The butler collected his chaotic thoughts before speaking slowly, “Back then, those female prisoners followed your orders to punish Miss Ji, but one of them suddenly became agitated and went too far… so it was an accidental injury.”
Accidental injury?
Yu Nanzhi sat there, his heart as heavy as a stone, because he knew some things weren’t as simple as they appeared on the surface.
Just then, his phone on the table vibrated, the screen lighting up. He glanced at it—it was a text message from Li Chengru.
Dismissing the butler, Yu Nanzhi picked up his phone and opened the message. It contained Ji Liao’s medical report sent by Li Chengru. The primary cause of her blindness was intracranial bleeding—a substantial hemorrhage that compressed her optic nerve. Too much time had passed, missing the optimal treatment window, making the likelihood of recovery slim.
Yu Nanzhi was stunned, recalling the brutality he had inflicted on Ji Liao years ago. Perhaps he was the one responsible for her intracranial bleeding.
But in just a brief moment, he regained his usual indifference and calm. Everything she suffered was retribution she brought upon herself—it had nothing to do with anyone else.
In the hospital, Li Chengru held the report and sat in the empty seat beside Ji Liao. Without hesitation, he pointed to the contents and informed her truthfully, “The main reason for your blindness is intracranial bleeding compressing the optic nerve. Although we’ve missed the best treatment period, there’s still a possibility of recovery. You—”
“Acheng, your surgery is about to start. Hurry up and get ready.”
Before he could finish speaking to Ji Liao, A’Su’s voice called out from not far away.
Li Chengru acknowledged her, then noticed Ji Liao’s calm expression—devoid of the joy or excitement he had expected. Unsure how to continue, he hesitated for a while but ultimately refused to give up. He pressed on, “Qing’er is a wonderful child. I believe you’ll come to love her once you can see again.”
“Mr. Li, please don’t persuade me. I know my condition well—the chance of recovery is slim. I’m afraid of the pain and don’t want to suffer. Please focus your efforts on Qing’er instead. Cure her, and I’ll serve you all tirelessly.”
With that, she picked up her blind cane and left.
Watching her resolute retreating figure, Li Chengru opened his mouth, wanting to say more to convince her. But before he could utter another word, his phone rang.
As her figure gradually disappeared around the corner, he finally withdrew his gaze from where she had left.
The phone continued to ring insistently until, snapping back to reality, he answered it. “Ji Liao refuses treatment. Don’t bother.”
Before Yu Nanzhi could even ask, Li Chengru preemptively gave him the answer. Puzzled, Yu Nanzhi grabbed his coat hanging behind the chair and headed out while talking on the phone, “There’s clearly a chance for recovery. Why would she refuse?”
Hearing such a flippant remark, a flicker of displeasure crossed Li Chengru’s face. “She said the world is too filthy to look at. But in my opinion, perhaps it’s because she’s lost all hope in life. In this wretched world, no one else is worth her sight anymore. She might as well remain blind until the end of her days.”
The near-sarcastic words infuriated Yu Nanzhi. Already in his car, he slammed on the accelerator and sped off like an avalanche toward the hospital where Ji Liao was.
On the road, he suddenly recalled what Ji Liao had once written on Facebook:
I feel you are my destiny.
One day, you passed by somewhere near me, stirring ripples in my tranquil heart.
Under the bright moon, you abruptly entered my dreams. My gaze always seeks your figure, my ears always listen for the sound of your approaching footsteps.
I love the coolness of your fingertips. With just a light touch, you make me tremble.
The desolate wilderness of my heart trembles for you, shedding all its bleakness and disarray.
When you pass by, greenery sprouts for you, and my heart blooms with joy as if you were my lover.
Waking from the dream, I am filled with melancholy.
I pray to the heavens endlessly, YNZ, hoping to see your stern yet majestic face every morning, wishing to part the mist surrounding you to gaze at you more clearly.
I am someone prone to wild fancies, both yearning and fearing, yet hoping you might hear my call and appear, dreaming that we could merge into one heart.
Recalling how she had once been an innocent and lively girl, his long-dormant heart began to race like a startled deer. His hands trembled uncontrollably, and he could only feel her gentle sweetness.
But reality was excessively cruel. She was like peeling rust or sharp, piercing thorns, speaking unparalleled lies that stabbed at his heart.
The once innocent girl now, upon seeing him, seemed endlessly tormented and broken by the past, often acting erratically as if her nights held no dawn.
Just as he arrived at the hospital, under the dim yellow light, he saw Ji Liao groping her way to buy dinner. She handed the vendor a hundred-yuan bill, but the vendor gave her fifty yuan in counterfeit change. Unaware, without checking the amount or authenticity, she carelessly stuffed it into her pocket.
Meanwhile, the vendor watched her with immense satisfaction.
Witnessing this, Yu Nanzhi’s expression darkened. He never imagined he would rush forward without a word, snatch the counterfeit money from Ji Liao’s pocket, grab the vendor by the collar, and angrily threaten him to replace it.
Hearing Yu Nanzhi’s voice, Ji Liao’s heart instantly panicked. The next moment, she reacted by walking away even faster, abandoning her dinner entirely.
For the first time in his life, Yu Nanzhi pitied Ji Liao, but she showed no gratitude.
Releasing the vendor and clutching the fifty yuan, Yu Nanzhi let out a cold laugh. “I really shouldn’t have been so impulsive.”
But as soon as the words left his mouth, he froze, realizing he had acted impulsively because Ji Liao was cheated.
He thought he would be glad to see her suffer, so why did he feel so unsettled?
At that moment, he spotted a man supporting Ji Liao, asking after her with concern. Yu Nanzhi flared with anger, never expecting that even blind, she would still fail to uphold propriety.
Unable to suppress his irritation, he approached them and sneered, “I’ve underestimated Miss Ji’s capabilities. Even disabled, you never forget to cozy up to other men. Perhaps, years ago, you were already doing plenty of shady things behind my back!”
Slap!
Ji Liao swung her hand and struck Yu Nanzhi across the face—swift, heavy, and accurate. Anyone unaware would think her sight had returned.
Yu Nanzhi’s demeanor shifted gradually, turning him into a foul stone amid glacial snow. His face darkened with a mix of shock and disbelief. “How dare you hit me!”
He had always been the one to bully her, never imagining Ji Liao would dare to be so audacious.
When she heard his words, Ji Liao suppressed the fear in her heart and revealed a scornful smile. “If I had a knife in my hand, I would stop at nothing to kill you.”