Chapter 408: Belated Affection Is Cheaper Than Grass
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
When Lu Zhiyuan arrived in the courtyard, he saw Rong Li had put up decorations and was tending to his own arm. His face also bore the marks of a scuffle. Lu Zhiyuan couldn’t believe it and remarked, “You got beaten up by a woman?”
“She’s definitely more battered than me!” Rong Li snorted. It was normal to have a few bruises when evenly matched in a fight, and he wasn’t guaranteed to win against Qin Wan. “That woman must have grown up eating something special; she’s incredibly strong, and…”
Rong Li revealed the bloodstains on his arm, saying, “She had a knife hidden in her boot and used it during the fight, even after the agreed rules.”
“Who said anything about stopping at the rules? When you challenge someone to a fight, it’s a fight to the finish, life or death, right?” Ji Chi approached from behind, leaning against a trellis and said, “Tsk tsk tsk, you can’t even beat a woman, how embarrassing!”
“I didn’t lose!”
“Getting beaten up by a woman means you lost, admit it, it’s embarrassing!” Ji Chi taunted.
Rong Li threw a towel at him, saying, “Are you being sexist? Besides her appearance, what part of her is like a woman?”
“If you lost, you lost, be magnanimous and don’t get angry,” Lu Zhiyuan said.
Rong Li remained silent.
On the other side of the courtyard, Qin Wan was indeed more seriously injured. Men hit harder, and although she had no visible external injuries, she was covered in dark bruises. One of her arms had been dislocated, and she had forcefully reset it herself. It was painful, and her face had turned pale. Jiang Junlin furrowed his brow and asked, “Were you trying to kill each other in that fight?”
“Who’s using kid gloves here? When you fight, you fight until someone surrenders!” Qin Wan justified herself.
Jiang Junlin sent someone to fetch a bottle of medicinal wine and handed it to Gu Ci, who had arrived slightly later and was startled by Qin Wan’s condition. “It must hurt a lot. Find a room and rest for a while, lie down and apply some medicine.”
“It’s okay, I won’t die. I’ll tough it out,” Qin Wan said. “It looks scarier than it is; 1’11 be fine after a couple of days.”
“Did you have a grudge with him? You fought pretty intensely,” Jiang Junlin inquired.
“Master, Black Hawk’s people and us have a history. I’ve learned my lesson, and I’ll train harder. Next time, 1’11 save face for you,” Qin Wan resolved. She realized that her lack of training was the reason she couldn’t defeat Rong Li today.
Jiang Junlin said, “Enough talking; let’s get that medicine on.”
Qin Wan obediently went to apply the medicine, while Jiang Junlin remained in the courtyard, smoking a cigarette to calm himself. Gu Ci understood that he needed some space and went to find Ji Chi, coincidentally meeting him on the way.
Gu Ci said, “Big brother probably needs some alone time. I have something to ask you; come with me.”
Ji Chi glanced in Jiang Junlin’s direction and followed Gu Ci to a more secluded spot. Gu Ci asked, “What’s the story behind Lu Zhiyuan’s injury? Is it really a recurring old injury?”
“Miss Gu Ci, you should ask Third Master about this matter,” Ji Chi replied cautiously. Besides the explanation of an old injury resurfacing, there wasn’t much else to say.
“You’ve been living in the Global Center for some time now. If he had any old injuries, wouldn’t you know?” Gu Ci pressed.
Ji Chi hesitated briefly and decided it wasn’t a major secret. He said, “Cici, Third Master has actually been quite well these days. His injuries have healed for the most part, and the doctors said he could resume training. He seemed fine during training today, and his complexion was good. But once he arrived in the private room, he started feeling uncomfortable, so it might indeed be an old injury acting up.”
Gu Ci pondered this, recalling the last time she had visited Lu Zhiyuan and found him in a similar state.
Ji Chi added, “Third Master had a serious injury from a car accident that he hasn’t fully recovered from. He was also knocked off a cliff, which caused two injuries in succession. Some internal injuries might not have been detected. Perhaps, even though he looks fine on the surface, he might actually have hidden injuries. After we settle things here, Rong Li and I will take him for a comprehensive medical check-up. We’ll provide you with the medical report afterward. Don’t worry; we’ll make sure Third Master stays safe.”
Despite this reassurance, Gu Ci couldn’t shake her unease. She couldn’t help but think about Lu Zhiyuan’s words from the past.
If they loved each other, one of them would have to die.
Was it really a curse?
Could two people in love, even if separated, still not escape the fate of death that seemed to hang over Lu Zhiyuan?
Why did the curse have to come true for him?
Why couldn’t it have been her instead?
“Cici, what are you thinking?” Ji Chi asked.
Gu Ci felt troubled, constantly haunted by Lu Zhiyuan’s curse. She shook her head gently and said, “It’s nothing. Just let me know if there’s anything unusual about him lately.”
In the courtyard, Lu Zhiyuan and Jiang Junlin crossed paths.
Lu Zhiyuan said, “Ji Chi is the successor I’ve groomed, the sole heir to Black Hawk. His attachment to you runs deep. What I say, he might not necessarily heed. But what you say, he will listen. You and he can’t be together. 1 know Ji Chi can separate personal and professional matters, but people are emotional creatures. Personal and professional will inevitably intertwine. Your positions and interests are different, and he still holds onto the hope that we can reconcile. Perhaps, he sees a glimmer of hope between you and him. So, he’s been postponing making a decision. Jiang Junlin, you need to make that decision for him. It’s better for both you and him.”
These words weren’t unexpected for Jiang Junlin. He didn’t like Lu Zhiyuan, but he acknowledged that Lu Zhiyuan genuinely cared for Ji Chi. He had been paving the way for Ji Chi all along.
If Ji Chi was willing to let go of everything and be with him, that would be fine.
However, if Ji Chi wanted to stay with Black Hawk, it was inevitable that he couldn’t be with Jiang Junlin. Otherwise, he wouldn’t gain the respect of the organization, and Black Hawk’s stability would be compromised. If Lu Zhiyuan had to find another successor, who could it be?
Perhaps Gu Ziyu?
Gu Ziyu is still very young, and he’s under Chen Liangdong’s guidance, with a bright future ahead of him. There’s no need for him to get involved in this mess.
Jiang Junlin had made up his mind long ago and never held onto a glimmer of hope.
However, before negotiating with Lu Zhiyuan, he could delay things day by day.
“Understood!” Jiang Junlin said softly. “Lu Zhiyuan, if you ever let him down one day, 1’11 spare no effort to take him away.”
Lu Zhiyuan looked at Jiang Junlin with a sly smile. “Interesting.”
“If it weren’t for you meddling back then, Ji Chi and I wouldn’t be facing these problems today,” Jiang Junlin said coldly. “If I wasn’t in a life-threatening situation, he wouldn’t be by your side today.”
Lu Zhiyuan chuckled lightly. “If you admit defeat, there’s naturally a price to pay.”
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“I admit that back then, 1 was outmatched,” Jiang Junlin said with a bitter smile. “Lu Zhiyuan, who knows who will come out on top after a separation of three days? You won, but you’ve also paid a price!”
Lu Zhiyuan looked at Jiang Junlin with a cold smile. “Mr. Jiang, if I remember correctly, when you left the Pentagon, you never thought about going back, and you never considered that Ji Chi was waiting for you. But he, silly as he is, genuinely believes that you couldn’t return to him due to a severe illness. Yet you know very well that even if you were sober, you wouldn’t take that risk.” Jiang Junlin clenched his fists, and Lu Zhiyuan continued nonchalantly, “To this day, if Ji Chi were trapped in the Pentagon, you wouldn’t necessarily go for him, risking the fate of the dark web. Let alone six years ago, you wouldn’t have done it then either! You’ve been deceiving him all along, and he’s never wanted to delve deeper, always believing in you! Your severe injuries are just an excuse for your self-deception. You keep thinking that if you were sober, you would definitely go back to find him. But when you were truly sober back then, would you have gone? Sending people to attack the Pentagon afterward, what’s the point? Late affection is cheaper than grass.”
Jiang Junlin had never regretted his decision from six years ago, but Lu Zhiyuan was wrong about one thing. Six years ago, he wouldn’t have risked the fate of the dark web for Ji Chi.
However, he had everything arranged now, ready to go back for Ji Chi. He didn’t want to break his promise to Ji Chi, although at the time, he didn’t realize his true feelings. He saw it as a commitment to Ji Chi.
But a sudden turn of events disrupted all his plans..
