The next morning, Jiang Fei took Ji Wei out, hooking her finger around his as always.
Ji Wei was used to her movements and simply walked quietly beside her.
She didn't know where she was taking her or what it was about, but she still thought about what she had said last night: "to find a way to make him see me again." Apart from a bit of disbelief, she still had a deep expectation.
Now, Jiang Fei is the only person he can rely on.
However, when she heard the familiar piano music, the familiar electronic sounds at the door, and smelled the cool and elegant fragrance that was so different from that of the slums, Ji Wei suddenly stopped in her tracks, her face turned slightly pale, and her lips were tightly pursed.
Although he was blind, he was no stranger to this place. In the past, when he was still a prodigy, he had come here several times.
Ji Wei had no idea that Jiang Fei had brought her to a restaurant owned by the Gu Group.
"Ji Wei?" Noticing that he had stopped, Jiang Fei turned around and called out to him in confusion.
Ji Wei's throat tightened, and she managed to squeeze out a few words: "Where is this?"
"..." Jiang Fei paused for a moment, then hesitated before saying, "We'll find out when we go in..."
"This is Gu Xi's restaurant!" Ji Wei interrupted her sharply, her voice hoarse from the force.
Jiang Fei remained silent, which clearly meant he acquiesced.
Ji Wei coughed softly, but she couldn't suppress the anger in her heart.
She wanted him to believe her, but instead she brought him here?
Since moving into the tin shack, Ji Wei has never left the house.
He was afraid of being seen as a useless person.
But Jiang Fei deliberately took him to this upscale restaurant, where he might meet people he used to look down on but who are now easily despised by those people.
What she meant by "helping him see again" was that she was deliberately humiliating him and tormenting his already dwindling self-esteem.
"I'm going back now." Ji Wei shook off Jiang Fei's hand and turned to leave.
Jiang Fei watched his retreating figure, his proud posture revealing a hint of embarrassing vulnerability, and the favorability rating above her head was also subtly fluctuating.
"Ji Wei," she called to him softly.
Ji Wei ignored him and continued walking, her steps slightly unsteady.
Jiang Fei was silent for a moment, then spoke again softly, "Don't you want to see it anymore?"
Ji Wei paused in her steps.
Jiang Fei smiled and took two steps toward him: "Now that you've come this far, are you willing to give up halfway?"
Ji Wei's expression softened slightly, but her hands remained clenched tightly.
“Ji Wei, I promised you, and I will definitely do it,” Jiang Fei walked slowly to his side. This time, instead of hooking his little finger with hers, she nestled her hand into his palm, held it tightly, and led him into the restaurant. “You have to believe me.”
Ji Wei's fingers trembled slightly, and her feet involuntarily followed her inside.
However, when she entered the restaurant and heard a moment of deathly silence inside, Ji Wei couldn't help but curl her fingers.
Jiang Fei gripped his hand even tighter.
"Miss, Mr. Ji?" Soon a waiter came up, his expression calm, but his eyes kept glancing at Ji Wei beside him, scanning his eyes.
“I have an appointment.” Jiang Fei nodded and led Ji Wei up the elevator step by step.
The murmurs behind them followed closely.
"Is that the young master of the Ji family?"
"How did you end up like this? And you've gone blind?"
"Dressed so shabbily, how could they possibly come to a place like this..."
"My fiancée is also engaged to Mr. Gu, so I can only look for a woman like the one around me..."
Ji Wei gripped Jiang Fei's hand tightly, trying her best to suppress the anger and humiliation welling up in her heart.
Only when the elevator doors slowly closed, shutting out the chatter of those people, did Ji Wei lower her eyes in a sigh of relief, pursing her lips tightly and remaining silent.
"Are you so concerned about what others think?" Jiang Fei suddenly asked casually.
Ji Wei didn't reply, but after a few seconds of silence, she asked, "What method did you say you would use to let me see it again?"
Only when we can see it can we talk about revenge and get back what we've lost.
Whether it's an object or a person.
Jiang Fei raised an eyebrow: "Have you ever heard of a 'prosthetic eye'?"
Ji Wei was taken aback.
The prosthetic eye, now the most advanced type of human organ, is connected to a person's damaged visual nerves. The prosthetic eye is placed on the eyeball, and the image is directly formed in the brain, allowing the person to see the world through the prosthetic eye.
Furthermore, the material of the prosthetic eye is soluble in the human body, and after a one-year shelf life, the prosthetic eye will silently and harmlessly integrate into the eyeball.
Ji Wei opened her mouth: "You mean..."
Jiang Fei nodded: "Your eyes need to be treated slowly to recover, but I found someone who is wearing a genetic prosthetic eye, which may be able to help you."
Ji Wei's dim eyes brightened. Did this mean that she had hope of regaining her sight immediately?
The person Jiang Fei found was named Fu Yan. He was originally a doctor, but he lost his left arm for some unknown reason and was unemployed at home, occasionally doing some private consultations.
When Jiang Fei helped Ji Wei into the private room, Fu Yan was already there.
His right eye, which had a prosthetic eye embedded in it, was a light gray color. One arm was propped up on the dining table, while his left arm was empty.
Upon seeing the two, Fu Yan bowed slightly and politely greeted them, "Miss Jiang."
Jiang Fei smiled and said, "Mr. Fu."
Fu Yan nodded and looked at Ji Wei: "Is this the gentleman?"
“Yes,” Jiang Fei turned to look at Ji Wei, “He lost his sight after the car accident. Please ask Mr. Fu to take a look.”
Fu Yan did not refuse. He got up, walked over to Ji Wei, took a device, and shone a blinding beam of light into Ji Wei's pupils, carefully examining his eyes.
After an unknown amount of time, he stood up and said, "This gentleman's condition is suitable for a prosthetic eye."
Ji Wei's eyes trembled slightly.
Jiang Fei tightened her grip on Ji Wei's hand, her voice rising slightly with obvious excitement: "Mr. Fu means that if he has a prosthetic eye, he will be able to see again soon?"
Fu Yan paused upon hearing this, then smiled helplessly: "That's true, but these prosthetic eyes aren't so easy to obtain."
“That prosthetic eye of Mr. Fu…”
Fu Yan touched his left eye: "The material used to make a prosthetic eye is extremely rare, so the cost is very high. With Miss Jiang and this gentleman's abilities..."
As he spoke, he glanced at the clothes on the two of them and shook his head gently.
Ji Wei's eyelashes, which had been trembling with excitement, suddenly froze, and her breath seemed to be frozen. The glimmer of hope that had just risen suddenly vanished.
In the past, he could have taken out the money without batting an eye.
But now, how will he afford to buy an expensive prosthetic eye?
“We’ll figure out the money,” Jiang Fei squeezed Ji Wei’s palm, then asked, “Mr. Fu, could you please tell me where we can find a prosthetic eye?”
Ji Wei was taken aback.
She had just squeezed his hand with very light force, as if to comfort him.
And his heart did indeed feel a little lighter as a result.
Looking at the woman's stubborn gaze, Fu Yan sighed: "Some wealthy people collect various human organs for emergencies, but these wealthy people are usually not short of money, so no one is willing to sell them, and..."
"Anything else?" Jiang Fei pressed.
Fu Yan's voice softened considerably as he silently uttered two words: "Black market."
“The black market…” Jiang Fei murmured.
"Miss Jiang, you should give up this idea as soon as possible," Fu Yan said, glancing at his empty left arm. "What you gain, you always lose."
"What does Mr. Fu mean by this?"
Fu Yan glanced at Ji Wei beside him, shook his head, and walked towards the door.
“Mr. Fu…” Jiang Fei was about to ask more questions when he paused, turned his head and whispered in Ji Wei’s ear, “Wait for me.”
After saying that, he quickly walked out.
Fu Yan seemed to have anticipated that Jiang Fei would chase after him, so he did not go far.
"Mr. Fu, what did you mean by saying that you always lose something when you gain something?" Jiang Fei asked quietly.
Fu Yan looked at her helplessly: "Do you really have to get a prosthetic eye?"
Jiang Fei pursed her lips and nodded.
"For the man inside?"
"..." For the sake of gaining favor.
Jiang Fei would never say these words aloud.
Fu Yan took it as a tacit agreement and sighed, "For a year of light, I lost this left arm. On the black market."
Jiang Fei was surprised.
Fu Yan shook his head, turned and left.
upstairs.
Ji Wei was still sitting in the restaurant's private room, the warmth of Jiang Fei's words still lingering in her ears.
But his heart was ice-cold.
The black market is a place without rules and disregard for the law; its darkness is terrifying to behold.
The man's words just now undoubtedly extinguished any remaining hope.
He was destined to remain blind.
Footsteps sounded outside the door.
Ji Wei lowered her eyes. Jiang Fei is back, isn't he?
But he quickly dismissed the guess in his mind. It wasn't Jiang Fei; there were at least two or three footsteps outside the door.
Just as he was about to ponder this, the door to the private room was suddenly opened, accompanied by mocking laughter: "Young Master Ji rarely comes here, why didn't you say hello to us?"
Ji Wei's body tensed slightly, and her fingertips trembled.
That voice clearly belonged to those纨绔 (spoiled brats) who had once been at odds with him.
Ji Wei groped for the table and tried to get up, but someone pressed down hard on his shoulder: "Young Master Ji, don't be in such a hurry to leave. It's been a long time since we last met."
The people around burst into laughter, one of them saying, "You still dare to touch him? His clothes might have some kind of virus on them."
The man gave a mocking laugh and wiped his hands on Ji Wei's shoulder: "How can you talk about our Young Master Ji like that? Young Master Ji is the only son of the prestigious Ji family..."
"Let go." Ji Wei interrupted him abruptly, her voice icy.
The man was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Alright, I'll listen to Young Master Ji."
After saying that, he really let go of her hand.
Ji Wei pursed her lips tightly, stood up, and walked towards the door, following her memory of where she came from.
Suddenly, the person stuck out a foot, tripping Ji Wei as she left.
Ji Wei fell to the ground with a "thud," looking disheveled.
The people around looked at the man on the ground in surprise, and then burst into laughter.
"Young Master Ji, why aren't you watching where you're going? You're deliberately stepping on my feet!" The man leaned down slightly, getting close to Ji Wei, pressing down on his shoulder as he tried to get up, and then sneered, "I forgot, our Young Master Ji is blind now..."
The group burst into laughter again.
Ji Wei was still lying on the ground, the hand on his shoulder pressing him down with all its might, until he was buried in the dust.
I felt a sense of inferiority and humiliation I had never experienced before.
Ji Wei clenched her fists tightly, her lips pressed together, her face almost pale.
But at this moment.
"What are you doing?" A crisp, angry female voice suddenly came from outside the door.
Before anyone could react, the man holding Ji Wei down only saw a black shadow flash before his eyes, and then his chin was punched hard, causing him to stagger back several steps.
"Are you alright?" Jiang Fei quickly stepped forward to help Ji Wei up.
Ji Wei remained silent.
Instead, the group opposite them laughed even more arrogantly after their initial surprise: "I wondered who it was. It turns out to be the woman Mr. Gu brought out of the garbage dump. One of you was abandoned by Mr. Gu, and the other was abandoned by Miss Lin. You two are a perfect match."
"Young Master Ji, is this the only woman you can associate with now? She carries a virus!"
"No, Young Master Ji isn't much better!"
"Hahahaha..."
The room was filled with nauseating laughter.
Jiang Fei's expression was indifferent, but then he seemed to remember something and looked down at Ji Wei's hand.
His fingertips were trembling slightly.
Jiang Fei gripped his hand tightly, the warmth of her palm soothing his cold fingertips.
Ji Wei's hand froze.
"Do you trust me?" Jiang Fei's voice came through, calm yet reassuring.
Ji Wei pursed her lips, her expression blank.
Jiang Fei released Ji Wei's hand and took a few steps toward the group: "What you just said..."
Ji Wei couldn't hear anything more. Her lips moved, and her fingertips stretched forward as if trying to grab something, but she ultimately grasped nothing and was plunged into darkness.
After an unknown amount of time, Jiang Fei had already started fighting with those people.
He couldn't see anything, only hear a lot of noise.
Some people were lying on the ground, and some were wailing.
He couldn't see it, but he could feel that a figure was always blocking him, shielding him from those who wanted to harm him.
After an unknown amount of time, Ji Wei felt a warm hand slip into her palm and then tightly grasp it.
A familiar touch.
Ji Wei almost instinctively gripped it back.
"Run!" Jiang Fei's breathy voice rang out.
Then, Ji Wei was pulled along and started running.
Big cities are always rainy.
As soon as Ji Wei ran out of the restaurant, she felt a light drizzle on her face. The cool breeze seemed to have taken away all the stuffiness she had felt in the restaurant.
Jiang Fei held his hand tightly the whole time, without letting go for a moment.
At first, Ji Wei was being led by her while running, but later, things changed. He obeyed the strength of the slender hand in his and ran forward quietly.
I've never run like this before; it's as if all my worries have vanished.
More relaxed than ever before.
There was no heavy sense of responsibility before the accident, no lingering resentment afterward, and no despair upon learning that the "prosthetic eye" was hopeless.
He is just himself.
Ji Wei unconsciously looked in the direction of the hand holding hers, and then looked in the direction of Jiang Fei. Even though she couldn't see him, she suddenly wanted to see him.
After running for an unknown amount of time, Jiang Fei finally stopped, panting heavily: "We...we've shaken them off."
Ji Wei's breathing was also a little rapid, but she just stood there, her expression still blank.
"Ji Wei?" Jiang Fei gently squeezed his palm.
Ji Wei came to her senses, looking puzzled.
Jiang Fei suddenly laughed, a strange laugh, her voice unusually sweet.
Ji Wei paused, and the corners of her lips unconsciously curved into a smile.
This feeling is very novel.
The two of them were facing each other, grinning foolishly.
"If only you could see it, you'd see me beat them black and blue," Jiang Fei said with a smile. In fact, they were more than just black and blue. "Especially that one who mocked you, I doubt even his own parents would recognize him..."
Jiang Fei didn't finish her sentence because Ji Wei reached out and touched her cheek.
Because of his busy schedule lately, his palms had developed a thin layer of calluses, and his pale fingertips were almost transparent as he caressed her nose and eyebrows.
"Ji Wei?" Jiang Fei's voice was much softer, with a hint of caution.
Ji Wei suddenly woke up and quickly withdrew her hand.
Just now, he actually wanted to know what this woman looked like.
I had only glanced at her briefly at banquets before, and had never really looked at her seriously.
However, the next second, Ji Wei suddenly felt a heaviness in her chest.
Ji Wei was stunned. Before he could react, Jiang Fei supported him on his chest, stood on tiptoe, and quickly kissed Ji Wei on the lips.
The kiss was fleeting, like a dragonfly skimming the water, and ended quickly.
Ji Wei froze on the spot, her lips tingling with a numb sensation, and she didn't react for a long time.
I could only feel my eardrums pounding rapidly, and something thumping wildly in my chest.
He and Ranran had always maintained a respectful distance and never been this intimate.
Is this... a kiss?
Ji Wei's favorability rating: 30.
Jiang Fei glanced at the top of his head, and seeing that he remained in a daze, slowly asked, "First kiss?"
"..." Ji Wei remained silent.
Jiang Fei frowned: "Ji Wei?"
Ji Wei still did not respond.
Helpless, Jiang Fei reached out and hooked his finger around hers, then walked back the way they had come.
When Jiang Fei returned to the familiar tin shack in the slum, the door opened with a click after he had just verified his fingerprint.
Ji Wei's voice came from beside her: "Was it Ranran's memories that were affecting you just now?"
Jiang Fei was taken aback and turned to look at him: "What?"
Ji Wei lowered her eyes, her eyelashes trembling slightly, and calmly said again, "Just now, was it because of Ranran's memories that you suddenly acted that way?"
Jiang Fei closed the door: "What kind of answer do you want to hear?"
Ji Wei pursed her lips and remained silent.
Jiang Fei burst out laughing, then her laughter faded, and she said in a cool voice, "That's right."
After saying that, he went straight back to his room.
As Ji Wei listened to her fading footsteps, her fingers clenched tightly for a moment, then relaxed.
Isn't this the answer he wanted?
Ji Wei turned around and skillfully walked into the kitchen to prepare dinner.
Jiang Fei didn't come out of the room until she finished.
Ji Wei sat quietly in a corner of the narrow dining table, waiting, but felt inexplicably awkward.
I've long been used to someone across from me lazily talking, or complaining about how delicious their cooking is, and if I'm in a good mood, I'll just say "not bad".
At this moment, however, there was only deathly silence.
He looked up toward the cubicle, but there was still no movement inside; it was completely silent.
Ji Wei gripped the spoon in her hand, forcing herself to calm down.
But the thought of the prosthetic eye resurfaced in his mind.
A day of nothing.
Ji Wei lowered her eyes and couldn't help but gently touch her eyes.
He could only wait for medicine, whether it would work or not, hoping that one day he would suddenly see a glimmer of light, or perhaps he would spend his whole life huddled in darkness.
Ji Wei finally pushed away the bowl and chopsticks in front of her, got up and returned to the sofa, where she just sat there in despair.
After a long while, he finally fell into a deep sleep.
In his dream, it seemed as if someone was gently stroking his cheek, followed by a series of murmurs: "Ji Wei, I am Jiang Fei."
Ji Wei frowned, feeling as if this voice was haunting her even in her dreams.
But when he opened his eyes, the sound vanished instantly.
Ji Wei touched the blind man's watch beside her; it was morning.
He slowly got up and went to the kitchen, but he didn't expect that Jiang Fei's anger would last for so long.
While preparing breakfast, Jiang Fei never left her room, nor did she greet the morning with her usual hoarse and languid "good morning."
Ji frowned, waited for a while without any movement, and finally got up and went into her cubicle for the first time.
Three steps.
From the doorway to her bed.
There were three steps between him and her.
Ji Wei stood by the bed: "Jiang Fei, have breakfast."
"..." No one responded.
Ji Wei paused, a sudden panic gripping her heart. She hurriedly reached out to touch it, but only managed to find a small recording pen.
"morning."
"I have to go out. Wait for me."
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