Chapter 72: Don’t Covet Things That Aren’t Yours
Seeing that Ji Shuohan once again had no intention of explaining further, Ye Zhile felt a chill in his heart. He put down his chopsticks and went upstairs.
Ye Zhile stopped putting so much energy into Ji Shuohan. Since he had amnesia, everything could wait until he regained his senses. He didn’t want to keep pressing his warm face against a cold butt; it wasn’t as if he was lacking in other people’s company.
In the following days, Ye Zhile treated Ji Shuohan with indifference. He spent the entire day with Dudu. He had taken a leave of absence from school since his pregnancy and wouldn’t be able to return until at least next year.
Ji Shuohan also noticed Ye Zhile’s attitude toward him—from constantly worrying about him at the start to the current lack of concern. He felt an imbalance in his heart but said nothing. Thus, the two fell into a long-term cold war.
Ji Shuohan often returned late, and Ye Zhile no longer waited for him to eat. He would eat first, accompany Dudu, and then go to sleep. But today, after dinner, Ye Zhile noticed Dudu’s face was flushed. When he touched him, it was shockingly hot.
“Xiao Ruo!” Ye Zhile called urgently. Dudu seemed startled and suddenly burst into tears. Ye Zhile felt a surge of guilt. “Sorry, sorry… Dudu.”
Ye Zhile hurriedly picked Dudu up. Xiao Ruo ran to the door. “What is it, Madam?”
“Tell the driver to prepare the car. Dudu has a fever.”
“Oh, okay!”
As Ye Zhile carried Dudu downstairs, Ji Shuohan happened to return. Seeing the anxious look on Ye Zhile’s face, he strode forward. “What happened?”
“Dudu has a fever,” Ye Zhile said.
“Give him to me.” Ji Shuohan took Dudu from his arms and glanced at him. “Go upstairs and put on a coat first.”
“Oh, okay.” Ye Zhile hurried upstairs again. In his haste, he tripped on the stairs, his knee slamming into the step. He sucked in a breath of pain but ignored it, threw on a coat, and rushed back down.
Dudu’s face was red with fever. He was whimpering and crying occasionally, his large, round eyes misty. He looked extremely pitiful.
Ye Zhile was heartbroken, his eyes fixed on the baby. Ji Shuohan touched Dudu’s forehead and said, “Don’t worry. It’s normal for children to have fevers.”
Ye Zhile knew what Ji Shuohan meant, but he still retorted, “But he can’t have them all the time. His brain will get fried.”
Ji Shuohan remained silent. Ye Zhile glanced at him and didn’t speak again.
After they arrived at the hospital and got the IV drip started, Ye Zhile kept watch by the bed. The doctor said they were afraid the baby would move and dislodge the needle, so Ye Zhile held his little hand and coaxed him to sleep.
The ward was very quiet. The freesia pheromones were somewhat unstable. Ji Shuohan looked at the youth. He looked pale and sickly, with dark circles under his eyes. His hands were so thin they looked like they might break with a single snap, as if he had suddenly lost a lot of weight.
It was after midnight by the time they returned home. Ye Zhile was exhausted. Seeing Ji Shuohan place Dudu back into the small bed, he turned to go to sleep.
“Do you need pheromones?”
The words from behind made Ye Zhile’s footsteps pause. His lips trembled; he wanted to stubbornly refuse, but the doctor said his body needed more pheromones to recover. He didn’t want to gamble with his own health out of spite.
Ye Zhile nodded. Ji Shuohan walked over. “I’ll give you a temporary mark; it lasts longer that way.”
However, in Ye Zhile’s ears, these words sounded like the Supreme Leader thought he was a nuisance and was afraid of being disturbed again. Ye Zhile’s eyes dimmed. Ji Shuohan leaned down. Without giving Ye Zhile time to prepare, he bit down directly, as if completing a task.
Ye Zhile gripped his clothes tightly. Unable to handle the surging pheromones, he fell into a deep sleep.
The next day, Ye Zhile didn’t wake up until noon. Dudu’s fever had broken, and he was back to his lively self. Ye Zhile felt much more at ease.
He hadn’t noticed the bruise on his knee yesterday, but he felt the pain when he woke up today. Ye Zhile was sitting on the sofa applying ointment when Ruan Chenxin walked in carrying several large bags, bossing around the servants. “You lot! Help me take these things to my room!”
Ye Zhile turned his head and saw that the items were all designer clothes and such. He said nothing; after all, the Supreme Leader had given him a large sum of money, so this was just the tip of the iceberg.
Since he wasn’t attending classes, Ye Zhile mostly stayed home. Aside from playing with Dudu, he read books and wrote drafts. Life was quiet and leisurely.
Ye Zhile’s health was poor, and he couldn’t stand noise, but Ruan Chenxin truly acted as if he were the master of the Manor. Even with Ye Zhile sitting on the sofa, he would shamelessly direct the servants.
“If this vase is placed here, what if it gets broken?” Ruan Chenxin stood before the vase at the entrance, acting like a master. “Xiao Ruo, have someone move it under the stairs.”
“Stop.” Ye Zhile called out to Xiao Ruo. “No need to move it. Go about your work.”
Compared to an uneducated, rude outsider, Xiao Ruo naturally listened to the Madam. She responded immediately, “Yes.”
Ruan Chenxin walked over. “I’m just afraid that a vase worth tens of millions of Star Coins will be broken by some blind person. What a waste.”
Ye Zhile glanced at the intricately patterned vase and said dismissively, “It’s just a vase. Since it’s placed by the entrance, we aren’t afraid of it breaking.”
Ruan Chenxin was choked up. Crossing his arms, he said defiantly, “Of course, you didn’t buy it. It’s all Brother Shuohan’s money. In the year he was gone, Madam surely enjoyed quite a life of luxury.”
Ye Zhile said nothing. A plan flashed through Ruan Chenxin’s eyes, and he sat down. “Does Madam not want to know how Brother Shuohan and I got along this past year?”
Ye Zhile finally looked up at him. Ruan Chenxin gave a bashful smile. “Brother Shuohan is an Enigma; occasionally he would also…”
“He wouldn’t.” Ye Zhile interrupted him coldly. “Put away your little thoughts. Don’t covet things that aren’t yours.”
“How do you know he wouldn’t? Any man has needs…” Ruan Chenxin said shamelessly.
Ye Zhile’s temple throbbed with irritation. Unable to swallow his anger, he said bluntly, “You are really noisy. Can you be quiet for once?”
“I…” Ruan Chenxin wanted to say more, but Ji Shuohan returned at that moment. He immediately tucked away his earlier face. “Brother Shuohan.”
Ye Zhile lowered his gaze and ignored them both.
At dinner, Ye Zhile also ate quietly. Ji Shuohan suddenly said, “There is a family banquet at the Ji Estate tomorrow. Return with me.”
Ye Zhile nodded. “Okay.”
After dinner, Ye Zhile went upstairs. When he came out of Dudu’s nursery, he happened to run into Xiao Ruo carrying coffee. Ye Zhile hesitated for a moment, then finally spoke: “Xiao Ruo.”
“What is it, Madam?” Xiao Ruo stopped. Ye Zhile reached out. “Give it to me. I’ll take it to My Lord.”
“Alright.”
Ye Zhile sighed deeply and took the coffee toward the study, only to see Ruan Chenxin entering the study first with a cup of coffee at the corner.
Ye Zhile froze on the spot, his eyes gradually dimming. In that moment, his heart went cold. He turned and left.
Is it really that hard to make one person leave? Why must he stay?!
Translator’s Note: “Warm face against a cold butt” (熱臉貼冷屁股) is a Chinese idiom meaning to be very friendly to someone who treats you with indifference. Also, Ruan Chenxin’s “needs” comment is a typical White Lotus move to imply intimacy that probably didn’t happen.
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