Having had some beer while enjoying barbecue the night before, Lin Xu woke up groggy, only stirring from sleep near noon.
Rubbing her temples, she stepped out of her room. Just as she prepared to head downstairs, a fierce argument from the room at the end of the hallway caught her attention.
Curiosity piqued, Lin Xu moved closer. The sounds grew sharper, spilling out from the slightly ajar door.
Inside, Wen Li sat on the sofa, her complexion pale and ghastly. A fresh, crimson gash marred her arm. Despite her obvious discomfort, she stubbornly bit her red lips and turned her head away, refusing to meet Ji Tingyang's gaze.
Ji Tingyang's expression remained cold as ever. His eyes fell on her wound, and though he initially intended to offer words of comfort, what emerged was biting sarcasm. "Wen Li, you truly have a talent—for scaling walls over a man."
The backyard wall was tall, reinforced with spiked security wiring. A patrolling guard had discovered Wen Li halfway up the wall, calling out to her. Startled, she lost her footing and fell, slashing her arm deeply in the process. She landed hard, pain distorting her face.
Yet no matter how much it hurt, she refused to yield to Ji Tingyang.
A nearby staff member was applying medicine to her wound, but she withdrew her arm sharply. "Stay out of it," she said, her tone defiant, as if prepared to bleed out rather than back down.
The staff member retreated, standing aside and gazing skyward, long accustomed to their quarrels. Clearly, they were waiting for the argument to subside before, inevitably, being forced by Ji Tingyang to dress her wound anyway.
Ji Tingyang's face darkened as he pinched her chin with two fingers, forcing her to look at him. His voice was low, dangerous. "Wen Li, who gave you the audacity to threaten me over another man?"
Wen Li clenched her teeth, remaining silent.
"Very well," he said icily. "If you refuse treatment, have it your way. Let's see how long you can endure. But don't beg me later." He released her and turned to leave.
As he opened the door, he nearly bumped into Lin Xu.
Momentarily startled, Ji Tingyang saw Lin Xu shaking her head, clicking her tongue in disapproval.
"Son, where did you learn such poor tactics for wooing a woman? Simply abysmal."
"W-what?" Ji Tingyang stammered.
"Women need to be cherished," Lin Xu said with authority. "If your father had treated me like this, I'd have left him long ago. You ought to learn from him."
Ji Tingyang thought of his father, who was utterly subservient to his mother—a classic case of being thoroughly henpecked. A wave of disdain flashed across his face before he could suppress it. Lin Xu caught the expression and smacked him on the head.
"Enough of that. Let me teach you."
Lin Xu was eager, almost gleeful. Having missed twenty years of her son's life, she felt she had failed in many of her maternal duties. Now, as a grown man, she couldn't help with his studies or guide him in business affairs.
But here, finally, was an opportunity to offer her expertise. Perhaps she could even steer her son away from his villainous tendencies.
Lin Xu's excitement grew. She urged Ji Tingyang to have Wen Li's wound dressed properly.
Ji Tingyang pressed his lips together, reluctant. He had only just shown his temper—how could he turn around now? Yet the memory of Lin Xu's disappointed look the previous evening softened his resolve. This rare glimpse of maternal affection tugged at him, and he wanted to be a dutiful son.
Grudgingly, he instructed the staff member to resume dressing Wen Li's wound.
"That's better," Lin Xu said, beaming. She affectionately ruffled Ji Tingyang's hair.
Surprisingly, Ji Tingyang didn't stop her. He even bent slightly to accommodate her gesture.
Inside the room, Wen Li dabbed at her tears with tissue after tissue. Her phone, resting on the bed, began to ring. She glanced at the screen, startled to see Xiao Yu's name flashing.
Frozen for a moment, she only answered at the last second.
"Xiao Yu…" she said, her voice choked with sobs.
The person on the other end paused briefly before asking with concern, "What happened?"
"N-nothing," Wen Li stammered hastily.
Xiao Yu was perceptive, and knowing her gentle nature, he pressed, "Did someone bully you?"
"No, not at all," Wen Li said quickly, eager to cover up. "I just fell today and got a little hurt. I'm sorry I can't make it to the movie."
She didn't want Xiao Yu to know anything about Ji Tingyang.
"You're hurt? Is it serious? Are you still at home? I'll take you to the hospital!" His voice carried a note of panic.
His concern sent a warmth through her heart, a kindness she never felt from Ji Tingyang.
"I'm fine, really. You don't need to come!" She wasn't even staying at home, so if Xiao Yu came, her lies would unravel.
After much coaxing, she managed to dissuade him from rushing over.
"Alright, but if anything happens, you must tell me."
"Okay. It's just a shame I can't see the movie with you." Her voice softened.
"No worries. There will be other chances."
"Alright," Wen Li said, her voice sweet as honey. She hung up with a smile on her lips, the phone clutched in her hands.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yu stared at his phone, his soda long watered down by melted ice. Beads of condensation dampened his hand as he stood in the movie theater, where he'd been waiting for her.
He tossed the soda into the trash and crushed the now-useless tickets into a ball before discarding them too. Ignoring the flood of messages on his phone, he called his boss to cancel his day off and returned to work.
Wen Li had once admired a necklace. Though she hadn't mentioned it outright, he'd noticed. He needed to save up to buy it for her.
The next morning, Wen Li hurried downstairs, eager to leave and explain things to Xiao Yu.
Unfortunately, her luck ran out as she bumped into Ji Tingyang, fresh from the gym.
Dressed in a tight-fitting workout shirt, his well-defined muscles rippled beneath the fabric. Sweat-dampened hair clung to his forehead, droplets trailing down and emphasizing his rugged masculinity.
Wen Li froze, her gaze lingering for a moment before quickly looking away, her ears tinged with a suspicious blush.
It was the first time she'd seen Ji Tingyang like this.
He casually wiped his hair with a towel and asked, "Breakfast?"
The rare, calm tone caught Wen Li off guard. She instinctively declined, "No, I'll eat out."
Her words carried a hint of her intent to leave, but she couldn't help sneaking a glance at him, nervous he might forbid her.
To her surprise, Ji Tingyang merely nodded with an impassive expression.
Even as she walked out the door, she couldn't decipher his unusual behavior.
(End of Chapter)