The Price of Justice

At this critical juncture, Jiang Chen’s phone suddenly chimed several times.Zhou Yi instantly perceived it as a heavenly symphony, desperate for him to answer quickly and thus create some much-needed distance from their awkward proximity.Yet, Jiang Chen showed no intention of retreating; instead, he propped one hand against the wall, while with the other, he retrieved his phone, glanced at it, furrowed his brow, and then nonchalantly tucked it back into his pocket.Zhou Yi felt as though she were suffocating, her mind going blank for three agonizing seconds before her survival instinct surged, compelling her to articulate a string of righteous justifications:

‘Because… Lin Yating is vain and toyed with his feelings! She caused Chen Hao to accrue a mountain of debt, not to mention all this trouble! Such a person deserves to be exposed! As youths of the new era, we ought to step forward and rectify moral conduct!’

Having delivered her impassioned speech, her back straightened involuntarily.Observing her display of righteous indignation, Jiang Chen finally couldn’t help but let out a low chuckle, taking a step back to widen the distance between them.He pulled a bottle of mineral water from his backpack, slowly twisting open the cap. ‘You speak so righteously…’

He tilted his head back and took a sip, his Adam’s apple bobbing. ‘Could it be… that you’re secretly in love with Chen Hao?’

‘Nonsense!’ Zhou Yi instantly bristled with indignation!

‘Please! She considered herself an absolute straight man! To suggest she had a crush on Chen Hao? That was the greatest slander of the century! Even if she were to suffer a hundred heartbreaks, even if she were destined to grow old alone, there was no way she would ever ‘fence’ with a man!’

Yet, in her current predicament, she simply couldn’t explain that she wasn’t *this* Zhou Yi, but *that* Zhou Yi!

‘I… I am acting on behalf of Heaven! I am punishing evil and eradicating villains!’

Jiang Chen observed her pouting indignation, slowly twisting the cap back onto his mineral water bottle. ‘Acting on behalf of Heaven? Anyone who didn’t know better would think you were the martial arts alliance leader.’

Zhou Yi was utterly choked by his retort, and seeing Jiang Chen’s nonchalant demeanor only fueled her irritation. She had no desire to argue further. ‘You, just tell me… are you helping or not?’

Jiang Chen watched her vivid, foot-stomping exasperation, finding her increasingly amusing with each passing moment. The amusement in his eyes deepened as he nodded thoughtfully. ‘Hmm, so… after all that fuss, you just want me to go fishing?’

‘Exactly, exactly!’ Zhou Yi nodded vigorously. ‘Just invite her for coffee and chat about life aspirations, pretending you’re somewhat interested in her. Just say anything to make her drop her guard! Then I’ll hide nearby with Chen Hao…’

Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow, cutting her off. ‘The plan sounds good. But what makes you think Lin Yating will fall for it?’

‘What if she sees through the whole scheme immediately? Wouldn’t your grand plan of acting on behalf of Heaven collapse at the very start?’

‘No, no,’ Zhou Yi quickly explained. ‘Because after the basketball game yesterday, I personally saw Lin Yating trying to give you water, but you rejected her! The way she looked at you clearly showed interest!’

At the very moment Lin Yating had confessed yesterday, Jiang Chen, intent on settling things quickly, had even put his arm around *her* shoulder, using her as a convenient prop. She remembered that incident with crystal clarity.Furthermore, when Jiang Chen had casually bluffed to Lin Yating that he liked men, the sight of Lin Yating’s delicate face instantly crumbling had been incredibly satisfying.A small, suppressed laugh escaped Zhou Yi as she recalled the scene.Hearing this, Jiang Chen’s lips curved into a slight smile. ‘Oh? You observe quite carefully.’

Zhou Yi froze, only then realizing she had let something slip. She quickly waved her hands in denial. ‘I wasn’t deliberately watching! It’s just that her actions were too obvious, alright! I was merely passing by; I just happened to see it as I passed!’

‘Passing by?’

The scene from yesterday flashed quickly through Jiang Chen’s mind. Indeed, an unfamiliar girl had run up to block him, chattering about something he hadn’t paid any attention to.But apart from his boisterous roommates and a few egging teammates, he had absolutely no recollection of any other eye-catching girl being present. If there had been, how could he possibly not remember?

Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Zhou Yi. ‘At the time everyone was leaving yesterday… you were there too?’

‘I, I…’ Zhou Yi was choked by his sharp question. How could she possibly tell Jiang Chen that she was the real Zhou Yi, his ‘roommate dad’? And she had been a live eyewitness to the whole thing!

This was far too troublesome. She unconsciously bit her lower lip, desperately trying to formulate a plausible explanation.

‘Of, of course I was!’ Zhou Yi felt a pang of guilt under his scrutinizing gaze.

‘Is that so… And where were you at the time?’ Jiang Chen took a step forward.

‘I… I was sitting in a corner…’ Zhou Yi bravely continued to fabricate her story.

‘Oh?’ Jiang Chen suddenly leaned closer again, the distance between them so intimate that she could feel his breath. ‘Then tell me, why do I have no memory of you from yesterday?’

‘Uh… well…’ Zhou Yi retreated steadily under his relentless interrogation, her back once again pressing against the wall.Now, she was truly panicking.Jiang Chen looked at her crumpled, little face, then suddenly chuckled softly and stepped back, casually brushing a leaf from her hair.

‘Alright, I won’t press you on whether you were squatting in a corner or hanging from a tree.’ He dropped his playful tone. ‘But tell me, what’s in it for me to get involved in this mess?’

Truth be told, even he was surprised. He had already noticed Chen Hao’s abnormality and had planned to help discreetly. Yet, seeing this girl stomp her feet in exasperation over someone else’s troubles, he couldn’t resist teasing her a little more.

‘Let’s put it this way,’ Jiang Chen said, shrugging. ‘You want me to bait Lin Yating, so what do I get out of it?’

Zhou Yi was momentarily stunned. She truly hadn’t considered this question, and for a moment, she was speechless.

‘Indeed, why should he cooperate? For justice? To act on behalf of Heaven?’

These grand, high-sounding reasons were probably only important to her.She opened her mouth, her voice a little dry. ‘I, I just… couldn’t bear to watch Chen Hao being strung along and ultimately ruining himself.’

‘But you’re not him,’ Jiang Chen said incisively. ‘So why are you more worked up than he is?’

Zhou Yi fell silent.She lowered her head, pursing her lips, and after a long moment, she whispered, ‘Because… I understand that feeling.’

Jiang Chen paused, appearing somewhat surprised.Zhou Yi looked up, her gaze meeting his with a somewhat awkward yet stubborn intensity. ‘It’s fine if you don’t help me; I can manage it myself. But if you’re willing… I’ll treat you to a good meal.’

Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow. ‘Are you trying to bribe me?’

‘No, it’s just that these are the only resources I have.’ Zhou Yi shrugged helplessly. ‘Or… would you like another bubble tea?’

Jiang Chen finally couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh, leaning in to whisper near her ear. ‘Helping you isn’t out of the question… However…’

The warm breath nearly brushed Zhou Yi’s ear, instantly making her hair stand on end. They were so close she felt she could count his eyelashes.

‘However what?’ She nervously swallowed.

‘You have to agree to one condition.’ Jiang Chen straightened up, a cunning smile playing on his lips. ‘The specific details… I’ll tell you once I’ve thought of them.’

Zhou Yi’s eyes widened. ‘What kind of tyrannical clause is that?! What if you make me rob a bank?!’

‘Then don’t bother.’ Jiang Chen made to turn away.

‘Wait!’ Zhou Yi panicked, grabbing his sleeve, and through gritted teeth, squeezed out two words: ‘…Deal.’

Jiang Chen smiled, satisfied, and ruffled her hair. ‘Good girl. See you tomorrow at 3 PM at SF Cafe.’