It was already late when Jiang Fei left the Wen family home.
In the distance, you can see brightly lit skyscrapers, but the surrounding villa area is very quiet, with only the streetlights dimly lit.
As she rounded the corner and was about to continue walking, a slight noise came from the neatly trimmed bushes beside her.
Jiang Fei paused and looked toward the source of the sound.
A tall figure stood there, the dim streetlights unable to conceal his ashen face, looking utterly dejected and like a broken man, staring blankly at her.
Cheng Ji.
Noticing her gaze, Cheng Ji almost immediately sat up straight, his eyes filled with helplessness and confusion. After a long while, he moved his dry lips and forced a smile: "Jiang..."
Before he could finish speaking, or even before he could smile, he froze.
Jiang Fei ignored him as if she didn't recognize him, turned her gaze away and continued walking, step by step toward the exit of the villa area.
Cheng Ji watched her figure, coughed hoarsely, and followed quietly behind her without saying a word.
Jiang Fei walked slowly, aimlessly.
Cheng Ji followed closely behind.
Her eyes would never again crinkle and smile at him; they were as still and lifeless as if her soul had been ripped away.
The surrounding area gradually became more bustling, and music could be faintly heard from a bar not far away.
Cheng Ji never expected to run into Wu Qing, his defeated foe, the man he had clashed with at the bar last time, at this time and place.
Wu Qing's arm was still in a sling, and three or four people were following behind him. When they saw the two walking one after the other, they laughed arrogantly: "Look who we've run into this time. You dare to show yourselves again..."
Jiang Fei didn't even glance at him, and walked straight ahead.
Wu Qing and the others were stunned. They actually let her walk over, and only when they saw Cheng Ji did they realize: "You got lucky last time, but this time we won't let you off so easily."
Cheng Ji merely glanced at him coldly, said nothing, and continued to follow behind Jiang Fei.
Ignored, Wu Qing grew increasingly annoyed: "What? Does Young Master Cheng want to become a lapdog?"
Cheng Ji still ignored him.
Enraged, Wu Qing glared at Jiang Fei's retreating figure and said defiantly, "I didn't expect you to like that kind of thing? Let's play it sometime..."
Before he could finish speaking, everything went black. Cheng Ji rushed forward as if his life depended on it, slamming a heavy punch into his jaw, then grabbing him by the collar and delivering five or six more punches.
Wu Qing's face was covered in blood.
The people around were startled and it took them a while to react before they surrounded Cheng Ji.
Hearing the sounds of a chaotic fight behind him, Jiang Fei didn't turn her head once and continued walking forward quietly.
I don't know how long I walked, but then I heard a series of hurried and unsteady footsteps behind me, accompanied by heavy breathing.
The footsteps slowed down when they were not far behind her, and she continued to follow with a limp.
Jiang Fei paused in his steps.
Cheng Ji watched her movements, swallowed the blood in his mouth, and grinned, "I'm fine."
Jiang Fei remained silent and continued on his way.
But then a figure appeared beside him. Cheng Ji took a few quick steps, hesitated for a moment, and wanted to grab the hem of her clothes.
Jiang Fei quickly dodged his hand, took a half step back, and looked at him with unfamiliar eyes.
Cheng Ji looked at the unfamiliarity in her eyes, his hand froze, his left eye was covered in bruises, his swollen lips were still bleeding, and his clothes were in a sorry state. After a while, he gently withdrew his hand and said in a low voice, "Jiang Fei, I'm injured. Are you any happier?"
Jiang Fei stared at his wounds, her gaze lingering for a moment before quickly regaining its composure. She murmured softly, "What exactly do you want, Cheng Ji?" Her eyes were red-rimmed. "From the very beginning, you've only been playing with me, just to get revenge on Fu Luoshi. Haven't you had enough yet?"
Cheng Ji's face paled, and after a long silence, he whispered, "So you're finally willing to talk to me?"
Jiang Fei pursed her lips and remained silent.
Cheng Ji's Adam's apple bobbed, and he forced a smile: "I learned how to make tofu fish a while ago, would you like some...?"
“Cheng Ji!” Jiang Fei interrupted him, staring intently into his eyes, then suddenly laughed, “You were right just now. Seeing you injured, seeing you in pain, made me incredibly happy. Now, can you let me go…”
As she spoke, her body swayed and her face turned pale.
Cheng Ji rushed forward, wanting to help her up.
Jiang Fei struggled to avoid his hand, but her face grew paler and paler, and the next second she collapsed weakly into Cheng Ji's arms.
Cheng Ji's wound was touched, and his face turned pale. A layer of cold sweat broke out on his back, but he remained silent. He looked at the woman in his arms. Not long ago, she had been smiling and telling him that "smoking is bad for your health," but now she was so weak that it broke his heart.
Finally, despite the pain, he carried her on his back and whispered, "Jiang Fei, let's go home."
This time, "going home" is for Jiang Fei and him.
...
Jiang Fei woke up the next morning.
Last night, I only intended to pretend to faint, but unexpectedly, as I was being rocked on Cheng Ji's back, I actually fell asleep.
Jiang Fei frowned as her hands felt numb and itchy. When she opened her eyes, she found Cheng Ji lying by the bedside. His hair was disheveled, his face was covered in bruises and swelling, his complexion was pale, his eyes were closed, and his hand was tightly gripping hers without letting go.
His favorability rating has reached 85.
Jiang Fei thought for a moment and then withdrew her hand.
Cheng Ji snapped back to reality almost instantly, looking up at her anxiously: "How are you?"
Jiang Fei lowered her eyes, neither looking at him nor speaking.
Cheng Ji's eyes were frozen. After a while, he stood up and walked out with a slightly unsteady gait. When he came back, he was holding a thermos box containing a milky white fish soup with tender tofu that was still steaming.
“Jiang Fei…”
Jiang Fei turned her head away, refusing to look at him or say anything.
Cheng Ji froze, tightened his grip on the insulated box, and after a long while put it down, turned and walked out.
Jiang Fei didn't know where he went; he simply didn't show up all day.
As evening approached, the door opened, and Cheng Ji waited outside for a while before entering her room and quietly watching her.
The insulated food container on the table remained untouched. Jiang Fei sat silently on the bed, looking out the window without uttering a word.
Cheng Ji pursed his lips, his left hand trembling slightly as he picked up the insulated box. He managed to calm himself down by controlling his left hand with his right, and then staggered out.
Half an hour later, he came back in carrying his tray: "Jiang Fei, I'm back for dinner."
Jiang Fei still ignored him.
Cheng Ji paused for two seconds, then slowly walked to the other side of the bed and stood in front of her: "Jiang Fei, look."
Jiang Fei's gaze lingered for a moment before she looked at him.
Cheng Ji's injuries had worsened; blood remained on the corner of his lip, several bruises appeared on his cheeks, and there were several more wounds on the side of his neck, yet he still managed a forced smile at her.
Meeting her gaze, Cheng Ji smiled even more broadly and placed the dinner on the plate in front of her.
Jiang Fei lowered her head: "I'll eat it myself."
Cheng Ji's smile froze. After a moment of silence, he turned and quietly walked out.
After that day, Cheng Ji would go out every day and return promptly in the evening to stay in Jiang Fei's room for a while, even if it was just to catch a glimpse of her or let her catch a glimpse of him.
His injuries never healed; in fact, they worsened.
One day, Cheng Ji still went out.
He didn't go anywhere else, just to his usual underground club.
—That place filled with bloodshed and violence.
When Cheng Ji entered, everyone was looking at him, some with surprise, others with fear.
Everyone knows that even though this is a black tournament with no rules, playing one match should require at least half a month of rest. But for the past ten days or so, Cheng Ji has come almost every day and played every time.
He hadn't lost many times in the past, but lately, he had fought back very few times.
Cheng Ji ignored the stares of others and quietly limped to his rest area to prepare for his performance.
As the bell rang, everyone's strange gazes disappeared, and they began to fall into a bizarre frenzy.
Shouts, screams, and whistles filled the air.
Cheng Ji staggered onto the stage.
The opponent was Wu Qing, who had recovered from his injury.
Cheng Ji remained silent in the face of his opponent's provocation. At first, he would defend himself based on instinct, but later he became too lazy to even defend anymore.
His mouth was filled with the taste of blood, his vision was blurry, and he was in excruciating pain all over his body. He could even feel warm blood sliding down his forehead and into his eyes, turning everything in front of him red.
He was knocked down time and time again, but he got up again and again.
The shouts around them went wild again.
Until the bell rang to end the competition, Cheng Ji collapsed on the stage, staring at the blinding lights above him, his breath smelling of rust.
After a while, he staggered to his feet, swallowed the blood in his mouth, and returned to the resting area.
Xu Chuan, who was on good terms with him, was sitting there with a frown, holding a cigarette in his hand, and there were seven or eight cigarette butts in the ashtray next to him.
Cheng Ji glanced at the cigarette butts but remained silent.
Xu Chuan handed him a cigarette.
Cheng Ji didn't speak or take the cigarette. He just stared at the cigarette, then suddenly thought of something, smiled slightly, and leaned back in the lounge chair.
Cheng Ji stood up when the bell rang again to signal the start of the competition.
Xu Chuan quickly stood up: "Aji, you'll die if you keep fighting like this," he said, stopping him, "Stop fighting."
Cheng Ji walked past him expressionlessly.
"Stop hitting me." A woman's low, hoarse voice came from behind.
Cheng Ji's back stiffened, and he paused in his steps.
But the next second, she felt that the voice must have been an illusion, and that she couldn't possibly be in such a chaotic place.
With a lift of the foot, one must continue moving forward.
"Cheng Ji." The woman's voice rang out again.
Cheng Ji stopped completely, his body motionless.
It's not an illusion; it's very real.
It was so real that even amidst the surrounding noise, I could smell a faint, warm fragrance that didn't belong here.
After a long while, he slowly turned his head.
Jiang Fei stood there facing the light, surrounded by darkness, only she was dazzling. But when she saw him, she froze for a moment, then her eyes reddened slightly, and she said again, "Stop hitting me."
Cheng Ji was stunned for a few seconds, but then panicked. His shameful side, along with his current disheveled state, was laid bare before her. He took a step back, instinctively wanting to run away.
"Cheng Ji," Jiang Fei called to him.
Cheng Ji stopped in his tracks, and after a long pause, he said blankly, "I want to make you happy."
She said she would be happy if he got hurt.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Fei's eyes widened even more, and she stared straight at him, her eyes brimming with tears.
Cheng Ji looked at her tears, at a loss for a moment, and after a long while, he limped over to her and said, "Don't cry, Jiang Fei."
Jiang Fei didn't speak, but tears streamed down her face.
Cheng Ji froze, reached out, and finally gently hugged her, then tightened his grip, his voice choked with emotion: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."
Cheng Ji's favorability rating: 95.
Jiang Fei leaned against Cheng Ji's chest without responding.
After an unknown amount of time, Cheng Ji slowly released her, lowered his head and looked earnestly into her eyes, his voice hoarse: "Jiang Fei, I want to take care of you forever."
Jiang Feileng.
Cheng Ji wiped the blood from the corner of his lips: "I will never smoke again, drink ice water, or participate in underground competitions. I only ask that you give me a chance to take care of you forever."
As he spoke, he took out a brocade box from his backpack: "I bought this with the prize money from a racing competition a while ago," he quickly added, "from a legitimate racing competition."
The brocade box was opened, revealing two rings inside.
The ring wasn't large, but it gleamed softly under the overhead light.
He bought these rings on the day he learned she was going to marry Luo Shi, and he wore them when he went to see her. He thought he would never be able to give them to her again in this lifetime.
Jiang Fei looked at the ring and couldn't help but shrink her finger.
The next second, Cheng Ji gently took her right hand, looked at her bare fingers, and after a long while, picked up the ring and put it on her finger.
The size is just right.
“Cheng Ji…” Jiang Fei was about to speak.
Cheng Ji interrupted her: "Jiang Fei, you don't need to agree to me now, but when you don't have any other rings on this hand, can you wear this one?"
Jiang Fei looked at him and finally nodded slightly.
Cheng Ji laughed, took out another ring, and wanted to put it on himself.
Jiang Fei stopped him and then took the ring.
Cheng Ji looked at her with eyes full of surprise.
Amidst the surrounding noise and chaos, Jiang Fei gently placed the ring on Cheng Ji's middle finger.
Same here, the size is just right.
Cheng Ji's favorability rating: 99.
...
Cheng Ji did not play in the second half of the game.
When the two left the club, it was already past nine o'clock at night. Cheng Ji followed Jiang Fei unsteadily, holding her hand tightly, occasionally glancing at the rings on their hands.
It wasn't until they returned to the apartment entrance and verified the fingerprint lock that Cheng Ji finally let go of her hand.
The apartment door slowly opened, and the two were about to go inside.
A faint sound of wheels turning behind me was quite noticeable in the deathly silence of the night.
What followed was a hoarse voice: "Feifei."
Jiang Fei stopped abruptly, her lips pale, and she dared not turn around for a long time.
His tightly clenched fist was enveloped by a large hand.
Jiang Fei turned her head and met Cheng Ji's gaze, who was also looking at her.
After a long while, Jiang Fei turned around. In front of the still wide-open door of the private apartment, a wheelchair was parked diagonally in the center, with Luo Shi sitting on it, dressed in white clothes and black pants, quietly watching her.
"Long time no see," he said slowly, his gaze fixed on her eyes and brows.
Jiang Fei's fingers trembled slightly.
Cheng Ji's gaze darkened: "What are you doing here?"
Luo Shi finally withdrew his gaze from Jiang Fei, looked at Cheng Ji, and then smiled: "Pick up my wife."
"Your wife is not here!"
Luo Shi paused, his gaze falling on the clasped hands of the two people before him: "The one Mr. Cheng is holding is my wife."
"she……"
“I’m not,” Jiang Fei said quietly, looking at Luo Shi. “We’ve already called off the engagement.”
"Is that so?" Luo Shi's face paled, and he murmured softly. The next second, he tilted his head and smiled. "Feifei, unless I die, otherwise..."
He said, enunciating each word clearly, "I absolutely disagree."
Jiang Fei stared at him without saying a word.
Luo Shi slowly took something out of his pocket and opened his palm. On it lay two rings, which he had personally commissioned: "Feifei, the engagement ring is not suitable. This wedding ring was originally meant for our wedding ceremony..."
“It’s too late, Luo Shi,” Jiang Fei interrupted him.
Luo Shi was stunned, staring at her.
Jiang Fei slowly reached out her hand, the light reflected from the ring on her middle finger was so bright it hurt the eyes.
"Luo Shi, I have already accepted Cheng Ji's marriage proposal."
Luo Shi's hand trembled slightly, her throat tightened, and the rest of her words were cut off. The smile on her face disappeared, and her eyes were filled with despair. Her gaze fell on her middle finger, and then on Cheng Ji.
A pair of rings.
A pair of people.
“Luo Shi,” Jiang Fei said calmly, looking down, “the inappropriate thing is not the ring, but you.”
The wheelchair backed up slightly, making a soft sound. Luo Shi gripped the wheelchair tightly, his knuckles pale and prominent.
Cheng Ji turned to look at her, and the next second he reached out and gently took her left hand in his. The light from their matching rings shone brightly under the streetlights.
Jiang Fei turned to look at Cheng Ji, slightly shifted her hand, and clasped his fingers tightly.
"Jiang Fei." Luo Shi's hoarse voice came through, his gaze fixed on their tightly clasped hands, a sharp pain shooting through his heart.
"...Don't go with him."
Jiang Fei paused, then suddenly laughed out loud: "Mr. Luo, don't you really enjoy me spending the night with other men?"
The apartment door slowly closed in front of me.
This time, there was no stopping.
It wasn't until he returned to Cheng Ji's room on the second floor of the apartment that he collapsed onto the sofa, exhausted and in excruciating pain all over his body.
Jiang Fei looked at him, then turned around and took the first-aid kit: "I'll apply the medicine for you."
Cheng Ji didn't speak, but just sat there quietly, letting her apply the medicine to the wound on his face little by little, his eyes fixed on her without blinking.
After treating the wounds on his face, as Jiang Fei was about to lift up his shirt, he suddenly spoke: "Jiang Fei."
Jiang Fei turned to look at him, meeting his focused gaze.
Cheng Ji said, "You did not accept my marriage proposal."
So, she lied to Luo Shi just now.
"Okay." Jiang Fei responded casually, "I'll treat the wound on your chest."
Cheng Ji looked at her for a long time, then laughed and took off his shirt.
Jiang Fei looked at his injuries and took a deep breath. There were hardly any undamaged patches of skin on his body; it was covered in bruises and bloodstains. Some wounds were still dripping blood, which stained his outer clothing and connected to the flesh.
He, however, remained completely oblivious: "Are you happy, Jiang Fei?"
Jiang Fei looked at him and smiled, "Happy."
As she spoke, she reached out and touched his wound. Cheng Ji trembled almost uncontrollably, his body tensing up.
Jiang Fei lowered her head and carefully applied the medicine to his wound until the last one was treated.
Cheng Ji said softly, "I like it when you're happy."
Just like before, when I tell him "smoking is bad for your health," I'll snatch the ice water from his hand and complain that he makes me stay up all night with him...
Jiang Fei remained silent, her gaze fixed on Cheng Ji's chest.
The wound she saw on their engagement night had begun to heal, leaving only a rough scar.
Cheng Ji followed her gaze, then his body tensed: "Jiang Fei..."
Jiang Fei gently touched the scar: "No wonder it looked so familiar."
Cheng Ji's Adam's apple bobbed up and down.
The next second, Jiang Fei looked up at him: "Does it still hurt?"
Cheng Ji remained silent.
Jiang Fei leaned down slightly, just like on their engagement night, and gently placed a kiss on it, then whispered, "This way it won't hurt anymore..."
Cheng Ji's favorability rating: 100.
Jiang Fei looked up and smiled at Cheng Ji with narrowed eyes.
Cheng Ji's ears were already bright red, and he looked at her with eyes that seemed to be filled with tears, as if he was expecting something.
Jiang Fei had already stood up and was wiping the ointment off her fingers with a tissue.
Cheng Ji looked up at her movements, feeling a mix of inexplicable disappointment and overwhelming joy.
—Her smile just now made it seem like the two of them had returned to how they were a while ago.
Jiang Fei didn't say anything more, got up and was about to walk towards the door, but then noticed something and stopped at the window.
Cheng Ji's bedroom is on the second floor, directly opposite the entrance to the private apartment.
Under the lonely streetlamp, the man in the wheelchair remained seated. As if sensing something, Luo Shi suddenly looked up, his gaze fixed on them.
Jiang Fei did not avoid his gaze, but met it directly.
"Jiang Fei!" Cheng Ji's voice suddenly came from behind.
Jiang Fei turned her head.
Cheng Ji stood behind her and naturally saw Luo Shi, but he pretended not to see anything and leaned down to gently rest his head on her shoulder: "What should I do, Jiang Fei?" he murmured blankly, "Even if it's just using her, I'm still very happy."
Jiang Fei looked at Cheng Ji's expression on her shoulder, and after a long while, she raised her hand and stroked his cheek.
Cheng Ji gently rubbed her hand against the back of his hand, then seemed to remember something: "Will you leave?"
For a fleeting moment, looking at her back, it was as if I saw the night she first came to this apartment, waking up with a haughty and condescending look in her eyes, as if she were about to ascend to heaven.
Jiang Fei smiled but did not respond.
Cheng Ji suddenly took off the ring from his middle finger and put it on her thumb. Even though the ring kept falling off, he patiently put it back on each time.
"Jiang Fei, I don't want anything anymore, I'll give you everything, please don't go, okay?"
Jiang Fei looked at his flustered movements: "Cheng Ji."
Cheng Ji calmed down and stared at her intently.
Jiang Fei's gaze slowly fell on his lips, which were bleeding again. She tilted her head slightly, leaned forward, and used the tip of her tongue to wipe away the drop of blood.
Cheng Ji froze, all the blood rushing to his head. He gripped her waist tightly, but hesitated to make any further move.
Jiang Fei laughed: "If I were you, you'd already be in bed right now."
Cheng Ji's cheeks were flushed, mixed with bruises from his wounds, making him look somewhat comical. He lowered his head and kissed the woman's lips in his arms, but only caressed them.
Jiang Fei leaned quietly against him, her eyes half-closed as she looked out the window.
The apartment entrance was empty; no one had been seen.
Seemingly noticing her distraction, Cheng Ji gently bit her lip, drew the curtains, and headed to the bed.
Just like that night, Cheng Ji's lips and teeth came to her collarbone, but he couldn't bear to bite down, he just gently sucked on it, leaving a kiss mark.
Then, darkness engulfed him, and he gradually became dizzy. He paused for a moment, and then he fainted unexpectedly.
Jiang Fei slowly stood up, her expression gradually calming down.
Before fainting, Cheng Ji gripped Jiang Fei's wrist tightly, causing the wound on his arm that had just been treated to reopen: "Why..."
Jiang Fei looked at him and said, "You lied to me for one night, so I'll return the favor for one night."
Cheng Ji was stunned. After what seemed like an eternity, he gripped her hand even tighter, desperately trying to maintain his last shred of rationality as he pleaded, "Wouldn't it be better to lie to me for the rest of my life? Whether you don't love me or you're just using me..."
Jiang Fei leaned down and gently stroked his cheek, saying, "Smoking is bad for your health."
Cheng Ji's consciousness gradually faded, leaving only a murmur, like the final lament of a small animal: "I love you..."
He eventually fell into a coma.
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