Hearing the sounds coming from inside the hospital room, Ji Zhiling felt as if someone had slammed a club over his head. He couldn’t believe his eyes.
They were in bed together?!
How long had it even been since the wedding and they’d already gone that far?!
But why would Ning Sui be interested in his brother? His brother was a vegetable! Could it be what Ning Sui said that day… Was it actually true?
No. Impossible. Ji Zhiling refused to believe it.
Or… did Ning Sui just have a thing for anyone surnamed Ji?!
The situation before him was far beyond anything Ji Zhiling had imagined.
He had thought, even if he personally forced Ning Sui to marry Ji Yucheng, Ning Sui would never truly leave him.
Ning Sui might hate him for it, but that hatred couldn’t possibly outweigh their three years together. Someday, he believed, Ning Sui would forgive him.
And Ji Yucheng had been in a coma for two years. The chances of waking up were practically zero.
Give it a few years more, when Ji Yucheng finally passed away, and he could bring Ning Sui back to his side.
But now… why was Ning Sui being so affectionate with his brother?
A deep, sickening sense of betrayal twisted in Ji Zhiling’s chest, tangled with total incomprehension.
Could it be that Ning Sui thought things were hopeless with him and so he was using Ji Yucheng as a replacement?
He knew too well how that worked.When you treat something as a substitute for long enough… Eventually, you start to develop feelings for it.
Ji Zhiling couldn’t bring himself to open the door. He turned on his heel and walked away instead, heart pounding.
He only knew one thing: He had to do something fast before it was too late.
Ning Sui had met him first. Had liked him first. And in the end, he could only ever love him.
“Who’s there?”
Ning Sui thought he heard something outside and assumed it was the housekeeper. He jumped off the bed, opened the door to look But the corridor was empty.
Must’ve been the wind.
He shrugged, shut the door, and climbed back into bed, flopping down beside Ji Yucheng to continue scrolling on his phone.
It was his first time abroad, and he was excited. He’d taken photos of everything from the airport to the hospital and after slapping on a few filters, he happily posted them to his Moments feed.
Ji Yucheng, meanwhile, still hadn’t recovered from the earlier embarrassment.
His heart was still hammering.
And now, his little spouse had already shifted focus to his phone like nothing had happened.
He couldn’t help feeling… a little sulky.
But of course, Ning Sui wouldn’t waste any chance to touch the beautiful young master.
While his right hand scrolled his phone, his left hand wandered up, fingers idly brushing Ji Yucheng’s ear.
The ear was a sensitive spot for most people, and Ji Yucheng was no exception.
Every light caress sent a faint tremor through his body, as if tiny sparks were racing from the curve of his ear straight to his chest and lower abdomen.
He almost suspected his little spouse was doing it on purpose.
Ning Sui absentmindedly continued for who knows how long until he suddenly realized the ear beneath his fingertips was getting hotter.
“Huh?” He blinked, puzzled, and took a closer look.
Not just hot, red.
The man lay silently on the bed, but the redness had spread all the way from his ear to the base of his neck. On Ji Yucheng’s pale skin, the color was glaringly obvious.
Ning Sui was stunned.
This was the first time he’d noticed a vegetative patient responding physically to his touch.
Curious, he quickly looked it up on his phone.
“Why does a vegetative patient have physical reactions?”
Answer:
Even patients in a vegetative state can have reflexes. In response to stimuli such as pain, sound, or light, there may be involuntary reactions or slight movements but these are not conscious actions.
“Ohh, so it’s just a reflex…”
So basically, like a sensitive plant reacting to touch?
Fascinated, Ning Sui traced his fingertip along Ji Yucheng’s earlobe again, sliding down the line of his neck, brushing over the faint vein there, then tugged lightly at his collar, fingers gliding across the sharp ridge of his collarbone.
And, as expected, everywhere his finger passed… the skin flushed red, curling like a touched leaf.
“Amazing…” Ning Sui murmured, thoroughly entertained.
Meanwhile, the great Young Master Ji, whose body was being toyed with: “…”
009 nearly short-circuited.
“How does it feel to be used as a toy, huh?” the system snapped. “Why don’t you push him off?”
Ji Yucheng’s body trembled again, his voice deep and hoarse: “I’m furious.”
009: “Then why are you…. “
Another shiver.
Ji Yucheng: “Very furious.”
009: “…”
…Damn it.
Meanwhile, back at college,
Ning Yuanming and Xu Tianxing carried their lunch trays into the cafeteria and found a place to sit.
After being scolded by An Zhenglin earlier, both of them were still in a foul mood.
“Where’s Ning Sui gone off to?” someone nearby said. “The sky in his photos looks so clean.”
They turned and saw Fang Dacheng and Cao Nuo sitting a few tables away, chatting as they scrolled through Moments.
“He really went abroad?” Xu Tianxing bit his chopsticks in confusion.
In his mind, after being forced to break up with Ji Zhiling and marry that comatose eldest son of the Ji family, Ning Sui should’ve been devastated, heartbroken, angry, withdrawn.
Not… whatever this was.
It didn’t make any sense.
Ning Yuanming frowned, saying nothing, listening faintly as Fang Dacheng and Cao Nuo continued chatting.
From their conversation, it sounded like Ning Sui’s feed was full of scenic photos with maybe a few local food shots mixed in.
Both boys, who’d never been abroad, were practically drooling with envy.
If he were really miserable, would he have the mood to take travel photos?
Clearly, in the marriage arrangement, Ning Sui had been the loser. Yet not only had he not collapsed, he was acting completely fine.
The more Ning Yuanming thought about it, the stranger it seemed.
Could it be that Ning Sui had gotten insider information that Ji Yucheng might actually wake up and was trying to cozy up in advance?
But that was impossible.
Most vegetative patients never wake up and after two years in a coma, if there were any signs of improvement, would the Ji patriarch still be so haggard or flying overseas again in desperation to find experts?
Then was Ning Sui using Ji Yucheng to get back at Ji Zhiling?
That didn’t fit either. Ji Zhiling wasn’t even there that day. There was no one to “perform” for.
It was like winning a game but feeling no sense of victory at all. As if there was something critical they still didn’t know.
A restless anxiety prickled beneath Ning Yuanming’s skin like a thousand ant bites.
He pulled out his phone but he couldn’t see Ning Sui’s posts.
Ning Sui was notoriously private about his Moments. He rarely posted anything, and when he did, it was visible only to his selected friends. Even casual acquaintances and classmates were usually blocked.
And the people in his circle never leaked anything.
Ning Yuanming scrolled through his contact list, face darkening, then put his phone away with a frown.
“Hey,” Xu Tianxing said suddenly, “that Cao guy forgot his phone.”
Ning Yuanming turned to see the black-cased phone sitting on the table where Cao Nuo and Fang Dacheng had just been sitting.
“They went to throw away their trays,” Xu Tianxing whispered. “What if we… took a quick look?”
If they could open his WeChat, they could see exactly what Ning Sui had been posting or even read their private messages.
Then they’d finally know what was really going on.
Ning Yuanming hesitated, eyes narrowing.
Although he was clearly tempted, Ning Yuanming didn’t move. His voice remained calm and steady as he said, “That doesn’t seem right.”
“What’s wrong with it?” Xu Tianxing’s gaze flicked back and forth toward the phone, the itch to act practically written all over his face.
“If you don’t dare, I’ll go get it.” Ning Yuanming really had an inhuman level of patience.
Ji Zhilin looked completely lost like his soul had been snatched away. His mother and older brother were busy showering Ning Sui with gifts, a car, a painting, who knew what else.
Everyone around him seemed to be switching sides. And yet Ning Yuanming could still sit there, calm and collected?
He said nothing.
Xu Tianxing glanced around. No one seemed to be paying attention to their corner. He pulled his cap down, crouched low, and crept forward to snatch the phone.
After finishing the meal delivery, Cao Nuo reached into his pocket.
“I forgot my phone again. Wait here, I’ll go grab it.”
But when he got back to the table, his face froze, “Where’s my phone?”
The place was empty now. Not a soul around to ask.
Their time abroad ended faster than expected. Once all the medical tests were done, Old Master Ji flew in to meet with the doctors.
The next morning, the butler arrived at the hospital to pack up their things, telling Ning Sui that they’d be heading home.
The butler didn’t say it outright, but Ning Sui could tell that it must’ve failed again.
Old Master Ji came to see Ji Yucheng one last time before they left. He looked… older somehow, like the hope had drained out of him overnight.
Ning Sui didn’t dare ask. He just helped the butler pack quietly.
Lying on the bed, Ji Yucheng could tell too. When they’d come, the butler’s tone had been light and full of energy; now, it was heavy, subdued.
He’d been through this countless times from hope, to disappointment, to resignation. He himself no longer felt anything.
But his grandfather was getting old. He worried the old man’s heart wouldn’t hold up to another blow.
And Ning Sui…
On the flight home, his “little wife” didn’t say a word. He just held Ji Yucheng’s hand, his expression unreadable.
Ning Sui watched the still face beside him, eyes closed, motionless, and his own heart felt complicated.
When he’d first married, he’d been utterly heartless, thinking only about money, praying Ji Yucheng would just stay unconscious forever so the situation wouldn’t change.
But over time, the butler treated him kindly. Even Old Master Ji, for Ji Yucheng’s sake, had started softening toward him.
Seeing the old man, always so dignified, suddenly seem to age ten years overnight made Ning Sui feel a faint pang of guilt.
Maybe it’d be better if Ji Yucheng woke up soon.
If he woke up and wanted a divorce… so be it but he’d better not skip out before Ning Sui makes his money back.
That part was non-negotiable.
Thinking this, Ning Sui leaned closer, hugging Ji Yucheng tighter, even pressing his cheek against the man’s.
Ji Yucheng: “……”
The melancholy in Ji Yucheng’s chest melted just a little, replaced by something strangely sweet.
The little wife must be worried about his health.
By the time they landed and switched to the family car, Ning Sui had dozed off hugging Ji Yucheng.
When he woke, they were already pulling into the Ji family estate.
They had traveled with Old Master Ji, two cars, one following the other.
The driver opened the door, and the butler brought over a wheelchair. Ning Sui helped lift Ji Yucheng out and settled him carefully in.
“Do we have an umbrella?” Ning Sui asked.
A fine drizzle had started to fall. It wasn’t much for a healthy person, but for someone bedridden like Ji Yucheng, it was best avoided.
“I’ll get one right away.” The butler jogged back toward the entrance.
When he reached the doorway, he nearly jumped in surprise, “Second Young Master, why are you out here?”
Ji Zhilin was standing there, watching Ning Sui take off his jacket and drape it over Ji Yucheng’s head. His face flickered between light and dark, his chest twisting tighter and tighter with that suffocating sense of loss.
No. He couldn’t let them actually develop feelings for each other.
Right now, Ning Sui’s care was probably just out of duty, not affection. As long as he still had some feelings left for him, Ji Zhilin could still win him back.
Suddenly, Ji Zhilin rushed forward and dropped to his knees in front of Old Master Ji, blocking the entrance.
“Grandfather!”
The sudden movement startled everyone.
Old Master Ji almost stumbled, scowling, “You brat!”
Ji Zhilin clung to the old man’s leg, drew in a deep breath, and, as though preparing for execution, blurted out, “Grandfather, I’ll tell you the truth! Ning Sui loves me, not Big Brother!”
Ji Yucheng: “……”
Ning Sui: “……” Could you be any more delusional?!
Old Master Ji stared down at him, his brows knitting slowly, his gaze cold and heavy.
Under that pressure, Ji Zhilin trembled but forced himself to go on.
“It’s true! Even now, it’s still me! Having him marry into our family was my mistake. I didn’t dare go against you back then, but now.. ”
He lifted his head, meeting Ning Sui’s gaze with burning eyes.
If he was brave enough to admit this, surely Ning Sui would forgive him for everything before.
He knew it would cost him dearly, but if it could finally set things right between them, it’d be worth it.
With a faint, almost tragic smile, he said, “I… I want to fight for us! Grandfather, Big Brother, please… let us be together!”
Ning Sui: “……” Couldn’t you give me a heads-up before going insane? Do you want to get us both killed?!
Thankfully, Old Master Ji didn’t explode in rage. He just frowned deeper, his silence heavy and commanding.
After a long moment, his gaze shifted toward Ning Sui.
“Ning Sui,” he said slowly, “no one’s ever asked your opinion.”
Ji Yucheng couldn’t see, couldn’t move, he could only listen, his heart tightening.
Yes… Come to think of it, he’d never really known what Ning Sui thought about their marriage. Everyone had told him Ning Sui was forced to marry in.
Though his little wife often displayed obsessive possessiveness toward him, sometimes even bordering on madness, that didn’t necessarily mean he wanted to stay forever.
Some people loved deeply, yet couldn’t bear a lifetime of caretaking.
Especially when the person they loved might never wake again, might remain bedridden, helpless, or even die within a few years, dragging them down along the way.
Ji Yucheng thought of the soreness in Ning Sui’s shoulders on the ride to the hospital, the burns on his hand from shielding him, and the childish, crooked drawing 009 had once described.
If his little wife chose to walk away now… Ji Yucheng couldn’t blame him.
And yet, why did his chest feel so tight?
✦ ✧ ✦
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
One coffee for the translator. One less excuse for them to disappear. 😌
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
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ChaptersChapter 1 · The WeddingChapter 2 · New Target!Chapter 3 · Moved OnChapter 4 · Personal Information of Ji YuchengChapter 5 · Liked Ji Yucheng for 3 Years?!Chapter 6 · Love Rival?!Chapter 7 · Domineering PossessivenessChapter 8 · Obviously Very CuteChapter 9 Part 1 · Can’t be SeperatedChapter 9 Part 2 · Can’t be SeperatedChapter 10 · A blonde Guy…Chapter 11 · Dangerously Close to love?Chapter 12 · Confrontation with Ji ZhilinChapter 13 · Accidental DiscoveryChapter 14 · System 009 upgradedChapter 15 · Battery charging!Chapter 16 · Young Master was MiserableChapter 17 · Did Ning Sui treat you like this before?Chapter 18 · Was this what happened last night before you went to bed?Chapter 19 · He really got to the bottom of thisChapter 20 Part 1 · Don’t look at him, he was shocked too!Chapter 20 Part 2 · Don’t look at him, he was shocked too!Chapter 21 · Because I like it so muchChapter 22 Part 1 · Pull up your pantsChapter 22 Part 2 · Pull up your pantsChapter 23 · Why does it sound like he’s jealousChapter 24 Part 1 · I will protect himChapter 24 Part 2 · I will protect himChapter 25 · He’s quite gentleChapter 26 · Young Master Ji suddenly started to stutterChapter 27 · Ning Sui’s timeChapter 28 Part 1 · They ran away as soon as they were scaredChapter 28 Part 2 · They ran away as soon as they were scaredChapter 29 Part 1 · Are you looking for death?Chapter 29 Part 2 · Are you looking for death?Chapter 30 · Hurry up and say your last wordsChapter 31 · Ji Yucheng collapsed into his armsChapter 32 · Mr. Ji, I never expected you to be such a good person.Chapter 33 · He’s so well-behaved when He sleeps…Chapter 34 · His expression was incredibly varied in an instantChapter 35 · How could it be Ning Sui?Chapter 36 · Does the young wife only like people in a vegetative state?Chapter 37 · State-based controlChapter 38 · The young master was so happy he dropped his phoneChapter 39 · You were 37 minutes lateChapter 40 · I don’t plan to get a divorce.Chapter 41 · Otherwise, would it be your turn?Chapter 42 · Both perverted and cuteChapter 43 · If they sneak away again, I’ll hold them even tighterChapter 44 · I sprained my ankle tooChapter 45 · A cat jumping on a lion’s head to play with fire.Chapter 46 · Your young master has fainted!Chapter 47 · Sui Sui, come downChapter 48 · Are you going to lock me in there?Chapter 49 Part 1 · I love you, Ning SuiChapter 49 Part 2 · I love you, Ning SuiChapter 50 · Give the snowman a heartChapter 51 · Miss you.Chapter 52 · To hold in one’s mouthChapter 53 · You are in the cloudsChapter 54 · Ning Sui hugged him for the first timeChapter 55 · Can you sit on my lap?Chapter 56 · It’s either you or it’s not.Chapter 57 · From this moment on, I am your vegetableChapter 58 · Young Ji YuchengChapter 59 · They kiss tirelessly.Chapter 60 · RipplingChapter 61 · You want to compare this?!Chapter 62 · It’s 001!Chapter 63 · I like everything about it.Chapter 64 · It seems to have been filled up a little more.Chapter 65 · Wedding rings should be exchanged between the couple.Chapter 66 · Love-struckChapter 67 · Why can’t we even be apart for a day?Chapter 68 · PerfectChapter 69 · A lifelong contract was madeChapter 70 · Extra 1Chapter 71 · Extra 2Chapter 72 · Extra 3Chapter 73 · Extra 4Chapter 74 · Extra 5Chapter 75 · Extra 6Chapter 76 · Extra 7Chapter 77 · Extra 8Chapter 78 · Extra 9Chapter 79 · Extra 10Chapter 80 · Extra 11Chapter 81 · Extra 12Chapter 82 · Extra 13Chapter 83 · Extra 14