Volume 1 Entertainment Circle Chapter 37 Childhood Memories

  I don't know how long I stood in the darkness, the wind was cold and my hands and feet were numb with pain. The phone rang again, and Tong Jiao finally picked it up with her stiffened hand, and a low, evil laugh came from the receiver.

  "Xiao Tong, how could you do this? I was just about to sneak up on you, and then I saw the note on the door!" Mu Fang leaned against the door frame, having just taken a refreshing bath, his expression languid, one hand holding his phone, the other shaking the note, a sly smile spreading across his handsome face.

  "Mu Ge, I still need to read the script, so I'll head back first." Tong Jing spoke softly, turning around and taking a step forward. Standing for too long had made her toes ache, and with each step, it felt like she was stepping on ice blades. Yet, her voice remained calm as ever, but her face no longer held its usual serenity, instead looking gloomy and making one want to smooth out the furrowed brow.

  "Xiao Tong, you're not behaving yourself, actually learning to lie. Alright, tomorrow I'll get the staff at the club to return your car." Mu Fang didn't pursue who had picked up Tong Tong and casually said a few words before hanging up the phone.

  The apartment was quiet, Tong Jing looked around, but felt that the apartment was very large, with a vast emptiness. Although she had long been accustomed to such emptiness, accustomed to being alone at home, and accustomed to facing places where there were only her own footsteps and breathing sounds, yet now, in her mind, there suddenly appeared the image of Tan Jieyan occasionally visiting, as if the apartment was filled with a warm atmosphere.

  After re-soaking in the bath, her numb and stiff feet finally warmed up under the hot water. Tong Jiao held onto the script and shrank into the blanket, glancing at the phone on the bedside table, hesitating for a moment before ultimately deciding not to call Yu Jing or Guan Yao.

  "Jing Jing, your mother is dead. You must remember, we are not an ordinary family, and you will never be able to live like other children for the rest of your life." In her memory, the man's low voice echoed with a hint of hoarseness, despite the grief and guilt in his heart for his deceased wife. However, his voice was mechanically calm, as if he were not even trying to comfort his own daughter.

  "I know." The four-year-old girl nodded, her pale face gaunt, her big eyes sunken in her thin face, staring blankly at the photo in front of her. It was a beautiful woman, but when the little girl closed her eyes, what flashed before her mind's eye was a scene of brutal torture: severed limbs, warm blood splashing on her face, hands and body.

  She couldn't cry, Mom said she was the daughter of Tong's family, she had to be strong, she wouldn't die, because those people were avenging Dad, so they brutally killed Mom in front of her, and then left their own and Mom's corpses for Dad, that was the revenge on Dad.

  So she remained quietly in the cave until the sound of helicopters came from outside, until the uncles of the assault team rushed into the cave. For three days and nights, without eating or drinking, she stood here, not knowing whose big hand covered her eyes, and finally quieted down in the darkness.

  Dad, have I let you down? Pulling back thoughts from memory, Tong Jiang's eyes were dry and painful, she picked up her phone and pressed the power button, turned off the light with one hand, curled up into a ball under the blanket, like a fetus in its mother's womb, hugging herself tightly with both hands, closing her eyes, waiting for sleep to come.

  West Lake Garden

  In the living room, Yu Jing was still browsing through files. Li Cheng, who was Tan Jieyan's driver, also waited in the living room until Tan Jieyan and Guan Yao came in, then he called out before returning to his own room.

  "Just received news that tonight, Liu Yuanhai and Mayor Wang had a 'chance encounter' at the restaurant this evening, then had dinner together and chatted for over an hour before leaving." Yu Jing tidied up the documents in her hand, then opened the first-aid kit on the sofa and took out burn cream. As a secretary, Yu Jing was one of the most qualified, with attention to detail that was no less than a woman's.

  "Is that so? Don't mind their little movements behind the scenes, urge them on and let the Tianyuan Group's development project in Xixia Mountain pass as soon as possible. Before the Spring Festival, all procedures will be handled, and construction can start next year." Tan Jieyan picked up the documents he had thrown down on the tea table earlier because of Tong Jing's matter.

  Guan Yao looked at Tan Jieyan and Yu Jing, even though it was already past midnight, the two were still discussing work. He turned around and walked towards the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water, then picked up his phone and dialed Tong Qiang's number. When he left, Tong Qiang's face really looked terrible, at least this time he would call her to let her not worry about Jieyan's hand.

  But the phone suddenly went dead, Guan Yao was stunned for a moment, Tong Jing had actually hung up, although it was already midnight and most people would be washing up to sleep, but Guan Yao thought Tong Jing would at least be worried, could he have misjudged, was Tong Jing not that concerned about Ji Yan?

  Tan Jieyan glanced at Guan Yao's figure in the kitchen, saw him take out his phone, and knew he must be calling Tong Qiang. He didn't open his mouth to stop him, but when he saw Guan Yao wait for a moment before putting his phone away, he knew the call hadn't gone through. Had Tong Qiang turned off her phone?

  Tan Jie's eyebrows furrowed for a moment, then he withdrew his gaze and focused intently on the documents in his hand, thoroughly expelling any emotions that shouldn't be there. Liu Yuanhai and Mayor Wang met for over an hour, and it was likely that tomorrow morning's 9 o'clock meeting would reveal what tricks they had up their sleeves.

  "Ji Yan, I'll go back first." Guan Yao gulped down a glass of water before speaking to the workaholic Tan Jiyan and Yu Jing, his slightly thin figure walking straight towards the door.

  "Drive carefully." Tan Jieyan spoke in a low voice, as Guan Yao's figure left, he glanced at the hand that had been scalded and applied medicine to it. His face was cold and subdued, and he said to Yu Jing: "It's very late, you go back and rest first, I'll take a look at the remaining documents."

  "Alright, Jī Yán, you should get some rest too. Tomorrow morning is likely to be a tough battle." Yu Jing packed up the medicine box and stood up to leave. Fortunately, he also lived in Xihuyuan, so it was only a two-minute walk back home.

  After Jing also left, the living room completely quieted down. Tan Jieyan leaned back on the sofa, closed his eyes, and furrowed his brow. The difficult journey of these years in the political arena was not tiring, but there was no choice, he could only move forward, unable to retreat.