for a long time. Then, she broke into a smile as bright as a sunflower. As she smiled, tears fell, which she hurriedly wiped away. When Lin Jiang picked up Jiang Weifeng’s call, she told him about this. Jiang Weifeng replied with four words: "The tide has turned." Lin Jiang suddenly didn't feel so tired anymore. Though it was hard work, she no longer felt that sense of powerlessness, like punching cotton, that she had at the beginning. If there was anything left to worry about, it was only Shen Yan. When she returned to Xiangjiang City that evening, Xu Mingjuan reminded her that these kinds of lawsuits were the most exhausting and that she should thank Shen Yan properly. Lin Jiang wanted to check in on him, but she couldn't get through all day. She didn't know that during that time, Shen Yan was facing his most severe trial. *** After Zhang Jiaojiao and Zhang Juntao had bolted out one after the other, Shen Yan stayed in his room alone for a while. Then, after an unknown amount of time, Zhang Juntao returned. He looked disheveled, completely different from the man who was usually calm and possessed a breezy, approachable charm. He couldn't even speak clearly: "Do you know where my daughter might have gone?" Zhang Jiaojiao had disappeared. Without a word, Shen Yan stormed out the door. He finally found Zhang Jiaojiao at an abandoned tire factory on the Outer Ring East Road. Before finding her, Shen Yan had checked five or six different places before gradually driving toward the edge of the city center. There was a strange feeling in Shen Yan’s heart. If he had to describe it, it was like a cool, quiet autumn night—he hadn't realized before that the two of them had been to so many places and shared so many memories. Zhang Jiaojiao was the one who had brought Shen Yan to that tire factory. She said she liked to come here and sit whenever she was in a bad mood. Though the place was dilapidated, it had a sort of decadent beauty that was perfect for photos. As she spoke, she had asked him, "Do you know how to take photos?" Shen Yan had said with a dark expression, "No." He didn't know how to do the things Jiang Weifeng could do. Then Zhang Jiaojiao had given a dismissive "Tch," clearly losing interest. But not long after, she seemed to think of something. She suddenly stopped, turned around, and looked at him with a deep smile, asking with a shrewd look, "Then do you know how to blush?" Shen Yan was stunned. He replied, "Why would I blush?" Zhang Jiaojiao’s eyes danced with a wicked smile. Without a word, she threw herself into his arms, hooked her arms around his shoulders, and kissed him. In that moment, every part of Shen Yan, from his hair to his toenails, went stiff. Then she put all her effort into teasing him, stoking a fire until his legs went weak. Perhaps his heart did, too. Then she stopped and laughed. "You're blushing." Seeing him at a loss, she was incredibly happy. She added, "You're so innocent." "..." Thinking of this, Shen Yan let out a faint smile, but the moment he saw Zhang Jiaojiao, he couldn't smile anymore. She was sitting on a large tire, her hair loose, her lips a fiery red. Seeing him, she asked softly, "You're here." Shen Yan said, "Your dad is looking for you." Zhang Jiaojiao sighed. "I've been sitting here for over three hours, thinking about a lot of things." "Don't let your mind wander. Your dad and you... are different." Shen Yan lowered his eyes. As the words left his mouth, he didn't know if he was comforting her or convincing himself. Zhang Jiaojiao’s eyes were sparkling as she smiled. "Shen Yan, I know you approached me with ulterior motives. But during this time... have you liked me even just a little bit?" It was like a sparkler lit on a summer night by the sea—countless tiny sparks dancing and crackling, each sound exploding against his heart. The light of those sparks was particularly piercing in the darkness, forcing Shen Yan to look down. He pressed his lips together tightly, refusing to answer. Zhang Jiaojiao’s smile slowly froze on her lips. "Is it Lin Jiang?" Shen Yan snapped his head up, his lips trembling, unable to speak. He couldn't see her expression clearly; he only heard her ask again, "The person in your heart is her, isn't it?" The sparkler had burned out, and the ash seemed to blow into his throat. Every word Shen Yan spoke was a struggle: "It's late. It's cold. Come back with me." Zhang Jiaojiao stared intently at Shen Yan, then suddenly laughed. A tear threatened to fall from the corner of her eye, and she let it. Zhang Jiaojiao walked straight toward Shen Yan, her eyes still fixed on him, but she didn't stop as she passed him. Shen Yan heard her voice come from behind him: "If you want to go, move faster. Stop nagging." Shen Yan gritted his teeth and followed. On the way back, they remained silent the entire time. *** Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation ---|---|--- 张骄骄 | Zhang Jiaojiao | Zhang Juntao's daughter. 张俊涛 | Zhang Juntao | The antagonist, a professor/public figure accused of sexual misconduct. 孙平 | Sun Ping | A director and former journalist helping Jiang Weifeng. 否极泰来 | The tide has turned / Out of the depth of misfortune comes bliss | A Chinese idiom meaning that when misfortune reaches its limit, prosperity comes. 香江城 | Xiangjiang City | The residential area/complex where Lin Jiang lives. 徐名娟 | Xu Mingjuan | Lin Jiang's mother. 外环东路 | Outer Ring East Road | A location in the city. 抖音 | Douyin | The Chinese version of TikTok. 三个人的电影我却不能有姓名 | A Movie for Three, But I Don't Even Get a Credit | A reference to the lyrics of the song "He Is Not Me" (他一定很爱你) or similar themes in Mandopop. 小情歌 | Little Love Song | The song by Sodagreen (lyrics mentioned: "You know that when you need a summer...").