Zhou Yining curled her body up like that, continually retreating backward, only wanting to hide her current appearance.

“You get out… get out…”

Just hearing her voice made his heart ache to the point of numbness. Ji Dongyang looked up at her; he had never felt such heartache in his entire life.

“I’m not leaving.” Ji Dongyang said in a low voice, walking towards her. Stepping on the floor covered in shards and spilled wine, he walked up to her and squatted down.

As soon as his hand touched her, she pushed him away violently. Her whole body shrank back. Knocked by the shards on the floor, she almost fell backward. Her hand instinctively braced on the floor, pressing into the shards. Ji Dongyang quickly grabbed her. Her arm was ice-cold; his hand was very warm. Zhou Yining shivered, covered her face with her hand again, lowered her eyes, and begged him in a small voice, “You get out…”

She must look terrible right now.

No matter what, she didn’t want him to see her like this.

Ji Dongyang said nothing. He removed the hand covering her face, glanced at the blood on her fingers, frowned deeply, and then picked her up horizontally, walking towards the sofa.

She was trembling all over, her head kept low, her body cold and thin. Ji Dongyang lowered his head, his lips gently brushing against her hair—intimate, gentle.

He put her down and was about to get the medicine kit.

His clothes were tugged. Ji Dongyang looked back, pressed his lips tight, bent down, and hugged her firmly. He picked her up again, carried her back to the bedroom, and didn’t let go even when getting the medicine kit.

“I’ll change my clothes, okay? Otherwise, you’ll be cold pressing against me.”

She hesitated, then nodded. Ji Dongyang placed her on the bed.

He took off his damp clothes, changed into a dry sweater, and found a jacket to drape over her.

Zhou Yining looked up, staring at the silent man. His handsome face was warm and good-looking.

Her body gradually warmed up, and her chaotic heart slowly calmed down.

Ji Dongyang carried her back to the sofa, sat her on his lap, and began treating the wounds on her hands and ankles.

“Does it hurt?” he asked softly in her ear.

She shook her head.

Silly girl, how could it not hurt? Saying it hurt would make him feel better. Zhou Yining never let anyone see her truly fragile side. Sometimes she would tease him with words, but when it really hurt, she would hide like a cat and lick her wounds clean by herself.

She had the hardest shell and the softest body and heart.

Ji Dongyang felt a bitterness in his throat. He regretted it. He should have asked clearly earlier. If they had clarified things earlier, perhaps she wouldn’t be like this today.

Ji Dongyang treated the various cuts on her hands and ankles, then held her tight. Her body trembled. She lifted her face to look at him, her eyes soft and moist, speaking somewhat incoherently, “I… I was sick before… I received treatment in the UK for a few years. When I came back, Mike said I was better. Mike is the psychiatrist my mom found for me… I don’t know what happened today either. I saw those exposures online; everyone knows I had mental illness…”

She gripped his clothes tightly, speaking more quickly and urgently. “I thought I was better, too. I felt I could control myself, but… today everyone knows I was sick before. You saw it too, right? You…”

Ji Dongyang looked at her steadily, patiently waiting for her to finish her response.

After a long while, she lowered her head and finally asked that sentence. “Do you… mind?”

Do you mind someone as terrible as me?

Ji Dongyang lifted her chin, lowered his head, and kissed her lips—gentle, lingering, sucking on her lips forcefully. Zhou Yining trembled under his kiss. For the first time, she didn’t know how to react. Only when he was about to pull away did she find herself extending the tip of her tongue to touch his.

Soon, Ji Dongyang tightened his arm around her waist and deepened the kiss.

Only when she was pressed beneath him did Zhou Yining confirm that Ji Dongyang’s body was truly pressing close to hers. She hooked her arms around his neck, looking at him unblinkingly, her gaze softer and more real than ever before. “Why?”

Ji Dongyang chuckled lightly. “Didn’t you ask me for the answer?”

Zhou Yining was confused. Ji Dongyang had already lowered his head to kiss her.

Even if she really was sick, it didn’t matter. That would only make him ache for her more. Good or bad, she was his.

Right now, he just wanted to comfort her in the way she liked.

In an instant, the whole world seemed to contain only the two of them.

Her skin was snow-white, exposed under the light, as if coated in a layer of soft white light, somewhat dazzling. Ji Dongyang held her waist; her skin was soft and creamy like congealed fat, igniting his body instantly.

Ji Dongyang lowered his head, kissing her neck. Zhou Yining trembled beneath him, eyes half-closed, fingers threading into his hair, tilting her head back drunkenly. “Mm…”

Ji Dongyang looked down at her, pinned her hands, fingers interlaced, pressing them to the side, and kissed down to her chest.

Her body was as sensitive as ever. Her legs hooked around his waist. “Don’t wait… I want it now.”

Zhou Yining didn’t know why she was so addicted to the feeling Ji Dongyang gave her. Addicted, just addicted. That was why she was so afraid of him leaving.

When he entered her body, she cried out, scratching his back, her body rubbing and twisting with his movements, soft, bone-eroding moans ringing in his ear.

Ji Dongyang held her chin and kissed her lips fiercely.

The phone rang continuously; no one paid attention to it.

Finally, it went quiet.

Only the sound of their panting remained; desire surged without rest.

Not only was she addicted, but Ji Dongyang was the same.

Her flushed face, her soft, moist eyes calling his name—it almost stole his soul.

Zhou Yining touched his face. His face was as serious as ever, sweat from his forehead dripping onto her face. Gripping her waist, he thrusted powerfully below, low growls of restraint originating from his chest. His pitch-black eyes were deep as the ocean, locking tightly onto her gaze.

Suddenly, she understood what answer Ji Dongyang was referring to.

She had asked him.

“Ji Dongyang, do you love me?”

“Mm.”

Familiar sensations piled up in her body. Zhou Yining turned her head to look out the window, fragmented moans escaping her lips, her body spasming and trembling.

Outside the window, the rain didn’t stop. Her heart was like it was soaked in rain, softening into water.

After so many years, she finally met someone who wouldn’t give up on her no matter what happened.

…

Ji Dongyang carried the sleeping Zhou Yining back to bed, found his phone, walked to the balcony, and called A Ming. As soon as the call connected, A Ming shouted anxiously, “Dong-ge! Do you know that Miss Zhou’s residential complex gate is full of paparazzi and reporters right now! The security guards can’t even drive them away. You absolutely must not come out now! And… I don’t know if you were photographed when you went in.”

Ji Dongyang recalled for a moment. “Probably not. I drove the second-hand car Lu Xiao sent over.”

He paused, then added, “Even if I was photographed, it doesn’t matter.”

A Ming was stunned. “But…”

Ji Dongyang: “I’ll call Brother Yang.”

Ji Dongyang called Yang Xun. Yang Xun was still working overtime at the company and said grumpily, “I knew you would go find Zhou Yining. I’m writing a press release. Those news articles about Zhou Yining have all been taken down. Now I’m starting to worry about you. Tomorrow’s headline won’t be Zhou Yining’s illness, but the exposure of your romance with Zhou Yining—Ji Dongyang staying overnight at Zhou Yining’s house!”

Ji Dongyang looked toward the bedroom and said calmly, “If that’s the case, let’s take the opportunity to go public.”

Yang Xun froze. “You want to go public?”

Ji Dongyang didn’t speak, defaulting to yes.

Yang Xun thought for a moment. “Not now. If we go public at this time, it’s equivalent to focusing all the news attention on you alone. Do you believe the opponents won’t immediately expose the news about your parents? You know very well how the news articles will be written then.”

Gambling, drug-addict parents, mentally ill girlfriend.

Ji Dongyang said lightly, “Then let the media target me. Leave her alone.”

Only then did Yang Xun understand why Ji Dongyang suddenly wanted to go public. He frowned. “No, I disagree. And do you know who leaked the info this time? All the news was suppressed by the Zhou and Qin families; it’s not that simple. What would the media and netizens say if you go public now? Say you’re doing it to leech off the heat? Or say you’re doing it to prove you won’t abandon your sick girlfriend? Playing the emotional card first to establish a good boyfriend image?”

Yang Xun hadn’t expected Ji Dongyang to have such an irrational idea. What magic does Zhou Yining have to make him fall so deeply?

“Wait a bit. I’ll go ask Wan Wei to figure out the situation first.”

“Mm.”

Yang Xun went to find Wan Wei. Wan Wei was still in the PR department, frowning as she spoke calmly. She seemed not to have encountered such a serious crisis PR situation for a long time. In previous years, she looked panicked when things happened, asking him what to do. Back then, Wan Wei was pretentious and affected. Time really could change a person.

He walked up to her. “How is it?”

Wan Wei didn’t even look at him. “It’s fine, no need for your concern. You should worry about Ji Dongyang. Downstairs is full of reporters; how he gets away is a problem.”

Yang Xun pulled her aside. “Who leaked this?”

Wan Wei glanced at him. “Qin Sen said it was the Zhou family’s second daughter, Zhou Yining’s half-sister.”

Yang Xun: “Sisterly grudge, huh.”

“The Zhou and Qin families will cooperate with us. When the press release is written, we’ll show it to them first before releasing it.”

“Got it.”

“By the way, Zhou Yining’s father and the elders of the Qin family already know about Ji Dongyang and Zhou Yining’s relationship. When Ji Dongyang’s news breaks, you’ll have a mess to clean up.”

“…”

Wan Wei laughed and walked away in her high heels.

Yang Xun called Ji Dongyang back. “The Zhou and Qin families are handling this. Let’s not make any rash moves for now.”

Ji Dongyang had calmed down somewhat by now. “Mm.”

Hanging up the phone, he returned to the bedroom.

As soon as he lay down, her soft body automatically wrapped around him.

…

The entire crew of The Heart Knot had seen last night’s exposures. They were so shocked, they didn’t sleep well all night; everyone arriving at the set with panda eyes.

“I didn’t expect it to be like this. Could it be that Zhou Yining’s acting is so good because she’s playing herself?”

“I’m really shocked. I feel Miss Zhou is quite nice. Killing someone… should be fake, right?”

“I don’t know if it will affect the crew. The director hasn’t come yet. Are we filming today or not? Could it be a publicity stunt by the crew?”

“Impossible. How could the crew use the female lead killing someone for a publicity stunt…”

…

After a while, Wei Zhong arrived. He glanced at everyone. “We’ll film other scenes first today. Also, everyone saw the news last night, right? Just look at it and let it pass; don’t discuss it too much.”

Wei Zhong’s tone was serious. No one dared to say more and immediately went to work.

Ji Dongyang had called him in the morning. Wei Zhong didn’t ask much, just said filming was postponed for a day.

When Ji Dongyang woke up, it was almost noon. Zhou Yining was still sleeping.

He walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. The ingredients inside were pitifully scarce, mostly fruits and vegetables—she loved eating fruit. He found a handful of noodles and two eggs. The kitchenware was very new, looking unused.

By the time he finished cooking the noodles and frying the eggs, he was about to go back and wake her up to eat. Turning around, he saw Zhou Yining standing barefoot behind him.

Looking like she had run out in a hurry to find him.

Ji Dongyang said to her, “Go put on shoes and wash your face, then come eat.”

Zhou Yining nodded, her expression calm, and turned back to put on her shoes and wash up.

A while later, the two sat face-to-face, eating noodles. Zhou Yining took a bite of the fried egg; it was fried deliciously.

She looked up and smiled at him. “Next time I won’t order takeout. I’ll just eat the noodles you cook.”

Ji Dongyang also curled the corner of his mouth. “Mm.”

She said, “Your noodles are much better than your dumplings.”

“Is that so?”

“Mm. I actually don’t like dumplings that much, especially frozen ones.”

“Okay, we won’t eat those in the future.”

Zhou Yining smiled again. “Do we not need to go to the set today?”

Ji Dongyang: “Mm. Director Wei gave us a day off.”

Besides, they couldn’t go out now; outside was full of paparazzi and reporters camping out.

Ji Dongyang glanced at her. “Last night and this morning, I answered a few calls for you.”

Zhou Yining was stunned. “Oh, thank you.”

“Who called?”

“Your dad, Shen Yanjun, Alice, Wan Wei, Qin Sen, etc.”

“…Oh.”

Around 3 PM, Qin Yuan arrived at the airport. As soon as she got off the plane, she heard people discussing Zhou Yining. She stood there listening, her face changing. She grabbed one of the girls. “What did you just say?”

The girl was startled, glanced at her, and said, “Zhou Yining was exposed last night as having a mental illness and having killed someone.”

Qin Yuan had a cold temperament. Stared at by her, the girl panicked a little. “If you don’t believe me, you can check online. But most of it has been taken down; there’s still some on Tieba and forums.”

After speaking, the girl ran away.

Dragging her suitcase, Qin Yuan got into a car and immediately turned on her phone to search.

A few minutes later, she put down her phone with a cold expression and said to the driver, “Sir, go to the Dongjiang Villa District.”

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