Volume 2, Chapter 27: We Go Home

"Let's go home."

Back then, I knew that as long as I followed that figure, I would never be lost or harmed.

—Years later, Heidi Tang.

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The gunfire continued incessantly. Each shot was a killing intent capable of taking a fragile life, now echoing like firecrackers within the half-collapsed factory.

Heidi, who would later grow into a great beauty, was still just a little girl, a mere slip of a thing. After a day of anxiety and a night of fear, she found herself exhausted and hungry in a perilous environment. The gunshots were almost deafening. Not far from her, the wall would shed chunks of cement and plaster from the sweeping bullets. Clutched tightly by her mother, hiding in the blind spot of the gunfire, the little girl trembled and cried softly.

Within their limited field of vision, Jiaming stood at the edge of the corridor, two submachine guns aimed precisely and coldly at the stairwell corner below, spitting bullets. Several high-wattage halogen lamps in the factory had been shattered, plunging most areas into darkness. Yet, his shooting was mechanically precise. The slightest sound from anywhere would be met with an immediate, accurate burst of gunfire.

Meanwhile, Tang Jingyao's remaining subordinates felt like they were going insane. One person, just one person, had them completely suppressed and immobilized. The factory was mostly dark, but the opponent's eyes seemed sharper than an owl's. Anyone who dared to venture out from behind the cover of debris or mounds of earth was essentially finished the next moment. Even if someone was missed, any return fire would be met with immediate retaliation. The opponent was a sharpshooter, but they weren't.

Knowing their boss was dead, many considered hiding. Some wanted to throw grenades, but the opponent was on a corridor over ten meters high. One person, risking exposure, had his arm blown off before he could even pull the pin and throw the grenade, resulting in him and two companions being killed in the blast. Another, in his panic, threw it in the wrong direction, injuring one of their own. After that, no one dared to use them again.

Forget it, forget it, let's go, let this demon go...

Later, that profound sense of powerlessness led most of them to the same idea. Although their boss had wanted to establish a Chinese Mafia, in reality, the quality of these men couldn't compare. Most were just street thugs, absorbed after a relatively strict vetting process. Once they got guns, they thought they were desperadoes, but deep down, they were still bullies who preyed on the weak. Even among those like Chen Junbin, who were former special forces soldiers, most had their resolve worn down by money. To be frank, even if they retained their original skills, a mere handful of them would be no match for Pei Luojia's top-tier assassins.

"Safe, walk four steps along the wall, there's a blind spot..."

"Safe, follow me, turn left, hide in the corner..."

"Safe, follow me downstairs, keep a three-step distance..."

"Heidi, don't cry, it'll be okay..."

Through the dim light, in the little girl's tear-filled eyes, that figure remained steady and composed. Turning, shifting, firing, a new magazine flew from his side, the old one dropped. Almost before the old magazine hit the ground, the new one was already slotted into the grip. Everything was incredibly fast and fluid. He didn't seem to be fighting; it was more like a dance. Occasionally looking back, he could even gently comfort her.

Reaching the second-floor corridor, the wall on this side had already collapsed. Jiaming said calmly, "I need you to hold Heidi and jump down from here. Can you do it?"

Marilyn nodded, kicked off her high heels, and without a word, jumped out holding Heidi. It was a good three meters high, with rubble below, making the landing difficult to judge. Upon landing, Heidi clearly heard her mother let out a soft groan. Then, Jiaming also jumped down.

"Go find a car in that low shed, and we'll be safe. Be quick."

Holding his twin guns, he covered their retreat. However, no one inside dared to come out for a moment. In the car shed, Jiaming spotted an Audi 100 with license plate 000035, immediately recognizing it as belonging to the now-deceased Tang Jingyao. In '95, official cars mostly used this model, and with license plates within the first hundred, traffic police wouldn't dare to ticket them for violations. As they walked in, Marilyn was about to get into the driver's seat, but Jiaming casually pulled out two wires and connected them, starting the car. She then took Heidi to the back seat. However, Jiaming was small in stature, and his appearance driving the car was quite comical.

The car roared to life, accelerating onto the highway at an astonishing speed. Reflecting on the night, none of them spoke. Jiaming had nothing to say, Marilyn seemed dazed, and Heidi sat in her mother's arms, gazing at Jiaming's profile ahead. While driving, he removed the disguise from his face and took off his suit, essentially reverting to his childlike appearance. Soon after, passing the section of road where the sports car had plunged into the ravine, the police had already blocked off half the road, with several cars parked by the roadside for inspection. A traffic policeman waved them down, but Jiaming, too lazy to bother, stepped on the accelerator and drove straight through.

"Did you twist your ankle?"

Glancing in the rearview mirror, Jiaming saw Marilyn leaning over, stroking her ankle. This was the only question he asked in the car. Marilyn nodded, "Yes."

The small car sped back to Jianghai City, arriving around ten in the evening. The main streets were still bustling, but most other areas had fallen silent. They stopped the car on a deserted stretch of road, wiped off some fingerprints, and all three got out.

"I'll carry Heidi."

Carrying the suit containing the disguise props in one hand, and seeing Marilyn limping, Jiaming took the sleepy little girl. A moment later, the girl was asleep on Jiaming's back. Marilyn's feet were now only clad in stockings as she walked slowly beside him.

Under the dim streetlights, with the night breeze rustling, on the quiet street, they looked like a family of three...

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They returned to the second-floor apartment in the complex at eleven at night. Jiaming laid the sleeping Heidi down in the small bedroom on the side, then had Marilyn take off her worn stockings and wash her feet. Jiaming helped her treat her ankle, which had swollen to the size of a bun.

In the bedroom, they both sat on the edge of the bed. Marilyn leaned back on her hands, biting her lower lip tightly, her eyes filled with tears as Jiaming held her injured foot and roughly manipulated it with the medicine bottle.

He's doing it on purpose, he must be doing it on purpose...

After a long while, Marilyn finally spoke, "Are... are you still going to scold me?"

"I already have," Jiaming said calmly, vigorously rubbing the swollen area. "Are you still thinking about him?"

Marilyn tilted her head back and after a long pause, said softly, "There's a flower called dodder that needs to rely on trees to survive. I used to think I was like that, that I couldn't live without that man... Only now do I realize that what I wanted wasn't that man, but the feeling of being in love. I don't think I hate that he had another wife, nor do I hate that he deceived me. What I hate... is that I gave so much and received nothing in return, leaving nothing behind..."

"Heidi is what's left," Jiaming glanced at her. "So, you mean you've forgotten him."

"Yes," Marilyn looked up and smiled, then her expression contorted with the pain in her foot. She glared at the young boy, who was clearly seeking revenge. "I used to think I loved him so much, for him, I read Chinese novels, ate Chinese food, was passionate about everything Chinese, even stayed home all day like in the books, rarely going out, being a proper woman. But now I realize, after seeing him clearly, I could let go so quickly. Ten years, all let go just like that..."

As she finished speaking, tears streamed down her face, whether from sadness or the pain Jiaming was deliberately inflicting, she didn't know. "From now on, I think my only concern will be Heidi. I'll raise her, until she gets married, until she... no longer needs me..."

"No, find a good man and get married. How old were you when you had Heidi?"

"Having Heidi... I remember very clearly. It was the day after my eighteenth birthday..."

Jiaming rolled his eyes. No wonder her father opposed them. Pregnant at seventeen, giving birth at eighteen. If he had children who dared to do that in the future, he'd beat them to death. Aloud, he said, "Twenty-eight? You're still very young, plenty of men out there. To remain a widow for Tang Jingyao, you're so brainless with those big breasts..."

"But, isn't chastity highly valued in China? Once a woman has had a child, no one wants her anymore... Ah—"

Jiaming almost wanted to strangle this woman, who had a devilish figure but a pure, Jiangnan maiden's heart. She wanted to kill herself for Tang Jingyao, and now she could say such things. It was already rare and unusual for him to comfort someone, how did it turn into comforting her? "For goodness sake! You're American! An American who did drugs at twelve, slept with someone at fourteen, got pregnant at seventeen, and gave birth at eighteen! Don't you guys treat sleeping with someone like it's a common occurrence? Please don't ruin the beautiful image of America in my heart!"

"But... I think that concept in China is very beautiful..."

"Face reality! They aren't driving horse-drawn carriages on Chinese streets, and we're not living in thatched huts!" Jiaming slumped his shoulders, then sighed. "You brainless woman with those big breasts, women are meant to be used. As long as they feel good to touch and are satisfying to have sex with, that's enough. Who would want a membrane blocking the way that requires effort to break."

In the past, he had his own thoughts, but due to his identity as a killer, he had to keep everything inside, with no emotions, no expectations. After rebirth, he had to maintain the identity of a child. Now, speaking these words in a peculiar tone, he felt immensely satisfied. After all, the woman in front of him was probably accustomed to his adult-like thinking, and she basically had no ability or motive to threaten his current situation.

Marilyn blushed slightly. They were silent for a long time. Jiaming said, "Well, I've already called your father. Someone should be coming to pick you up within about a week."

"Mm," Marilyn nodded absentmindedly, as if lost in thought. After a while, her ankle finally stopped swelling. Just as Jiaming was about to let go, he heard Marilyn say, "Gu... Jiaming..."

"Hm?"

"I wanted to ask..." She looked up and smiled. "Are you actually an adult? I mean, your mind seems to be."

"My situation is very complicated, but it's correct to treat me as an adult, just like yourself."

"But you look like a child…"

"I understand everything an adult should, and I understand things an adult shouldn't. Is that good enough?"

"Then, if… if I were to strip naked in front of you right now, would you look down on me? Think I was promiscuous?"

"Huh?"

Jiaming's mouth fell open, and he froze there, unable to speak for a long time.