Jiang Xizhi ultimately chose to stay, because fleeing now would weigh too heavily on her conscience. Call her weak, call her incompetent—she was simply a timid person like that.
Whether in her previous life or this one, apart from imprisoning her, Ji Han Zhuo had never harmed her. She believed that the car accident at the end of her previous life was absolutely not his doing.
If he had wanted her life, he wouldn’t have used his own to protect her back then.
Though some details from her past life were hazy, the memory of Ji Han Zhuo risking his life to save her remained vivid.
She remembered it was the second year of her imprisonment by Ji Han Zhuo. That year, she nearly developed depression from the confinement and even began having suicidal thoughts. Ji Han Zhuo noticed early on and warned her sternly: “If you die, I’ll have your father buried with you.”
He always knew exactly how to grasp her weaknesses.
Such a domineering, ruthless statement—yet it truly saved her life.
After abandoning thoughts of suicide, she remained in low spirits. So Ji Han Zhuo took her traveling. He bought a helicopter, set aside company affairs, and took her on a tour around the world, all in the hope of lifting her mood.
He took her to Norway to see the aurora, to the Netherlands for windmills, to Provence for lavender fields—countless places. But when they finally reached London, an accident occurred.
They were caught in an attack and riot. It was Ji Han Zhuo who blocked the bullet aimed at her heart. In the end, she emerged unscathed, while the bullet struck his chest. He lay in a hospital bed for two months, with the hospital issuing three critical condition notices.
Those were her most bewildering days—filled with helplessness, hesitation, and a panic she refused to acknowledge.
That feeling was quite similar to what she felt now.
Jiang Xizhi was inherently kind-hearted. Even though she disliked Ji Han Zhuo, resented his threats and imprisonment, he had once risked his life to save her. She couldn’t bear to see him in danger again.
After snapping back to reality, Jiang Xizhi went to the bathroom to fetch a basin of warm water. She removed his bathrobe and began wiping his body. Having been intimate so many times in her past life, and under Ji Han Zhuo’s influence, she was no longer the easily flustered young girl she once was.
Her body was still that of a twenty-one-year-old, but her soul had long since matured.
As Jiang Xizhi wiped his body, Ji Han Zhuo continued to murmur her name softly. Seeing how unsettled he was, Jiang Xizhi responded, “I’m here.”
Upon hearing her reply, Ji Han Zhuo accurately grasped the wrist of the hand she was using to wipe his face and pulled her arm into his embrace.
He continued mumbling, “Xi Xi must stay with me always, never leave me…”
Looking at her arm now held tightly in his embrace, Jiang Xizhi felt a headache coming on. The damp towel in her hand had soaked his pajamas.
This was the first time she realized Ji Han Zhuo could be so clingy.
Jiang Xizhi tried pulling her hand back several times, but each attempt failed. Even unconscious, Ji Han Zhuo’s strength was astonishing—utterly absurd.
Since force didn’t work, she had to try persuasion.
Clearing her throat, Jiang Xizhi called out to him, “Ji Han Zhuo, let go. I need to get your medicine. You haven’t taken it yet.”
Ji Han Zhuo chose silence.
Jiang Xizhi rolled her eyes in exasperation and spoke sharply, “Ji Han Zhuo, let go of me. If you don’t let go now, I’ll ignore you from now on. I won’t speak to you ever again.”
Ji Han Zhuo finally spoke, his voice tinged with urgency, “No, no, you can’t let go. If you let go, Xi Xi will run away.” Jiang Xizhi straightened up and looked at Ji Han Zhuo’s face. If she hadn’t been sure his eyes were closed, she would have suspected he was a supernatural being.
After a moment of silence, Jiang Xizhi spoke again, feigning a pitiful tone, “Ji Han Zhuo, my hand hurts from you pulling it. Let go of me, it hurts~”
Immediately, Ji Han Zhuo obediently released her hand, tugging uncomfortably at his dampened robe.
After freeing her hand, Jiang Xizhi went to the walk-in closet to fetch a new men’s robe and helped Ji Han Zhuo change into it. Throughout the process, he remained relatively cooperative.
But when it came time to give him medicine, the man became uncooperative again, tightly pursing his lips and refusing to take it.
Jiang Xizhi’s patience was nearly worn thin. This man acted like a child when he was sick.
Ruling out the method of feeding him the medicine mouth-to-mouth, Jiang Xizhi had no choice but to call Chen Yi upstairs. Together, they pried open Ji Han Zhuo’s mouth and forced the medicine down.
By the time they finished, it was already past midnight. Jiang Xizhi still couldn’t sleep—she had to wait for his fever to subside before she could rest.
The medicine prescribed by Rong Ye was quite effective. Within half an hour of taking it, Ji Han Zhuo’s temperature had nearly returned to normal. After the family doctor removed the IV drip, Jiang Xizhi’s work was finally done.