Chapter 144: In Danger
The shop owner was somewhat dumbfounded, looking at the money and then at Xie Jingyan: “Ah? They don’t look like they’re planning to dine and dash either.”
Xie Jingyan quickly took out a hundred and placed it on the table: “Uncle, I have something to do now, so I won’t say more.”
“Hey!”
The shop owner was somewhat dumbfounded; why were they all refusing change one after another?
After Xie Jingyan came out, there were still pedestrians on the street, but Jiang Ning and Scarface were nowhere to be seen.
He immediately ran towards the police station.
Three minutes later, he arrived here and rushed straight in but didn’t see Jiang Ning’s figure.
The duty police officer inside was holding a cup of hot tea. Seeing Xie Jingyan hurrying in, he immediately asked: “Young man, what happened? Running so urgently?”
Xie Jingyan’s chest rose and fell slightly as he asked: “Have you seen a young girl come in? She’s very pretty, about 165 cm tall, with big eyes, wearing a high ponytail, pink knitwear, and light-colored jeans.”
The officer shook his head upon hearing this: “No, tonight only you came to the police station. I didn’t see anyone else.”
Xie Jingyan’s heart sank.
He didn’t have time to say more and ran out of the police station again.
The street was lit by streetlights and not too dark, but the light was not very clear.
Xie Jingyan looked at the pitch-black sky, tension and helplessness surging in his heart.
Where did Jiang Ning go?
He took out his mobile phone, not even caring if his identity would be exposed, and called Jiang Ning.
Unfortunately, there was no answer on the other end.
He called again, and the voice broadcast during the call came from the phone number that had called him.
Xie Jingyan gritted his teeth and used his own WeChat account to request adding Jiang Ning’s main account as a friend.
He stood under the streetlight on the street, feeling fear and confusion in his heart for the first time.
Just like when a loved one passes away.
Immense panic.
……
On the other side.
Wei Jin turned off Jiang Ning’s mobile phone and directly shut it down for her.
Jiang Ning looked at that string of numbers—familiar yet strange. She seemed to have seen it somewhere but couldn’t remember.
Only then did Wei Jin return the mobile phone to Jiang Ning and made a shushing gesture at her: “Shh, hide well. If I hadn’t stopped you, you would’ve been intercepted by their people and taken into the van before reaching the police station.”
At this moment, the two were in a small alley.
Jiang Ning put her mobile phone into her bag and frowned at Wei Jin: “Why are you here?”
Wei Jin was a bit embarrassed.
He couldn’t exactly say that he heard Shen Jinhe say Jiang Ning’s younger brother was in the hospital getting treatment.
Coincidentally, he had also arranged for his mother to be in this hospital.
He had come to this private hospital in the morning, preparing to “bump into” Jiang Ning.
But unfortunately, he didn’t even catch a glimpse of Jiang Ning,
So he could only sit in the hospital lobby seats and wait.
While he was dozing off in the seat, he saw Jiang Ning arrive, but Xie Jingyan was with her.
This instantly extinguished his desire to say hello.
Then, while hesitating in the hospital whether to message Jiang Ning to meet alone, he saw Jiang Ning and Xie Jingyan leave the hospital again.
Unconsciously, he had followed Jiang Ning and the others to this Xiao Ge Town.
Afraid of being misunderstood by Jiang Ning as a stalker.
But wanting to leave, he had missed the last bus.
He could only quietly stay here for one night and wait to take tomorrow’s early bus.
Then he discovered several suspicious figures always following not too far behind Jiang Ning.
A bad premonition instantly emerged in his heart.
Ever since they received the threat letter, the other side hadn’t made a move until now.
Just when Wei Jin thought they had given up, unexpectedly their goal wasn’t him, but Jiang Ning!
Bullying him was one thing, but bullying a girl—what kind of nonsense was that.
“I… happened to come to Xiao Ge Town for tourism. What a coincidence, running into you like this—we must have quite the fate.” Wei Jin smiled at Jiang Ning.
Jiang Ning looked at him with a mix of exasperation: “Do you think I believe that?”
Xiao Ge Town wasn’t even a scenic area; even locals didn’t wander around here, let alone outsiders.
Wei Jin sighed: “Alright, I followed you here, afraid you’d run into danger.”
Jiang Ning was stunned for a moment, then quickly reacted: “So this group of people is after me because of you?”
Wei Jin gave an awkward laugh: “Sort of, and sort of not…”
Jiang Ning: “…”
“Did you take out a loan in my name outside?”
Wei Jin denied: “No, this matter is complicated. Anyway, let’s leave Xiao Ge Town first—staying here is very dangerous.”
But Jiang Ning shook her head: “I can’t leave yet.”
Wei Jin grew anxious: “Why? If you want to come here to play, I can accompany you next time.”
“No, Xie Jingyan is still in Xiao Ge Town. I can’t just abandon him. That group looks like ruthless criminals. They know he’s with me—if they can’t find me, what if they take it out on him? He bought me time to escape; I can’t get him hurt.”
Jiang Ning simply couldn’t do something like that.
She couldn’t trade Xie Jingyan’s life for her own.
If Xie Jingyan had any accident today, or was maimed by this group, she would never forgive herself.
Wei Jin quietly looked at Jiang Ning for a few seconds, finally unable to hold back a sigh: “I get it.”
He wanted to say more but couldn’t bring himself to ask.
He was afraid of getting an answer he didn’t want to face.
Wei Jin knew secret crushes were painful, but he didn’t expect an open one to be this tough.
The girl he liked had already met someone heart-moving before him.
So, could he still compete?
Wei Jin didn’t know.
He continued: “Then you hide here well. I’ll go find him, and then we’ll drive out of here.”
Jiang Ning nodded.
Wei Jin put on a mask and hat and went out.
Jiang Ning hid behind the trash can.
After hesitating several times, she still turned her mobile phone back on. She had to call the police, or all three of them were in danger.
She set her mobile phone to silent.
As soon as it turned on, quite a few messages popped out—many unfamiliar calls, and one [Chunfen requests to add you as a friend].
Jiang Ning almost thought she had misread it.
Chunfen…
Wasn’t that Xie Jingyan’s online relationship name?!
Could it be that he went to add her alternate account again?
Jiang Ning logged into WeChat and realized Xie Jingyan had requested to add her main account!
Her mind was a bit chaotic for a moment.
Xie Jingyan… requesting her main account.
And using his own account to add her.
Plus that familiar phone number.
Jiang Ning immediately checked it.
This number had called her once.
Judging by the date and time, it should have been the day competitive mathematics ended, when she was at the hospital.
Jiang Ning’s scalp instantly went numb.
Then everything made sense.
Why, after competitive mathematics, Xie Jingyan’s indifferent attitude towards her had softened a bit.
Making her think Xie Jingyan might like her.
In the end… it turned out he had long discovered her identity?!
Jiang Ning was somewhat disheveled in the wind.
Now Xie Jingyan wasn’t pretending anymore, clearly telling her that her online relationship partner Meng Jing was him!
Refresh and check again half an hour later.
