The room was silent.
Lu Ning opened her mouth but, in the end, said nothing. At this moment, words seemed so feeble.
After all, she had explained countless times in the past, but her brothers never believed her.
Lu Nanfeng’s throat moved slightly before he finally let go of her.
He looked at Lu Ning with disappointment. “If you continue to be so stubborn, when big brother comes back, even I won’t be able to protect you. Think it over yourself.”
After speaking, Lu Nanfeng turned and left.
Lu Ning exhaled as if she had finally caught her breath, leaning back against the headboard.
There was a hint of self-mockery in her eyes. What was there to think about?
Should she, like in her previous life, lower her head, carefully fawn over them, only to end up being kicked out and locked in a mental hospital to die miserably?
She didn’t want that.
“Here.”
An ice pack wrapped in gauze appeared before her.
Lu Ning took it and placed it on her swollen cheek. She peeked at the man beside her and softly said, “Thank you for earlier.”
His voice was cold. “Why didn’t you explain yourself?”
Lu Ning lowered her head, showing a bitter smile. “Do you believe it? I explained it many times before, even showed them evidence, but they never believed me. They only thought I was lying.”
The room fell into a brief silence.
Lu Ning didn’t want to explain too much. Most outsiders never believed her anyway; they only saw her as rebellious.
“It’s hard not to believe.”
Lu Ning was slightly stunned. Did he really believe her?
Ji Chiqian stepped forward, placing his hand on her forehead. “Your fever has gone down.”
Lu Ning froze. His hand was cool and comforting.
She felt much better now, no longer as uncomfortable.
She glanced at his wrist. “That scar on your hand… was it from a car accident too?”
Ji Chiqian’s hand paused abruptly before he quickly withdrew it.
He took down the empty IV bottle and only after a while replied, “Yes. It was from a car accident.”
He supported himself on the table, his back turned toward Lu Ning.
His side profile was backlit, making it hard to read his expression.
“I have one too, on my leg.”
Lu Ning lifted her skirt slightly. “Here. Doesn’t it look like yours?”
Ji Chiqian turned and saw her slender leg, her fair skin making the scar on her thigh look particularly glaring.
But… she had lifted her skirt a little too high, nearly exposing herself.
He glanced quickly before turning his head away. “Little girl, don’t casually lift your skirt in front of a man.”
“But you’re a doctor.”
Ji Chiqian’s throat moved slightly. But he was still a man.
Did no one teach her these things?
He changed the subject. “That scar can be treated. Why haven’t you done it?”
Lu Ning’s expression dimmed, her heart aching.
Because her third brother, Lu Xicheng, had once told her that the scar was a reminder of their parents’ existence, and that one day he would personally help her remove it.
She had believed him.
But in the end, Lu Xicheng looked at the scar on her leg with disgust, saying he hated it and would never help her.
He said it was her fault their parents died. That the scar was a mark, and she should remember it for life.
Back then, she was devastated and truly believed she was the one who caused their parents’ death, becoming even more submissive and eager to please her brothers.
Recalling those memories made her feel suffocated.
But she couldn’t bring herself to speak about it now, so she asked instead, “Then what about you? Why didn’t you treat it?”
“I’m a man. It doesn’t matter. But for a girl, it’s better to have it treated.”
Lu Ning forced a bitter smile. “Maybe later.”
Seeing her with her head down, Ji Chiqian said nothing more.
He sat beside her and turned on the TV.
Lu Ning noticed that the screen was showing a game tournament—her sixth brother Lu Liu was participating.
Lu Liu had skipped Qin Xiang’s banquet for this competition.
But in the end, they lost to the young master of the Ji family from North City.
Lu Ning remembered how, in her past life, Lu Liu was humiliated by that young master after losing, and when he returned, he furiously rebuilt the family’s gaming team.
Second brother, fourth brother, fifth brother, sixth brother, and her.
Though they failed in the preliminaries, they had a chance in the repechage.
Through the repechage, they made a stunning comeback, and in the national finals, they faced the Ji family’s young master again.
She had spent countless hours training and studying the Ji family’s team to help them win.
Qin Xiang wasn’t part of the game.
Because she lacked gaming talent and could only be a substitute, never qualifying to play.
So Lu Ning enjoyed fighting alongside her brothers without outsiders interfering.
She had even put aside her college entrance exam prep for the tournament.
But when they were on the verge of winning, her brothers called her out of the game and let Qin Xiang play instead.
In the end, they won the championship, becoming national champions.
Her brothers stood on the winner’s podium with Qin Xiang, holding the trophy that should have been hers, all smiling happily.
Lu Ning watched the game on TV, feeling as if there was a hole in her heart that could never be filled.
“Why are you crying? This isn’t a soap opera. Does it really move you that much?”
Lu Ning snapped out of it, quickly wiping the tears from her face. She had lost control of her emotions, thinking about her past life.
A piece of tissue appeared before her. The man’s fingers were long and well-shaped.
She took it, feeling a bit embarrassed. “Do you play this game?”
“Little girl, your priority now is studying for exams, not playing games.”
Ji Chiqian leaned lazily on the chair, not looking at her, his focus still on the match.
Lu Ning also turned to the screen, speaking seriously, “The Lu Tian team will lose.”
Lu Tian team was the team her sixth brother belonged to.
Ji Chiqian smiled faintly. “You’ve got a good eye.”
As expected, Lu Tian team lost without suspense.
On the livestream, Lu Liu’s face was grim, and he even smashed his keyboard.
Lu Liu had always had a bad temper.
Seeing him lose, Lu Ning felt a little happy.
When he came back, he would surely rebuild the team. But this time, she wouldn’t play for the Lu family.
She would fight for herself, become a professional player, make money, go to university, and support herself.
She never wanted to live under their control again, constantly threatened by frozen bank cards, forced to give up her dream school to attend a second-rate college with Qin Xiang.
Only financial independence would allow her to break free from the Lu family.
Though professional gamers weren’t yet popular in the business world, with the rise of live streaming next year, they could also make money through streaming.
With her past life’s gaming experience, this was the fastest and easiest way for her to make money.
Lu Ning silently made up her mind.
After the livestream ended, Ji Chiqian turned to her, removed the IV needle from her hand, and pressed a cotton swab against the spot. “Your medicine is on the table. You can leave after you take it.”
“Thank you!”
Lu Ning took the medicine and left the infirmary.
As soon as she left, a young man swaggered in and said, “Brother Chiqian, it’s rare to see you playing the hero. But that girl doesn’t have a good reputation. She’s been cursing wildly on the school forum. Don’t let her fool you.”
Ji Chiqian leaned back in the chair, his aloofness fading into a bit of laziness.
He spoke carelessly, “Why are you still here?”
“I’m just curious. Why did you choose to be a school doctor at this high school? You didn’t even show up at little Ji Mo’s match, making him so distracted looking for you that he almost got ambushed by that Lu family kid. Tell me the reason, and I’ll leave right away.”
Ji Chiqian removed his mask, rolled up his sleeve, revealing that hideous scar.
Gu Zifeng’s expression darkened upon seeing it. “All these years, and you still can’t let it go? That accident had nothing to do with you! Wait, don’t tell me… that girl is…”
“Shut up.”
Ji Chiqian closed his eyes to rest, ignoring the person beside him.