“Ugh~~”
“Bastards! How the hell are there so many of them!!”
After a round of washing her face, brushing her teeth, rinsing her mouth, and rubbing her hands, Ji Yuenian was utterly exhausted.
She lay limp on the double bed in the hotel room, which still faintly smelled of tulips, while Jiang Chi had long since been sent away.
To be honest, she never expected she would one day resort to selling her looks—and becoming more skilled at it with each attempt.
What a dark past…
But…
She slightly raised her hand. Her fair palm was wrinkled from being washed raw, even some skin peeled off.
Ji Yuenian turned over, ignoring her still damp legs, took out her phone from her pocket, switched accounts, and began communicating with Jiang Chi under the identity of “Ji Yuenian.”
The payment’s done~ Now it’s your turn to use that “world-shaking intelligence” of yours.
Accompanied by the tapping sound of fingers on the keyboard, the pale glow from the phone softly illuminated the girl’s slightly flushed face.
Her eyes, like dark grapes, stared intently at the screen.
At the same time, on the other side, the “addicted to the taste” youth was also lying leisurely on his big bed, slowly explaining his plan.
……
The dark, narrow alley where even sunlight struggled to reach was filled with a damp, grimy smell.
But the brothers Long Qiang and Long Yi, who had just been released from the police station, didn’t care at all.
They smoked as they strolled leisurely.
Both were tall and burly, with fierce tattoos sprawling across their arms, their hair dyed yellow—just by their looks, no one would dare mess with them.
“Bro, where should we collect protection fees today?”
“To Third Middle School. After that, we’ll go get a foot massage. Hehe~ I heard number 8 offers some special massage service.” Long Yi squinted his eyes, a sly grin revealing a row of yellowed teeth, full of anticipation and pride.
“Two of you are really living the good life, huh.”
At that moment, a cold and eerie voice came from behind.
Long Qiang and Long Yi stopped in their tracks, feeling a chill creep up their spines.
They looked up and saw a boy with a playful expression walking towards them at a leisurely pace.
He wore white gloves, gripping a sharp fruit knife tightly in his right hand.
Under the scorching sun, the blade flashed a chilling gleam from time to time.
“You…” Long Qiang’s eyes widened, ready to say something.
“I spit on you!”
Before Long Qiang could finish, Ji Yuenian spat fiercely on Long Yi’s face.
Then, he threw the fruit knife to the ground and turned to sprint desperately towards one of the alley’s exits.
Long Yi was stunned, then exploded in rage.
He gritted his teeth and cursed, quickly grabbing the fruit knife from the ground and chasing after him like a wild beast gone mad.
Long Qiang wanted to stop him, warning about possible traps, but seeing his older brother already on the move, he had no choice but to follow closely behind.
As mentioned before, the alley had many exits—some led to the school’s main gate, some to the ground parking lot, others to the mall entrance.
Ji Yuenian chose the exit that led straight to a bustling bus stop.
At that moment, a bus happened to pass by.
“Help! Murder!!”
Ji Yuenian yelled loudly.
Then he ran desperately towards the bus, seemingly intending to get on before the Long brothers reacted.
However, a thick arm suddenly reached out and grabbed him.
“Get your ass down!”
But Ji Yuenian must have anticipated the brothers catching up, because as they pulled him, he threw his body backward, falling heavily onto Long Yi.
Pfft!
Long Yi was pressed down, struggling to breathe.
Just as he was about to move, a strong metallic scent filled the air.
Blood gushed from a wound, staining Ji Yuenian’s white shirt crimson, and the ground beneath turned red as well.
The hand that had been holding Ji Yuenian’s arm froze in panic.
Long Yi’s eyes widened, but at that moment, they met the dark, watery pupils of the boy lying in his arms.
They were cold, teasing eyes.
Just then, a faint voice whispered in his ear, “Thank you~”
Suddenly, the bus doors opened.
The commotion at the bus stop had already drawn everyone’s attention.
A blue-eyed boy rushed out, kicked Long Yi away with a single boot, and quickly pulled a medical kit from his shoulder bag.
Meanwhile, the passengers on the bus all instinctively took out their phones to call the police.
They might not be brave enough to intervene directly, but reporting it was something they could do.
Several curious onlookers nearby also filmed the scene from a distance.
Long Yi sat stunned on the ground, wanting to say that he didn’t mean to hit first—that the other party had collided with him.
Just then, urgent police sirens sounded in the distance.
……
When Ji Yuenian woke again, he was lying on a hospital bed.
The stark white walls around him made his head spin, and the glaring white lights above were blinding.
Everything in front of him was blurred.
“Mom, Dad, little brother’s awake!” A voice of joy rang out, followed by a beautiful woman rushing to Ji Yuenian’s side.
She gently stroked his pale cheek.
“Yueyue, are you okay? Don’t scare Mom.”
Ji Yuenian was stunned for a few seconds before noticing the woman’s reddened and swollen eyes.
A sudden surge of guilt welled up in his heart.
He wanted to get up and hug Huang Qingchuan, but as soon as he moved, a sharp, stabbing pain shot through his waist, making him gasp.
“Don’t move.”
A broad hand pressed on Ji Yuenian’s shoulder, pushing him back onto the pillow.
“The doctor said you had a few stitches.
You need to stay still for a while.
If the wound reopens, it’ll be a big problem.”
Ji Yuenian looked up and saw his father’s familiar yet stern face.
At this moment, Ji Hong’s expression was filled with concern—unlike his usual stern demeanor.
His gaze swept over the three people around the bed.
All wore heavy worry and anxiety on their faces, making Ji Yuenian’s nose prick with emotion.
I’m sorry…
Ji Yuenian murmured to himself.
If he could, he wouldn’t have chosen this method.
But! But!! He just couldn’t swallow that anger!
Why was his little brother lying in the hospital?
While Long Yi and Long Qiang could walk free just because they were minors!
Why!!
If someone had beaten his little brother into the hospital, would he still have any face left?!
“Ahem, ahem… Mom, Dad, bro, how many days have I been asleep?” Ji Yuenian’s voice was dry.
“One day.”
Ji Haotong replied, then leaned in closer.
“Little brother, I told you to keep a low profile outside school. Um um um…”
Before he could finish, Huang Qingchuan covered his mouth.
She glared at her eldest son, then looked at her second son with concern.
“Yueyue, are you hungry? What do you want to eat?”
Ji Yuenian shook his head.
Strangely enough, since waking up, he wasn’t hungry at all.
Instead, his body felt warm and vigorous, except for some sharp pain in his waist.
Waves of heat flowed through his body as if his cells were dividing and healing anew.
It was like a magical fantasy novel’s marrow washing and meridian-cleansing technique.
Even the wound on his waist sent tingling, pleasant sensations.
In short, it was very comfortable.
And the source of the warmth was none other than the double-sided silver coin he kept close in his pants pocket.
Could it be that the correct use of this silver coin was to stab oneself, then use it to heal?