Chapter 199: You Are My Medicine (24)
Chen Yinnian, stay calm.
Chen Yinnian, calm down.
Calm, calm…
Chen Yinnian sat on the edge of the bed, attempting to pull himself back from the brink of a collapse for the umpteenth time.
“This isn’t you. You’ve already gotten better. Chen Yinnian, don’t go crazy. Whatever you do, don’t lose it,” he whispered to himself over and over.
Chen Ni would not lie to him about something like this.
Yet, no one knew every frame and every scene of his time with Xiao Ji better than he did.
Could it all have been an act?
Chen Yinnian lowered his head, his elbows resting on his thighs as he buried his face in his hands.
The wounds on his feet were bleeding, yet he seemed completely unable to feel the pain.
Downstairs, the three members of the Chen family were embroiled in a heated argument.
“It’s all your fault! Xiao Nian finally managed to get a little better. If he wants to be with him, just let him! Why did you have to pick this moment to bring it up?!”
Listening to the commotion upstairs, Mother Chen’s tears fell uncontrollably.
Chen Ni sat on the sofa and rubbed his face. “I’m to blame as well. I panicked when I saw him trying to self-harm.”
He was her own flesh and blood, after all. Mother Chen choked out, “If this doesn’t work, just call Xiao Ji over to talk…”
“Talk about what? The worst-case scenario is already what we’re seeing now! I never agreed to giving that land to the Xiao family in the first place. Now look at us—we’ve lost the bait and the fish!”
Before Mother Chen could finish, Father Chen cut her off.
Mother Chen jumped to her feet.
“Chen Zhenchuan! Are you even human? Is that not your biological son? What do you mean ‘the worst-case scenario is what we’re seeing now’!”
Father Chen retorted, “It’s untreatable! Even if he gets better, he’ll just relapse! Hasn’t he tormented us enough over the years? Do you think I haven’t tried my best?!”
Mother Chen became even more agitated. “In the end, you just can’t bear to let go of the Chen family business! You think my son isn’t worth it!”
Panting heavily, she suddenly slapped Father Chen across the face.
“If you hadn’t pressured Xiao Nian about every little thing back then, he wouldn’t have gotten sick!”
Father Chen took the slap without hitting back, but he grabbed a teacup and smashed it onto the floor.
Warm tea spread across the ground, and shards of porcelain were scattered throughout the house.
Chen Ni went to break up the fight, his head pounding with a spliting ache. He even began to wonder if he had made a mistake by dumping Chen Yinnian on Xiao Ji.
The conflict downstairs was reaching its peak.
Meanwhile, amidst the endless shouting, Chen Yinnian began to gradually lose his sense of self.
He only wanted to escape.
The countless instructions and lectures his father had given him during his childhood echoed in his ears like a curse.
“Your test scores weren’t as good as your brother’s this time. Don’t lose your ambition to play.”
“Your brother had already won national awards when he was your age. Chen Yinnian, what on earth do you do all day?”
“You don’t stand properly, you don’t sit properly. How can I take you out when you act like this?”
“Don’t think the family’s wealth can withstand your wasting. You’re far from being good enough…”
…
Chen Yinnian grabbed his phone and ID, put on his shoes and coat, pushed open the window, and jumped out.
He began by knocking out the auntie who was keeping watch outside his window, then drove away from the Chen residence.
Driving all the way to the airport, Chen Yinnian saw skydiving footage in a travel promotional video for a Southeast Asian country on a large LED screen. He immediately bought a ticket for the earliest flight and checked in.
…
Xiao Ji had just finished handling his affairs and was about to call Chen Yinnian when he heard a burst of static in his mind.
Then, 037’s hurried voice came through:
[Quick, Xiao Ji! Something happened with the Phoenix. I just finished a meeting and found out he’s already arrived at the airport.]
Xiao Ji’s heart turned cold.
[What happened?]
[Go to the airport first,] 037 said. [I’ve already booked a flight for you. It’s about an hour later than the Little Phoenix’s. If you leave now, you’ll make it in time.]
Hearing this, Xiao Ji immediately floored the accelerator and headed for the airport.
Fortunately, his documents were in a folder in the car.
On the way, 037 briefly recounted what had happened after Chen Yinnian returned home.
Xiao Ji’s face grew colder with every word as he began to dial Chen Yinnian’s number.
Unfortunately, the prompt indicated the phone was turned off.
So, Xiao Ji dialed Chen Ni’s number.
After three unanswered calls, Chen Ni finally picked up.
Xiao Ji didn’t ask anything; he only said one thing:
“If anything happens to Chen Yinnian, no one is going to have a good time.”
With that, he hung up and added everyone in the Chen family to his blacklist.
Xiao Ji remained stony-faced throughout the three-hour flight.
Upon arriving at the airport, he was practically the first person from his arrival group to exit customs.
The staff member conducting baggage spot checks took one look at Xiao Ji’s frost-cold expression and decided to look the other way, letting him through.
Xiao Ji chased after Chen Yinnian without pause. When he reached a skydiving center, he saw Chen Yinnian’s small silhouette standing in a corner, staring into space.
Only then did Xiao Ji breathe a silent sigh of relief. He stood in a hidden spot, hesitating for a moment before deciding not to step forward yet.
Chen Yinnian stood in the corner for a long time before squatting down.
A staff member from the skydiving center approached him to negotiate something, but Chen Yinnian shook his head and remained crouched on the ground, motionless.
Afterward, Xiao Ji saw him raise his phone toward a helicopter that was about to take off nearby.
Soon, the phone in Xiao Ji’s pocket vibrated.
He pulled it out and saw a photo sent by Chen Yinnian, appearing below several of his own messages marked with red exclamation points.
It was a picture of that very helicopter, roaring and slowly taking flight.
Xiao Ji took a deep breath and placed a voice call.
During the first call, Chen Yinnian just stared blankly at the screen and didn’t answer.
Xiao Ji quickly called a second time.
After hesitating for a moment, Chen Yinnian finally answered.
He opened his mouth and said to Xiao Ji, “Brother, I’m sorry.”
Xiao Ji didn’t demand to know where he was, what he was doing, or why he had blocked him.
He only asked calmly, “How are you feeling? Is your mood alright?”
Chen Yinnian raised a hand to wipe the corners of his eyes. Even though he knew Xiao Ji couldn’t see him, he still nodded instinctively.
“Can you not scold me? I controlled myself. I didn’t go.”
He paused, then told Xiao Ji, “I bought that helicopter. Now I kind of want to return it.”
“Why return it?” Xiao Ji asked.
Chen Yinnian choked up. “I used the card you gave me. I shouldn’t have wasted your money.”
“I don’t know what’s real or fake. I’m so confused. But I promised you I wouldn’t do this kind of thing again…”
“Brother, I don’t know how to say it. I…”
Chen Yinnian was somewhat incoherent. He didn’t know what he wanted to express, nor did he know what state he was in.
He only knew that he shouldn’t have blocked Xiao Ji and that he shouldn’t have run here on impulse.
In truth, he still couldn’t tell if Xiao Ji’s feelings for him were real or fake, but he hoped they were real because he couldn’t bear to lose him.
His eyes were stinging fiercely. After talking to himself for a while, he realized that Xiao Ji had already hung up.
At a loss, Chen Yinnian wanted to call back, when he suddenly heard someone call his name from behind:
“Chen Yinnian.”
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