Chapter 44 - 1#
The plane landed in Hai City.
Chi Gui did not go directly back to the Chi residence. Instead, he first took Jing Shun to meet Professor Song Chunhui.
After an interval of more than half a month, Jing Shun underwent another comprehensive physical examination.
Holding the new data report, Professor Song looked pleased. “The recovery after the first round of surgery is even better than anticipated, and it’s clear that your nutrition has been well-balanced during this period.”
Chi Gui glanced at Jing Shun and asked on his behalf, “Can the second round of surgery proceed as scheduled?”
“Yes.”
Professor Song confirmed the date. “We can move it up to June 10th.”
Jing Shun was surprised. “A week from now?”
Professor Song explained, “Yes. After the second surgery, you’ll need to rest in bed for a full month. Then, depending on your condition, we’ll begin rehabilitation training and post-operative intervention.”
He placed Jing Shun’s test report back on the table. “At the very least, two to three months; at most, half a year. You should be able to regain the ability to walk independently.”
“…”
Jing Shun’s breath hitched for a moment due to excitement. “Professor Song, do you mean that by the latest—by the end of the year—I’ll be able to get out of this wheelchair?”
Professor Song was experienced. “I won’t say one hundred percent, but at least ninety percent. Of course, I mean that during rehabilitation, you must avoid any secondary external injury.”
Jing Shun nodded hastily. “Mm! I understand!”
…
The sky was gradually darkening.
Jing Shun came out of the hospital in his wheelchair. Chi Gui stared at the outline of his back. “Jing Shun…”
“Xiao Jing!”
Two voices rang out simultaneously, one from behind and one from ahead.
Chi Gui frowned slightly and looked toward the source of the sound in front.
Yu Xiuzhu, whom he hadn’t seen for a while, was waiting under the streetlamp at the entrance of the private hospital, walking up to Jing Shun with a smile.
Jing Shun’s wheelchair sped up a little. “Brother Yu!”
Yu Xiuzhu didn’t ignore Chi Gui and greeted him politely. “Mr. Chi.”
Chi Gui nodded and approached. “How did Mr. Yu know to come here?”
Jing Shun quickly explained, “I texted Brother Yu to come pick me up.”
He looked at Chi Gui, who had already walked up beside him, trying not to show any signs of emotional turmoil. “Brother Yu and I have some work matters to sort out, so I won’t be going back to the Chi residence with you.”
“…”
Chi Gui didn’t respond; his expression cooled slightly.
Yu Xiuzhu sensed the undercurrent of tension and helped smooth things over. “Right. For that variety show we did before, there were still some promotional clips left to re-record. Xiao Jing was in Ao City for over half a month, so it’s been piling up, untouched.”
“How about this: once we’re done, I’ll personally drop him off. I’ll try to make it as early as possible.”
Chi Gui looked down at Jing Shun, but the other’s gaze was lowered, not meeting his eyes.
Chi Gui had never interfered with Jing Shun’s normal social life or daily activities, and he couldn’t refuse now. “Alright, I’ll take Goubao back first.”
“Mm, sorry for the trouble.”
…
The car door closed.
Jing Shun adjusted his position and silently pulled on his seatbelt.
Yu Xiuzhu glanced at the black car containing Chi Gui in the rearview mirror outside the window and started his own car first.
Only after the black car had completely disappeared from sight did he press further, “Alright, tell me. What happened in Ao City over the past half month? Is something wrong between you and Chi Gui?”
“…”
Jing Shun hadn’t expected Yu Xiuzhu to be so perceptive. He hesitated for a few seconds before trying to deny it. “No.”
Yu Xiuzhu turned on the car’s music and asked with a smile, “Really? But I feel like you were being more formal with him than before. And you messaged me as soon as you got off the plane, asking me to pick you up—wasn’t it to temporarily avoid him?”
What piled-up promotional clips to re-record?
It was just a random excuse he made up based on Jing Shun’s intention.
Yu Xiuzhu hadn’t known Chi Gui well at first, nor did he understand how Jing Shun suddenly ended up with him. But after meeting a few times, he had a fairly good impression of Chi Gui, so he advised, “What couple doesn’t have conflicts? As long as it’s not a fundamental value issue that crosses a line, trying to solve it is better than avoiding it.”
“…”
Jing Shun rubbed the edge of his seatbelt with his fingertips, thought for a moment, and decided to be honest and seek help. “Brother Yu, actually, Jing Shun and I aren’t really together. We have an agreement.”
Yu Xiuzhu was startled.
He glanced at Jing Shun in the passenger seat and pulled over to a legal parking spot on the side of the road. “What kind of agreement?”
Jing Shun said, “At that time, I didn’t have any savings left, and my body urgently needed the intervention of a professional team. Chi Gui happened to show up, so we talked and decided to cooperate.”
“He would cover the expenses and hire a team to treat my legs. I would play the role of his ’lover,’ accompany him to various events, and fend off those with ulterior motives who tried to flirt with him…”
Jing Shun roughly explained the terms of the agreement. “Brother Yu, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”
“At first, it was because the agreement had just started, and I didn’t have the confidence to explain it to you. I didn’t know how to bring it up.”
For the newly reborn Jing Shun, his future and prospects were still shrouded in mist.
The car was dark inside; Jing Shun’s figure was enveloped in a dim shadow, and his voice was very soft. “I originally thought Chi Gui was a cold person. We would each get what we needed according to the agreement. If my legs could recover, I would do my best to repay the treatment costs.”
Yu Xiuzhu understood his thoughts. “So, that day when we met again, you asked me if I had any work opportunities to earn money?”
“Mm.”
Jing Shun didn’t deny it and continued to speak his mind. “But I didn’t expect Chi Gui to be so much better—so much better than I imagined.”
The first time was when he lost control facing Chi Sheng, and Chi Gui arrived in time to shield him.
The second time was when, despite clearly not liking dogs, he still allowed Jing Shun to keep Goubao.
The third time was when, facing baseless online slander and attacks, he used his connections to help Jing Shun strike back decisively.
The fourth time was when, faced with Guan Jinghai’s disregard for blood ties to hurt him, he once again helped fill the wounds in his heart.
Looking back, there were far too many instances.
Jing Shun thought that after his previous life, he no longer needed anyone’s care or affection, and he had grown accustomed to others’ ridicule and scrutiny. But every time Chi Gui appeared, he told him—
“What I care about is that you didn’t put your own safety first.”
“If you need me, I can be with you.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong, so don’t be afraid.”
“Jing Shun, play as you like. You’re no different from anyone else.”
These little bits of warmth gathered together, slowly warming Jing Shun’s frozen heart, allowing him to feel the pulse of life again.
“Brother Yu, Chi Gui is a very good…” Jing Shun repeated, “a very good person.”
So good that he couldn’t resist at all.
Yu Xiuzhu saw it clearly. “You’ve fallen for him?”
Jing Shun’s eyes dimmed slightly, but he didn’t deny it. “But I only vaguely sensed yesterday that there seems to be someone else in his heart? The way he treats me might just be making up for someone he missed.”
Yu Xiuzhu hit the nail on the head. “You mean Chi Gui sees you as a substitute?”
Jing Shun couldn’t answer.
He was silent for a long time before changing his angle. “Brother Yu, even if this is all just my speculation, the gap between me and Chi Gui is too wide.”
Some feelings simply have no chance of being spoken; saying them out loud would only be laughable.
Yu Xiuzhu sensed the hint of inferiority hidden deep in Jing Shun’s tone. “Xiao Jing, that’s not true.”
“What?”
“The attraction between people sometimes has nothing to do with power, status, or wealth.”
Yu Xiuzhu was a few years older than Jing Shun and saw relationships more clearly. “True attraction and love are an instinct.”
“You’ve simply lost confidence and self-assurance because of your legs. But the Jing Shun I know—the one in my memory—is not like this.”
“…”
A flicker of confusion stirred in Jing Shun’s eyes. “What was I like before?”
Yu Xiuzhu smiled and told him. “You were a child star, good-looking, optimistic and cheerful. On set, you had such a sweet mouth, like a little honey pot. Even my father, who is such a picky and strict director, would smile a little more when he saw you.”
“Your acting was also excellent. You held your own in various child star rankings.”
“Even though your career stalled due to family issues, during college you secured investment, directed and acted in your own film, and completed your debut movie.”
Few peers could achieve that.
And that literary film even won an award at an international film festival.
“Even after suffering that accident on set and enduring so much pain, you didn’t give up. You seized every chance to seek treatment and thought about standing in front of the camera again.”
That resilience and perseverance were rare qualities—not everyone possessed them.
“Think about it. Even just as a guest commentator on a show, you still attracted a lot of attention and affection. Even Fu Changting’s film company sent someone to inquire about your schedule. Isn’t that a measure of your charm?”
Jing Shun pressed his lips together. “Brother Yu, you have too much of a filter. I’m not as good as you say.”
Yu Xiuzhu corrected him. “No, you’re even better than I say.”
“Xiao Jing, the you I know persists in being yourself whether in smooth or adverse circumstances.”
“If you want a career, then work hard to heal your legs, work hard on rehabilitation, and work hard on acting. If you like Chi Gui, then boldly ask him, resolutely pursue him. At worst, you’ll be rejected—but so what?”
“Or do you think now that you can’t live without Chi Gui?”
“Even if that’s the case, your agreement isn’t over yet. Even if it ends, you can find a way to extend it. As long as you don’t cross your bottom line or hurt others, your life, feelings, and career are always in your own hands.”
“If others look down on you, it’s because they have no taste.”
Yu Xiuzhu, who was usually elegant and refined, suddenly launched into such a long speech that it took Jing Shun a while to feel enlightened. “Brother Yu, I didn’t know you could talk so much.”
Yu Xiuzhu looked at his smile and laughed along. “You understand now?”
“Mm~”
Jing Shun caught on immediately. “Chi Gui is great, but I’m great too. I shouldn’t get stuck in a dead end.”
To sink into an emotional vortex over a baseless replacement theory—that would be putting the cart before the horse.
Yu Xiuzhu teased him approvingly. “The student is teachable. So what are you thinking now?”
Jing Shun looked down and patted his own legs. “Wait for the surgery, wait for rehabilitation, wait to get better.”
If, by then, he still liked Chi Gui very much, he would definitely take his own brave step forward.
Of course, the most important thing was that he was Jing Shun—not anyone’s substitute.
The gloom and confusion in Jing Shun’s heart gradually dissipated. “Brother Yu, thank you. Suddenly I don’t feel so bad anymore.”
Yu Xiuzhu had always regarded him as a younger brother. “That’s good. It’s normal for young people to have occasional emotional confusion.”
“You’re not that much older than me~”
Jing Shun changed the subject, recalling the Xie Congjin he had met in Ao City. “Brother Yu, what’s the real story between you and your ex-boyfriend?”