Chapter 2: A Woman’s Gaze

Chapter 2: Chapter 2: A Woman’s Gaze

His mind made up, Jiang Fan decided to fight this to the bitter end.

He picked up the cake, ready to take the elevator to the third floor.

But as he was waiting for the elevator, a commotion suddenly erupted outside.

"Don’t jump! Please, don’t jump!"

"You’re so young, you can’t throw your life away!"

"Hm?"

Jiang Fan turned his head and saw a young girl perched on a third-floor windowsill of the opposite building.

’A jumper?’

He glanced down at the cake in his hands.

’Screw it. Let them file the complaint.’

Gritting his teeth, he set the cake aside and rushed out the door.

He quickly arrived at the base of the building, where a large crowd had already gathered.

Most people were trying to talk the girl down, but a small minority were heckling.

"Go on, jump! Are you just putting on a show to scare people?"

"I bet she’s just doing it for attention. She’d never actually jump!"

"What bullshit is that?"

Jiang Fan roared, and the men wisely shut their mouths.

Meanwhile, the taunts had clearly affected the girl. Her whole body pitched forward, and it looked as if she was about to fall.

’Don’t!’

Jiang Fan’s heart seized. He scanned his surroundings and quickly spotted a rusty maintenance ladder.

It looked like a ladder, but it was really just a few finger-thick iron rungs embedded in the wall. It was doubtful they could even hold a person’s weight.

’No time to second-guess this!’

Gritting his teeth, Jiang Fan started climbing the ladder.

The crowd below immediately noticed him, their eyes widening as they stared.

If he fell, he’d land on the back of his head. It would probably be a worse fate than the girl’s.

"Shh!"

Seeing that he had been spotted, Jiang Fan gestured for the crowd to be quiet. ’If the girl spots me, this will all be for nothing!’ he thought.

Meanwhile, a graceful figure in the opposite building was watching his every move.

This was none other than Miss Yin, Yin Ruxue, the very woman who had given Jiang Fan a hard time that morning.

The corners of her lips curved up slightly, a peculiar glint in her beautiful eyes.

As Jiang Fan climbed higher, everyone watched with bated breath.

A fall from that height would surely be fatal.

Fortunately, Jiang Fan had worked on construction sites before, so he wasn’t afraid of heights and had the stamina for the climb. He soon reached the same level as the girl.

He looked around and saw that he could use a few external air conditioning units to get to her windowsill.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he jumped onto the first AC unit.

CLATTER!

The unit wobbled precariously, but he managed to regain his footing. He was now about three meters from the girl.

Just then, the girl on the windowsill suddenly whispered.

"Nobody in this world likes me. There’s no reason for me to be alive. Goodbye."

Then, she pitched forward and fell.

In a flash, Jiang Fan saw what was happening and threw caution to the wind, launching himself off the AC unit.

He caught her wrist just as she fell.

AHHH!

A collective shriek rose from the crowd below; many people covered their eyes, unable to watch.

"Don’t move!"

Gritting his teeth, Jiang Fan held the girl with one hand while clinging to the AC unit’s metal frame with the other.

CREAK!

With a sharp cracking sound, the AC unit’s frame, clearly unable to support their combined weight, started to give way.

’Fuck, am I really going to die a hero’s death like this? I still have debts to pay!’ Jiang Fan couldn’t help but sigh.

But just as the metal frame was about to break free entirely, a powerful hand seized his wrist.

He looked up to see that the firefighters, dressed in orange, had arrived.

"Thanks."

Once pulled into the room, Jiang Fan collapsed onto the floor, drenched in sweat and gasping for breath.

"Buddy, we should be the ones thanking you. You’re the real hero!"

The firefighters saluted Jiang Fan in unison.

"You’re too kind. Since she’s okay now, I have to get back to my delivery."

Jiang Fan caught his breath, scrambled to his feet, and hurried downstairs.

The firefighters were left dumbfounded. The girl’s parents, who arrived moments later, rushed over and asked, "Where’s the man who saved our daughter?"

"He might have... gone to make a delivery," one of the firefighters said, pointing out the door.

Jiang Fan sprinted back across the street, but when he reached the building entrance, he froze.

He stared at the empty spot on the ground and couldn’t help but curse, "Damn it! Which asshole stole my delivery? That goddamn thing was worth half a month’s wages!"

Just as he was about to head to the security office to check the surveillance footage, the old Nokia in his pocket began to vibrate.

"Jiang Fan, what the hell were you thinking? Do you have any idea how much a cake from Yuqing Square costs?"

A shrill voice came through the phone. It was his depot’s manager, Station Chief Yang.

"Yang, how did you know I lost the delivery?" Jiang Fan asked, surprised.

"How do I know? The customer’s complaint was called directly in to me," Station Chief Yang said coldly.

"I’m sorry, Yang. Something unexpected really did happen. I ran into..."

"What, did you run into someone jumping off a building and you went and saved them?"

"Huh? How did you know?" Jiang Fan’s eyes widened.

"Bullshit! Go on, keep spinning your tall tales. Can’t you at least think up a decent excuse before you start lying?"

Station Chief Yang continued, "This humble operation can’t house a great deity like you. You’re done here."

"You’re... firing me?" Jiang Fan was stunned.

"What, was I not clear enough?" ℯ

"Fuck you, Yang Bapi! I’ve worked my ass off for you without a single complaint, and you’re firing me over this bullshit? Are you even fucking human?"

Jiang Fan let loose a torrent of curses, as if to vent all his pent-up frustration. "Yang Bapi, I’ve had enough of your shit! You’re a bloodsucking sissy! No wonder you’re still single at forty!"

With that, he hung up the phone.

But just a few minutes later, his phone rang again.

He assumed it was Station Chief Yang calling back and answered, ready to yell, "Yang Bapi, you have the nerve to call again? Do you really think I..."

"Fan, who is Yang Bapi?" a girl’s voice asked from the other end of the line.