“That’s not how it is! Don’t get so worked up all of a sudden!”

Gang Zi pulled her into his arms and playfully squeezed her little hand. “The Da Shaoye… he actually has some feelings for Lin Xi.”

“Then why did he step aside and let someone else have her?”

“He wasn’t trying to let her go; he was just afraid he couldn’t give Lin Xi the happiness she deserved. Jingjing, you know—our Da Shaoye lost a leg, and his body is covered in scars. How could such a proud man possibly let the woman he loves see all that ugliness? Even if he knew Lin Xi could guess, he’d never say it out loud.”

“So what if that’s the case? Medical technology is so advanced these days, and our Da Shaoye isn’t short of money. Just spend more, put in more time, and get him treated. Once he’s healed, we can even fit him with a prosthetic—then our Da Shaoye will still be the same spirited, dashing young man he always was!”

“But what if our Da Shaoye really doesn’t have much time left?”

Gang Zi suddenly felt a pang of sadness.

Although Ming Kai had never told him about his health condition, he could vaguely guess why, despite having survived, the Da Shaoye deliberately avoided seeing the Young Mistress—wasn’t it because he feared that the Young Mistress, who had finally managed to pull herself out of that dark place, wouldn’t be able to bear another parting from him?

If the Da Shaoye’s future were clear-cut, if he had plenty of time, and if he could spare the Young Mistress and the family from enduring that heart-wrenching pain once again, wouldn’t he have rushed straight to her side—rushed to the family he’d been longing for day and night?

Jingjing hadn’t expected things to turn out like this, and for a moment she couldn’t help but laugh wryly, staring blankly at Gang Zi. “So he knows his time may be running out, and instead of using this little bit of time to make up for lost moments by being with Sister Lin Xi, he’s actually found her a good match, right?”

“Probably. As for that young guy who’s with Lin Xi, the Da Shaoye not only traced his family tree back three generations, but also kept a close eye on him for a long time. He’s completely confident in the young man’s character—he’ll be able to protect Lin Xi for the rest of her life, keeping her safe from suffering and danger.”

“Does Sister Lin Xi know about this?”

“I think, given how smart Lin Xi is and how deeply she’s devoted to the Da Shaoye, she must have figured it out. But since the Da Shaoye won’t say anything, neither will she. Whatever path the Da Shaoye wants her to take, she’ll obediently follow it—just like before. Ever since the Da Shaoye saved her, she’s been his loyal follower, doing whatever he tells her to do.”

“Sigh… What am I supposed to say?”

Jingjing pouted and suddenly felt rather dejected.

She felt sorry for both their Da Shaoye and Sister Lin Xi.

In the end, all she could do was let out a deep sigh.

Gang Zi sighed too, then raised his big hand and gently smoothed out Jingjing’s slightly furrowed brows one by one. “This is the choice the Da Shaoye and Lin Xi made themselves—let’s not dwell on it too much. The two of them have already decided, so all we need to do is respect and understand their decision. No need to keep asking.”

“Mm.”

Jingjing slumped a bit and leaned against Gang Zi’s chest.

After leaning there for a while, she finally felt a bit better, and then asked, “Gang Zi, why do you think our Da Shaoye still keeps that ‘jian’ around?”

“The Da Shaoye says keeping her around serves as a constant reminder of why he failed back then—and a constant warning about what he needs to watch out for. He says you shouldn’t fall twice in the same tumble,” Gang Zi explained.

But Jingjing shook her head. “Really? Gang Zi, do you think the Da Shaoye might still have some kind of fantasy about that ‘jian’?”

End of Chapter 175: Counterattack 101