Chapter 10#
【Chapter 010】#
The light from outside cut through the darkness, and the stagnant air began to flow again.
Chi Gui stood at the doorway, using the Porch light behind him to see the situation clearly:
In the dim, cold side room, Jing Shun was collapsed on the floor, one hand pressed hard against the ground, the other holding an electric knife that had stabbed into Chi Sheng’s thigh.
Blood spread, staining Jing Shun’s otherwise pale fingers.
The collar of his inner shirt was disheveled, his breathing rapid, and his thin frame trembled violently and unnaturally, as if caught in some kind of trance.
“…”
Sensing the movement at the door, Jing Shun lifted his head numbly. His naturally beautiful peach blossom eyes were filled with darkness and despair, void of any light.
Chi Gui’s breathing suddenly grew heavy, and he quickly approached.
He crouched beside Jing Shun, immediately reaching for the hand holding the knife. “Jing Shun, put the knife down first. Don’t hurt yourself.”
Jing Shun’s mind was in chaos, trying to pull his hand back but failing. He swayed, deeply distrustful of everything before him. “No, I won’t let go…”
“Jing Shun! Calm down! Look clearly, it’s me!”
“…”
Jing Shun’s gaze wavered for a second.
“It’s okay. No one can hurt you anymore. Don’t hurt yourself for someone unworthy.” Chi Gui slowly pried open his pale fingers, coaxing him with a gentleness he had never used before. “Be good, alright?”
—Clatter.
The electric knife fell to the ground, carrying with it the weight of a thousand pounds of hatred. Jing Shun gasped twice sharply, then suddenly lost his strength and fell backward.
Chi Gui instinctively pulled him into his arms, his brows tightly knit. “Jing Shun?”
The person in his arms didn’t speak, his consciousness vaguely fading.
Chi Gui glanced at the black scarf lying not far away, decisively took off his own coat, wrapped it around Jing Shun, and then stood up, holding him close.
Chi Sheng’s body was still numb, the pain in his leg driving him mad, and he actually begged Chi Gui for help. “Save… save me…”
Hearing this, Chi Gui lowered his eyes, his murderous intent fully exposed. He kicked Chi Sheng’s leg with force.
“Ah!”
Chi Sheng screamed in pain and passed out, no longer struggling.
Jing Shun heard the short scream and involuntarily tensed up. Chi Gui noticed his state and immediately suppressed his fierce emotions.
“Don’t be afraid. It’s over. I’ll take you back to rest.”
There was movement at the door.
Chen Yiming, who had been searching elsewhere, saw the situation inside. After only a few seconds of shock, he reacted. “Sir, you take Mr. Jing back first? I’ll handle the rest.”
Chi Gui held the person in his arms tightly and instructed with concern, “Seal off news of that bastard’s injury. Keep an eye on the main branch. If they dare make trouble, tell them to come directly to me if they have the guts!”
“Yes.”
…
The Chi residence had a long-term, professional medical team that lived nearby, so they arrived quickly after a phone call.
When the medical staff came in, Chi Gui had just finished changing Jing Shun’s bloodstained coat.
In the midst of his convulsions, Jing Shun kept his eyes tightly shut, his bloodless lips choking out unintelligible words, as if trapped in some unbearable painful emotion.
“Sir, this seems to be a somatic reaction from emotional stress. It’s very serious. We need to give him a tranquilizer first to calm him down,” Dr. Chen judged initially and quickly signaled to his assistant. “Hurry!”
Fortunately, with their regular qualifications and channels, they always had backup medication on hand.
The assistant quickly returned with a syringe.
Dr. Chen took it. “Sir, it’s an intramuscular injection. We’ll use the right upper arm.”
Chi Gui supported Jing Shun against his chest and rolled up the sleeve of his right arm. “Go ahead.”
The moment the needle touched his skin, Jing Shun, half-asleep and half-awake, seemed to suddenly realize something and struggled violently. “No! Get away! Get away, all of you!”
Chi Gui quickly held him down. “Jing Shun!”
Jing Shun instinctively pressed himself into Chi Gui’s embrace, convulsing even more violently. “It hurts… it’s useless… I don’t want to…”
No matter how many injections, it was useless! He had been injected countless times before, and it had never worked!
His leg couldn’t be healed. He would never stand up in this life!
It was Chi Sheng! Chi Sheng had deceived him!
Dr. Chen watched Chi Gui’s expression, afraid to act rashly. “Sir, this situation requires the injection. Prolonged convulsions and twitching are dangerous.”
“I know.” Chi Gui had no choice but to forcibly hold Jing Shun’s waist and pin his arm. “Do it quickly!”
A dose of tranquilizer was swiftly administered.
The effect kicked in faster than expected. Within twenty minutes, Jing Shun had fallen into a deep sleep.
Dr. Chen, observing from the side, breathed a silent sigh of relief but did not forget to remind, “Sir, somatic reactions are mostly due to psychological issues. Tranquilizers are only a temporary fix.”
Chi Gui’s expression was grim. “I’m aware.”
He took the hot towel from the butler and wiped the dirty blood from Jing Shun’s hand. “All of you, go out for now. Stay here tonight. Don’t leave, in case there’s an emergency later.”
“Very well, sir.”
The bedroom fell silent, the night outside thick and dark.
After some time, Chen Yiming’s voice came from outside the bedroom. “Sir.”
Chi Gui shifted his gaze slightly. “Come in.”
Chen Yiming stepped in quietly, deliberately lowering his voice. “Sir, tonight’s incident was my fault. I failed to notice Mr. Jing’s movements in time.”
He admitted his mistake first, then added, “I had someone pull up the surveillance footage from both sides of the corridor. Would you like to take a look?”
Chi Gui took the tablet handed to him by his assistant and began watching.
Two camera angles from front and back recorded everything that had happened not long ago. Chi Gui stared intently at the footage, unwilling to miss any detail.
At one point, he even scrubbed the progress bar back and forth.
Chen Yiming noticed his subtle action. “Sir, what’s wrong?”
Chi Gui was silent, shaking his head slightly.
Seconds later, he saw on the surveillance video how Chi Sheng brutally grabbed Jing Shun and forcefully shoved him into the side room.
Chi Gui turned off the tablet. The bedside lamp cast a shadow over his unreadable expression.
Chen Yiming took the initiative to report. “Young Master Chi has been secretly sent to the hospital. Wei Di and I have also smoothed things over with the guests and servants, ensuring no news leaks.”
“The people watching said that the main branch couple just found out and rushed over. There might be trouble later.”
“…”
Trouble? Who were they to cause trouble?
Chi Gui looked back at Jing Shun on the bed. Even in sleep, his expression was far from peaceful.
“Keep watching them closely. I have a handle on it.”
“Yes.”
…
Jing Shun slept heavily and deeply.
When he woke again, his body was filled with the familiar ache, and his throat was parched.
Someone softly called out, “Young Master Jing, are you awake?”
Jing Shun’s blurred vision gradually cleared. “…Uncle Lin?”
“Yes, it’s me.” Uncle Lin noticed his throat discomfort and handed him some warm water. “Young Master Jing, how are you feeling? Drink some water to moisten your throat first.”
With Uncle Lin’s help, Jing Shun struggled to sit up, enduring the dizziness as he drank.
He looked around the room, his memories still jumbled. “Uncle Lin, were you taking care of me last night?”
“Young Master Jing, last night was—”
Before he could finish, the bedroom door opened.
Chi Gui and Dr. Chen walked in from outside. The latter was carrying an IV drip that had just been prepared.
Seeing that Jing Shun had woken up, Dr. Chen approached first. “Mr. Jing, you still have a bit of a fever. How about another injection?”
Jing Shun glanced behind the doctor, briefly meeting Chi Gui’s eyes before looking away. “Okay.”
The thin needle pierced the back of his hand and entered the vein. Jing Shun kept his eyes lowered, silent and without any trace of resistance.
Dr. Chen remembered the injection from last night, half probing, half concerned. “Mr. Jing, does it hurt?”
Jing Shun was still weak. “It doesn’t hurt.”
Seeing that the IV was flowing smoothly, Chi Gui instructed the butler, “Uncle Lin, go downstairs and prepare some food for Jing Shun.”
“Very well, sir.”
Uncle Lin acknowledged and, with good intuition, signaled Dr. Chen to follow him out.
The door closed, and the two people still in the room naturally met each other’s gaze.
Chi Gui took the lead in the conversation. “Let’s talk?”
Jing Shun recalled everything that had happened last night and wasn’t ready to respond just yet, so he awkwardly averted his gaze.
Chi Gui ignored his silence. “Jing Shun.”
No longer the polite “Mr. Jing” from a few days ago, but a direct call of his full name.
“Do you remember what I said to you before the banquet? And what was written in the agreement?”
Chi Gui’s tone wasn’t forceful, but it left no room for evasion.
With no way to escape, Jing Shun had to look at him. “I remember.”
Chi Gui had said to stay by his side during the banquet, and the agreement stated that if he needed to go out, he had to report to him.
Chi Gui pressed on. “So what were you doing last night?”
“…”
Jing Shun hesitated for a few seconds, then subtly took a breath. “I just wanted to go to the restroom. Chi Sheng followed me and harassed me. I only fought back in self-defense.”
Chi Gui saw through his hesitation. “You’re lying.”
Those two simple words shook loose the panic buried deep inside Jing Shun.
Chi Gui saw it all. “You had the electric knife ready in your pocket long before. You deliberately moved away from the banquet and the guests, giving him the chance to follow you. After confronting him face to face, you purposely provoked him with your words.”
Moreover, while reviewing the surveillance footage last night, Chi Gui noticed a very particular detail:
After the verbal conflict, Jing Shun didn’t immediately retreat. Instead, he specifically glanced at the camera’s position and then, contrary to his usual behavior, moved closer to the side room door.
“Jing Shun, you were gambling—”
“Gambling that a drunk Chi Sheng would lose his temper and act impulsively, that the side room had no cameras, making it easier for you to strike back, weren’t you?”
“…”
Jing Shun opened his mouth but said nothing. His silence was enough to confirm the truth.
Yes.
From the moment he decided to attend the banquet, Jing Shun had resolved to get closure for his “previous life”!
The electric knife had been bought for self-defense after his accident but had never been used. He had put it in his pocket last night just in case, never expecting to actually need it.
Originally, Jing Shun only wanted to force the truth out of Chi Sheng. But in the end, he overestimated Chi Sheng’s moral character and underestimated the pain and shadow that had accumulated in his own heart.
The moment Chi Sheng lunged at him, Jing Shun’s uncontrollable hatred overwhelmed his reason.
The surveillance cameras would record Chi Sheng’s violent behavior toward him, and the side room would conveniently cover up his true intentions. Afterwards, he could just claim self-defense.
But such a cover-up and excuse were easily seen through by Chi Gui.
Now that he had regained his rational senses, Jing Shun’s heart couldn’t stop racing:
So many guests had attended the banquet last night. He had acted alone, disregarding Chi Gui’s face, and even injured the eldest son of the Chi family.
Chi Gui, as the head of the family, even if his relationship with the main branch was bad, probably wouldn’t choose to protect him.
Silence spread.
Chi Gui’s gaze was fixed on Jing Shun, as if intentionally reminding him. “Jing Shun, you broke the agreement. This can’t just be brushed aside.”
“…”
So, there it was. The reckoning had come.
Jing Shun knew his actions last night had been excessive and couldn’t find any excuse to defend himself. “I’m sorry. Last night was my fault. I caused you trouble.”
He took a deep breath. “I’m willing to accept all the consequences and will move out as soon as possible.”
Jing Shun said this very decisively and very coldly. He had long been accustomed to a life without support and never expected to find true shelter.
“…”
Chi Gui silently watched Jing Shun’s expression, trying to find traces of pretense or bravado. But he found none.
“So you mean to nullify our agreement? And you no longer need Professor Song Chunhui’s treatment?”
His brows furrowed, and his tone carried a subtle wave of emotion. “Right. Last night you were even thinking about going down with Chi Sheng. When you’re not even afraid of death, why would you care about your own legs?”
Jing Shun suddenly woke up, and the unease he had buried deep finally surfaced on his face. “No, that’s not what I meant!”
He gripped the blanket covering his legs tightly and looked at Chi Gui with a hint of apprehension. “Mr. Chi, I…”
Chi Gui met his haggard expression and spoke first. “Jing Shun, I’m not kicking you out, nor am I ending our agreement.”
“I’ve never cared about Chi Sheng’s life or death. What I care about is that you never put your own safety first.”
Jing Shun was stunned.
The dizziness from the fever still lingered. He was afraid he had misunderstood the meaning of those words.
Chi Gui asked back, “Did you ever think about what might have happened if I hadn’t arrived in time last night?”
“What if Chi Sheng had escaped and called for help, or if a banquet guest had discovered you and called the police, and the story spread? Or what if Chi Sheng had hurt you severely?”
When he mentioned the last possibility, his tone became noticeably serious.
“Jing Shun, from the day we signed the agreement, we’ve been bound by common interests. Don’t act alone without telling me. Don’t leave any handles for outsiders to hurt you or threaten me.”
Hearing this, Jing Shun suddenly realized—
Chi Gui had climbed to his current position not by luck. There were undoubtedly countless eyes watching his every move. He couldn’t afford mistakes, and neither could the people around him.
Jing Shun bit his lip. “I’m sorry.”
Even though he didn’t regret fighting back against Chi Sheng, he didn’t want to drag others down.
Chi Gui sighed. “You don’t need to apologize to me. I’ll handle Chi Sheng and the main branch. But what happened last night won’t be tolerated again. Can you do that?”
A few calm words brought Jing Shun under his protection and turned the page on last night’s events.
“Mm.”
Jing Shun responded in a low voice, with a hint of obedience after making a mistake.
Chi Gui’s expression softened slightly, and he changed the subject. “The agreement won’t be terminated. But you didn’t listen last night.”
“…”
“Since you’ve made a mistake, you have to accept punishment. Agreed?”
Jing Shun didn’t dare disagree. “What punishment?”
“I’ll keep it on the books. We’ll talk about it after you’ve rested.”
“Alright.”
A knock came at the door.
Butler Lin entered, carrying a bowl of warm millet porridge. “Sir, Young Master Jing just woke up. How about some porridge first?”
Chi Gui nodded slightly, and Jing Shun didn’t refuse.
The warm liquid went down, warming him all the way, driving away the last traces of chill.
Jing Shun thought of the nightmares that never stopped, the pent-up pain buried deep inside with no outlet. It was a terrible feeling, one that could easily destroy a person if they weren’t careful—just like last night’s uncontrollable outburst.
Since he had been given the chance to live again, he couldn’t, and shouldn’t, trap himself in the past forever!
Jing Shun felt a stir in his heart and took the initiative to report to Chi Gui. “Mr. Chi, I need to go out in a couple of days. I… I want to find a psychologist to consult.”
Hearing this, Chi Gui’s brows finally relaxed completely.
“Hmm, that’s fine.”