Jiang Xizhi was carried by Ji Han Zhuo into the master bedroom on the second floor. He helped her remove her raincoat and sports jacket, laid her on the bed, covered her with a thin blanket, and then left.
When he returned, he had changed into a black set of home clothes. His dark hair was slightly damp, casually falling over his forehead. Compared to before, he seemed much gentler, but the powerful aura around him was still impossible to ignore. The female doctor following him kept a distance of two meters.
The doctor examined Jiang Xizhi and concluded that aside from the bite marks on her calf and minor abrasions on her forearm, there was nothing seriously wrong.
Ji Han Zhuo instructed the doctor to treat her wounds while he went to the balcony to make a phone call. He ordered someone to tear down the small gate in the backyard and replace it with a wall, as well as to strengthen the manor’s security system.
Just as he hung up the phone, Jiang Xizhi’s cries came from inside.
“Doctor, gently, gently, even more gently, it hurts so much.”
Although Jiang Xizhi had been confined by Ji Han Zhuo for three years in her previous life, she had also been pampered for those three years. Aside from suffering a bit in bed, she had never been injured. Ji Han Zhuo had stubbornly molded her into a porcelain doll—unable to be bumped, touched, or ordered around.
Now that she had been bitten by a dog and lost so much blood, it felt to her as if she were dying. On top of that, she was afraid of pain and terrified of injections. The doctor cleaning her wound seemed as though it could kill her.
When Ji Han Zhuo first heard Jiang Xizhi’s cries, he didn’t move, determined to teach her a lesson so she wouldn’t dare run away again. But when he heard her call his name, he couldn’t help but stride over quickly.
Jiang Xizhi had no other choice. She felt as though her memories were still stuck in her previous life, where she had been confined by Ji Han Zhuo, and her world revolved solely around him. Whenever something happened, he was still the first person she thought of.
Ji Han Zhuo took her hand, his brows furrowed with reluctance, but his face remained stern as he scolded her, “Will you run away again next time? If you do, the consequences will be worse than this. Next time you run, I’ll break your legs—it’ll hurt a hundred times more than this.”
Ji Han Zhuo’s intention was to distract her, but it turned out his approach was wrong.
Not only did Jiang Xizhi fail to be distracted, she cried even harder. This man always kept his word—if he really broke her legs, it would be terrifying. In her previous life, he had never threatened to break her legs.
She had to run away, far away from him.
When the doctor heard Ji Han Zhuo’s words, her hand holding the cotton swab trembled slightly. The reputation of Ji Han Zhuo’s brutality in the capital was indeed well-deserved—he was this harsh even to his own woman. This poor girl was unfortunate enough to have caught Ji Han Zhuo’s eye.
Seeing Jiang Xizhi cry even harder, Ji Han Zhuo assumed it was because of the pain. He glared at the doctor and was about to continue comforting her when he heard Jiang Xizhi say between sobs, “Don’t break my legs. I’ll be obedient, I won’t run away.”
Ji Han Zhuo felt somewhat helpless and simply went along with it. “If you stop crying, I won’t break your legs.”
Jiang Xizhi knew when to stop and immediately ceased crying. She blinked her swollen, walnut-like almond eyes pitifully at Ji Han Zhuo. Even when she received the rabies vaccine later, she didn’t cry—because she bit Ji Han Zhuo’s wrist instead.
In the entire capital, aside from Jiang Xizhi, there was absolutely no one else brave enough to bite Ji Han Zhuo.
Jiang Xizhi bit him with fierce determination, holding nothing back, while Ji Han Zhuo remained motionless, allowing her to do as she pleased.
Even when Jiang Xizhi tasted a metallic, bloody tang, Ji Han Zhuo remained calm and composed, as if he were not the one being bitten.
After the doctor left, Ji Han Zhuo did not seek retribution from Jiang Xizhi. Instead, he helped her rinse her mouth before heading to the bathroom.
Truthfully, Jiang Xizhi was quite frightened. Who knew getting a shot would hurt so much? Unable to control herself, she had bitten down. Afterward, she was filled with regret.
Seeing him leave, her tense nerves finally relaxed completely. Having cried all night and endured such a fright, she was utterly exhausted. Closing her eyes, she fell asleep almost immediately.
In the bathroom, Ji Han Zhuo first took a photo of the bite mark on his wrist. Then, as if impervious to pain, he kissed the mark, his infatuated expression a stark contrast to his usual cold, aloof, and restrained demeanor.
This was a mark left by Xi Xi, a mark that belonged to him alone.
When Ji Han Zhuo emerged from the bathroom carrying a basin of water, Jiang Xizhi was already sound asleep. He did not wake her, instead setting the basin down and gazing at her with a deep, unreadable look for a moment.
Then, he took a warm towel and carefully wiped her face. But when he reached her neck, he paused, his expression unchanged as he glanced at the white short-sleeved shirt she wore, before proceeding directly.
She could only sleep after bathing and changing into pajamas.
After helping Jiang Xizhi clean her body, Ji Han Zhuo regretted it. Not only had he not gotten enough of his fill, but he had also stirred up a fire within himself. Meanwhile, the little woman on the bed seemed quite comfortable with his ministrations.
Biting the tip of his tongue, he returned to the bathroom for another clean towel, soaked it, and placed it over her swollen, reddened eyelids. With reddened eyes, he vented his frustration by planting several fierce kisses on her lips before heading back to the bathroom.
Due to the late-night commotion and consecutive overtime work, Jiang Xizhi woke up the next morning before Ji Han Zhuo had stirred.
The first thing Jiang Xizhi did upon waking was to shift the arm draped around her waist. Perhaps forgetting about the wound on her calf, she pushed aside the blanket as usual and moved to get out of bed and put on her shoes.
But this slight movement tugged at the wound on her calf, sending a sharp pain through her and forcing her to sit back down on the bed.
The dog from last night was a purebred Alaskan Malamute, and the bite wound was not small, located near her knee. Jiang Xizhi had always been delicate, and even a slight tug was enough to cause her pain for a long time.
Even though the pain was excruciating, Jiang Xizhi gritted her teeth and refused to make a sound. If she couldn’t endure such a minor injury, how would she survive alone without money or influence if she ever truly left Ji Han Zhuo in the future? She had to toughen up and become independent, shedding the bad habits Ji Han Zhuo had nurtured in her in her past life.
Just as Jiang Xizhi steeled herself and prepared to get up, the man behind her, who had woken up at some point, hooked his arm around her waist and pulled her into his embrace.
Instead of the expected pain, she found herself nestled in a warm embrace. The man, still with his eyes closed, pressed her face against his chest and said, “Stay and sleep with me a little longer.”
His voice carried the unique huskiness of someone just waking up, deep and pleasant.
Jiang Xizhi had intended to refuse, but the memory of his angry, darkened expression from the night before made her relent. This man’s temper was unpredictable; he might bring up old grievances at any moment. For now, she decided it was best to go along with him.
Seeing the person in his arms behaving, Ji Han Zhuo narrowed his eyes and whispered in her ear, “I have a surprise for you when you wake up.”
Jiang Xizhi glanced at him, hesitating to speak. More like a fright—yesterday, the so-called surprise he mentioned had scared her quite a bit.
As it turned out, Jiang Xizhi’s guess was right. Ji Han Zhuo never played by the rules.
The two slept until noon. After waking up, disregarding Jiang Xizhi’s wishes, Ji Han Zhuo got out of bed, scooped her into his arms, and carried her to wash up. When it was time to use the bathroom, he placed her at the door, waiting until she was done before picking her up again—domineering to the extreme.
And just like that, the resolve Jiang Xizhi had made that morning to be independent and self-reliant was shattered. She couldn’t help but wonder if Ji Han Zhuo had some kind of mind-reading ability.