CH 45.1

The call from Li Xiaoxing in the middle of the night had completely awoken Ji Fanyin. She exhaled deeply before heading to the living room to grab herself a cup of water. 

It didn’t take long for Li Xiaoxing to transfer the money over. 

I’ll forgive his late night call in view of his efficiency.

She lay on her bed and fiddled with her phone while trying to channel her inner drowsiness. She chanced upon an official message from Lakeside University shared by Chen Yunsheng in his Moments page. 

She browsed through it while yawning. The rough idea was that the university was going to hold some kind of exhibition, and they would be inviting a few renowned alumni back to attend the activity. 

While she was scrolling down, to her not-very-surprise, Ji Xinxin’s name was there. 

Of course, Ji Xinxin is one of the more renowned alumni in recent years. It just so happens that she’s back in the country, so she’ll be able to make it. I just wonder who’ll be accompanying her.

Will Bai Zhou and Song Shiyu start fighting over that?

The drowsy Ji Fanyin liked Chen Yunsheng’s post before putting her phone aside. Within moments, she was already asleep. 

… 

The following morning, she received an invitation from Chen Yunsheng for the exhibition. 

Determined to steer clear of anything work related and spend her break in peace, she rejected his offer and happily idled her time away for the second day. 

In contrast, Ji Xinxin’s schedule for her two week break was jam-packed. 

Delighted that her late night call to Li Xiaoxing had softened his attitude, she woke up early the following day and made sure to doll herself up before heading over to meet Li Xiaoxing. She personally prepared breakfast for him and accompanied him to his company afterward. They had lunch at a nearby restaurant before paying a visit to the hospital they used to stay at. 

“Now that we’re here, I can’t help but remember a lot of our past memories,” remarked Ji Xinxin as she pushed Li Xiaoxing’s wheelchair forward. “I was just an elementary schooler then, so my memories are a little hazy.”

“I remember it all,” said Li Xiaoxing. “There used to be a swing there. You would help me up there and push me.”

“I remember that,” Ji Xinxin chirped in. “I pushed you pretty hard back then, didn’t I?”

“… You said that I was too light and told me not to be picky with food.” Li Xiaoxing gazed at the garden. “But even eating was difficult for me back then.”

Ji Xinxin halted her footsteps. She placed her hands on Li Xiaoxing’s shoulders and massaged them lightly, as if encouraging him. “You have already made good progress with your recovery. There’s still a chance that you’ll be able to walk on your own two feet. Don’t give up hope, alright?”

“I won’t ever give up on things I desire,” said Li Xiaoxing placidly, “be it this body or anything else.”

Ji Xinxin’s heart skipped a beat. 

She knew that Li Xiaoxing wasn’t someone to be trifled with, but which of those priority targets she had approached, seduced, and maintained relationships with wasn’t dangerous? It was high-risk, high-reward.

That was why the first thing an outstanding ‘King of the Seas’ had to learn was the art of control. Only by training her fishes to be satisfied with her limited attention could she ensure the longevity of her fishery. 

Ji Xinxin saw herself as a master at guiding the flow of a relationship, and this was evidenced by the size of her fishery. Nevertheless, she still felt unnerved when it came to Li Xiaoxing.

And she knew the reason behind that too. 

It was all luck that she was able to catch Li Xiaoxing’s eye and gain his favor. 

It was true that the two of them were in the same hospital, but she was so delirious from her illness that it was impossible for her to accompany the then paralyzed Li Xiaoxing through the hardest phase of his life. The one who had helped him rehabilitate and partially regain his physical functions was actually Ji Fanyin, who frequently accompanied their parents to visit her in the hospital.

Ji Xinxin had already tried her best to take over Ji Fanyin’s position and channel his feelings onto her, but ultimately, she wasn’t the girl he met back then. She knew that Li Xiaoxing was an extremely shrewd person, and that left her constantly in fear of having her lies exposed. 

She knew that she wouldn’t be able to shackle Li Xiaoxing anymore once these childhood rose-tinted glasses were gone. 

That was why she could still suppress her anxiety when Bai Zhou, Song Shiyu, and Ji Fanyin behaved abnormally, but the moment problems cropped up with Li Xiaoxing, she immediately lost her patience. 

Li Xiaoxing’s background and credentials were top-notch. If not for the fact that his legs were still showing no signs of recovery, Ji Xinxin might have abandoned everyone else for him. 

She viewed Li Xiaoxing as a treasured possession whom she couldn’t afford to lose. 

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