Chapter 61 Did Meng Yutong marry him?
Contrary to his usual behavior, Ji Ming cried out hoarsely, completely losing control of his emotions, and even opened his mouth to bite Ji Yun's waist hard through the fabric.
This bite was urgent and fierce, filled with anger and grievance, it held on tightly and refused to let go.
Yunzhou turned pale with fright and didn't even have time to look at Ji Yun's reaction. She hurriedly stepped forward and hugged Ji Ming tightly, using all her strength to pull the child away from Ji Yun.
Ji Ming was no longer docile and obedient. Even though Yun Zhou had restrained his hands and feet, he was still kicking and thrashing wildly in the air, like an enraged cub. He glared fiercely at Ji Yun and continued to roar, "I hate you! Why don't you care about her! Why don't you care about her! Why did you leave her there alone! Why!"
Ji Yun's clothes at the waist had been torn, and faint traces of blood were seeping from under the fabric.
Yunzhou exclaimed in surprise, "Young Master! Are you alright?! This..."
"Sister-in-law?" Ji Yun slowly stood up, his tall figure casting a mountain-like shadow in the candlelight. He merely leaned forward slightly, and the shadow almost completely enveloped the small Ji Ming. His voice was unreadable, carrying a cold, probing tone, "Ji Ming, what nonsense are you spouting?"
Ji Ming bit his lower lip hard, stubbornly staring back at him. His clear black and white eyes were full of accusation, as if Ji Yun had done something heinous and unforgivable.
In the past, although Ji Yun was strict with him, Ji Ming was still a child at heart and respected and loved his older brother.
He was lively and clever, and even when he occasionally acted spoiled or unreasonable, he had never been so agitated and manic, attacking people indiscriminately.
"What exactly happened?" Ji Yun turned his gaze to Yun Zhou, who was clinging tightly to Ji Ming, his voice now carrying a clear chill.
Yunzhou was also at a loss. On one hand, she tried her best to comfort the young master who was still struggling in her arms, and on the other hand, she hurriedly explained to Ji Yun: "Young master, please understand! The young master was fine after he came back from school today. He ate and washed up as usual and went to bed early. Just now... just now, I don't know what happened, he seemed to be having a nightmare and was crying and kicking on the bed."
"I tried calling him but couldn't wake him. I could only vaguely hear him muttering things like 'sister-in-law,' 'don't die,' and 'don't leave him'... I finally managed to shake him awake, but he acted like he didn't recognize me. He pushed me aside, didn't even put on his shoes, and ran straight to you..."
After saying all this, Ji Ming in her arms seemed to have lost all strength from crying and screaming. His struggles lessened considerably, leaving only suppressed, intermittent sobs.
Yunzhou breathed a slight sigh of relief, but still dared not let go of her hand, and gently comforted her, "Young master, did you have a nightmare? Dreams are all fake, don't take them as real, don't be afraid, don't be afraid..."
"It's not fake!" Ji Ming suddenly raised his head and shouted with the last of his strength. His voice was hoarse but filled with an unusual certainty and indignation. "It's not a dream! It's real! I saw it! I saw it all!"
"It's not fake?" Ji Yun's voice was deep, with an almost icy chill. "Then tell me, what exactly did you dream about? Explain it clearly, word by word."
"I...I dreamt that Sister Meng married you and became my sister-in-law!"
Ji Ming sobbed, tears streaming down his face, his words broken and fragmented by his sobs, "She...she played with me every day, made me delicious snacks, and even taught me to recognize medicinal herbs...I loved her so much! But...but you didn't love her! You weren't good to her at all! She was sick, very sick and in so much pain, but you...you went to a banquet at the palace, leaving her alone at home, ignoring her...she vomited so much blood...and then,and then she...she died!"
By the end, he was almost sobbing uncontrollably, his emotions running high and he was breathless. His small body trembled violently, and he nearly passed out.
Ji Yun gestured for Yun Zhou to release his grip, then squatted down, put his arm around Ji Ming's trembling shoulders, and gently patted his back with moderate force, trying to soothe his emotions. His voice remained calm and almost cold: "Okay, you dreamed about these things. Then tell me, when did these things in your dream happen?"
“…It was…it was autumn,” Ji Ming sobbed as he recalled, his little face streaked with tears, “The weather was very cold, and when the wind blew, my hands and feet were ice cold…”
“Autumn?” A faint hint of helplessness crossed Ji Yun’s brows. He pointed to the palm-leaf fan used to ward off the summer heat on the desk, then looked at Ji Ming’s thin summer nightgown. “Then take a closer look, what season is it now?”
Ji Ming abruptly stopped crying, looked around blankly as instructed, his gaze sweeping over Yun Zhou with confusion before focusing on Ji Yun's face, his eyes as unfamiliar as if he were seeing them for the first time.
In my dream, the seasons flowed, from lush summer to harsh winter, and then from harsh winter back to sweltering summer, finally settling on a season of dreary autumn rain and chilly winds. But now... the cicadas chirped faintly outside the window, the room was stuffy, a palm-leaf fan was at hand, and I was wearing summer clothes.
It is the height of summer now, not the late autumn of my dream with its cold rain tapping on the window.
The brother before me, though identical to the cold, hard face in my dream, seemed... a little more lively, and... a little more gentle, than the chillingly indifferent brother in my dream.
He hesitated for a moment, then reached out and pinched his cheek hard.
"Ouch! That hurts!" he cried out in pain, covering his cheek that had instantly turned red, and then cried out in a tearful voice, "It hurts! It hurts! This isn't a dream!"
A clear sense of helplessness flashed in Ji Yun's eyes.
Yunzhou, watching anxiously from the side, quietly tugged at Ji Ming's sleeve and whispered, "Young Master, this is not a dream. What you were having while lying in bed just now was the dream!"
Upon hearing this, Ji Ming fell silent. He furrowed his brows, lost in deep thought, as if trying to figure out which memory was an illusion.
"Even if... even if it's a dream!" He pondered for a long time, seemingly accepting this explanation reluctantly, but the next moment he suddenly looked up, grabbed Ji Yun's waist again, and acted like a rogue: "I don't care! I want to see Sister Meng right now! I want to go right now!"
His lunge landed squarely on the bite wound on Ji Yun's side. Ji Yun frowned and instinctively raised his hand to push him away.
But tonight, for some reason, Ji Ming was more stubborn than ever before, clinging to him like a vine, refusing to let go: "Take me to see her! I want to see her now! Otherwise, I won't let go!"
Yunzhou felt his temples throbbing.
The young master was usually lively and playful, but he was by no means such a unreasonable and reckless person. What was wrong with him tonight? He couldn't figure it out, so he went forward again and struggled to "pull" Ji Ming off Ji Yun and forcibly held him in his arms.
Ji Yun took a deep breath, reached out and ruffled Ji Ming's soft hair, trying to persuade him with reason. Her voice was softer than usual, and she rarely showed any patience in him. "She has been busy at the clinic all day, treating countless patients. She must be exhausted. She must have finally managed to rest now. How can we disturb her so late at night?"
Looking into his younger brother's teary eyes, he added, "You're usually the one who likes her the most, so you should think of her more and let her get some rest."
Ji Yun's tone remained as calm and rational as ever, as if he were always on the side of reason, never bound by worldly emotions, and always so clear-headed... so clear-headed that he was somewhat indifferent.
This appearance overlapped with that of the brother in his dream who filled him with fear and anger.
Ji Ming pouted, a huge sense of grievance welling up inside him. Children don't understand the restraint and thoughtfulness of adults, nor can they learn self-control and patience; he only knew that at this moment, he felt a strong sense of unease and longing.
He desperately wants to see Sister Meng right now; he's itching to see her.
It was clear that his elder brother's attitude was firm and there was no room for negotiation. He felt extremely wronged, and two lines of hot tears silently slid down from his dark eyes. He stopped making a fuss, but he looked even more pitiful.
Yunzhou hurriedly raised her sleeve to wipe away his tears, coaxing him repeatedly, "Oh my little darling, don't cry, don't cry, young master... young master will take you there, right, young master?"
As he wiped, he secretly cast pleading glances at Ji Yun, winking and making faces at him.
Ji Yun remained silent for a moment before finally giving in and saying, "Tomorrow. I'll take you there when I get back from my shift at the Medical Academy."
Having received this confirmation, Ji Ming's tense emotions finally relaxed. He nestled quietly in Yun Zhou's arms. The intense emotions and prolonged crying had already exhausted his strength, and he soon fell into a deep sleep, though tears still clung to the corners of his eyes.
Yunzhou carefully held the sleeping Ji Ming in his arms and tentatively asked, "Young Master... what about tomorrow..."
"Take him to school as usual tomorrow." Ji Yun's voice regained its usual calmness. "The following two days happen to be school holidays."
Yunzhou immediately understood and was overjoyed: "Does the young master mean that we should take him to see Doctor Meng after the young master has a holiday?"
Ji Yun slowly shook his head, his tone calm and even: "After he returns from school tomorrow, lock him in his room and let him reflect on his actions for two days. He is not allowed to step out of the room without permission."
Yunzhou: "Huh???"
Before Yunzhou could fully react, Ji Yun raised his hand, signaling him to leave. Yunzhou, still holding Ji Ming, was stunned for a moment, barely able to comprehend how he had been kicked out.
Looking up at the pale, cold crescent moon in the sky, Yunzhou felt an overwhelming sense of melancholy. Looking down at the restless sleeping young master in her arms, she sighed deeply and muttered, "How...how could they even fool a child..."
Inside the study, Ji Yun slowly walked back to his desk. He raised his hand and gently pressed the spot on his abdomen where he had been bitten; a sharp pain made him wince.
This guy eats without a care in the world, goes to school every day, but has completely forgotten the basic human relationships of respecting elder brothers and respecting the hierarchy.
He should be allowed to stay home and reflect on his actions for a few days.
However… when he recalled the dream that Ji Ming had just mentioned, a strange feeling quietly crept into his heart.
Did Meng Yutong marry him? Did she become his wife?
For some reason, a blurry figure inexplicably appeared in his mind. It was a fragment that suddenly appeared in his mind when Meng Yutong stood up after squatting for a long time in the pharmacy in the backyard of Zhaoyutang that day, and he helped her up.
In that blurry fragment, there was indeed a newlywed couple...
He then shook his head, feeling that his thoughts were too chaotic.
Let alone the fact that their engagement had been called off and they had long since gone their separate ways. Even if the engagement hadn't been called off, given their personalities, even if they had married, they would at most have treated each other with the utmost respect. How could he have committed such despicable acts as "treating her badly" or even "coldly watching her die from her illness"?
If the dream was absurd, Ji Ming's reaction was even more thought-provoking. What kind of vivid and detailed dream could have made him so deeply immersed in it, unable to extricate himself for so long, to the point that he couldn't distinguish between reality and illusion, and thus acted in such an irrational way?
A variety of confusions lingered in my mind, refusing to dissipate, and I could not find a solution.
He felt more and more clearly that since Ji Zhao left, the well-ordered life trajectory he had carefully constructed for himself seemed to be showing subtle but not negligible deviations.
As if some unseen force was secretly at work, a host of variables were converging, interfering with him and preventing him from concentrating...
The order and rules upon which he relied to maintain inner peace and make a living are gradually showing signs of collapse.
What's even more terrifying is that, faced with this out-of-control and unknown change, he should have felt resistance and rejection, but deep in his heart, a strange, almost secret expectation arose.
He was even a little curious about how badly things would eventually fall apart if left to their own devices.
When that time comes, will he still be the same cold-hearted, rational, and unmoved person he always was?
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