Chapter 1224: The Troublesome Old Woman 1

She tried to drive her away, but failed.

Ji Yingjie narrowed her eyes, hands on her hips, putting on her usual fierce and unreasonable expression: "Don't be ungrateful. I've already broken it down and explained it to you in detail, yet you're still being stubborn?"

"Let's set the wedding date this month; get engaged this month, and get married next month."

Shi Ran:...

She was only a great-aunt, a guest staying in her home.

Yet she had ended up acting like the host, isn't this overstepping her bounds a bit too much?

Shi Ran was angry and her face darkened: "My affairs are none of your business."

Even her parents wouldn't forcibly interfere with her decisions; Ji Yingjie was just a relative, and she was indeed overstepping.

But she didn't think so herself, and still argued righteously: "If I'm overstepping, you can't blame me. If you want to blame someone, blame your mother. She oversteps even more than I do. I wanted to save my own husband and children, but she wouldn't let me. If she can control me, why can't I control you?"

Shi Ran:...

"If she controls you, go find trouble with her, don't find trouble with me. She is her, and I am me."

Ji Yingjie became even more righteous: "You say it lightly. If I could handle her, would I need you to tell me? I would have gone long ago. Isn't it because I can't deal with her that I came to you? You're lucky your personality isn't like hers, so you're easier to bully. If you mother and daughter were the same, I wouldn't have a way to live."

Shi Ran:...

She seriously suspected she was having a streak of bad luck lately; what kind of people were these around her?

They weren't bad people, but they were more hateful than bad people.

One by one, they were truly exhausting; Yun Qitian was like this, and Great-aunt Ji Yingjie was also like this.

Since she couldn't afford to offend them, she could at least hide. She went back to her room without a word, locked the door, and simply didn't come out.

She even had Fang Jie bring her three meals a day into her room.

Ji Yingjie couldn't bully Shi Ran, but she didn't stay idle either!

Every day at home, she would nitpick and find fault with the boys.

Zichen loved to cook, and he was very good at it. Whenever he had time, he would personally make delicious food for everyone to eat together.

Before Ji Yingjie arrived, the family was harmonious, and there were no problems at all.

But after she arrived, problems started.

Zichen developed a new dessert and gave it to every member of the family to taste.

Everyone commented on the flavor, color, texture, and so on, but only Ji Yingjie was different from everyone else.

"A half-grown young man, spending all day hovering around the kitchen, what kind of future is that?" Ji Yingjie said, curling her lips and frowning in disdain while eating the dessert Zichen made.

"If you don't like it, don't eat it." Zichen's face darkened.

Ji Yingjie: "Yo, unhappy now? You can't just listen to compliments and not take any advice, right? Do you understand that honest advice is hard to hear? People who want to do great things must be able to listen to all kinds of opinions. If you only listen to the good and not the bad, how will you improve?"

Zichen:...

"I invited you to taste the dessert, so just pick out the problems with the dessert. I don't need you to manage me."

Ji Yingjie argued with conviction: "Your parents aren't managing you, and your grandparents aren't home. I am an elder, so it is only right for me to educate you. What do you mean you don't need me to manage you? Does it work just because you say you don't need it? I must manage you."

Zichen turned and left, furious.

He didn't even ask about the taste of the dessert; no need to ask, it was bitter—his heart was bitter.

Ji Yingjie didn't like the feeling of punching cotton; bickering was only fun when it went back and forth. It was boring for one person to talk to themselves.

Shi Ran and Zichen ignored her.

So she went to find fault with Litian.

Every day after dinner, Litian would practice martial arts in the courtyard for an hour, rain or shine, even through thunder.

At this time, Ji Yingjie would sit on the swing in the courtyard, crossing her legs and pointing fingers: "The stance is wrong."

"Flowery fists and embroidered legs, looks intimidating, but actually amounts to nothing..."

Litian handed over a stick in a huff: "Come on, if you're so great, practice with me. You use the stick and I'll go empty-handed. If you can beat me, I'll admit everything you said is right."

"Yo!"

Ji Yingjie shrieked as if her tail had been stepped on: "I thought you were a man, turns out you're a coward too? You're a martial artist, and I have no skills at all, and you want to spar with me?"

"With your lack of character, never say you're a child of the Sheng Family again. You're a disgrace to the Sheng Family."

Litian's face turned the color of a pig's liver, and he roared: "What did you say? If you have the guts, say it again!"

The other brothers were all biological children of the Sheng Family, only he was not.

Although no one usually said anything, Litian was very sensitive about the fact that he wasn't his parents' biological child. He looked rugged on the outside, but his personality was very delicate and sensitive.

Ji Yingjie had touched his sore spot directly, and he was instantly furious.

When Ji Yingjie saw Litian was angry, she immediately perked up: "What, am I wrong? If I'm wrong, why are you blushing? Yo, why are you pale again? Is it because you have a guilty conscience?"

She was already prepared for a big argument to vent the pent-up evil fire in her belly.

But Litian punched the wall, his fist bleeding.

He ran out and didn't return even when it got dark.

The whole family searched like crazy and even called the police, but they didn't find the child by midnight.

Everyone was anxious, only Ji Yingjie was calm and composed: "He definitely didn't run far. Maybe he's just hiding near the house crying. If he doesn't come back tonight, he'll be back at dawn."

Shi Youxuan glared at her fiercely: "If Litian is fine, then so be it. If anything happens to the child, I'm not finished with you."

Ji Yingjie was unconvinced and pointed at her niece, scolding: "Fool, the biggest fool in the world."

"Aren't your own children enough for you to worry about? You still have to manage other people's children, and your rival's child at that. I think it's just as well he doesn't come back; out of sight, out of mind."

Shi Youxuan:...

It wasn't that she didn't have words to refute her aunt, but it wasn't necessary.

Her aunt's brain wasn't like a normal person's, and her logic was different; it was impossible to reason with her.

Everyone searched for the entire night.

At midnight, it even started pouring with rain, accompanied by thunder and lightning.

Shi Youxuan and her husband did not sleep all night, nor were they at home; they were out together looking for the child.

Finally, just before dawn, they discovered Litian; he had indeed not gone far, hiding in an abandoned color-steel house outside the residential complex.

When he was discovered, the little guy was sleeping soundly in a pile of debris.

Litian was covered in dirt, and his little face looked just like a tabby cat.

"Wake up, wake up!"

Sheng Hanyu nudged him: "Why are you hiding here? Why didn't you go home? Do you know how worried your family is about you..."

Shi Youxuan noticed something was wrong.

His breathing was very heavy.

She reached out and touched Litian's forehead—it was frighteningly hot; Litian had a fever.

"The child has a fever, quick, take him to the hospital."

Upon arriving at the hospital, his temperature was measured: 41 degrees Celsius.

The doctor said if he had been brought in half an hour later, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

He was given a fever-reducing injection and medicine.

Shi Youxuan kept using alcohol to wipe his palms, soles, and underarms; after much effort, the fever finally broke, and Litian woke up.

Although he was awake, the child's body was still very weak, and to prevent the high fever from returning, the doctor required Litian to stay in the hospital for observation for twenty-four hours before being discharged.