Ji Zhaoyun was at a loss, his mind suddenly unable to function. Looking at his blood-soaked hands, he felt dizzy and faint.
"Damn it—" In a daze, he thought he heard an angry curse from behind him. Just as he was about to turn around for help, he was struck on the head, and the person in his arms was snatched away.
"It's over, what if we grabbed the wrong person?" he heard the person who took the girl say.
"It's fine, we'll just take the person back to the boss, same difference," another voice, calmer than the first, replied.
Blood blurred his vision. Ji Zhaoyun tried to widen his eyes, weakly reaching out, "No, don't..." But the two figures moving away paid him no mind.
He could no longer hold on. His hand dropped suddenly, and he lost consciousness. The empty street was left with only him, collapsed by the roadside.
77: "Beep! Favorability +20, current Ji Zhaoyun favorability is 95."
...
"Useless! Get out, all of you!"
So noisy. Shen Jianxi frowned, trying to open her heavy eyelids.
Although 77 shielded her from pain, her body still fell into a coma after being injured. A month had passed since that day.
To her surprise, she was not in a hospital but in a bedroom.
She looked around the strange place. The furnishings were very simple. Besides the bed she was lying on, there was only a door and a small window high up on the wall.
"Is this a deluxe prison?" Shen Jianxi couldn't help but mutter.
Could that window be any higher? It was almost at the ceiling.
Before she could ask 77, the bedroom door was pushed open from the outside, and a familiar face appeared.
The fatigue in his expression suddenly turned into radiant energy when his eyes met hers.
Shen Xingzhi walked forward eagerly, gazing deeply at her, as if afraid it was a dream that would shatter at any moment.
"Why are you here?" Her voice was hoarse from disuse.
It was this not-so-pleasant voice that made Shen Xingzhi shed tears.
"Hey, you, you don't cry!" Shen Jianxi tried to get up to find tissues but suddenly noticed something was wrong.
Her legs... why couldn't she move them?
"My legs..." Although she had a guess, she still looked at the man standing by the bed with a sliver of hope.
She saw a trace of pain flash across his brows, and he spoke with some difficulty, "Don't worry, I will be your legs from now on."
"The dog is spewing nonsense!" Before Shen Jianxi could say anything, 77 was enraged by the man's shamelessness and yelled, "Xixi, don't believe him, he's a dog! With me, your injuries wouldn't have been that severe anyway, and you have your own strength constantly repairing. Your legs wouldn't have been a problem at all. It's all this dog-man! He was the one who ordered people to do it!"
Compared to 77's agitation, Shen Jianxi was much calmer.
The moment she saw who it was, she had guessed that the car accident was arranged by Shen Xingzhi. She asked in a low, steady voice, "Can they be healed?"
Regarding this question, 77 fell silent, then said proudly, "Of course! They'll be completely healed in less than three days!"
With that reassurance, Shen Jianxi was no longer worried.
While she was silent, Shen Xingzhi sat by the bed, took her hand, and placed it on his cheek. His sticky gaze roamed her face.
The girl's delicate and helpless appearance made Shen Xingzhi's blood boil, his eyes filled with madness and obsession.
"Darling, don't worry, I'll take good care of you." His low murmur held a dangerous signal. He turned his head and kissed her cold fingernails, letting out a sigh of contentment.
The girl, frightened by him, tried to shrink back but was held tightly by the hand, unable to move.
Trembling with fear, she whimpered softly, tears streaming from her eyes and soaking into the pillow.
Her pale face, contorted with fear, did not evoke pity in the man but rather made him more excited.
He unconsciously tightened his grip, leaving red marks on her fair skin. Only when the girl cried out in pain did Shen Xingzhi seem to awaken and release her.
He wiped the tears from her eyes with his fingertips, his face full of tenderness. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."
Although his expression was familiar, it made the girl feel a deep sense of unease.
She forced down her fear and tried to remain calm. "Shen, Shen Xingzhi, you're a promising movie star. This is a crime, it will ruin you! Besides, they will all come looking for me, and you can't hide for long."
Shen Xingzhi climbed onto the bed and pulled her into his arms, his lips brushing her earlobe as he chuckled softly. "Don't worry, if we get found out, we'll die together, okay?"
After he said that, the girl became even more afraid. Her body trembled uncontrollably, and she bit her lower lip fiercely, not daring to make a sound.
Shen Xingzhi was pleased with her reaction. He leaned down and kissed Shen Jianxi's lips. Feeling the girl's dislike yet her inability to resist, he felt a pang of regret. If only he had done this sooner, she would have learned to be more obedient.
...
Perhaps considering her condition, Shen Xingzhi merely held her as they slept that night.
Shen Jianxi didn't know how long she had been imprisoned. She could only roughly estimate it to be four or five days based on the sunlight filtering through the small window.
Her legs had healed long ago, but she had asked 77 to help her keep it a secret.
Today was the doctor's follow-up appointment, and the man had arrived early.
The cold instruments touched the girl's skin, making her flinch. The man quickly sat on the other side of the bed and gently coaxed her.
"Miss Shen's other injuries have all recovered. It's just that the leg injury is too severe, and the hope for healing is slim," the doctor said, putting away his tools and speaking the words the employer had instructed.
Shen Jianxi kept her gaze fixed on the window, showing no reaction to the doctor's words.
The doctor looked at her, then at Shen Xingzhi. At the man's signal, he withdrew from the room.
Displeased that the girl's attention was not on him, Shen Xingzhi forcefully turned her head, forcing her gaze to be only on him.
The immobilized girl finally spoke, her voice hoarse, "I want to go home. He'll worry if he can't find me."
Shen Xingzhi's expression turned grim, his eyes fixing on her menacingly. Suddenly, he let out a laugh.
"Be good, don't make me angry," his gentle tone now sounded like that of a deadly demon. The hand stroking her hair carried a strong threat. "Otherwise, you'll be the one who gets hurt."
Shen Jianxi's previously dull eyes were now filled with hatred. She yanked his hand away from her head and bit down hard. Even as the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth, she didn't let go.
Shen Xingzhi allowed her to bite, enduring it until her teeth ached and she was forced to release him.
The wound was a bloody mess, but the man didn't seem to care. He gently wiped the blood from her lips and sighed, "Why don't you learn to be obedient? I don't want you to get hurt."
As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Xingzhi rolled over and pinned her beneath him.
The girl's struggles now seemed utterly weak, easily subdued.
Her cat-like strength was like a tickle.
Shen Xingzhi lowered himself, forcing their fingers to intertwine.
Outside, it had started to rain at some point. The pattering sound of the rain drowned out the girl's broken, desperate cries from within the room.
...
The torment continued for a long time, until Shen Jianxi lost consciousness.
When she woke up, the man was gone. Bruises covered her exposed skin.
Perhaps assuming her legs were useless, no restraints had been placed on her.
Shen Jianxi did not let her guard down just because the room was empty. She strained to prop herself up with her arms. Throughout the process, her legs remained motionless.
Urgent footsteps approached from outside. She strained to turn her head and look.
The door was pushed open forcefully. The arrival made Shen Jianxi's heart skip a beat.
Here! She gathered her spirits.
"Sister!"
The clear, youthful voice was like heavenly music, a salvation in the girl's ears.
The emotions she had been holding back finally broke, and tears streamed down uncontrollably.
Disregarding her ruined legs, she excitedly crawled towards the newcomer. However, she had overestimated her strength. By the time she reached the bedside, her arms gave out, and she was about to fall off the bed.
Fortunately, someone caught her just in time.
"Save, save me, he's gone mad, Shen Xingzhi has gone mad!" Even though every word was like a knife cutting her throat, she repeated these two sentences over and over.
The girl's breakdown pained Luo Yuqi's heart. He hugged her tightly, whispering, "It's okay, sister, it's okay, I'm here."
In his repeated assurances of "I'm here," the girl finally sobbed, clutching his collar tightly as if she had grasped a lifeline.
"Tsk!" A displeased male voice came from the doorway. The girl, who had just begun to relax, started to tremble again, shrinking further into Luo Yuqi's arms.
Her reaction made Luo Yuqi's heart ache even more. He quickly lowered his head to comfort her, "Don't be afraid, sister, I won't let anyone hurt you."
Their tender interaction infuriated Shen Xingzhi. He strode forward, snatched the girl into his arms, and sneered at the young man opposite him. "I'm the villain, and you, you just come and play the good guy."
Luo Yuqi frowned irritably. Looking at the girl, who had gone stiff with fear the moment Shen Xingzhi embraced her, he wanted to snatch her back but was afraid of hurting her. He could only turn his anger towards the older man.
"Is this how you take care of her? Look at her now!" He moved forward, intending to take her back.
Shen Xingzhi moved his body, avoiding the outstretched hand, and lowered his head to kiss the crown of the girl's hair. "If I don't do this, she won't be obedient."
His words enraged Luo Yuqi. He stood up abruptly and raised his voice, "I don't want a walking dead!"
The sudden loud voice startled the person in his arms, causing her to tremble again. Shen Xingzhi glared at him with displeasure. "You scared her."
Luo Yuqi also noticed her reaction, and with a frustrated gesture, he ran a hand through his hair and sat back down.
"I've handled everything outside. Your uncle and aunt believe your sister is dead. Only that Ji Zhaoyun is still searching everywhere."
The mention of Ji Zhaoyun made Luo Yuqi visibly annoyed. "You need to watch him carefully. I suspect he's already suspicious of you. If necessary, let my sister leave with me first."
"Leave with you?" Shen Xingzhi let out a cold laugh. "Do you think I don't know what you're plotting? No one can find this place. You should give up your thoughts too. It's best not to break the contract."
Luo Yuqi's expression turned grim, but he didn't press the matter further.
While the two men were talking, Shen Jianxi kept her head down, stiff.
Her long hair fell on either side of her face, obscuring her expression.
As for why she stayed with Shen Xingzhi even though her legs had healed, it was precisely to wait for this moment.
Although she appeared to be imprisoned in this small room, she still had 77. 77 had long since discovered that both men were the perpetrators of this car accident, which is why Shen Jianxi decided to continue feigning her condition and stay there.
It was just that she hadn't expected Luo Yuqi, that brat, to have joined forces with Shen Xingzhi so soon after they parted ways.
However, judging by the thorough preparations, Shen Xingzhi had likely planned this long ago, and Luo Yuqi had simply stumbled upon it.
It was likely that Shen Xingzhi had already decided to have Luo Yuqi deal with Shen's father and mother, which was why the two had so readily formed an alliance.