Mad Dog-Chapter 56: Healing – Zhi Qi tasted the flavor of milk tea on his lips

Due to the trending news, Jiang Qi was again in the spotlight for a few days, so he hadn’t gone out to look for a job during this time.

On Zhi Qi’s suggestion, Jiang Qi decided to write a plan—clarifying what he wanted to do and what his goals were for each stage. This way, he would have a clear structure in his mind, making it easier to target his job search.

However, as he sat at the desk, staring at the blank “plan,” he felt an overwhelming sense of unfamiliarity every time he picked up the pen.

He couldn’t even remember the last time he had written anything. During his time in prison, he naturally had no access to “paper and pen” as such cultural items, and after he was released, it seemed everyone had moved beyond writing with a pen.

Everyone was fiddling with their phones, typing messages, and paper and pen gradually became mere decorations.

He hadn’t picked them up since.

In fact, Jiang Qi used to have good handwriting; it was neat and elegant, a reflection of his personality—slim yet graceful, giving off a sense of “iron brush and silver hook.”

But now, after not writing for so long, Jiang Qi discovered that when he picked up the pen, his wrist trembled uncontrollably, and when the tip touched the paper, it felt awkward and clumsy.

Frowning, Jiang Qi frustratedly dropped the pen.

He couldn’t write; he had no plan. His mind felt emptier than the paper in front of him.

After thinking it through, Jiang Qi realized he felt like a worthless person.

Just like he said before, he couldn’t do anything, so how could he have a plan? If he wasn’t fixing cars, was he supposed to work as a waiter to earn money? That wasn’t out of the question, but after the last experience of working, he was worried that wherever he went to work, someone would recognize him, leading to the risk of losing that job too.

Why was his face such a bother?

Jiang Qi childishly poked at his own face with the pen, feeling an almost impulsive urge for “plastic surgery” rise within him.

If only no one could recognize him, if only he could go out freely, fully equipped with a hat and mask.

He thought the few months he spent in the industry could be seen as a “dream,” yet the cold reality told him it was impossible. Jiang Qi chuckled coldly, lost in thought.

Just then, his phone on the desk buzzed incessantly. Jiang Qi looked down and saw an unfamiliar local number.

He frowned but ultimately decided to answer.

“Ah Qi? This is your number, right?” The male voice on the other end caught Jiang Qi off guard, and he instinctively held the phone to his ear.

He asked, puzzled, “Uncle?”

How did Jiang Shi know his phone number? Very few people had it.

“Ah Qi, you should have told me your number. I’ve been worried sick these past few months,” Jiang Shi said, his voice filled with urgency as he quickly got to the point. “It’s because of the trending news yesterday—you know, your nephew watches that stuff. We had no idea, but he saw it and told us you were in the news. We went to that 4S shop you were working at, and after asking the boss, we got your contact information.”

That made sense; he had used this number when filling out his contact details on the labor contract, and Zhan Yang knew it.

So that’s how Jiang Shi found out his number, Jiang Qi thought, feeling somewhat at a loss as he asked, “Uncle, is something wrong?”

“Nothing much, just that I saw your news before and got worried when I found out you were in the hospital, but I couldn’t contact you. I only felt relieved after seeing your message on Weibo a couple of days ago,” Jiang Shi said, his urgency unhidden. “Ah Qi, why are you working as a mechanic now? Are you short on money?”

The older generation in the family always spoke frankly, even if they weren’t particularly close. Jiang Qi felt somewhat awkward and pursed his lips, stiffly replying, “No.”

“Ah Qi, if you’re in trouble, just… say something.” Jiang Shi sighed on the other end. “Working as a mechanic is tough; it’s exhausting.”

Jiang Qi smiled silently: “Not as tiring as selling vegetables.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shi couldn’t help but laugh.

The memories evoked by their conversation made the two of them feel much closer than before, and Jiang Shi revealed the true purpose of his call: “Ah Qi, the last time you came by and gave that 200,000, your aunt and I haven’t touched it. If you’re in a hurry for money, you can take it back.”

Jiang Qi subconsciously tightened his grip on the armrest of the chair, his voice still calm: “I’m not short on money.”

“You shouldn’t force yourself,” Jiang Shi said.

“I’m not forcing myself.” Jiang Qi’s tone remained unchanged, but a faint vein popped on his forehead, indicating he was once again at a stage where his emotions were difficult to control.

Feeling embarrassed and somewhat touched by this conversation, the boy just wanted to hang up quickly: “Uncle, you should get back to what you were doing. I still have something to take care of here.”

With that, Jiang Qi hung up the phone in a hurry.

He still didn’t quite know how to interact with others, to be close or draw boundaries—despite how warm Jiang Shi’s unexpected call made him feel.

But no matter what, Jiang Qi couldn’t bring himself to ask for the money back.

Yet he understood that Jiang Shi had good intentions; he genuinely wanted to help him, and this was one of the rare moments he felt a glimpse of familial love.

Jiang Qi furrowed his brows and quickly took two pills.

Leaning back in his chair for a while, his emotions gradually calmed down, not as extreme as when he had been unable to write the “plan.”

Jiang Shi’s phone call wasn’t completely useless.

After sitting quietly for a while, Jiang Qi got up, put on his hat and mask, and stepped out.

During this time, he had developed the habit of timing his outings to pick Zhi Qi up after class.

—Like an adult waiting to greet their well-behaved child.

Recently, the only thing Jiang Qi could truly call a “pleasure” was picking Zhi Qi up from school, asking her what she wanted to eat, and then cooking for her.

He was someone who could excel in whatever he chose to learn, and recently he had been studying cooking, significantly improving his culinary skills. Every time Zhi Qi ate, her eyes would light up as she praised him, saying he could be a chef.

The comment was made without much thought, but to Jiang Qi, being a chef wasn’t out of the question.

In the kitchen, he wouldn’t have to face customers, and he could wear a hat and mask. It seemed quite suitable.

However, when he deliberately applied for several chef positions, most employers, judging by his “scholarly” appearance, assumed Jiang Qi was the type who couldn’t even handle a big ladle, rejecting him without a second thought.

Jiang Qi had experienced repeated failures in his job search, growing somewhat numb to the rejections.

Fortunately, he didn’t hold onto the idea of becoming a chef too tightly, so he temporarily shelved that aspiration and decided to continue cooking for Zhi Qi at home.

After waiting outside Lan University for a while, Jiang Qi saw Zhi Qi walking out from the west gate.

The girl wore a white spaghetti strap cardigan, her chestnut hair tied in a ponytail, and her swan-like neck revealed prominent collarbones. Below, her knees were adorned with long, slender legs clad in flip-flops, giving her a nearly luminescent milky-white appearance.

Zhi Qi held two books in her arms, and as she slightly lowered her head, some loose strands of hair fell beside her cheek. She tucked them behind her ear while waiting for the red light to cross the street, looking adorable and obedient.

But the only glaring detail was the boy standing beside her.

He seemed to be from their school, dressed in punk motorcycle gear, exuding a brash attitude as he sat on a motorcycle, chatting incessantly with Zhi Qi.

From a distance, Jiang Qi couldn’t hear what he was saying, but he noticed Zhi Qi’s evasive eyes and impatient expression. Unable to help himself, he squinted and decisively walked over.

“Zhi Qi, just let me take you for a ride in my newly modified bike; the performance… whoa!”

Before the boy could finish boasting, his hand reached out towards Zhi Qi’s wrist, but it was swiftly caught by someone.

The boy turned in shock, only to see a tall, slender figure standing beside Zhi Qi. Jiang Qi’s long hand firmly gripped his wrist, almost causing veins to protrude, his cold eyes fixed on the boy.

Meanwhile, the usually indifferent “cold beauty,” Zhi Qi, seemed to transform upon seeing this man. She hooked her arm through his and smiled brightly, bouncing on her toes: “You’re here!”

……

This was clearly the kind of attitude reserved for a boyfriend!

The boy stood frozen, staring blankly as he asked, “Zhi Qi, you really have a boyfriend?”

He had been pursuing Zhi Qi for some time, and every time she mentioned having a boyfriend, he thought it was just an excuse to brush him off—after all, no one had ever seen this so-called boyfriend of hers!

“I’ve been telling you for a month that I have a boyfriend, but you didn’t believe me,” Zhi Qi thought, finally allowing him to

see the real deal. She smiled, looking at Jiang Qi. “Now you can stay away from me, right?”

To someone who held himself in such high regard, this was likely the most “humiliating” moment of his university life.

He hurriedly turned away and drove off, his back almost screaming defeat.

Zhi Qi watched him leave, unable to hold back her laughter, then wrinkled her nose, playfully complaining to Jiang Qi: “This guy always clings to me. Even after I told him I have a boyfriend, he wouldn’t believe it. Now he finally does, heh.”

The girl’s innocent and naïve demeanor made her unaware of the shadow that flickered behind Jiang Qi’s light-colored eyes, as he simply replied with a low “Hmm.”

On the way back, Zhi Qi expressed her desire for milk tea. Jiang Qi queued up to buy her a cup without ice. As they walked, she drank happily, but halfway through, she realized that no one had spoken since she started drinking—today, Jiang Qi was unusually silent, almost not saying a word.

“Hmm? Something’s off.”

Zhi Qi tugged at Jiang Qi’s sleeve, her teeth biting on a pearl as she asked through the straw, “What’s wrong?”

The boy remained silent, and his mask concealed his expression, making him seem like he was sulking.

“Why are you acting like a child…” Zhi Qi teased with her eyes narrowed, biting her straw. “Are you sulking?”

This content is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

What could possibly make Jiang Qi unhappy? She thought for a moment and realized it must be because of that boy from earlier.

However, Zhi Qi’s words “child” seemed to touch a nerve in Jiang Qi. Without a word, he gripped her slender wrist and turned sharply into a nearby deserted alley—

“Hmm?” Zhi Qi, caught off guard, found herself pressed against the wall, her eyes wide in surprise. She blinked innocently at him: “What are you doing?”

Jiang Qi pressed one large hand against her back, making sure not to dirty her fair skin, while he used the other hand to remove his mask.

In the dim light, his sharp features became clear, and with his slightly gloomy expression, he looked intensely captivating.

Zhi Qi still had pearls in her mouth, and her throat involuntarily moved as she swallowed.

Oh no, she felt a bit flustered, almost enchanted.

“Who are you calling a child?” Jiang Qi asked her in a cold, deep voice, almost whispering.

“…Me.” Zhi Qi laughed, her small hand tugging at the hem of his loose short sleeve as she coyly said, “Don’t be jealous. I didn’t even pay him any mind.”

It seemed this little girl knew he was jealous; she had just been trying to provoke him.

But he was still jealous; it wouldn’t be so easy to soothe him.

So Jiang Qi raised his long hand and lifted her chin, his fingertip gently brushing her rosy lips: “Actually, I don’t like wearing masks.”

Though Jiang Qi didn’t care much for his looks, at this moment, he couldn’t help but think—if he hadn’t worn a mask earlier, he could have instantly left that boy speechless.

Boys also have their “sense of competition.”

Zhi Qi picked up on his underlying meaning and couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Alright, alright, you’re the most handsome.” Zhi Qi teased him as if coaxing a child. “Xu Feng can’t even compare to your pinky… No, I mean your hair, is that better?”

Xu Feng was, of course, the boy pursuing her.

“Good.” Zhi Qi looked innocently at him, biting her straw. “Can I give you some milk tea?”

…She seemed to be getting better and better at enticing him.

An inexplicable fire ignited within Jiang Qi, and he reached out to snatch the milk tea from Zhi Qi’s hands.

But instead of drinking it right away, he leaned down and bit her soft, luscious lips, his tongue exploring her mouth and tasting the milk tea.

It wasn’t the red bean flavor Zhi Qi usually liked; this time, she had bought strawberry-flavored milk tea.

*Sweet, just like the girl.