The sensation of falling from a great height seemed almost addictive. Countless times, Ji Shileng had jolted awake at midnight, and the final image was always the same: himself plunging through the air.
Shang Jianli fought to contain his emotions, the corners of his eyes red.
“I was buying time… You—you were the one who hung up”
“Forget it. I don’t want to hear any more”
Ji Shileng avoided his gaze, looking down at the marble floor.
“Whatever the explanation, it doesn’t matter now”
The outcome was already a fact. They could go over it ten thousand times, and the ending would never change.
“Ji Shileng, you have to give me a chance to explain” Shang Jianli sounded utterly helpless.
“In our next life, then. I’ll hear your explanation in our next life”
Ji Shileng took out his communicator, tapped twice, and checked the time.
“Please move. I’m leaving”
The opening ceremony was about to begin. He had no time to stand here “reminiscing” with Shang Jianli.
“You need to change out of that wet shirt”
There would be another chance, Shang Jianli told himself. There would be a chance to explain.
Today was not the right moment. If he kept talking, Xiao Shi would truly lose his temper.
“Even setting everything else aside, those clothes are too expensive”
Ji Shileng did not want to owe anyone a favor, especially Shang Jianli.
He would rather attend the conference in a wet shirt than be indebted to him.
“You matter more than the clothes” Shang Jianli refused to yield.
Ji Shileng had always been frail. After that fall, Shang Jianli had no idea whether he had been left with any lasting complications.
Whatever the case, he could not let him stay in wet clothes.
“You were never this annoying before”
Angrily, Ji Shileng stripped off his shirt and flung it onto the floor.
His exposed skin was porcelain white, the delicate diamond necklace at his throat reflecting dazzling light.
The accident appeared to have left no trace on his body.
Yet the diamonds at his neck seemed mere imitations beside the true brilliance of his eyes.
Afraid his undisguised stare would only disgust Ji Shileng further, Shang Jianli lowered his eyelids and murmured an acknowledgment.
As long as he changed, he could insult him all he liked.
Shang Jianli could no longer “see” the jewels or diamonds Ji Shileng wore. To him, Ji Shileng himself shone more brightly than any treasure.
As though something had occurred to him, Ji Shileng beckoned after putting on the fresh shirt.
“I’ll give you something in exchange”
He undid the necklace clasp and removed it.
After Ji Shileng’s “accident,” Shang Jianli had spent dull, empty evenings lying in his favorite recliner, learning about the things he liked.
He knew this delicate diamond necklace came from VEKAL.
He also knew its nickname: the astronomically priced dog collar.
“The necklace is too valuable”
Ji Shileng mattered more than clothes, and his necklace was worth more than the clothes, too.
“So you’re saying you want to turn me down?” Ji Shileng asked flippantly.
“I…”
Shang Jianli did not want to refuse. But he feared that once he accepted it, Ji Shileng would deliberately avoid him.
After a moment, he gave a bitter smile.
“I can’t say no to you”
Ji Shileng froze, his hand trembling so sharply that he nearly dropped the necklace.
The little thing would not survive a fall.
His flippancy faded.
“You’ve changed more than a little”
The old Shang Jianli would have glanced at him coldly and said, “Whether I refuse is my decision”
While Ji Shileng was still distracted, he heard him add, “Only with you”
This time, Ji Shileng laughed.
“Don’t joke. What you feel is guilt”
“After so many years together, someone suddenly dies. You feel regret and guilt. That’s what this is, not some other feeling for me”
Folding his arms, he said coolly, “Is it so difficult to admit you don’t like me? If you really did, where was it all this time?”
During those days of emotional neglect, a few comforting words from Shang Jianli would have been enough. Like another dose of an addictive drug, they would have sent him back to loving him recklessly, without reservation.
Love truly was a question without an answer.
A faint ache spread through Shang Jianli’s heart. His voice suddenly turned hoarse.
“Xiao Shi, I… I didn’t understand love back then”
His motives had been wrong from the beginning. They had blinded him to his own heart, until the two of them had ended up in this devastating situation.
“And my death suddenly enlightened you? Suddenly made you understand?”
Ji Shileng looked up at the restroom lights and drew a deep breath.
“Forget it. There’s no point talking when we can’t understand each other”
“If you want to love me, go ahead. Like me, whatever you want”
Suppressing the tears rising within him, he said, “I don’t love you anymore, anyway”
An invisible iron hammer seemed to strike Shang Jianli’s heart. His face went pale.
“I’ll prove it to you”
“Mm”
Ji Shileng barely listened.
He held out his upturned hand, the delicate necklace resting against his faintly pink palm.
To prevent any misunderstanding, he made himself clear.
“I don’t keep dogs”
The words carried a double meaning.
Shang Jianli understood.
Ji Shileng was giving him a diamond necklace, not an exorbitantly priced “dog collar.”
He had no interest in monitoring anyone else’s life or movements.
Shang Jianli watched him silently for several seconds. Finally, as though conceding, he took the necklace.
“All right”
Not keeping dogs was fine. Fine in every respect.
The necklace still held the warmth of Ji Shileng’s body.
Before leaving, Ji Shileng said, “Seriously, don’t show up in front of me again”
After considering his wording, he added, “Today, it’s mainly because I just drenched your useless nephew. I feel a little guilty, so I don’t feel right losing my temper with you”
“Next time might be different”
His temper was far from pleasant.
The other, less important reason was that they were in Sitejiala. As a guest, he ought not to cause a major disturbance at someone else’s event.
He had already caused a minor one. Nothing could be done about that.
But he should exercise some restraint when it came to anything bigger.
Shang Jianli offered no answer. Or rather, no matter what Ji Shileng threatened, he would not change his mind.
He would appear before him less often. That did not mean he would stop appearing altogether.
He would never tolerate anyone else touching his treasure.
Outside the door, Chu Wan had been waiting anxiously for a long time. At last, it opened.
She had not expected the shock that met her. Ji Shileng emerged with his head lowered, replying to a message, and her breathing faltered.
Noticing someone watching him, he looked up from his communicator and immediately recognized her.
He stopped.
“If that useless idiot wants compensation for emotional distress or anything else, just send a message to the Ji family’s official email address”
“Or go ahead and sue me”
With that, he slipped one hand into his pocket and walked away without looking back.
Chu Wan stared after him in a daze.
Good heavens. Was this really the Ji Shileng she remembered?
He was unbelievably cool.
If he had been like this back then, who would have dared bully him?
Leave a Reply