Chapter 36

As they entered the expressway, Ji Xiangyu received a call from Lin Luosheng.

Zheng Shu had discovered that Ji Wenhua had returned to Beijing. By the time she tracked down his location, he had already gone back to his home in Beicheng District.

The headlights tore through the rainy night and swept across the flat road.

Water splashed upward and struck the windows like a rapid drumbeat, making their ears ache and their nerves restless.

The windshield wipers moved so quickly that they left afterimages.

Occasionally, they passed beneath a strip of light that resembled a white piano key, flashing brightly when the car pressed across it.

The road was slippery from the rain.

Ji Xiangyu refused to let Lin Luosheng drive over, afraid something might happen along the way.

The moment that call ended, Zheng Shu called.

“Cousin, do you need me to come?”

Ji Xiangyu refused her as well and merely thanked her.

Ultimately, this was a matter belonging to the main Ji family.

It would be inappropriate to drag other people into it.

After entering the city, Ji Xiangyu had no choice but to slow down.

Even though the evening rush had long passed, the number of vehicles on the road had not decreased much.

Because of the rain, no one dared drive too quickly, making the roads even more congested.

Shen Yishu looked at the extravagant city outside.

The steel forest was covered in colorful LED lights.

Many pedestrians holding umbrellas hurried along the sidewalks.

Rain blurred their faces until only one brightly colored umbrella after another remained visible.

The car turned and entered the street where their destination was located.

The road became a narrow two-way street lined with dense trees.

Rain slanted beneath the streetlights, and the signs of the shops along the road looked decades old.

Through the car window, Shen Yishu saw the owner of a bookstore sitting at the entrance, staring blankly at the vehicles hurrying past.

The car stopped outside the residential complex.

To Shen Yishu’s surprise, the neighborhood itself also appeared rather old.

Ji Xiangyu took a large umbrella from the back seat and prepared to leave the car.

Shen Yishu stopped her and gestured toward her face.

“Sister, your mask.”

Even on a rainy night with poor visibility, it was better to remain cautious and avoid being recognized, especially while dealing with an ugly family scandal.

Even though Ji Xiangyu had done nothing wrong, if the incident became public, spectators eager for gossip would still dig through every detail and savor it.

Ji Xiangyu herself might not care.

However, Ji Xiangzhu was still young.

If unethical reporters followed them here, uncensored photographs of her might spread, and they might ask her exceptionally cruel questions.

Ji Xiangyu also realized this.

She inhaled deeply.

The cold air entered through her nose and helped clear her mind.

She took a mask from her bag and put it on.

After closing the driver’s door, she walked around to the other side to help Shen Yishu out.

It had rained heavily all day, and the temperature had fallen.

Shen Yishu shivered unconsciously when she stepped outside.

“The police have already arrived.”

Shen Yishu walked beside Ji Xiangyu beneath the enormous umbrella.

“But they didn’t find concrete evidence. They offered some advice and left after we arrived.”

Ji Xiangyu nodded knowingly.

She had expected this result.

That was why she had driven through the storm from the film base into the city herself.

The streetlights inside the residential complex were dim.

Anything slightly farther away disappeared from view.

However, Ji Xiangyu knew the path well and led Shen Yishu deeper inside.

When they reached the building at the very end, Ji Xiangyu closed the umbrella and entered.

Through the pouring rain, Shen Yishu vaguely saw a towering ginkgo tree standing firmly against the storm.

There was no elevator.

Even the lights in the stairwell were activated by sound.

Their dull yellow glow barely illuminated the ground beneath their feet.

Advertisements for lock repairs and drain cleaning had been pasted all the way upstairs, clinging to the walls like an incurable skin disease.

Ji Xiangyu did not even need to tell her which floor they were going to.

A police officer’s loud voice carried through several levels and activated the stairwell lights.

“If you have problems, talk them through properly. Don’t use violence. Isn’t it wonderful for a family to live together peacefully?”

Immediately afterward came an oily voice.

“Exactly. I simply have a bad temper, but I don’t hit anyone.”

“I don’t know which shameless person claimed I committed domestic violence. How could I possibly do that? It’s all slander…”

“I called the police.”

Ji Xiangyu stepped onto the final stair and stopped beside the corridor.

Her words silenced both sides for several seconds.

The energy-saving light went dark.

White light escaped through the open apartment door, but it did not reach Ji Xiangyu.

She walked forward.

Shen Yishu hurriedly followed.

Without even acknowledging Ji Wenhua, Ji Xiangyu glanced at him coldly and walked directly into his home.

The apartment was in complete disorder.

Everything that could be broken had been smashed, and shattered objects covered the floor.

Apples had rolled from the table all the way to the entrance.

Shen Yishu crouched, picked one up, and placed it on a cabinet.

“Cousin.”

Ji Xiangzhu was held tightly in Liu Yun’s arms.

Only her swollen red eyes were visible, filled with terror.

Liu Yun’s cheek remained red from the slap she had received earlier.

Shen Yishu frowned deeply and turned to glare at Ji Wenhua, who stood uncertainly beside the doorway.

“Xiao Zhu.”

Ji Xiangyu crouched beside her and stroked her head.

“Teacher Liu.”

Liu Yun looked up in panic.

After realizing it was Ji Xiangyu, her tense shoulders relaxed slightly.

She said nothing and merely gripped the hand Ji Xiangyu offered her.

Her voice trembled.

“You came.”

Ji Xiangyu patted her hand.

“It’s all right. I’m here.”

She stood and faced Ji Wenhua across half the living room.

Her gaze burned like fire, making him uncomfortable all over.

In front of outsiders, he barely managed to preserve his dignity and forced out a strange smile.

“They’re fine, aren’t they?”

The police officer spoke at the appropriate moment.

The leader had noticed the strange atmosphere among them, but internal family matters were the most difficult to mediate.

As long as nothing severe had happened, they usually settled the matter verbally and left.

“When we arrived, we found no evidence that he had committed domestic violence.”

“We’ve already educated him. We were preparing to leave.”

Ji Xiangyu glanced at Liu Yun’s swollen cheek.

She removed her mask, revealing a clean, bare face.

The sharpness between her brows was more cutting than the shattered porcelain scattered across the floor.

The young officer behind the others could not restrain himself.

“Damn, Ji Xiangyu.”

Ji Xiangyu’s voice remained calm and carried even less emotion than when she acted.

She stared directly at Ji Wenhua.

“I am making a formal report under my real name.”

“Ji Wenhua has committed tax evasion, rape through deception, kidnapping, threats, and other crimes.”

“I have already obtained evidence for most of them and can submit everything.”

Thunder exploded outside.

Yet her words were even more terrifying than the storm.

Before the officers could react and ask questions, Ji Wenhua grabbed a bottle of liquid from the entryway and charged forward.

“Didn’t you swear?”

He threw the contents without hesitation.

Shen Yishu immediately kicked him.

She was so frightened that she did not hold back at all.

The kick contained every ounce of her strength and sent him flying nearly two meters.

He struck the floor with an enormous crash.

Had his face landed first, even his nasal bone might have shattered.

Ji Xiangzhu nearly screamed but forced herself to remain silent.

She buried her head inside Liu Yun’s arms and trembled uncontrollably.

Liu Yun turned away with tears streaming down her face, refusing to look at the man on the floor.

Half the liquid splashed across Shen Yishu’s arm.

The cold fluid soaked her skin and made her hiss.

The officers rushed inside and restrained Ji Wenhua.

They pressed his face against the floor, twisted both arms behind his back, and handcuffed him.

“Stay still!”

Ji Xiangyu’s face turned deathly pale.

She strode over and carefully inspected Shen Yishu’s arm.

A strong smell of alcohol filled the air.

Shen Yishu released a breath of relief.

It was probably only ordinary liquor.

Ji Wenhua had simply grabbed whatever was nearby and tried to use it for revenge.

“Sister, are you all right?”

Shen Yishu frowned, deeply disliking the smell of alcohol.

“What could possibly happen to me?”

For once, Ji Xiangyu panicked so badly that she could not maintain her composure.

“What if it had been some other liquid?”

Shen Yishu squeezed her hand.

“If it had been something else, I would’ve kicked him even harder.”

If the liquid had been corrosive, Shen Yishu might have injured only her arm.

But if it had struck Ji Xiangyu, it could have caused extensive burns.

She would not have remained indifferent if anyone else were targeted, much less Ji Xiangyu.

Thinking of that, she looked at Ji Wenhua with contempt and anger.

Ji Xiangyu remained shaken but still needed to handle what came next.

Even with his face pressed against the floor, Ji Wenhua refused to submit.

He shouted hoarsely,

“You promised me! You promised Eldest Brother!”

Ji Xiangyu looked down at him as though pitying an ant.

“We’re all members of the Ji family. None of us keep our word.”

Just as Ji Wenrui had secretly spared Ji Wenhua behind her back, Ji Xiangyu had never truly intended to release him completely as she once claimed.

What Ji Wenhua had done tonight had enraged her.

Had anything happened to Shen Yishu, she might have acted beyond reason.

Everyone present accompanied the officers back to the police station to give statements.

The accusations Ji Xiangyu made were too serious [Read on BaiLianTales]to ignore, especially since she possessed evidence.

Because there were too many people, Ji Xiangyu also offered her own car to transport them.

Liu Yun held Ji Xiangzhu and looked at Ji Xiangyu with concern before entering the police vehicle.

She rode in the same car as Ji Wenhua.

Ji Xiangyu continued holding Shen Yishu’s hand tightly.

Even after entering the car, she refused to release it.

Believing she had been frightened, Shen Yishu whispered,

“Sister, I’m truly fine.”

Ji Xiangyu lowered her eyes.

She suddenly felt that she was a detestable person.

Ultimately, what did any of the Ji family’s filth have to do with Shen Yishu?

Ji Xiangyu knew the storm made the road dangerous and refused to let Lin Luosheng come.

Yet Shen Yishu sat inside her car.

They went to confront Ji Wenhua.

He wanted revenge against Ji Xiangyu, but Shen Yishu was splashed while protecting her.

Still, Ji Xiangyu held tightly to the hand beside her.

Warmth flowed continuously from Shen Yishu’s palm, and Ji Xiangyu could not bear to let go.

“Don’t be afraid of something that never happened,” Shen Yishu comforted her softly. “It was only alcohol. It’ll be fine once it evaporates.”

Ji Xiangyu said nothing.

She merely tightened her grip.

The young police officer focused on driving and occasionally glanced at them.

The two women sat hidden in the darkness like intertwined vines.

At the station, Ji Xiangyu sent the officers every file she had previously given Ji Wenrui.

They took turns giving statements until late at night.

While Liu Yun was inside providing hers, the female officer on duty brought several cups of warm water.

It was still the end of summer.

Had it not been the middle of the night, the temperature would have felt pleasant.

Shen Yishu held Ji Xiangyu’s hand, thanked the officer, and quietly asked,

“If the evidence is conclusive, approximately how many years could he receive?”

The officer froze briefly before smiling.

“It’s difficult to say exactly. With multiple offenses combined, it should be quite a long sentence.”

Shen Yishu felt slightly relieved.

Ji Xiangzhu sat blankly beside Ji Xiangyu.

Her father had been taken inside, while her mother was still giving a statement.

She knew Ji Xiangyu disliked physical closeness, so she remained seated alone in a daze.

Shen Yishu noticed and quietly asked,

“Are you cold?”

Ji Xiangzhu hesitated before nodding.

Shen Yishu had not brought a coat either.

After thinking, she asked,

“Would you like me to hold you?”

The young girl froze for two seconds.

But she was truly too cold, so she followed Shen Yishu’s offered arms and climbed onto her lap.

Once surrounded by warmth and softness, Ji Xiangzhu fell asleep within two minutes.

Ji Xiangyu also leaned closer and asked in a clingy voice,

“Why are you holding her but not me?”

Her voice contained astonishing exhaustion.

Shen Yishu had seen Ji Xiangyu work continuously.

As long as she remained in work mode, she could still appear energetic late at night.

Even after leaving work mode, she rarely revealed any fatigue.

Lightning flashed outside alongside thunder.

Ji Xiangyu rested her head on Shen Yishu’s shoulder and quietly asked again,

“Why aren’t you holding me?”

Shen Yishu thought the main problem was their current surroundings.

This was a public place, after all.

She leaned closer to whisper into Ji Xiangyu’s ear.

“Can I hold you when we return?”

Even though Ji Xiangyu had said nothing, Shen Yishu understood that her mood must be terrible.

The Ji family’s affairs were thorns of varying depths buried deeply inside her heart.

Even after being removed, the wounds would require time to heal.

And several deeper thorns still remained.

Ji Xiangyu softly answered,

“Mm.”

Because of her public status, the officers had been extremely polite while taking her statement.

She explained each piece of evidence clearly.

They did not make things difficult and allowed her to leave quickly.

Liu Yun was different.

Ji Xiangyu closed her eyes.

An enormous wave swept away her reason, and dizziness struck like motion sickness.

“I’m going outside to smoke.”

Ji Xiangyu stood.

Shen Yishu watched her leave worriedly.

Less than two minutes later, Liu Yun emerged.

She was clearly a well-educated woman.

Even after experiencing something as terrible as tonight, she had tried to make herself presentable.

Her eyes were red.

Shen Yishu felt helpless.

She did not know Liu Yun and had no idea what had happened.

She did not even know how to comfort her.

She could only say,

“Xiao Zhu said she was cold.”

Liu Yun forced out a smile.

“Thank you.”

Shen Yishu transferred the sleeping child into her arms and stood.

“I’m going to find Teacher Ji.”

Liu Yun looked at her deeply.

“Go.”

Shen Yishu practically fled outside.

She found Ji Xiangyu standing to one side of the entrance.

She had not removed her mask and leaned against the wall at the far edge.

Rainwater collected on the platform above and dripped behind her.

Shen Yishu did not know how much had splashed onto her back.

Ji Xiangyu did not care.

A thin cigarette rested between her fingers.

The smoke was lighter than the mist rising from the rain.

She held an empty cigarette packet in her other hand and stared blankly into the night.

Shen Yishu could not tell whether she was smoking or merely smelling the cigarette.

She walked over and quietly called,

“Sister.”

Ji Xiangyu did not answer.

The two silently watched the rain together.

“I made a poisonous oath today,” Ji Xiangyu suddenly said. “But I broke my promise.”

Shen Yishu’s heart tightened.

She hurriedly said,

“Xiao Zhu and her mother suffered emotional trauma. That doesn’t count as being unharmed.”

Ji Xiangyu stared at her for two seconds before her brows and eyes curved.

“What if heaven thinks the same way they do—that one slap doesn’t count as domestic violence?”

She allowed the rain to extinguish the cigarette, placed it inside the empty packet, and threw the packet into the trash bin beside the entrance.

At that moment, Shen Yishu felt Ji Xiangyu did not want to hear ordinary reassurances such as Heaven won’t think that way or You’re on the side of justice.

If poisonous oaths truly came true, at least half the scumbags who swore to heaven would disappear from the world.

So many people would be struck dead while walking that the news could never finish reporting them.

Materialistic science did not believe in poisonous oaths.

Neither did Shen Yishu.

She hooked her little finger around Ji Xiangyu’s.

Her voice was neither loud nor quiet.

If heaven truly existed nearby, it would certainly hear her.

“We share blessings and hardships together.”

“Give me half your poisonous oath. At worst, the two of us will live somewhat miserably.”

Shen Yishu acted with complete loyalty and even pulled their linked fingers firmly together.

Ji Xiangyu laughed.

She wrapped an arm around Shen Yishu and led her back inside, teasing as they walked,

“Don’t worry. As long as Sister has a bite of meat, I won’t leave you with only porridge.”

Once the statements were completed, none of the others had committed any crime and were free to return home.

Ji Xiangyu was exhausted, so Shen Yishu drove and took Liu Yun and Ji Xiangzhu home.

Liu Yun sat in the back while holding the sleeping child.

Shen Yishu drove with extreme caution and could not afford any distraction.

In her previous life, she had been an ordinary student.

Although she possessed a license, she had rarely used it, much less driven at night.

Fortunately, the rain had weakened and visibility was no longer too poor.

“Xiangyu, thank you,” Liu Yun suddenly said halfway through the drive.

“There’s no need. I did it for myself,” Ji Xiangyu replied without elaborating.

This time, she had completely sent Ji Wenhua to prison.

Neither Ji Wenbin nor Ji Wenrui would dare rescue him unless unauthorized copy they wanted to implicate the family company.

If Liu Yun wanted to ask for mercy, those words would stop her.

Ji Xiangyu had done it for herself, not for anyone else.

Therefore, no one had the right to obstruct her.

“I mean it sincerely.”

Liu Yun’s voice carried tears.

“You’ve suffered all these years.”

Ji Xiangyu leaned against the passenger seat and became slightly absentminded.

The previous time she and Liu Yun met, Liu Yun had held her hand and asked,

“Could you spare Ji Wenhua? Xiao Zhu is still young.”

And Ji Xiangyu had truly endured until she could endure no longer.

By the time they reached the entrance, the downpour had become light rain.

Ji Xiangyu handed Liu Yun the umbrella.

Liu Yun held it in one hand and Ji Xiangzhu’s hand in the other.

She stood in front of the car for a while before speaking.

“When you have time, bring Xiao Shen back for dinner.”

Ji Xiangyu stood beside the car as fine rain landed upon her face.

She watched the confused Ji Xiangzhu for a while before quietly agreeing.

Then she asked,

“You don’t blame me?”

Liu Yun held the hand of the child, who could not stop yawning, and prepared to enter the residential complex.

She smiled.

One side of her face remained slightly swollen.

“No matter which matter you’re referring to, none of it was your fault.”

“I’m very happy to see the person you’ve become.”

Only after the woman and child entered the complex did Ji Xiangyu withdraw her gaze.

It was after three in the morning and nearly four.

Ji Xiangyu entered a location into the navigation system and asked Shen Yishu to drive there.

They would not return to the hotel tonight.

It was already the middle of the night, and both of them were exhausted.

Driving a long distance would be dangerous.

Shen Yishu glanced at the destination and realized it was Ji Xiangyu’s other residence in Beijing—the one she had previously mentioned taking Shen Yishu to.

It was not far away.

The drive would require only a little more than ten minutes.

Shen Yishu focused entirely on driving and did not notice Ji Xiangyu staring blankly ahead.

When they reached the entrance of the residential complex, Shen Yishu turned and asked,

“Sister, where should I park?”

Ji Xiangyu abruptly returned to her senses.

She looked outside as though waking from a dream.

“Drive directly inside. There’s a parking space.”

After locking the car, they took the elevator upstairs.

It was another single-floor apartment.

This residence was nearly half the size of the other one, but in comparison, it looked like someone actually lived there.

Shen Yishu did not examine it carefully.

She was so tired that she wanted to sleep immediately.

Ever since saying goodbye to Liu Yun, Ji Xiangyu had seemed unwell and remained lost in thought.

After Shen Yishu finished showering, she found Ji Xiangyu standing on the master bedroom balcony, staring at the city’s nightscape.

Shen Yishu opened the glass balcony door and walked beside her.

“Sister, aren’t you sleeping?”

Ji Xiangyu wore an extremely thin dress.

The wind made her feel cold, so she extended her arms.

“Where is my hug?”

Not entirely understanding, Shen Yishu embraced her.

Ji Xiangyu stopped speaking.

A long time passed before she finally continued.

Perhaps the wind had made her slightly ill, because her voice sounded muffled.

“Baby.”

“Mm?”

“In your time, how much would a portable charger like you cost?”

For a moment, Shen Yishu nearly thought Ji Xiangyu knew she had transmigrated into a novel.

Then she realized Ji Xiangyu probably viewed her as some kind of robot like Doraemon.

“How would a product know its own price?”

Shen Yishu held her waist and spoke gently.

“Especially intelligent and adorable models like us. We’re all privately customized.”

“What a pity.”

Ji Xiangyu sounded genuinely regretful.

“You’ve become mine now.”

“That proves we were destined to meet.”

“I was thinking that buying you with one sheet of paper might have been too cheap.”

Ji Xiangyu buried herself deeply in Shen Yishu’s arms, resembling a phone pressed tightly against a wireless charger as it greedily absorbed energy.

“I think it was completely worth it.”

Shen Yishu did not understand why Ji Xiangyu was behaving this way today, but she was willing to spend time comforting her.

At least for now, Ji Xiangyu relied upon her embrace more than anything else.

Ji Xiangyu did not continue that subject.

Instead, she changed topics.

“When I was young, I studied dance.”

“I was afraid teachers would assume the Ji family was too wealthy and wouldn’t teach me properly, so I found a teacher myself.”

While absorbing the warmth Shen Yishu provided, Ji Xiangyu began speaking of the past.

“My teacher treated me very well. She often praised me and said I had talent.”

“She said that if I continued working hard, I would become successful someday.”

At the time, Ji Xiangyu had viewed dancing only as a tool.

As long as it allowed her to spend less time at home, she would have studied anything.

Ji Wenbin would not prevent her from learning dance, so she chose it.

Her talent had been genuine.

Other girls cried terribly while having their legs stretched, but Ji Xiangyu had barely struggled while increasing her flexibility.

She learned movements faster and performed them more accurately than anyone else.

She was also exceptionally beautiful and could practice for half a day without stopping.

“My teacher liked me very much.”

“When the Ji family’s driver failed to arrive after ​read the original at bailiantales.com​class, she would take me to her home for dinner first and then personally return me.”

“One day, when she brought me home, Ji Wenhua happened to be visiting Ji Wenbin to ask for money.”

Ji Xiangyu’s throat tightened.

Speaking became exceptionally difficult.

Shen Yishu noticed her discomfort and gently stroked her back.

“And then…”

Ji Xiangyu paused for several seconds.

“Ji Wenhua became interested in my teacher.”

“My teacher was a very innocent person. She had loved only dancing her entire life and had little interest in anything else.”

“She rejected Ji Wenhua many times.”

“The more she refused, the more obsessively he pursued her.”

Shen Yishu could almost predict what had happened afterward.

“Then Ji Wenhua lost his patience and raped my teacher.”

Whenever Ji Xiangyu remembered those events, it felt as though blades sliced through her heart one after another, executing her by a thousand cuts.

At the time, she knew nothing.

She only knew her teacher had suddenly told her she was ill and temporarily unable to continue teaching.

Afterward, she disappeared entirely.

When they met again, it was inside the Ji family’s ancestral residence.

Ji Wenhua held her teacher’s hand and said,

“Call her Aunt.”

That was not the beginning of Ji Xiangyu’s nightmares, but it became their turning point.

From that moment onward, she abandoned every hobby and interest.

Apart from tutors hired by the family, she never attended another extracurricular class.

“You’ve probably guessed it.”

“My teacher was Liu Yun.”

Ji Xiangyu did not know whether the weather was too cold or whether, even after so many years, she still could not calm herself.

“At the time, I thought she had used me as a stepping stone because she wanted to marry into the Ji family.”

“So I refused to speak with her and never noticed her suppressed cries for help.”

Ji Xiangyu paused for several seconds after every sentence.

“I never imagined the truth would be so unbearable.”

“The person who suffered most was never me.”

Only after Ji Xiangyu became an adult and began collecting evidence of the Ji family’s crimes did she finally notice something wrong within the scattered clues.

When she took the evidence to question Liu Yun, the woman merely held her hand and said with numb calmness,

“It’s all in the past.”

During the years when Ji Xiangyu refused to respond to her silent pleas, Liu Yun could not defeat Ji Wenhua.

She could only compromise for Xiao Zhu’s sake.

“Sister.”

Hearing the trembling in Ji Xiangyu’s voice, Shen Yishu could only continue comforting her.

“It wasn’t your fault.”

Ji Xiangyu knew it was not technically her fault.

But everything had begun because of her.

Had she not chosen her own teacher, had she not clung to the woman’s gentleness and spent so much time beside her, Ji Wenhua might never have learned Liu Yun existed.

If Ji Xiangyu had recognized Liu Yun’s pleas for help, she would have done everything possible to force Ji Wenhua away from her.

But she had noticed nothing.

She allowed everything to reach its worst possible conclusion.

Ji Xiangyu had consulted a lawyer.

The evidence she currently possessed could keep Ji Wenhua imprisoned for the rest of his life.

Even with a reduced sentence, he would remain there for at least twenty years.

She had always feared Liu Yun would provide a letter of forgiveness.

However, Liu Yun had just messaged her and said that during her statement, she revealed everything that had happened in the past.

As the direct victim, Liu Yun refused to forgive him.

Nothing Ji Wenhua did could change that.

This time, Ji Xiangyu would personally crush everything he possessed.

“If there are eighteen levels of hell, Ji Wenhua will certainly descend to the eighteenth.”

Ji Xiangyu withdrew from Shen Yishu’s arms.

“As his accomplice, I wonder which level I’ll enter.”

She stepped backward until she reached the balcony railing.

At four in the morning, even Beijing had fallen into a brief silence.

Endless darkness stretched behind her.

Ji Xiangyu leaned back against the glass railing, spread her arms, and tilted herself outward.

The railings of open balconies were built extremely high to prevent children from accidentally falling.

But they could not stop an adult deliberately risking her life.

The wind at that height sent Ji Xiangyu’s black hair flying through the air, spreading like seaweed beneath water.

Half her body extended beyond the railing.

The sight terrified Shen Yishu.

Fine rain landed on Ji Xiangyu’s face and formed droplets like tears.

Shen Yishu took a large step forward to pull her back.

Then she heard Ji Xiangyu’s clear voice, so faint that the night wind nearly scattered it.

“Baby, kiss me.”

Shen Yishu yanked her upright and bit her lips without hesitation.

The force made Ji Xiangyu wince in pain.

The young actress’s eyes were filled with reckless sincerity.

It was so genuine that Ji Xiangyu could not bear to look away.

“Sister.”

Shen Yishu panted from fear and spoke seriously.

“We’re already grasshoppers tied to the same rope.”

“Whichever level you go to, I’ll go there too.”

Ji Xiangyu: “…”

She laughed and buried her face beside Shen Yishu’s ear.

“I’m going to the floor where your room is.”