“It’s raining,” Ning Sui said evenly. “Can we send Yucheng in first?”
Ji Zhilin, who had been waiting for Ning Sui’s teary confession, froze.
What? At a time like this! Did he not hear what he’d just said?
The butler hurried back, opening an umbrella over Ji Yucheng’s head. He took the wheelchair from Ning Sui and quickly rolled the young master inside.
Old Master Ji lowered his gaze to the useless grandson kneeling at his feet. Fury simmered in his chest, he nearly kicked the boy away, but after a moment’s restraint, he merely withdrew his leg, face dark.
Inside the living room, the old man sank into the sofa. He didn’t even touch the tea the servants had just brewed. Clearly, he was waiting for Ning Sui’s answer.
The marriage had originally been for one purpose only to drive away bad luck. Whether Ning Sui actually loved Yucheng didn’t matter.
The Ning family said Ning Sui was willing, and that was good enough for him. If the boy himself truly wasn’t, what could he do, force it? He wasn’t some emperor from a feudal dynasty.
Affection could grow and hadn’t Ning Sui chased all the way abroad just to take care of Yucheng? That already proved something.
He naturally hoped Ning Sui would develop real feelings; such love would make his care more genuine.
But if things were as Ji Zhilin claimed, if he’d truly broken up a pair of lovers then he would see the matter resolved.
“If what you want is Zhilin,” the old man said finally, “then when the term ends, I’ll allow you to divorce Yucheng.”
Ji Zhilin’s eyes widened in surprise. That… was easier than expected.
But the next second, bitterness surfaced. Of course the old man was only being lenient for Yucheng’s sake. He would never tolerate someone entangled with their brother-in-law lingering by Yucheng’s side.
Why… even now that Yucheng was a vegetable, was the old man still so biased?
“Divorce?” Ning Sui hadn’t even sat down when the word struck him like a blow.
Ji Zhilin immediately turned toward him. He must be thrilled too, surely he hadn’t expected things to resolve this easily.
The thought of undoing past mistakes, of reclaiming the lover he’d once given away, made his blood surge.
Ji Yucheng couldn’t see Ning Sui’s face, nor could he hear the tone behind that single word. His body tensed instinctively.
And then Ning Sui suddenly grabbed his hand, clutching it tight like someone afraid of being torn apart, “I’m not getting divorced!”
Ji Zhilin nearly choked. “……”
When he processed what had just happened, anger flared hot in his chest.
What was Ning Sui doing? This was the perfect chance! If he missed it now, it’d be almost impossible to leave Ji Yucheng later!
“Ning Sui, think carefully before you speak!”
If not for the old man’s presence, Ning Sui would’ve kicked Ji Zhilin across the room.
Everything had been going so smoothly, Old Master Ji had even softened toward him lately, given him a bank card and now this idiot had stirred the pot! The old man would start doubting his devotion again!
“I have thought about it!” Ning Sui shot back. “I’m perfectly clear! Even when the term ends, I’m not divorcing him.”
Old Master Ji’s brows lifted, “You’re sure?”
“I’m sure!” Ning Sui nodded firmly. “To put it simply… I’ve only been with Yucheng for half a month, but….”
Everyone was watching. Saying this in front of a room full of people made Ning Sui’s ears burn, but he couldn’t stop now.
Originally, Old Master Ji hadn’t cared at all about his past with Ji Zhilin, Ning Sui had been nothing but a symbolic bride, a charm to bring luck.
Once the term ended, if Yucheng didn’t wake, the old man would have him out the door no matter what.
But if he could show love, real, passionate love then things would be different. If Old Master Ji acknowledged him as a true spouse, he’d be allowed to stay.
And staying meant… steady money.
“But I’ve already fallen in love with him!” Ning Sui took a deep breath and blurted it out:
“You saw it yourself last time! I can’t go a day without him anymore! Being apart from him, it’s worse than dying!”
The words rang through the room like thunder.
For a moment, the air itself froze.
Old Master Ji, a man in his seventies who hadn’t heard such shameless sincerity in decades, nearly trembled where he sat.
His grip on his dragon-headed cane slipped for an instant. He and the butler exchanged a look, both struggling to keep straight faces.
The butler thought, If only he knew, the young master’s jealousy when chasing off Miss Qu was ten times worse than this confession.
Ji Zhilin, on the other hand, looked like he’d been struck by lightning.
He turned from the quiet figure in the wheelchair to Ning Sui’s flushed, slightly shy face then to their joined hands.
His eyes went bloodshot, “How could you possibly like my brother?!”
Then what was he?
What were the past three years?
He didn’t believe it. Ning Sui must be lying, he had to be. There had to be some hidden reason.
He still remembered Ning Sui crying at the café that day, devastated.
As for Ji Yucheng..
Hearing someone speak of loving him so openly, so fiercely, even when he was nothing but a body in a chair, his heart, usually hard as stone, trembled somewhere deep inside.
Yet the thought brought pain too. The medical team had failed again. This time, it might really be permanent.
He might never wake. Never see his little wife’s face again. Never reach out to touch it himself.
He’d never know how many hair whorls lay atop that head, or whether his hair was soft or coarse. Never see the tiny, vivid expressions that flickered across his face.
For the first time in twenty-five years, Ji Yucheng felt the raw ache of regret.
Two years ago, he’d glimpsed Ning Sui through a crowd, too briefly, far too briefly.
If only he’d known then that this man would become his future spouse; if only he’d understood the complicated look in those eyes, he would’ve pushed through that crowd and walked straight to him.
Then his foolish little brother would never have stood a chance.
Ning Sui quickly cut him off. “What’s past is past. People have to move forward, I care more about the future.”
Ji Zhilin didn’t even know whether he should be shocked or furious. He’d just gone to all that trouble to persuade Grandpa to give Ning Sui back to him so why was Ning Sui still acting like this?
All Ning Sui had to do was nod, and they could return to the day before everything went wrong, as if none of it had happened!
His head buzzed with chaos. All he could do was repeat, again and again, “How could you possibly like my big brother?”
He’s a vegetable, for god’s sake…
“Why not?” Ning Sui said simply. “I’ve liked him for a long time.”
Seeing Ji Zhilin still frozen in disbelief, Ning Sui bent down slightly and planted a soft kiss at the corner of Ji Yucheng’s lips.
“Now you believe me?” he said. “So I hope, you’ll let us be from now on. Please don’t barge in out of nowhere saying crazy things, it causes us a lot of trouble.”
Ji Zhilin: “…”
His mind completely collapsed. He stared at the two of them, Ning Sui, face faintly pink; Ji Yucheng, quietly sitting in his wheelchair. Their hands were still interlaced. Ji Zhilin’s vision blurred; his face went white as paper.
Grandfather finally coughed. These young people, not only were their words indecently direct, even their actions were so bold it made his old face burn.
“Enough,” the old man said gruffly, turning his face aside to hide the twitch at the corner of his mouth.
Then he fixed Ji Zhilin with a stern glare, “From now on, stop being ridiculous. He’s your sister-in-law now. Stay away from him! And don’t come back to the old house unless you have to.”
Ji Zhilin: “…”
He wasn’t even allowed home anymore?!
Having finally survived the ordeal, Ning Sui replayed what he’d just said and wanted nothing more than to dig a hole and disappear.
Mortified, he mumbled a quick goodbye to Grandfather, then hurriedly pushed Ji Yucheng toward the elevator.
Once inside, the space fell into silence. Only the two of them remained.
If Ning Sui had looked down at that moment, he would have seen that the tips of his “vegetable” husband’s ears were red again.
Last time, Ji Yucheng had chalked Ning Sui’s words up in spite of using him as a shield to get revenge on Ji Zhilin. But this time…
This time, Ning Sui could have chosen freedom, and could have gone back to Ji Zhilin. Instead, he had chosen to stay with him.
And in front of everyone, no less, had declared it out loud.
Ji Yucheng’s chest swelled with a confusing mix of joy and disbelief.
Joy because every word Ning Sui said, every blush and tremor, felt real. Last time, he had believed it halfway. This time, he believed it completely.
Plenty of people had flattered Ji Yucheng in his life. But whether it was for the Ji family’s wealth or his own reputation, none of it was pure.
Even those who once claimed to like him for himself had all turned away after the accident. Who would stay by the side of a man in a vegetative state?
Later, Ning Sui pushed the wheelchair to the bedside, straining to lift Ji Yucheng onto the bed, completely unaware that his “vegetative” husband was busy imagining multiple lifetimes together.
After the doctor came to check Ji Yucheng’s condition and reattached the monitoring sensors, Ning Sui as always picked up a book and began to read aloud beside him.
“At the moment the princess fell, the sleeping curse spread through the entire palace. Every person, every animal froze where they stood, sinking into deep slumber. The king and queen returned from their travels and, the moment they stepped into the hall, fell asleep as well. Everything went still, not even a leaf on the palace trees stirred…”
Listening to the gentle flow of his young husband’s voice, Ji Yucheng couldn’t help but sink back into the memory of that kiss.
To be honest, that had been his very first kiss.
In the past, he had always thought mouth-to-mouth kissing was disgusting. Even in the dramas funded by the Ji family, when there were eight camera angles filming a kiss scene, he found it repulsive to even glance at.
But just now, the moment his young spouse leaned in close, his own breath had stopped short. His heart pounded furiously, and in his head he imagined not just eight cameras but eighty, all circling around them.
No, if he were the lead actor, surely there should have been eighty cameras!
Unfortunately, Ning Sui had only brushed lightly against the corner of his lips, a fleeting, feather-soft touch that vanished almost the instant it landed.
He had barely registered the sensation before his brain went blank. After that, there was nothing, no memory to hold onto.
Young Master Ji felt deeply regretful, and for the first time in his life, he thought he wasn’t good enough.
Because Ning Sui had leaned so close, the little system 009 had been pressed almost to the point of dizziness. So when Ning Sui bent over to kiss Ji Yucheng, wrapping an arm around his neck, the panicked system had hurriedly logged off.
What it never expected was that when it returned online, Ji Yucheng’s mind was still flooded with eighty camera angles, just as before!
“Seriously?!” 009 cried in exasperation. “Don’t tell me that was your first kiss?!”
“How could it be?” Ji Yucheng sneered. “Don’t underestimate me.”
But right after, he frowned. “Wait!Your voice…?”
“I don’t know what happened either,” 009 said with genuine confusion.
When 009 was first created, it had been an unfinished product. No host had ever chosen it. Eventually, the system had been discarded as defective trash, left to drift until it accidentally bound itself to Ji Yucheng.
Even then, it had never possessed the energy to help him wake.
But just now after Ning Sui’s kiss, it felt as though an immense surge of power had rushed through Ji Yucheng’s body.
To 009, it was like taking a bite of a jelly packed with outrageous calories, instantly filling its reserves. Or like a frayed wire suddenly jolted back to life by a high-voltage current.
The effect was so intense that even its normally sharp, tinny voice had grown lower, richer.
“Host, your body seems to have changed too,” 009 rumbled in its new, resonant tone.
On the monitor beside the bed, a flicker ran across the line of his vitals.
Hearing this, Ji Yucheng instinctively turned his head to look and froze.
Wait. His head… could move?
Yes. The movement was tiny, almost imperceptible, but he could feel it. His body had loosened, his neck had shifted ever so slightly in response to his will.
Until now, his soul had always treated this body as nothing more than a prison cell, a sealed space of indefinite confinement. But at this moment, he could feel his soul slipping back into alignment with his body, fusing again.
It only lasted for a fleeting instant.
Almost immediately, the sensation of awakening vanished.
Yet, it was still the first trace of recovery he had felt in two long years.
The surge of shock and joy rushing through Ji Yucheng was immense. Even 009 was nearly moved to tears. “Host, does this mean… you might actually wake up?!”
If he did, then it would no longer be branded as a useless, defective system! It would finally have achieved something worth boasting about! Perhaps, when it returned home, it could even brag a little!
But Ji Yucheng didn’t answer. He was too busy concentrating, trying to sense more.
His fingers…
Yes, his fingers twitched ever so slightly. The motion was so faint that only he himself could notice. To anyone else, hidden beneath the quilt, it was invisible.
What he wanted most of all was to open his eyes. To see his young husband’s face with his own gaze.
Carrying that desire, Ji Yucheng drew in a breath and tried to lift his eyelids.
But he failed.
It seemed his body had not recovered that far yet.
009 spoke again, its deepened voice echoing, “Today’s treatment was exactly the same as usual, the same injections, the same procedures. The only difference was… that kiss. Could it really be…?”
By his side, Ning Sui’s gentle voice continued reading:
“The prince gazed at the princess without blinking, unable to stop himself from stepping closer. He leaned down and kissed her lightly. Suddenly, the princess opened her eyes…”
Ji Yucheng felt his face heat, an uncharacteristic flush rising. In a low, firm tone, he admitted, “Exactly.”
009 hesitated. “An accident, then?”
But Ji Yucheng, cold yet proud, replied, “Because it was true love.”
“…” 009 was left speechless.
…
Meanwhile, Ning Sui continued reading, though his thoughts drifted elsewhere. In his mind, he asked quietly, “System, what’s wrong?”
001 had gone quiet, curling deeper into his body. Since they were bound, they could sense each other’s states.
Its voice, when it finally answered, was weak, as though sick with fever. “I don’t know, Ah Sui. I just… don’t feel right. It’s like my energy suddenly dropped by half.”
✦ ✧ ✦
[Translator]
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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