Chapter 20 I Will Go With You

She bit her lip. "I understand. I will return immediately after seeing my mother."

It was as she expected: Wei Xifeng would never let her go. He used her mother as a shackle without a shred of mercy to keep her tied to him. Seeing him resort to threats the moment he turned his head, Jiang Liwu felt a sudden headache. However, she also understood that if she wanted to steer Wei Xifeng back to the right path, it would require persistent guidance and correction; it was not a task that could be accomplished in a day or two.

...

"Uncle Wang, do you know why Xiaofeng becomes like a wild beast when he has an episode?"

"This... I truly do not know." Uncle Wang shook his head. "But as far as I am aware, the Master has been like this whenever he suffered from these episodes since he was a child."

Since he was a child again. It was clear that the root cause was inseparable from his parents. Jiang Liwu furrowed her brows. "Has Xiaofeng always been treated at home? He has never been to a hospital?"

"No. He has always been treated by a family physician. It was only after the family doctor found himself completely helpless and unable to manage the Master's condition that we began seeking 'soothers.'" These soothers did not have to be psychologists; they came from all walks of life—nursery teachers, dancers, zither players, singers, animal keepers, and so on. As long as someone possessed the capability and a high degree of natural affinity, the Wei family would seek them out. Qiao Yiran was an exception; she lacked any of the typical traits of a soother, yet she was the one the Master brought back himself. What was most surprising was that she actually had a suppressive effect on his condition. However, to this day, Uncle Wang still did not understand what it was about Qiao Yiran that had attracted the Master, allowing him to retain a shred of rationality during his episodes.

"The Master has hated hospitals since he was young. If we tried to force him to go, he would suffer an episode. While it wasn't the frantic, manic type where he loses all reason, sometimes his silence is far more severe and terrifying than an outburst."

Jiang Liwu’s eyes were heavy with thought. She knew why Wei Xifeng disliked and resisted hospitals. When he was a child, he suffered a high fever that would not break and needed to be hospitalized, but during his stay, neither his father nor his mother came to visit him once. A child is at their most vulnerable when ill, yet little Wei Xifeng did not receive even a single look of concern from his parents. He lay on his hospital bed in loneliness, enduring every day of sickness by himself, smelling nothing but the scent of disinfectant, seeing nothing but a cold, silent space.

...

"Miss Jiang, are you thinking of taking the Master to the hospital?"

"Yes." Jiang Liwu said, heading off to find Wei Xifeng.

"Wait." Uncle Wang tried to call her back. Although Wei Xifeng’s attitude toward Jiang Liwu was special—almost like she was family—Uncle Wang did not believe that Wei Xifeng would listen to her on this matter.

...

As the head of the Wei family, Wei Xifeng managed a vast empire, so he was rarely idle. When Jiang Liwu found him, he was busy with work. He wore rimless glasses perched on his high-bridged nose, which lent his entire demeanor a much more steady and mature air.

Jiang Liwu walked in carrying a fruit platter. She was noticed the moment she entered, and Wei Xifeng stood up immediately upon seeing her. Jiang Liwu smiled and asked gently, "Are you busy?"

Wei Xifeng shook his head at once. "Not busy." In reality, he was extremely busy; many matters required his personal attention, but he chose to work from home specifically to spend more time with her.

"I just washed these, have one." Jiang Liwu picked up a cherry and offered it to him. Wei Xifeng opened his mouth to accept the offering and began to chew. "It’s sweet."

Jiang Liwu added, "Try a grape."

Wei Xifeng didn't hesitate to open his mouth again. "Mm, sweet," he remarked.

Jiang Liwu was a bit skeptical. She tried one herself, her face wrinkling slightly from the tartness. "This variety is actually sour." Though tart, it was delicious, cutting through the cloying sweetness and stimulating the appetite.

Wei Xifeng said earnestly, "It is sweet." A happy smile shone in his eyes, and for a moment, he radiated a gentle aura.

"I want to take you to the hospital. I have already made an appointment with a doctor."

The sudden shift from eating to visiting a hospital caught Wei Xifeng off guard. He froze. Jiang Liwu set the fruit platter on the table and looked directly into his eyes. "I will go with you."

Her tranquil gaze carried a soothing quality, and her voice held a warmth that provided strength. Wei Xifeng’s heart trembled; after a long moment, he gave a soft, "Mm."

"Prepare the car."

"Very well, I will arrange it immediately." Uncle Wang, who had been lurking at the door when Jiang Liwu went in, was stunned. He hadn't expected her to actually succeed! He looked at Jiang Liwu with newfound reverence. It was at this moment that he fully understood what a vital position this mysterious Miss Jiang held in the Master’s heart.

When they reached the car, Uncle Wang opened the door for Jiang Liwu with eager, genuine, and respectful attentiveness. "After you, Miss Jiang."

...

Looking at the hospital before him, Wei Xifeng still felt a wave of dizziness. He shook his head, trying hard to pull himself together, and followed closely behind Jiang Liwu step by step. The hospital was crowded, so the bodyguards found it difficult to follow and remained by the car.

As his leather shoes clicked against the cold tile floor, the scent of antiseptic flooded his nose. Wei Xifeng’s expression turned ugly, his lips drained of color, and he quickly turned deathly pale. A ringing sound began to fill his ears, and the world before him blurred into overlapping shadows. He did not react when people rushed past him or bumped into him; his gaze was fixed solely on Jiang Liwu.

However, after only a few breaths, more and more people surged past him. Their figures layered over one another, obstructing his vision and isolating him from Jiang Liwu. Watching her disappear from his sight, Wei Xifeng’s breathing grew ragged. He reached out, trying to push through the crowd, and opened his mouth to call her name, but his throat felt blocked, making it difficult to breathe.

He yanked at his tie and collar, his steps stumbling. A mother and child walked past him, and uncontrollably, Wei Xifeng looked over. The child must have been sick; the mother held his hand, her eyes full of tension and heartache. She had bought the child his favorite milk and was whispering gently, asking if he was afraid of the injection, comforting him, and encouraging him by saying that a brave boy would get a snack as a reward afterward.

How could a child resist such sweet tactics? He fell for it immediately, puffing out his small chest and loudly declaring that he wasn't afraid at all. The mother laughed, full of love and affection, and kissed the child on the cheek.

Wei Xifeng’s gaze was too intense. The mother looked over. The moment she met his eyes, her expression shifted into something crazed, hateful, and repulsed. Wei Xifeng’s heart jolted. When he looked at the mother’s face again, it had transformed into that of his own mother. She shrieked at him hysterically, "You are not my child! Get away! You are a monster, and I hate you!"