Chapter 9#

Uh…

There was no response from ahead, not even a single sound. The hospital room windows were closed as soon as night fell. Fortunately, the air purifier kept things from feeling too damp or uncomfortable.

Yet I felt a chill.

I swallowed, my breathing growing slightly heavier, my scalp tingling. I had to reach out and fumble around beside me. I remembered the water glass should be right there…

Suddenly, footsteps became clear.

Though they were very soft.

Then came the sound of water being poured into a glass, slow and quiet. I forced the corners of my mouth upward and whispered, “N-no, don’t b-bother, I—I’ll do it myself…”

After a moment, my fingers touched something icy cold. I couldn’t help but pull back.

The water was freezing. As it flowed into my mouth, I shuddered so violently that I choked——

“Ah! Cough—cough!”

I slumped over the bed, and before the cup in my hand could slip to the floor, another ice-cold hand caught it, then gently patted my back. But I was coughing so badly—I think my nose was running too. I wiped my nose and mouth with my sleeve in a panic, but when I felt that icy hand slowly glide over my shoulder, I hastily forced out a sentence: “T-tissue…”

Just… just let me die.

I took a few deep breaths, and when my mood had settled a little, I realized that my clothes were soaked through with spilled water. The dampness was uncomfortable, but I didn’t dare say anything. Even if I jumped off a building a few more times, I probably wouldn’t have the nerve to ask that person to wait on me——

Suddenly, a cool sensation touched my hand, followed by the familiar texture of fabric.

I paused.

Mirror, mirror, where are you! Was I born with words written on my face?

I thought, even without a mirror, I probably knew my face was twisted beyond recognition. When those icy fingertips gently traced along my jaw, my heart chilled. Instinctively, I grabbed the clothes tightly and stammered, “I—I’ll do it myself, th-that…”

I wanted to cry but had no tears.

My hands were clenched tight.

Even though I had been exposed countless times in front of Old He without much embarrassment, but… but… I just felt a deep, deep cold.

I really didn’t understand. From my past life to this one, I still couldn’t figure it out—just because I took something that was supposed to be his——

The door opened, and steady footsteps entered, then stopped not far away.

“Third Master.”

Uncle Jing’s voice never carried any emotion. I was startled, suddenly remembering the transmitter embedded in his watch. After a moment of silence, Uncle Jing said, “Third Master, let me handle these things.”

Uncle Jing’s fingers were somewhat rough. He deftly helped me out of my clothes and quickly changed them, his movements so brisk that it seemed he was long accustomed to this kind of work. In my past life, when the old Madam Ren was still alive, she once said half-jokingly, half-seriously: “A-Jing, you’re not someone this old lady can command. You’re not a servant of the Ren family—you’re the dog by San’er’s side.”

Uncle Jing’s appearance was somewhat rugged, with sharp features. At first glance, his eyes seemed dull, but in reality, they were very sharp. I remembered that Uncle Jing’s hands were covered in thick calluses, like those of a manual laborer. His voice wasn’t loud, but his words were clear and forceful. When he saw that person, he stood with his back straight.

Compared to a butler, Uncle Jing seemed more like a soldier.

After Uncle Jing settled me in, he stepped back a few paces. Then a blanket was gently laid over me, and a faint medicinal smell reached my nose.

A sigh.

“Third Master, there’s a shareholder meeting tomorrow afternoon, and a dinner appointment with Lawyer Li in the evening.”

The air conditioning temperature was turned up a bit.

Uncle Jing’s voice rang out again: “Third Master, you should rest now.”

Almost instinctively, I called out, “Third Uncle.” My voice was clear, seeming to echo in the room.

I could almost feel that gaze. Just as I was about to back out, Sister Xin’s words rang in my mind.

— Xiao Qi, even Master Han couldn’t do anything about this. He sent people to smooth things over at the station, but even the police chief wouldn’t say a word.

— They… they all said… it was an order from Third Master Ren. They don’t dare provoke him. They also said this time, the barrister Li that Third Master Ren hired is demanding a heavy sentence.

— Xiao Qi, in the whole of Singapore, who doesn’t give Master Han face? But word outside is that the Ren family is actually under Third Master Ren’s control now, and even Master Han has to yield.

— Xiao Qi, Sister Xin really has no other choice. That’s why I’m begging you, begging you, Xiao Qi…

“Third Uncle, can we… talk?”

The air conditioning was clearly turned down, but I felt colder and colder, so I rubbed my hands together.

In my past life, there was almost no conversation between us. Actually, Third Master Ren was a man of vast knowledge. When he first entered society, though he wasn’t particularly smooth, countless people wanted to form deep connections with him. In the early days, after he recovered and officially stepped into the social world, major magazines had extremely high praise for him. One line was quite poetic—Li Ling had memorized it and kept murmuring it in my ear: “Rather than calling him a cross-generational business tycoon, it’s better to describe him as an end-of-the-century artistic genius.”

At the time, I was being thoroughly squeezed dry, so I snorted through my nose—this was all built with money, wasn’t it? Without money, where would he get the leisure for such romanticism…

Now, I’ve passed the age of sour grapes. As for him, even though I feel some disgust, I still have a bit of admiration…

It’s just that a person who seems so perfect on the surface often has a particularly narrow mind.

In my past life, every time we managed to have a proper conversation, it was always with a tone full of helplessness—Third Uncle, let’s talk…

Uncle Jing said, “Third Master, I’ll wait outside.”

The door closed quietly.

I leaned back, trying to find a comfortable position, but a pair of hands gently lifted me, pressed a button, and propped up the pillow a bit higher. I behaved unusually obediently, letting him arrange me—ah, who could blame me? I needed something from him now, so I had to show some sincerity.

He had always loved putting on airs, which made me seem even more ungrateful. Actually, I understood, and he should have understood too—he didn’t need to pretend to be nice to me. How could I, Ren Qiri, ever be worthy of being toyed with by him, Third Master Ren?

Once I was comfortable, my nerves no longer felt like they were about to snap. I sorted out my thoughts and said, “…Third Uncle, Du Yijie… I mean, those kids… how are they now?”

He didn’t speak.

In fact, from the very beginning, he hadn’t uttered a single syllable.

I paused, hesitating a bit, and said, “Third Uncle… are you feeling unwell? Or maybe I should ask Uncle Jing to—”

The palm of my hand felt a cool touch.

He held it very lightly, like a gesture of comfort.

Just like in my past life, I would always lose my composure for a moment in front of him. Sometimes I had to admit, Third Master Ren’s skill at winning people over was truly strong. If I hadn’t seen too many examples in my past life of people being happily sold by him while counting the money he gave them, I might have believed he was a genuine gentleman inside and out.

A long time passed.

“Qi… Ri…”

It wasn’t the first time I’d heard his voice. But every time I did, it always gave me a little jolt. Even later, when he could easily knock someone down with one move, that silver device still hung around his throat, producing sound only through slight vibrations.

“Third… Uncle… is… fine.”

I nodded. His fingers intertwined with mine, even smoother than a woman’s. Speaking of his hands, like his features, they gathered all the best traits of several generations of the Ren family—beautiful, fair, and translucent.

I remembered those ten fingers were not only for playing the piano or throwing dice; their greatest skill… I sneered inwardly.

“Third Uncle,” I called softly, and said, “You know what I want to talk about. Those kids…”

The hand holding mine slowly tightened. I gave him time to organize his thoughts, paused for a moment, then continued, “They’re still young. They don’t know how to take responsibility for their actions. You saw it too—I’m not as badly hurt as you think. These things… we run into them sooner or later…”

“They… won’t.”

Those three words were spoken heavily.

His hand pressed and rubbed against my palm. His other hand covered my cheek, brushing aside the bangs on my forehead.

“Qi… Ri…” His breath was near my ear. “Won’t—from now on, never again.”

I sighed lightly and said, “Third Uncle, let them go.”

“They’re still young. If they get a heavy sentence this time, they’ll really have no future. Also…”

“Third Uncle, I think you know, Du Yijie is… my friend. I don’t want anything to happen to him…”

“This time, it was a misunderstanding, and I was just careless.”

I took the initiative to squeeze his hand back and said softly, “Third Uncle, I’ll be good. From now on, I’ll follow the old Madam’s original arrangements. Just this once… let them off, okay?”

An unprecedented silence.

Later, he didn’t say much more, but I knew he had agreed. Third Master Ren had a habit: when he agreed to something, he wouldn’t say it outright. For others, he would indicate with his eyes or a quiet gesture.

Third Master Ren loved quiet. To negotiate with him, besides having leverage, the most important thing was not to annoy him.

I had seen it many times. He would sit in the old Madam Ren’s former seat, and with a simple gesture, he could make the noisy shareholders shut up meekly.

Maybe that was a kind of personal presence.

The old Madam Ren had it, Third Master Ren had it, perhaps even my father, the former first heir, had it. But when it came to me, all I could do was watch the shareholders slowly carve up the Ren family business, leaving nothing.

And… I got sidetracked again.

There were also very simple interactions between us.

His hand slowly traced my neck.

He sighed softly in my ear, like tolerating a child’s whims, expressing a touch of helplessness, perhaps even a hint of indulgence.

I smiled.

The Ren family, actually, are all pretty good actors.