Chapter 3

  The private hospital was quiet at night, with few people and a bitter smell of medicine in the air.

  Fortunately, Zhu Xinyue's foot injury was not serious; it was just a minor sprain that would heal in a week or two.

  The bodyguard thoughtfully pushed over the wheelchair and even bought her a new pair of women's slippers from somewhere to replace her ten-centimeter high heels.

  Zhu Xinyue tugged at the bodyguard's sleeve. Because of her poor eyesight, she would keep her eyes fixed on him to make sure he was listening to her—after all, it was the easiest place to make a sound among the human senses.

  "Thank you, you're such a kind person."

  Stared at so directly by her, the bodyguard blushed for once, scratched his head, swallowed the words "This is the boss's order," and silently accepted her thank you.

  The medical bills never passed through Zhu Xinyue's hands, but she had several tests done, and it's estimated that the total cost should be in the five figures.

  Before Zhu Xinyue entered the doctor's office, she heard Ji Linyu standing in the hospital corridor, making a phone call in a low voice, seemingly talking to his assistant about flight rescheduling.

  No wonder he was in such a hurry to leave Ji Qingyuan's party; he was rushing to catch a flight, and ended up missing it because he was taking her to the hospital.

  As Zhu Xinyue listened to the doctor's instructions, she thought to herself that regardless of their stance, Ji Linyu was actually a pretty good person. He could have just left her alone at the hospital, paid the bills, and left. After all, he had only promised to take her to the hospital and pay the medical expenses, and they didn't really know each other. In fact, it was their first meeting. Yet, he stayed with her to finish all the tests, and it was almost two or three in the morning.

  Previously, when Zhu Xinyue was reading the novel, seeing the name "Ji Linyu" gave her peace of mind; all she needed to do was for Ji Qingyuan to call out.

  With the title "Big Brother," there's nothing Ji Linyu can't solve.

  Now that Zhu Xinyue has personally experienced Ji Linyu's "sense of responsibility," she can't help but think that it would be better if Ji Linyu wasn't Ji Qingyuan's nemesis, because there's no good ending to going against the protagonist of a novel.

  The bodyguard pushed Zhu Xinyue, who was in a wheelchair, out of the doctor's office.

  It was late at night, and the corridor outside the hospital was empty. Zhu Xinyue glanced around and saw two people standing at the end of the corridor.

  She can now identify Ji Linyu by his body shape and posture.

  The man on the left was slightly taller, wearing a dark gray suit, and stood upright. He was Ji Linyu, whom she had been following all night. The man on the right was dressed in all black, half a head shorter than Ji Linyu, of medium build, and was shaking his head while holding his head. Judging from his voice, he should be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old.

  "Yes, she's the younger sister I mentioned to you before, who's always lived in Nancheng. My mom remarried last year, and my dad brought her back to the Zhu family home. He originally planned to let her meet Cheng Er from Zhenheng Group..."

  The man used a lot of body language when he spoke, and compared to him, Ji Linyu was like a wooden stake, quietly listening to the other person with one hand in his pocket.

  When the bodyguard and Zhu Xinyue arrived, the two people in the corridor noticed the commotion and turned to look at them.

  Zhu Xinyue only knew Ji Linyu, so she stared at him, intending to thank him properly.

  The wheelchair moved to the end of the corridor and stopped between Ji Linyu and the stranger.

  Zhu Xinyue noticed a burning gaze on her and looked at the stranger dressed in all black.

  I can't see clearly without my glasses.

  She subconsciously squinted, trying to clear her vision, but it was in vain. She simply looked away and focused on Ji Linyu.

  In Zhu Shilang's eyes, Zhu Xinyue narrowed her eyes, glared at him, then coldly looked away, turning to Ji Linyu with a bright smile, as if deliberately ignoring him, her older brother.

  "Mr. Ji, thank you for staying up so late with me tonight. I'm sorry to have made you change your flight." Zhu Xinyue tilted her head back and politely thanked Ji Linyu.

  As she spoke, she stared directly at Ji Linyu without flinching, her tone sincere.

  Ji Linyu glanced at Zhu Shilang, whose expression was displeased, coughed lightly, squatted down, and looked Zhu Xinyue in the eye.

  The distance between the two closed. A handsome face suddenly appeared in Zhu Xinyue's blurry vision, and her hands, which were on her lap, unconsciously curled up.

  Ji Linyu said, "I'll pretend nothing happened at the party today. I've already paid the medical bills. You and your brother can go home now."

  After saying that, he glanced at Zhu Shilang across from him. It was clear that the "your brother" he mentioned was referring to the person across from him.

  Zhu Xinyue's eyes widened as she turned to look in Zhu Shilang's direction.

  So Ji Linyu has been waiting with her until now, is he actually waiting for the Zhu family to come and take her over?

  Actually, it's understandable to do this; most people's first reaction when something happens is to look for their family.

  However, Zhu Xinyue has not yet fulfilled the original owner's wish—to protect Ji Qingyuan's path to stardom! If she goes back to the Zhu family with Zhu Shilang, it will inevitably be a one-stop shop , and at that time, she will be further and further away from Ji Qingyuan!

  "No!" Seeing that Ji Linyu was about to get up and give up his seat, Zhu Xinyue immediately grabbed his arm and forcibly pulled him back.

  Ji Linyu was not on guard against her. After all, she had twisted her ankle to avoid him. When she grabbed his arm, he didn't expect her to be so strong. He almost fell on her during the struggle!

  Fortunately, Ji Linyu managed to grab the armrest of the wheelchair in time and regain his balance.

  Zhu Xinyue turned to Zhu Shilang and said decisively, "I can't go back with you right now."

  "Zhu Xinyue, stop fooling around! I'm just asking you to go on a blind date, I'm not going to kill you." Zhu Shilang adopted the air of an older brother, grabbed Zhu Xinyue's wrist, and made her let go of Ji Linyu.

  Zhu Xinyue knew that if she let go, she would have no choice but to leave with Zhu Shilang, so she refused to let go even at the cost of her life.

  "I'm not being silly! I don't want to marry someone I don't like!"

  As soon as he said it, Ji Linyu, who had been trying to pull his arm away from her, suddenly froze, and the image of her confessing her love to him by the pool flashed through his mind.

  "You haven't even met him yet, how do you know you don't like him? Cheng Er is my junior, the future second-in-command of Zhenheng Group. The Cheng family and the Zhu family are a good match, and he himself is quite handsome. In short, you won't think that way once you meet him." Zhu Shilang, a grown man, was naturally much stronger than Zhu Xinyue, a thin little girl, and quickly pried her left hand off Ji Linyu's arm.

  The bodyguard, standing behind the wheelchair as a bystander, gritted his teeth, watching like someone in a soap opera about breaking up a couple, silently cheering for Miss Zhu in his heart.

  Zhu Xinyue's right hand gripped Ji Linyu's arm, but his arm was strong and she couldn't hold on. Just like before, Zhu Shilang easily pried her hand off. So, just as Zhu Shilang was about to grab her right hand, she slid down Ji Linyu's suit jacket.

  She grabbed Ji Linyu's hand.

  Her cool, slender fingers gripped Ji Linyu's hand tightly, a stark contrast to his burning body temperature.

  Ji Linyu's eyelashes trembled slightly as he stared at their clasped hands.

  The hand-holding she did by the pool earlier wasn't this forceful; she simply wanted to hold him back, so he could easily pull his hand away with a slight struggle. But this time was different.

  She clung to him like a lifeline, her fingers turning white.

  "No matter how good Cheng Er is, he's not as good as the person I love." Zhu Xinyue stared at Ji Linyu's profile, her voice choked with emotion.

  If you're going to help someone, help them all the way! Brother Ji, please help me!

  Ji Linyu bent his fingers, his fingertips touching the back of her hand, and looked up to meet her eyes.

  She had only him in her heart and eyes, and completely believed that he could help her, so she asked him for help.

  Faced with such a gaze, anyone with even a modicum of compassion would be moved to pity.

  Ji Linyu looked away, straightened up, and took the opportunity to pull his hand away from hers.

  Zhu Xinyue's palm fell empty, and she stared blankly at Ji Linyu.

  The once clear, handsome face became blurred as the distance increased, leaving only an outline.

  Her heart suddenly ached for no reason.

  Yes, she's nobody to him, so why should she expect Ji Linyu to help her unconditionally?

  Zhu Shilang thought that Zhu Xinyue was grasping at straws in her desperation, which was why she wouldn't let go of anyone she had her eye on. He apologized to Ji Linyu, saying, "Xinyue has been spoiled by her family since she was little. She's prone to throwing tantrums and even ran away from home to bravely pursue love. This girl is a real handful."

  He bent his fingers and tapped Zhu Xinyue on the head.

  Zhu Xinyue stepped back, avoiding his movements, her face full of displeasure.

  Ji Linyu's palm still seemed to bear the marks of her excessive force. He clenched his fist and put his hand in his pocket.

  "Run away from home?" he asked casually.

  Zhu Shilang: "Yes, she's as naive as a child. She doesn't know how dangerous it is outside. This time she even got herself into the hospital. How can we feel at ease letting her live independently out there?"

  His intention was for Zhu Xinyue to get married so she would have a companion and someone to take care of her in the future. Even if the other person couldn't provide those things, a comfortable lifestyle would ensure she wouldn't have to worry about the rest of her life.

  "Why can't I live independently? Haven't I been living perfectly well in Tianze City?" Zhu Xinyue retorted on behalf of the original owner.

  Zhu Shilang looked her up and down and said, "You're sitting in a wheelchair and you're telling me you're perfectly fine? If you hadn't met Lin Yu, you wouldn't even be able to afford your medical bills."

  Zhu Xinyue clenched her fists.

  She disagreed, but he was right.

  In this environment, she has the easiest path to choose. As long as she chooses this path, even if she doesn't fulfill the original owner's wishes, she can still live a life of comfort and wealth, just like she once dreamed of.

  But……

  But.

  Ji Linyu had no intention of interfering in their family affairs. He and she were complete strangers, and he couldn't be responsible for her life. He had rejected her before, but he had also felt a pang of pity for her once.

  Once is enough. That was his original thought.

  The evening breeze blew, causing the hem of her red dress to flutter and almost touch the suit trousers of the person in front of her, but she quickly gathered the red veil around it.

  She said, "Mr. Ji is a good person, and it's my luck to have met him. I can't guarantee that I'll always be so lucky in the future. But at least I won't regret the path I've chosen; and I won't doubt the people I've trusted."

  Ji Linyu's eyes flickered. He had heard plenty of flattery, but rarely such simple words.

  A good person? Ha, a good person...

  Zhu Xinyue then looked at Zhu Shilang: "If someone else had chosen the path I didn't choose, I would live in regret for the rest of my life, and every night I would ask myself why I didn't fight for my choice and just gave up."

  "Brother, do you want me to regret this for the rest of my life?"

  Her family's intentions were for her own good, but if their "good intentions" became a source of her suffering, could they still be considered to be doing it for her own good?

  Zhu Shilang's weakness was exploited by Zhu Xinyue. It was unclear when she had learned to use softness to overcome hardness. For a moment, Zhu Shilang didn't know whether to feel gratified or regretful.

  Looking into her "confused" eyes, Zhu Shilang's heart softened.

  After all, she is still very young, and naivety and recklessness are the rights of young people.

  He took a step back and said, "Your dad and I are worried about you being alone in Tianze City..."

  Zhu Shilang looked at the mature and composed Ji Linyu as he finished speaking.

  In their circle, Ji Linyu is known for being reliable and consistent in his work. He always takes responsibility for what he promises and treats his friends exceptionally well. Once someone is considered "one of his own," he can solve any problem that comes to him.

　　Some people jokingly say, "Even if the sky falls, Ji Linyu will be there to hold it up."

　　Ji Linyu and Zhu Xinyue are two complete opposites.

　　One is a "nice guy," the other is a "drama queen." They are people who have absolutely nothing in common.

　　Zhu Shilang put his arm around Ji Linyu's shoulder and led him outside. They stopped when Zhu Xinyue could no longer hear them talking.

　　"Lin Yu, when my sister is in Tianze City, could she stay at your house? She seems to have a good impression of you, and she might listen to what you say. Could you please persuade her to go back to Qingyang?"

　　Ji Linyu doesn't live with his parents, but lives alone in Lishan Villa. It has plenty of rooms, and he usually doesn't refuse when friends come to stay. Even Zhu Shilang stayed at his house when he came to Tianze City before.

　　But this time, Ji Linyu refused his friend's request.

　　“Anyone will do, but not her,” he said.

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