Ji Wei listened to the recording again.
Jiang Fei was just busy with something and went out.
But Ji Wei had a bad feeling that kept creeping into his heart, which made him feel uneasy.
He must be overthinking it.
Ji Wei dismissed the unnecessary thoughts in her mind and remained quietly in the tin shack.
The cramped room was quiet and still. Ji Wei turned on the TV and only felt a little more relaxed when she heard the sound.
But Jiang Fei used to always come back at noon to have lunch with him, but she didn't come back today.
Even into the night, apart from the meaningless sounds from the television, there was not a sound at all.
Ji Wei sat quietly on the sofa, her face turned toward the door, her thin lips pressed tightly together.
The next second, however, she realized that it was as if she had been waiting for her all along. Ji Wei simply lay down and forced herself to fall asleep.
Maybe Jiang Fei will be back when I wake up.
However, when Ji Wei opened his eyes the next morning, he was greeted by the same deathly silence in the room.
Jiang Fei didn't come back all day.
He didn't even show up the next day.
Perhaps... she's gone.
Once the thought pops into your head, it's impossible to shake it off.
Who would willingly stay by the side of a blind person?
Furthermore... Ji Wei unconsciously reached out and touched the corner of his lips. Even though he couldn't see, he could feel that she was angry when he told her that night, "It was because of Ranran's memories that you kissed me."
She's so petty; it seems like something she'd do if she got angry and abandoned him.
Ji Wei clenched her fists tightly. She was the one who had done something "wrong"—she had forcibly kissed him—but now it had become his fault.
He told himself not to think about that woman anymore, but on the third day after she left, when the knocking sounded at the door, Ji Wei almost immediately stood up, his eyes slightly moving, his knee hitting the corner of the coffee table, but he walked straight to the door.
"Mr. Ji?" The middle-aged man's voice sounded very familiar.
The light in Ji Wei's eyes gradually dimmed. He pondered for a moment and realized that this man was the one Jiang Fei had taken him to see a few days ago.
Fu Yan.
"Mr. Fu, is there something you need?"
Fu Yan looked at the man before her. His cheap clothes and blindness couldn't conceal his air of nobility and extravagance. No wonder…
"Miss Jiang asked me to deliver medicine to Mr. Ji."
Ji Wei pursed her lips, restraining herself for a long time before finally asking, "Where is she?"
They sent someone to deliver the medicine and that was it?
Fu Yan paused for a moment, then placed the medicine in Ji Wei's hand and turned to leave.
"She's gone, isn't she?" Ji Wei's voice came from behind her.
Fu Yan paused slightly: "Mr. Ji?"
"Is this medicine a final gift?" Ji Wei lowered her eyes, her gaze carrying a hint of self-deprecating mockery.
Fu Yan frowned, glanced at his empty left arm, and recalled the way Miss Jiang gave him the medicine before she left and the emotion in her eyes when she mentioned Ji Wei. Now he was being misunderstood like this, and finally couldn't help but say, "Miss Jiang went to the black market."
After saying that, Fu Yan turned and left.
Ji Wei remained frozen at the door, her hand gripping the medicine unconsciously tightening. For a moment, she was somewhat confused about what the black market meant.
After a while, the iron gate slammed shut. Ji Wei returned to the sofa and sat down in a daze. It wasn't until the television next to her suddenly emitted a sharp electrical hum that Ji Wei finally came to her senses.
The black market is a place where even human limbs can be bought and sold at will, a place where people are not treated as human beings. There is no law, no humanity, only noise, chaos, bloodshed, and violence.
But Jiang Fei went there.
He knew exactly why.
For him, to get a prosthetic eye.
He should have been happy, perhaps... perhaps she really did get it back?
But why am I filled with fear?
Ji Wei snapped out of his daze and realized that his hands were trembling uncontrollably. He quickly stopped trembling, stood up, and groped his way to the window.
The starry sky that Jiang Fei described that night seemed so close at hand.
After a long while, Ji Wei gently exhaled: "Jiang Fei..."
At that very moment, he suddenly realized that she was not Ranran.
Even though she possesses Ranran's memories.
Ranran will not live in a filthy slum, nor will she go to the chaotic and violent black market.
Only Jiang Fei.
……black market.
Jiang Fei walked calmly down the streets of the black market, her steps slow and leisurely.
The dimly lit environment, the noisy sounds, the chaotic billboards, the puddles of rainwater on the ground, all trampled and filthy, the tangled wires and neon lights, all stand in stark contrast to the distant, futuristic skyscrapers.
On both sides, people dressed in filthy clothes were shouting and cursing, and some were fighting in the street. Someone immediately set up a gambling game to wager life and death. It was chaotic and lively.
Jiang Fei glanced at the enthusiastic crowd, disdainfully walked around a puddle, and continued walking forward.
Some people noticed the woman who seemed out of place, and their malice was undisguised.
Jiang Fei raised an eyebrow but ignored him.
It was at this moment that the system's voice came through.
Ji Wei's favorability rating has risen to 35.
Jiang Fei was walking along in a good mood when someone blocked her way.
The man was dressed in a mismatched suit, his tie dangling from his neck, his eyes filled with malice, yet he feigned a gentlemanly demeanor: "Miss, would you like to have a drink together?"
Jiang Fei looked at the man, smiled, and walked past him to leave.
Enraged, the man reached out to grab Jiang Fei's shoulder, but at that moment, a sharp and piercing voice rang out.
Immediately afterwards, the man collapsed to the ground, clutching his arms.
Jiang Fei looked down and saw that the man's wrist had been pierced by a cold, silver weapon. Only a thin strip of flesh remained hanging from the fingertips of his left hand and wrist, and blood instantly soaked the rainwater on the ground.
"Miss Jiang." The man in the suit walked up to Jiang Fei. "Mr. Chen invites you in."
Half an hour later.
Jiang Fei sat in a magnificent room, surrounded by blue-purple light, but it was not bright; rather, it was rather dim.
A bald man wearing sunglasses walked over: "Miss Jiang, it's been a long time."
Jiang Fei thought for a moment, but she didn't remember him.
“Last time, Miss Jiang was standing next to Mr. Gu,” the bald man said, taking the red wine handed to him by his subordinate. “I never thought I would see Miss Jiang again. My surname is Chen and my given name is Tong.”
Jiang Fei understood; it seemed this person had only saved her because of Gu Xi.
"I wonder what brings Miss Jiang here alone in a place like this?" Chen Tong leaned back on the sofa, his legs propped up on the coffee table.
Jiang Fei got straight to the point: "I want a prosthetic eye."
Chen Tong sat up straight, glanced at her, and then laughed: "Miss Jiang, you should know that prosthetic eyes are always in high demand but not readily available. And it seems that Miss Jiang is no longer with Mr. Gu."
The implication is that she has no value anymore.
Jiang Fei raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly: "Mr. Chen, why don't you just state your terms?"
"I don't think Miss Jiang can offer me anything that would tempt me right now." Chen Tong put down his wine glass, got up, and walked to the curtains.
"Mr. Chen hasn't said yet, how do you know if I can afford it?" Jiang Fei raised her eyes, her voice indifferent, her eyes slightly upturned.
Chen Tong stared at her expression, stunned. The woman in front of him was nothing like the weak and taciturn woman he had seen last time. On the contrary, her tone was firm and her expression was somewhat aloof.
"How was it?" Jiang Fei stood up and walked to Chen Tong. "Mr. Chen?"
Chen Tong snapped back to reality, annoyed that he had been startled by a young girl with blond hair. He chuckled and waved his hand.
The curtains opened automatically, and a deafening roar of shouts surged forth from below like a tidal wave.
Jiang Fei lowered her eyes.
Unexpectedly, below was a fighting arena, surrounded by spectators shouting wildly, with two people fighting to the death in the middle.
One of them was covered in blood, his back was so sore he could barely stand up straight; while the other was impeccably dressed, calm and swift in action, without a single wound, and showed no signs of fatigue.
[System: That's a fighting AI.]
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE?
Jiang Fei understood; no wonder it could accurately predict every move of the person opposite.
Chen Tong laughed: "Miss Jiang, didn't you ask me how long it would take to get you a prosthetic eye?" He looked downstairs, "Defeat that person, and I'll give you a prosthetic eye, how about it?"
Jiang Fei turned to look at him: "Do you keep your word?"
Chen Tong nodded: "Of course."
Jiang Fei glanced at the AI downstairs: "Okay."
Chen Tong was taken aback by her easy agreement. He paused for a moment, then slowly smiled and said, "Alright, take Miss Jiang downstairs."
act recklessly.
No one paid any attention when Jiang Fei was led to the fighting arena below.
As she began to put on her protective gear, the boos from the surrounding crowd nearly drowned her out.
After all, one was a fighting champion who had defended his title for thousands of matches, and the other was a woman who couldn't even kill a chicken. You can imagine what the outcome would be.
Jiang Fei ignored the boos from those around her and quietly walked onto the ring.
"System, remember to disable my pain receptors later," Jiang Fei said casually while adjusting his sleeves.
[System: Host, your true form has regained some of its magical power. In principle, you can use magic, and your opponent cannot analyze your moves. So why suppress your sense of pain?]
So why block out pain sensation?
"Hmm," Jiang Fei responded casually, "but the self-inflicted injury tactic always works."
【system:……】
The bell rang to signal the start of the fight.
The atmosphere around them reached its peak.
Here, there is no distinction between men and women; only strength matters.
What they crave even more is the smell of blood.
Once blood is drawn, everyone goes even crazier.
Jiang Fei slowly walked onto the arena and looked at the fighting AI opposite him, a first-generation machine developed specifically for fighting.
The fight begins.
As everyone expected, Jiang Fei could only dodge in a sorry state under the opponent's airtight offensive.
When she was unable to dodge in time and was struck hard, causing blood to flow from the corner of her lip, the screams around her reached a fever pitch.
upstairs.
Gu Xi sat quietly in the conference room on the top floor, her long legs crossed, her expression cold and sexy. Her medium-length hair was all combed back, and her eyes were a dark and deep blue. At this moment, she was looking down at a red line on her left wrist, seemingly lost in thought.
Through the curtains, one could faintly hear cheers coming from the fighting arena outside.
Gu Xi glanced at the window, then looked away.
Fighting arena.
Oh.
He was so familiar with it that every inch of his body remembered every part of the arena.
Hurried footsteps could be heard outside the conference hall.
Chen Tong pushed open the door and walked in respectfully. Little did he know that this Buddha would happen to arrive today.
"Mr. Gu, is there something you need?" Chen Tong asked cautiously, his earlier arrogance completely gone.
Gu Xi remained seated, lowering her left hand: "Get the medicine."
"Huh?" Chen Tong was taken aback, then realized what was happening. He quickly waved to his subordinate, who brought over a metal box. Chen Tong respectfully handed it to Gu Xi, saying, "After using this, Miss Lin's memory will definitely be much more stable."
"Hmm." Gu Xi took the box and got up to leave. The next second, a roaring sound suddenly came from outside, much louder than before. Even through the thick soundproof cloth, it could still be heard clearly.
Gu Xi frowned and looked towards the curtains.
Chen Tong was startled: "Mr. Gu, let me see you off..."
Jiang Fei had worked with Mr. Gu for a period of time, so if he saw that the person fighting was Miss Jiang...
Gu Xi glanced at Chen Tong, ignored him, and stepped forward to open the curtains, but her eyes narrowed slightly when she saw the woman on the stage.
It's very familiar.
They were so familiar with each other that not long ago they were hanging around him, looking at him with adoring eyes.
At this moment, however, she was fighting in a clumsy way.
Her white top was stained with blood, and the redness and swelling on her snow-white skin were particularly noticeable.
She was completely different from the timid and weak Jiang Fei he once knew.
Chen Tong, wiping the cold sweat from his bald head, said, "Mr. Gu, it was... Miss Jiang who came to ask for something, so I..." He glanced at Gu Xi's expressionless face, "I'll go and stop it right away..."
"No need." Gu Xi stopped him, her deep gaze showing a hint of interest, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Let's see, it's quite fun."
It's really fun.
Jiang Fei was clearly no match for his opponent, and fell to the ground time and time again.
Each time he fell to the ground, he was accompanied by cheers from the surrounding crowd.
But she got up again and again, as if nothing could defeat her.
Finally, when she collapsed to the ground for the last time, she lay there for a long time, as if she had no strength left.
Gu Xi chuckled and looked away: "Let's go..."
Before he could finish speaking, he stopped again.
The woman in the fighting arena slowly stood up again, and the constantly swaying beam of light fixed on her back, making her seem to glow.
The crowd gradually quieted down, all watching the woman.
She continued walking towards her opponent step by step, her expression brave and fearless, as if she were willing to risk everything.
Very dazzling.
It was also very unfamiliar.
Gu Xi narrowed her eyes: "What does she want?"
What makes her so fearless?
Chen Tong quickly replied, "A prosthetic eye."
Prosthetic eye.
Gu Xi reacted almost immediately.
Ji Wei needs a prosthetic eye to regain her sight.
So, was it for Ji Wei? That's why he fought so hard, burning himself out with radiant passion.
When memories are replaced, only the memories themselves are replaced, not the emotions.
Now, Lin Ran only remembers him as someone she "liked Gu Xi," and her feelings for him have never been passionate.
But why is Jiang Fei so enthusiastic towards Ji Wei?
The intensity was so intense it was almost blinding.
"Mr. Gu?" Chen Tong called out to him, puzzled.
Gu Xi snapped out of her daze and glanced indifferently at the arena: "She won."
Chen Tong looked on in confusion, then his eyes widened as he stared incredulously at the fighting arena downstairs.
Jiang Fei's final strike, seemingly a light tap, landed directly on his opponent's forehead, causing him to fall straight to the ground and never rise again.
A deathly silence fell over the area, followed by frenzied screams and cheers as countless people celebrated the birth of a new champion with near-madness.
Jiang Fei, however, bypassed everyone's celebratory high-fives and went straight upstairs.
Gu Xi remained standing at the window, neither moving nor leaving.
After an unknown amount of time, someone brought Jiang Fei over.
Jiang Fei still had a trace of blood at the corner of her lips, and her shoulder was a little swollen, but she calmly walked up to Chen Tong and extended her hand: "Mr. Chen."
Chen Tong's face darkened. He had never expected Jiang Fei to win, but with Mr. Gu watching from the side, he dared not go back on his word. In the end, he took the prosthetic eye out of the safe and handed it to Jiang Fei.
Jiang Fei's expressionless face gradually softened, and her eyes brightened: "Thank you."
After saying that, he took the prosthetic eye and was about to leave, but then he remembered something and looked up at Gu Xi.
Gu Xi was also staring at her.
Once, her eyes were filled with adoration when she saw him.
This time, Jiang Fei only paused for a moment, then smiled politely at him, nodded, and turned to leave.
Gu Xi remained standing there, watching Jiang Fei's figure disappear through the doorway, her brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.
He suddenly realized that Lin Ran, who possessed Jiang Fei's memories, still had an instinct to avoid his approach, no matter how good he was to her.
Where exactly did things go wrong?
Even though it's the same memory swap, why is it that Jiang Fei would give his life for Ji Wei, but Lin Ran can't look at him with the same adoring eyes Jiang Fei once had when he looked at him?
"Mr. Gu?" Chen Tong called out softly, looking at Gu Xi's gloomy face.
Gu Xi suddenly came to her senses, then pursed her thin lips and got up to leave.
The bodyguards guarding the door followed almost immediately.
"Where is Lin Jiu?" Gu Xi asked in a deep voice.
"A new identity has been arranged for him, and he can start monitoring Miss Jiang tomorrow."
"Um."
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