Chapter Ninety-Seven: The Cabbage Head

Jiang Xiwen was caught off guard by her sudden poke and spat out a fountain of water. Fortunately, he quickly turned his head aside, sparing Su Lai from a direct spray.

"How was I faking it? I went to the gates of the Underworld just to save you! It’s a pity the King of Hell thought my thoughts were too filthy and that my mind was full of schemes to take advantage of you. He said the underworld doesn't accept scoundrels like me and kicked me back up here..." Jiang Xiwen scrambled to his feet, grinning.

Su Lai’s delicate, porcelain-like face flushed a deep red, but she retorted sharply, "No wonder Xiao Ya says you never take anything seriously. You nearly lost your life, and you’re still spouting nonsense..."

It was strange; after this ordeal of drowning, mutual rescue, and a bit of bickering, Su Lai felt an instantaneous sense of familiarity with Jiang Xiwen, completely erasing the distance of having only met him twice before.

The doctor, witnessing Jiang Xiwen’s sudden revival, stood rooted to the spot, repeatedly shouting, "A miracle! A medical miracle!"

The officer who had rescued Jiang Xiwen pumped his fist in pure, unadulterated joy, letting out a triumphant "Yeah!"

Seeing Jiang Xiwen standing there alive, Zhang Ya’s emotions shifted from extreme grief to overwhelming relief. Caring for nothing else, she rushed forward, wrapped her arms tightly around him, and buried her face in his shoulder, sobbing, "Do you have any idea how worried I was? I was so, so worried..."

With Su Lai standing right there, Jiang Xiwen felt a bit awkward being embraced by another girl. However, Zhang Ya’s raw sincerity touched him deeply. He gently patted her head and smiled, "Stop crying. Didn't I come back to life?"

Su Lai watched their embrace from the side. The blush on her face gradually faded, replaced by her habitual, bright, and lovely smile. She felt both happy and strangely sad in her heart; she suddenly wanted to cry, though she couldn't tell if it was from joy or sorrow. Perhaps it was tears of relief, she suggested to herself, unwilling to dwell on the feeling any further.

Zhang Ya continued to cling to Jiang Xiwen, her grip tightening. The grievances of running away from home, the fear of being surrounded by thugs, and the agony of thinking Jiang Xiwen was dead—all of it poured out at once.

The nearby police and doctors watched the scene, thinking to themselves how rich the emotions of children were these days. But no one said a word; in such a moment, who would be cynical enough to label it puppy love?

"Hey, my beautiful class monitor, if you keep holding me like this, I might not be able to control myself. Watch out..." Jiang Xiwen teased, his hand moving as if to tickle her waist.

"Ah, you...!" Zhang Ya jumped back as if electrocuted, her face reddening. "You jerk! You’re actually trying to touch me..." She pouted.

"Who told you to press yourself so close? You’ve got my heart pounding," Jiang Xiwen laughed.

"Jiang Xiwen, don't bully our Xiao Ya. She rarely has friends; other than me, there's only you," Su Lai intervened on Zhang Ya's behalf.

"What merit do I have to make two little beauties worry so much about me? Haha. Su Lai, do you want a hug too?"

"Who would hug you? You’re soaked through, it’s disgusting..." Su Lai curled her lip.

It seems this guy really can't be taken seriously, Su Lai thought with a hint of disappointment. Within moments, he was back to his old self, completely lacking the steady, reliable presence he had shown while dragging her ashore in the lake.

"Alright, you lot. You're shivering, go to the hospital and get checked out to make sure there are no other injuries..." the officer who had saved Jiang Xiwen said with a shake of his head and a smile.

It wasn't until he spoke that Jiang Xiwen remembered his fractured arm. The numbness wore off, and the pain rushed back, causing him to wince.

This sent Zhang Ya into another panic, and she hurried to support him. Su Lai subconsciously wanted to ask after him too, but seeing Zhang Ya’s anxious expression, she held back. She couldn't tell if it was an illusion, but she felt that as Jiang Xiwen climbed into the ambulance, he glanced at her, his expression seemingly one of a sigh.

At the hospital, both Su Lai and Jiang Xiwen changed out of their wet clothes. The doctor re-bandaged Jiang Xiwen’s arm, finding the bitter smell of the medicine on his skin quite strange. Jiang Xiwen, of course, didn't explain its origin and insisted on using the water-soaked ointment again.

Afterward, Zhang Ya told Jiang Xiwen everything that had happened since she arrived in Modu. Only then did he learn that Su Lai and Zhang Ya had been friends all along—something he hadn't known in his previous life, as he rarely spoke to Su Lai.

Zhang Ya then pestered Jiang Xiwen to tell her about his time in the detention center and how he met Chen Lu and "Brother Wei." Su Lai was also curious. Jiang Xiwen satisfied the two girls' wishes, using his silver-tongued talent to spin the tale like a storyteller. They listened with rapt attention, shifting between worry, laughter, and indignation.

After the story of the prison drama concluded, Jiang Xiwen insisted on calling home, but Zhang Ya kept putting it off.

Jiang Xiwen felt a bit displeased and chided her seriously, "Zhang Ya, to be honest, I don't like some of your mother's methods either, and I even think your running away might help her realize her parenting was flawed. But it’s been so long; I’m sure she’s equally worried about your safety. This incident has caused quite a stir—not to mention our families, your grandfather mobilized a company from the Yangjiang Military Sub-district to look for you, and now Director Zhu of the Modu Police Bureau knows the whole story. Don't you think it’s a bit selfish to keep them worrying?"

"I..." Zhang Ya’s brows knit together, and she pouted, "I..."

"You what?" Jiang Xiwen asked, puzzled by her expression.

"Jiang Xiwen, do you even know how good Xiao Ya is to you? And you're still bullying her!" Su Lai interjected. "She ran away from home because of you. Do you remember when that 'local bully' at school called you and her in for questioning?"

Jiang Xiwen was familiar with how Su Lai spoke. In his past life, he knew she was the type to call out bad behavior directly. She must have heard about the school official’s behavior from Zhang Ya and coined that nickname for him. It was one of the things he loved about Su Lai.

"I remember. What about him?"

"Don't mention him, 'Cabbage Head'..."

"Cabbage Head?" Jiang Xiwen wondered.

"Yes! That’s a name only I get to use!" Zhang Ya seemed to have forgotten her earlier grievances, a look of triumph appearing on her face. In front of her best friend, the arrogant Zhang Ya had long since vanished.

"Oh, Xiao Ya, you leaked my nickname! I have to speak up now, so this Jiang Xiwen doesn't bully you in the future when I’m not around to help," Su Lai said, looking at Jiang Xiwen with wide eyes. "Auntie Qin has always felt that your relationship with Xiao Ya would ruin her studies, so she secretly talked to that 'local bully' and forced him to make you transfer schools. A few days ago, Xiao Ya overheard her talking to him on the phone. Xiao Ya usually listens to her mother, but she fought with her for your sake and ran away to me."

After hearing Su Lai’s account, Jiang Xiwen didn't know what to say. He stood stunned for a long time before smiling sheepishly, "Zhang Ya, I’m sorry. I shouldn't have called you selfish."

Zhang Ya rarely heard Jiang Xiwen speak to her so earnestly. She felt that all her grievances had vanished. She looked like she wanted to laugh and cry at the same time, a sight that made her look truly pitiable.

"Big Monitor, stop crying. Where did the old you go? I’ve noticed you’ve been crying a lot lately," Jiang Xiwen said softly. "How about this? Your mom might be harsh, but your dad and grandfather are really worried about you. Actually, your mom’s dislike of me is also out of concern for you. I promise, as soon as we call home and return to Yangjiang, I will convince your mother and make her understand how to treat you better in the future."

Zhang Ya asked subconsciously, "Really?"

"Of course. I even escaped the King of Hell; what else can't I do?"

"Pfft, it wasn't you, it was 'Cabbage Head' who saved your life! Even the doctors gave up, and she gave you mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. You haven't even thanked her yet."

"Oh, mouth-to-mouth?" Jiang Xiwen put on a lecherous expression and laughed, "Little Beauty Su, is that true? I had such a stroke of luck?"

"Jiang Xiwen, it’s one thing to mess with me, but stop bullying my friend!" Zhang Ya said angrily.

Su Lai smiled slightly and said, "If it wasn't for Xiao Ya, why would I bother touching those stinky lips of yours? They really were foul."

"Cabbage Head is right, he has a foul mouth..." Zhang Ya said, looking at Jiang Xiwen triumphantly.

"Alright, alright, I can't win against the two of you beauties. Su Lai, thank you," Jiang Xiwen said sincerely.

Under his gaze, Su Lai felt a sudden flutter in her heart. She looked away and changed the subject, "No need. It’s strange, though—your body is truly incredible. The doctors were stumped; I don't think my rescue had much to do with it." Jiang Xiwen caught the look in her eyes and felt a small sense of triumph. However, he didn't continue the joke. In front of Su Lai, once she blushed, he found he couldn't say much more, and he instinctively turned serious. "I guess Heaven didn't want to collect me yet..." He thought to himself, *With such a wonderful girl waiting for me in this world, how could I bear to leave?*