Beep.
The electronic door to the hospital room slid open, and a doctor in a white coat stepped inside.
“Young Master Ji, your time is up.”
“What?” Ji Cheng exclaimed. “I just got here!”
The doctor calmly replied, “Indeed, but your visitation time has reached its limit.”
“What nonsense! You’re kicking me out?”
The doctor maintained his composure. “This is Mr. Ji’s directive—visits with the patient cannot exceed ten minutes.”
Ji Cheng was about to argue but instantly fell silent at the mention of Ji Tingyan’s name.
He reluctantly mumbled, “Fine. Brother, I’ll come see you tomorrow.”
Ji Mian said nothing as Ji Cheng walked out of the room. The doctor approached the bedside and addressed Ji Mian.
“Young Master Ji, we will conduct a brief examination and follow up with treatment. Please cooperate.”
“Alright,” Ji Mian replied simply.
The doctor raised an eyebrow. The once-distant and uncooperative Ji family heir seemed to have softened, now willing to comply.
It was a positive sign.
The doctor pressed a button beside Ji Mian’s bed. Immediately, a cold electronic display materialized in the air, converting the bed into a diagnostic chamber.
Scanning beams swept across Ji Mian’s body while data cascaded over the doctor’s holographic tablet.
The doctor couldn’t hide his astonishment.
When Ji Mian was first brought back, his injuries were so severe that it seemed almost impossible he could have survived.
Although the hospital boasted cutting-edge medical technology and healers, his recovery progress was beyond expectations.
As expected from someone who had once been S-ranked.
The examination concluded swiftly, and the doctor offered, “Please rest well. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to let us know.”
Ji Mian responded with a calm “Hmm.”
The doctor turned to leave but stopped when the hospital room door slid open, and an impeccably dressed middle-aged man strode inside.
“Mr. Ji.”
The doctor bowed and quickly exited the room.
“You’re awake?” Ji Tingyan stood tall, his arm draped casually over a windbreaker. His tone was neither warm nor cold.
Ji Mian had closed his eyes when the doctor left. Hearing the question, he remained silent, as if Ji Tingyan didn’t even exist.
Ji Tingyan showed no anger.
Perhaps due to his military training in his youth, his posture was always rigidly upright. He gazed down at Ji Mian with an imposing presence.
“Now that you’re back, stay here.”
He spoke with a steady calmness.
“The attack on your ship was likely carried out by a star pirate faction. These groups are unpredictable and difficult to track across star systems. Given the time that has passed, there’s no point in wasting resources to pursue them.”
The implication was clear: since Ji Mian had returned, there was no need to dwell on past events.
Ji Mian remained unresponsive. His long lashes cast faint shadows on his pale cheeks, his expression unreadable.
Ji Tingyan waited patiently, but his patience had its limits.
“Once your health improves, we’ll schedule another mental power assessment.” Ji Tingyan’s fingers tapped lightly on his elbow. “This time, don’t disappoint me.”
With that, he turned to leave.
Before he could step out, Ji Mian’s cold, clear voice cut through the air, laced with subtle derision:
“You might as well let me go now. Otherwise, you’re bound to be disappointed again.”
Ji Tingyan paused slightly and turned back.
“You are, after all, a member of the Ji family. My son. As your father, I cannot simply turn my back on you.”
Without waiting for a reply, he walked out the door without looking back.
—
At the Ji family estate:
Ji Cheng peeked his head around the corner of the front door, glancing left and right to ensure the coast was clear. Seeing no one in the living room, he cautiously stepped inside.
“Where have you been playing this time?”
A voice from the staircase froze him in his tracks.
“…Mom, you’re home?”
Liu Qing descended from the second floor, her voice laced with a chilly undertone.
“I am the mistress of this house. If I’m not here, where else would I be?”
Ji Cheng felt a pang of guilt. Why hadn’t he heard her footsteps earlier? He stammered, “I… uh, I went to a friend’s place.”
“Oh? Which friend? Someone close? Tell me about it,” Liu Qing pressed, her tone dripping with feigned sweetness.
“Just… just the youngest son of the Land family. We, uh, hung out for a bit,” Ji Cheng stuttered.
Liu Qing fell silent, her piercing gaze fixed on him.
Feeling increasingly uneasy, Ji Cheng was about to make an excuse to leave when Liu Qing’s voice turned soft and coaxing.
“Are you hiding something from your mother?”
“If you’ve gotten into trouble outside, it’s okay. Just tell me. When your father scolds you, I’ll stand up for you.”
Ji Cheng was momentarily touched, thinking his mother truly cared.
However, he still remembered Ji Tingyan’s warning. “No, Mom, I haven’t gotten into any trouble. Really, I just went to see a friend. Don’t overthink it…”
Before he could finish, Liu Qing’s patience snapped. Her voice turned icy:
“Is it that woman’s son? Is he back?”
Ji Cheng froze.
“Speak! Is it that woman’s son? He’s not dead, is he?!”
The way she referred to Ji Mian made Ji Cheng uncomfortable. In a small voice, he corrected her:
“Mom, what are you saying? That’s my brother—”
“He’s not your brother!” Liu Qing’s voice rose sharply. “You are my son, not that woman’s!”
Her face contorted briefly in fury, startling Ji Cheng. Before he could respond, Liu Qing’s expression softened once more, her voice turning saccharine:
“Tell me the truth. Did he survive and come crawling back to find your father?”
Ji Cheng, caught off guard, stammered, “No, Brother didn’t…”
Realizing he’d said too much, he clamped his mouth shut in panic.
Liu Qing sneered. “Brother, brother—you keep calling him that! Has he brainwashed you?!”
“I’ve told you, he’s not your brother! You are the heir of the Ji family. And him? What is he? A B-grade failure! He’s not even qualified to—”
“Mom!” Ji Cheng couldn’t take it anymore. “I was in danger out there, and Brother saved me!”
Liu Qing retorted, “That’s only because of him that you were in danger in the first place! If you hadn’t gone running off like a fool and stayed obediently at home, nothing would’ve happened! It’s all his fault for leading you astray!”
Ji Cheng opened his mouth to argue, but Liu Qing cut him off:
“Enough! Stop defending him! Why don’t you think about me? Do you know what your father has been—”
She abruptly stopped, swallowing her words.
Ji Cheng frowned in confusion. “What about Dad? Mom, did you and Dad have a fight?”
Liu Qing’s expression darkened, her chest heaving with suppressed anger. After a moment, she said curtly:
“Never mind. Go back to your room.”
Ji Cheng hesitated. “Huh?”
“I said, go back to your room! And for the next few days, you’re not allowed to leave the house or see him again!”
“Mom—”
“Go!”
Liu Qing’s voice was icy as she drove Ji Cheng upstairs. Left alone in the hallway, her face twisted with resentment as she paced back and forth.
Finally, she gritted her teeth and activated her communicator.
“Hello? I have some information… Yes, something you’ll be very interested in.”
R : Hello ?
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