Chapter 4

  This was the first time Zhu Shilang had been rejected by a "nice guy," and the request was nothing more than a small favor for Ji Linyu, not a trouble at all.

  “Alright, then I’ll have to take her back to Qingyang.” Zhu Shilang understood, after all, he had witnessed how difficult it was to deal with “Zhu Xinyue” when she was being willful.

  Upon hearing this, Ji Linyu's emotions fluctuated slightly, but he quickly suppressed them and silently followed behind Zhu Shilang.

  Zhu Shilang turned back to Zhu Xinyue and said, "Sis, it's not that I don't want you to make your own choice, but your credit limit with me is really low. You've only been away from home for a short time, and you've already landed yourself in the hospital. Wouldn't it be better to go back and be a pampered young lady who doesn't have to worry about food or clothing?"

  "With me and your dad here, no one will let you suffer."

  Zhu Xinyue frowned. She was now unable to walk properly and her eyesight was poor. She couldn't be gentle, and she didn't have the right conditions to be forceful.

  In the novel, in order to stay in Tianze City and be closer to Ji Qingyuan, the original owner said many harsh words to her family and even said that she would sever ties with them, which broke her family's hearts.

  Therefore, one of the original owner's wishes was to reconcile with his family.

  Whether for the sake of the original owner's wishes or for her own future, Zhu Xinyue would not break ties with Zhu Shilang at this time.

  It would be better to retreat in order to advance, stabilize the Zhu family first, and then proceed gradually.

  "...Could you take me back to my rented apartment first so I can pack my things?" Zhu Xinyue was afraid that Zhu Shilang wouldn't even grant her this small request and would turn around and head straight to the airport after she got in the car, so she made a request to the bodyguard who was supporting her wheelchair.

  The bodyguard looked at his boss, who nodded and agreed to the request.

  Zhu Xinyue and Ji Linyu were in the same car, while Zhu Shilang's car followed behind them.

  "Here's the address, just use navigation." Zhu Xinyue pulled up an address on her phone and handed it to the driver.

  The longer she stayed in this world, the clearer the original owner's memories became.

  The original owner ran away from home and came to Tianze City. She stayed in a hotel apartment for a while. After the Zhu family stopped her credit card, she had no choice but to sell the luxury goods she brought from home and rent a cheap house.

  The card was suspended just last week. The original owner hadn't been staying here long when Zhu Xinyue arrived.

  The luxury car drove away from the city center and went further and further out, until it reached the suburbs, where the surrounding area was no longer high-rise buildings, but ordinary residential houses.

  "The car can't go in here, you can just stop here." Zhu Xinyue gestured for the car to stop at the alley entrance, then got out of the car, stood on one leg, and shook the car door slightly.

  Ji Linyu looked at her swaying, frail figure, then looked up into the depths of the alley behind her. The streetlights there were dim, flickering on and off, and the places where the light didn't reach seemed to be teeming with danger.

  "Mr. Ji, thank you for bringing me back." Zhu Xinyue couldn't see Ji Linyu's expression, so she thanked him in his direction, waved, closed the car door, and turned to walk deeper into the alley.

  Zhu Xinyue limped into the darkness. After only a few steps, a piercing pain shot through her ankle. She took a breath and reached out to grab the wall beside her.

  I heard the sound of a car door opening and closing behind me, and footsteps approaching.

  Zhu Xinyue thought it was Zhu Shilang, so she stopped feeling around on the wall to avoid him noticing her poor eyesight.

  Just as she was about to pull her hand back, her wrist was gripped by a force that pulled her to place her hand on his arm, tacitly allowing her to use his strength.

  When he grabbed her wrist, Zhu Xinyue's body trembled involuntarily; she was startled by his action.

  The cool moonlight scattered down, the alley was narrow, blocked by windowsills and air conditioner units between buildings, so the moonlight falling into the alley was as thin as a winding rope, and the streetlights in front were so weak that they were almost negligible.

  In the dim light, Ji Linyu saw her tremble uncontrollably, like a frightened little animal.

  She was afraid of him, or rather, afraid of danger. Ji Linyu released her hand, took a step to the side, and distanced himself from her.

  "Mr. Ji?" Zhu Xinyue asked softly, as if confirming her guess, or as if asking why he was here.

  Ji Linyu's gaze fell on her hands, but she simply placed her hands lightly on his arm, without giving him her full weight.

  “Shi Lang’s car got lost, so I sent the driver to pick him up. The bodyguards are waiting at the alley entrance.” Ji Linyu paused, then added, “It’s not safe for someone to walk alone at night.”

  Oh? The way he said that... it's like he's excluding everyone else, but putting himself in the "safe" category. It seems he has no feelings for her at all, which is why he thinks he's safe for her.

  Zhu Xinyue laughed and said, "Mr. Ji, you are such a kind person."

  This is the second time she has said this.

  Ji Linyu felt uncomfortable, after all, they had only just met and he had publicly rejected her confession, and then rejected her brother's request for her to stay at his house.

  If he agrees, she won't have to go against her own wishes and go back to her brother for a blind date. She even said he was a good person?

  “I’m not as good as you think. This is just basic politeness; anyone else would have done the same.” Ji Linyu didn’t want to give her the wrong impression, to make her mistakenly believe that he also had feelings for her and that they had a chance to develop a relationship, so his rejection was very clear—this was his consistent attitude towards all suitors.

  Zhu Xinyue understood his meaning, and her smile widened.

  “Mr. Ji, if it were anyone else, they would enjoy flirting with their suitors. Besides, I’m not bad myself, am I? Ignoring family background, I’m young and beautiful. People would be happy to have suitors like me.”

  "If Mr. Ji treats me, someone he doesn't know well, in this way, he must treat others the same way. This further proves that Mr. Ji is a kind and cultured person."

  Ji Linyu glanced at her, but she didn't look at him, seemingly not caring what he thought, and was just expressing her own opinion.

  Unlike those who have ulterior motives and deliberately say nice things to please him.

  Ji Linyu did not respond to her words, but simply slowed down and walked alongside her.

  Zhu Xinyue had lived in a similar rented room when she was working before, and was already used to this kind of environment.

  "The road here is not very smooth. You have to avoid the loose bricks, or you won't know which brick will splash water on your foot."

  As soon as he finished speaking, Ji Linyu stepped on a loose brick, and the splashed dirty water landed on his leather shoes and on the instep of Zhu Xinyue's feet, which were exposed while she was wearing slippers.

  "I'm sorry." Ji Linyu said with some annoyance, looking down at the few blemishes on her fair skin.

  Zhu Xinyue didn't seem to care much. "It's alright, the roads are always like this because they've been in disrepair for years. We're almost there."

  The rented house from the original owner's memories is just around the corner.

  The two finally stopped in front of a residential building on the corner.

  Ji Linyu looked up and saw that the walls were mottled and old, with the red bricks exposed after the plaster had peeled off, giving them a very old feel.

  Calling it "vintage" would be an exaggeration; it's more like a dilapidated building.

  She gave up her comfortable life, ran away from home and came to Tianze City, where she lives in this kind of place.

  “We’ll wait for my brother here.” Zhu Xinyue didn’t go inside, but gave Ji Linyu a sly smile and explained, “I need to let my brother know that what I said just now wasn’t just empty talk. I’ve really made up my mind to live alone in Tianze City, to walk my own path, and to choose the person I want to choose. Since I can live here, I can live elsewhere too. I’m not like what he thinks, that I have no ability to take care of myself.”

  She made no attempt to hide her little schemes from him, as if they had become comrades she could trust.

  Ji Linyu noticed her cheerful smile, and a slight curve appeared at the corner of his lips.

  Although he didn't think her brother would change his attitude towards her after seeing the living conditions, as she expected.

  On the contrary, her brother might take her away immediately.

  She was just a naive kid, eager to prove herself. Ji Linyu turned around and stood with the "kid" at the entrance of the residential building.

  The motion-sensor light above them remained on, casting its light on her. Zhu Xinyue rested her hand on the door frame, her weight on her left foot.

  A cool evening breeze blew, and Zhu Xinyue couldn't help but shiver. To look her best for Ji Qingyuan's party, the original owner had worn a red halter dress today, the delicate straps tied into bows on her shoulders. The cold wind made her shiver.

  Ji Linyu took a step forward, blocking the wind blowing from the alley entrance.

  He blocked most of the light in front of Zhu Xinyue's eyes, but it wasn't as cold as a direct gust of cold wind.

  In the stillness of the night, the two stood one in front of the other, with only the noise of the air conditioner unit running upstairs.

  Zhu Xinyue looked in Ji Linyu's direction. He was standing diagonally in front of her, with his back to her, facing the alley entrance, just as she had said, waiting with her for Zhu Shilang.

  "Mr. Ji." Zhu Xinyue wasn't used to the quiet, so she started making conversation.

  Ji Linyu crossed his arms, keeping his distance from her. When he heard her voice, he turned to look at her.

  "When did you find out I was Zhu Shilang's sister?" she asked.

  "I just arrived at the hospital." Ji Linyu also met Zhu Shilang at the hospital and learned that Zhu Xinyue was his sister.

  Zhu Xinyue lowered her eyes, staring at the floorboards separating them. "...I really can't afford the medical bills right now. Mr. Ji, I'm not trying to gain your sympathy or to lie to you. I wasn't planning on going to the hospital."

  "Yes, I know." Ji Linyu's tone was nonchalant. "You don't need to explain to me."

  After she and her brother go back, they will no longer have any contact.

  Zhu Xinyue breathed a sigh of relief and looked up again. Although she couldn't see Ji Linyu's expression, she still tried her best to look in his direction.

  "That's good." She smiled, her tone bright and cheerful. "An explanation is still necessary. I'm afraid Mr. Ji might feel that his goodwill has been taken advantage of by someone with ulterior motives."

  Ji Linyu's heart felt as if it had been gently bumped.

  Her feelings for him were all too obvious.

  It can't be hidden at all.

  This is probably what children do.

  Ji Linyu turned around to face Zhu Xinyue and said with a straight face, "Miss Zhu, I have no plans to date or get married at the moment. The reason I took you to the hospital, paid your medical bills, took you back to your rented room, and stayed here with you to wait for someone was only because you are my brother's friend and Shi Lang's sister. Out of courtesy, I was just taking care of you. Other than that, I have no other feelings for you."

  Zhu Xinyue was taken aback for a moment, then realized that Ji Linyu had misunderstood.

  Her kind words stemmed entirely from gratitude, as she was a very grateful person.

  Imagine if a kind stranger missed her flight, spent tens of thousands of yuan on her medical expenses, accompanied her through her check-up, and then took her home. Wouldn't she be grateful to such a stranger? Wouldn't she be considered an ingrate?

  “…Oh, I know you don’t mean anything by it.” Zhu Xinyue lowered her head, her voice low. “If you feel that what I just said has bothered you, I’m sorry, that wasn’t my intention.”

　　She stepped back and leaned against the iron gate.

　　The motion sensor lights dimmed, all light disappeared, and the surroundings fell into darkness and silence.

　　The two stood facing each other, and Ji Linyu couldn't see her expression clearly, but he was stung by the cautiousness in her tone.

　　Actually, she didn't do anything wrong. She just liked him, had a soft spot for him, and wanted him to be happy, so she always praised him.

　　Ji Linyu pursed his lips, feeling inexplicably irritated.

　　So far, apart from the initial confession, she has not caused him any trouble. He was the one who offered to take her to the hospital, he was the one who paid for the medical expenses, and he even took the initiative to bring her back and stay here with her while she waits for someone.

　　Ji Linyu attributed all of this to his "compassion," only this time his "compassion" had lingered for a while.

　　Not hearing Ji Linyu's voice, Zhu Xinyue felt a little uneasy, worried that he was still bothered, so she added:

　　"I...I don't like you anymore."

　　Ji Linyu paused, his breath catching in his throat.

　　Tsk.

　　I'm even more irritable now.

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