He Came Back Covered in Blood — But Said He Just Fell

But Ning Shixue’s steamed crabs weren’t bad; at least they were cooked in a normal way.

This meal had been too much work.
After they finished eating, all the guests breathed a long sigh of relief.

The director didn’t arrange too many tasks for the afternoon.
It wasn’t too cold in the afternoon, so the guests took the kids into the yard to build snowmen.

Xie Yaoyao strongly insisted on building a Big Daddy.

“Big Daddy, not here,”
Xie Yaoyao said sadly.
“Can’t eat little crabs, too pitiful.”

Ning Shixue: “…”

Didn’t seem pitiful at all.

Ning Shixue now felt that feeling sorry for the antagonist would bring bad luck.
But he had no objections.
They built the body.
Then Ning Shixue went back to get one of his ties and put it on the snowman.

They built until evening.
Dinner was made by Tang He’an alone.

When Tang He’an was young, his family wasn’t well-off.
He was the oldest, with several younger siblings.
His parents worked far away.
He took care of everything at home.
He was very good at cooking.

But he also didn’t get much schooling.
He dropped out before finishing high school to go to work.
At the time, his home was near a film studio, and he was pretty good at fighting, so he became a stunt double.

He had been mocked a lot back then for his lack of education.

That night, the sky over the northern city was incredibly beautiful.
The lights of the ski resort on the distant snowy mountain were on again, winding like a river of stars.
The buildings on the street were also decorated with colorful lights.

Ning Shixue, wrapped in a blanket, slumped on the sofa playing games.
Xie Yaoyao and Tang Haohao were on the carpet playing whack-a-mole.
He looked up and saw Ji Xiao with his little hands behind his back, hesitantly circling around him, occasionally glancing at him timidly.

Ning Shixue, lying on the sofa, crooked his finger at him.

Ji Xiao lowered his head and walked over.
He raised his little hand, opened his palm, and held it out to Ning Shixue, whispering,
“Little Ning Gege, this is for you.”

It was a little pig made of snow.

He had no talent for drawing, but when it came to making snowmen, he was incredibly skilled.
The little snow pig looked white and soft, extremely cute.

Although Ning Shixue thought it would be even better if it wasn’t a pig.

He wanted to give it to Ning Shixue, but didn’t dare, and was also too shy.
The little snow pig had been clutched in his hand for a few minutes and was already starting to melt a little.
His little hands were also red from the cold.

Ning Shixue was stunned for a moment, his expression complicated.
Then he took it, his eyelashes curving.
“Thank you, Xiaoxiao.”

Ji Xiao pressed his lips together, his eyes sparkling.

Ning Shixue shared half his blanket with him to warm his hands.

That evening, Tang He’an made dumplings.
Jade cabbage filling, and several kinds of fish dumplings using local specialties.
He also prepared a copper hot pot.
For a moment, the villa was filled with the warm, fragrant smell of food.

After dinner, Xie Yaoyao and the others wanted to go see the snowmen they’d built that afternoon.

Under the lights, the snowmen looked crystal-clear and beautiful.

Xie Yaoyao and Ji Xiao ran holding hands.
Ji Xiao suddenly tripped and fell.
Xie Yaoyao almost fell too.
But maybe because he was wearing so much, bundled up into a soft little ball, his center of gravity was very stable.
He stumbled but didn’t fall.

“Need walk carefully,”
Xie Yaoyao sighed, speaking earnestly.
“Falling hurts a lot.”

He didn’t forget to tell Ning Shixue,
“Baby, also need be careful.”

The temperature in the northern city was very low.
It was already very cold during the day.
Now that night had fallen, it was even colder.

Even the night sky seemed exceptionally clear and cold.

Tang Haohao was the healthiest of the kids, and even he was shivering a little.
The guests took the kids inside.

“Director Meng, I’ll take Xiaoxiao to change his pants,”
Ji Qing said apologetically to the director.

Ji Xiao was covered in snow, his pants wet.
If they kept filming, he might catch a cold.

The director quickly nodded.
“Go ahead. Don’t let the child get cold.”

Their featured homestay was the farthest from the villa, a fifteen-minute walk away.
The snow was also very thick.

At this hour, driving wasn’t even faster than walking.

He Lin helped find a blanket and wrapped it around Ji Xiao.
Then Ji Qing carried him back.

It was just to change pants, so the director didn’t send a cameraman to follow.

Ning Shixue was on the nearby sofa playing games.
His long, thick eyelashes drooped, his fingertips colliding with the constantly falling red and white blocks, almost dizzying to watch.
After two or three minutes, he couldn’t help cursing under his breath and stood up.

“Baby?”
Xie Yaoyao blinked.

Ning Shixue told him,
“I’m going out for a bit. I’ll be right back.”

On this variety show, except when the task required it, Xie Yaoyao was rarely separated from him.
Now they were in a strange ‘Arctic,’ and maybe polar bears would come out at night.
Xie Yaoyao was a little scared.
What if the baby got eaten?

Or what if a polar bear ran into their villa and ate him?

He hugged Ning Shixue’s leg, not wanting him to leave.
His milky voice took on a tearful tone.
“Baby, scawed.”

Going out the door felt like a final parting.

Ning Shixue had to promise he’d be back in half an hour.
Only then did Xie Yaoyao let go.

Ning Shixue also didn’t let a cameraman follow.
He pulled up his jacket, hiding half his face under the down jacket.
Only when his blood felt warm did he lower his head and walk out.

Ji Qing’s featured homestay wasn’t far, but it was indeed a bit of a walk.
The roads were slippery with snow, and the houses on either side were old and had no lights, looking eerie.

He hugged Ji Xiao tightly, walking quickly.

Ji Xiao was wearing a lot of clothes.
Northern City was cold to begin with.
Ji Qing was annoyed.
“If you hadn’t run around, would your pants have gotten wet?”

Ji Xiao was naturally thin and weak since birth, and got sick every winter.

Before they came, Ji Qing had given him a storybook, telling him to stay quietly in the house and read.
But Ji Xiao hadn’t listened.
With the cameras on, Ji Qing couldn’t say much.

“…Sorry, uncle,”
Ji Xiao whispered an apology, his little hands resting on his uncle’s shoulder.

But Ji Qing didn’t have time to scold him further.
For some reason, he felt very uncomfortable.
It was like someone was watching him.

The alley was pitch black at night.
He couldn’t help speeding up, cold sweat on his back.

He now regretted not asking a staff member to come with him.
But he had wanted to scold Ji Xiao a bit, so he didn’t have anyone follow.
His heartbeat quickened.

Until Ji Xiao suddenly called out softly, his voice timid.
“Uncle.”

Ji Xiao’s call made him shiver all over.
He finally calmed down and realized it wasn’t an illusion.
Someone was following him.
There were other footsteps in this alley!

Ji Qing’s legs went weak.
People have an instinct to avoid danger.
He didn’t dare turn around.
Hugging Ji Xiao, he ran.

But before he could get far, someone grabbed his shoulder from behind.
The man grabbed his collar and forced him to turn around.
The stench of smoke and alcohol hit his face.

Ji Qing shuddered all over.
He couldn’t tell if it was anger or fear.

The man before him was in his forties, about the same height as Ji Qing.
He wore a navy blue padded jacket.
He grinned sinisterly at Ji Qing, squinting as he asked,
“You can really hide, huh? Where do you think you’re taking my son?!”

… Chen Yong.

Ji Qing would never forget that face in his life.

This was the man.
When his sister, Ji Wan, was pregnant, he still asked her for money to gamble.
It made Ji Wan seriously ill.
She died on the operating table after giving birth.

And he had ruined Ji Qing’s life.

Cold sweat ran down Ji Qing’s forehead.
Chen Yong had been in prison for gambling before.
Ji Qing hadn’t even heard that he’d been released.
When did he get out?

How did he find this place?

“I’m not wasting words with you,”
Chen Yong stepped forward and shoved him hard on the shoulder.
He tried to snatch Ji Xiao from his arms.
“Give me the kid!”

As soon as he got out of prison, he went looking for Ji Qing.
But he didn’t expect Ji Qing to be a star now.
And Ji Qing lived in one of Xie Hanzhou’s apartments, a high-end community with tight security.
He had lurked around for over a month and couldn’t get in.

He originally wanted to find out which kindergarten Ji Xiao attended.
In the end, he couldn’t find that out either.

But he did find out the address where Ji Qing was filming the variety show.

He had arrived in the northern city two or three days early.
Tonight, he finally got his chance.

Ji Qing was shoved so hard he almost fell.
But he held onto Ji Xiao tightly, refusing to let go.

Ji Qing’s feelings for Ji Xiao were very complex.
He resented this child who had become his burden.
But Ji Xiao was also his only family in this world.
He didn’t want to be good to Ji Xiao, yet he also wanted Ji Xiao to stay with him forever.

Besides, Chen Yong was just a thug.
He didn’t really want to raise Ji Xiao anyway.
He just wanted to use Ji Xiao to threaten Ji Qing.

If Ji Xiao fell into Chen Yong’s hands, should he care or not?

If he didn’t care, Chen Yong would abuse Ji Xiao and then frame him.
Or Chen Yong would go to the paparazzi.
Everyone would know Ji Xiao’s father was a gambler who had also done drugs.
What would happen to his reputation then?

But if he did care, he’d become the next Ji Wan.
Chen Yong would cling to him and suck him dry for the rest of his life.

Chen Yong hadn’t expected Ji Qing to be so ungrateful.
Anyway, it wasn’t the first time he’d used his fists.
He raised his hand and slapped Ji Qing.
Taking advantage of Ji Qing’s daze from the pain, he snatched Ji Xiao away.

“Uncle!”
Ji Xiao was so scared he started crying.
The man’s stench of alcohol also terrified him.

Ji Qing rushed over to get him back.
Ji Xiao was shoved between the two of them, his whole body hurting, crying until he couldn’t breathe.

“Get the f*ck out of here…”
Chen Yong’s face was full of impatience.
He raised his fist again, high in the air.

Ji Qing’s face was bloodless.
He instinctively closed his eyes.

But the fist never landed.
Instead, Ji Xiao was suddenly thrust back into his arms.
Trembling, he opened his eyes.
Chen Yong was on the ground, his right eye swollen and bruised.

“Ji Qing, you f*cking hit me?!”
The man couldn’t see clearly and stood up cursing.

He thought Ji Qing had punched him.

But before he could finish cursing, a hand grabbed him tightly by the hair.
The force was immense, tearing at his scalp painfully.
The person, cold and ruthless, slammed him against the wall.

A cold voice followed.
“Ji Xiao, cover your eyes.”

Ji Xiao was trembling all over from crying.
But looking up through tear-blurred eyes at the figure in the white down jacket, he still obediently raised his hands to cover his eyes.

Ning Shixue’s shadow was swallowed by the darkness.
His complexion was extremely pale.
Those beautiful peach blossom eyes were exceptionally cold, with an uncontrollable fierceness.
He grabbed the man’s head and slammed it against the wall, again and again.

The man couldn’t curse anymore.
Blood gushed from his nose.
Blood from his head mixed with tears and slid down.

But his limbs were still struggling, trying to fight back.
He finally found a chance and, swaying, swung his fist towards the side.

Ning Shixue sidestepped to dodge.
He raised his leg and kicked the man to the ground from behind.
His knuckles were cold and slender, but carried fierce strength.
He pinned the man’s shoulder down, bent his arms behind his back, and in one clean, swift motion, twisted and dislocated them.
The bones came apart with a sound.

The man was sweating from the pain, almost screaming.
Ning Shixue pressed his knee down on the back of the man’s neck.

One more inch down, and he could break his neck.

The man’s face was pushed into the snow.
He unexpectedly ate a few mouthfuls of snow.
His airway was choked off.
The scream was trapped in his throat, only a hoarse grunt escaping.

Ji Qing was completely stunned.
His legs were frozen stiff as he was shocked by the scene before him.

Blood had already soaked into the snow.
The man lay on the ground like he was dead, his face covered in blood and dirt, mixed with tears and snot from sheer terror.
It was a gruesome sight.

Ji Qing’s lips were pale.
He trembled all over as he looked at the man, now like a lump of rotten meat on the ground.
The smell of blood filled his nostrils.
His stomach churned, and he turned his head and vomited.

That was a normal person’s reaction.

Ning Shixue’s skin was pale and cold.
He leaned weakly against the wall nearby, gasping for air.

He looked like he might melt into the snowy night.

In the past, he wouldn’t have needed to dislocate Chen Yong’s arms.
But now he only had explosive power left.
If Chen Yong recovered and fought back, the consequences would be unimaginable.

His hands were covered in blood.
Even the hem of his down jacket was stained with a patch of blood.
The down jacket was white, so the blood was especially glaring.
He frowned when he looked down.

“Bring me a jacket,”
Ning Shixue said hoarsely, his breathing still uneven.

He didn’t know if Ji Qing heard.
Ji Qing’s legs were trembling.
He scrambled away, carrying Ji Xiao, and ran.

Ning Shixue’s vision went dark for a moment.
He waited a while before he could open his eyes again.

He nudged the man on the ground with his foot.
From his pocket, he found an unopened pack of cigarettes.
He took one out and put it between his lips.
The tip of the cigarette glowed with a spark of light.

The original novel mentioned this as a key turning point for the main couple’s relationship.

Before the first stop of the parenting show ended, the original host was forced to leave the show and then quit the industry because of child abuse.
But Ji Qing actually only filmed until today, too.
In the original story, when he was fighting with the man over Ji Xiao, he slipped, and Ji Xiao fell to the ground.
He hit his head and was bleeding, unconscious immediately.

Ji Qing rushed him to the hospital.
Unexpectedly, it was a skull fracture.
If he had fallen just a little worse, or if there were complications, it might have affected his intelligence later.

He was busy all night.
Then Xie Hanzhou suddenly called, saying he wanted to come over that night.
Ji Qing could only tell him the child was sick.
Xie Hanzhou knew Ji Xiao wasn’t healthy, but thought it was just a headache or fever.
Impatiently, he told Ji Qing to get a nanny to look after him.

Ji Qing lost control of his emotions for a moment and talked back to Xie Hanzhou a few times.
Only then did Xie Hanzhou realize that Ji Qing was also a living person, not something he could always push around.

He went to the hospital to find Ji Qing.
Ji Qing was exhausted and had fallen asleep beside Ji Xiao’s hospital bed.

Xie Hanzhou watched the child for him that night.

Although everyone in the original novel was somewhat villainous, the main male lead still had a bit of conscience left.

Ning Shixue really didn’t want to meddle.
But knowing Ji Xiao would be seriously hurt, he couldn’t just let it happen.
That’s why he had followed.

Luckily, he wasn’t too late.

He had thought about warning Ji Qing, or having a staff member go with them.

But in the end, he felt nothing was guaranteed.

Ning Shixue smoked half a cigarette.
Ji Qing finally came back with one of his own down jackets.
His arms were still trembling as he palely handed it to Ning Shixue.

He looked down and saw the blood on Ning Shixue’s hands.
His stomach immediately churned again.

He had seen people fight before.
But none had been as ruthless as Ning Shixue… He was like a madman.

Like a monster.

“Go find another staff member,”
Ning Shixue said, holding the cigarette in his mouth as he changed into the jacket.
His voice was exceptionally cold in the snowy night.
“His arms are dislocated. If he lies here all night, he’ll freeze to death. Find someone to take him to the hospital.”

Then he looked up.
Those peach blossom eyes curved, vivid yet cold.
“You know what to say, right?”

Ji Qing stiffly nodded.

Ning Shixue met his gaze.
It was a familiar look.
The look you give a monster.

Ning Shixue didn’t say anything more.
Ji Qing wouldn’t want anyone to know Ji Xiao’s biological father had been in prison.
He wouldn’t dare say anything anyway.

He picked up his own down jacket, hiding the bloodstained hem, and walked back.

Ji Qing had taken some time to get the jacket for him.
By the time Ning Shixue got back, he had obviously exceeded the half-hour limit.
He looked down and saw a little kid stewing in anger.

Xie Yaoyao had his arms crossed over his chest, pouting.
“You lying.”

Before he could even question Ning Shixue, he noticed something was wrong.
Ning Shixue seemed to have changed clothes.

Now he was wearing a black down jacket he hadn’t seen before.

Huh?

Xie Yaoyao blankly scratched his chubby cheek.

His white baby had gone out and come back as a black baby.
He pattered after Ning Shixue.

“Fell down,”
Ning Shixue had to explain.

Xie Yaoyao planted his chubby hands on his waist and sighed worriedly.
“Told you, walk slow, why you not listen!”

He wanted to say more.
But Ning Baby had already learned to answer first.
Ning Shixue raised an eyebrow, his voice lazy.
“Not listening will get spanked by Big Daddy?”

Could they leave his butt alone?

When Xie Zhaozhou spanked the chubby kid’s little bottom, it was barely considered family affection.
If he spanked him, it would mostly be… something else.

That didn’t sound harmonious at all.

Xie Yaoyao grumbled.
He hugged Ning Shixue’s leg, then let go.
He didn’t like the smell of this jacket the baby was wearing now.
Why was the baby wearing this?

Ning Shixue was holding his down jacket in his arms, his bloodstained hands hidden underneath.
There were no cameras in the bathroom.
He blocked Xie Yaoyao from following and went in to wash his hands.

The cold blood traces swirled down his fingertips.

Ning Shixue’s eyelashes drooped.
His face was still as pale as ice and snow.
You couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

When he came out, besides Xie Yaoyao in the bathroom, Ji Xiao was also there.
Ning Shixue realized that he hadn’t told him to let go, and Ji Xiao was still obediently covering his eyes.

He wasn’t even peeking through his fingers.

Xie Yaoyao didn’t know what Little Mantou was doing.
But he imitated him.
Except his fingers were spread apart, his big, dark eyes constantly blinking.

Ning Shixue walked over.
He bent down, amused, and lightly lifted Ji Xiao’s chin.
“Okay, you can put them down now.”

Ji Xiao finally lowered his little hands.

Ning Shixue’s actions had been very swift and clean.
He had also muffled the man’s screams.
Ji Xiao had only heard the dull thuds of fists hitting flesh.
He didn’t know what had happened and wasn’t scared.

Ning Shixue had arrived in time.
He wasn’t hurt either.

Ji Qing had followed Ning Shixue back.
As soon as he reached the villa, he found a staff member and said that when he was taking Ji Xiao to change his pants, they had come across someone lying in the snow.

It was a life-or-death matter, and it was near the program team’s location.
The staff member rushed over to check.
Then he was scared half to death.

Ning Shixue had controlled his force.
The man wouldn’t be seriously injured.
But it was painful enough.
Chen Yong definitely wouldn’t dare bother Ji Xiao again for a while.
But his face was covered in blood and snow, swollen and bruised, and he was wailing miserably.
It looked brutal.

Who could have beaten someone like this?

They called an ambulance.
Chen Yong’s dislocated arms were reset.
His forehead was also bandaged.

The nurse asked him if he wanted to call the police.
Chen Yong shuddered violently.
“No, no, no!”

Ning Shixue had moved too fast.
He hadn’t even seen Ning Shixue’s face clearly.
He only remembered those icy, indifferent eyes.

He had spent several years in prison.
Someone with eyes like that had definitely killed before.

He didn’t know where Ji Qing had found such help.

He had wanted to take Ji Xiao away, then get some money from Ji Qing.
Ji Qing was some big star now, right?
Surely he could spare a few hundred thousand.
He never expected to run into such a tough opponent.

Better to just save his own life.

Besides, on the train to the northern city, he had stolen a few thousand yuan at the station.
If he called the police now, they wouldn’t catch Ning Shixue.
He might end up back in jail himself.

The guests were all tired tonight.
The director’s team arranged a little game for them, then they all went their separate ways.

As they left, Ning Shixue could still hear the staff members talking about it, still shaken.

Ning Shixue took Xie Yaoyao back to the hotel.
He went straight to the bathroom, holding the down jacket Xie Zhaozhou had given him.
The bloodstains on it had already spread.
He didn’t know if it could be washed clean.

“I come help you!”
Xie Yaoyao chased after him again.

The little kid was practically glued to his side.

When Ning Shixue did laundry before, Xie Yaoyao always followed him.
He said he was helping, but actually he would put his little hands in the basin and just play with the bubbles, even smearing them on his feet.

Ning Shixue put the basin of water on the floor but stopped him, not letting him touch.

He went and put on an episode of Forest Bunny Police for Xie Yaoyao.
Only then did Xie Yaoyao give up on helping with the laundry and obediently lie on the bed to watch the cartoon.

Ning Shixue crouched on the floor, scrubbing the clothes.
The down jacket was pure white.
He scrubbed for over ten minutes and still felt he hadn’t gotten it completely clean.

It still seemed to have a faint smell of blood.

Ning Shixue lowered his head, resting his forehead on his knees.
His pale neck was bent.
He was so thin.
The vertebrae at the back of his neck were clearly visible.
His silhouette looked fragile.

Xie Yaoyao lay by the bedroom door and secretly peeked at him.

The baby seemed unhappy.

His soft face was full of conflict.
He wanted to go snuggle with the baby.
But he also felt he should call Big Daddy.
Had someone been bullying the baby?

But before he could decide, his smartwatch suddenly rang.

“Big Daddy!”
Xie Yaoyao exclaimed happily.

Xie Zhaozhou had attended a business banquet that night.
It was after 9:30 when he left.
The lights in the car were dim.
His face was stern, his eyes exceptionally dark.

The pure black Maybach pulled over by the roadside.

Song Li got in and asked,
“President Xie, are you going home or to the company?”

Xie Zhaozhou didn’t answer.
His brow was furrowed.
Song Li felt uneasy and couldn’t help stealing a glance at Xie Zhaozhou’s computer screen.

“…”

It was the variety show’s live stream.

Xie Zhaozhou had opened it casually.
But he happened to see Ning Shixue coming back with the down jacket in his arms.

Ning Shixue’s face was pale.
His expression was clearly not right.

Xie Zhaozhou’s fingers rested on the armrest.
He tapped it slowly a few times.
Then he spoke.
“Song Li, go ask the program team what happened.”

But the gloom in his heart seemed to instantly dissipate quite a bit.

Xie Yaoyao blinked blankly beside him.
Why did this sound so familiar?

It seemed like his lines.

Xie Zhaozhou seemed to have things to do.
He only spoke a few words with him, then hung up.

Ning Shixue scrubbed for a while longer, then hung the down jacket up to dry.
Finally, he lay back down on the bed.

Ning Shixue thought he would have nightmares.
But with the chubby, soft, warm little kid in his arms, he fell asleep directly.

The next day, when he opened his eyes, he was still a bit dazed.
He rubbed his cheeks vigorously.

Catching sight of the old-fashioned red-and-white game console on the pillow, he finally woke up completely.

He played Tetris out of habit from the instances.
Having been through too many worlds, his memory was overloaded.
Many people weren’t killed by the monsters in the instances, but by mental collapse, unable to distinguish reality from the instance dungeon.

This familiar, almost mechanical game helped him calm down quickly.

Otherwise, he might have accidentally killed Chen Yong last night.

Ning Shixue went to check his down jacket.
As expected, it wasn’t completely clean and was a bit wrinkled.

He had to take out the one he’d bought initially, the five-hundred-yuan discounted down jacket.
He sadly realized he wasn’t used to it anymore.
It suddenly felt very cold.

Just as he put it on, a program team staff member came to knock on the door.

“Teacher Xiao Ning,”
the staff member poked his head in and handed him a bag.
“Something for you.”

Ning Shixue was confused.
He hadn’t bought anything.
“Who sent it?”

The staff member shook his head, looking troubled.

He didn’t know either.
Anyway, the director had given it to him this morning to bring to Ning Shixue.

Ning Shixue took the bag.
When he opened it, his eyes widened in surprise.

Inside was a new down jacket, exactly the same as the previous one.