Ming Yue hadn’t been out in public for a long time.

On the day Fu Qiancheng was discharged from the hospital, she finally made an appearance—only to quietly turn around and walk away after catching a distant glimpse of Fu Qiancheng’s mother, Shen Luochen.

Jiang Feng was probably the same way.

And so the two of them ended up meeting outside the hospital.

There was no sniping at each other like last time, nor any cold words.

Jiang Feng took the initiative to step forward and greet her: “There’s a grasshopper following you, you know that, right?”

He handed her a bottle of orange juice warmed in his palm—the flavor she loved.

Ming Yue took it, unscrewed the cap, and drank more than half of it before letting her gaze drift toward a furtive figure not far away: “Of course. I’ve seen him already.”

“Do you want me to take action?” Jiang Feng asked tentatively.

If it weren’t for her sake, she wouldn’t allow herself to interfere casually; as soon as she’d spotted that sneaky figure, it would probably have vanished by now.

Ming Yue screwed the cap back on, casually weighed the bottle in her hand for a moment, then curled her lips into a faintly mocking smile: “Do you really think that’s necessary? Or do you think I’m weak?”

“Not at all,” Jiang Feng replied.

“Then that’s settled. Go about your own business—this doesn’t need your help. If you really want to do me a favor, why don’t you go back sometime and check on my maternal grandfather and younger brother?” When she mentioned her family, Ming Yue’s voice softened considerably, and she even managed a rare, heartfelt smile for Jiang Feng: “They like you a lot and trust you very much. Just for that, Jiang Feng, I have to thank you!”

“Stop talking—what exactly do you want to give me as thanks?” Jiang Feng prodded.

Jiang Feng was clearly fishing for a response.

Ming Yue’s smile instantly faded. She shot him a sidelong glance, a trace of displeasure creeping back into her expression, and asked coolly, “Haven’t you already repaid me with myself? What more could you possibly want?”

“I don’t want anything anymore,” Jiang Feng said, dropping the joking tone.

He stood beside her on the street outside the hospital, occasionally glancing toward the entrance—as if hoping someone would spot them, yet inexplicably not wanting that person to see them.

Ming Yue, meanwhile, stood there like a wooden post, her usual chatter completely silenced.

After a moment’s thought, Jiang Feng changed the subject: “What are your plans for your mother? Are you going to… keep her locked up in the psychiatric hospital forever? Haven’t you considered bringing her home?”

“Dare you?” Ming Yue didn’t sound threatening—she was genuinely asking.

When her mother wasn’t having an episode, she would just wallow in self-pity, huddled in a corner, weeping bitterly. But when she had a severe attack, she’d even brandish a kitchen knife and slash at people.

Both she and Jiang Feng bore scars left by those knives.

If they hadn’t discovered it in time that one occasion, her little brother and maternal grandfather would have almost paid the ultimate price.

Jiang Feng’s eyebrows twitched slightly. “Never mind what I said.”

Suddenly, the world between the two of them fell silent. After a long while, Ming Yue suddenly apologized to the man beside her: “Jiang Feng, about the incident with my mother last time… I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing? She didn’t mean to, and neither did you,” Jiang Feng said, gently touching the scar on his arm.

Seemingly sensing what was on Ming Yue’s mind, he added, “I’ll keep looking around—maybe I can find a good doctor who might be able to cure her someday.”

“Thank you!” Ming Yue said sincerely.

Before long, Fu Qiancheng emerged, accompanied by the Gu brothers and Shen Luochen. As if he had clairvoyance, he spotted Ming Yue and Jiang Feng right away, his face lighting up with joy. He immediately left the main group and strode over to them: “Yueyue, you’re here! Have you been waiting for me a long time?”

His hand seemed to be guided by a built-in navigation system, automatically reaching out to touch Ming Yue’s hand.

End of Chapter 85: Counterattack 11