Chapter 13, Chapter 13, it's as if you didn't...
It's as if you didn't even go looking for it yourself.
Ji Qingyu pretended not to hear and quickly left, ending the topic.
He didn't sleep well that night. The dry air carried a fleeting chill, and his body was sweating profusely, a condition that hadn't occurred in a long time, but which recurred today.
Ji Qingyu woke up once in the middle of the night. He got up, turned on his phone, and found that it was already three o'clock. Toutiao pushed a lot of entertainment news to him, including a clip of Ji Ran.
Ji Ran didn't hide for more than a few days before appearing on a new variety show.
Ji Qingyu glanced at it in a daze and found that Ji Ran was starting to market his familial relationship with him, trying to market their so-called high school friendship as evidence that Ji Qingyu had given him the copyright.
“My brother and I had little contact when we were young. We recognized each other during summer vacation. He was working at a bar and was almost harassed, so I went to save him.” Ji Ran sat sideways, acting as if nothing had happened, with a smile still on his face.
"It's quite a coincidence, you and Fu Han went to the same school back then, right? The three of you really have a connection." The host didn't miss any juicy gossip, bringing up Ji Ran's most talked-about rumor.
“Yes, actually, I became acquainted with Fu Han because he bullied my brother, and that's how we became friends.” Ji Ran seemed to remember something and smiled embarrassedly. “They didn’t seem to get along well back then. I remember when I went backstage to find Ji Qingyu, I saw Fu Han cornering him, as if he was threatening him.”
"I thought Mr. Fu and his wife had a good relationship since high school." The host smoothed things over and changed the subject, asking, "So, what other interesting things happened between you and your brother after that?"
Ji Ran sat there, looking somewhat innocent, like a kind and delicate doll, easily arousing the sympathy of others.
“There really is one,” Ji Ran said. “My brother seems to have offended Fu Han when he was in his senior year of high school, and Fu Han forced him to drop out of school. My brother was in a terrible situation at the time, and I was the one who helped him out.”
Fu Han seemed to hear something, and in a daze, he took Ji Qingyu's phone away, buried his head in Ji Qingyu's neck, his breath hot, and said harshly, "Go to sleep."
Ji Qingyu obediently lay down, his head resting against the ceiling; he couldn't fall asleep.
Ji Ran's words were a mixture of truth and falsehood, yet they were inexplicable. Who knew what kind of trouble this would cause if things continued like this? In truth, he didn't have much ambition, nor did he know why Ji Ran had always been so wary of him.
The next day, he decided to talk to Ji Ran, who readily agreed, and the two met at a coffee shop.
When Ji Qingyu walked over, Ji Ran's coffee was still untouched. He was looking out the window, not caring that Ji Qingyu had already sat down.
“Brother, sometimes I’m actually quite envious of you,” Ji Ran said with a gentle smile, as if nothing had happened between him and Ji Qingyu. “Even when you were down on your luck, you still managed to turn things around. As for me, I can only rely on myself.”
Does he rely on himself to harm others, steal songs, and create public opinion?
Ji Qingyu didn't say anything, and Ji Ran picked up his coffee and took a sip.
Outside the window, traffic flowed bustling, but their location was secluded and quiet, protected by privacy glass, so no one could see them.
“I won’t go against you. This was an accident. I won’t affect you or compete with you for anything after this.” Ji Qingyu only cared about Lin Ying’s safety. Everything else could be put aside. He said calmly, “I promise you.”
"Not going against you?" Ji Ran looked down and twirled the luxury brand ring on his hand, expressionless. "You can write songs like this without doing anything, and you can be liked by Fu Han without giving anything in return. What makes you think you can do that?"
A vague emotion flashed across Ji Ran's face, but it was quickly masked by a smile. "You should have just been a decoration, but I had to go to the trouble of dealing with your affairs. If you weren't useful, I wouldn't have let you sit here so peacefully."
Useful? Ji Qingyu remained silent. He had almost forgotten how much the Ji family had benefited from Fu Han. Thinking about it this way, this marriage was truly a win-win situation. The Ji family had indeed maximized his value.
"I'm sorry, it won't happen again," Ji Qingyu said. He always lost to Ji Ran and had little say in the matter.
Ji Qingyu felt that even after such an incident, Ji Ran was still in control. He quickly rallied and tried every means to outmaneuver him.
In front of Ji Ran, Ji Qingyu always lost, giving him ammunition against her, and could only bow her head forever. Ji Ran always knew that Ji Qingyu would not dare to disobey, and even such a small mistake was intolerable to him.
Ji Qingyu lowered her head, feeling like a dog that could only obey Ji Ran.
Without him saying a word, Ji Qingyu would fight with all her might for that bone in front of her, enduring his humiliation.
Ji Qingyu never dared to disobey Ji Ran, because he knew that Ji Ran was truly ruthless. If he was out of Ji Ran's control, he would be easily crushed like a piece of useless garbage.
The coffee cup in his hand spun slowly, while people hurried past the window, each with their own things to do. Only he remained rooted to the spot, trapped in the shadows.
The sky looked like a splash of oil paint, with torrential rain washing over every section of the city's skyline. Ji Qingyu felt a pang of sadness, but he ignored it.
“Alright, brother, you’ve done your best to salvage the situation. I believe in you. This was just an accident. After all, you’ve been doing very well lately, and Dad is very happy. We might need you to do even more in the future,” Ji Ran pushed over a document, which was a hospital diagnosis report. “You know that Auntie’s condition has improved, right? Just hang in there a little longer, and maybe she’ll get through this.”
He stood up, put on his sunglasses, and said, "Go back. There's a surprise waiting for you. You've treated me so well, I have to give you something in return."
Reward? Ji Qingyu clenched the coffee cup in his hand. The agent was waiting for Ji Ran at the door. When Ji Ran passed by Ji Qingyu, he lightly spilled the whole cup of coffee on him.
Ji Qingyu was stunned for a moment, but did not dodge.
The waiter was about to come over to clear the tableware when he looked at him with some surprise. He quickly handed him a tissue, wiped his face, and waved his hand, saying it was nothing.
He went to the bathroom, took a tissue to wipe his face in front of the mirror, and found that his hair and clothes were covered in coffee stains. He was wearing a white shirt today.
There was no one here, and it was peaceful at first, but for some reason, Ji Qingyu suddenly felt a lump in her throat. She trembled, and her eyes felt like they were on fire, and she couldn't help but feel a sharp pain.
He tried repeatedly to wipe off the color from his body, but to no avail.
When Ji Qingyu returned to his seat, water droplets were dripping from his hair. He opened the report, and the first page showed that the patient's condition had improved.
His heart throbbed with pain, but a smile played on his lips. The photo of Lin Ying on the medical record showed her before she fell ill, her smile vibrant and full of life.
He looked at it for a long time, over and over again.
Until the waiter came over and said, "Sir, we're closing soon."
I realized it was already dark.
Ji Qingyu was like a lost soul. It was already dinnertime, but she didn't know where to go. In the end, she instinctively went to the performance hall, sat alone by the stage, changed out of her dirty clothes, and put on a costume.
My neck was almost healed, but today it suddenly started to hurt. Not only my neck, but all the bones in my body are aching.
He opened his mouth, trying to pronounce something, but after a long time, he finally sighed. What else could he hope for? He could barely feel any pain anymore. Sitting there blankly, Ji Qingyu suddenly remembered what Ji Ran had said in the interview.
Six years ago, Fu Han did cause him trouble. It was near the end of summer vacation when Ji Qingyu was waiting for Ji Ran backstage. They had agreed to go out for a late-night snack together.
Ji Ran treated him differently from others; he was kind, gentle, and warm. Unlike Fu Han's aggressive manner, Ji Ran was always considerate of him, and they even shared the same surname.
Ji Qingyu thought that if he had a younger brother, he would probably be like Ji Ran.
Fu Han is younger than him, but he often forgets that because of Fu Han's mature and frightening demeanor.
There was a knock on the door of the dressing room. Ji Qingyu's eyes lit up. Before she could say "Come in," Fu Han walked in slowly and deliberately. He had a bite stopper on his face, and his gaze fell on Ji Qingyu's silk scarf.
He seemed to be holding something in his hand, but Ji Qingyu didn't notice. As he walked closer, Ji Qingyu's hands tensed up, and her back was covered in cold sweat.
Fu Han had already walked up to him. He saw clearly what Fu Han was holding: flowers. Fu Han casually tossed the bouquet onto the table and bent down to untie Ji Qingyu's silk scarf.
Ji Qingyu gave a dry laugh, raised her hand to stop her, and stammered, "What, what are you doing?"
“I looked into that omega before summer vacation, but couldn’t find anything. However, she’s already dropped out of school, so it’s very likely that my family is behind it.” Fu Han ignored him, took off his scarf, and carefully examined Ji Qingyu’s glands. Ji Qingyu’s ears turned bright red, and his heart pounded like a drum, but Fu Han quickly let him go. “Our family situation is rather complicated.”
"I know, it's okay." The temporary mark was about to disappear, but as soon as Fu Han got close, he felt something was wrong with him. He was nervous, his heart was racing, and his glands were burning. He thought that their pheromone compatibility must be very high.
Ji Qingyu lowered his head, thinking that Fu Han should leave after finishing his instructions, but the shadow was still standing in front of him. Fu Han grabbed the back of his head and forced him to raise his head.
Ji Qingyu was stunned. Fu Han touched Ji Qingyu's lips and looked down at him: "Have you ever kissed someone?"
“…Huh?” Ji Qingyu stammered, his mouth tied in knots. He didn’t know what was wrong with him. He felt like a fish that had been thrown into boiling water, rocking back and forth, his heart pounding.
Fu Han put his fingers into his mouth and pressed his tongue down. "You're an adult now, it's time for you to have some fun. I can teach you."
“I heard Ji Ran call you brother that day. I’m younger than you too,” Fu Han said with a teasing smile and a flippant tone. “Speaking of which, I should call you brother too.”
Ji Qingyu's mind was in a complete mess. On one hand, she thought, "No, I should just call you 'Grandpa,' otherwise it'll shorten my lifespan." On the other hand, she wondered what would happen if she bit Fu Han's finger now.
"Fine, take off the bite stopper now. My self-control isn't that good." Fu Han lowered his head and teased Ji Qingyu's lips. He was lifted up by Fu Han and slammed against the corner of the wall. Fu Han's leg was stuck between his legs, and he couldn't move. Fu Han leaned close to his ear, his voice like the finest double bass, but his words were so vulgar that he couldn't bear it. "I'll teach you something more exciting. If you don't want to, just tell me."
Fu Han pressed his knee close to Ji Qingyu, forcing her to shed tears. The intense stimulation caused Ji Qingyu to uncontrollably release pheromones, filling the entire lounge with the scent of rain.
Fu Han's iron bite stop rubbed against Ji Qingyu's glands. Ji Qingyu's grip on Fu Han's back tightened and then loosened. The door was knocked on again, and Ji Ran's voice came in, "Brother, are you in there? I'll come in if it's convenient for you?"
Ji Qingyu was startled and abruptly pushed Fu Han away. Trembling, she grabbed a coat from the side, wrapped it around herself, and awkwardly hid behind Fu Han. Fu Han turned around and looked at Ji Ran with an unfriendly expression.
"Fu Han?" Ji Ran was also taken aback, her tone tinged with a mixture of probing and understanding, "What are you doing here?"
"What's it to you?" Fu Han said noncommittally, casually turning back to look at Ji Ran. The bite stopper gleamed with an ominous cold light, and his body was still blocking Ji Qingyu's way.
The two sides were locked in a standoff, the air thick with tension, as if a single spark could ignite the small room. Chaos, pain, and panic gripped Ji Qingyu's body at once, and his mind went blank.
Fu Han and Ji Ran started arguing, their voices sharp and their words fierce. He only vaguely heard one sentence: "Fu Han, have you sorted out all the mess in your family? You still have time to provoke others? Aren't you afraid of dragging innocent people into this?"
The dispute has ended.
Ji Ran rushed forward and pulled Ji Qingyu away from Fu Han, but Fu Han did not stop him.
Ji Qingyu was confused and turned around in bewilderment. She saw Fu Han staring at the jasmine flowers on the table, his face hidden in the shadows of the dressing room. She couldn't see his expression clearly. He opened his mouth as if to say something, perhaps thank you, or something else, but in the end, it was too late to say anything.
A note from the author:
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