Chapter 17 Why Let a Bird in Hand Go to Waste

Chapter 17: Why Not Eat the Duck That’s in Your Mouth

Seeing that Shi Yu had already disappeared, Jiang Ji said to the butler, “Where are the keys to the other cars in the house?”

Wu Shu immediately went to get them.

While Wu Shu was fetching the car keys, Jiang Ji apologized to Shi Ciye: “Mr. Shi, I was careless this time, which allowed the young master to steal the car and escape. I will bring him back.”

Shi Yu floored the accelerator.

He couldn’t even feel the pain in his back anymore; he just wanted to flee this place as fast as possible.

Wan Ping was cleaning the bun shop when a sudden, inexplicable panic seized her heart. She quickly pulled out her phone to send a message to Shi Yu.

Turning around, she saw Shi Yu standing at the doorway, bloodied and utterly disheveled.

Shi Yu stared at Wan Ping and shouted, “Mom, it hurts so much. My whole body hurts so much.”

After saying that, he collapsed straight onto the ground.

Wan Ping opened her mouth soundlessly, then dropped everything in her hands and rushed toward Shi Yu.

When Shi Yu was sent to the hospital, Wan Ping was so anxious that tears kept falling. The doctor looked at Shi Yu’s back and frowned deeply. “How did he get hurt like this? Why was he brought in so late? The flesh and blood have fused with the clothes.”

Wan Ping signed with her hands, “Doctor, save my child.”

Seeing that Wan Ping couldn’t speak, the doctor was stunned for a moment, thinking that Shi Yu and Wan Ping were an unfortunate mother and son. “Don’t worry. I’ll do my best to treat him.”

Meanwhile, Jiang Ji followed the GPS tracker on his own car and caught up, only to find it parked near A University, but Shi Yu had vanished.

—

“Mom, I want to eat something spicy—” Shi Yu looked at the pork rib soup in the bowl and started acting spoiled with Wan Ping.

Wan Ping signed, “No, the doctor said you need to avoid spicy food, or you’ll get scars.”

Shi Yu said nonchalantly, “So what if I get scars? I’m a man. A few scars are a badge of honor.”

Wan Ping smacked him on the back of the head without mercy.

Shi Yu sniffled. “Mom, I’m this badly hurt, and you still hit me. I want spicy beef tenderloin for dinner tonight.”

“No.”

“Drink your soup obediently. I’m going to pay the medical bills.”

As Shi Yu was resignedly drinking the pork rib soup, he saw someone approaching.

He thought Wan Ping had come back for something she forgot, so he looked up with a piece of rib still in his mouth. “Ma...”

But he saw Jiang Ji’s face instead.

Shi Yu gave Jiang Ji a dismissive glance, chewing on the rib as he said, “What are you doing here? Checking to see if I’m dead? Don’t worry, evil lives forever.”

Jiang Ji looked at the bandages wrapped around Shi Yu’s body and the cast on his leg, then said directly, “Mr. Shi sent me to take you home.”

Shi Yu laughed bitterly. “Home? I didn’t know I had a home. Oh, you mean that place where cruel punishments are inflicted and then you’re locked up, right?

I can’t afford to go back. I’m all wrapped in bandages and stuck in a cast. If I go back, I might end up losing my other leg too.”

Jiang Ji: “Young master, even if you refuse to go back, I’ll have you transferred to the private hospital under the Shi Group. That way, Mr. Shi can rest easy.”

Shi Yu: “What do you mean? Look down on public hospitals, do you? I’ve got medical insurance here, you know.”

Seeing that Shi Yu was being completely unreasonable, Jiang Ji pulled up a chair and sat down. “Then I’ll just have to stay here and personally attend to the young master.”

Shi Yu thought of Wan Ping. He didn’t want the Shi family to know about her existence yet. If Jiang Ji stayed here, he would definitely run into her.

“Fine, fine, do whatever you want.” Shi Yu glared at Jiang Ji in annoyance.

When Jiang Ji pushed the wheelchair out of the hospital with Shi Yu, Shi Yu kept looking around, as if searching for something.

“What is the young master looking at?”

Shi Yu: “I’ve been here for three days, and I’ve been way too comfortable. I want to memorize the hospital layout so I can reminisce about it late at night. Got a problem with that?”

Jiang Ji: “No problem. Whatever the young master wishes.”

Shi Yu rolled his eyes.

Once inside the car, Shi Yu quickly sent a message to Wan Ping, saying that someone from the Shi family had come to pick him up.

Wan Ping replied immediately: “I saw them. I didn’t dare come out. I was afraid of running into the Shi family.”

Seeing this, Shi Yu’s nose tingled with sadness.

Jiang Ji turned his head and saw Shi Yu looking like he was about to cry. He hesitated for a moment before asking, “…Young master, are you feeling unwell?”

Shi Yu turned away. “Get lost. Just seeing you makes me feel terrible. I’m stifled.”

Jiang Ji replied respectfully, “Then the young master may have to be stifled for a while.”

Shi Yu: “…Damn it. I never realized Jiang Ji was this annoying before.”

—

The day after Shi Yu was admitted to the Shi family’s private hospital, Shi Ciye came with Shi Yù to annoy him.

Seeing Shi Yu pretend to be asleep as soon as he saw him, Shi Ciye maintained his stern, authoritative expression. “If you’re not dead, sit up and say something.”

Shi Yù chimed in, “Xiao Yu, don’t be mad. Dad didn’t mean it.”

As he spoke, he tried to pull at Shi Yu.

Shi Yu yanked his blanket back. “Get away from me, you saint. You’re so good to everyone, aren’t you? You’re the best. If you love playing the good guy so much, why didn’t you step in when I was being beaten?”

Hearing Shi Yu say this to him, Shi Yù’s eyes trembled with shock. Although Shi Yu often said nasty things about him in private, Shi Yù still put on a show in front of Shi Ciye. Now he didn’t even bother pretending anymore.

Shi Ciye interjected, “Shi Yu, if you want to vent, vent at me. What’s the point of taking it out on Shi Yù?”

Shi Yu said sarcastically, “How would I dare be angry with you, Dad? That whip of yours put me in the ER for two days.”

Shi Ciye knew he had gone too far this time. “It’s because you went too far this time. This punishment is meant to teach you to be careful with your words and actions in the future. Stop causing trouble. Once you’re discharged, the villa on Lake Island is yours.”

Shi Yu’s face lit up with joy. “Really?” Then he switched to a pitiful, aggrieved tone. “Dad, you’d better not be lying to me. The doctor said the scars on my back might be permanent.”

Shi Ciye: “A gentleman’s word is his bond.”

Shi Yù looked at the two who had quickly mended their father-son relationship and pursed his lips. It only made him look more like a clown. Blood is thicker than water between a father and his son. Why was he bothering to meddle, only to get

After reconciling with the younger Shi Yu, Jiang Ji escorted Shi Ciye out of the hospital.

The elder Shi Yu said he would stay at the hospital to take care of the younger Shi Yu, so he did not leave with them.

As soon as Shi Ciye left, the elder Shi Yu couldn't hold back his tears: "Brother Jiang Ji, am I really useless? When Xiao Yu was being beaten, I actually wanted to step forward. But seeing Father like that, I got scared and backed down. Sometimes I even despise myself for being so cowardly."

Jiang Ji reached out and ruffled the elder Shi Yu's hair, a gentle smile on his face, but the smile didn't reach his eyes: "Fear is a human instinct; there's nothing shameful about it."

Jiang Ji returned to the ward and saw the younger Shi Yu throwing orange peels all over the floor. "From now on, the elder Shi Yu will take care of you here."

The younger Shi Yu just said "Oh," and then fell silent.

Jiang Ji looked at the younger Shi Yu's expression and suddenly said, "The master's carrot is really timely."

The younger Shi Yu, while peeling an orange with his hands, shot a glance at Jiang Ji: "Since I've already been beaten, I'd be a fool not to take it. If the old man had given me something else, I might have pretended to be mad for a few days. But that's the Lake Island Villa."

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Why let it fly away?

Jiang Ji nodded: "Indeed. But don't forget what you promised me, young master. We made a deal before."

The younger Shi Yu: "To be honest, I really want to back out. After all, the information you gave me can't be verified in the short term. If I help you, I'll be giving you real benefits. That's a big loss for me. But I'm just too straightforward. Just you wait."

Jiang Ji: "I hope you won't make me wait forever."

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