Luo Shi's favorability rating is fluctuating wildly again.
Jiang Fei woke up early in the morning and heard the system's notification sound.
"What's the highest?" she asked casually.
[System: 70 Favorability Points.]
"What's the lowest?"
[System: 0.]
Jiang Fei frowned and pondered for a while.
Luo Shi probably already knows that she and Cheng Ji are together, which is why her feelings are so complicated.
So, it was only a matter of time before he came looking for us.
Stepping out of the room, Jiang Fei realized that the apartment was eerily quiet, without the slightest sound.
Considering that Cheng Ji often appeared and disappeared mysteriously, she didn't pay too much attention to it.
It wasn't until evening that she called him, but no one answered, which made her suspicious.
The doorbell rang suddenly.
Jiang Fei opened the door, and a middle-aged woman in a business suit stood in the doorway, carrying several paper bags in her hand: "Miss Jiang, Mr. Cheng asked me to deliver these."
"Cheng Ji?" Jiang Fei asked in return.
"Yes." The man nodded with a smile.
Jiang Fei took the paper bag: "Do you know where Cheng Ji is?"
The man shook his head with difficulty: "I don't know."
Jiang Fei thanked her quietly, and only after opening the paper bag did she realize that it contained several sets of clothes, including long dresses and casual wear.
But... she glanced at the necklines, and without exception, they were all high-necked.
"Where did Cheng Ji go?" Jiang Fei asked casually, placing the paper bag on the sofa.
[System: "Foresight" skill, requires 100,000 Spirit Coins.]
Jiang Fei: "...Buy it."
[System: Cheng Ji has gone to fight in underground combat sports.]
Jiang Fei paused, then thought of the reason why Cheng Ji had grown up wildly since childhood and was always injured, which was because of racing and underground fighting.
This is also one of the ways he releases himself.
When did you go?
[System: This afternoon is almost over.] After a pause, it added, [Cheng Ji's physical condition is not very optimistic.]
Jiang Fei frowned, thought seriously for a moment, picked up a piece of clothing, went into the guest room to change, and casually said, "Address."
...
It was already past seven o'clock when Cheng Ji came out of the club.
His mouth was bruised, and there were small wounds on his cheeks. His right leg was a little sore, making it difficult for him to walk. His chest was also aching from the blow.
Walking down the street looking like that, passersby cast strange glances at him.
Cheng Ji didn't care and went straight to his usual bar.
He didn't know when he started to enjoy these exciting competitions.
Perhaps it was after he fell from the second floor of the Cheng family villa when he was a child that his parents, unusually, both came home to visit him, although they ended up having a big fight and leaving.
Perhaps he crashed his car into the guardrail and was hospitalized for minor surgery, requiring a family member's signature.
In short, after he realized that the couple had no feelings for each other, and even less for him, he became fascinated by these things.
I didn't like it, but I really enjoyed the exhilarating feeling of being on the verge of death.
But today, it seems a little different.
I felt very depressed, as if something was weighing on my mind.
He rarely regretted anything, but that night—the night he sneaked into Jiang Fei's room for ridiculous revenge and even took that photo—he seemed to genuinely regret it.
He was like a cicada buried underground, unable to see the light or make a sound, never able to tell her that the one with the wound in his chest was actually him, and that the person she kissed that night was also him.
Because once he speaks out, all the dirty things he did that night will be exposed.
The bar remained as noisy and chaotic as ever.
Cheng Ji walked to the corner of the private room and habitually took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth.
"Smoking is bad for your health," the woman's earnest voice rang in my ears.
Cheng Ji paused, irritably took the cigarette off his hand and threw it aside, then gulped down several glasses of wine.
The cold drink actually sobered him up quite a bit.
Cheng Ji frowned. He seemed to have forgotten to tell Jiang Fei that he wouldn't be going home for dinner tonight.
If she saw him now, she would probably be horrified by his injuries and even what he had done.
After a moment's thought, he took out his phone and called the apartment's landline. The phone rang many times, but no one answered.
He frowned, wanting to dial again.
His hand suddenly froze.
Jiang Fei rarely goes out, and she's not in her apartment now; perhaps she's already left.
She never belonged to that apartment; she was Luo Shi's fiancée, and she would have to leave sooner or later.
Kolo was simply using her.
Cheng Ji gripped his phone tightly, pursed his lips, and wanted to call Jiang Fei.
However, he then realized that he still didn't know Jiang Fei's number.
A wave of panic washed over him. He quickly stood up, and the new and old wounds on his chest throbbed with pain. Cheng Ji's face paled, and a cold sweat broke out on his back. He managed to calm himself down and started to walk outside.
He was hit hard on the shoulder, which aggravated his injury, causing him to stagger.
The road ahead was also blocked by several people.
Cheng Ji looked up and frowned when he saw who was in the lead. The man had a cast on his arm, was using a cane, had a swollen and red face, and had dark circles around his eyes. He was his opponent at the club tonight, and his name seemed to be... Wu Qing.
Ignoring him, Cheng Ji walked past him and continued on his way.
Wu Qing blocked his way again, looking up at him arrogantly: "Weren't you pretty tough at the club just now? Got scared now?"
Cheng Ji said expressionlessly, "Get out of the way." He had seen plenty of underground clubs that retaliated after losing a match, and he was used to it.
"What are you pretending for?" Wu Qing sneered, took a whole bottle of brandy from the person behind him, and handed it to Cheng Ji. "Here, since we won, let's celebrate for Mr. Cheng."
At this point, he snorted lightly, "If you don't drink, then I'll have to treat you to a good time tonight."
Cheng Ji narrowed his eyes, knowing that Wu Qing wanted him to collapse here.
I glanced at the time; it was already past nine.
He cannot be here.
With one hand pressed tightly against his chest, Cheng Ji coldly stared at Wu Qing, and after a long while reached out to take the wine from him.
A soft, fair hand reached out and took the black bottle from him. In the noisy bar, a pleasant fragrance wafted over, and a woman's voice said softly, "Why don't I drink it for him?"
Cheng Ji turned his head sharply and looked at the woman who had suddenly appeared.
Behind her were the colorful lights on the bar counter. She stood there against the light, her eyes sparkling, as if surrounded by a layer of light.
She didn't leave.
Not only did she not leave, she came looking for him.
But the next second, Cheng Ji realized what was happening, and his expression changed drastically: "What are you doing here?"
Jiang Fei turned around, frowned at the injury on his face, and then smiled with her eyes crinkling, "Little friend, don't drink too much alcohol."
Cheng Ji stared at the smile on her lips, stunned.
Wu Qing was also stunned for a moment, but quickly reacted. He laughed mockingly twice and looked at Cheng Ji. "So he's just a good-for-nothing hiding behind a woman." Then he looked at Jiang Fei and said, "Fine, you can take his place."
Jiang Fei smiled, sniffed the aroma of the wine from the bottle opening, and thought it smelled good.
She tilted her head back and drank with relish, her movements somewhat languid, her fair neck, like a swan's, slightly raised, her lips stained crimson with wine...
Cheng Ji stared at her intently.
The wound on his chest felt faintly burning. That kiss she had left that night was like a newly activated medicine, making his heart pound.
The others were stunned; they had never seen anyone drink brandy like that before.
Cheng Ji suddenly realized what was happening and stepped forward to grab her wrist: "Don't drink anymore."
The wine spilled, and Jiang Fei gently wiped the droplet from the corner of her lips with her index finger, then winked at Cheng Ji: "I have a high alcohol tolerance."
Cheng Ji gripped her tighter, his eyes slightly red, and snatched the wine away, stubbornly saying, "You're not allowed to drink."
Wu Qing, who had been standing to the side, finally realized what was happening and sneered, "What are you pretending to be, playing the hero saving the damsel in distress?" He took two steps toward Jiang Fei, looked her up and down with a lewd look in his eyes, and said, "I'll have a drink with this beauty..."
Before he could finish speaking, Cheng Ji's fist came crashing down.
It was even worse than what he had just been beaten at the club; the pain made his vision go black.
Chaos reigned all around, with music and screams mingling together.
Jiang Fei looked at Cheng Ji, whose eyes were bloodshot with rage, and then at the injuries on his face and his staggering movements. She was afraid that he had even more injuries on his body.
Wu Qing's men had already surrounded them.
Jiang Fei stepped forward and placed her hand on Cheng Ji's tightly clenched fist.
Cheng Ji's tense body stiffened, and he turned to look at her.
Jiang Fei smiled at him.
Cheng Ji pursed his lips, then took her hand in his large hand and held it tightly in his palm: "Let's go."
After saying that, he grabbed her and ran quickly toward the bar entrance.
Wu Qing's men were chasing after him, and the people around them quickly moved away.
I finally caught up with him at the bar entrance.
Cheng Ji shielded Jiang Fei behind him, breathing heavily, cold sweat beading on his forehead, and looking at the people in front of him with a pale face.
Jiang Fei looked up at the boy's back.
The little guy is quite tall.
Someone rushed forward, but Cheng Ji stopped them with a punch. However, he was injured, and soon others surrounded Jiang Fei.
Cheng Ji's gaze suddenly turned sinister. Ignoring the fists that were being pounded on him, he struggled to rush toward her.
But then they got entangled.
Jiang Fei met Cheng Ji's gaze and sighed softly.
She stepped forward and patted the shoulder of the person who was dealing with Cheng Ji.
The man turned his head, only to see a slender figure flash by. His jaw was struck, and although the force seemed weak, it caused him to fall into a brief coma, making it difficult for him to get up.
Cheng Ji froze, staring at Jiang Fei who remained motionless.
Before those people could react, Jiang Fei stepped forward, grabbed his hand, and said, "Run."
Cheng Ji remained silent, simply following her lead, running step by step behind her, his gaze never leaving her.
Just now in the bar, under the dim lights, she swiftly knocked that person down with a single punch.
He was almost certain that she was the woman from the restaurant that day.
He swiftly dispatched several burly men, then patted his chest and said, "That scared me to death."
The woman he was interested in was Jiang Fei.
They are one person.
So this is what it feels like to be protected by her?
Cheng Ji unconsciously curved the corners of his lips into a smile, feeling a surge of secret joy in his heart.
It turned out that it was only her.
This is the real her, only he saw and knew this side of her.
But the next second, his smile was tinged with unease.
That night...
Only when no one was around did Jiang Fei stop, release his hand, and, under the streetlight, look at the injuries on Cheng Ji's face. She frowned and asked, "You went to fight in underground combat?"
Cheng Ji's Adam's apple bobbed, and he looked at his empty hands without saying a word.
Jiang Fei pursed her lips, turned around and left.
Cheng Ji was startled, her eyes darkening slightly. She must be scared.
Watching her retreating figure, two seconds later, he stepped forward, following closely behind her. But he accidentally aggravated his wound, and gasped for breath.
Jiang Fei paused in his steps.
A glint of light flickered in Cheng Ji's eyes. After a long silence, he finally spoke with a hint of reluctance: "Don't you have anything you want to ask?"
Jiang Fei stopped and turned to look at him.
Cheng Ji also stopped.
Jiang Fei was quiet for a moment: "Did you win or lose?"
Cheng Ji was stunned, then laughed and staggered to her side: "You won."
Jiang Fei nodded, turned around and continued walking.
"Jiang Fei." Cheng Ji suddenly called out to her.
Jiang Feidun: "I'm older than you..."
Before she could finish speaking, Cheng Ji stepped forward and hugged her tightly.
Cheng Ji's favorability rating: 70.
...
A black sedan was parked quietly on the side of the road.
Luo stared intently at the couple embracing under the streetlights through the glass, her hand gripping her left leg as if oblivious to the pain, wishing it could be embedded into her flesh and bone.
Jiang Fei and Cheng Ji.
The ambiguous photo, everything that happened that night, the teeth marks on Jiang Fei's collarbone—all these scenes replayed in his mind.
Now, it's like the scene in the photo is repeating itself.
He once wanted to push her to another man, so he deliberately approached and used her, wanting to completely ruin her.
It's like karma coming back to haunt us now.
The retribution has come back to haunt him.
But they dared not get off the bus.
Cheng Ji was the one who spent that night with her.
He was afraid she would find out the truth, afraid she would fall in love with someone else, and even afraid she would fall for Cheng Ji's complete body.
"Mr. Luo?" the assistant whispered from the driver's seat.
Luo Shi abruptly withdrew his gaze, suppressing the anxiety in his heart, and after a long while said, "Return."
The assistant asked in surprise, "You're not going..."
"Go back," Luo Shi emphasized again.
The assistant didn't dare say anything more and quickly drove away.
Luo Shi sat in the back seat, his pale hand slowly moving towards his chest.
She probably doesn't know anything yet, otherwise she wouldn't be able to interact with Cheng Ji so openly.
Then we'll never know.
...
apartment.
Cheng Ji sat on the sofa, listening to the sounds coming from the kitchen, lost in thought.
From the moment she hugged Jiang Fei, she ignored him completely. When she returned to the apartment, she simply changed her clothes quietly, shuffled in his slippers, and went to the kitchen to cook porridge.
—He only sent clothes before, deliberately not shoes. Maybe... it's because she looked so... well-behaved that morning when she wore his shoes.
Cheng Ji slowly leaned back on the sofa. The light above his head was a bit too bright, so he covered his eyes with one hand.
After a long while, his lips curled slightly, and a soft laugh escaped his throat.
When I hugged her just now, she felt warm and fragrant.
The laughter tugged at his chest, and Cheng Ji frowned. He got up, took out some ointment from under the table, and began to apply it himself as usual. Then, as if remembering something, he limped to the kitchen door and looked at Jiang Fei: "Do you have time?"
Jiang Fei remained silent.
Cheng Ji pursed his lips and said again, "My wound hurts."
Jiang Fei paused, her hand holding the spoon still.
Cheng Ji: "My hand is also injured, so I can't apply medicine."
Jiang Fei put the spoon aside and finally looked at him: "You still haven't apologized to me."
Cheng Ji frowned: "What mistake are you admitting?"
“You just hugged me,” Jiang Fei looked at him earnestly, “Cheng Ji, you’re younger than me, I’m Luo Shi…”
“I don’t think I’m wrong,” Cheng Ji interrupted her, his frustration rising again. He simply curled his lips into a cold laugh, “Why would I admit I’m not wrong?”
Jiang Fei stared at him with wide eyes for a while, then turned around and picked up the spoon again to stir the porridge.
Cheng Ji stared at her profile, took a deep breath, and continued to limp to her side, handing her the ointment: "Apply the medicine to me."
Jiang Fei ignored him.
Cheng Ji simply turned off the fire, shoved the ointment into her hand, and stared intently at her as he repeated, "Apply the medicine."
Jiang Fei waved her hand, intending to throw the ointment at him, but Cheng Ji was pushed backward by her.
With a "thud," he fell to the ground.
Jiang Fei: "..."
Five minutes later.
Cheng Ji sat on the sofa, looking at the woman applying medicine to him. He smiled slightly, but quickly regained his composure.
"Lift up your shirt," Jiang Fei said reluctantly, her head down.
Cheng Ji obediently lifted it up.
Jiang Fei applied some ointment to his finger and gently rubbed it on the bruised area.
The moment they touched, Cheng Ji flinched.
Her hands were very soft; when her fingertips brushed against something, it was gentle, like spring rain, yet warm, stirring one's heartstrings.
All the blood in his body rushed uncontrollably to his head, and Cheng Ji felt a little dizzy and lightheaded. It took him a while to speak, his voice a little hoarse: "Jiang Fei... hiss."
Just as he was about to speak, her hand suddenly tightened, causing him to gasp in pain.
Jiang Fei looked up and said seriously, "I'm three years older than you."
Cheng Ji's face darkened: "So what?"
“Luo Shi’s father and the Cheng family are old friends. Actually, if we’re being honest, you should call me… Sister Jiang Fei.”
The last four words were swallowed back down by Jiang Fei, who stared straight at his chest.
"What should I call you?" Cheng Ji snorted, then followed her gaze and froze.
That old wound.
The wound she once kissed left a bright red mark, but now that mark seems to have seeped into the wound itself.
“Your injury…” Jiang Fei reached out, wanting to gently touch the wound.
Cheng Ji suddenly stood up from the sofa, his whole body aching from the wounds. His face was very pale, and he spoke after a few seconds: "I'll apply the medicine myself."
After saying that, he rushed upstairs, almost fleeing in panic.
Jiang Fei watched his retreating figure, then took a tissue and slowly wiped the ointment off her fingertips.
Cheng Ji's favorability rating has reached 75.
That night, Cheng Ji did not go downstairs again.
Jiang Fei, disregarding past grievances, left him a bowl of porridge on the table before returning to her room to rest.
When I woke up the next day, Cheng Ji was gone again, I didn't know where he went, but the porridge on the table had been completely drunk.
After learning from the system that he was not in any danger, Jiang Fei didn't pay much attention. He just calculated the time and turned on his phone, which had been switched off for a long time.
Four-way missed call.
Three of the calls came from Luo Shi's assistant, and only one came from Luo Shi himself.
Jiang Fei looked at Luo Shi's name and tapped it with her index finger. She really is very composed.
...
Cheng Ji returned to the Cheng family villa.
Although the couple didn't come back to live there, and he moved out, the housekeeper and nanny still stayed.
After he returned, he didn't disturb anyone. He just sat on the lounge chair on the top floor, looking at the entire villa.
The housekeeper and nanny are an elderly couple who are responsible for managing everything in the villa.
In the morning, the nanny goes grocery shopping, the housekeeper mows the lawn, and then the two of them prepare breakfast together.
At noon, I'll move some of the flowers and plants that are in the sun, or sweep away the dust from some corners.
In the evening, the two of them went grocery shopping together to prepare dinner.
Very ordinary.
Cheng Ji watched quietly from morning till night.
So that's how they get along.
Cheng Ji pursed his lips. In the evening, the butler changed the dressing on his back and left.
On the way back to the apartment, I passed a large shopping mall with a lot of people coming and going.
Cheng Ji parked the car by the roadside, looked around for a while, and finally slowly walked down. When he came out again, he was carrying tofu and fish.
When Jiang Fei returned to the apartment, it was already dark. She was curled up on the sofa, and the TV across from her was playing softly.
She seemed to be asleep and didn't move even when she heard the door open.
Cheng Ji moved quietly, just about to enter the kitchen.
"Cheng Ji?" Jiang Fei's voice came, with a faint nasal tone, as if she had just woken up.
Cheng Ji froze, feeling as if he had been caught red-handed. His ears burned, and he mumbled an "Mmm" before entering the kitchen. He put the things down and looked at the fish that was still barely clinging to life with a troubled expression.
It was at this moment that the doorbell rang.
Cheng Ji heard Jiang Fei's footsteps heading towards the door, and then there was no further movement, only deathly silence.
He frowned, sensing an eerie silence outside, and called out, "Who's there?"
As he spoke, he walked towards the door.
Jiang Fei stood there, frozen.
Cheng Ji followed her gaze and stopped in his tracks.
Luo Shi.
He was wearing a white coat and sat quietly in his wheelchair, his hand lightly supporting the side of the wheelchair. His face was paler than usual, his lips were almost transparent, but his eyes were half-closed and his lips were slightly raised as he looked at Jiang Fei with a smile.
"Feifei," Luo Shi said, her voice low and husky yet carrying a hint of tenderness, "You've been out for so long, it's time to go home."
Cheng Ji's throat tightened.
"Outside" refers to his apartment, and "going home" means returning to their home.
Jiang Fei's eyes were slightly red, and she murmured softly, "Luo Shi..." As she spoke, she was about to walk towards him.
“Jiang Fei,” Cheng Ji suddenly spoke.
Luo Shi's smile faltered slightly as she slowly looked up at him, her eyes revealing an undisguised malice.
Jiang Fei also stopped and turned around, his eyes filled with confusion and a complex mix of emotions that he couldn't understand.
Cheng Ji opened his mouth, wanting to say that she didn't even need to cook dinner today, as he would prepare the ingredients and the dinner itself.
It's something I can't bring myself to say.
He is not qualified.
Jiang Fei waited a while but Cheng Ji didn't speak. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Take good care of your injury." As she spoke, she looked at his chest, her eyes becoming increasingly complicated. After a long silence, she finally asked, "Cheng Ji, about that injury, should I see..."
"Feifei," Luo Shi pushed the wheelchair forward, calling her name softly, then coughed a few times, "the wound on her chest seems to have reopened."
"Feifei, shall we go home and apply the medicine?"
Jiang Fei looked at Luo Shi.
His hand pressed lightly against his chest, and a little blood seeped through his white coat.
Jiang Fei lowered her eyes, concealing the light within them.
Luo Shi's favorability rating: 70.
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