Chapter 11: An Inscrutable Enigma

When his nosebleed refused to cease, Ji Wenyan was promptly escorted to the infirmary.

Following a quick examination, his nose was packed with cotton, and the flow of blood mercifully ceased.

Yet, Ji Wenyan paid little mind to his injury. His gaze, instead, drifted subtly towards Bai Mengze, who sat nearby, and inwardly, he couldn’t resist a triumphant fist pump.

The commotion of blocking the ball had, at last, provided him with an opening to approach Bai Mengze.

What an arduous task!

“Ji Wenyan, what precisely do you intend? When you shielded me from that ball, did it not occur to you that you might sustain an injury?”

Bai Mengze swiftly detected Ji Wenyan’s furtive glances.

When she finally spoke, her voice was laced with a palpable bewilderment.

‘She couldn’t fathom what Ji Wenyan was truly thinking.’

Just yesterday, at the party, when Director Mo had made his inappropriate advances, not a single soul had stepped forward to intervene. Instead, they had merely observed the spectacle unfold.

Having been released from the detention center only days prior, she harbored no illusions, no naive hope that someone would valiantly step in.

Humans, she knew, were profoundly complex creatures.

It was akin to the day her parents perished in a car accident; as the perpetrator brazenly gloated before her, her relatives had simply stood by, mute and inert.

Fear had flickered in their eyes, some even retreating entirely, terrified of inviting trouble.

These very individuals were those her parents had aided on countless occasions.

If she couldn’t depend on others, then she would handle it herself.

Even when it meant her eventual stay in the detention center, Bai Mengze harbored no regrets.

Given another chance, she would undoubtedly deliver the same beating.

Yet, Ji Wenyan remained an inscrutable enigma, materializing before her without the slightest warning.

He had not only aided her against Director Mo yesterday but had also, today, shielded her from the impact of a ball.

It was truly baffling.

“The circumstances were urgent at that moment; I simply reacted without much thought… Please don’t feel unduly pressured. In truth, I merely wish to cultivate a good relationship with you.”

“?”

“The words you uttered as you departed last night imply you remember me, don’t they? Had it not been for your call then, I might very well be dead.”

Responding to Bai Mengze’s probing question, Ji Wenyan’s words were a calculated blend of truth and artifice.

He truly desired to forge a good relationship with Bai Mengze, yet he harbored ulterior motives as well. He envisioned cultivating her into a divine beauty.

Such words, Ji Wenyan knew, could not be uttered aloud.

Crucially, even if he were to voice them, no one would ever believe him.

Thus, Ji Wenyan concluded, he absolutely had to become Bai Mengze’s friend.

This would provide a legitimate reason to remain by her side, gradually nurturing her potential.

“Even without my phone call, you wouldn’t have perished… You should consider yourself fortunate that your car’s safety features were robust enough to prevent an easy death.”

As she uttered these words, Bai Mengze’s voice abruptly chilled.

Initially, upon witnessing Ji Wenyan’s car accident, Bai Mengze had instinctively called the police, driven by a profound desire to prevent her parents’ tragedy from repeating.

Now, however, she reconsidered. Perhaps it would have been better if reckless, rich scions like Ji Wenyan had simply… died.

It would spare other innocent lives from future harm.

Ji Wenyan, with keen sensitivity, perceived Bai Mengze’s souring mood. Recalling the tragic fate of her parents, and juxtaposing it with his own predicament, he instantly surmised her true feelings.

‘A misunderstanding! This was an absolute misunderstanding!’

‘Furthermore, even with the car’s excellent configuration, without the system, he would have undoubtedly perished…’

“That’s not it at all. I was drugged that day, which directly led to the accident… Ordinarily, I don’t even enjoy driving. It was merely a surge of excitement upon receiving a birthday gift that I couldn’t quite contain.”

“Drugged?”

Upon hearing Ji Wenyan’s revelation, Bai Mengze tilted her head in confusion, her eyes brimming with unspoken questions.