Chapter 47: You Like Her

The clock on the wall pointed exactly to nine o’clock, and the night had fallen over the entire city. The stratification of society was everywhere, and from the hospital room’s window, one could overlook the bustling night scene of Shangjing District.

Ji Xueli rested her hands on the railing, gazing down. The city was lit up in vast expanses of light, like billions of diamonds shining brightly.

It reminded her of what Duan Qingyu had once said to her: “Welcome to Shangjing District.”

The lights were just starting to come on, the world was dazzling and full of indulgence…

This was the reality in Shangjing District, where the wealth of conglomerates ruled over everything.

She reached out to touch the intangible wind. The accident made her realize that this was not just a dream that she could wake up from.

It was the real world, and she could feel sadness, pain, and even death…

This sensation made Ji Xueli feel like she wasn’t just a character in a novel. Duan Qingyu wasn’t either.

They were both real and ever-present, constantly acting out their story.

Ji Xueli gripped the railing, and she seemed to have gone quite some time without hearing the system’s voice.

“What are you thinking about?”

She was about to call for the system when a low and pleasant voice sounded behind her.

Turning around, she saw Duan Qingyu, dressed in light blue striped hospital attire, his figure tall and slender. She didn’t know when he had walked in, but now he was staring at her.

“Nothing. Have you handled your business?” Ji Xueli asked. After Cheng Du left, Zhen Zhang came over, and the two of them stayed in the chatroom, though she wasn’t sure what they were discussing.

“Yeah, from the inside, I thought Lili had given up,” Duan Qingyu said, his gaze dark like ink, his voice calm.

“What could I have given up on? I’m not lacking in money or power…” Ji Xueli chuckled and stretched her arms out.

Her identity had always been privileged since birth, what could she not understand?

“Is that so? You weren’t like this before,” Duan Qingyu looked at the nightscape outside, his brow slightly furrowed.

For Ji Yan Zhou, she had even mentioned suicide before…

His voice dissipated in the breeze, and Ji Xueli didn’t catch it. “What did you say?”

“Nothing.”

She turned back, leaning against the railing. “We’ve been through life and death. I suppose that makes us revolutionary friends, right?”

“Friendship?” Duan Qingyu lifted an eyebrow, giving her a look that was almost a smile. “So Lili wants to swear brotherhood with me?”

“Impossible. If we’re anything, we’re definitely not friends,” Ji Xueli said confidently. It seemed that from how he said it, he didn’t like relationships that started with friendship. So she’d have to try a different approach.

She spoke directly, and Duan Qingyu looked at her. “What if we really became friends?”

“Then that means you want to be friends with me.”

She had been around long enough in this environment to know how to read people. She wasn’t exactly a master at it, but she could understand a person’s intent through their expressions and gestures.

But the man in front of her…

He seemed casual, as if anything was possible, yet in reality, he was distant and aloof, indifferent to everything.

She couldn’t figure him out, and no matter how many strategies she changed, he always seemed to see through her.

But when he said this, could it be leading up to something later? Ji Xueli pursed her lips. The female lead wouldn’t have a “female lead halo,” would she?

The wind continued to blow, and outside, the neon lights flashed while the sounds of traffic echoed.

She looked up at him. Under the lights, his eyes were a near amber color, as though they contained the hues of a snowy night—cool, but strangely beautiful, almost as though it had lost its warmth.

He took a step closer.

Ji Xueli inexplicably wanted to take a step back, the overwhelming sense of dominance in front of her was growing stronger…

He raised his hand and adjusted the messy collar of her shirt. His cool fingers gently brushed her neck, causing her to involuntarily shrink her shoulders.

“The wind’s strong outside. Let’s go in,” he said, his voice low.

Ji Xueli felt a bit of anxiety, but after a moment, she relaxed and replied, “Okay.”

She followed him inside. “How did you and Song Ruo meet?”

Duan Qingyu sat on the sofa, closing his eyes as he leaned back. His injuries hadn’t fully healed, and he had spent a lot of energy in the afternoon, feeling somewhat drained. “At a dinner party.”

“Do you like her?” Ji Xueli poured a glass of hot water and placed it in front of him, then sat beside him.

Duan Qingyu slowly opened his eyes, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the sofa armrest. His expression was neither good nor bad. “Why do you ask?”

“I’m just asking. After all, her actions are pretty much showing that your relationship isn’t ordinary.” She shrugged, seemingly casual.

They were both intelligent, and sometimes it was easier to be straightforward than to beat around the bush.

“What about us?” Duan Qingyu took a sip of the water Ji Xueli poured and then asked.

Us… Ji Xueli lifted her gaze. “Naturally, we’re not ordinary either. I like you, but you don’t like me, right?”

Duan Qingyu raised an eyebrow, his eyes narrowing slightly like dark pools, still unable to understand her change.

Once, it was him returning from abroad, and another time, it was her returning from abroad…

Duan Qingyu stood and took a step toward her. Under the dim lights, he looked like a beast that had been dormant for a long time, ready to break out of its cage at any moment.

“We, Lili, are so beautiful. How could I not like you?” His voice was soft, almost teasing.

Ji Xueli felt her heartbeat skip a beat. She knew most of what he said was probably just playful teasing, but for some reason, she found herself believing it…

“Fine. Then next time Song Ruo comes looking for you, I’ll chase her away in the name of the rightful consort.” She replied without holding back.

Duan Qingyu chuckled, “As you wish.”

But there was no hint of laughter in his eyes. His face was half-hidden in the shadows, his expression ambiguous and hard to read.

It was she who had taken the initiative to provoke him. He had already said it—once he set his sights on something, no one could take it away.