The Golden Cane and the Wild Rose - Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Yun Ran’s steps paused slightly, and her voice sounded even angrier. “Who cares!”

Jiang Musheng no longer spoke or followed, but silently watched Yun Ran’s back, remaining in the courtyard with the roses.

The two bodyguards responsible for carrying the body of Scarface exchanged glances.

Besides Jiang Xueyu, only Miss Yun dared to throw such a tantrum at Mr. Jiang.

Right.

“Miss Yun, where should we put the body?” The two bodyguards withdrew their mutual glances and asked Yun Ran.

Yun Ran pushed open Old Bean’s room door. “Please put him on the bed for me.”

The two bodyguards did as they were told and then waited by the bed for Yun Ran’s next instructions.

Although the situation was a bit complicated, it seemed Yun Ran had the best chance of becoming Mrs. Jiang, so they had to serve her carefully.

Yun Ran didn’t know what the two bodyguards were thinking. At that moment, she was only thinking about the funeral arrangements.

Having lived for more than ten years, she had seen some funerals and had a general idea of the process.

She needed to first change Old Bean into clean clothes, wash the blood off his body, and if she wanted to be more particular, she could hire a special effects makeup artist. She knew how to do makeup herself, so she didn’t need to hire one.

She opened the wardrobe and took out the gray robe Old Bean liked the most.

Old Bean used to say, “I really envy those schoolteachers. All they have to do is talk to make a living, and they live comfortably and at ease. It’s a pity I didn’t have the chance to study when I was a child.”

“I didn’t go to school, and I’m still not very capable, but at least I can afford to send you to school. Little A’ran, when you finish your studies and get a job that’s not physically demanding, I’ll be able to enjoy a peaceful life with you.”

Yun Ran still remembered her answer back then: “I’ll earn a lot of money in the future, so you won’t have to work, and you can stay at home every day.”

Old Bean was very happy when he heard that. He held her on his lap and started daydreaming.

“What would I do to pass the time if I stayed at home every day?”

“Old Bean can go out for tea and play mahjong like the uncle next door.”

“Miss Yun, you’re crying again,” one bodyguard said softly, afraid his words would upset her.

Yun Ran wiped her tears and didn’t speak.

“Miss Yun, do you want us to change Scarface’s clothes? Leave it to us. The dead are heavy, and you’re a girl, you can’t lift him.”

Yun Ran handed the robe in her hand to the bodyguard who suggested it. “Thank you.”

Then she turned and walked out.

She walked to the less than ten-square-meter living room and inadvertently saw that Jiang Musheng was still standing in the courtyard.

He had walked to the rose bushes, and she wasn’t sure if he was looking at them or smelling them. He almost seemed to be melting into the flowers.

She hesitated for a moment but still walked into the courtyard and came up behind him.

“Doesn’t Mr. Jiang hate roses? Why are you standing so close?”

“I don’t hate them,” Jiang Musheng said. “I think roses are great.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Yun Ran was stunned by his serious answer.

“Why do you think I hate roses?”

“Before, at the Eastern Dance Hall, you trampled on the roses someone gave me and threw them in the trash can. That must have been you, Mr. Jiang, right? I don’t think I misunderstood you.”

Yun Ran said this long list of accusations in one breath and was a little out of breath.

Jiang Musheng’s gaze lowered, looking at her lips that were as delicate as rose petals. “It was me, but I didn’t do it because I disliked roses.”

“Then why? I heard that when Miss Xueyu was kidnapped, a bouquet of roses was left at the scene.”

“Because…” Jiang Musheng suddenly shifted his gaze away from her face. “A’ran, do you have any water at home?”

“Yes, I do. Do you want to drink some? It needs to be boiled first.”

Yun Ran went into the house to boil water.

When she touched the kettle, Yun Ran hesitated. Why was she boiling water for Jiang Musheng?

However, she still did it.

Oh well, she needed to drink some herself, too.

The kettle started to make a humming noise as soon as it began to work.

Seeing that she didn’t come out again, Jiang Musheng also walked inside.

In the cramped kitchen, the presence of one more person was noticeable as they both vied for air. Yun Ran had already sensed Jiang Musheng’s presence.

“Why was that?” she continued to press.

“You really want to know?”

Yun Ran pursed her lips. Did Jiang Musheng think she was curious about him? She wasn’t going to let him think that.

Listening to the humming of the kettle, Yun Ran looked at the roses in the courtyard that were in full bloom.

“Miss Yun, the clothes are changed.”

A voice came from Old Bean’s room.

Yun Ran ran in and then out again, and when she went back in, she was holding a basin of water with a wet cloth soaked in it.

Jiang Musheng followed her in, and the two bodyguards retreated. The room was too small, and it would be stuffy with four people.

Yun Ran carefully wiped Old Bean’s body with the wet cloth, not noticing that Jiang Musheng had also entered.

Jiang Musheng didn’t make a sound to disturb her, just stayed by her side.

He looked at Scarface’s face and didn’t find it familiar. He had no impression of him in his mind.

The only scattered memories he could find in his brain were some of Xueyu’s ramblings.

“Brother, brother, that Uncle Scarface is so nice. He brings me a bouquet of roses every time he comes home. Aren’t they pretty?”

“Brother, brother, Uncle Scarface said he also has a daughter about my age. Do you think his daughter and I could be friends?”

The first time Jiang Musheng noticed Scarface was on the day Xueyu was kidnapped by him and some outsiders.

When he handed Xueyu over to the informant, Scarface, perhaps thinking of his own daughter who was about the same age as Xueyu, had a change of heart. At the last minute, he returned Xueyu to him and was shot in the back. The mastermind behind the kidnapping saw Scarface betray them and wanted to silence him.

He had someone save Scarface and, considering that he ultimately did not harm Xueyu, handed him over to the governor of Hong Kong for legal disposition.

Yun Ran was about to go out and change the water when she turned around and almost bumped into Jiang Musheng, which startled her.

The basin of water swayed in her hands, and Jiang Musheng quickly reached out to help. Together, they stabilized the basin, but the bloody water splashed up.

Yun Ran’s sky-blue qipao, and Jiang Musheng’s dark blue plaid shirt and black vest were not spared.

Yun Ran’s heart said, “Oh no.” She carefully observed Jiang Musheng’s expression and found that he didn’t seem to mind or be disgusted.

“Be careful,” Jiang Musheng just said to her.

Yun Ran was shocked and couldn’t speak. She just nodded, held the basin of water out of the room, and went to get a new one.

Jiang Musheng stayed with her for as long as she was there.

When it got dark, the bodyguard named A Biao answered a call and reported to Jiang Musheng, “Mr. Jiang, Alan said that Miss Xueyu asked if you and Miss Yun would be back for dinner tonight.”

“Tell them to eat first and not to wait for us.”

A Biao relayed the message.

Jiang Musheng asked, “A’ran, are you hungry?”

Yun Ran didn’t feel hungry, but she saw that the bodyguards and Jiang Musheng were all big, burly men. They must have been hungry after working all afternoon.

“I’ll take you to eat.”

Jiang Musheng said, “Okay.”

None of the other bodyguards dared to say no.

“What are you taking us to eat, Miss Yun?” a bodyguard asked curiously.

“There are more snacks here, like fish balls, oyster noodles, oolong tea…”

Yun Ran listed them one by one, while paying attention to Jiang Musheng’s expression, wondering if he would look down on these foods.

But she couldn’t see anything.

Most of the time, Jiang Musheng seemed to be a person who didn’t show his emotions, a little too restrained and composed. Yun Ran felt that he didn’t even seem like a real person.

Yun Ran took them to a noodle shop she often frequented and let them order what they were interested in. Most of them wanted fish balls. For their line of work, they probably couldn’t go a day without meat.

Yun Ran ordered a bowl of wonton noodles.

Jiang Musheng also said, “I’ll have a bowl of wonton noodles.”

There were so many of them that they took over the small shop, even filling the two small tables outside.

The auntie who was cooking the noodles had a big smile on her face. “A’ran, you brought so many friends to take care of my business today. Where’s your Old Bean? Why didn’t he come? Hasn’t he come home yet?”

Yun Ran’s throat tightened, and she said softly, “He passed away.”

“Oh!” The auntie was so startled that her hand shook, and the wontons she had just scooped out of the water fell back into the large pot.

No one dared to speak again. The bodyguards who had been chatting among themselves also fell silent.

Yun Ran felt wrapped in a powerless sadness, as if everything was reminding her that she no longer had any family in this world.

She was back to where she was more than ten years ago, all alone again.

“A’ran,” Jiang Musheng leaned over and held her hand on the table.

“…Huh?” Yun Ran looked at Jiang Musheng across from her in a daze, her vision a little blurry. She wanted to cry again.

Jiang Musheng said, “Didn’t you want to know why I don’t dislike roses, but I acted like I did that day?”

Yun Ran’s tears were about to fall, and she suddenly felt a little annoyed.

She didn’t understand why Jiang Musheng was saying this at this moment.

“Because,” Jiang Musheng held her hand tightly, “that day, I just happened to see that the bouquet of roses was given to you by another man.”

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