Unedited

Xiao Jiashu withstood the pain and finished off his thick cream pumpkin soup. When he returned to the office he found out that he had been fired and several a.s.sistants were in the middle of helping him pack up his stuff. Seeing the looks his colleagues secretly shot at him, he felt very wronged but understood that his action of shutting Li Jiaer without authority had touched Ji Mian's bottom line. Ji Mian's response was to be expected. Royal Crown was after all his studio. He could sign whomever he wanted, outsiders didn't have the right to b.u.t.t in. If Ji Mian hadn't owed Uncle Xiu a big favour, the matter of shutting her out would not necessarily have been possible.

Xiao Jiashu didn't feel any resentment towards Ji Mian. He accepted the cardboard box the a.s.sistant pa.s.sed to him and proceeded to leave the company.

“You're leaving just like that?” The a.s.sistant was very surprised. He probed, “You're not going up to find the Chairman to help you transfer departments?”

“I'm not, goodbye.” Xiao Jiashu shook his head and boarded the elevator to directly go to the parking lot on the first floor. He was one who was in the wrong in the first place, how could he still have the nerve to go to Uncle Xiu to complain? If he's been fired, then he's been fired. He can go find another job again another day. With an optimistic mentality, Xiao Jiashu returned home, and continued holing himself in his room to play games. But this time he had learnt his lesson and didn't dare to eat rubbish snacks again. Every day he would only drink plain porridge, and his mouth ulcers finally started to heal.

One morning a few days later, Xiao Dingbang looked at his younger brother sitting opposite him on the dining table and suddenly asked, “You seem to be really bored lately? Would you like to come to the Xiao Group to work?”

“Ah?” Xiao Jiashu was currently engrossed in gnawing on his drumstick. When he heard those words, he couldn't completely absorb the words for a moment; his wide-eyed tongue-tied expression looked a bit silly.

“No. Xiao Shu has just come back, let him play and have fun first.” Xue Miao rejected with a light smile. When he first returned to the country, she had indeed wanted him to stay and work at the Xiao Group. However, after being ruthlessly hit with a stick by the Old Man and Xiao Qijie, she suddenly realised —— Rather than letting her son continue to stay in the Xiao Family's cage, pa.s.sing the rest of his life without freedom, without a moral character, it would be better to let go and let him fly.

Xiao Dingbang gave her a deep look and immediately after, stared at his younger brother and asked. “Do you also feel the same way? You want to do nothing, and spend your entire day playing?”

“I don't.” Xiao Jiashu didn't understand why his big brother would arrange him to enter the Xiao Group. Weren't Grandpa and Dad strongly against it? But he wasn't knocked dizzy by this meat pie that had fallen from the sky. He thought it over seriously and explained, “On a later date, I'm going to find my own job. I don't absolutely have to enter the Xiao Group. I noticed that other occupations are also very interesting.”

“Really?” Xiao Dingbang nodded. “Always put your desires first, if you have any ideas, remember to tell me.”

Xiao Jiashu was unsure whether his brother was sounding him out or concerned about him but he still obediently agreed. Xiao Qijie, who was sitting on the head seat, unhappily said, “You're been back for several months now, the only thing you know how to do is play every day, when will you learn to be sensible? When your brother was eighteen…”

Xue Miao couldn't bear to listen anymore. She pressed her chopsticks down hard onto the table, and said with a grim smile, “When Xiao Shu came back, I wanted him to go to work at the Xiao Group. You said to let him obediently stay at home with his shares. Now he's obediently staying at home, and you're scolding him saying he's not sensible and only knows how to play. Let me ask you, Xiao Qijie, in the end what do you want?”

Father Xiao, “I just said a few words, why are you getting so worked up? This child closes himself inside his room all day to play games, and doesn't even come out to eat. I'm worried that he'll ruin his heath. I care about him too.”

“Like s.h.i.+t you care about him…” It was unknown whether she had reached menopause, but Xue Miao's temper was getting worse and worse, and started arguing with Xiao Qijie in front of the two children. Xiao Jiashu hurriedly raked in a few mouthfuls of rice, and then ran to his bedroom on the second floor. While Xiao Dingbang, like his name, very set and orderly (very methodical, “Ding” means fixed, set, stable), seriously finished his breakfast before slowly saying, “There's still ten minutes, quickly quarrel, when you're done, we still have to attend the election a.s.sembly at the munic.i.p.al administration hall.”

Father Xiao, roughly breathing with a red neck: “…”

Xue Miao picked up a napkin to wipe her mouth. When she raised her head again, she was already the model of a graceful and virtuous woman. “I'm sorry, Dingbang, Aunty forgot herself. I see that you haven't eaten much, you don't know how long the election a.s.sembly will go on for, you should eat some more, so you won't get hungry later. I'll get Xiao Li to go to the garage ready the car.” She didn't have any big opinions towards this stepson of hers, and didn't hate or mistreat him. She was concerned about and looked after him as one should do and did so meticulously. But unfortunately, her stepson had learnt the ways of the world a long time ago, and never warmed up to her. Even after living together for twenty years their feelings for each other were only superficial.

“Thank you, Aunty. I'm eaten my full already.” Xiao Dingbang politely declined. Afterwards, he said the Father Xiao, “Let's go.” Only then did Xiao Qijie furiously stand up.

As soon as the two left, Xiao Jiashu ran downstairs while putting on his coat. He looked very anxious.

“Where are you going?” Xue Miao asked, following after him.

“Ji Mian had a car accident, I'm going to visit him.” Before he had even finished his words, he had already driven off to the distance in his sports car.

—

Inside a VIP hospital room, Ji Mian expressionlessly looked at his mobile, bandages wrapped around the top of his head. Fang Kun walked over and pulled the phone out of his hand. He reproached, “You have cerebral concussion, why are still reading the news? Hurry and lie down and rest. Chief Xiu has already suppressed the news of your car accident. You don't need to worry.”

“What about Xiao Liu and Xiao Tao? Are they alright?” Ji Mian lay down and shut his eyes.

“They're fine, they only got a few scratches. They were discharged from hospital last night.” Fang Kun had a belly full of things he wanted to say, but seeing Ji Mian's beaten state, he held back. Xiao Liu and Xiao really must have eaten the wrong medicine. They actually told the police that a flying saucer crashed the agency car down the hill. Due to that, not only did the police make them take the alcohol level test and urine test, they even gave them a psychological examination. Ji Mian was also implicated. They did a blood test on him while he was unconscious, fearing that he had taken drugs. Flying saucer, bulls.h.i.+t! This excuse was too nonsensical! If the police really do find a problem in their tests, he will definitely go fry those two muddleheaded eggs.

Fang Kun heart was packed with gloominess. But unexpectedly, Ji Mian suddenly said, “They didn't drink and they didn't take drugs. I saw that flying saucer too.”

“Ah?” Fang Kun said with shock. “Did I just talk out loud?”

“You didn't say anything?” Ji Mian opened his eyes, his expression unreadable.

“I said something? I didn't say?” Fang Kun was confused, and immediately warned, “No matter what, you must not mention about that flying saucer again. The police inspected the scene. There were absolutely no traces of anything colliding into the car, and they didn't find any flying saucer, only braking skid marks. Xiao Liu must have been speeding, which caused the tires to slip and the car to drop down the mountain.” If they kept with the flying saucer reason, the lead story tomorrow would be ‘Film Emperor Ji is suffering from a mental disorder.'

Ji Mian gazed steadily at him and said in a heavy voice, “Help call a nurse over, my head hurts.”

“OK.” Fang Kun promptly pressed the nurse call b.u.t.ton.

A few nurses immediately ran into the hospital room. One examined the bandage on Film Emperor Ji's head, another measured his blood pressure. Their faces were red and their expressions were excited and bashful. This was the first time they had met Film Emperor Ji in real life. The real person was a hundred times more handsome than on screen! Broad shoulders, narrow waist, long legs, practically bursting with male hormones! Ah ah ah, I'm gonna faint!

They took out their notebooks and asked in a stammer for Film Emperor Ji's autograph, their slightly trembling fingers divulging their inner excitement. Ji Mian was really cooperative. He signed his autograph and even took a photo with them, not revealing a single bit of impatience from beginning to end. The VIP hospital rooms were often used by high official and n.o.ble persons. Its confidentiality was first rate, and there was no need to worry about information leakage.

After they left, Ji Mian's expression relaxed, as if a heavy load had been lifted from his chest.

Fang Kun teased, “Your temper is too good. You're clearly the patient here but you still need to wait upon these nurses, giving them your autograph and taking a photo with them, no wonder you have a headache. If you can't fall asleep then watch a few movies, I'll give Chief Xiu a call. He watched over you all night yesterday, and only left at five in the morning.”

“No need to go bother him, let him have a good rest…” Fang Kun had already left before Ji Mian could finish speaking. This hospital room was at the end of the corridor, and after exiting the corridor doors, there was a flight of stairs on the left. The distance between the stairs and his hospital room did not exceed five metres. Fang Kun was making a phone call on the staircase, but Ji Mian, who was lying inside the hospital room, could hear Fang Kun's voice say a few words every so often; it didn't sound like he was talking to someone, but more like an inner commentary. Ji Mian didn't find it strange at first, but after he remembered that this hospital's sound-proofing facilities was extremely strict, his face slowly started to pale.

Chief Xiu treats Ji'ge so well! If not for the fact that their ages don't work out, I would even think that Ji'ge is Chief Xiu's real son. Fang Kun sighed as he walked into the hospital room, and found Ji Mian staring fixedly at him.

“What's wrong? Is there something on my face?” Fang Kun wiped his face.

“Did your mouth move just before?” Ji Mian asked in a low voice.

“Nope. I'm not eating anything, why would my mouth move?” Fang Kun couldn't make a heads or tails of what Ji Mian was saying, and then said with fear and alarm, “Ji'ge, wait a moment, I'll get a doctor to come and help you do a brain inspection.” I suspect the car crash broke your brain.

The corner of Ji Mian's mouth twitched, like he wanted to say something but couldn't. He took down his medical record hanging on the bedside and started reading seriously.

—

Ji Mian had a car accident, so no matter what Xiao Jiashu had to go over visit him; after all, he was Xiao Jiashu's former superior. However, just when he arrived at the hospital room door, he came across Li Jiaer. Li Jiaer had one hand raised, about to knock on the door. She had a bouquet of lilies in her other hand.

“It's you!” When she saw Xiao Jiashu, she even forgot she was in the process of knocking on the door, and spoke with red eyes, “I heard that you are shutting me out. Why? I've never even met you before! Mr Xiao, let's have a proper talk, I think there must be some misunderstanding between us.”

The anxious expression on Xiao Jiashu's face was replaced with a gloomy one. He said clearly, “I have nothing to discuss with you. I only want to ask you one thing. Do you still remember He Yi?”

“He Yi?” The lilies in Li Jiaer's hand fell to the ground. She looked at Xiao Jiashu with fright and suspicion, and a few seconds later, she unexpectedly turned around and ran away.

Xiao Jiashu who originally wanted to spray out a whole pile of curses at her, “…” He was pent up with grievances inside, which he could neither spit out or nor swallow down. Seeing the flowers on the floor, he couldn't help but stomp on them a few times. Upon noticing that the nurses pa.s.sing by were looking at him strangely, he picked up the flowers at once, threw them in the bin, and hid himself in the stairwell.

He was still wearing earphones in his ears, in the middle of listening to the songs he had recently downloaded. The rock-in-roll singer's hysterical cry caused his acc.u.mulated anger to instantly explode out completely. He slid down along the wall to ground, his mind enveloped by a dark memory…