The light from outside cut through the darkness, and the stagnant air began to move again.
Chi Gui stood at the doorway. With the corridor lamp behind him, he clearly saw the situation inside:
In the dim, cold side room, Jing Shun was slumped on the floor—one hand pressing hard against the ground, the other gripping an electric knife that had been stabbed into Chi Sheng’s thigh.
Blood spread everywhere, staining Jing Shun’s originally fair fingers.
His inner collar was pulled into disarray. His breathing was rapid, and his thin body trembled violently in an unnatural way, as if he had fallen into some kind of trance.
“……”
Perhaps sensing movement at the door, Jing Shun slowly and numbly lifted his head. His naturally beautiful peach-blossom eyes were now filled with darkness and a death wish, not a trace of light remaining.
Chi Gui’s breathing suddenly deepened as he quickly walked closer.
He crouched beside Jing Shun and immediately grasped the hand holding the blade.
“Jing Shun, put the knife down first. Don’t hurt yourself.”
Jing Shun’s mind was muddled. He tried to pull his hand back but failed. His body swayed unsteadily, and he looked at everything in front of him with strong distrust.
“No… I won’t let go…”
“Jing Shun! Calm down! Look carefully—it’s me!”
“……”
Jing Shun’s gaze flickered for a moment.
“It’s okay now. No one can hurt you anymore, and don’t hurt yourself for people who aren’t worth it.” Chi Gui slowly pried open his pale fingers, coaxing him in an unusually gentle voice. “Be good, alright?”
—Clang.
The electric knife, along with the weight of overwhelming hatred, fell to the ground.
Jing Shun gasped twice for breath and suddenly lost all strength, falling backward.
Chi Gui immediately caught him in his arms, frowning deeply.
“Jing Shun?”
The person in his arms didn’t respond, his consciousness faintly collapsing.
Chi Gui noticed the black scarf dropped not far away and decisively took off his own coat, wrapping it around Jing Shun before lifting him fully into his arms.
Chi Sheng’s body was still numb, his leg pain so intense it felt like he had lost his mind. In desperation, he actually begged for help:
“Sa… save me…”
Chi Gui lowered his gaze. A fierce, murderous aura flashed across his face as he kicked Chi Sheng’s injured leg again.
“Ah!”
Chi Sheng screamed and immediately passed out from the pain, no longer moving.
Jing Shun heard the short scream and instinctively tensed up. Chi Gui noticed his reaction and immediately restrained his violent expression.
“Don’t be afraid. It’s fine. I’ll take you back to rest.”
Footsteps sounded at the door.
Chen Yiming, who had rushed over from elsewhere, took in the scene and reacted after only a few seconds of shock.
“Sir, should you take Mr. Jing back first? I’ll handle the rest.”
Chi Gui held the person in his arms tightly.
“Lock down news of this injury. Watch the main family closely. If they dare cause trouble, tell them to come to me directly.”
“Yes.”
…
The Chi residence had a professional medical team living nearby year-round, so they arrived quickly after a call.
When the medical staff entered, Chi Gui had just changed Jing Shun out of the blood-stained coat.
Jing Shun, in a faint state of shock, had his eyes tightly closed. His bloodless lips trembled as if he were crying, though no words could be heard—he seemed trapped in unbearable emotional distress.
“Sir, this is likely a psychosomatic reaction triggered by emotional trauma. It’s quite severe—we need to administer a sedative first.”
Doctor Chen made a quick assessment and immediately signaled to his assistant.
“Quick!”
Fortunately, they had properly sourced medication prepared in advance.
The assistant quickly returned with a syringe.
Doctor Chen took it. “Sir, we need an intramuscular injection, in the upper right arm.”
Chi Gui pulled Jing Shun into his arms, exposing his right arm.
“Do it.”
The moment the needle touched his skin, Jing Shun—half-conscious—suddenly realized something and violently struggled.
“I don’t want it! Get away! Get away!”
“Jing Shun!” Chi Gui quickly held him down.
Jing Shun instinctively curled into his arms, convulsing even more violently.
“It hurts… it’s useless… I don’t want it…”
It won’t work no matter what they inject him with! He had been injected countless times before—it never helped. Never.
His legs would never heal. He would never stand again.
It was Chi Sheng. Chi Sheng had lied to him!
Doctor Chen watched Chi Gui’s expression carefully and didn’t dare force it.
“Sir, it really must be administered. Prolonged convulsions are dangerous.”
“I know.” Chi Gui tightened his grip around Jing Shun’s waist and arms. “Hurry up!”
The sedative was injected swiftly and accurately.
The effects took hold faster than expected. Within twenty minutes, Jing Shun had completely fallen into sleep.
Doctor Chen let out a quiet breath of relief.
“Sir, psychosomatic reactions are usually caused by psychological issues. Sedatives only treat symptoms, not the root cause.”
“I understand.” Chi Gui’s expression darkened.
He took a warm towel from the housekeeper and wiped away the dirty blood on Jing Shun’s hands. “You can all leave. Stay here tonight in case anything happens later.”
“Yes, sir.”
The room fell silent. Night outside was deep and heavy.
…
After an unknown amount of time, Chen Yiming’s voice came from outside.
“Sir.”
“Come in.”
Chen Yiming entered quietly.
“Sir, this was my oversight. I failed to notice Mr. Jing’s condition in time.”
He then added, “I retrieved surveillance footage from both sides of the corridor. Would you like to see it?”
Chi Gui took the tablet.
The footage clearly recorded everything that had just happened. Chi Gui watched intently, not missing a single detail.
At one point, he paused and scrubbed the timeline back and forth.
Chen Yiming noticed. “Sir, is something wrong?”
Chi Gui said nothing, only shook his head slightly.
Seconds later, he saw Chi Sheng in the footage violently drag Jing Shun up and shove him into the side room.
Chi Gui turned off the tablet. The dim bedside lamp reflected his unreadable expression.
Chen Yiming reported again:
“The young master has already been secretly sent for medical treatment. We’ve also handled the guests and servants—no leaks will happen.”
“The watchers said the main family only just learned about it and rushed over. There will likely be trouble later.”
“……”
Trouble? Do they even deserve to make trouble?
Chi Gui looked at Jing Shun on the bed again. Even in sleep, his expression was not peaceful.
“Keep watching them closely. I know what I’m doing.”
“Yes.”
…
Jing Shun slept heavily.
When he finally woke again, his body was filled with familiar soreness, and his throat was dry as if on fire.
A soft voice sounded beside him.
“Mr. Xiao Jing, you’re awake?”
“…Uncle Lin?”
“Yes, it’s me.” Uncle Lin handed him warm water. “How are you feeling? Drink some water first.”
With help, Jing Shun sat up slowly and drank.
He looked around in confusion. “Uncle Lin… did you take care of me last night?”
Before Uncle Lin could answer, the door opened.
Chi Gui and Doctor Chen walked in.
Doctor Chen approached immediately.
“Mr. Jing, you still have a slight fever. I’ll give you another injection?”
Jing Shun glanced past him toward Chi Gui and then looked away.
“…Okay.”
The needle entered his hand. He did not resist at all.
Doctor Chen asked cautiously, “Mr. Jing, does it hurt?”
“…No.”
Chi Gui ordered the housekeeper to bring food.
Once the room emptied, only the two of them remained.
Chi Gui spoke first.
“Let’s talk.”
Jing Shun avoided his gaze.
Chi Gui didn’t care.
“Jing Shun.”
Not “Mr. Jing” anymore—just his full name.
“Do you remember what I told you before the banquet? And what the agreement says?”
“…I remember.”
Chi Gui continued.
“Then what did you do last night?”
“……”
Jing Shun hesitated for a few seconds and subtly drew in a breath.
“I just wanted to go to the restroom. It was Chi Sheng who followed me and kept harassing me. I only acted later in self-defense.”
Chi Gui saw through his hesitation immediately.
“You’re lying.”
Those two simple words struck through the fear Jing Shun had been suppressing deep inside.
Chi Gui continued, exposing everything at once.
“You had the electric knife prepared in your pocket from the beginning. You deliberately stayed away from the banquet and the guests, giving him the chance to follow you. After confronting him, you intentionally provoked him with your words.”
And when Chi Gui reviewed the surveillance footage from last night, he noticed a very subtle detail:
After their verbal conflict, Jing Shun did not immediately retreat. Instead, he deliberately checked the camera’s position, then unusually moved closer to the entrance of the side room.
“Jing Shun, you were gambling—”
“You were betting that a drunk Chi Sheng would lose control when provoked, and that since there were no cameras inside the side room, it would give you the perfect opportunity to act. Am I right?”
“……”
Jing Shun opened his mouth slightly but stopped himself. His silence was enough to confirm the truth.
Yes.
From the moment he decided to attend the banquet, Jing Shun had already resolved to settle accounts with his “past life.”
That electric knife was something he bought for self-defense after his accident. He had never used it before; putting it in his pocket last night was only a precaution—he never expected to actually use it.
Originally, Jing Shun only wanted to force the truth out of Chi Sheng’s mouth. But he ultimately overestimated the man’s character, and underestimated the pain and darkness accumulated in his own heart.
The moment Chi Sheng lunged at him, the hatred he had been suppressing overwhelmed his reason.
The surveillance could record Chi Sheng’s violent behavior toward him, and the side room could conceal his true intent—afterward, he could still claim it was self-defense.
But this disguise and justification had been easily seen through by Chi Gui.
At this moment, Jing Shun regained his rationality, but anxiety still lingered uncontrollably in his heart:
So many guests had attended the banquet last night. He acted alone without regard for Chi Gui’s reputation and even injured the eldest young master of the Chi family.
As the head of the family, even if Chi Gui did not get along with the main branch, he likely would not choose to protect him.
Silence quietly spread.
Chi Gui’s gaze fixed on Jing Shun as he deliberately reminded him again.
“Jing Shun, you violated the agreement. This cannot be let go so easily.”
“……”
As expected—it was time for accountability.
Jing Shun knew there was no excuse for his actions last night.
“I’m sorry. It was my fault. I caused you trouble.”
He took a deep breath.
“I am willing to bear all consequences, and I will move out as soon as possible.”
He said it very decisively, very coldly. He was long used to a life of solitude and had never expected true protection from anyone.
“……”
Chi Gui quietly studied his expression, trying to find even a trace of forced strength or pretense—but found none.
“So what you mean is, our agreement is void? And you also don’t need Professor Song Chunhui for treatment anymore?”
His brows tightened, and his tone carried a subtle shift.
“Right. You even thought about dying together with Chi Sheng last night. If you weren’t even afraid of death, why would you care about your legs anymore?”
Jing Shun snapped back to reality, panic surfacing on his face.
“No, that’s not what I meant!”
He tightened his grip on the blanket over his legs and looked at Chi Gui with a hint of cautiousness.
“Mr. Chi, I…”
Chi Gui met his exhausted gaze and spoke first.
“Jing Shun, I’m not asking you to leave. I also have no intention of ending our agreement.”
“I don’t care about Chi Sheng’s life or death. What I care about is that you are not putting your own safety first at all.”
Jing Shun froze.
The dizziness from his fever still lingered, and he was afraid he had misunderstood the meaning.
Chi Gui asked in return,
“Have you thought about what would have happened if I hadn’t arrived in time yesterday?”
“What if Chi Sheng had escaped and called for help? Or if the guests at the banquet discovered it and called the police, turning a small incident into a huge scandal? Or worse—what if Chi Sheng had truly hurt you in desperation?”
His tone turned noticeably more serious at the last possibility.
“Jing Shun, from the day we signed the agreement, we are already bound by mutual interests. Don’t act on your own without telling me, and don’t leave any leverage for outsiders to exploit—don’t give them a chance to hurt you or threaten me.”
Only then did Jing Shun realize belatedly:
Chi Gui had reached his current position through countless struggles. He was constantly under surveillance from all sides. He could not afford mistakes—and neither could anyone around him.
Jing Shun pressed his lips together.
“…I’m sorry.”
Although he did not regret retaliating against Chi Sheng, he did not want to implicate others.
Chi Gui sighed.
“No need to apologize to me. I will handle Chi Sheng and the main branch. But last night must not happen again. Can you do that?”
Those calm words effortlessly pulled Jing Shun into his protective sphere and closed the matter.
“Mm.”
Jing Shun gave a muffled reply, obedient after making a mistake.
Chi Gui’s expression softened slightly, then he changed the subject.
“The agreement will not be terminated. But you disobeyed me last night.”
“……”
“Since you made a mistake, there must be punishment. Do you agree?”
Jing Shun didn’t dare disagree.
“What punishment?”
“For now, you owe it. We’ll decide after you recover.”
“…Alright.”
A knock sounded at the door.
Butler Lin came in carrying a bowl of warm millet porridge.
“Sir, Young Mr. Jing just woke up. Should he have something to eat first?”
Chi Gui nodded slightly, and Jing Shun did not refuse either.
The warm food flowed down his throat, gradually driving away the last traces of cold from his body.
Jing Shun thought of his recurring nightmares, and the pain he had nowhere to release. It was a terrible feeling—one small mistake could destroy him, just like last night’s loss of control.
Since he had been given a chance to live again, he could not—and should not—remain trapped in the past forever.
His thoughts shifted. He looked at Chi Gui and spoke proactively.
“Mr. Chi, I want to go out in a couple of days. I… I want to see a psychologist.”
Upon hearing this, Chi Gui’s brows finally relaxed completely.
“Mm. That’s fine.”