Jiang Chen drove all the way home.
The moment his family saw him pull into the driveway with a car, they were thrilled. His younger sister, Jiang Juan, had just returned home from university for the weekend and was especially excited. She insisted on trying out the car.
Worried something might go wrong, Jiang Chen only let her sit in the driver's seat with the gear in park and fiddle around a bit.
On Monday, Jiang Chen drove Jiang Juan back to Jiangcheng University.
Just after dropping her off and as he and Hanhua were about to leave the city, his phone suddenly rang.
One glance at the number made Jiang Chen's heart lurch.
He had never expected the call to come from Wu Feng's wife.
Back when Zheng Qiang had gone on the run, he had stopped by to see Jiang Chen and passed along a message from Wu Feng, who was then still in detention—asking Jiang Chen to look after his wife and elderly mother.
Jiang Chen had followed up once with a phone call, during which they exchanged polite greetings, but there hadn't been any meaningful interaction since.
Now, for her to call out of the blue—something serious must have happened.
"Sister-in-law Wu, this is Jiang Chen. How are you?"
Before she could say anything, sobbing came from the other end.
"Sister-in-law Wu, what's going on?" Jiang Chen already had a sinking feeling.
"Your Brother Wu… he… he's gone!" she cried, barely able to speak.
"What?!"
Jiang Chen was so shocked that his hands jerked on the steering wheel, and the car nearly slammed into a roadside plane tree.
"How did this happen? Wasn't he still in custody?" Jiang Chen pulled over and asked urgently.
"Can you come over when you have time? It's better if we talk in person."
"I'm actually in the city right now. Wait at home—I'm coming over right away."
Jiang Chen originally planned to bring Hanhua with him, but reconsidered. After all, it was a mourning visit. He and Hanhua had been sharing a bed—who knew if she might already be pregnant? If so, it wouldn't be good to expose her to such heavy, inauspicious energy.
So instead, he hailed a taxi to send Hanhua back to Jiangjia Village and drove to the Wu residence himself.
The Wu family lived in a large compound on the outskirts of the city. High courtyard walls topped with electric wire gave the place a stern and imposing look.
A maid opened the main gate. Jiang Chen followed her along a long covered corridor, turned past a lotus pond, and arrived at a quiet courtyard in the rear.
A round tea table sat beneath a lilac tree. Madam Wu, dressed in mourning black, was seated there. A small white flower was pinned to her left chest, just above the gentle curve of her breast.
She looked to be just over thirty, slim and graceful, with soft features and an appealing face. The creamy skin peeking out from her wide V-neck made it obvious—this was a woman oozing feminine charm.
Knowing Jiang Chen would be coming, she had already brewed a pot of fragrant tea and was waiting for him.
As soon as Jiang Chen stepped into the courtyard, she stood up, swaying gracefully as she approached him. Her body carried a faint fragrance, her eyes glistening with tears as she held his hand and choked out:
"Mr. Zhang… Old Wu… passed away yesterday."
"What?! That's impossible! Brother Wu was as strong as an ox—how could he just die like that?"
"They said it was a sudden heart attack."
"A heart attack? Did he have a history of heart problems?"
"No. Your Brother Wu never had any issues with his heart. But now the forensic examiner has made a final determination."
"A final determination? There are countless causes of cardiac arrest—did they rule out all the others? Sister-in-law, don't you think something about this is strange?" Jiang Chen's voice rose in anger.
"I know more than you do."
"Then just say it."
"He was murdered," she said, covering her face as tears slipped through her fingers.
Jiang Chen didn't know how to comfort her, so he simply stood there in stunned silence.
A few minutes later, when Madam Wu had calmed down, Jiang Chen finally asked:
"Sister-in-law, do you know any details? Please, tell me everything—I'll avenge Brother Wu."
Jiang Chen had always felt deeply grateful to Wu Feng.
Wu had enthusiastically helped him sell his Yi Yuan medicinal wine and helped him survive through tough times.
That kind of support in a time of dire need—Jiang Chen would never forget it.
Madam Wu took out a handkerchief and wiped away her tears. Then she motioned for Jiang Chen to sit down at the table. Her soft, white hands lifted a cup of tea and gently offered it to him.
"Mr. Zhang, have some tea first. I'll tell you everything slowly."
Jiang Chen took a sip of the fragrant brew as he listened.
As it turned out, after Wu Feng's sudden death, a friend within the detention center secretly told Madam Wu what had really happened.
Just the night before Wu Feng died, a new inmate had suddenly been transferred into his cell.
That night, as the others were sleeping, they were jolted awake by Wu Feng's screams. When they looked over, Wu was clutching his chest in agony, and the new inmate was standing right beside his bed.
That man claimed he heard Wu crying out and simply came over to check on him.
However, one of the inmates secretly told a prison informant that he had trouble sleeping that night and witnessed the new guy quietly walk over to Wu Feng's bed and press down hard on his chest while he was sleeping. Most likely, he had used powerful internal energy to stop Wu Feng's heart.
Jiang Chen's heart pounded hard for a long while.
How could he ignore this?
He would avenge his friend!
Burning with rage, Jiang Chen asked,
"Do we know that guy's name?"