Chapter 147: She Probably Won't Report It, Right?

At the educated youth dormitory, Lin Jingyue returned to find that Jiang Xun and the others had not yet come back.

"Feng, this is for you." Seeing Feng Wanjia was there, she handed over the items she had bought for her.

"Here, let’s split this chicken cake." Feng Wanjia was absolutely delighted to see that Lin Jingyue had actually managed to buy meat.

"And this, take this too." She ran back into her room and brought out a red apple. It had been sent by her family, and such large, high-quality apples were rare in this area.

"Thank you." Lin Jingyue raised an eyebrow and accepted it. The value of fruit had always been high; that was the very reason she rarely let the fruit from her personal space circulate. After selling some a few times last year, she had stopped. The quality of her fruit was simply too high, making it easy to attract unwanted attention.

"Don't mention it. We're close, aren't we?" Feng Wanjia smiled warmly. She wasn't a fool; she knew there were plenty of benefits to being on good terms with Lin Jingyue.

After chatting for a bit, Lin Jingyue returned to her room. She locked the door and entered her space to check on the woman; her breathing had stabilized. Because she had used silver needles to seal the woman's acupoints, she was unlikely to wake up anytime soon. Those people from earlier clearly weren't to be trifled with—they carried firearms and radiated a chilling, murderous aura. Perhaps their backgrounds were significant. She hadn't intended to save anyone, but after seeing those men from a distance, she had changed her mind. Perhaps this woman held an extraordinary position, perhaps as an undercover agent. Though she wasn't a saint, she had basic principles; as the saying goes, every citizen shares responsibility for the fate of the nation.

Her suspicions were confirmed by the wounds she had seen on the woman and the marks on her hands. Both the webbing between her thumbs and fingers and her fingertips had callouses—the telltale signs of someone who handles firearms year-round. The person she had saved was either working for the state or a heinous criminal. If it was the former, she was safe, but if she had the misfortune of saving someone she shouldn't have... Lin Jingyue looked at the woman’s tightly closed eyes, a deep, cold glint appearing in her own. If that were the case, she would personally see her off.

Around four in the afternoon, after feeding the woman two anti-inflammatory pills, Lin Jingyue exited the space. As she opened the door, she came face-to-face with Zhao Hua, who had just returned. Lin Jingyue’s expression remained indifferent. Zhao Hua’s look was complex, but he didn't speak to her. He had long realized that this Lin Jingyue was no longer the one he used to know—or rather, the old Lin Jingyue wouldn't have bothered to give him a second glance either. Ever since Lin Xiner’s incident and his fallout with Lin Xinjian, he knew he had to rely on himself. Watching Lin Jingyue walk away, his heart grew even heavier. Someone like her would thrive no matter where she was.

He had actually considered following Du Jianguo’s path—claiming illness to return to the city—but he lacked the courage. Lin Jingyue was unaware of Zhao Hua’s internal turmoil; to her, he was merely a passerby.

After leaving the dormitory, she took a detour toward the mountain. It was safer to keep the woman out of the dormitory.

"Don't come again next time. It’s not good if you're seen; you’ll be implicated..."

Hearing the hushed, rustling voices, Lin Jingyue paused. The path she was taking passed by the cowshed to reach the mountain. Several elderly people lived there, and they usually kept to themselves. What a coincidence.

"Old Lu, these things aren't worth much. Please just accept them. I can't help with much else." The speaker was a woman—an acquaintance.

Lin Jingyue didn't move, as there was no place to hide on the narrow path. Sure enough, the speakers appeared before her a moment later. All three looked flustered at the sight of her, especially Wang Xueping, who was heavily pregnant; she hadn't expected to run into Lin Jingyue here. Seeing Lin Jingyue, Old Lu quickly stepped aside, his actions making it clear he had no connection to Wang Xueping and Yang Ming.

"Educated Youth Lin." Wang Xueping took a deep breath and calmed herself. Although Lin Jingyue had a sharp temper, she wasn't one to gossip.

"Hmm, what a coincidence." Lin Jingyue nodded. "Would you like to pass first?" She stepped aside, as the path was quite narrow. If her calculations were correct, Wang Xueping’s due date was within these next few days. Seeing the woman’s dauntingly large belly, she took another step back.

Seeing that she didn't mention what had just happened, the three of them breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you," Yang Ming said suddenly as he helped Wang Xueping walk past Lin Jingyue. Lin Jingyue understood his meaning and nodded, putting them at ease.

Watching the two shuffle away, Lin Jingyue withdrew her gaze and prepared to continue up the mountain, only to lock eyes with a pair of sharp, piercing eyes. The old man was thin, but his spirit was still intact, and there was a burning intensity in his gaze. He was no simple old man. Then again, who living in this place was? Lin Jingyue had no desire to get involved with them, so she gave a slight nod as a greeting and continued on her way. Old Lu watched her retreating figure and nodded to himself after a long moment.

The composure she radiated from within—for an eighteen or nineteen-year-old girl—was truly remarkable.

Back at the cowshed, Old Lu took out the medicine Wang Xueping and Yang Ming had given him, fed it to the elderly person lying on the straw, and boiled some rice for porridge. He sighed inwardly. Most of these young people were kind-hearted; the fact that they were willing to risk so much just because of a small favor from the older generation was truly commendable.

"Yang Ming, do you think... Lin Jingyue will report us?" On the way back, Wang Xueping was still uncertain. Even if she felt Lin Jingyue wasn't a gossip, if the wrong person found out about this, they would be in serious trouble.

"She won't," Yang Ming shook his head. "Didn't you say she’s a proud person? She wouldn't stoop to such things. Besides, she has no grudge against us." Lin Jingyue might be one to seek revenge for the slightest grievance, but she followed the principle of "if you don't offend me, I won't offend you." She wouldn't meddle in others' affairs unless provoked.

Wang Xueping exhaled. "We'll be more careful next time." Old Lu was a close friend of her grandfather’s and had saved his life more than once in the past. When her grandfather learned Old Lu was here, he had asked her to look after him in secret.

"Right."

"Ouch..." Yang Ming noticed her expression contort and asked in a panic, "What's wrong?"

"My stomach hurts. I think it’s time..."

"We’re going to the hospital!"

While there was chaos on the path, Lin Jingyue was leisurely searching for her targets on the mountain. She had been wandering these hills for so long that she knew them well. Plus, she had "Big Gray."

Speaking of the devil, after a rustle in the bushes, Big Gray leaped out. Fortunately, Lin Jingyue was prepared and dodged; otherwise, she would have been knocked to the ground by the wolf.

"You big lug, is your brain missing a piece?" Lin Jingyue scolded, swatting Big Gray. The wolf whimpered and nuzzled against her, circling her incessantly. Lin Jingyue rolled her eyes. "Wait a while before you drink any." It seemed the more spiritual spring water the wolf drank, the more human-like it became.