Chapter 45: Friends Must Keep Their Distance
Liang Qinian was holding a bouquet of fresh flowers in his arms. He gently set a fruit basket on the table, his mouth twitching into an awkward, polite smile.
“Um… I came to see Jian An.”
Looking at the unexpected visitor, Jian An was stunned. A blurred silhouette suddenly appeared in his chaotic mind, yet he couldn’t quite recall who it was. He asked in confusion:
“Who are you?”
Shen Yunheng stepped forward first to glance at the newcomer, then patted Liang Qinianās shoulder as he realized.
“Oh, Xiao An, I almost forgot. Remember when Ji Songting made you drink too much and you were almost bullied by those thugs? Heās the one who saved you.”
With that, he looked at Liang Qinian and said gratefully, “What was your name? You left in such a hurry back then that I didn’t get your business card. Thank you again for saving Xiao An.”
“Itās nothing. Just a small favor.”
Liang Qinian pursed his lips politely and gave a light nod. He then walked straight to the bedside and reached out toward Jian An, doing his best to suppress the excitement and anticipation in his heart.
“My name is Liang Qinian. Your high school classmate. I don’t know if you still remember me?”
Shen Yunhengās hand, which had just been on the manās shoulder, hung awkwardly in the air before he quietly lowered it. He scrutinized the man from head to toe, his brow furrowing slightly.
Is this guy selectively deaf?
His goal was so clear. Could it be another person interested in Jian An?
A vague sense of crisis rose in his heart, but then he wondered if he was overthinking things.
Jian An reached out his other handāthe one without an IVāto shake his. The rusty gears in his brain turned slowly as he stared at the man in disbelief, a look of slight surprise on his face.
“I remember now. Aren’t you the student named Liang who transferred halfway through our second year? I have an impression.”
“I didn’t expect you to still remember me after all these years. Thatās good. Thank you for helping me during my low point back then, for believing in me when everyone else doubted me. Otherwise, I might not be standing here today.”
Liang Qinianās face held a few traces of emotion and a sigh, but within seconds, these complex expressions vanished. He returned to a calm look and didn’t continue, instead asking, “Forget it. Itās all in the past. Letās not talk about it. How is your body? How did you suddenly get into a car accident?”
He actually wanted to ask why Jian An was at a bar with the CEO of the Ji Group and had been forced to drink, but would asking that directly be too abrupt?
“Iām much better. I just didn’t pay attention when I was crossing the road and accidentally… was hit.”
Jian Anās gaze shifted from that strange yet familiar face to his still-paralyzed legs. His expression grew dazed for a moment, revealing a bit of sorrow.
Shen Yunheng vaguely caught a sense of intentional avoidance in his words. He walked over hurriedly and asked, “Xiao An, why did you get out of the car that night?”
As soon as he spoke, before Jian An could open his mouth, the half-closed ward door was suddenly kicked open from the outside. Several bodyguards in black uniforms strode in.
Immediately after, those people stood on either side of the door to make way for the man behind them. A powerful aura carried an undeniable pressure and undisguised prestige.
“Xiao An! Dad is late!”
Ji Xiao strode toward the bed. He was in a gray suit, his frame upright and straight. Between his brows was the full charm of a mature man. He wore no luxury brands, yet he possessed a natural air of authority.
He didn’t look like a man in his late forties or fifties at all.
Jian Anās face filled with shock. He was stunned for a moment, then pulled back the quilt to try and stand up, but his paralyzed lower limbs would not cooperate. He said in surprise: “Dad? Why are you here?”
In his impression, Ji Xiao was always busy with the company. For years, he had never interfered in the affairs between him and Ji Songting. This sudden visit left him at a loss.
“I heard you had a car accident. I left a meeting halfway through to hurry over and see how you were.”
As Ji Xiao spoke, he looked around at the two men nearby. His dark, cold eyes narrowed, flashing with a shrewd light and a sharp, calculating glint. He barked:
“Where is that boy Ji Songting? Where has he gone? Why isn’t he here accompanying you? How can anyone abandon their spouse like this and leave it to outsiders to take care of you? Itās outrageous!”
Being swept by that cold, terrifying gaze like that of a poisonous snake, Liang Qinianās shoulders gave a shudder. Goosebumps instantly rose on his body, and he involuntarily swallowed his saliva.
The man before him must be the Chairman of the Ji Group. But Jian An called him ‘Dad’?!
Could it be that Jian An… married Ji Songting?!
At this explosive fact, Liang Qinianās entire face froze. His mind was a mess. For a few seconds, he didn’t know how to react.
In his impression, Jian An had always been a person who was indifferent, quiet, and at peace with the world. He had never thought he would be involved in the grievances of a wealthy family.
And since Jian An was married to Ji Songting, why would the situation at the bar that night have happened?
In his memory, the words Jian An had spoken to him in high school rang out once again, filled with hope and deep affection:
“I have someone I like very much. Even though the gap between us is as vast as the heavens and the earth, I still want to catch up to him.”
Could it be that the person he wanted to catch up to was Ji Songting…?
Liang Qinian gazed quietly at the paper-pale youth on the bed. For a moment, he felt a mix of emotionsāhe didn’t know what to feel. He was a bit despondent, but also shocked and felt it wasn’t worth it.
After all, having worked as a bartender at Newcastle Bar for so many years, he had seen Ji Songting holding Shen Chuyan in his arms, kissing him passionately in the booths. He had once thought Shen Chuyan was the official lover of the Ji CEO.
A bar was a place of promiscuity where all romances were fast-food style or one-night stands. Yet Ji Songting only ever brought one person every time. He had even thought the man was steady in his feelings. Now, it seemed he was just a scumbag.
Suddenly, Jian An seemingly noticed his strange gaze, but he didn’t speak. Instead, he gave him a microscopic shake of his head, using his eyes to signal him to leave quickly.
Liang Qinian caught his meaning instantly. After a momentās thought, he nodded silently and retreated several steps without a sound, then put his hands in his pockets and walked quickly toward the door.
The silent ward was filled only with the manās deep, angry voice. No one dared to interrupt. Jian An was caught off guard and startled, his body shrinking back slightly. He hurriedly explained:
“Dad… he came to see me earlier. Iām fine. Iāll be out of the hospital soon. You don’t have to worry.”
Hearing this, Shen Yunheng could no longer care about avoiding suspicion. He said urgently: “Xiao An, didn’t you promise me…”
“Young Master Shen? Youāre here too? It seems my eyes are failing me. I was so focused on caring for our Xiao An just now that I didn’t see a living person standing right there. My apologies.”
Ji Xiao gave a slight nod, a faint, easy smile on his face. But his hawk-like gaze held a trace of testing:
“Is your company not busy? You certainly have plenty of time, Young Master Shen. And the two of you… are friends?”
Jian An, terrified that Ji Xiao would misunderstand, hurriedly explained: “Dad is right. We are friends. When the accident happened, it just so happened that Yunheng was the one who sent me to the hospital.”
Hearing this, Ji Xiao looked somewhat surprised and spoke without haste: “Oh? Then many thanks to Young Master Shen for your efforts. I will certainly remember this favor when it comes to our project cooperation.”
He sat straight on the chair, his movements proper and his aura revealing the unique grace of a middle-aged man. But a sharp glint flashed in his calm gaze as he asked:
“What was it that Young Master Shen wanted to say to Xiao An just now?”
The youth on the bed continued to shake his head gently at him, his eyes full of pleading. Shen Yunheng licked his back teeth. His face held a trace of helplessness, but his heart wavered. He said without showing any emotion:
“Itās nothing.”
He wasn’t sure if Ji Xiao would arrange for a craniotomy for Jian An. Besides, like father, like son. This man before him, who looked like a well-dressed gentleman in his suit, might be even more sinister and treacherous behind the scenes, no better than Ji Songting.
The people who didn’t show anything on the surface were the most terrifying.
Seeing the other manās dark expression, Ji Xiao didn’t care and gave a light smile. In his heart, he thought this “pretty boy” was still a bit green; his methods of pursuing someone were truly low-level.
He casually met Shen Yunhengās probing eyes. His calloused knuckles tapped rhythmically on the table, his tone neither heavy nor light:
“Since itās nothing, Young Master Shen should leave. Friends must keep their distance. Xiao An is already married to my son. Let’s not let people see us and make a joke of it.”
As soon as these words were spoken, Jian An grew uneasy. He habitually pursed his thin lips. His clear eyes looked silently at Shen Yunheng, who was standing with his back to the sunlight. He sighed:
“Yunheng, my dad is right. You really shouldn’t abandon your companyās affairs to waste time here. Thank you for your care. You should go.”
But Shen Yunheng ignored him. He took a step forward, his attitude firm and his voice filled with indignation:
“A joke? Chairman Ji, as an outsider, I have to say something I shouldn’t: your son has hurt Xiao An time and time again. Even this time, when he had a major hemorrhage from the car accident and could have been saved, Ji Songting only cared about his sweetheart’s minor illness and ignored whether Xiao An lived or died. This kind of malicious behavior of abusing his spouse is being fermented by the media. If word gets out, wouldn’t it be even more of a joke?”
These words were clearly spoken to vent the grievances Jian An had suffered, but in Ji Xiaoās ears, they took on an entirely different flavor, giving rise to a trace of threat and provocation.
According to the other manās meaning, did he want to make things a big deal and let the public know, so as to disgrace the Ji family?
The fingers of the bodyguards in the ward curled slightly. They noticed their bossās darkened expression immediately.
Ji Xiao raised a hand to stop the bodyguards who wanted to step forward and handle Shen Yunheng. The ruthlessness on his face vanished in a second, replaced by a fake look of embarrassment as he gave a light smile and spoke in a serious tone:
“This matter is indeed Songtingās fault. He truly acted willfully. I will certainly reprimand him later. But for Young Master Shen to say my son committed domestic abuse without any evidence… isn’t that inappropriate?”
Shen Yunheng looked at the silent youth and said: “Xiao An, admit it yourself. Does Ji Songting often mistreat you? Is he not good to you at all?”
Translatorās Note:
I really hope Jian An finally speaks up! But knowing his personality, heāll probably try to protect Ji Songting even now. Stay tuned for the next update! šš
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