Hilda pressed down on Zhang Yaxuan’s hand. "Alright, we’ve taken the money. You just focus on resting and your pregnancy. We’ll leave you in peace then."
It wasn’t long before Jian Chuxin returned, his wounds bandaged.
"The medical skill here is terrible. They bandaged me up like a rice dumpling! Nothing like back home." Google seaʀᴄh N0velFire.ɴet
Jian Xi couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
"You still have the energy to joke with me! Looks like your injury isn’t too serious."
The two exchanged a smile.
Jian Chuxin felt even more keenly the hardships his little sister must have endured back in the country.
Si Yuhuan was a complete beast. Sooner or later, he’d skin that bastard alive to avenge his little sister.
"Where’s Zhang Yaxuan?"
Looking around and not seeing him by his sister’s side, the superstar fumed.
His eyes narrowed, and he immediately ordered a young nurse, "Go, get that Zhang fellow over here. His wife and his child are here, and he’s not looking after them? Where did he run off to, to enjoy himself?"
Jian Xi hurriedly tried to stop him.
Her abrupt movement tugged at her wound, and she couldn’t help but wince and cry out in pain.
Jian Chuxin immediately rushed to her side. "Little Sister! You’re still defending him? Are you this hopelessly devoted to every man you meet? How can you be so foolish?"
Jian Xi found herself at a loss for words.
This child has absolutely nothing to do with Zhang Yaxuan. Besides, Zhang Yaxuan was, at best, just an acquaintance—a friend she didn’t know well. For him to do this much was already going far above and beyond. After all, she was the one who had dragged him into this. There was no reason to expect him to stay up all night, keeping watch and putting on an act. That wouldn’t be fair or reasonable.
Jian Xi quickly tried to placate him. "Second Brother, he’s an artist, so he can be a bit absent-minded. I understand. He does care about me. Look at all these people protecting me—that’s all his doing. This small town is even guarded by his friends. No matter how resourceful Si Yuhuan is, he can’t hurt me anymore."
"He has been very good to me!"
"Alright, alright. If you don’t want me to say it, I won’t! Go on, keep doting on him! Honestly, now that you have a man, you’ve forgotten all about your Second Brother!"
Jian Chuxin huffed indignantly.
His little sister couldn’t just be protected by others. He had already called the fifth; the Ace Bodyguards would arrive soon. He’d like to see who would dare to lay a finger on her then—he’d beat their brains out.
Jian Xi silently breathed a sigh of relief.
Finally, her Second Brother’s anger had subsided. But this wasn’t a long-term solution. Her Second Brother was perceptive in matters of the heart—not like her stoic Eldest Brother, or her Fourth Brother who tended to stay out of such things. Given enough time, he was bound to notice something amiss. If he found out the child wasn’t Zhang Yaxuan’s, the consequences would be unthinkable!
Hilda sent Jian Xi a message.
"Si Yuhuan has left the country."
Jian Xi clenched her fists tightly, her chest heaving with suppressed anger. He sure ran off quickly, she thought.
Jian Chuxin came in carrying two takeout containers. "Who are you talking about?"
He was injured, and Jian Xi had urged him to go back and rest properly, but he stubbornly refused, insisting on staying to take care of her.
"No one. Just saw some news and was commenting on it."
Her Second Brother was impulsive; it wasn’t wise to tell him everything.
The takeout containers held simple, home-cooked dishes, all made by Suoya.
The aroma was inviting, but she had little appetite.
Jian Chuxin wolfed down his food and then flopped onto the sofa. His back was injured, restricting his movements, so he had to sleep face-down. His agent had called what felt like a thousand times, nagging, "My dear ancestor, please don’t press down on your handsome face! You’ll get wrinkles!"
After what felt like eight hundred calls that day, he irritably tossed his phone aside.
Jian Xi watched him, a complicated ache in her heart, as he slept, his head hanging precariously off the edge of the sofa.
"Second Brother! You should go. Zhang Yaxuan is here; he’ll take care of me."
The sound of even breathing came from the sofa.
Jian Chuxin had fallen asleep without realizing it.
Years of being on set and filming on location had conditioned him. He’d developed an iron stomach, ate quickly, and could fall asleep anywhere the moment he felt tired. Everyone said her Second Brother was delicate, a big star who must be incredibly difficult to manage. Only those close to him knew that he had achieved his current success not by relying on the Jian Family, but through sheer hard work, enduring a lifestyle so rough it was hard to witness. He could eat any kind of food and sleep in any environment.
Jian Xi got up to cover him with a blanket.
Her Second Brother murmured in his sleep, "Little Sister, I’m sorry. It’s Second Brother who didn’t take good care of you."
WHOOSH. Tears streamed down Jian Xi’s face.
Even in his dreams, he was thinking about how to take care of me! Silly Second Brother!
Jian Xi lay in bed, her mind replaying all the recent events. A dull ache throbbed in her heart, a suffocating tightness that made it hard to breathe. The realization that the man she loved had wanted to kill her with his own hands filled her with a bone-chilling fear.
BEEP. Her phone chimed.
Wan Yu sounded like she was about to explode. "Jian Xi! Something this huge happened, and you didn’t even tell me!"
Jian Xi felt a pang of guilt. Before she could even speak, Wan Yu continued, "Being hospitalized to protect the pregnancy, well, it can be serious or not so serious, but you absolutely must be careful! Just wait, your Eldest Brother and I are coming over right away."
What?! So many people are coming to Saint Seymour! From what Wan Yu said, Second Brother didn’t tell them everything; he only mentioned I was in the hospital. Thank goodness...
"No way!" Jian Xi firmly refused. "It’s not as serious as you all think. I’m currently in the hospital for observation before delivery. The rule in Saint Seymour is that pregnant women check into the hospital a month in advance, just in case. Besides, I’m carrying twins, so Zhang Yaxuan, being cautious, arranged for me to come in early. Nothing serious has happened, so please don’t overthink it. Having too many people come at once will just make me nervous."
Wan Yu grumbled, "I still won’t feel at ease if I’m not there."
"Second Brother is here!"
"Him? Forget it! He’s so thoughtless; how could he possibly take good care of you? I’ll go instead. I have a flight tonight, and you’re not allowed to refuse."
Before Jian Xi could say anything more, the phone was snatched away.
Jian Chuxin, who had woken up at some point, interjected, "How am I thoughtless? Future sister-in-law, if you keep slandering me like that, I might not acknowledge you as family!"
Wan Yu’s face turned bright red. She flusteredly retorted, "Who... who’s your sister-in-law?"
Jian Mingcheng took the phone from Wan Yu and sternly chided Jian Chuxin, "Don’t be so impudent."
Jian Xi felt like she was an outsider being force-fed a massive dose of their public display of affection. Could Eldest Brother be any more obvious about protecting Wan Yu?
Wan Yu, so embarrassed she wished she could find a hole to crawl into, mumbled, "Then I... I won’t go, alright?"
She turned to Jian Mingcheng, seeking an answer. "I... I mean... he... Jian Chuxin, he’s just talking nonsense, right?"
Jian Mingcheng’s dark eyes fixed on her. Seeing shyness mixed with an unreadable emotion in her gaze, he sighed. "Don’t pay him any mind."
Wan Yu felt a pang of disappointment. Her shoulders slumped. "I’ll... I’ll go to the office and get some work done."
That blockheaded man! As straight and unbending as a steel bar! Couldn’t he show even a tiny bit of emotional intelligence?
Watching her retreating figure, Jian Mingcheng clenched his fists.
The secretary approached. "The doctor you booked has arrived, CEO Jian. Is there... really a problem with your health?" The repeated check-ups had made the secretary quite worried too. The Jian Group was in a crucial period of growth; CEO Jian absolutely could not afford any mishaps right now.
Jian Mingcheng remained silent, his expression grim, which was more unsettling to the secretary than any verbal confirmation.
Wan Yu, realizing she’d forgotten her phone, turned back. She saw Jian Mingcheng hurrying towards the hospital and, puzzled, decided to follow. When she saw him register at the urology department, realization suddenly struck her, and she doubled over in uncontrollable laughter.