Chapter 59: The Young Master Is Bandaging Jian Anās Wounds?
“It would indeed be a pity.”
A trace of cold, aloof arrogance flashed across Ji Songtingās face, as chilling as ice water and just as unreadable.
He carelessly sprinkled the specialized pain-relieving powder over Jian Anās wound. As if seeking revenge, he used a cotton swab to grind it in with moderate pressure, pushing it into the open flesh.
It was no different from rubbing salt into a wound. He was like a fierce wolf savoring the pain of his prey, continuously nipping at a fresh, tempting rabbit.
There wasn’t a hint of pity or sympathy in his eyes. Those cold pupils glittered with cruelty and cunning; he wouldn’t even spare the youth a sympathetic expression.
The moment the powder touched his skin, the stinging sensation made Jian An tremble. It hurt so much he was on the verge of tears, yet he clamped his teeth shut, refusing to let out a single cry.
The tears he fought so hard to control began to well in his eyes, but there was no one to wipe them away.
He tried to pull his arm back, but the man held him fast. Because his struggle pulled at the injuries on his back, he could only curl his other hand into a fist, digging his nails into his palm to suppress the agony.
Seeing his stubbornness, Ji Songting grew irritated and increased his strength. Jian An nearly blacked out from the pain.
“Hiss…”
Jian An finally let out a low groan. His expression shifted rapidly as he bit his lip, pressing his fist against his mouth to prevent another sound from escaping.
He endured it with all his might. His heart was filled with resentment, but even more so with an ultimate sense of grievanceāyet he was powerless.
The heartless man before him showed no mercy, acting as if he wanted to drive him to his grave.
He didn’t want to cry anymore. He didn’t want to shed another tear in front of Ji Songting. He had had enough of this humiliation!
Ji Songting picked up the roll of bandages. It was his first time ever bandaging someone else’s wound, and he didn’t know how to handle it. He frowned in thought, suppressing his growing impatience as he let out a light breath.
“Youād best stay still. Endure the pain; you won’t die.”
As he spoke, he took the white gauze and dipped it in alcohol. He clumsily draped the bandage over the youth’s arm and wrapped it several times.
However, the positioning was wrong. It didn’t cover the wrist completely, and the medicinal powder began to leak out.
Ji Songting licked his lips in frustration. He tore off the gauze and replaced it with a clean strip, continuing his awkward attempt to wrap the mangled wound.
Jian An sucked in breaths of pain. Several times, he wanted to correct the man’s mistakes, but he held back. He was afraid his interference would only provoke the man’s ire.
After all, Ji Songting hated being told what to do, and Jian An didn’t want to invite more unnecessary trouble.
Outside the living room, Chen Ma stared at the scene on the sofa with wide eyes. Her mouth hung open in shock. She rubbed her eyes hard to ensure she wasn’t hallucinating.
What was wrong with her Young Master?!
Her Young Masterāthe CEO who never lifted a finger for manual laborāwas actually bandaging Jian Anās wounds…?!
And the person he was helping was the one he loathed most!
Chen Ma couldn’t understand it. When she had left just ten minutes ago, Ji Songting had been acting with extreme disgust and ferocity toward Jian An. How could their dynamic shift so drastically in such a short time?
If it were Shen Chuyan who was injured, she might have believed it. But she could never have imagined Ji Songting personally applying medicine to Jian An.
Something was definitely wrong!
“This is truly bizarre…”
“What’s bizarre?” Butler Li Tang suddenly asked from behind her.
Chen Ma jumped, clutching her chest as she recovered from the fright. She scolded him: “What are you doing? You scared me! Don’t stand behind people like that! I nearly hit you with what I’m holding!”
Butler Li cleared his throat. “Weren’t you the one acting suspiciously, peeking through the door? Is the Young Master back?”
She shot him a reproving look and then returned to her position, peering through the doorframe with renewed interest. She whispered, “He’s been back. He’s bandaging Mr. Jian’s wounds.”
“What?!” Butler Liās eyes widened.
“Shh! Quiet! Why are you shouting? Do you want the Young Master to know we’re spying?”
Chen Ma lowered her voice and quickly pulled him aside. She glanced back at the living room and covered half her face, whispering urgently into his ear:
“You find it unbelievable too, don’t you? Has our Young Master taken the wrong medicine? He’s actually being kind to Mr. Jian?”
Butler Li leaned in to listen. His expression shifted from confusion to a sudden realization within seconds. He gave a meaningful smile.
“Perhaps the Young Master has finally seen the light.”
Inside the living room, Jian An looked down at the messy, tangled gauze on his arm. He let out a helpless twist of his lips and immediately stood up from the sofa. He looked the man in the eye and spoke:
“Thank you. But please don’t avoid the original question. When exactly are we getting a divorce? I don’t want to keep waiting. I can’t wait anymore. Iām out of time…”
His voice, which had started with resolve, trailed off at the end. His gaze flickered away, and a trace of unnameable confusion, helplessness, grief, and resentment appeared in his reddened eyes.
For a moment, his chest felt incredibly tight, as if a heavy weight were pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe.
Can’t wait? Out of time?
Ji Songting instinctively caught the two key phrases, but he found them confusing and nonsensical.
He looked at the familiar, delicate face before him. Jian An was looking back with a look of total indifference, as if nothing mattered.
It felt like a provocation.
The expression felt foreign to Ji Songtingāa gnawing, unsettling kind of foreignness. It made him want to surge forward, grab Jian An by the neck, and subject him to a brutal torment.
Is he out of time because he needs to elope with Shen Yunheng to Jiangnan? Is he afraid I’m delaying his chance to have an affair?
At that thought, his grip on the medicine bottle tightened. A thick cloud of gloom filled his eyes, but he suppressed the fire in his chest. His voice dropped to a low, guttural register that seemed to come from the underworld:
“Oh, I almost forgot. There is someone you might be particularly interested in.”
That look of being intriguedāthe look of a man who could toy with lives in the palm of his handāhad been etched into Jian Anās very soul over the last three years.
No matter how hard he tried to escape it, he never could. It always filled him with a profound terror.
Ji Songtingās gaze made Jian An feel like a lamb being stripped bare, left to the mercy of a butcher with no hope of resistance.
“Who… who is it?”
Jian Anās face paled instantly. He began to stammer as he stared at the man who was casually playing with his phone. His trembling voice was filled with tension and a desperate plea:
“Ji Songting, stop toying with me! I have never done anything to betray you! Why must you always drive me to such a dead end? I truly have nothing left…”
“Never done anything to betray me?”
Ji Songting looked up. His face was mild, and his dark eyes held a trace of a smile that didn’t reach themāa smile that sent a chill down the spine.
He brushed the medicinal powder from his black trousers and slowly stood up. He brandished the screenshot on his phone, standing right in front of Jian An. His voice was thick with malice:
“Then what is this? Don’t tell me you don’t recognize it.”
Jian An reached out to take it, but the man pulled the phone away. Jian An knew then that his texts to Shen Yunheng from the car had been discovered.
Seeing the youth speechless and unable to explain, Ji Songting couldn’t help but laugh. But the laugh didn’t reach his eyes, which were as cold as a midwinter glacier. His tone was chilling:
“We aren’t even divorced yet, and youāre already planning an elopement with another man. You truly are shameless.”
“I…”
Jian An stopped abruptly. He found himself unable to speak, the stifled sobs swirling in his throat.
There was no hidden secret, yet he simply couldn’t find the words. It felt as though something were blocking his throat, making even breathing a chore.
Why is it that Ji Songting can openly date and embrace Shen Chuyan, yet Iām questioned for simply making plans for after the divorce…?
“Can’t speak? Youāll have plenty to say in a moment.”
Ji Songtingās cold voice rang out, laced with a threat. A phantom of a smile played on his lips.
He dragged the despondent Jian An toward him, holding him in a death grip while he dialed a number. His expression was as calm as a pool of water, yet it held a disturbing depth.
The sound of the connection rang through the living room, grating against Jian Anās fragile nerves and filling him with dread.
Soon, the familiar voice of a woman came through the phone, accompanied by heavy sobbing:
“Please don’t hit me…! I was wrong! I won’t do it again! Please let me go… brothers!”
It was Zhou Manxiangās voice?!
Jian An went rigid the moment he heard the first syllable. His heart hammered with an overwhelming panic as he stared at the phone. His mind went blank for an instant.
He snapped back to his senses, his palms already soaked in sweat. Cold droplets trailed down his face as his voice shook violently with anxiety:
“Mom! What’s wrong? Where are you? Who’s hitting you?! It’s Xiao An! Mom, can you hear me? Tell me where you are!”
But there was no response from the other end. It was as if they couldn’t hear him at all, and the background was incredibly noisy.
“Stay still! Shout again and I’ll kill you!”
the voice of a fierce, brutal man came through the speaker. His roar was hideously distorted with rage, enough to strike terror into anyone. It was followed by the sound of a metal pipe striking something.
In the midst of the chaotic noise, Zhou Manxiangās wailing voice rose again: “I… I know I was wrong! Please have mercy…!”
Hearing this, the man grew even more enraged. He struck a metal plate with immense force, the resulting boom causing Zhou Manxiang to scream in agony. It was impossible to tell if she was actually being beaten.
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