Ji Wujing barely opened his eyelids into a slit, glancing at Gu Jingyuan. Noticing the knife in Gu Jingyuan’s hand, he said nonchalantly, “Aren’t you afraid you might injure yourself and end up lying in bed like a piece of mud for three months?”
Gu Jingyuan sneered, “That’s still better than you lying in bed for four years!”
The quilt inside the room rustled.
Only then did Gu Jingyuan notice two pairs of clear black-and-white eyes staring eagerly at him. In the dimly lit room, they were exceptionally bright. He glanced at the sinister gleam on the knife in his hand, put the knife away, and sat back down on the edge of the bed in a huff.
Ji Wujing casually pulled the quilt over Ji Xinglan and Ji Xinglou’s heads, covering them up.
The two little ones wriggled under the quilt, their eyes rolling around as they eavesdropped.
Gu Jingyuan coaxed, “You’d better think this through. If you marry my daughter, you’ll be a generation lower than me. When I die, you’ll have to mourn for me, kneel, and kowtow.”
Ji Wujing coughed lightly, then half-smiled, “When you die, you won’t see me not kowtowing anyway.”
Endure.
Gu Jingyuan took another deep breath and restrained himself, “My youngest daughter is still young, she’s just a child. You need a gentle and graceful wife.”
“No, no, no, I prefer someone good-looking. It’s hard to find someone whose looks can match mine. I can’t let go.”
“You…” Gu Jingyuan couldn’t hold back his anger, “You’re deliberately provoking me! You’re kicking me when I’m down!”
“Don’t say that. You should take your revenge on whoever designed this. It has nothing to do with me. I was sleeping comfortably in my bed, and when I opened my eyes, there was a little beauty beside me.” Ji Wujing looked like a rascal, “She didn’t ask for my permission to sleep in my bed and share my quilt, I’m a victim too.”
“Victim?” Gu Jingyuan laughed out loud and said “good” three times in a row.
“Good, good, good, you’re a victim! Then you should let go to minimize the harm!”
Ji Wujing shook his head with a smile, “Anyone who sleeps in my bed is mine. Only I, Ji Zhao, can drive someone away, no one leaves without my say.”
Though he was smiling and his tone was half-joking, there was a touch of seriousness and shadow in his fox-like eyes.
“Utter nonsense!” Gu Jingyuan shouted.
Ji Xinglan and Ji Xinglou, hiding under the quilt, shivered in fear. Ji Xinglan even sniffled, almost crying out of fright.
Gu Jingyuan raised an eyebrow, suddenly remembering that Ji Wujing had two illegitimate children. He not only came over but also brought these two kids. The more Gu Jingyuan thought about it, the angrier he got, his chest tightening with rage.
If it weren’t for not wanting to make things difficult for his precious daughter, Gu Jingyuan wouldn’t have come to deal with Ji Wujing in the first place.
His anger made his face pale. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he panted heavily. After all, his long-standing injuries hadn’t fully healed. He sighed, dropping his imposing demeanor and adopting the image of a compassionate father. “Brother Ji, my two daughters lost their mother when they were young. Especially Jianli, she doesn’t even remember her mother, and I’ve been away fighting wars for years, unable to care for her. She’s had a hard life. Sigh.”
He leaned on his long knife like a crutch.
“She’s still young, and I can’t bear to see her suffer. I know your stubborn temper, always wanting to go against the world. The more I try to take her away, the more you refuse to let go. Tell me, what will it take for you to let her go? Name your price, and we’ll make a deal.”
Gu Jingyuan drooped his head, looking like a weathered, old father.
Ji Wujing thought for a moment and said, “When she was four, she was kidnapped by human traffickers. If it weren’t for me, she’d be dead. So her life is mine. I should have taken her away when she was four. I’ve let her stay with you for eleven years, that’s more than enough.”
Gu Jingyuan turned his head, staring at Ji Wujing with a complex expression. This man really was impervious to both reason and force.
What a real bastard.
“Is there no point in talking to you?” Gu Jingyuan asked.
Ji Wujing laughed, “Is your next sentence going to be asking for my life? You’re good at leading troops into battle, but when it comes to killing, if I, Ji Zhao, claim to be second in the world, you’d barely make it into the top thousand. Isn’t that right, my mighty but cheap old man?”
Ji Wujing’s eyes glinted with a mischievous smile, looking extremely handsome. But to Gu Jingyuan, it only made him want to smash that face with a hammer!
Gu Jingyuan stood up, coldly snorting. He regained the imposing aura that belonged to the Prince of Wuxian and declared each word forcefully like a military order, “Ji Zhao, I’m considering Jianli. Since you are so stubborn, I have no choice but to be harsh. Leave now!”
Ji Wujing grinned shamelessly, “Li Li can’t bear to see me go, and neither can the little Ji Zhao in her belly.”
“What?!” Gu Jingyuan was shocked, his hand trembling as he pointed at Ji Wujing. “You beast! My daughter is only fifteen! Just fifteen! You bastard! Bastard! Bastard!”
Ji Wujing watched Gu Jingyuan’s fury with great interest, thinking it was fortunate that Gu Jianli didn’t resemble her father.
While Ji Wujing and Gu Jingyuan argued back and forth, Gu Jianli tossed and turned in bed.
Her sister, Gu Zaili, finally spoke, “Can’t sleep?”
Gu Jianli sighed softly, murmuring a “hmm,” then snuggled closer to her sister, wrapping her arms around her and resting her face on her sister’s shoulder, whispering softly, “Sister, I can’t sleep…”
“Because of Ji Zhao?”
Gu Jianli nodded honestly.
After a long time, Gu Jianli finally whispered, “Actually, I’m very afraid of him.”
Gu Zaili listened silently, waiting and waiting, but her sister didn’t continue. She opened her eyes and looked at her sister, who was also staring blankly into space.
“Jianli?”
Gu Jianli came back to her senses, blinking slowly. “I also feel sorry for him.”
She looked up at her sister, her bright eyes shimmering with a hint of confusion. She asked, “Sister, if someone has helped and saved you, how do you repay them? I don’t understand, I don’t know how much I owe him. Since coming back with Father, I feel like I’ve become two different people, constantly at war with each other. Fighting and fighting, until in the end, I’m not even sure why I’m fighting anymore. All that hesitation has become inexplicable…”
Before the family troubles, Gu Jianli had been showered with too much love and care. She was kind and generous, always helping and protecting others without hesitation. It wasn’t that others were unwilling to help her; she simply never needed anyone’s help because everything went so smoothly for her.
Now, Ji Wujing was the first person besides her family to help and protect her.
Suddenly, she felt lost and didn’t know how to repay him.
Gu Zaili thought for a long time before saying, “You should do what you want to do. If you’re aware of the consequences and still insist on doing it, I will support you. If you want to give up but feel guilty, the family can help you repay the favor. We are one family, sharing both fortune and misfortune. Just remember, don’t let yourself suffer.”
Gu Jianli whimpered a couple of times, lazily dragging out her words, “Sister still didn’t tell me what to do.”
Gu Zaili smiled, “Although we are one family, everyone walks their own path in life. You need to make your own decisions and be responsible for yourself. Besides, don’t you already have the answer in your heart?”
Gu Jianli thought for a long time before nodding. She rubbed her eyes and yawned, mumbling, “I’m sleepy, let’s sleep.”
“Don’t cling to me like a child, sleep by yourself. Let go, let go.” Gu Zaili tried to push Gu Jianli’s hand away.
Gu Jianli clung to her sister’s arm, refusing to let go, “No, no, I want to sleep holding you!”
“If you don’t let go, I’ll tickle you.” Gu Zaili threatened, using her other hand to tickle Gu Jianli, causing her to burst into giggles. The sisters started to playfully wrestle with each other.
“Wait, what’s that sound?” Gu Jianli frowned.
Gu Zaili also heard it, uncertainly saying, “It sounds like Father is angry?”
The sisters stopped their playfulness and listened carefully.
Gu Jianli let out a small gasp, her expression changing, “It sounds like it’s coming from my room!”
She immediately got out of bed, not even bothering to put on an outer garment, and hurriedly slipped on her shoes and ran out.
Gu Zaili also got out of bed but took the time to put on an outer garment before leaving the room.
When Gu Jianli entered the room, she saw Gu Jingyuan holding a long knife, looking furious, while Ji Wujing leaned lazily against the headboard with a nonchalant expression. Ji Xinglan and Ji Xinglou were huddled in the corner of the bed, looking pitiful.
“What’s going on?” Gu Jianli hurried over, consciously placing herself between her father and Ji Wujing.
Gu Jingyuan looked at Gu Jianli in her light purple nightgown and was enraged, “Who allowed you to run over here dressed like that?”
“I…”
Ji Wujing spoke indifferently, “Yes, it’s fine for you to wear your nightclothes in front of me, but it’s somewhat inappropriate in front of your father.”
“You!” Gu Jingyuan snorted coldly, “Jianli, since you’re here, it’s time to make things clear. I…”
“Cough, cough, cough…” Ji Wujing turned his face to the side, suppressing a light cough.
Gu Jianli turned around, bent down in front of Ji Wujing, and frowned, asking, “Do you need a doctor? Should we ask Changsheng to bring the doctor you know? Or maybe brew some medicine?”
Gu Jingyuan’s grip on the knife handle tightened, veins bulging, as he angrily said, “Jianli, come over here!”
Gu Jianli looked up at her father, about to step forward. Ji Wujing gently curled his lips into a smile and suddenly grabbed her wrist. With a strong pull, he made her sit on the edge of the bed. He then squeezed her delicate hand, bringing it to his mouth to cover his own.
Another fit of suppressed, hoarse coughing ensued, and he coughed up blood into Gu Jianli’s soft, white palm.
The blood was hot, burning Gu Jianli’s hand and making her fingertips tremble lightly.
Gu Jianli’s heart suddenly filled with panic. With reddened eyes, she said, “Father, Fifth Master is really in poor health. Let him stay for just one night. I’ll send him away tomorrow. Just one night, please…”
“Jianli, do you really believe his nonsense about staying just one night?”
Gu Jianli didn’t argue, but looked at her father with tearful, pleading eyes.
Ji Wujing glanced up, a victorious smirk on his lips directed at Gu Jingyuan. When Gu Jianli looked back at him, he quickly lowered his head, masking his expression.
Gu Jingyuan threw the long knife from his hand, clutching his chest in pain, and staggered back, leaning heavily against the wall.
“Father!” Gu Jianli was startled and quickly got up to run to him.
Gu Zaili, who had just arrived, also rushed over to support their father with her sister.
Gu Jingyuan finally felt some relief, his whole body relaxing.
Hmph, trying to take my daughter from me!
