Shu Qianzhi, who was already pale, bit her lip and lowered her eyes when she realized the newcomer wasn’t her “brother,” looking like a pitiful puppy that hadn’t received approval.
Wan Feng’s eyes carried pain as he opened his mouth to speak, but before any sound emerged, a hoarse question came first: “Has my brother abandoned me?”
Instantly, his heart shattered.
Suppressing his emotions, he approached her and coaxed her in an increasingly gentle tone, “Miss, listen to me. You’ve mistaken him—Master Ji truly isn’t your brother.”
“You’re lying! He is my brother.” Shu Qianzhi’s eyes instantly welled up, though she held back her tears stubbornly. “My brother doesn’t want me anymore, does he?”
Wan Feng’s throat tightened with bitterness, leaving him speechless.
“I’m going to find him.” Shu Qianzhi declared stubbornly, her voice urgent. The next moment, she yanked out her IV drip and struggled to her feet, heading straight for the door without another word.
Seeing this, Wan Feng quickly stopped her, blocking her path. “You’ve lost your memory. Please rest here properly first, alright? When you remember everything, I’ll take you to find your brother.”
“I haven’t lost my memory! I still remember my brother. You’re a bad person!” The more Wan Feng tried to restrain her, the more insistent she became, directly labeling him as ill-intentioned.
Seizing a moment when Wan Feng was distracted, Shu Qianzhi lightly pushed him. As his grip loosened, she stumbled forward two steps.
When she hurriedly pushed the door open, she unexpectedly collided with a chest. A familiar yet unfamiliar scent washed over her, filling her world.
Even before seeing the person’s face, Shu Qianzhi already knew exactly who it was.
“Brother!”
Her eyes lit up and her brows relaxed, joy written clearly across her face. The next instant, she tightly embraced the person before her, leaving him no chance to resist.
Wan Feng was thoroughly startled and rushed forward to pull Shu Qianzhi away, attempting to separate her from Ji Zechen. But no matter how hard he tried, Shu Qianzhi clung fiercely to Ji Zechen, refusing to let go under any circumstances.
As for Ji Zechen—the central victim in this silent battle—his reaction was…
His brow furrowed as he looked down at Shu Qianzhi pressed tightly against him.
A voice devoid of emotion yet faintly simmering with anger echoed through the spacious hospital room: “What kind of game are you playing?”
At these words, the struggling pair finally stilled. Wan Feng released Shu Qianzhi and stood respectfully behind them, vigilantly observing their every word and movement.
Shu Qianzhi’s arms around Ji Zechen didn’t loosen in the slightest. Instead, she nuzzled against him coquettishly and looked up at him with pitiful, pleading eyes.
“Brother, he wouldn’t let me see you. He’s a bad person. Let’s make him go away, okay?”
Wan Feng:…
Just standing innocently in the hospital room, and suddenly getting blamed for no reason.
But Ji Zechen completely ignored Shu Qianzhi’s words. His face darkened as if he might erupt at any moment, making the surrounding atmosphere grow heavy and oppressive. “Let go.”
Wan Feng unconsciously drew a sharp breath.
Having served by Ji Zechen’s side for so long, he knew well that Master Ji’s patience had run out. If this girl continued being so unreasonable, Master Ji would likely show no further mercy.
However, the word “surrender” clearly didn’t exist in this girl’s dictionary. The next moment, an even softer voice drifted through the cold air, tempering the tense atmosphere.
“Brother, please don’t drive me away.” Shu Qianzhi’s voice grew hoarser, her grip on Ji Zechen’s hand somewhat feeble, her slender frame appearing even more pitiable at this moment.
Ji Zechen was not a man of sentiment. With merely a lift of his hand, he could easily push this girl away.
Yet at this moment, a peculiar warmth surged uncontrollably in his chest, preventing him from expelling the person clinging to him.
He didn’t understand what kind of emotion this was.
But his body seemed frozen, truly incapable of any movement.
“Wan Feng.” Ji Zechen’s voice briefly wavered with emotion but quickly returned to normal as he cast a sharp glance at the person behind him.
Understanding the cue, Wan Feng promptly stepped forward to pull Shu Qianzhi away. This time, she offered no resistance, merely going limp and half-collapsing into Wan Feng’s arms, tears welling frantically in her eyes.
Seeing her like this only irritated Ji Zechen further, so he averted his gaze and brushed off his clothes.
Then he strode forward without looking back, utterly without attachment.
Unwilling to give up, Shu Qianzhi called out softly to his retreating figure one last time, “Brother, are you abandoning me again?”
There was no response, but she could clearly see his steps hesitate briefly before he resumed his long strides after less than half a second.
Shu Qianzhi sighed in defeat, remaining where she stood until the man’s figure disappeared at the end of the corridor.
In her previous life, she hadn’t interacted much with Ji Zechen, only hearing rumors that he was difficult to approach. Now she realized he was even more heartless than she had imagined.
Wan Feng helped her slowly back to the hospital bed. Pitying her plight and seeing her despondent state, he repeatedly urged her by her ear to take good care of her health.
Shu Qianzhi only nodded perfunctorily. Joy and sorrow don’t interconnect; she merely found him noisy.
After ensuring everything was properly arranged, Wan Feng left the hospital room. Exiting the hospital, he directly entered the car that had been parked there for some time.
“Master Ji,” he addressed, his gaze falling on the consistently aloof figure in the back seat.
“Investigate that woman’s background thoroughly,” Ji Zechen commanded, his eyes fixed outside the window as if trying to erase that innocent expression from his mind.
Wan Feng was taken aback.
He wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but he detected a trace of gloom in Master Ji’s tone, seemingly out of character.
But he didn’t dare show any reaction, immediately responding respectfully, “Yes.”
The car fell completely silent, while the sound of a clock chiming the hour penetrated from outside. Glancing at the time, Wan Feng realized it was exactly noon and suddenly remembered something. He quickly turned to report to Ji Zechen, “Master Ji, the young lady hasn’t eaten all day. Shall I send someone to bring her some food?”
There was no response. Ji Zechen remained staring out the window, his gaze fixed on a restaurant.
He stared for a long time at the sign bearing the characters for “spare ribs,” his eyes revealing unfathomable emotions.
…
In the hospital room…
Shu Qianzhi sat bored on the hospital bed, clutching the TV remote in her palm, idly pressing its buttons and randomly changing channels.
She disliked overly quiet environments, turning on the TV merely to make the space feel more lively. In truth, her attention wasn’t on the television at all.
Her phone had been shattered in that car accident, and she didn’t even know where the remnants lay. Now she was utterly alone, having severed all ties between her present and past.
Perhaps it was for the best. She was no longer part of the Shu Family, nor would she ever return to that house. Now she had only one relative left—her “brother.”
…Yet this very brother had heartlessly abandoned her in the hospital, leaving her isolated and miserable. How utterly cruel.
She had no idea when he had come to know her in their previous life, nor what aspect of her had drawn him to her then.
All she knew was that his treatment of her now was terrible.
After all, it was because of them that she lay here—wrapped in thick bandages, relying on painkillers to get by—while he couldn’t even be bothered to check on her.
Shu Qianzhi hugged her pillow, pounding it lightly with her small fists in frustration, using it as an outlet for her resentment.
Soon after, she thought she heard sounds at the door growing closer. Startled, she immediately straightened the pillow and resumed her pitiful, innocent act—staring vacantly at the screen before her while steeling her emotions.
The hospital room door soon swung open, and Wan Feng reappeared before Shu Qianzhi.
Recognizing who it was, Shu Qianzhi withdrew her gaze listlessly, her entire demeanor seeming to say, “You again?”
Wan Feng carried a takeout box, offering it to Shu Qianzhi as he leaned slightly forward and spoke softly, “You must be hungry, miss. Come, have something to eat.”
Shu Qianzhi was indeed hungry.
Ravenously so—so hungry she felt hollowed out, craving a feast.
But could she eat by herself now? No, of course not.
How could she pass up such a perfect opportunity to play the victim?
Suppressing her intense craving, she crossed her arms and turned slightly away, declaring firmly, “I won’t eat.”
Wan Feng sighed helplessly but continued coaxing her as he opened the takeout container, allowing the aroma of food to fill the room.
Shu Qianzhi immediately sensed something amiss.
Ah, that was the scent of spare ribs and fish balls! Her favorite foods!
At that very moment, her stomach betrayed her with an audible growl.
“Your health is your greatest asset, miss. You should eat something to help your recovery,” Wan Feng persisted earnestly.
But Shu Qianzhi refused to listen, instead widening her pitiful eyes to ask the question that mattered most to her, “Where’s my brother?”
Wan Feng couldn’t bear to meet her emotionally captivating gaze and averted his eyes slightly. “President Ji asked me to bring these. Eat your fill first, then we can talk.”
“Did my brother buy this? Really?” Her eyes instantly brightened, her voice tinged with delight.
“Mhm.” To successfully persuade her to eat, Wan Feng directly affirmed.