Chapter 55: Liking Someone Was Not Something She Could Control With Reason

The road, covered with a thin layer of ice, screeched sharply with the sound of brakes. The piled-up tulle billowed into a darkness deeper than the night sky. 

The out-of-control car wildly turned the steering wheel and crashed into the pillar by the porch. The thinly dressed girl tumbled to the ground, and two dark tire marks appeared glaringly in everyone's sight.

Ji Xiao could hear the violent beating coming from her chest. The pain spread from her hip to her back, finally concentrating on her right-hand side. 

Even though Alphas have a higher bone density compared to Betas and Omegas, at the moment of impact, Ji Xiao still felt the pain in her arm that almost rendered her speechless.

"Ji Xiao, how are you?"

"Xiaoxiao, Xiaoxiao!"

"Miss Ji, are you okay..."

….

Soon, many people gathered around Ji Xiao, their faces showing expressions that were not very clear.

Ji Xiao's mind clouded by the pain, gazed up blankly. After catching a glimpse of Ji Qingyun's anxious face, she finally saw that touch of light pink.

Ji Xiao didn't know if it was her own illusion, but she actually saw Wei Qingyu, who was always calm and composed, with a face full of anxiety. 

Wei Qingyu disregarded her own demeanor, pushing aside the people blocking her way, and hurriedly came to Ji Xiao's side.

The scent of mint drifted into Ji Xiao's nose, thread by thread, on this winter night where even the air seemed to freeze.

Amidst the cool scent, there was a hint of the warm fragrance of a young girl. As Ji Xiao inhaled, she felt the unbearable pain in her body ease slightly.

She leaned into that warm embrace as if the shattered soul from the earlier impact was slowly being pieced back together.

After a long while, or perhaps just a few brief seconds, Ji Xiao finally recognized what Wei Qingyu's moving lips were saying.

"Ji Xiao, Ji Xiao, can you hear me? Ji Xiao..."

Her voice was full of anxiety, mixed with a trembling that the young girl couldn't control.

Ji Xiao could sense the fear Wei Qingyu was conveying to her. She moved her little finger slightly, gently hooking Wei Qingyu's finger in a comforting manner, and used all her strength to nod her head.

Wei Qingyu felt Ji Xiao's finger lightly hooking hers. Her expression eased a bit, and she quickly asked, "Is there anywhere that feels uncomfortable?"

Ji Xiao looked at the girl holding her in her arms. She opened her mouth but didn't know how to answer the question.

She felt pain all over her body, and only when leaning into Wei Qingyu's embrace did it ease slightly.

Ji Qingyun, who had been watching from the side, heard this, and his eyes turned red with worry. He hurriedly asked, "Where does it hurt, Xiaoxiao? Tell Dad, where does it hurt? Dad will carry you to the car right now, and we'll get to the hospital quickly."

As Ji Qingyun spoke, he wanted to take his precious daughter from Wei Qingyu's arms, but Ji Xiao wouldn't allow it.

She clutched her injured arm tightly around Wei Qingyu, her pain-filled red eyes staring straight at her.

In this chaotic and unfamiliar world, she only had her.

Wei Qingyu could feel the fragility of the girl in her arms and sensed her reliance on her. Not wanting to hand Ji Xiao over to Ji Qingyun, she tightened her hold around the girl, pulling her closer. She spoke calmly to the man reaching out his hand in front of her, "Uncle, let me do it."

"…Alright." Ji Qingyun reluctantly nodded.

He watched as Wei Qingyu carried Ji Xiao toward his car, a sense of jealousy and wariness that he hadn't felt for a long time surging up.

The broken car headlight emitted a sizzling electrical sound. After a moment, Ji Qingyun quickly walked over, silently following behind them, helping to lift their skirts.

The city at midnight had fallen asleep, and the neon lights had vanished from the night, leaving dark clouds piled up in the sky.

The car sped down the empty streets, heading straight to the downtown hospital at Ji Qingyun's signal.

Nurses and doctors had been waiting in the lobby for a while. Ji Xiao curled up in Wei Qingyu's arms, was placed on the emergency bed.

Only when the sharp needle injected the pain-relieving anesthetic into her veins did the girl’s hand, which had been tightly clutching the light pink hem of her dress, finally relax. Her slightly trembling golden-orange eyes lost all their light.

Wei Qingyu stood outside the emergency operating room, refusing to leave, even though she still had bloodstains on her.

The scent of mint could calm Ji Xiao, but the bloodstains with the scent of peach brandy could not bring her peace of mind

….

"President Ji, there’s a call from over there. The people from Xincheng Group have arrived."

A deliberately suppressed voice with a breathy tone reached Ji Xiao's ears, and a bright light also fell into her eyes.

Her consciousness was slowly waking up, but her body still felt too heavy to muster any strength.

"Have them wait for a while," Ji Qingyun said.

The secretary hesitated, "But President Ji, that’s our hard-earned..."

Ji Qingyun, not waiting for the secretary to finish, said in a low, angry voice, "Can’t you see what I’m doing? Have them wait. If they can’t wait, they can leave!"

The Alpha’s tone was heavy and oppressive, and the Omega secretary had no choice but to nod stiffly, "Yes."

The high heels tapped softly on the floor, and soon Ji Xiao heard the door to the hospital room close with a "thud."

Then, a heavy and slow sigh filled the quiet space, and the man's broad hands enveloped the hand dangling by the bedside.

This time, Ji Xiao did not feel the disgusting rejection as before; instead, she felt a bit of resonance in her soft heart.

— This stemmed from the biological connection of her body with the man in front of her, echoing her biological father.

In many ways, Ji Qingyun was not a good person, but he was faultless when it came to his daughter. He was indulgent and biased, and even if the original owner wanted a star from the sky, he could spend a fortune to buy one and name it after her.

Ji Xiao felt the warmth from her bloodline and couldn’t help but be moved.

It was undeniable that the person in front of her was destined to face his death on the gallows in the end. But before that, she could also respond to his love for the original owner as a daughter.

With this thought, Ji Xiao struggled to open her heavy eyes. Her parched voice slid through her throat as she awkwardly called out to the man in front of her, "Dad."

Ji Qingyun’s face instantly lit up with excitement. He hurriedly leaned closer to Ji Xiao, asking with concern, "Xiaoxiao, you’re awake? Are you thirsty? Hungry? Is there anywhere that hurts?"

Ji Xiao shook her head in response instead of speaking.

The pain before her coma had faded, leaving only a lingering fatigue.

Ji Qingyun, however, continued to speak non-stop, "Xiaoxiao, don’t worry. I’ve already sent someone to investigate this matter. It was just that person’s car wasn’t properly maintained for winter, causing the slippery road to make the brakes fail."

Seeing Ji Xiao with her right hand in a cast, he seemed to remember something and reassured her, "Xiaoxiao, don’t be afraid. No one meant to harm you. I will make sure a nightmare like that time never happens again."

It was then that Ji Xiao noticed her right arm was in a thick cast.

She let Ji Qingyun rub her head, her eyes filled with confusion.

When is “that time" he was referring to? 

How could Ji Qingyun describe it as a "nightmare"?

Ji Qingyun looked at his obedient daughter, sat back in his chair, and asked with concern, "Xiaoxiao, I’ve noticed that you’ve been getting closer to Qingyu recently. Are you getting along well?"

Ji Xiao nodded, "Mm."

Upon hearing Ji Xiao’s answer, Ji Qingyun’s expression subtly revealed a hint of dissatisfaction.

He lowered his voice, adopting a sincere tone, and said to Ji Xiao, "Xiaoxiao, although I don’t want you to carry hatred, I still hope you don’t forget what the Wei family did to us."

Ji Xiao’s confusion deepened upon hearing this, but at the same time, she felt as though she was standing behind a door. Behind that heavy door was a record of the grievances between Ji Qingyun and Wei Qingyu’s parents, which had not been detailed in the original text.

"I just asked the doctor. If your arm hadn’t been injured before, this time it would have only been fractured, not broken," Ji Qingyun said, his brow slightly furrowed. "If the Wei family had agreed to my terms back then, not reporting it to the police and paying the ransom, Xiaoxiao wouldn’t have to suffer like this today."

Report to the police?

Ransom?

As Ji Xiao listened to Ji Qingyun’s description, she couldn’t help but recall a dream she had a long time ago.

The memory of the rough man’s bloody smell on her face was once again paused and refreshed, along with Wei Qingyu’s appearance at that time.

Ji Qingyun said, "Xiaoxiao, you’re older now, and I know you have your own judgments. "But I must remind you again: to be blunt, the Wei family can't be trusted, nor can Wei Qingyu."

"How could it be so coincidental? She went, and you didn’t go. Have you thought about it?"

Ji Xiao, hearing Ji Qingyun’s suspicious conspiracy theory, couldn’t help but argue, "But it really was just…"

Ji Qingyun frowned when he heard his daughter defending Wei Qingyu again. "Xiaoxiao, you’re just too well protected by me. You need to observe and think more about things. This situation is almost identical to that time. She, who should be punished, is unharmed, while you suffer the consequences of her misfortune. Our family has already learned enough of a lesson; we can’t be manipulated by them again. Understand?"

"Xiaoxiao, Dad won’t harm you. Trust me," Ji Qingyun said as he held Ji Xiao’s hand. "Xiaoxiao, stay away from Qingyu. This girl has impure intentions."

Ji Xiao listened to Ji Qingyun’s words, silently looking at his hand on her wrist, and thought about the dream she had not long ago.

That dream must have been a real kidnapping that happened to the original owner. According to Ji Qingyun, Wei Qingyu’s parents wanted to call the police, but Ji Qingyun only wanted to settle with money. Later, something went wrong, and because Wei Qingyu was the child of the person who reported it, the kidnappers retaliated against her. However, the threatening and provocative photos received by the Wei family were of Ji Xiao.

Ji Xiao suddenly recalled a peculiar line from the dream that she had paid special attention to—“You are Ji Xiao now, and I am Wei Qingyu.”

A hint of realization flashed in her golden-orange eyes. There was no deep scheming from Wei Qingyu, nor was there any hypocrisy from the Wei family. The true schemers were never Wei Qingyu's parents but Ji Qingyun. It was clear that Ji Xiao was retaliated against because she had taken on the role of Wei Qingyu voluntarily. The original owner must have explained the situation to Ji Qingyun afterward.

It was unclear whether Ji Qingyun stubbornly refused to believe the truth or if he chose to ignore it due to his excessive protection of Ji Xiao. He had obsessively blamed everything on the Wei family, secretly gradually going against them.

He had used his role as a father to lead Ji Xiao down the wrong path, breaking a child's wings of justice and beauty, and pushing her into the hell of arrogance and pride.

"Xiaoxiao..."

"Miss Wei? Why aren't you coming in?"

Ji Qingyun was about to continue brainwashing Ji Xiao when Aunt Wu's voice interrupted him. 

Ji Xiao looked sharply at the door upon hearing this. 

The door with frosted glass was pushed open, and Aunt Wu, carrying a delicate food box, entered the room with Wei Qingyu. 

Wei Qingyu’s expression remained as calm as usual, her long, smooth hair partly hiding her slightly pursed crimson lips. Her turquoise eyes were cast downward, her thick lashes obscuring her emotions, making it difficult for Ji Xiao to gauge any emotional changes.

She was not a child of only a few years; she had the full mental maturity of an adult. She wouldn’t be easily brainwashed by Ji Qingyun and understood the harm that harsh words could inflict.

If Wei Qingyu knew how the deep friendship between the Wei and Ji families, which was praised by outsiders for years, was so disdained by Ji Qingyun, she would probably be deeply hurt.

Ji Xiao truly hoped that Wei Qingyu would not hear these words and be upset because of them.

"Sir, I have brought the nutritious meal as you instructed," Aunt Wu said respectfully. "Miss, you've woken up. Would you like to eat now?"

"Just set it down for now," Ji Xiao said. "Dad, you should return to the company. Aunt Wu will take care of me."

Ji Qingyun glanced at Wei Qingyu, who followed Aunt Wu into the room. He withdrew his previous serious expression and instead nodded kindly at Ji Xiao. "Alright, rest well. Remember what I said earlier."

Ji Qingyun stood up from the chair and walked towards the door.

However, as he passed by Wei Qingyu, he unexpectedly lifted his hand.

The sudden movement left the girl with no space to avoid it. His broad hand landed squarely on her shoulder.

The damp, somewhat sleazy palm, with a touch of oily grease, subtly rubbed her shoulder with his rather firm fingers before he said, “Qingyu, Uncle is leaving.”

Wei Qingyu could smell the hint of musk lingering on her shoulder. Suppressing the disgust rising from within, she replied in the calmest voice she could manage, “Goodbye, Uncle.”

She then glanced at Ji Xiao, who was talking to Aunt Wu while sitting on the hospital bed. A sudden wave of anxious fear surged in her heart.

——It was unfortunate that Ji Qingyun's words to Ji Xiao earlier did not go as Ji Xiao had hoped; Wei Qingyu had heard everything.

She finally understood why Ji Xiao had suddenly stopped coming to her house after she turned ten and why, when they met again in high school, Ji Xiao had changed so much.

Ji Qingyun was always good with words. Wei Qingyu feared Ji Xiao would be brainwashed by him once more, afraid that she would push her back into that small dark room again.

Even more, she feared that Ji Xiao would gradually take back all the kindness she had shown her over the past six months.

Even if it meant turning the "like" she once had for her into a restrained watchfulness.

But today, Wei Qingyu realized that she could no longer endure Ji Xiao's indifference.

Liking someone was not something she could control with reason.

Even if she kept her mouth shut, sewed it shut with a needle with blood dripping everywhere, her beating couldn't deceive anyone.

The midday sun cast a layer of incongruous brightness over this lonely girl, her frail figure wrapped in a thick down jacket.

The more intense it was, the more Ji Xiao felt she seemed fragile.

"Did you go for a check-up? I still think you don't look too well..."

"Ji Xiao."

Ji Xiao remembered the question she hadn't finished asking last night.

Just as she was about to speak, she was unexpectedly interrupted by Wei Qingyu.

The girl in her line of sight had a head of jet-black long hair that the sunlight couldn't penetrate.

Her eyelashes gently lowered as she looked in her direction, with fragility in the corners of her eyes and brows.

Ji Xiao had never seen Wei Qingyu like this before and let out a confused "ah."

Wei Qingyu put down the cup in her hand, her slender waist lightly leaning against the side of the cabinet above the hem of her skirt.

She slightly raised her eyes, her turquoise pupils sharp and sincere, as if they were about to pierce through all lies.

"I didn't."

Author's Note:

Pigeon: Massage our Xiao Wei 

Cold Wei: I want Ji Xiao...