Ji Yang could actually sense when an episode of phantom limb pain was about to strike.
He was mentally prepared for it, too.
Unlike the lingering pain he had experienced the previous night, phantom limb pain often came on more suddenly and violently, and was almost unbearable. The medication he had taken before the banquet seemed to have had absolutely no effect.
In the guest room second from the end of the second-floor corridor, Ji Yang was placed beside the bed. He tugged off his jacket, rolled onto the mattress, and quickly curled up with his knees drawn to his chest.
He lay sideways, buried in the middle of the blankets. He thought he could hear Nie Xu making a phone call.
When he raised his head to look, all he saw was a figure standing with his back to him by the window.
Outside Yuming Tower, heavy rain poured down, beating against the glass. The sound mingled with the commotion of guests leaving downstairs and the noise of car engines starting.
A dim, yellowish light illuminated the room.
Ji Yang heard Nie Xu say something about, “Two years of pain… Just stopped the medication… Mm. No one’s here. Come in.”
Soon, someone knocked on the door.
The person who entered was a young man Ji Yang didn’t recognize. His eyes and brows tilted upward, giving him a somewhat rakish, carefree air. He carried a medical bag and had all the equipment one would expect a doctor to have, yet he didn’t look entirely like a doctor.
Ji Yang lay on his stomach, eyes open, meeting the newcomer’s gaze.
“Whoa.” The man seemed startled by him. He turned to Nie Xu and complained, “I thought you’d knocked him unconscious before asking me to come over. Seeing a pair of beautiful eyes staring at me out of nowhere nearly scared me to death.”
As he spoke, he walked closer to the bed and leaned in a little.
“Young Master, are you about to cry from the pain?”
Ji Yang clutched the blanket and gritted his teeth. “……Who’s going to cry?”
“Quite fierce, aren’t you?” the man remarked.
Ji Yang was speechless.
Nie Xu said, “If I asked you to examine him, then examine him. Stop talking nonsense.”
“Fine, I’ll shut up.”
The man put his medical bag beside the bed, took out a pair of disposable rubber gloves, and started putting them on while continuing to chatter.
“I’m nothing but a blood bank for you men. The moment you need me, one phone call and I’m expected to rush over. Once I’m no longer useful, you toss me aside without a second thought. Why is my life so miserable?”
As he spoke, his gaze drifted downward, and he immediately recognized the material of Ji Yang’s prosthetic leg.
He whistled appreciatively. “Cool.”
Ji Yang drew his leg back. “Just wait until I install a multicolored LED light on it one day. Then it’ll be even cooler.”
The man froze for a moment before bursting into laughter.
He glanced at Nie Xu, then turned back to Ji Yang and said, “No wonder someone made an exception for you for the first time in his life. You’re definitely easier on the eyes than you used to be.”
Ji Yang rested his chin on the disheveled blanket.
“Making an exception proves I’m worth it.”
Then he asked, “Do you know me?”
“Oh, your reputation precedes you.”
The man took an injection from his medical bag.
“I’m Qi Songqing. I generally don’t treat people, especially members of the Ji family.”
He gestured toward Ji Yang. “Arm.”
Qi Songqing?
Ji Yang didn’t remember anyone by that name in the novel.
Then again, that might have been because he hadn’t finished reading it.
Ji Yang pulled his arm out. He was in so much pain that he barely had the strength to rest it on the edge of the bed.
His cooperation made Qi Songqing raise an eyebrow. Without hesitating, he administered the injection. Only after the needle was already in did he ask, “Aren’t you afraid I might inject you with something else?”
“Go ahead.” Ji Yang’s eyes were half closed. He looked half dead, and each word came out slowly. “When the ruler wants a subject dead, the subject has no choice but to die. I’m already in this state. The two of you can just kill me and dump my body somewhere on this rainy night.”
Even in his agony, he was considerate enough to think of their convenience.
“The Ji family won’t seriously investigate it. You can both rest easy.”
The man turned and exchanged a glance with Nie Xu, silently asking: Has he really become like this now?
Doesn’t he usually go crazy as soon as his condition flares up?
Even you, his bodyguard, used to have to deal with him using a whip.
Nie Xu looked at Ji Yang, who had arranged himself on the bed like a puddle of melted jelly.
“No one is stupid enough to kill you to silence you right after you’ve caused such a commotion online.”
The man withdrew the needle and nodded in agreement.
“That’s true.”
After receiving the injection, Ji Yang immediately curled back up. He no longer had the strength to answer.
Qi Songqing glanced at him, disposed of the medical waste, then turned to Nie Xu.
“He’s sweating this much partly because he has a low pain tolerance, but more importantly, it’s withdrawal from suddenly stopping the medication. The painkiller injection I gave him probably won’t do much for his current condition. It’s better than nothing, but I don’t have a better solution.”
Nie Xu asked, “Are you sure it’s related to the medication You Li gave you?”
Ji Yang, lying on the bed, stopped breathing for a moment when he heard that.
The quality inspector You Li found was this very Qi Songqing?
So after all that, I’ve never had any secrets from Nie Xu in the first place!
Ji Yang felt like asking the heavens what he had done to deserve this.
Not that he had actually intended to keep it a secret.
Qi Songqing said, “Only a small proportion of people experience severe phantom limb pain. If someone has been suffering from it for two years without the slightest improvement, as he has, and has been unable to accept his condition psychologically, then we can reasonably suspect the medication is involved.”
At this point, he remembered Ji Yang’s remark about installing lights on his prosthetic leg. He rubbed his chin, suddenly wanting to take back what he had said earlier and make up for it.
“Still, to determine whether the pain is primarily caused by the pathological effects of the medication or by psychological factors, I’d recommend a neurological examination using specialized equipment.”
Nie Xu said, “Understood.”
“Don’t give me that ‘understood’ nonsense.” Qi Songqing’s tone turned sarcastic. “You’re an assistant. What gives you the authority to make decisions for him?”
Nie Xu glanced at him. “I have the authority to make decisions for you. Want to test that?”
“No, no, no.” Qi Songqing immediately surrendered.
He made a subtle gesture toward Ji Yang, then waggled his eyebrows at Nie Xu as if trying to sound him out. Deliberately, he said, “Anyway, I’m sick and tired of being CTO of Jianyuan. You’d better get Jiang Lei and the others out of the Ji family soon. Ever since that incident at the docks last time, I keep suspecting that one day you’ll call me not to treat someone, but to help collect your corpses.”
Nie Xu acted as though he hadn’t seen his hints and went straight to the point.
“How are the arrangements I asked you to make coming along?”
Qi Songqing: “……”
He had no choice but to answer directly. “The candidates for the intensive training selection have been arranged for a while now. I’ll personally deliver them to Lu Li when the time comes.”
Nie Xu said, “Lu Li is the watchdog the Lu family offered to Ji Yansong when they pledged their allegiance to him. If necessary, feed the Lu family some false information. The Lu family has leverage over him.”
“Gentlemen.”
Ji Yang lifted his head from beneath the blanket again. His voice was weak and airy.
“My leg hurts. I’m not deaf. Thank you.”
What exactly do you mean by discussing something that sounds so much like a conspiracy right in front of me?
Qi Songqing was actually the chief technology officer of Jianyuan Group.
And the Lu family—wasn’t that the family that had been mentioned alongside the Qi family before, the one that had close ties with the Ji family?
Ji Yang wasn’t particularly interested in any of this. As for the Lu Li they were talking about, he had never even met the man.
Hearing Ji Yang’s response, Qi Songqing raised an eyebrow discreetly. Then he turned back with an expression of sudden realization.
“Oh, sorry. I almost forgot you were still here.”
Ji Yang smiled.
“Should I be ashamed of how completely invisible I am, then?”
Pretending. As if I don’t know what you’re doing.
Qi Songqing’s lips curled upward.
“That’s not necessary.”
As he spoke, he draped an arm over Nie Xu’s shoulder.
“I heard you were bold enough to strike a deal with him and play out that whole ‘competing for a husband’ drama. Listening to a few harmless remarks like these isn’t going to hurt you. But since we’ve had the good fortune to meet tonight, let me give you a word of advice. He’s never gentle when it comes to using people. You…”
Qi Songqing looked him over.
“The Ji family wronged you, so there’s nothing wrong with wanting revenge. But don’t let the act become real, okay?”
Ji Yang blinked. The pain didn’t stop him from speaking. “Is that so?” In fact, talking was an excellent way to distract himself from it. “You came to the police station to pick me up in the middle of the night, carried me into the car, agreed to be my assistant, and now you’ve even hired a doctor for me.”
Ji Yang looked at Nie Xu and said softly, “Brother Xu, if this doesn’t count as love, what does?”
His nose had turned red from constantly rubbing it against the blanket, and his damp hair was sticking messily to his pale face. Combined with his questioning tone and trembling voice, he looked utterly sincere.
Qi Songqing was dumbfounded.
“You’re a professional.”
Nie Xu raised an eyebrow. “Has the painkiller kicked in?”
“No.” Ji Yang brushed the hair off his face and blinked, his expression suddenly turning merciless. “Why do you assume I’m the only one who might let the act become real? Why can’t you be the one who falls for me? I look like this. Apart from my leg being… crippled! What’s wrong with me?”
In this scene, the person lying on the bed, who appeared to be in the weakest position, had instead become the most unapologetically confident one.
Nie Xu met his eyes. Two seconds later, he turned to Qi Songqing.
“Alright, you can leave now,” Nie Xu said.
Qi Songqing glanced between them a few times before asking Nie Xu, “Don’t tell me you can’t handle his questions?”
“I’m not as bored as you are.” Nie Xu picked up the medical kit and shoved it into his arms. “The people in the hallway have already been diverted. Avoid the surveillance cameras on your way out. Do I really need to teach you that?”
Qi Songqing picked up the case, speechless. “Who’s more bored than you? You’re getting addicted to playing the wooden bodyguard.”
When he reached the door, he suddenly remembered something and turned back to Nie Xu.
“Keep that kid You Li in check. He was rushing around like a madman first thing this morning, insisting that I give him some kind of written certificate. If it weren’t for the fact that you grudgingly treat him like a younger brother, I would’ve kicked him out long ago.”
Ji Yang raised his hand, using the last of his strength. “I was the one who asked him to get it.”
“Oh, it was you, Young Master.” Qi Songqing changed his attitude just as quickly. He shrugged indifferently and smiled. “I’ve always been generous toward pretty boys. Feel free to come to me again next time.”
Once Qi Songqing left, the entire room suddenly fell silent.
The rain outside seemed to be getting heavier.
Ever since arriving in this world, Ji Yang had begun to dislike rainy days. That damp, clammy weather, or sudden, violent downpours, seemed to make the pain in this body feel as though it would never end.
Ji Yang tried to keep distracting himself by talking.
“Why did Qi Songqing get here so quickly?”
“He was already at the banquet.” Nie Xu’s voice came from above his head. “Jian Yuan received an invitation.”
Ji Yang’s voice dropped, sounding rather muffled. “For the Ji family to personally send out an invitation, and for them to have remained completely unaware all these years… he really is quite impressive…” He paused at the end because someone had handed him a mirror from the bedside table.
Ji Yang lifted his eyelids. “What’s this? Mirror therapy? You know about that too?”
“I’ve seen it used on injured people,” Nie Xu replied. “It might not work, but at least it’s better than listening to you talk.”
“You actually just want me to shut up, don’t you?” Ji Yang said helplessly, turning his head away. “I can’t be bothered.”
The truth was that he was in too much pain. He simply didn’t want to move.
“Position the mirror so it faces your intact side. Lift the front of your foot upward. Fifteen minutes per set, four sets.”
Ji Yang heard the sound of the mirror being put back.
“Whether you do it or not is up to you. I have something to take care of, so I’ll be stepping out for a while.”
“Got it,” Ji Yang replied.
As soon as the door closed, Ji Yang pulled the blanket around himself and curled up completely inside it.
Ever since childhood, his way of enduring pain had been to sleep. Even if he couldn’t fall asleep, he would force himself to do so. As long as he could open his eyes the next day, he knew he had survived another day.
Perhaps the injection had actually helped a little. Listening to the sound of the rain outside, he unexpectedly began to feel a little sleepy.
He seemed to have fallen asleep briefly, though perhaps he hadn’t.
When he finally became aware of his surroundings again, the lights in the room had gone completely dark, but the rain was still falling.
Surprisingly, the pain had also subsided considerably.
He was no longer sweating.
As long as he didn’t deliberately focus on it, the pain was within a tolerable range.
Ji Yang took out his phone and checked the time. It was already four in the morning. Without strong painkillers, enduring the pain the hard way certainly made time pass much more slowly.
The moment he opened his phone, which he had deliberately put on silent, he was greeted by a screen full of trending-topic notifications.
The words #JiYangLivestream were still at the very top, even after an entire night.
The topics below it were just as explosive.
#BanquetLivestream
#ARealTimeRecordOfInfightingAmongTheRich
#JiCorporationStockFluctuations
#FourthYoungMasterOfTheJiFamily
This was no longer the sort of minor commotion caused by gossip media and tabloids.
This was a livestream that had broken out of its usual circle and spread on a massive scale, even to the point of influencing fluctuations in a corporate group’s stock price.
Countless people were flooding into the account One Yang.
Under normal circumstances, with such a massive public-opinion scandal, someone would certainly have to take responsibility. Yet Ji Yang hadn’t received a single reprimand from anyone in the Ji family. The only person who had contacted him was Ji Mingyue, who asked whether he had recovered a little and told him that Grandpa had said he could rest here for the night.
Sure enough, when a person became useful, people treated them differently.
On his new account, Fu Cheng was still pestering him with friend requests like a persistent plaster. It seemed he hadn’t given up yet.
You Li had also sent him two voice messages.
Ji Yang had only just tapped the first one when the other person’s deafening voice suddenly burst out, startling him in the silence of the night.
“Ji Yang, you’ve screwed me over!”
“I just got notified by Brother Lei that I’ve been assigned the additional duty of cybersecurity officer! My goal is to become a qualified bodyguard, not to spend my time fighting your online haters! Brother Lei said this is a punishment. What did I even do to deserve being punished?”
Ji Yang looked at his phone and burst out laughing.
He guessed it had something to do with You Li using his internal connections without realizing how serious the consequences would be.
Ji Yang had only just woken up, and his voice was hoarse from the pain. He replied, “What’s wrong with helping me fight my online haters? I’ve thought about it, and with your strong internet instincts, being a bodyguard really isn’t suitable for you.”
At this hour, You Li still hadn’t gone to sleep.
He replied instantly.
“I wasn’t trying to become your bodyguard in the first place! Who’d have to be cursed for eight lifetimes to end up as your bodyguard?”
Ji Yang: “Your brother?”
You Li: “Shameless.”
Ji Yang: “How am I shameless?”
You Li: “You just want to take advantage of being close to him to get what you want. My brother isn’t that kind of person. I advise you to give up.”
Ji Yang: “Someone who gives in to intimidation? But he carried me in his arms tonight, in front of so many people, including my third brother, whom you like even more. Wouldn’t hearing that make you die of anger?”
You Li gritted his teeth. “Does being up late at night make people thicker-skinned?”
Ji Yang: “Maybe.”
There was no further response from the other end of the phone. Ji Yang guessed You Li probably wouldn’t be getting any sleep tonight, and the thought made him even happier.
His foot accidentally knocked against the edge of the bed, making a noise. Only then did Ji Yang remember that he hadn’t removed his prosthetic leg before falling asleep.
After thinking about it, he decided to get up and take it off. That way, he could sleep a little longer.
He lifted the blanket and discovered that he was wearing dress pants, which couldn’t be rolled up very far.
So he simply stood up on the bed.
His hand reached for the waistband of his pants, and he had even grasped the zipper when he suddenly sensed that something was wrong.
What was wrong?
Ji Yang instinctively raised his head.
The sight genuinely scared him so badly that an involuntary “Fuck!” burst out of his mouth.
Someone was sitting in the chair by the window, his upper body almost entirely swallowed by the darkness. A cold glint occasionally flashed in his hand. His long legs were the only clearly discernible feature, and beneath the small round coffee table in front of him, they seemed to have nowhere to stretch out.
Only when the man leaned forward slightly did Ji Yang make out half of his profile. He also saw that the object silently spinning in his hand was actually a fruit knife, presumably the one that had been sitting on the coffee table.
Yet, somehow, Ji Yang sensed a chilling, imposing menace from that ordinary fruit knife.
Perhaps it was precisely because the person holding it was so casual that the feeling became even more pronounced.
“Brother Xu?” Ji Yang tried to calm his poor heart, which had nearly jumped out of his chest. “Why are you still here?”
Nie Xu’s voice sounded in the darkness.
“On duty.”
Those two words were like a bucket of ice water poured directly over Ji Yang’s head, leaving him utterly numb.
Ever since transmigrating into this book, he had never spent a night away from home.
And nobody had told him that a personal bodyguard’s shift could take place in the same room.
Ji Yang suddenly remembered his voice messages with You Li just now. Hadn’t every single word gone straight into this man’s ears?
Ji Yang tentatively asked, “Don’t you sleep?”
“I just fell asleep,” Nie Xu replied.
Meaning Ji Yang had woken him up?
Although Ji Yang was standing at a higher position, he somehow felt as though he had never escaped the oppressive sensation of being within the other man’s line of sight. He slowly said, “Well, that’s really… sorry.”
Nie Xu’s gaze swept over his hand.
“It’s fine. Or do you need me to exercise my authority as your assistant and give you a hand?”
“Give me a hand with what?” Ji Yang hadn’t quite caught on yet.
Nie Xu replied, “Getting your boss out of his pants at four in the morning?”
Ji Yang instinctively released the hand resting on his pants.
The next second, he asked with a mixture of suspicion and confidence, “If you’re trying to seduce your boss to get promoted, then, well… I’m not exactly the kind of chaste man who’d refuse outright. I can understand. After all, I’m pretty famous now, too.”
It wasn’t that he was lusting after a handsome man. Absolutely not.
A soft, mocking chuckle came from the darkness. Perhaps it was just his imagination.
Nie Xu rose from the chair and walked over to the bed.
“Only taking off your pants?”
Realizing that Nie Xu was serious, Ji Yang understood that if he agreed, the other man would definitely get hands-on.
That wouldn’t be serving his boss. Ji Yang suspected he would end up being skinned alive.
“My underwear is white,” he immediately said.
He emphasized, “And it’s boxer briefs.”
Nie Xu asked, “So?”
Ji Yang replied, “Only my husband gets to see it.”
Nie Xu’s gaze dipped downward.
“It’s nothing special.”
Nothing special.
Those four short words left Ji Yang so furious that he was practically stunned.
Wasn’t Nie Xu supposed to be an emotionless revenge machine? What gave him the right to be even more vicious than this villainous character himself?