Chapter 25#
Ji Yang was pushed all the way back to the main building by Nie Xu.
The main building was brightly lit at this hour.
Mo Qiu was the first to come out to greet them. The moment she saw the wound on his forehead, her eyes turned red. “Who hit you? How did you get hurt this badly? All these days, and those people couldn’t even bother to have someone treat the young master’s wound — in this kind of weather, one careless moment and it’ll get infected!”
“It’s nothing, Auntie Mo.” Ji Yang smiled. “Just a surface wound.”
“You still have the nerve to come out?” This time it was Ji Changshou, standing behind them.
The Ji family had been tangled in trouble for days, but that didn’t stop this father, who had never accomplished much in his lifetime, from puffing up his chest. After all, ever since Ji Zhonglin had been taken away and still hadn’t returned, the only people in the Ji family who could call the shots were the old master who managed the household — and his son.
One son was exceptionally outstanding; the other only knew how to cause him trouble.
“Alright.” Yao Zhaoling patted the man’s arm and said softly, “As long as the child knows he was wrong, that’s enough. Don’t be so harsh every time — what if you scare him?”
Yao Zhaoling turned to Ji Yang. “Little Yang, hurry upstairs and take a hot shower. I’ll have the kitchen make something light and send it up.”
“No need to trouble yourself.” Ji Yang said. “Auntie Mo will take care of it.”
Ji Yang looked at the couple before him. “Could you make way?”
“What’s with your attitude?” Ji Changshou was displeased.
“Dad.” Ji Chengyi walked in behind them and intervened. “Stop making things worse. Call the family doctor first — Ji Yang has a fever.”
After giving his instructions, Ji Chengyi deliberately stepped forward to address Nie Xu. “Nie Xu, during the press conference earlier today, a camera hit your arm when you were protecting me. Let the doctor take a look at that too.”
Nie Xu: “I’m fine.”
“You still need to have it looked at.” Ji Chengyi was somewhat insistent. He paused for two seconds, then softened his tone. “I know you mind how I lost composure earlier, but at a time like this, the Ji family needs you, Grandfather needs you, I—”
He stopped abruptly.
Ji Yang was anxious on his behalf.
I need you too. Was that so hard to say?
But then he thought about it — Ji Chengyi had never been the type to express his feelings openly. Being able to show this much attitude face-to-face was probably already the result of the Ji family’s crisis pushing him to it.
Since he wasn’t going to say it, Ji Yang couldn’t be bothered to wait.
“Brother Xu.” Ji Yang looked at Ji Chengyi and said, “Take me upstairs.”
In Ji Chengyi’s eyes, this certainly counted as another form of provocation.
He furrowed his brow on the spot.
Although Nie Xu didn’t respond verbally, he pushed Ji Yang straight past the doorway, cutting right between Ji Changshou and Yao Zhaoling, and walked into the hall.
Behind them came Yao Zhaoling’s careful concern.
“Little Yi, why are you back so late too? Have you eaten?”
Ji Chengyi: “I’ve eaten, Mom. You don’t need to worry about me.”
Yao Zhaoling said, “How can I not worry? It’s only been a few days and you’ve lost so much weight. Do what you can with the group’s affairs — that’s enough. When your eldest brother left, he told you not to put so much pressure on yourself. Everything will be fine.”
Ji Chengyi: “I know. I know where the line is.”
Ji Changshou scolded Yao Zhaoling: “If you don’t understand anything, stop giving pointless orders. At a time like this, what do you mean ‘do what you can’? Chengyi, you need to work hard. Listen to your grandfather more in all things — got it?”
Ji Chengyi’s voice turned a fraction colder and flatter: “Got it, Dad.”
Ji Yang sat in his wheelchair, stepping out of the original owner’s identity to observe the first branch.
Ji Chengyi really was genetically gifted.
Without him, the first branch wouldn’t just be unable to hold its head up before the second branch — probably not a single one of the Ji family’s side branches and relatives would take them seriously.
Ji Chengyi also disliked Ji Changshou, even hated him. This man had been irresponsible to his mother, making him bear the label of illegitimate child from a young age. But he was patient enough, capable of bending without breaking — and sure enough, the first branch was now entirely under his command.
Ji Yang’s mind drifted slightly. After days of poor lighting, returning to this luxuriously decorated “palace” didn’t make him feel any sense of contrast — it just made him find it a little amusing.
Because he realized that despite being extremely money-grubbing, he felt absolutely no pity for the Ji family’s fate.
It was because his mind had wandered that, upon reaching the door of his room, he only then noticed that Auntie Mo was still wiping away tears.
Ji Yang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Auntie Mo, I already told you — I’m fine.”
Auntie Mo choked up. “I’m just heartbroken for you, young master.”
“What’s there to be heartbroken about? I didn’t even feel sad when I was locked up.” Ji Yang swore, “This is a hundred percent genuine.”
Mo Qiu pushed open the door and said, “I’m talking about the eldest master. How could he treat you like that? You’re the only child the first madam left behind. Back then, she was already divorcing the eldest master and about to take you away from the Ji family, but unfortunately, because she fell ill, she had no choice but to send you back. The eldest master swore back then that he would treat you well. Who knew that before long, that woman Yao Zhaoling would come through the door, bringing a child older than you. Sigh.”
Ji Yang took it in stride. “Just the inherent flaw of men.”
As if Auntie Mo might not believe him.
Ji Yang pointed at the person behind him. “If you don’t believe me, ask him — ninety-nine percent of the men in the world are scum.”
Nie Xu, suddenly dragged into the conversation, pushed Ji Yang to the foot of the bed before glancing down at him.
“Ninety-nine percent?” he said.
Ji Yang nodded. “Isn’t it right? Don’t tell me all those men in Building Four are devoted husbands who love their wives. I don’t buy it.”
Nie Xu let go of the wheelchair handles, squatted down behind it, and adjusted the angle of the footrest. “Indecent private conduct counts as a major violation. You’ll be disciplined — in serious cases, immediate termination.”
Ji Yang turned his head, surprised. “What kind of saintly hero with eyes wide open came up with that rule?”
Nie Xu stood up, checked the adjusted angle, and said casually: “Me.”
“You?” Ji Yang could hardly believe it. “You have a private life? And you made this rule?”
Nie Xu looked at him.
“Bodyguard companies generally operate on a single day off per week, with legal rights to national holidays. Building Four uses a rotating rest schedule. It’s not some illegal labor sweatshop.”
Ji Yang: “…Could you have just said you have a private life?”
Nie Xu asked Auntie Mo to find the first-aid kit.
Mo Qiu fetched it from the top shelf of the walk-in closet.
She hesitated when handing it to Nie Xu.
She turned back to Ji Yang. “Young master, Mr. Nie has been with you for two years now. He’s someone the old master trusts. Don’t be so sharp with your words. Be good — I’ll go check if the porridge is ready in the kitchen, and hurry the doctor along.”
Then to Nie Xu: “Young master isn’t the same as before. His temper has really improved a lot. Please be patient with him, Mr. Nie.”
Ji Yang: .
Where was I sharp??
Nie Xu nodded. “You’re too kind.”
Once Auntie Mo left, the room fell into a brief silence.
Ji Yang watched him pick through the first-aid kit and immediately recalled the time he’d fallen in front of Building Four and had Nie Xu treat his wounds.
He spoke up. “Get me a mirror — I’ll do it myself. Or, the doctor can handle it later too.”
Nie Xu came back with the supplies. When his gaze swept over the wound at Ji Yang’s temple, his brow creased imperceptibly.
He adopted neither suggestion.
The moment the cotton swab touched his skin, Ji Yang had already braced for the pain — but because the wound had scabbed over, he barely felt anything. That probably also had to do with the fact that Nie Xu didn’t press down.
“There’s a subcutaneous infection. If you don’t want a scar, you need to clean it daily,” Nie Xu said.
Ji Yang murmured an “mm” and pointed at his forehead. “Put a waterproof bandage on it. I want to shower.”
“Now?” Nie Xu asked.
Ji Yang nodded. “Now.”
Nie Xu’s gaze swept over the smudge of ink from his temple down to his chin, then over the dust-covered shirt. “Now is the worst time. You’ve gone three days without washing and managed. Can’t you hold out a little longer?”
Ji Yang tugged at the shirt in front of him. “Three days is my limit. Right now I can’t endure a single second longer.”
Logically, given the environment Ji Yang had grown up in, he shouldn’t be the type to have an obsessive-compulsive streak about cleanliness.
But he had actually been quite fastidious since childhood.
If conditions allowed, he absolutely had to shower before bed.
Towels for different purposes had to be kept separate.
How to arrange chopsticks, how to fold clothes, how to wash socks — his gambling-addicted father could never have taught him any of this. But he just knew how, and he always, always stuck to it.
The result of insisting on washing himself?
He nearly passed out in the bathroom.
Before the shower, Ji Yang had felt pretty good about himself — though he didn’t dare risk soaking directly in hot water. He just rinsed quickly, keeping the water temperature on the low side.
Even so, the moment he stood up, his vision went dark. His whole body felt weak, dizzy, and his ears were ringing.
He had no idea how Nie Xu heard the commotion or when he’d come in.
When he regained awareness, he found himself wrapped in a bathrobe, half-reclined on Nie Xu’s lap, with Nie Xu pinching his chin and pushing something into his mouth.
“What?” Ji Yang mumbled in resistance.
Nie Xu’s hand gripping his chin pressed a little harder. “Chocolate. Swallow.”
Hearing it was chocolate, Ji Yang gave up the struggle and obediently took it into his mouth.
The sweetness of the chocolate spread across his tongue.
It actually dulged that roiling nausea in his stomach by a little.
Ji Yang’s head was too foggy to think clearly. After a long moment, he finally managed to ask: “Why did you prepare chocolate?”
His pointed canine teeth bit through the piece of chocolate.
A faint, crisp crack.
“Back when you were courting death by insisting on showering,” Nie Xu said evenly.
Ji Yang turned his head to look at him a moment late, and commented: “That kind of predictive execution — having you as my bodyguard really is a waste.”
He turned back. “But why are the lights above spinning in circles?”
Nie Xu closed his eyes briefly. “That’s because you’re dizzy.”
Ji Yang: “Oh.”
Ji Yang: “I feel a bit better now.”
Nie Xu scooped him up in his arms, carrying him horizontally.
Ji Yang looped his arms around Nie Xu’s neck. Turning his head, he caught sight of himself in the mirror.
The bathrobe was wrapped haphazardly, leaving half a shoulder bare.
His hair was dripping wet, water still running down. One leg dangled in the air — long, slender, pale, with neatly shaped nails.
Ji Yang sighed wistfully: “It’s just the complexion that’s a bit rough.”
Nie Xu hooked one hand under his knee, grabbed a dry towel from the rack with the other, and dropped it on his head.
The bathroom door and the door to the room outside opened at practically the same time.
Ji Chengyi and the middle-aged family doctor froze simultaneously in the doorway.
Nie Xu frowned. “Get out first.”
Ji Chengyi’s grip on the doorframe went slightly white. His eyes landed on the two of them, as if he could barely believe what he was seeing. “You’re helping him bathe?”
Ji Yang slowly pulled the towel off his head.
He sighed. “Third brother, this time I really am fragile — not being a toxic green tea.”
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