A Billion Stars Can’t Amount to You - Chapter 775-782
“At the time, Qian Ge pissed me off with her b*tchy looks. I really wanted to rush over to her and tear off her b*tchy face, but Ji Yi stopped me!”
“I thought Ji Yi was afraid to start something, but I never thought she’d actually smash a bunch of ceramics when Qian Ge was acting all pleased with herself!”
“Let me tell you, Zhuang Yi Jie… At that moment, the only thought I had in my mind was to go crazy, cheering for Queen Xiao Yi!”
Tang Huahua was getting too excited. The only thing missing was her shrieking. Ji Yi couldn’t help but lift her head and shoot Tang Huahua a glance, subtly complaining about how noisy she was being. Before she could look away, Ji Yi heard Ning Shuang say over the phone, “Jiayuan Gardens.”
Jiayuan Gardens? Isn’t that the name of He Jichen’s neighborhood? Don’t tell me He Jichen went back to his own apartment?
As that thought flashed across Ji Yi’s mind, she said, “Did He Jichen go into unit 3 of building no.12?”
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Just as Ning Shuang was about to tell her the building He Jichen entered, Ning Shuang was stunned for a few seconds when she heard what Ji Yi said. That’s when she said, “How did you know?”
Ji Yi didn’t answer Ning Shuang but excitedly shouted at Tang Huahua in front of her. “Go to Jiayuan Gardens!”
Tang Huahua was shocked by what Ji Yi suddenly said for a few seconds. She turned her head towards Ji Yi and said, “Huh?”
“Go to Jiayuan Gardens!” repeated Ji Yi.
That’s when Tang Huahua came to her senses. “Why Jiayuan Gardens?”
Just as she said that Tang Huahua realized that was where He Jichen’s apartment was.
For over a year now, every time Xiao Yi missed He Jichen or was in a bad mood, she would always run off to Jiayuan Gardens. She would lock herself in He Jichen’s apartment and stay there for a long time before coming out… She can’t be wanting to lock herself in there again, right?
With that thought, Tang Huahua instinctively wanted to stop Ji Yi. “Xiao Yi…”
Just as Tang Huahua cried out Ji Yi’s name, Ji Yi replied to her earlier question. “I’m going to take back my favored consort!”
Huh?! Favored consort?!
Tang Huahua was stunned once again by Ji Yi’s words. She wanted to say something, but the words instantly disappeared from her lips.
Ji Yi saw that Tang Huahua wasn’t changing her route and hurriedly spoke again, “Stop the car!”
Tang Huahua instinctively stepped on the emergency brakes.
Just as the car stopped, Ji Yi pulled the car door open and got out.
“Xiao Yi!” Tang Huahua instinctively cried Ji Yi’s name then reached out to unfasten her seatbelt.
Before she could push the car door open, get out of the car and chase after Ji Yi, the driver’s door was opened from the outside. Ji Yi reached her hand out and dragged Tang Huahua out of the car. “Get in the car!”
After her voice dropped, Ji Yi released her grip on Tang Huahua’s arm then jumped into the driver’s seat and fastened her seatbelt.
Tang Huahua was afraid Ji Yi would leave her on the main road, so she hurriedly opened the back door and got in.
Before she could settle into her seat, Ji Yi stepped on the gas and sent the car flying.
Tang Huahua’s body abruptly lunged forward, almost resulting in her hitting her head on the driver’s seat. Luckily, she had quick reflexes as she reached her hand out to steady herself.
Tang Huahua hadn’t snapped back to her senses when she heard Ji Yi’s voice from the front saying, “I’m heading there right now. Thank you!”
Tang Huahua lifted her head in confusion and looked over at Ji Yi, who had lowered the phone from her ear and tossed it on the front passenger seat.
“Xiao Yi, who were you on the phone with?” Tang Huahua couldn’t help but ask as she was so focused on her conversation with Zhuang Yi that she hadn’t even noticed Ji Yi taking a call.
Ji Yi didn’t reply to Tang Huahua and abruptly stepped on the gas with both hands on the steering wheel.
The car suddenly sped up, causing Tang Huahua to lunge forward again. Thankfully, she kept her hand on the handle, so she only swayed fiercely for a moment there. However, before she could sit properly, Ji Yi took another sharp turn, almost tossing Tang Huahua aside and causing her to fall, sprawled out on her seat.
“Xiao Yi, slow down!”
“Xiao Yi, it’s a red light up ahead!”
“Xiao Yi, you’re tailgating!”
“Ah–”
Just as Tang Huahua continuously shrieked, the car entered “Jianyuan Gardens.”
When they were almost at building no.12, Ji Yi suddenly stepped on the brakes. As the awful sound of the screeching tires was heard, the car suddenly came to a stop.
Tang Huahua hadn’t recovered from the shock of their chaotic journey when Ji Yi leaped out of the car and charged right over to building no.12.
Tang Huahua had no time to recover from her nausea as she fumbled to push the door open. She climbed out of the car and hurriedly chased after Ji Yi.
After entering the building, a young woman in a black down jacket, who was leaning against the wall, straightened herself up. Then she immediately walked over to Ji Yi the very second she saw her. “Ji Yi?”
Ji Yi nodded as she replied to Ning Shuang before rushing over to the elevator and pressing the button.
So this is Ning Shuang… Tang Huahua shot a polite smile at Ning Shuang and wanted to greet her, but as soon as she opened her mouth, out came the sound of gagging.
“Ding dong…” rang the elevator. The second the doors opened, Ji Yi stepped in and reached out to press the button to select a floor.
Tang Huahua and Ning Shuang were afraid Ji Yi would leave them behind, so they hurriedly squeezed into the elevator.
When the elevator doors opened on the floor of He Jichen’s apartment, a calmer and less impulsive Ji Yi stared outside for a couple of seconds. Then she walked out of the elevator.
It was so quiet in the hallway that Ji Yi could hear the sound of her heart pounding.
She stopped in front of He Jichen’s door, stared at the tightly shut door for a moment, but didn’t press the doorbell. Instead, she raised her hand and entered the passcode.
*Click!*
As the door unlocked, Ji Yi instinctively held her breath. She slowly reached her fingers out to the handle and pulled the door open.
The light in the living room shone brightly.
Across the tall windows, the words “A Billion Stars Can’t Amount to You” from the advert outside were bright and clear.
Out of nowhere, Ji Yi’s heart started to race.
Without removing her shoes, she walked right past the entrance and into the apartment.
She looked all around her to see that there wasn’t a single person in the living room and the door to the gym was open. It was completely empty in there too.
Don’t tell me that the woman Ning Shuang mentioned was with He Jichen is upstairs?
Ji Yi instinctively lifted her head and looked up at the second floor.
The people upstairs must’ve heard the door open as Ji Yi happened to catch the door to the study being opened and He Jichen stepping out from inside.
He was wearing the same clothes he was wearing when she saw him that evening. There was a file in his hands.
Before their eyes could even meet, another person stepped out of the study.
It was just as Ning Shuang described – the woman really was young and pretty.
Ji Yi knew that woman. It was Xia Yuan.
She was He Jichen’s professor’s daughter. From the first time they met, Ji Yi knew Xia Yuan liked He Jichen. Later, she even deliberately kissed He Jichen in annoyance when she saw Xia Yuan wearing a low-cut top while in a video call with him. In the end, Xiao Yuan was so mad that she hung up on their call…
“Jichen…” cried Xia Yuan in confusion when she saw He Jichen had peeked outside. Xia Yuan hadn’t noticed Ji Yi.
Her words brought both Ji Yi and He Jichen back to their senses.
Ji Yi clearly saw He Jichen furrowing his brows for a moment then turning his gaze towards Tang Huahua and Ning Shuang, who came in with Ji Yi and stood behind her.
Just as He Jichen’s gaze fell on Ning Shuang, he immediately realized she must’ve been the reason why Ji Yi showed up there. “Who let you call her?!” he abruptly exclaimed at Ning Shuang with intense frustration.
“I was the one who called her,” Ji Yi blurted out before Ning Shuang could speak.
He Jichen averted his gaze back to Ji Yi. His lips quivered but he didn’t make a sound.
Ji Yi’s eyes met his and they stared at each other for a couple of seconds before her gaze fell on Xia Yuan.
She stared at Xia Yuan for just a second before she strode over to the stairs and climbed one step at a time to the top.
Nobody uttered a word in the big, spacious apartment. Besides the sound of Ji Yi’s footsteps, nothing else was heard.
Ji Yi only stopped walking when she stood in front of Xia Yuan. She quietly stared at Xia Yuan for a moment then said, “Hello Miss Xia. Long time no see. I’m He Jichen’s wife, Ji Yi…”
Didn’t Xia Yuan like He Jichen all these years without backing down?
Good. Today, I’ll let her know that it’s impossible for her and He Jichen to ever be together!
With that thought, Ji Yi felt like what she just said wasn’t tough enough, so she added, “…you can call me Mrs. He.”
He Jichen’s wife? Mrs. He?
Xia Yuan’s eyes widened in disbelief as she looked over at He Jichen. “Jichen…”
Jichen? Till now, she’s still called He Jichen in such an affectionate way?
Most importantly, let’s forget how she ignored her when she was talking to her. Her first reaction was to go and call for He Jichen?!
A chill surfaced in Ji Yi’s eyes as she didn’t even wait for He Jichen to speak before adding, “Excuse me, Miss Xia. I don’t think you and He Jichen are even close enough for you to be calling him ‘Jichen.’ I hope that you know your place and call He Jichen ‘Mr. He’ from now on.”
When Ji Yi said the words “I’m He Jichen’s wife,” He Jichen was left stunned. It was only when Ji Yi said it a second time that he snapped out of it and said, “Ji Yi…”
Instead of replying to He Jichen, Ji Yi had more important matters to deal with. Having looked at both Xia Yuan and He Jichen, Ji Yi then immediately ignored He Jichen. She glared at Xia Yuan and inserted her dominance by saying, “No matter how long you’ve known He Jichen, or how strongly you feel for him, from now on, I hope that you and He Jichen can keep a certain distance…”
When He Jichen heard that, he knew Ji Yi had misunderstood.
The professor called him a while back for a template of a contract. Today, he happened to bump into Xia Yuan, and since Xia Yuan brought it up, he figured that he might as well give it directly to Xia Yuan to take back to Sucheng…
“Ji Yi…” repeated He Jichen.
Ji Yi continued to turn a deaf ear to what He Jichen said and stared unwaveringly at Xia Yuan. “…He Jichen is my husband. I won’t allow for any woman to have indecent thoughts about him. Today, I’m just giving you a reminder. If you ever do something like coming to see him alone as you did tonight, I absolutely won’t take it lying down!” continued Ji Yi.
This was a picture He Jichen had never dared to dream of. However, he had no time to cherish this moment because Xia Yuan got married over a year ago and just had a baby earlier in the year…
“Xiao Yi, listen to me…” said He Jichen for the third time.
Why’s he stopping me? Shouldn’t he be helping me kick Xia Yuan out?
Having been interrupted by He Jichen, Ji Yi didn’t wait for him to finish speaking before abruptly turning her head and glaring at He Jichen. “Shut up! If there’s anything you want to say, it can wait until after I’ve dealt with her!”
“Xiao…”
“He Jichen, don’t assume I have no idea the marriage certificate you kept is ours! I suggest that you behave and not say a word…” This time, He Jichen barely managed to make out one word when Ji Yi saw He Jichen’s lips moving again and aggressively cut him off by adding, “If you say another word, you best believe I’ll sue you for having an affair!”
Don’t assume I have no idea the marriage certificate you kept is ours…
Every word of Ji Yi’s was like a landmine, exploding in He Jichen’s ears and causing his mind to go completely blank. After a whole minute passed, his train of thought started to gradually turn again.
So she was actually serious about what she just said to Xia Yuan. She wasn’t just going after Xia Yuan and blurting out random nonsense. But… how did she know that the marriage certificate in my possession was ours? If she knows that, she must know He Yuguang died and that I was pretending to be He Yuguang all that time…
Ji Yi didn’t know that her words caused He Jichen’s mind to wander. Seeing as he wasn’t saying anything else, she assumed she must’ve shocked him. That was when her sharp gaze shot back to Xia Yuan’s face.
Xia Yuan didn’t know anyone else in the apartment aside from He Jichen, who she was familiar with. Now that she was indiscriminately being yelled at by Ji Yi, she was at a complete loss, so her natural reaction was to turn to He Jichen. Like before, her eyes continued to stare at He Jichen.
The expression on Xia Yuan’s face fell into Ji Yi’s line of sight and aggravated her broiling jealousy even more intensely.
I’m He Jichen’s lawfully protected wife. Only I’m qualified to stare so transfixed at He Jichen like Xia Yuan is doing now. What right does Xia Yuan have to look at He Jichen?
Ji Yi truly felt it was an eyesore. With that thought, she took one step forward and blocked Xia Yuan’s gaze at He Jichen.
Ji Yi’s face suddenly came into Xia Yuan’s sight, causing her whole body to shiver from shock. She hadn’t completely stabilized when Ji Yi’s gaze was glued to her face. “You don’t need to stare at him so much. There’s no use looking at him. If he says one word to protect you today, then I’ll beat both of you up!”
“Don’t go thinking I’m just scaring you! I keep my word! While you’re now young and pretty, I suggest you hurry up and find someone suitable to get married to. Don’t go lusting over another woman’s man, or you’ll get your name dragged through the dirt and you’ll end up being the one embarrassed!”
“Of course, maybe you still want to get close to He Jichen as his mistress, but I advise you to drop that idea! I’ll never divorce He Jichen. If he dares to take you home in the middle of the night, I’ll break his legs. At the very worst, I’ll just take care of him for the rest of my life!”
After Ji Yi finished saying what she wanted to say, she didn’t even want to look at Xia Yuan’s reaction. “Miss Xia, I’ve clearly said everything I wanted to say. May I ask if you can now leave?” said Ji Yi directly to send her off.
As she said this, Ji Yi stepped aside from standing in front of He Jichen just to make way for Xia Yuan to head downstairs.
As Ji Yi drew closer, the sweet scent of her body bore into He Jichen’s nose, abruptly waking He Jichen from his daze.
Though he didn’t hear everything she said to Xia Yuan in much detail, he could tell by the expression on Xia Yuan’s face that Ji Yi definitely said something unpleasant.
If Xia Yuan really liked him and deliberately wanted to get closer to him, then what Ji Yi did would be appropriate. However, it seemed like Ji Yi got it all wrong… Without even thinking twice about it, He Jichen said, “Xia Yuan, I’m terribly sorry for putting you through this. I’ll see you out downstairs.”
He Jichen actually wants to see Xia Yuan out?
Ji Yi’s eyes suddenly widened as she glared at He Jichen.
He Jichen ignored Ji Yi’s unsatisfied glares; he walked around her and headed down the stairs.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Ji Yi reached out and grabbed He Jichen’s sleeve. “He Jichen!”
“I’m seeing her out. I’ll explain things to you when I get back.” Seeing as Ji Yi wasn’t willing to loosen her clutch, He Jichen pried her fingers off him.
Ji Yi tightened her grip on his sleeve. She didn’t say anything but looked at He Jichen’s eyes as a hint of red slowly and clearly crept into her eyes.
He Jichen’s heart shuddered as the force he used to pry Ji Yi’s fingers away instantly disappeared to nothing.
He knew full well that they would never have a future together and he shouldn’t indulge her as he did before. However, even if he wanted to draw a line between them and never see her ever again, now that he saw the rims of her eyes turning red, he didn’t hesitate to give in as though it was his natural instinct…
Deep down, He Jichen softly sighed in relief. A few seconds later, he turned his head and looked over at Xia Yuan.
He wanted to hand her the document in his hands and to truly apologize for today.
Unaware of his thoughts, Ji Yi gritted her teeth in anger as she watched He Jichen looking at Xia Yuan, thinking that he was still going to see Xia Yuan off. Her mind wandered back to the night she saw Xia Yuan calling He Jichen. She remembered what she did at the time. Then she reached out, forcefully pushing He Jichen’s face away from Xia Yuan and towards herself.
Without a care for Xia Yuan beside them nor Tang Huahua and Ning Shuang downstairs, Ji Yi tip-toed and kissed He Jichen’s lips. This made He Jichen swallow back the words he was going to say to Xia Yuan.
He Jichen’s body froze as he instinctively wanted to pull Ji Yi into his embrace.
Before he could move, knowing that He Jichen was going to react that way, Ji Yi wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.
Knowing that he was going to react that way, before he could move, Ji Yi wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. Then she kissed his lips even harder.
He Jichen’s body tensed up as his hands, about to pry Ji Yi’s fingers away, froze a little.
The room slipped into a momentary silence.
Even though Ji Yi simply wanted to stop He Jichen from seeing Xia Yuan off, she now fell into a complete daze from the familiar softness and warmth of his lips and the familiar and cool scent of his body. Her lips never left his, yet she managed to gently whisper, “He Jichen, you’re really back…”
As the sound of her voice settled, a single tear fell from the corner of her eye. She looked at his face in front of her for a while then she slowly shut her eyes. As the tear flowed down her face, she softly started to kiss the corners of his lips.
The anger and hurt in her voice made He Jichen into a deflated rubber balloon. At that instant, his mind was completely blank and it seemed like his pressure points had been pressed. He stood motionlessly on the spot and let her kiss him in front of so many people.
The room was increasingly quiet. When the tip of Ji Yi’s tongue pried open He Jichen’s mouth, Xia Yuan snapped out of her astonishment to see Ji Yi kissing He Jichen for the second time as she stood beside her. She didn’t say anything but pursed the corners of her lips and coughed heavily.
He Jichen abruptly returned to his senses and with practically any hesitation at all, he moved his head to avoid Ji Yi’s lips. He reached out and extracted Ji Yi’s hands from around his neck then took a step back and looked at Xia Yuan apologetically.
Xia Yuan didn’t wait for Ji Yi to react, nor did she wait for He Jichen to speak before saying, “It’s getting late. The baby probably wants milk by now. If the baby doesn’t see me later, the baby will definitely be crying like crazy, so I have to head back now.”
The second He Jichen opened his eyes, the very first thought Ji Yi had was to rush over to He Jichen again. However, before she could take any action, Xia Yuan’s words rang in her ears.
The baby probably wants milk by now… what does that mean?
Ji Yi furrowed her brows, turned her head in confusion and looked over at Xia Yuan.
“Give me the contract. My husband and I will come back tomorrow then I’ll give it to my dad.”
My husband and I?
Ji Yi’s eyes couldn’t help but widen.
“You don’t have to see me out…” said Xia Yuan “…I think you won’t be able to get out of this for a while.”
When Ji Yi caught Xia Yuan’s glance, her face instantly flushed.
After all that, I got things all wrong?
The situation wasn’t as I thought? Xia Yuan is just here to pick up a file? She got married and even had a baby?
And yet, I just asserted my dominance to Xia Yuan…
With that thought, Ji Yi secretly clenched her teeth, lowered her head, and avoided Xia Yuan’s gaze.
“Take care.” He Jichen handed Xia Yuan the file in his hands.
After taking the file, Xia Yuan said “Goodbye” and raised her feet. When she passed Ji Yi, she looked as though a sudden thought came to her and she added, “Goodbye, Mrs. He.”
Ji Yi’s body shuddered. Her head dipped lower and she gritted her teeth even harder.
As He Jichen said “Goodbye” again, Ji Yi heard the pitter patter of Xia Yuan’s high heels walking further and further away. The sound lasted until she reached the entrance, then there was the sound of the door opening and slamming shut. Silence returned to the room.
It felt like the air had frozen over. The atmosphere in the room was stagnant for a long time before Ning Shuang came to her senses and cried, “Errrr… I haven’t had dinner yet. I’m a little hungry, so I’m gonna get something to eat.”
As she said this, she took two steps towards the entrance and noticed Tang Huahua was still standing motionlessly on the spot. She stepped back, reached out and gently tugged on Tang Huahua’s arm.
Tang Huahua hadn’t quite come to her senses but she turned towards Ning Shuang and let out a confused “huh?”
Ning Shuang didn’t say anything but pointed upstairs and made pointed eye contact at Tang Huahua for a moment.
Tang Huahua followed Ning Shuang’s pointed finger and glanced up at He Jichen and Ji Yi, who was standing in front of a column. Then she instantly came to a realization.
“Oh…” she cried as she hurriedly told Ning Shuang, “I haven’t had dinner yet either. Let’s eat together.”
“Yeah yeah…” As Ning Shuang replied, the two women quickly slipped away, pulled the door open, and left He Jichen’s apartment.
When she heard the door closing for the second time, Ji Yi raised her head and looked over at He Jichen.
He was leaning against the column with a blank expression on his face with his head turned. He was staring at the night sky outside the window, thinking about something.
The apartment seemed even more empty and silent with just the two of them left.
Ji Yi stared at He Jichen for a short while then slightly moved her lips: “I was hot-headed just now and said all those things when I didn’t understand the situation.”
Ji Yi wasn’t sure whether He Jichen heard what she said. Having waited a long time after saying that, He Jichen still remained in his place, staring out the window without the slightest hint of wanting to reply.
“After leaving Lilac, you must not have eaten anything, right? Are you hungry? Should we find a place to eat?” said Ji Yi again.
He Jichen didn’t react at all.
An indescribable sense of nervousness surfaced in Ji Yi’s heart. “It’s okay if you don’t want to go out. I can order take out. What would you like to eat?”
As Ji Yi said this, she fished her phone out from her bag.
He Jichen wasn’t looking at Ji Yi, but he must’ve guessed what she was doing. The moment she unlocked the screen and clicked a takeout app, he finally spoke after a long period of silence. “No thanks.”
Ji Yi’s finger hovering over the screen suddenly quivered.
She stared at the phone screen for a while, looked up and glanced at He Jichen. “If you don’t eat, then…”
Ji Yi didn’t manage to finish what she was saying when He Jichen said, “I have some business to do, so I’ll be leaving first.”
With that, He Jichen straightened up and prepared to leave.
Ji Yi hurriedly reached out and tugged on He Jichen’s sleeve.
He was afraid that the second he escaped her grip, she would walk in front of him and block his way.
He Jichen furrowed his brows.
Ji Yi caught his reaction and instinctively clutched onto his sleeve more tightly then quietly said, “He Jichen, could you please not leave just yet?”
“We haven’t seen each other for over a year. Do you really have nothing you want to say to me?”
“Nothing,” replied He Jichen swiftly. Even his voice sounded unusually indifferent…
If she hadn’t found out about everything, Ji Yi never would’ve dared to believe that He Jichen liked her judging by his reaction at that very moment.
She knew what he was worried about and she knew he was doing it for her own good. Deep down, she knew what rumors she would have to face if they really got together, but she didn’t care…
With that thought, Ji Yi added, “It’s okay. There’s nothing you want to say, but I do. I have lots and lots that I want to say to you. Let’s go downstairs, find a place to sit and have a good chat. Alright?”
“I really do have things to do. Let’s do this another day,” said He Jichen.
Ji Yi didn’t budge. She knew He Jichen was brushing her off. If she really left, when would they have this chance again? She was afraid that she didn’t even have the answer to that. “If you don’t want to go downstairs, that’s okay. We can chat here…”
“Ji Yi.”
Ji Yi acted as though she hadn’t heard what He Jichen said and continued to say, “He Jichen, where are you staying right now?”
“You canceled your old phone number. Did you get a new one? Can you tell me your number?”
“My number has never changed. It’s the same as the one before…”
It seemed as though He Jichen didn’t have the patience to continue listening as he interrupted her by saying, “Move aside.”
Ji Yi didn’t move from her spot as her other hand now also grabbed onto He Jichen’s sleeve. “I know why you’re treating me like this, but He Jichen, did you know? After you left, I started to wait for you, and have been waiting for you ever since…”
“Ji Yi.” The fingers by He Jichen’s sides trembled fiercely for a moment. Without any hesitation at all, he interrupted Ji Yi again, “I’m really in a rush and I really do have important matters to attend to, so I have no time to listen to you talking about such useless things.”
“Then I’ll say something useful. He Jichen, I know that the marriage certificate I saw back at your office was ours. I also know that Yuguang Ge passed away a long time ago. I even know that the Yuguang Ge I met lately was you. I also know I’m the Cola girl you liked for so many years. I know so many so many things and I even went to visit Yuguang Ge’s grave on the anniversary of his death while you were away this past year. I also know you were the one who visited me at the hospital while I was in a coma…”
He Jichen seemed to be really impatient; moreover, it seemed like he was afraid of something. As Ji Yi spoke her last word, he abruptly swung his arm and struggled out of Ji Yi’s grip.
He swung so fiercely that it made Ji Yi take a few steps back until she hit the wall before coming to a stop.
He Jichen knew he was acting out and he knew he was taking things too far. The moment he shoved her back against the wall, he instinctively wanted to turn his head and look over at her.
But soon enough, he suppressed this urge like he didn’t care about anything. He strode over to the stairs.
The pain Ji Yi felt in her back against the wall made Ji Yi’s brows furrow. A second later, she cast the pain to the back of her mind and cried out to He Jichen who was making his way downstairs: “He Jichen, I like you.”
He Jichen’s tall body swayed slightly for a moment as he suddenly stopped making his way down the stairs.
“If you think what I said earlier was useless, then how about that line?” Ji Yi slowly straightened up. She stared at the silhouette of He Jichen’s back and softly cried, “I know why you’re ignoring me and I know why you hid from me the moment you saw me. It’s because Qian Ge leaked that video, isn’t it?
“But I don’t mind anymore, so why do you care? Haven’t you always wanted to be with me? And haven’t you always hoped for me to like you? Now I like you and I want to be with you. Can we be together?”
He Jichen felt a pain akin to something violently clutching onto his heart.
He had to admit that he was a little persuaded by her words.
Not a little, but really persuaded…
He even felt as though if she said one more sentence, he would probably lose control, turn around and head upstairs to hug her passionately in his arms.
But deep down, he knew he couldn’t be that selfish, especially with her.
From the day she woke up from her coma till now, he had watched her go through quite a few bumps in the road.
It was just as he hoped – she became beautiful and radiant.
Her career was flourishing and if she was with He Jichen, an attempted murderer, the truth would come out sooner or later.
Because he liked her… he liked her too much. He liked her and hoped she’d be alright in every way, so that’s why he left.
If he could be so easily persuaded to be with her like this, then wouldn’t all the wonderful things that happened to her in the past year or so be for nothing?
Seeing that He Jichen hadn’t moved, Ji Yi spoke up again. “He Jichen…”
Her voice woke He Jichen up from his daydream, but he didn’t look behind him. He raised his feet again and headed downstairs.
“He Jichen!” cried Ji Yi quite loudly as she headed for the stairway after him. The entire apartment echoed with her voice.
He Jichen didn’t stop walking, but in fact, he sped up.
Ji Yi held onto the stair railing and hopped down after him. “He Jichen, I’m serious. I really want to be with you, so I came to see you!”
Ji Yi’s insistent tone of voice made He Jichen’s mood worse, so he opened the apartment door with unusual force.
Ji Yi ran down the stairs in quite a hurry and missed the final step then let out a low shriek. She steadied herself and cried out to He Jichen again as he walked out of the apartment. “He Jichen, you can’t not want me anymore after I’ve fallen for you…”
Before Ji Yi could finish, the apartment door slammed shut. She was met by the ear-splitting slam.
When Ji Yi ran over to the entrance and pulled the door open, there wasn’t a soul in the hallway. The display on the elevator door already read: “1.”
–
He Jichen’s appearance rattled Ji Yi’s life and sent her schedule in a disarray.
The next day, she was supposed to be flying to Hong Kong, but she didn’t go. Instead, she stayed in Beijing and called Ning Shuang again. From her, she found out where He Jichen was staying and found out his phone number.
For the next few days, Ji Yi called He Jichen every day. He didn’t pick up, so she waited for him at his hotel room door.
