"Qi Yu, the young master's legs were crippled saving you. Not only do you fail to show gratitude, but you’ve also turned on him, mocking him now that you think he can no longer be the heir of the Qi family. How naive can you be? The young master isn’t even dead, yet you and Qi Yue already think you can trample over him and flaunt your power."
After saying this, Cheng Jing grabbed a bottle from the nearby liquor cabinet. Without so much as blinking, he swung it down with full force onto Qi Yu’s knee.
A dull thud echoed, followed immediately by Qi Yu’s blood-curdling scream.
"Ah—!"
The shrill cry pierced through the entire room.
Qi Yu crumpled in agony, clutching her injured knee as she writhed on the cold, hard floor, her anguished wails filling the air.
Watching the scene unfold with detached amusement, Jiang Youli arched an eyebrow and murmured, "Well, well."
She then turned to Qi Huan, who was slowly wheeling himself closer, and remarked with a hint of teasing, "Your assistant Cheng here has quite the ruthless streak. No mercy for the fairer sex, it seems."
Qi Huan responded with a faint smile, "That depends on whether the person in question is truly worthy of mercy. If they’re nothing but worthless trash, then they should be treated as such."
Jiang Youli nodded in approval. "Fair point."
The champagne bottle remained intact.
Still usable.
Cheng Jing stared down at Qi Yu, her face twisted in pain, tears and snot streaming down her cheeks. His expression remained icy, devoid of any pity. "Hmph. You can’t even handle a single blow? Don’t forget, our young master endured nearly a hundred strikes for an ungrateful wretch like you."
With that, he raised the bottle again and brought it crashing down onto her other knee.
"Ah—!"
Another scream tore from Qi Yu’s throat, her once-delicate features now contorted beyond recognition.
Tears, mucus, and saliva mixed together in a pitiful mess as she mustered the last of her strength to beg, "P-please… spare me… I was wrong… Young Master Qi Huan…"
Her pleas fell on deaf ears.
Jiang Youli cast a sidelong glance at the handsome man beside her.
His face was still a mask of indifference, as if none of this concerned him in the slightest.
Only then did Jiang Youli allow a cruel smile to curl her lips. "That’s more like it. Betrayal from those closest to you deserves the harshest punishment—far worse than what you’d give an ordinary enemy. After all, it’s the knives in the back that catch you off guard."
Qi Huan’s gaze lingered on Qi Yu, a trace of sorrow flickering in his eyes. "True. I’ve navigated the business world with caution for years, never making a single misstep. Yet I nearly fell victim to the schemes of my own brother and the sister I raised as my own."
Their betrayal had been a dagger straight to his heart, striking when he least expected it.
Though Qi Yu wasn’t his blood sister, he had treated her with no less care and affection than his own brother, Qi Yue. For the three years she had lived in the Qi household, no one had dared slight her because of her status as an adopted daughter.
Yet these very people—the ones he had protected and cherished with everything he had—had sought to destroy him.
Sensing his lingering turmoil, Jiang Youli stood and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Enough. Leave Qi Yu to Cheng Jing. Let me tend to your legs."
Qi Huan withdrew his gaze. "Alright."
It didn’t matter anymore.
Now, he had Youli.
Even if the whole world turned against him, as long as she stood by his side, nothing else held any weight.
Qi Yu, curled up on the floor, watched helplessly as Qi Huan turned away. "...Qi Huan… Big Brother… don’t go… spare me…"
But all that remained was the sound of his wheelchair rolling away and the cold, unyielding line of his back.
---
After wheeling Qi Huan into the master bedroom, Jiang Youli closed the door and stepped in front of him. She studied his handsome face for a moment before speaking softly.
"I know you always wear a smile—whether you’re angry or hurting. But I also know you feel lost sometimes."
"It’s alright. I’ve been there too. Everyone has moments of weakness, but we get through them."
"When you start living for yourself, you’ll find life can be truly fulfilling."
"From now on, put yourself first."
"Family, friends, love… let them all take a backseat. Your own happiness matters most!"
Qi Huan listened intently until she reached that last line. He couldn’t help but interrupt.
"At the very least, I’d want to put you before me."
Jiang Youli blinked in surprise.
Qi Huan continued, "Or perhaps I should say… in the future, I might not be able to help but put you first."
For a long moment, Jiang Youli simply stared at him. Then she burst into laughter. "Qi Huan, you really know how to charm a girl, don’t you?"
She straightened up, shaking her head. "Alright, I admit it. You got me again."
From what Qi Huan knew of Jiang Youli’s brief relationship with Duan Jinghan, she had never been the proactive type.
Her past had taught her to always guard herself.
Waiting for her to openly express love or care for someone was nearly impossible.
But Qi Huan was more than willing to take the initiative—again and again.
"Since I’m so good at it, don’t you think you should…?" Qi Huan trailed off, his eyes glinting with playful suggestion.
Jiang Youli paused, the needle case in her hand momentarily forgotten. "Oh, right. Almost slipped my mind."
Leaning down, she pressed a light kiss to his cheek.
"Was that what you meant?" she asked, pulling back with a smirk.
Qi Huan froze. His breath hitched, and his pupils dilated, the only movement the faint shimmer in his gaze.
It took him a few seconds to recover. When he finally looked up at her, his eyes were alight with adoration.
"What’s wrong? Did I kiss you stupid?" Jiang Youli teased.
Qi Huan’s lips curved into a soft smile. "Maybe. If you kiss me again, I might not just turn stupid—I’d lose my mind entirely."
