Chapter 17 Can You Handle It Yourself?

The school doctor quickly blocked my still-blurry vision."Student Jiang, Mr. Shen told me you faint at the sight of blood. Don't worry, the bleeding has stopped now, but to prevent infection, I recommend you go to the hospital for a tetanus shot."

"Uh... okay, I understand. Thank you." My weak voice was slightly hoarse. I agreed, but the awkward thing was that my foot hurt so much I couldn't stand. I could only struggle to sit up on the bed, and for a moment, I felt dizzy.

Just as the school doctor turned to leave, Shen Jibai's tall figure appeared behind him.

Under everyone's gaze, he bent down with an expression of cold arrogance."Can you walk on your own?"

For a moment, I was transported back to that sweltering summer day when I fainted in the teacher's office after seeing a classmate's nosebleed. He had asked me the same question back then, and I had stubbornly said I could.

But today, I shook my head."No."

One arm slid under my knees, the other around my back, and he effortlessly lifted me from the bed.

Then, he lowered his gaze and motioned for me to wrap my arms around his neck.

I obediently complied.

"Thank you, everyone. You've worked hard today. Leave the rest to me; I'll take her to the hospital," he said as he carried me out, addressing the group.

The driver had been waiting at the door for some time. After I was gently placed in the car, we headed straight for the hospital.

Shen Jibai sat silently next to me the entire way, which reminded me of Shen Jin. When he was in a bad mood, he would also stay quiet, though his expression remained neutral.

Genes really are a powerful thing.

I was the injured one—what did he have to be upset about?

The numbness in my foot had passed, and now the pain was piercing. Sweat started to form on my back, but I gritted my teeth and didn't make a sound.

At the emergency room, the doctor's words completely broke me."No water or pressure on your right foot for the next two weeks. You can't dance until it's fully healed."

The performance was in just five days! All those handsome upperclassmen and underclassmen waiting in the audience! All those long-focus cameras from the media ready to capture the moment! My first on-campus performance since returning to China—was it all ruined just like that?

Sitting in the wheelchair, I was on the verge of tears.

Ji Xunran called, and when I answered, the phone felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

"Jiang Li, how are you now? Did you get the shot?" His anxious voice came through the line.

"You might need to find a new dance partner..." The tears that had been welling up in my eyes finally spilled over. "The doctor said I can't dance for a while..."

"You're crying? Don't cry, don't cry. There's always next time! This isn't a big deal," Ji Xunran's voice was clearly flustered, his attempt at comforting me coming out incoherent.

"I'll bring you along to every event in the future, okay?"

"Stop crying already... There will be plenty of performances... Your health is the most important thing."

"But if you end up with a permanent injury, no one will want you in the future..."

"Oh, right! The school has already reported the incident to the police. If you don't recover soon, how will you use your Foshan Shadowless Kick to punish the culprit once they're caught?"

I listened to his chaotic attempts to console me, crying and laughing at the same time. He was right—this kind of performance wasn't a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for someone like Ji Xunran.

He had seen far grander stages.

I felt a bit better, smiling through my tears, completely unaware that Shen Jibai, who was pushing my wheelchair from behind, was growing increasingly grim.

He spoke coldly, "I'll have the driver take you home to rest. I need to go to the office for a meeting."

His words were as icy as a glacier, devoid of any warmth.

"Okay..."

Whatever. I was just a cripple; I didn't deserve to have feelings.

And then he really left me at home for the entire day!

Although the housekeeper and staff were attentive due to my limited mobility, I still felt an emptiness inside.

"What is this? The day after a kiss—no roses, no confession, and not even much concern after I got injured."

I vented all my grievances over the phone to Lin Xi, feeling utterly wronged.

"Could it be... he doesn't want to accept me at all?"

The thought made me spring out of bed in a panic, completely forgetting about my injured right foot. The moment I put weight on it, pain shot through me, making me grimace.

"Uh..." Lin Xi hesitated on the other end of the line.

"Then why did he kiss me?!" I was on the verge of losing it.

Lin Xi, however, remained calm."Ah, women. If you push too hard, you'll scare the man away."

Hah, speechless.

Before dinner, Shen Jibai finally returned. It felt like I had been waiting for him for half a century.

He strode in with his long legs, habitually loosening his tie with one hand. His casual yet languid demeanor exuded power, and the defined muscles of his forearm were full of tension.

I swallowed involuntarily, only to choke on my own saliva in surprise when I saw who was behind him—

It was Ye Jingzhan!

Yes, my ex-boyfriend. My one and only ex-boyfriend. The same guy I ran into at the bar a while ago—the one who completely turned me off.

It had been a while since he crossed my mind, but why was he suddenly at Shen Jibai's house? Could they have known each other before?!

A thousand alarms blared in my head.

Ye Jingzhan was carrying several expensive health supplements. He handed them over to the housekeeper politely before walking toward me with concern.

"Jiang Li, long time no see. I heard from someone at your school that you got hurt today. I happened to be nearby, so I came to check on you." He wore a warm smile, looking just like the bright, sunny boy he used to be.

But no matter how well he pretended, it was just an act. He could never go back to who he was. Ever since he started working under his father, even the smile in his eyes had grown shrewd and calculating.

I was stunned. "How did you know I live here?"

He quickly explained, "Oh, recently my dad's company has been working with the Shen Group. Thanks to my dad's introduction, I had the privilege of meeting Mr. Shen. I only found out you live here by chance when Mr. Shen mentioned it. I had no idea your families were so close."

Of course, you didn't know.

Before I realized I had feelings for Shen Jibai, I never thought there would be any connection between us beyond Aunt Lin. So why would I have mentioned him to you?

I put on a cold face. "Oh. Although Jibai-ge and I aren't related by blood, I've always seen him as an older brother."

I knew Ye Jingzhan too well. He never gave a heads-up before starting a new relationship, and now, his sudden 180-degree change in attitude toward me could only be because of Shen Jibai.

Most likely, his father had sent him to cozy up to Shen Jibai, and I was the perfect bridge to facilitate their connection.

The mental anguish I endured when I first discovered Ye Jingzhan's infidelity flashed through my mind. Only I knew how much it hurt, something I could never share with anyone.

Shen Jibai emerged from the living quarters, now dressed in a fresh set of clothes. Seeing my cold expression, he sat down on the sofa, gesturing politely for Ye Jingzhan to have tea. Then he turned to me.

"Jingzhan happened to run into me at the company this afternoon. When he heard about your injury, he insisted on coming back with me to check on you. Oh, and he also mentioned the unpleasantness at the welcome banquet last time. He said he wanted to formally apologize to you."

Was Shen Jibai subtly prompting Ye Jingzhan to apologize, or was Ye Jingzhan the one proactively offering?

Shen Jibai was as cunning as ever, but at least it felt like he was standing up for me.

As soon as he finished speaking, Ye Jingzhan hurriedly set down the tea he had just brought to his lips, standing up in a fluster."Yes, yes, Jiang Li, about last time... I apologize! I was drunk and spouting nonsense. It was just banter with the guys that got out of hand. You know how men are—they don't want to lose face... Anyway, I was wrong. I promise I'll never say anything like that to damage your reputation again. Please, for the sake of the years we've known each other, forgive me... okay?"

How laughable. Who had "years of friendship" with you?

I put on a professional smile. "It's fine. It's all in the past. I've already forgotten about it."