Chapter 386: Eye Burial
There was no need to wait three days—by the next day, Gu Mingchi personally arrived in Taoyang with the transport convoy.
Hot on his heels was Pei Dong, who had also come to collect medical supplies.
Both were wearing trench coats, and as they met each other’s gaze in the biting wind, the surrounding air seemed to grow even colder.
The medicine was smoothly loaded onto the vehicles, but while the convoy departed, Gu Mingchi remained behind.
Su Tao, puzzled, asked him, “You’re not leaving?”
Gu Mingchi raised his collar against the cold. “I’m here to visit my grandpa.”
A solid excuse. Su Tao led him to where Old Master Gu spent most of his time—the elementary school’s outdoor classroom.
From afar, Gu Mingchi spotted his grandfather, who looked energetic and animated, passionately recounting the glorious exploits of his youth to a group of wide-eyed children.
He even began sharing his educational philosophy, including the time when he caught his grandson folding paper airplanes during class. As punishment, he had made him fold 200 paper airplanes in one night, all while crying. Gu Mingchi never dared to fold another airplane again.
Hearing this, Gu Mingchi’s face darkened.
Su Tao nearly burst out laughing but kept a straight face as she said, “Boss Gu, I’ve never learned how to fold a paper airplane. With all your experience, can you teach me?”
Without a word, Gu Mingchi turned and left.
The kind words he had prepared to say flew out of his mind, replaced by a cold remark before he walked off:
“The Eastern District should get the same treatment as the others.”
Su Tao only realized after his car had driven away—he was subtly offering his support to help her consolidate control over the Eastern District.
She muttered under her breath, feeling oddly conflicted.
Meanwhile, as soon as Gu Mingchi arrived in the Eastern District, he regretted it.
To make matters worse, Zhong Gaoyi called to poke at his emotional wounds.
“Boss Gu, I saw you barely spoke to Boss Su before leaving. That won’t do—you need to seize the opportunity…”
Gu Mingchi hung up with a snap.
He knew it wouldn’t do.
But he couldn’t help himself.
He paced for a moment before deciding to call Su Tao to tell her about the escaped prisoners from Dingnan Base—it was a good excuse to stay connected.
But when he dialed, her phone was off.
Su Tao had deliberately hung up—not specifically on Gu Mingchi, but because she had noticed something strange: Jiang Tong didn’t seem to be nearsighted.
Under Jiang Yu’s supervision and his fervent hope that she would succeed, Jiang Tong was attending classes with a group of elementary school students.
During recess, a mischievous boy snatched her glasses and started tossing them around with his friends. Eventually, they dropped to the ground, breaking one of the fragile arms.
When Su Tao returned from seeing Gu Mingchi off, she found Jiang Tong squatting on the ground, searching for the broken piece. The other children were helping her look, but after a long while, only Jiang Tong spotted it—under a desk several rows away.
That distance wasn’t short, and the broken arm was tiny.
Su Tao’s heart skipped a beat. Something wasn’t right.
She quietly left and went to find Jiang Yu, who was temporarily assisting Doctor Zhong at the clinic.
Jiang Yu, who had become much more cheerful since reuniting with his sister, was now well-liked by everyone for his patience and diligence.
When Su Tao called him aside, she asked, “How bad is Tongtong’s nearsightedness?”
Jiang Yu’s expression darkened.
“Her right eye is over 700 degrees, and her left is worse—1,200 degrees with astigmatism. I’ve been hoping to find a doctor to help correct her vision. If left untreated, it’ll only get worse.”
Su Tao hesitated before asking, “Without her glasses, could she see something small five meters away?”
Jiang Yu shook his head decisively.
“Not even one meter. She can’t distinguish between people and animals, let alone spot small objects unless they’re moving.”
That didn’t match what Su Tao had just witnessed—something was definitely wrong.
She pressed on. “Jiang Yu, have you considered that her eyesight might not be as bad as you think?”
Jiang Yu was firm.
“That’s impossible. She’s had this condition since birth. Doctors said it could only be stabilized, not cured. Why are you asking—did something happen?”
Su Tao took a breath and told him everything she had observed.
Jiang Yu fell silent, deep in thought, but eventually chuckled dismissively.
“Probably just a coincidence, or maybe one of the other kids helped her.”
That night, Su Tao shared the incident with Shi Zijin.
Shi Zijin frowned. “I’ve been keeping an eye on her these past few days—her schedule seems normal, and she never leaves after dark. I still haven’t even seen her face clearly. You should find a way to bring her to me. My ‘Eye of Insight’ might reveal something unusual.”
Feeling increasingly uneasy, Su Tao suggested, “Why bother luring her out? Just sneak in and check on her directly.”
But when Shi Zijin slipped into Jiang Tong’s room that night, he found it empty.
At that very moment, Jiang Tong had already left Taoyang.
In a dim alley in Dongyang, she stood opposite a stunning woman with long hair and blood-red lips, who was finishing her meal—what remained of a man’s corpse.
The woman licked her lips seductively and said, “Eye Burial, aren’t you going to have a taste? I saved some just for you.”
Jiang Tong didn’t move. “Why did you come looking for me?”
The woman chuckled softly.
“I just wanted to see how you’re doing in the human world. How’s that human brother of yours—does he know you’re a man-eating monster?”
Jiang Tong’s voice was cold. “Stay out of my business. Don’t come looking for me again.”
The woman’s smile deepened.
“I’m only trying to help. Humans will never accept us, and we’ll never stop hungering for them. You should stop holding onto unrealistic fantasies.”
