For a long moment, the air was utterly silent.
Shards of porcelain scattered across the floor had already sliced his fingertips, yet Ning Sui crouched down calmly, picking them up one by one as though he felt no pain at all.
Midway through, he noticed Qu Jiahan staring fixedly at him. He even lifted his head and gave her a gentle smile.
Qu Jiahan trembled, twice.
What on earth was this man? He looked like a harmless little white rabbit, the type that anyone could bully without resistance. But the moment he turned ruthless, he was terrifying.
Was he really so angry just from seeing his so-called rival in love? She hadn’t even said anything too vicious yet!
But no.
According to the information she had dug up, Ning Sui had been forced into this marriage, replacing someone else at the altar.
Before stepping foot into the Ji family, he’d supposedly been heartbroken, forced to break up with Ji Yucheng’s younger brother against his will.
And now married to a vegetable? Shouldn’t he be desperate to toss away this scalding hot potato as soon as possible?
Unless, was he simply acting for the butler’s benefit, afraid the old master might discover his indifference and callousness toward Ji Yucheng?
Qu Jiahan’s eyes flickered sharply, her gaze toward Ning Sui shifting, heavy with calculation.
She waved her hand lightly. “Butler-uncle, my car outside wasn’t parked properly. Could you please help me move it?”
The butler hesitated, his eyes darting toward Ning Sui.
“Miss Qu is a guest,” Ning Sui said smoothly, lips curving into that same polite smile. “Surely we can’t refuse a guest’s request, can we? Please, go ahead.”
Still, the butler lingered with unease. Ning Sui leaned close, his voice pitched lower: “Don’t worry. I’m a man, after all. She won’t be able to do anything to me.”
The butler nearly choked. That’s not what I’m worried about at all! I’m worried you’ll do something to her!
When the butler finally left, the vast living room fell silent, leaving only Qu Jiahan, Ning Sui, and Ji Yucheng sitting motionless in his wheelchair.
Qu Jiahan glanced briefly at the man in the chair, still, lifeless, oblivious then turned her eyes back to Ning Sui. Her tone softened suddenly, tinged with heavy sympathy.
“Mr. Ning, I know your situation.”
So,the arrogance was gone? Was this strategy now, leading with force and then following with pity?
Ning Sui raised a brow. “Oh? And what do you mean by that?”
“You’re the real young master of the Ning family, and yet you were never acknowledged. They forced you to replace an impostor and marry into the Ji family, only to end up with a husband who’s a vegetable. You must feel so stifled, so wronged.” Qu Jiahan sighed theatrically, every inch the picture of empathy.
Then she lifted her hand, five fingers splayed, and waved them lightly in front of Ning Sui. “I’ll give you five million. Leave Ji Yucheng. As for Old Master Ji, I’ll handle him. How about it?”
“You were only married off as a ritual, to bring him luck. The Ji family may not let you walk away so easily but as long as you vanish abroad, disappear completely from Jiangcheng, do you think they’ll have the ability to drag you back from the crowd? And when the storm passes, you can always return.”
In her mind, the plan was flawless. As long as Ning Sui fled, the Ji family would lose all dignity. In that situation, the old master would be forced to find another bride for Ji Yucheng.
And Ji Yucheng? He had no say. With enough persistence, the old master would eventually agree to her.
Ji Yucheng sat in silence, dumbfounded. Two people were brazenly bartering over him right in front of his face. He nearly laughed aloud in anger.
But at the same time, his ears pricked up sharply, straining to hear every word. For a man cut off from the outside world, this was the first time he’d learned the truth of how Ning Sui had married him.
So, he had been forced into it after all.
In that case, wouldn’t freedom be a relief to him? Five million might be a little cheap, but the offer still tilted entirely in Ning Sui’s favor.
Yet before he could even process the thought, he heard Ning Sui’s voice, resolute, firm, unhesitating:
“Don’t even think about it.”
Both Ji Yucheng and Qu Jiahan froze.
“…Is it not enough money?”
What kind of person is this? Clearly she had underestimated him. His upbringing was ordinary, yet he certainly knew how to open his mouth like a lion.
“Fine then,” Qu Jiahan snapped, face twisting. “I’ll give you fifty million!”
Ning Sui’s lips curled. “Even if you gave me a hundred million, I wouldn’t agree.”
After all, a hundred million was something he could earn just by staying close to Ji Yucheng. A sustainable profit, not a one-off payout.
…Of course, if she really could give him a hundred billion, that would be another matter entirely. But the Qu family didn’t have that kind of money.
Even a hundred million couldn’t sway him?!
Qu Jiahan was stunned, unable to comprehend what went on in this man’s head. Did he really intend to stay in the Ji family just to grab a share of the pie?
Her voice sharpened. “Yucheng-ge is a vegetable! The Ji family’s future is clearly Ji Zhilin’s. Even if you stay by his side your entire life, the old master will never give you much of the fortune.”
“That’s none of your concern,” Ning Sui retorted coolly.
He dragged Ji Yucheng’s wheelchair backward, shielding the man firmly behind his own body, his posture like a fierce dragon guarding its most precious treasure. His voice was steady, sharp:
“Vegetable or not! He’s mine.”
Qu Jiahan’s gaze flicked over him, then slid toward Ji Yucheng’s motionless figure behind him. For a moment, something in her expression twisted, as though she had just realized something shocking.
“You… you… you actually like Yucheng ge?!”
Ji Yucheng couldn’t see either of their faces, but every word of their exchange reached his ears crystal clear.
His heart lurched violently, skipping a beat. Without realizing it, he held his breath.
“That’s none of your business,” Ning Sui said coldly.
The best way to defeat a rival was simple: flaunt affection right in front of them.
And since the great Young Master Ji was currently a vegetable, that affection had to be displayed entirely by Ning Sui alone.
He glanced at Qu Jiahan, then deliberately reached out, fingers brushing over Ji Yucheng’s handsome cheek with an intimacy that could not be mistaken.
Ji Yucheng: “…”
Then Ning Sui bent down, lowering his face until it pressed against the corner of Ji Yucheng’s closed eye. His gaze locked straight onto Qu Jiahan as he spoke, his voice soft and deadly.
“Anyway, we’re already married. Alive, he’s mine. Dead, he’s mine. Even as a vegetable, he’s still my vegetable.”
“So stop coveting what belongs to me.”
No one could snatch his money tree away from him. No one!
Qu Jiahan stared at Ning Sui’s hand, her face written all over with shock.
She suddenly remembered when she had just walked in, she had wanted to throw herself toward Ji Yucheng, but Ning Sui had dodged with a swift move and took Ji Yucheng along with him… What kind of terrifying possessiveness was that?
He wouldn’t even let her so much as touch one of Ji Yucheng’s fingers.
Even while talking with her, he had never once let go of Ji Yucheng’s hand. His thumb kept stroking gently across the pale back of Ji Yucheng’s hand
Under the bright ceiling lights in the living room, Ning Sui’s delicate features seemed to carry a faint trace of wickedness.
This was no longer mere jealousy, this was the desire to lock Ji Yucheng away, to make him belong only to himself.
This wasn’t the same Ning Sui as the rumors described, the one said to be madly in love with Ji Zhilin!
Either the rumors were wrong, or the only reason Ning Sui had ever approached Ji Zhilin in the first place was because of Ji Yucheng!
If it was the latter, then to have endured it silently for three whole years. This rival in love was far too frightening.
Qu Jiahan shivered involuntarily.
The butler hadn’t come back yet, and it was just her and Ning Sui alone. All of a sudden, as a young woman, she felt a little afraid.
“Brother Yucheng, I’ll come visit you next time,” Qu Jiahan hurriedly said, grabbing her purse and scurrying out.
Watching her rush out the door, Ning Sui stood up, rubbed his nose, and looked a little embarrassed. After all, he was an adult man, how had he ended up scaring off a young girl like that?
The system: “Ah Sui, just now, you looked like a total pervert.”
Ning Sui: “Oh, you’re back? And you were just watching the show? If I don’t act a little perverted, how else am I supposed to scare her off?”
The system said: “But I felt like the heartbeat of that vegetative patient you’re pushing suddenly sped up, don’t tell me something went wrong because he’s been off the machine too long?”
System 001’s words startled Ning Sui.
He quickly pushed Ji Yucheng toward the elevator: “I’d better get him back to bed.”
Once inside the elevator, Ning Sui squatted down beside Ji Yucheng, reaching out to feel his breath, then pressed his hand lightly against his chest beneath the shirt.
His heartbeat was indeed a little fast, but aside from that, there didn’t seem to be anything unusual.
Ning Sui called the family doctor, who reassured him that vegetative patients’ heart rates could fluctuate, and that an occasional spike was normal.
Only then did Ning Sui breathe a sigh of relief.
Carrying Ji Yucheng back to the bed, he reattached the vital sign monitors. Leaning so close, their breaths seemed to mingle together.
009, who had been too noisy earlier and got muted by Ji Yucheng, suddenly tore the seal off in Ji Yucheng’s mind: “Mmm! Mmm! Mmmmmm!”
But Ji Yucheng was too shocked to pay attention to what 009 wanted to say.
If his little spouse was only using him as a shield, then earlier, with Ji Zhilin not even present, why had he still acted so jealous?
…It was jealousy, wasn’t it?
For the past twenty-five years, Ji Yucheng had never once felt anything for anyone, and so he was completely inexperienced in these matters.
Ning Sui neither wanted money, nor did it look like he was scheming to stay in the Ji family to fish for something bigger. Then what was it for?
As he recalled those domineering words from earlier
“He lives, he’s mine. He dies, he’s mine. Even as a vegetable, he’s my vegetable. Don’t you dare covet what’s mine.”
The usually cold and detached Ji Yucheng suddenly felt utterly at a loss.
Could it be that what his little spouse said that he had fallen in love with him at first sight three years ago, was actually true?
If before Ji Yucheng had completely disbelieved it, now he found himself convinced by at least forty or fifty percent.
But if it really were true, then these past three years… how much suffering had Ning Sui endured?
Ji Yucheng was very aware of how cold and indifferent he had always been, never going out without bodyguards, not even sparing an unfamiliar face a single glance.
His little spouse would have had no chance at all to approach him.
He must have been disappointed over and over, until finally, he had no choice but to take the crooked path, approaching him through Ji Zhilin…?
“I think it’s true,” 009 blurted, having ripped off the mute seal again. “And you’re still sitting here overthinking! He’s at it again!”
Before it could finish, Ji Yucheng coldly muted it once more.
Yes, Ning Sui was at it again.
Compared to his earlier display of possessiveness downstairs, this time he was touching him even more freely stroking from his fingertips up to his wrist.
He then even rubbing against him with the back of his hand, before finally leaving satisfied and heading down to dinner.
The room fell silent, leaving Ji Yucheng all alone.
On his wrist lingered the domineering warmth of his little spouse’s touch.
The pure, chaste “vegetative patient” lay there motionless, but as he felt the shocking possessiveness still clinging to him, his face suddenly and uncontrollably flushed red.
✦ ✧ ✦
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
If you have ever thought “someone should buy this translator coffee”… congratulations. You are someone.
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
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