Chapter 008: Paparazzi without Bodies 8 When all this is over, he will return to his hometown to be with his mother.
Jian Ziyan spent a few days being cared for and accompanied by his mother.
No one came to disturb them these days. Except that they could not leave the safe house, everything seemed to have returned to the time when mother and son depended on each other in their childhood.
Occasionally, Jian Ziyan would look at his mother's figure and fall into a slight trance.
It seemed as if their lives were so beautiful and peaceful, as if those people who were lurking in the dark and trying to kill him, and those who were ignorant of the truth and maliciously slandered him, had never existed.
But this trance only lasted for a short moment, and Jian Ziyan knew that he still had something to do.
During the time he was undercover under Weng Jianbai, he was not only investigating Jiang Zhiyuan and the others. As a key target of attention, Weng Jianbai was his primary subject of investigation.
Although Weng Jianbai was a cunning person and was unwilling to reveal his information easily, Jian Ziyan had been undercover for a long time and finally dug out some top-secret information.
He's been sorting these out these days.
"Zi Yan, it's time to eat."
His mother's voice sounded outside the study, and Jian Ziyan responded.
He put the file he had just written into the micro storage device, then destroyed the local files and put the storage device close to him.
When he came out, he habitually closed and locked the door of the study.
This was a habit he developed during his years of undercover career. Of course, he was not on guard against his mother, but he had to keep such important information properly.
This is something that can completely bring down Weng Jianbai. Otherwise, even if Chizhou and others caught Weng Jianbai, he would have countless ways to escape legal sanctions.
Lan Chunhua saw his behavior without any expression. She served soup to Jian Ziyan and then watched him eat gently.
It is rare for mother and son to have such long periods of time together, and both of them cherish this opportunity very much.
As she watched, Lan Chunhua seemed to be hesitant to speak: "Zi Yan..."
"Hmm?" Jian Ziyan looked up and saw Lan Chunhua's expression, and he had a vague guess in his mind.
Lan Chunhua opened her mouth and said hesitantly, "They made such a big scene this time, are you in danger?"
Jian Ziyan knew that his mother couldn't help but ask after all.
His mother had been accompanying him patiently these past few days. Knowing that he had a special job, she never asked him anything. However, seeing that there was no sign of him being released from the ban for so many days, his mother began to worry.
"It's a little bit, but it's not that serious." Jian Ziyan said with a smile, "They are making a fuss out of nothing. Don't worry, mom. Once they catch the person, we can leave here."
"Is that so?" Lan Chunhua's expression still did not relax, but was instead full of hesitation.
Jian Ziyan's eyes were fixed on the oil floating on the soup surface. The two were silent for a few minutes. Suddenly, he picked up the bowl of soup and took a big sip.
"Mom, I'll find another job after this is over."
Lan Chunhua looked up in shock, her wrinkled face full of surprise.
Jian Ziyan's eyebrows gradually relaxed, and he said softly: "I know you have been worried about me. After this mission is completed, I will withdraw. It will not be so dangerous, and I will have time to go home and see you often."
Hearing him say this, Lan Chunhua showed a look of hesitation, and even suppressed her joy, freezing in disbelief.
Seeing her like this, Jian Ziyan's struggling heart gradually calmed down.
"This time it's real, Mom," he said. "When this case is over, we'll go back home and never have to worry again."
"Okay, okay, okay." Lan Chunhua excitedly said "Okay" three times in a row. Only then did she believe that her son was really coming back this time. She wiped her eyes with trembling hands, "Good boy, I feel relieved when you say this."
Jian Ziyan suppressed the bitterness in his eyes and said softly, "It will be over soon, don't worry, let's eat first."
Lan Chunhua then happily picked up the chopsticks. She did not notice the hesitation on her son's face.
That night, Chizhou visited again.
As soon as he saw him, Jian Ziyan realized that there was new progress in the mission. He comforted Lan Chunhua and invited Chi Zhou into the study alone.
Chi Zhou was the person he had known the longest, but the two had always been colleagues in a businesslike manner. Jian Ziyan knew that Chi Zhou respected him, but he didn't know when Chi Zhou's eyes had shown... such a complicated tenderness?
Jian Ziyan suspected that he had seen it wrong. He shook his head secretly. It turned out that after a long period of peaceful days, one's perception would degenerate.
"Has the person been found?" He went straight to the point.
"The exact address has not been determined yet, but the approximate location has been locked." Chi Zhou stared at Jian Ziyan without blinking, with huge greed hidden in his eyes. "He seems to be a little anxious recently, and he has exposed his tracks. Our people are already tracking him down."
“I see.”
Jian Ziyan was a little surprised. According to Chi Zhou's previous concise and capable style of doing things, he would never do anything unnecessary, so this time he came to him on purpose, and he thought he had specific and clear instructions for the next step.
But I didn't expect that I only got a rough direction.
Seeing Jian Ziyan's slightly confused expression, Chi Zhou slightly turned his eyes away so as not to let the exposed emotions in his eyes offend the other person.
Indeed, in the past, he would never make this trip when there was no clear information.
But whenever he thought of Jian Ziyan's gentle gesture when he opened the door that night, and the worried look in his eyes when he wiped his face with a warm towel...
His self-control was completely breaking down.
He wanted to see him. Unprecedented thoughts were running through his body. He wanted to see Jian Ziyan, even if it was just to say a few words.
But he didn't dare to show these turbulent emotions in front of Jian Ziyan. His obscure and twisted emotions were a blasphemy to the gentleman.
Seeing that Chi Zhou didn't seem to have anything else to say, Jian Ziyan had to believe that he was probably there just to tell him this vague news.
But it just so happened that he also had something he wanted to tell Chi Zhou.
"Brother Chi..."
"Sir, I was just looking at
This one?
The two people's voices overlapped, and Jian Ziyan followed his gaze to his desk, where there was an open photo album.
However, the strange thing is that the photos stored in it were not carefully taken, but each one has a broken tear, as if someone tore them off from other places bit by bit and then protected them with care.
Jian Ziyan reached out to close the album: "I haven't done anything these days except sorting out the materials, so I just flipped through the old photos."
The hand he stretched out overlapped with Chi Zhou's hand that was about to pick up the photo album. Chi Zhou felt as if he was scalded and his whole body trembled.
Jian Ziyan quickly looked over with concern: "What's wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable?"
"No, no." Chi Zhou looked away. The interruption allowed him to pick up the photo album smoothly.
After seeing clearly who was in the photo, his pupils shrank and his heart trembled with pain.
"These are..." he said hoarsely, "I haven't seen their faces for a long time."
Jian Ziyan's eyes also dimmed.
The people in this photo album are the comrades in the organization who have sacrificed their lives.
Strictly speaking, Jian Ziyan does not belong to the organization, but he is chivalrous and willing to do things that many people are unwilling to do, so he has a special identity.
Every person on the mission related to him had to carefully leave behind images to prevent others from finding out their family information, so it was very difficult for Jian Ziyan to collect these images, and some of them were even cut out from their resumes.
One by one, the young people faced the camera, smiling either shyly or flamboyantly. The only thing in common was the light in their eyes.
"I keep thinking about some things from the past these days." Maybe it was because the night wind was too quiet, or maybe it was because Chi Zhou was the only person who had been walking side by side with Jian Ziyan. At this moment, Jian Ziyan showed a tenderness that was not usually seen. "If I think about them too much, I'm afraid I will forget their faces."
Chi Zhou thought that he had been calm and hard enough in the face of all this, but he almost threw down his arms and fled after hearing Jian Ziyan's simple words.
He already regretted picking up the album. Just when he was about to close it, Jian Ziyan reached out and took the album.
His beautiful, rosy fingertips gently slid across a face in a photo.
"This is Xiao Feng." Jian Ziyan said softly, "I have only known him for two months. We were undercover together for the cave case. Someone leaked the news that there was a reporter inside. In order to prevent me from being exposed, he was beaten to death in front of me."
He turned the page.
"This is Xiao Wei. He was responsible for escorting me to hand in the documents. He was ambushed on the way. He pushed me out of the car and rushed into the explosion himself."
"This is Alan."
"This is Ling Yang..."
"Okay."
Chi Zhou's voice was frighteningly hoarse. It was the first time that he wanted to take the photo album away without asking for Jian Ziyan's consent.
He remembered death so clearly. Now that he himself was threatened with death, what kind of mood was he in when he looked at his deceased comrades?
However, Jian Ziyan slightly turned his body to avoid his hand, then raised his face to look at him.
"You don't have to worry about me, I'm fine." There was indeed no sadness or sorrow in Jian Ziyan's eyes, only the clarity and tenacity spreading from his bones.
Those past events that were enough to cause one to collapse did not crush him, but instead shaped an increasingly clear soul. Although there was no main light in the room, Chi Zhou felt as if his eyes were illuminated by some blinding light.
"Justice needs blood to prove and defend it. They chose to walk this path, and so do we." Jian Ziyan's eyes contained an inexplicable look, "Now is the most critical moment. In order not to let this blood flow in vain, we can't relax for a moment."
"I understand, sir." Chi Zhou's eyes were filled with heartache and pity. He took a step forward and mustered up the courage to hold Jian Ziyan's hand. "We will definitely win, for sure."
He was driven by intense emotions to do something he would never dare to do before, but once he held Jian Ziyan's hand, he was reluctant to let go.
Jian Ziyan's tone was gentle, and he seemed strong and indestructible, but his hands were delicate and cold, and he was shaking slightly as he held the photo album.
Wrapped in the warm and rough hands, Jian Ziyan finally seemed unable to suppress his emotions, and a gleam of light flashed in his eyes.
The tenderness in Chi Zhou's heart spread all over the place. Looking at Jian Ziyan like this, he had countless words he wanted to say but couldn't utter them. He just wanted to hug this man tightly in his arms so that he would never have to show such an expression again.
But he didn't dare, because such an action was now all he was qualified to do.
Jian Ziyan quickly calmed down, he gently pulled his hand out and said, "Brother Chi, there is something I want to tell you."
"Sir, please just call me Chi Zhou." Chi Zhou said without thinking.
Only after he finished speaking did he realize what he had said, but he showed a determined look and did not make up for it or take it back. Instead, he stared at Jian Ziyan's expression nervously.
"...Okay, Chizhou." The two had known each other for such a long time, so it was okay to call each other by their names. Jian Ziyan readily agreed, "I will leave here after this mission is over."
"What?" Chi Zhou was a little slow to react, and asked after two seconds, "Do you want to... resign?"
"Yes." Jian Ziyan smiled, "I have already promised my mother that when this matter is over, I will go back to my hometown with her. It is a remote place, but it is safe."
Chi Zhou's Adam's apple moved, a strong reluctance flashed in his eyes, and his reason and emotion collided violently.
"I've thought about this before. I'll do as much as I can until I die." Jian Ziyan lowered his eyes, his voice guilty, "But now my mother is involved. I owe her too much. I can't help but think about her. I'm sorry."
Chi Zhou's eyes trembled, and the words "You don't need to apologize" almost came out of his mouth.
Why should he apologize? Anyone can apologize, except Jian Ziyan.
He was doing the most dangerous things and taking the biggest risks. Who did he feel sorry for? Instead, too many people owed him a thank you!
After the Weng Jianbai incident is over, the world will usher in unprecedented peace. He has completed the most dangerous mission. Who is qualified to stop him from retiring?
Chi Zhou's breathing was trembling, intense emotions were swirling in his chest. He had countless things he wanted to say, but the moment he looked at Jian Ziyan, they all turned into speechlessness.
Jian Ziyan sat in front of the window. The bright starlight outside the window fell on his delicate and handsome face, giving his eyelashes a layer of silver glow.
He still held the photo album in his arms. Those pure and great souls seemed to have gathered in him. It seemed that he would also be like them, able to turn around and leave this world and return to heaven.
Chi Zhou's heart trembled violently. If it weren't for his amazing self-control, he would have stepped forward and pulled Jian Ziyan over and hugged him tightly.
He didn't say anything, but just stared at Jian Ziyan silently, waiting for the emotions boiling like molten lava in his heart to gradually calm down.
He even lost himself in thinking, why is it that he is such a rough guy and didn't memorize many good words and sentences when he was in school, so that now when he wants to say something, he is tongue-tied.
But he felt that at this moment, no words of beauty in the world were enough to describe his husband.
【Forgiveness value 10】
"Then I wish you a happy retirement in advance." Chi Zhou said, "Can I... still visit you in your hometown?"
Jian Ziyan's unnatural tension finally relaxed.
"Of course." He smiled with a pair of crescent-shaped eyes. "Then it won't be as dangerous as it is now. I'll treat you to a meal. The vegetables in the countryside are all grown by us. They are especially fresh."
Jian Ziyan seemed very happy to receive recognition from his companions. He spoke of his life after retirement with a tone full of anticipation.
…
The visit ended quickly. Chi Zhou looked at Jian Ziyan reluctantly and said goodbye to him.
As he walked further away, the expression on his face became colder and harder.
"Strengthen the protection of Mr. Li these days." He told Qu Shu in a cold voice, "With our pursuit, Weng Jianbai is getting desperate. I'm afraid he will come back to take revenge on Mr. Li at all costs."
"Don't worry, I will protect you till my death!" Qu Shu promised solemnly.
Chi Zhou nodded, then turned around and looked into the distance at the room where the lights were still on.
Sir, you were once in darkness, and you lit a light for others.
Now, it's our turn to protect your path forward.
…
Just when Jian Ziyan was about to take a shower and go to sleep, he suddenly received a message on his mobile phone.
Jian Ziyan froze on the spot. He stared at the mobile phone on the table until the screen went dark again.
His mobile phone was specially encrypted. During special periods, except for a few people like Chi Zhou, no one else could contact him.
He walked over slowly, picked up his phone and turned it on.
The message came from an unknown number, but the content was clear.
"Jian Ziyan, is that you?——Chen Xiuran."
*
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Jian Ziyan: The flag has been erected.
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