Chapter 287: Chapter 282: Past and Present Lives

Ji Lingyun paused and waited for him. “Since you’re here, let’s go together.”

Ji Qilin nodded gently toward the principal standing nearby. “Principal Li, long time no see.”

The principal quickly replied, “It has been a while. There’s a speech event at the school in a few weeks. I sent you an invitation and I hope you can attend.”

Ji Qilin nodded. “I’ll be there. This is my alma mater, after all.”

Amidst laughter, they all walked in.

Bai Yan Zhang watched the Ji Family from a distance, snorted coldly, and said to his assistant beside him, “Let’s go in too.”

On the other side, Miss Quan, dressed in a fiery red wool coat, stepped out of her car. Her makeup was bold and formidable, sporting a pair of sunglasses perched on her high-bridged nose.

Today, many distinguished guests from prestigious families who could watch from the front rows were invited; most were notable figures from Capital City. Though it was called an evening event, it also provided a chance for individual entrepreneurs to discuss potential collaborations.

Outside, luxury cars lined up in impressive rows. As Quan Ke steadied her car and got out, she saw Ji Qilin’s back and took off her sunglasses, raising an eyebrow.

She had seen Ji Qilin at school before, but they had never greeted each other. Ji Qilin was a proud person, seldom looking back once he made up his mind, such as their childhood friendship which, once declared over by him, could never be revisited.

With a cold expression, her pride made it difficult for her to bow her head easily.

“Uncle Jian, take it slow.”

A crisp and pleasant voice sounded from behind.

Quan Ke turned around and saw Lin Shisheng wrapped up in multiple layers, looking as round as a ball and barely mobile.

She wore a white beret and her black hair cascaded down, her appearance pure and lively.

It wasn’t very cold now, but she was dressed much warmer than others.

She recognized Lin Shisheng from her frequent visits to the Kyoto Research Institute to see Ji Qilin. Despite being coldly ignored by Ji Qilin, she remained undeterred, happily chattering by his side every day. Naturally, her entry was also facilitated by being the founder of KI, which opened a backdoor for her.

Quan Ke thought she could never do it. Such behavior, akin to a dog licking its owner, didn’t suit her character, and she naturally felt a slight dislike for her.

Indeed, her eyes brightened when she saw Ji Qilin’s figure. “Ji Qilin!”

Ji Qilin paused his steps slightly. He turned and spoke a few words to Principal Li and Ji Lingyun before turning to look at Lin Shisheng, noticing her as well.

Quan Ke stared right into his eyes; a second later, Ji Qilin’s gaze shifted from her and turned toward Lin Shisheng.

The man beside Lin Shisheng was Mr. Jian Chuyi, the CEO of the Jian Group and Jian Chuyi’s real father. He wasn’t very tall, somewhat chubby, but his appearance was amiable. Hearing Lin Shisheng’s words, he seemed surprised. “Shisheng, you know Second Young Master Ji?”

Lin Shisheng nodded with a gentle smile. “Yes, we are friends.”

She then turned to look at Quan Ke, who was still standing there. Her smile undiminished, she greeted, “Miss Quan.”

Quan Ke nodded in response and then strode forward, passing by Ji Qilin without pausing.

Mr. Jian smiled warmly at Lin Shisheng. “You go ahead; I’ll slowly follow behind.”

Lin Shisheng apologetically smiled at him and then jogged toward Ji Qilin, looking up at him with a smile. “Qilin.”

Ji Qilin responded softly, then turned to walk ahead. She reached out and grabbed the hem of his coat. “Slow down. I can’t keep up.”

Ji Qilin was slightly impatient but suppressed it, eventually smiling gently. “Don’t talk to me again about switching to work for your company. I don’t like hearing it.”

Lin Shisheng’s smile became even brighter upon hearing the words, “Alright, I won’t mention it if you don’t like to hear about it.”

She paused for a moment and continued, “Also, thank you for waiting for me.”

Ji Qilin didn’t see what there was to thank him for. After all, how could he be so rude as to ignore her and just walk away?

“You’re welcome, you are my little sister’s boss; it’s only fitting.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Shisheng merely smiled gently. Ji Qilin had always been difficult to deal with. Even in her past life, it took her a long time to make him reluctantly accept that she could stand beside him.

That Ji Qilin, embarrassed and covered in scars.

It was also the first time that he had been willing to pause for a minute to wait for her.

“Ji Qilin, do you believe in past and present lives?” Lin Shisheng asked.

The first person Ji Qilin thought of was Ji Tian. He originally wanted to say he didn’t believe but, in the end, he slowly said, “I do.”

“As long as you believe, that’s fine.”

Ji Qilin looked down at her, a faint smile curling up the corners of his lips.

The night Lin Shisheng first saw Ji Tian, she had a dream in which she reunited with the person who had saved her at seventeen in a hospital.

At that time, his legs were broken, his expression sullen and lifeless.

Such a proud scion of the heavens, like an eagle with broken wings crashing to the ground, struggled, pleaded for help, and even desiring death was in vain.

She was a coward, and because of her heart disease, she dared not get too close to him. After all, what if she grew too fond of him and couldn’t bear to die?

What if she made Ji Qilin fall for her too? Then the day she died would make her a sinner, surely bringing misery to others.

She only invited Ji Qilin once to enter KI, and Ji Qilin rejected without hesitation, saying his aspiration wasn’t there. It was when she was nineteen, two years after she had been rescued from falling into a river, but Ji Qilin did not remember her. She was like the ordinary, unremarkable leaf he had randomly picked up from the mass of people on the lake.

Sad and feeling inferior, she couldn’t think of any other way but to distance herself from him.

She often heard news about him. He was a genius. The cancer treatment drug was released a year later, but he was unlucky–deceived by a woman, his reputation ruined.

Lin Shisheng thought she would never see Ji Qilin in that helpless state, sitting in a wheelchair anymore. Eagles should soar in the sky; they shouldn’t be plunged into a low ebb.

If it had been the old her, she would have stayed far away from Ji Qilin. This dream gave her the courage to get close to him again. With such a beautiful face in front of her, letting her admire him up close for a few more years seemed worthwhile. Since heaven had given her a warning, she would make sure not to let last life’s tragedy happen again.

The two walked the rest of the way in silence.

Ji Qilin found it unusual, as Lin Shisheng was normally talkative.

Even at the research institute, she would bother him.

She came very frequently, making him sometimes wonder if KI had gone bankrupt, for why else would the founder have nothing to do?

When she was about to walk into a roadside tree, he finally couldn’t help but stretch out his hand and pull on the collar of her shirt.

Lin Shisheng then came back to her senses and looked at the tree that was only a few centimeters away from her in silence.

Seeing her dazed expression, Ji Qilin rarely laughed out loud, “What are you thinking about? You’re so engrossed.”

She turned her head, her clear, distinct eyes meeting his smile, “Thinking of you.”