Chapter 73: Chapter 73: Baili Jing’s Past: Prelude to the Shura Field

The air seemed to freeze in that instant.

Jiang Qingli’s eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat.

A heavy weight settled in her chest. She didn’t want to watch, but the memory continued to unfold.

Two servants hurried toward Baili Jing, who lay on the floor.

The servant who had slipped earlier glanced down nervously. "That voice just now... it wasn’t Young Master Cheng Yan, was it?"

"We’re in trouble if it was!" the other servant panicked. Not bothering with pleasantries, he roughly grabbed Baili Jing and tossed him onto a stretcher. "Go, go, go! Hurry up! If he finds out we were carrying him, he’ll—"

Before he could finish, a childish voice cut in, "He’ll what?"

The two servants froze.

The soft sound of leather shoes on the luxurious carpet followed.

The servants shuddered and forced themselves to turn around.

A boy who bore a slight resemblance to Baili Jing walked over.

He looked to be about five or six years old and was dressed in lavish clothes. Compared to Baili Jing on the stretcher, clad only in a faded, worn-out T-shirt, he was like the most expensive doll in a display case.

The servants had just called him Young Master Cheng Yan.

Jiang Qingli recalled that when she had looked up information on Baili Jing, she had indeed found that he had a distant younger brother named Baili Chengyan.

The story was that since Baili Jing was pursuing his dream in the entertainment industry, the Baili family had brought this distant brother into the household to help manage the family business for Baili Jing.

But Baili Jing didn’t enter the entertainment industry until he was eighteen.

’Why is Baili Chengyan at the Baili family home now?’

’And from the servants’ attitudes, he must have been here for a long time—long enough for them to be familiar with his temper and fear the mere thought of him.’

’What’s even stranger is, how could Baili Chengyan, a distant relative, seem to be living a better life than Baili Jing, the direct descendant?’

’Could it be because Baili Jing’s parents both died when he was ten, so the Baili family looked down on him?’

’But Baili Jing’s mother was also an only daughter. Why would the Baili family mistreat her only descendant...?’

While Jiang Qingli was lost in her confusion, Baili Chengyan had already stepped forward.

The boy lifted his chin, his pale golden eyes as cold as frost as he swept his gaze over them. "Were you talking badly about me behind my back?"

"N-No," the servants stammered, terrified. "We were just chatting. Please, don’t be angry!"

"Is that so?" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Baili Chengyan narrowed his eyes. He was clearly just a child, yet he exuded a mature, oppressive aura.

It was very similar to the woman in the portrait at the end of the hall.

The servants were obviously terrified, their lips moving but no words coming out.

Baili Chengyan suddenly spread his hands. "Oh well. I’ve recovered now, anyway."

His eyes fixed on the boy on the stretcher, and he grinned, his tone light. "And it’s all thanks to my half-breed brother!"

The servants kept their heads down, not daring to respond.

Just then, a gentle, middle-aged woman’s voice called from a short distance away, "Cheng Yan?"

"Grandma, I’m here!" Baili Chengyan raised his voice, which now sounded like that of a normal child. "I’m talking to my brother!"

"I’ve told you, he is not your brother." The woman appeared at the end of the hallway. "Come to Grandma."

Her face overlapped with the portrait behind her. This was Baili Jing’s maternal grandmother, the Baili family’s Family Head, Baili Qing.

Baili Chengyan let out a cheerful laugh and threw himself into his grandmother’s arms.

"Grandma, I feel so much better!" Baili Chengyan then frowned. "But brother doesn’t look so good. Did they draw too much blood today? When he wakes up, I have to thank him properly."

"There’s no need. 1000cc won’t kill him," Baili Qing said. "It’s all what he owes you."

After saying this, she left with the boy in her arms, never once glancing at Baili Jing.

From Jiang Qingli’s perspective, she could clearly see the frail boy on the stretcher’s eyelashes tremble.

Jiang Qingli suddenly realized.

Baili Jing had been awake the entire time.

And Baili Chengyan knew he was awake, which was why he had deliberately provoked him.

After the grandmother and grandson left, the servants didn’t dare delay any longer and quickly carried Baili Jing upstairs.

Baili Jing’s room was a remote attic.

The room contained only a bed, a table, and a chair. There were no decorations or any form of entertainment.

The servants tossed Baili Jing onto the bed and left without a backward glance.

The door closed, plunging the room into darkness.

Jiang Qingli sat by the bed, looking at Baili Jing.

The boy opened his eyes, staring blankly at the ceiling.

He was shockingly thin, his sleeves hanging empty. His face was pale, and his hair was stuck to his forehead. He looked completely dejected and hopeless.

No one could ever connect this wretched boy with the dashing, universally admired superstar, Baili Jing.

Jiang Qingli reached out, her fingertips hovering over his face.

She knew she couldn’t touch him, but she couldn’t stop herself from wanting to do something.

A ringing sound broke Baili Jing out of his stupor.

His eyes shifted, and a spark suddenly ignited in their ashen depths.

Baili Jing struggled to pull a terminal from the nightstand drawer. His finger hovered over the answer button, but he paused, quickly clearing his throat.

’He really is a future superstar, already learning about image management at such a young age.’

Jiang Qingli’s heart softened. She was also very curious who could be calling that would make Baili Jing answer even in his current state.

He answered the call with a soft, "Hello?"

A clear, childish voice asked with curiosity, "Brother Baili, what’s wrong? You sound like a little duck."

It sounded like a girl, probably only five or six years old.

Jiang Qingli frowned. The voice felt very familiar.

Baili Jing coughed a few times and said in a low voice, "It’s nothing. I just... have a bit of a cold..."

"Colds are the worst!" The girl’s voice was full of concern. "Did you take any medicine? My brother and I can bring some over, okay?"

"Xiao Li," a slightly cold voice interjected. "He’s not an idiot. He knows to take his medicine."

’Xiao Li?’

Jiang Qingli’s heart skipped a beat. The person calling Baili Jing was her...

’No, that’s not right. It was the original owner of this body.’

Jiang Qingli shook her head, forcing herself to ignore the strange sense of déjà vu.

On the bed, the young boy replied softly, "Yeah, I’ve already taken medicine, Xiao Li... Don’t worry."

"Then I’ll come play with you when you’re better!" the little girl’s voice was sweet and soft as she quietly comforted him. "You have to get well soon, okay~"

A smile touched Baili Jing’s lips. "Okay."

After hanging up, the smile on Baili Jing’s face gradually faded, replaced by a bitter sigh.

"Xiao Li..."

Baili Jing rolled over and curled up under the covers, shrinking into a ball like an insecure infant.

A white fox curled up beside Baili Jing, pressing against his back.

This was Baili Jing’s Spiritual Body.

Jiang Qingli reached for the fox. The fox rested its chin in her palm and nuzzled her weakly.

Unlike when she had touched the snake and the snow leopard, this time Jiang Qingli could keenly perceive the Spiritual Body’s emotions.

This fox seemed to have very complicated feelings toward her.

’When held, its body stiffened.’

’It was like a pet that had been abandoned by its owner. Seeing its owner again, it wanted to get closer but was afraid of being forgotten once more.’

Jiang Qingli pressed her forehead against its face and gently stroked its fur.

Gradually, the fox relaxed. It affectionately nuzzled its nose against Jiang Qingli’s face, licked her hair, and let out a soft, coquettish whimper.

Jiang Qingli’s lips curved into a smile. She buried her face in the fox’s fluffy tail, and her vision went dark.

...

’My body feels so heavy.’

Everything was pitch-black. Jiang Qingli felt as if she were being pushed down into a swamp, her whole body leaden.

She tried to struggle, but as soon as she moved, countless slender vines grabbed her arms and legs from behind, dragging her down—

Jiang Qingli’s eyes flew open.

Before her was a blinding, piercing white light.

She squeezed her eyes shut, unable to adjust, but heard Qin Muye’s furious voice erupt:

"Bullshit! How could she have fainted if you didn’t do anything?!"

Following that was Yi Nuo’s voice. "Mr. Baili, I believe you are suspected of harming the young miss. It is necessary to notify the military."

"Notify the military? Just arrest him and lock him up!"

Hearing this, Jiang Qingli ignored her headache and tried to stop them.

Her hand shot out blindly and grabbed something firm and elastic.

Jiang Qingli squeezed it instinctively.

The room fell silent. Several gazes fell upon her at once.

Jiang Qingli realized something was wrong. She forced her eyes open, and upon seeing the situation, she wished she could faint all over again.

Not far away, Ye Linyuan sat on the sofa, watching with a cold expression;

Yi Nuo was holding a terminal, on a holographic call with Yuan Shimo, who was holding a book;

Qin Muye was the closest, clutching Baili Jing by the collar.

And as for Jiang Qingli—

She glanced down.

In front of everyone, she was grabbing Baili Jing’s... pectoral muscle...