Qi Hui had been unable to eat or sleep for an entire week.
For seven days, he had been anxiously awaiting Chi Yu's judgment.
The moment he received Chi He's call, Qi Hui had already prepared himself for a harsh punishment.
Unexpectedly, it was as if Chi Yu had completely forgotten about him.
Day after day, he was left hanging, forbidden from visiting the hospital. His messages went unread, his calls unanswered.
The torment was unbearable for Qi Hui.
Finally, that afternoon, he received a call from Qi Chao.
"Miss wants you to come to the old house."
Qi Hui had wanted to glean some information about Chi Yu's intentions from him, but before he could speak, the call was abruptly cut off.
Staring at his phone, Qi Hui slowly furrowed his brow.
He remembered, back when he left the orphanage, that his relationship with Qi Chao had been the best.
When had things started to change? He couldn't pinpoint the moment, but somehow, their relationship had grown distant — it was Qi Chao who had gradually turned cold toward him.
Thinking it over, Qi Hui guessed it must have started after Chi Yu chose him as her personal bodyguard.
Could Qi Chao have been jealous of him?
The thought made Qi Hui chuckle and shake his head.
Impossible.
Chi Yu had always been a spoiled young lady; her temper wasn't something that emerged after adolescence.
Even as a child, she had been willful and domineering.
Qi He had brought the four of them before Chi Yu, letting her choose one as her bodyguard.
At the time, Qi Hui had only one thought — "Please don't pick me!"
But as luck would have it, he was the one she set her sights on.
Qi Hui was sure the other three must have shared his wish.
Qi Chao hanging up on him so coldly must have been because Chi Yu was standing nearby.
Comforting himself with this thought, Qi Hui drove to the Chi residence.
He knew this visit would not end well; if he got off lightly, it might just cost him a limb, or at least half his life. Leaving with one breath left — that was the best he could hope for.
Given how much Qi He doted on Chi Yu, killing him outright would seem a more natural outcome.
Before getting out of the car, Qi Hui exhaled deeply and walked with heavy steps into the Chi estate.
The smell of food wafted from the courtyard, and Qi Hui detected the aroma of duck cooked in huadiao wine.
That was Zhao Mei's specialty, the mother of Ning Jin. She only made it when they had important guests.
Chi Yu liked peace and quiet; the Chi residence seldom hosted outsiders. If there were guests, they were usually family — or the Jin family.
Chi Yu emerged from the house, breaking Qi Hui's train of thought.
"You've arrived," Chi Yu's voice was emotionless, neither warm nor cold.
Without a word, Qi Hui knelt, his spine bent, adopting a posture of absolute humility.
"Miss, I'm deeply sorry for my unforgivable sin. Please punish me as you see fit."
Chi Yu glanced around, pleased with the spot where he knelt.
Right in the middle of the grand entrance, where the courtyard was wide open. No matter if the servants were coming or going, they would all see him.
In short, he was about to become quite the spectacle.
"Stay kneeling here for now; you know the rules."
During punishment, unless given permission, he wasn't allowed to rise, nor would he be given food or water.
As Qi Hui obediently nodded, he couldn't help but feel surprised by Chi Yu's unexpected leniency.
Given her usual temperament, she should've lashed him with a whip, leaving him bruised and bloodied.
Kneeling? So light a punishment?
His confusion was soon dispelled when the Jin couple arrived with their son, attending the family dinner.
Chi Yu, unusually warm, approached Jin's wife with a smile, making polite conversation. "Auntie, Uncle, it's so kind of you to come. You didn't need to bring such gifts; it's too much."
Jin's wife, sensing Chi Yu was in a good mood, had warned her son Jin Yao earlier to tread carefully during the evening, fearing he might say something wrong.
Reading the situation, Jin's wife put on a more maternal attitude, which she usually concealed in front of Chi Yu.
"Yu Yu, you've just been discharged from the hospital. Auntie couldn't help but worry, so we brought some supplements. I hope you don't mind."
"Of course not~"
Chi Yu affectionately linked arms with Jin's wife, showing none of her usual coldness.
Such unpredictable moods from her were nothing new, and no one seemed surprised anymore.
It was hard to ignore Qi Hui, kneeling like that in the courtyard.
Jin Yao's father, quick to speak, asked, "What's this about?"
Chi Yu turned to him, smiling. "He made a mistake, Uncle. I'm punishing him."
Jin's father, harboring a bit of old-fashioned masculinity, felt that men shouldn't kneel, no matter their faults. To him, it was too humiliating.
Perhaps, sensing Chi Yu's unusually pleasant mood, he felt emboldened.
Just as everyone thought they'd move past the sight of Qi Hui and carry on, Jin's father spoke up again.
"I think you should choose a different form of punishment."
Chi Yu stopped, as if she hadn't heard him clearly. She turned back, raising an eyebrow. "What did you say?"
Jin's wife, sensing danger, hurriedly intervened.
"Your uncle had a late night yesterday and hasn't fully sobered up. Don't mind his ramblings, Yu Yu."
But Jin's father, feeling uncharacteristically bold, pressed on.
"I'm quite clear-headed. He's still a man, after all. Even if he made a mistake, he doesn't deserve this. Yu Yu, do your uncle a favor and find another way."
Jin's wife shot her husband a sharp glare, terrified that his careless words might provoke Chi Yu's wrath.
Surprisingly, Chi Yu didn't get angry. She simply smiled, scrunching her nose as if troubled.
"But Uncle, before he's a man, he's first my personal bodyguard. His duty is to protect me. He abandoned his post and almost got me killed. Is this punishment really too harsh?"
Jin's father had only vaguely heard from his wife that Chi Yu had been injured in a kidnapping.
The severity of her injury was unclear to him.
But hearing her say she had almost died, he realized she must have suffered greatly.
As Jin's father hesitated, Jin's wife squeezed his waist, silently urging him to stop.
This dinner invitation was a rare opportunity.
If he ruined the atmosphere with his big mouth, she'd be furious!
Jin's father cleared his throat, prepared to admit he had misspoken.
But before he could, Chi Yu thoughtfully rubbed her chin and said, "Uncle's visit is such a rare occasion. We can't let you leave disappointed. Very well, let's do as you suggested and change his punishment. Qi Chao."
Qi Chao, who had been standing quietly behind Chi Yu, lowered his head, waiting for her command.
"Bring some broken glass for Qi Hui to kneel on. The stone floor is too cold; some warm blood should keep his knees from freezing."
Her words stunned everyone.
Ignoring the shock on the Jin family's faces, Chi Yu smiled at Jin's father, whose complexion had gone from red to purple, then blue.
"Uncle is so considerate. I hadn't thought of that."
Jin's father looked as though he had swallowed a burning coal, his face flushed with shame.
Jin's wife, uncertain whether Chi Yu was truly angry, dragged her husband quickly inside, afraid that saying more would only worsen the situation.
Jin Yao lagged behind, muttering, "She's truly wicked."
Chi Yu, ever sharp-eared, caught his words.
She let out a cold laugh, sticking her foot out just as Jin Yao stepped forward, sending him stumbling nearly to the ground.
He steadied himself, furious, pointing at her. "You—"
Chi Yu swatted his hand away, sneering. "If you keep running your mouth, you might find this wickedness directed at you next time."
With that, she brushed past him and entered the house.
Jin Yao stood in the courtyard, fuming.
Meanwhile, he watched as Qi Chao filled a dustpan with shards of glass and placed them under Qi Hui's knees.
Qi Hui remained calm, his face showing no resentment or anger. He knelt on the glass without flinching, letting out only a muffled groan before resuming his unperturbed expression.
Sickening.
The master was sick, and the bodyguard even more so!
(End of Chapter)