At that moment, Jian Yuncheng noticed Jian Yiling standing at the entrance of the hospital room. He rose swiftly and walked briskly to the doorway.
Standing at over six feet tall, Jian Yuncheng appeared imposing compared to fifteen-year-old Jian Yiling, who seemed notably diminutive beside him, her head barely reaching his chest.
Jian Yiling was dressed in a simple white sweater. Her pale face, delicate as a plush white rabbit, belied the darkened heart she harbored within.
"Go in and apologize."
The command was direct and unyielding, leaving no room for defiance.
"He might be angry and agitated."
Jian Yiling's voice came across as somewhat childlike. She didn't wish her voice to sound so tender, but at fifteen, that was simply the way it was.
Her speech was also slow, almost as if each word were carefully enunciated. This was because communicating with family was an alien experience for her.
"Now you're concerned about his anger and agitation? Did you even consider this before acting? His anger and agitation are the least of your concerns!" Jian Yuncheng's eyes were reddened, his entire demeanor exuding a menacing aura.
"I'm not worried about his anger or blame," Jian Yiling explained, "I'm concerned that his agitation will be detrimental to his hand."
She intended to heal his hand, and it could not afford any further harm; further damage might render it irreparable.
"Since when did you become so hesitant in your speech? Are you scared?" Jian Yuncheng inquired.
Jian Yiling's natural voice and her slow, halting manner of speaking led Jian Yuncheng to mistakenly believe that she was fearful and timid.
Jian Yiling did not offer an explanation; she was not afraid, merely unskilled in communicating with "family." In her previous life, she had seen her parents only once a year, and their interactions amounted to fewer than ten words in total.
From a young age, she had lived in the research institute, spending most of her time in the laboratory, engaging primarily in professional discussions with minimal personal interaction.
Jian Yuncheng's voice turned cold as he warned Jian Yiling, "Whether you are frightened or genuinely concerned about Xiao Zhi's emotions, you must make every effort to earn his forgiveness. If Xiao Zhi does not forgive you, neither will I."
Jian Yuncheng's words were resolute; once he made a decision, he would see it through, impervious to any contrary influences, even from Jian Shuxing and Wen Nuan.
Jian Yiling nodded in acknowledgment.
"Go and apologize now," Jian Yuncheng insisted, "I will keep an eye on his injured right hand."
Jian Yiling then entered the hospital room.
Upon seeing Jian Yiling, Jian Yunzhu's rage erupted. Had Jian Yuncheng not restrained him, he would have leapt up immediately.
"Jian Yiling! Are you satisfied now? I'm disabled! I'll never play the piano again! My life is ruined! Are you happy now?" Jian Yunzhu shouted loudly, his voice seething with fury.
Jian Yiling stood her ground, accepting his wrath in silence.
Seeing Jian Yiling's calm demeanor did nothing to temper Jian Yunzhu's fury.
Having lost the use of his most important hands, Jian Yunzhu was engulfed in despair.
His life, his pride, his dreams—everything was shattered!
And it all began with the argument he had with Jian Yiling.
He was enraged, heartbroken, and filled with hatred toward her.
In a fit of rage, Jian Yunzhu grabbed a nearby lunchbox with his uninjured left hand and hurled it at Jian Yiling's head.
The lunchbox, filled with food Mo Shiyun had brought for Jian Yunzhu, remained largely untouched, as Jian Yunzhu had little appetite. The others in the room were too slow to intervene.
The plastic lunchbox struck Jian Yiling on the head, scattering its contents across the floor.
"Xiao Ling!" Wen Nuan exclaimed in shock and rushed over.
Had the old Jian Yiling encountered such a situation, she would have reacted with a loud commotion.
But the current Jian Yiling merely bore the impact silently, without uttering a word.
"I'm fine," Jian Yiling said, wiping the dirt from her face with the back of her hand.
There was no complaint, no blame, no sense of grievance.
She simply endured in silence.
"Is this what makes you feel wronged? Am I supposed to tolerate this just because I threw something at you?" Jian Yunzhu's mocking voice echoed, his discontent growing with his mother's anxiety.
Wen Nuan's hand froze.
Caught between the two injured children, she was at a loss as to what to do.
The atmosphere in the room grew heavy and tense.
Jian Yiling said, "I'll go to the restroom."
Turning away, Jian Yiling left the room, sparing her parents further distress.
Wen Nuan, watching Jian Yiling's disheveled figure retreat, felt a pang of sorrow, but knew she had to maintain her resolve.
After a brief cleaning in the restroom, Jian Yiling returned to the door of the room alone.
Waiting there, Wen Nuan saw Jian Yiling return and was torn between sympathy and discomfort, uncertain of what to say to her.
"I'll wait outside for you," Jian Yiling said.
Wen Nuan looked down at her, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Alright, I'll go in first. You stay outside and wait for me, don't wander off."
Wen Nuan reentered the room, and the family attempted to shift the topic and ease the tension, gradually improving the atmosphere.
Jian Yunzhu still wore an expression of despair, but he was less resistant to his parents' concern.
Jian Yiling watched through the door, observing the harmonious scene within.
She knew that if she entered, she would shatter the fragile peace.
After an hour, Wen Nuan instructed her husband to take Jian Yiling home while she stayed behind to care for Jian Yunzhu.
Her son's injury required her presence and support during this critical time.
Jian Shuxing offered no objections and took Jian Yiling and Jian Yuncheng back to the Jian residence.
In the car ride home, Jian Yuncheng sat in the passenger seat while Jian Yiling and her father, Jian Shuxing, occupied the back.
"I will arrange for you to take a week off from school. Use this time to reflect on your actions," Jian Yuncheng said from the front seat, his hostility towards Jian Yiling apparent.
Seeing his son's harsh attitude, Jian Shuxing remarked, "Yuncheng, Yiling has just begun her first year of high school; taking a week off might not be appropriate."
"Rather than studying, she needs to learn how to be a decent person first! Don't forget your promise to me," Jian Yuncheng reminded.
Earlier, Jian Shuxing had agreed in front of Jian Yunzhu to be stricter with their daughter. Now, upon returning home, he instinctively sought to protect her.
Jian Shuxing was also helpless; having pampered his daughter for fifteen years, he found it difficult to change his attitude abruptly.
However, thinking of their injured son in the hospital, Jian Shuxing steeled himself and maintained a stern demeanor.
Jian Yuncheng continued speaking to Jian Yiling, "Take a week off to reflect properly. Have you heard me?"
His decisive manner in handling matters was more formidable than their father's.
Jian Yiling nodded in agreement, resolute.
A few days of rest at home would be beneficial for her.
In the original narrative, Jian Yuncheng had been equally stern with Jian Yiling during this event.
Jian Yuncheng did not disregard his sister; rather, it was precisely because she was his sister that he chose to be stringent. He hoped she would improve and rectify her ways.
However, the original Jian Yiling did not appreciate her elder brother's earnest intentions. Instead, her relationship with him deteriorated further due to his stern demeanor.
Both were incapable of openly expressing their true feelings—one was reserved, the other rebellious.
Neither was willing to yield, resulting in mutual misunderstandings and aversions.
Ultimately, Jian Yuncheng indirectly lost his sister and redirected his feelings toward the more mature and understanding female protagonist, Mo Shiyun, whom he later assisted significantly.
Upon returning home, Jian Shuxing and Jian Yuncheng had matters to attend to, so they each retired to their respective rooms.
Jian Yiling did not immediately go to her room but first visited her second brother's study to find a microscope.
Each child in the Jian family had their own study. Jian Yiling's second brother was studying biology away from home.
While at home, Jian Yiling's second brother had set up a small laboratory for convenience, including several microscopes.
Among them was a high-value medical optical microscope, which ordinary families would not typically purchase.
Though it was somewhat inferior to the sophisticated instruments used in formal surgeries, it was sufficient for Jian Yiling's practice.
Due to the cumbersome nature of moving the microscope, Jian Yiling chose to stay in her second brother's study for her practice sessions.
She began with an experimental tool—an egg from the kitchen—for suturing the egg's surface membrane.
After exhausting several eggs, Jian Yiling went back to the kitchen to procure a pig's trotter for further experimentation.
In addition to spending time in her second brother's study, Jian Yiling began to frequently browse the internet, typing furiously, appearing deeply engrossed.
During Jian Yiling's intense focus, the Jian household welcomed a special guest, the seventeen-year-old Qin Chuan.
He was the male protagonist of the original story.
In the original narrative, the male protagonist's mother was the first love of a prominent family's current head. After parting ways with his father, she discovered she was pregnant with him.
She raised him alone, and although their lives were tough, he managed to carve out a successful path through his own efforts.
At this time, Qin Chuan was unaware of his illegitimate origins or that he would later become the head of the most prestigious family in the capital.
He was at the Jian residence because he had secured a well-paid job from Jian Yuncheng, which could solve his tuition problem.
The job involved tutoring Jian Yiling, focusing on both her academics and guiding her towards "reformation."
In the original story, Qin Chuan became Jian Yiling's tutor.
With his outstanding appearance and patient teaching, he became a beacon of hope for Jian Yiling, who felt abandoned by her family and the world.
Although Qin Chuan did not have a prominent status at the time, he was a significant presence in Jian Yiling's life.
Regrettably, after the tutoring period ended, Jian Yiling lost contact with Qin Chuan.
However, Jian Yiling never forgot him.
When Jian Yiling later encountered Qin Chuan again, he was just as she remembered, but more mature and with a transformed identity—from a penniless youth to a tycoon.
Jian Yiling was indifferent to his status, focused solely on her affection for him, for he had been the sole companion when she felt forsaken by everyone else.
Yet, Qin Chuan fell in love with Mo Shiyun.
Compared to the pampered and notorious Jian Yiling, Mo Shiyun, who rose through her own efforts, resonated more with Qin Chuan. They naturally became the ideal couple.
By then, Jian Yiling had become utterly obsessive. Confronted with her unyielding affection for Qin Chuan, she chose to destroy rather than relinquish.
Unable to attain him, she sought to ruin him.
Ultimately, Jian Yiling did not destroy Qin Chuan but sacrificed herself.
Currently, Jian Yiling harbored no interest in Qin Chuan, even though she knew he would become the head of the foremost family in the capital.
She did not wish to be involved with Qin Chuan, so upon learning he was at the Jian residence in her brother's study, Jian Yiling purposely stayed in her room.
Yet, one cannot avoid fate forever.
Jian Yuncheng soon sought Jian Yiling to discuss matters in his study.
Jian Yiling followed, only to hear Jian Yuncheng discuss finding a tutor for her.
Qin Chuan saw Jian Yiling for the first time.
She was a relatively petite girl, wearing a white sweater and black fitted casual pants.
With long hair, fair skin, and large eyes, she possessed the typical beauty of the Jian family.
This was also Jian Yiling's first formal encounter with Qin Chuan. As the male protagonist, Qin Chuan's appearance was impeccable.
Yet, he carried a contradictory aura—despite being a poor student struggling to pay for tuition, he exuded a noble and somber presence.
Jian Yiling knew this contradictory aura stemmed from his unique background. Although he was impoverished now, he would later become a figure of respect for the Jian family.
Jian Yuncheng introduced, "This is Qin Chuan. From today, he will be your tutor. During your week off, he will oversee your studies, and once you return to school, he will come over on weekends for supplementary lessons. Qin Chuan is an outstanding graduate from Hengyuan High School and currently attends Hengyuan's best university, excelling both academically and morally. You should learn from him."
In fact, Qin Chuan's college entrance exam results were sufficient to gain admission to the best university in the capital.
However, due to his mother's illness and financial constraints, Qin Chuan chose to remain in Hengyuan City.
"Understood," Jian Yiling responded tersely.
Her tone was quite stiff, as accepting a tutor was merely a way for her to acknowledge her family's goodwill.
However, her naturally soft voice and appearance made Qin Chuan perceive her as obedient and considerate.
Observing from the side, Qin Chuan found Jian Yiling different from what he had heard.
Knowing he would tutor Jian Yiling, Qin Chuan had researched the Jian family situation beforehand.
He was aware of the recent controversy involving Jian Yiling at Shenghua High School, where she was accused of pushing her brother, Jian Yunzhuo, down the stairs, leading to calls for her expulsion.
However, Qin Chuan knew that with the Jian family's influence in Hengyuan City, the school would not expel Jian Yiling as long as her family supported her.
Realizing Jian Yiling was not a simple case, he accepted the tutoring job solely because of the generous compensation offered by Jian Yuncheng, which he needed.
As long as he could earn enough for living expenses, tuition, and his mother's medical bills, the difficulties of the job and the student's temperament were secondary concerns.
Yet, upon meeting Jian Yiling in person, Qin Chuan was surprised to find her not as arrogant and unruly as the rumors suggested.
Whether the rumors were false or if Jian Yiling's demeanor was a facade remained undetermined for Qin Chuan.