Chapter 3

The private hospital was quiet at night, with few people around, and the air was filled with the bitter scent of medicine.
Fortunately, Zhu Xinyue’s foot injury wasn’t serious, just a mild sprain that would heal with a week or two of rest.
The bodyguard thoughtfully brought a wheelchair and, from who knows where, even bought a new pair of women’s slippers for her to change out of her ten-centimeter high heels.
Zhu Xinyue tugged at the bodyguard’s sleeve. Because of her poor eyesight, to make sure he was listening, she kept her gaze fixed on his eyes, after all, that was the easiest feature to confirm on a person’s face.
"Thank you. You’re such a good person."
Being stared at so directly, the bodyguard blushed for once, scratched his head, swallowed the words "This was the boss’s order," and silently accepted her thanks.
The medical bill never passed through Zhu Xinyue’s hands, but she had undergone several tests and estimated that the total cost must have reached five figures.
Before entering the doctor’s office, Zhu Xinyue overheard Ji Linyu standing in the hospital hallway, speaking in a hushed tone on the phone, seemingly discussing flight rescheduling with his assistant.
No wonder he had been in such a hurry to leave Ji Qingyuan’s party, he had a flight to catch. Yet, he ended up delaying it to bring her to the hospital.
As she listened to the doctor’s instructions, Zhu Xinyue thought that, regardless of their positions, Ji Linyu was surprisingly kind. He could have just left her alone at the hospital after paying the bill, since he had only promised to take her there and cover the expenses. They had no prior connection and were essentially meeting for the first time, yet he stayed to accompany her through all the tests. It was almost 2 or 3 a.m. now.
Back when Zhu Xinyue read the novel, the moment she saw the name "Ji Linyu," she felt reassured. As long as Ji Qingyuan called out "Big Brother," there was nothing Ji Linyu couldn’t handle.
Now, experiencing Ji Linyu’s "sense of responsibility" firsthand, she couldn’t help but think how unfortunate it was that Ji Linyu was Ji Qingyuan’s sworn enemy. Opposing the protagonist of a novel never ended well.
The bodyguard wheeled Zhu Xinyue out of the doctor’s office.
The night was deep, and the hallway outside the hospital was empty. At a glance, Zhu Xinyue spotted two figures standing at the far end of the corridor.
By now, she could recognize Ji Linyu just by his silhouette and posture.
The person on the left was slightly taller, wearing a dark gray suit and standing ramrod straight, it was Ji Linyu, whom she had been following all evening. The person on the right was dressed in black, half a head shorter than Ji Linyu, with an average build, holding his head and shaking it. Judging by his voice, he seemed to be in his late twenties.
"That's right, she's the sister I mentioned to you before, the one who's been living in the southern part of the city. My mom remarried last year, so my dad brought her back to the Zhu family. Originally, we planned to introduce her to the Cheng family's second son from Zhenheng Group..."
The man spoke with animated gestures, a stark contrast to Ji Linyu, who stood as still as a wooden post, one hand in his pocket, quietly listening.
When the bodyguard and Zhu Xinyue approached, the two in the corridor noticed the commotion and turned to look at them.
Zhu Xinyue only recognized Ji Linyu, so she fixed her gaze on him, intending to thank him properly.
The wheelchair reached the end of the corridor and stopped between Ji Linyu and the unfamiliar man.
Zhu Xinyue sensed a scorching gaze fixed on her and glanced toward the stranger dressed entirely in black.
Without her glasses, she couldn't see clearly.
She instinctively squinted, trying to sharpen her vision, but it was futile. Giving up, she shifted her focus back to Ji Linyu.
From Zhu Shilang's perspective, Zhu Xinyue squinted her eyes, "glared" at him, then "coldly" averted her gaze, turning instead to Ji Linyu with a bright smile, as if deliberately snubbing him, her elder brother.
"Mr. Ji, thank you for staying with me so late today. I'm sorry for making you reschedule your flight," Zhu Xinyue said, tilting her head back to politely thank Ji Linyu.
As she spoke, she stared directly at him without hesitation, her tone sincere.
Ji Linyu glanced at Zhu Shilang's displeased expression across from him, cleared his throat, and crouched down to meet Zhu Xinyue at eye level.
The distance between them closed. In Zhu Xinyue's blurry vision, a handsome face suddenly appeared, and her hands resting on her lap involuntarily curled.
Ji Linyu said, "I'll pretend what happened at the party today never occurred. I've already covered the medical expenses. You should go back with your brother."
With that, he glanced again at Zhu Shilang across from him, clearly indicating that the "brother" he referred to was the man opposite him.
Zhu Xinyue widened her eyes and turned to look in Zhu Shilang's direction.
So, Ji Linyu had stayed with her until now just to wait for someone from the Zhu family to take her off his hands?
To be fair, that wasn't unreasonable, most people's first instinct in an emergency was to contact family.
But Zhu Xinyue hadn't yet fulfilled the original host's wish, to protect Ji Qingyuan's career in the entertainment industry! If she went back to the Zhu family with Zhu Shilang, it would inevitably lead to arranged meetings, marriage alliances, and marriage. By then, she would drift further and further away from Ji Qingyuan!
"No!" Seeing Ji Linyu about to stand up and make way, Zhu Xinyue immediately wrapped her arms around his, forcefully holding him back.
Ji Linyu hadn't been on guard against her, after all, she had twisted her ankle earlier just to avoid him. This time, as she clung to his arm, he hadn't expected her to be so strong. In the struggle, he nearly stumbled and fell on top of her!
Fortunately, Ji Linyu quickly grabbed the wheelchair's armrests and steadied himself.
Zhu Xinyue turned to Zhu Shilang and declared firmly, "I can't go back with you yet."
"Zhu Xinyue, stop fooling around! It's just a blind date, not a death sentence." Zhu Shilang exerted his authority as the eldest brother, gripping Zhu Xinyue's wrist to make her release Ji Linyu.
Zhu Xinyue knew that if she let go, she would have no choice but to leave with Zhu Shilang, so she stubbornly refused to release her hold.
"I'm not fooling around! I don't want to marry someone I don't like!"
As soon as these words left her mouth, Ji Linyu, who had been trying to pull his arm free, suddenly stiffened, a memory flashing through his mind of her confessing to him by the swimming pool.
"You haven't even met him yet, how do you know you won't like him? Cheng Er is my junior, the future second-in-command of Zhenheng Group. The Cheng family is a perfect match for the Zhu family, and he's decent-looking. In any case, once you meet him, you won't feel this way." Zhu Shilang, being a grown man, was naturally much stronger than the frail Zhu Xinyue. He quickly pried her left hand off Ji Linyu's arm.
The bodyguard standing behind the wheelchair, watching from the sidelines, clenched his back teeth as if watching a drama where lovers were being torn apart, silently cheering for Miss Zhu in his heart.
Zhu Xinyue's right hand clung to Ji Linyu's arm, but his arm was sturdy, and she couldn't hold on firmly. Just like before, Zhu Shilang easily pried it away. As he was about to grab her right hand, she slid her hand down Ji Linyu's suit jacket.
She grasped Ji Linyu's hand.
Her cool, slender fingers tightly interlaced with his, forming a stark contrast to his scorching body temperature.
Ji Linyu's eyelashes trembled slightly as he stared at their joined hands.
The previous time they held hands by the swimming pool hadn't been like this, she had only been trying to stop him from leaving, so he could easily break free with a slight tug. But this time was different.
She was clinging to him as if he were her lifeline, gripping so tightly that her fingertips turned white.
"No matter how good Cheng Er is, he's not as good as the one I love." Zhu Xinyue stared at Ji Linyu's profile, her voice choked with urgency.
Help me to the end, see it through! Brother Ji, please help me!
Ji Linyu curled his fingers slightly, his fingertips brushing against the back of her hand, then lifted his gaze to meet her eyes.
Her entire being was focused solely on him, trusting him completely to help her, which was why she was turning to him for assistance.
Faced with such a gaze, anyone with even a shred of compassion would find it hard not to feel sympathy.
Ji Linyu averted his eyes, straightened up, and casually withdrew his hand from hers.
Zhu Xinyue's palm was left empty as she stared blankly at Ji Linyu.
His clear, handsome face grew blurry with the increasing distance, leaving only an outline.
Her heart inexplicably ached.
Yes, she was nothing to him, why should she expect Ji Linyu to help her unconditionally?
Zhu Shilang thought Zhu Xinyue was desperately grasping at straws, latching onto anyone she could, and apologized to Ji Linyu, "Xinyue has been spoiled by the family since she was young. She's prone to tantrums and even ran away from home, chasing after love recklessly. This girl never gives anyone a moment's peace."
He curled his fingers and tapped Zhu Xinyue on the head.
Zhu Xinyue dodged backward, avoiding his gesture, her face full of displeasure.
Ji Linyu's palm still seemed to carry the imprint of her earlier tight grip. He clenched his hand, then slipped it into his pocket.
"Running away from home?" he asked casually.
Zhu Shilang: "Yeah, she's as naive as a child. She has no idea how dangerous the outside world is. This time she even ended up in the hospital. How could we possibly feel at ease letting her live independently on her own?"
His implication was that he wanted Zhu Xinyue to get married, to have a companion who could accompany and take care of her in the future. At the very least, even if the other person couldn't do all that, having a fairly comfortable living condition would ensure she wouldn't have to worry about the rest of her life.
"How can I not live independently? Haven't I been doing just fine during my time 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 doing just fine? If it weren't for meeting Linyu, you wouldn't even be able to afford your medical bills."
Zhu Xinyue clenched her fists.
She was unwilling to admit it, but he was right.
In this situation, she had the easiest path laid out before her. If she chose it, even without fulfilling the original owner's wishes, she could live without worries, enjoying the wealthy life she had once dreamed of.
But...
Ji Linyu had no intention of interfering in their family matters. He and she were strangers; he couldn't take responsibility for her life. He had rejected her once, yet he had also felt a moment of compassion for her.
Once was enough. That was what he had originally thought.
The evening breeze rustled, lifting the hem of her red dress, about to brush against the trousers of the person in front of her, but she quickly gathered the red fabric in time.
She said, "Mr. Ji is a good person. Meeting him was my luck. I can't guarantee that I'll encounter such luck every time in the future. But at the very least, the path I choose, I won't regret; the person I decide on, I won't doubt."
Ji Linyu's eyes flickered. He had heard plenty of flattery, but such plain words were rare.
A good person? Hah, a good person...
Zhu Xinyue turned to Zhu Shilang again: "If others choose a path for me that I didn't choose myself, I'll live in regret for the rest of my life, asking myself every night why I gave up without even fighting for my own choices.
"Brother, do you want me to regret it for the rest of my life?"
Her family's intentions were for her own good. But if their "good intentions" became the source of her pain, could it still be considered for her good?
Zhu Shilang's soft spot was exposed by Zhu Xinyue. He didn't know when she had learned to use softness to overcome hardness, and for a moment, he didn't know whether to feel relieved or regretful.
Looking into her "lost" eyes, Zhu Shilang's heart softened.
After all, she was still very young. Naivety and recklessness were the privileges of youth.
He took a step back and said, "Dad and I aren't comfortable with you being alone in Tianze City..."
At this point, Zhu Shilang glanced at the mature and steady Ji Linyu.
In their circle, Ji Linyu was known for his reliability. He followed through on everything he started, took responsibility for what he promised, and treated his friends exceptionally well. Once someone was considered "one of his own," no matter the issue, if they came to him, he would find a way to solve it.
Some jokingly said, "Even if the sky falls, Ji Linyu will hold it up."
Ji Linyu and Zhu Xinyue were complete opposites.
One was a "nice guy," the other a "little troublemaker." They were people who had nothing to do with each other.
Zhu Shilang slung his arm over Ji Linyu's shoulder and led him outside, walking far enough that Zhu Xinyue couldn't hear their conversation before stopping.
"Linyu, while my sister is in Tianze City, can she stay at your place? She seems to have a good impression of you, and she might actually listen to what you say. Help me persuade her to go back to Qingyang."
Ji Linyu didn't live with his parents but stayed alone in his villa on Lishan, which had plenty of rooms. He never refused when friends came to stay over, even Zhu Shilang had stayed at his place when he visited Tianze City before.
But this time, Ji Linyu refused his friend's request.
"Anyone else would be fine, but not her," he said.