Chapter 313: Glass

Nishijo Ichiro sensed an intense, indescribable pressure radiating from the man, as though he had transformed into a completely different person.

Though the sensation made him deeply uncomfortable, his pride stopped him from showing weakness, especially with Himeko and Angel in the car watching. He instructed the driver curtly, “Drive,” and at the same time locked the doors and rolled up the windows.

Once the reflective glass of the car windows blocked the man’s piercing gaze, Nishijo Ichiro inexplicably felt a sense of relief.

Just then, Angel, seated in the front passenger seat, spoke up. “Mr. Nishijo, actually—”

Before she could finish, a loud “bang” erupted as the side window next to Nishijo Ichiro shattered.

Miyu Himeko, seated beside him, screamed in terror at the sudden chaos.

Everyone in the car was momentarily stunned by the unexpected incident. Angel, however, clearly saw that the window had been broken by a man’s fist.

The hand that shattered the window immediately grabbed Nishijo Ichiro by the collar. Before anyone could react, they watched in disbelief as the man yanked Nishijo Ichiro out of the car through the broken window.

Outside the car, the hotel manager, Kurata Ryoko, and others also witnessed the shocking scene: the man smashed the window with a single punch and forcibly dragged the passenger out.

With a loud “thud,” Nishijo Ichiro was thrown roughly to the ground about two meters away by Lei Yin. As he hit the ground, he cried out in pain.

Lei Yin reached into the car, unlocked the door, and flung it open before roaring at the occupants, “Get out of the car, now!”

Terrified by his glare, the two girls and the driver scrambled out of the car as though fleeing for their lives.

Turning back, Lei Yin saw Kurata Ryoko frozen in place, staring at him in shock. Urgently, he shouted, “What are you waiting for? Get in the car!”

Snapping out of her daze, Kurata Ryoko moved robotically, carrying Bibi into the car.

Once Lei Yin placed Amy in the front passenger seat, Nishijo Ichiro’s two bodyguards charged over from the second vehicle.

“Teach that bastard a lesson!” Nishijo Ichiro, trembling with rage, shouted, pointing at Lei Yin.

The two bodyguards glanced at their employer and immediately rushed at Lei Yin.

Without a word, Lei Yin cast a cold glance at Nishijo Ichiro before turning and delivering a lightning-fast kick to one bodyguard’s jaw.

The speed of the kick was so incredible that no one could see it clearly. The bodyguard’s entire body spun 90 degrees mid-air before landing face-first on the ground, completely motionless.

Before anyone could process what had just happened, Lei Yin moved like a blur and appeared in front of the second bodyguard, who stood on high alert. The bodyguard’s face twisted in shock, as though he had seen a ghost, as Lei Yin calmly placed his palm on his chest.

Though the strike appeared gentle and effortless, the bodyguard was suddenly flung backward, as if an invisible rope had yanked him, flying over three meters before crashing to the ground.

Without sparing the bodyguards a second glance, Lei Yin swiftly climbed into the driver’s seat, started the car, and drove off.

Nishijo Ichiro, who had been waiting to enjoy the spectacle, stared in disbelief at his so-called “professional” bodyguards lying lifelessly on the ground.

It wasn’t until the car had driven nearly 200 meters away that the manager snapped out of his shock. He rushed to the second vehicle and ordered the driver to follow.

“Himeko, is that man really a student at your school?” Angel asked in a low voice, glancing at the chaotic scene.

“His name is Gennai Masashi,” Miyu Himeko said after a brief pause. She seemed as though she wanted to say more but stopped herself, her gaze complicated as she looked at the unconscious bodyguards and the shattered glass scattered across the ground.

※※※

“Please don’t worry, sir. We’ve already administered an antidote to the patient, and she is not in any life-threatening condition,” the doctor in a white coat explained to Lei Yin about Amy’s situation. “According to the description from the other little girl, the patient was likely stung by a small Echizen jellyfish. These jellyfish are commonly found in Japan’s offshore waters. While they are venomous, their toxicity isn’t usually fatal. In recent years, possibly due to rising ocean temperatures, jellyfish populations have been increasing rapidly, and cases of tourists being stung have become more frequent every summer. However, most patients recover quickly and are discharged. So, there’s no need to worry. For safety’s sake, though, I recommend keeping the patient under observation for two days.”

“Thank you, doctor. May we see her now?”

“Of course. One more thing: although we’ve administered the antidote, the venom from the jellyfish won’t neutralize immediately. The patient may experience significant pain at the sting site. Since she’s very young, I don’t recommend using painkillers to avoid potential side effects. But if you feel it’s necessary, please let the nurse inform me.”

“I understand. Thank you, doctor.”

When Lei Yin entered the hospital room, he saw the usually energetic little girl lying on the hospital bed with an IV drip, while Bibi stood by her bedside, looking worried.

“What did the doctor say?” Kurata Ryoko quickly approached him as he came in.

“The doctor said it’s nothing serious. The jellyfish’s venom isn’t very strong and isn’t life-threatening. However, she needs to stay in the hospital for observation for two days,” Lei Yin replied as he walked to the bedside.

“Lei,” the little girl called out as soon as she saw him and immediately sat up.

Lei Yin sat on the edge of the bed and gently stroked her head. “Does it hurt a lot?” he asked softly.

The little girl shook her head, but tears began to fall uncontrollably.

Lei Yin didn’t say anything further. He reached out and gently pulled her into his arms, stroking her hair in slow, soothing motions.

At that moment, a deep sense of guilt overwhelmed Lei Yin. Unlike previous times when Amy had encountered danger because he wasn’t nearby, this time he had been close by, yet his momentary negligence had nearly cost her life. Fortunately, the jellyfish’s venom wasn’t lethal, but that was purely luck. As Amy’s temporary guardian, he couldn’t escape the blame for what had happened.

Sensing his emotional turmoil, the little girl looked up at him, her eyes filled with concern. After a moment, she leaned her head against his chest again and tightly gripped his left thumb with her uninjured hand.

Watching this scene, Kurata Ryoko suddenly felt as though she didn’t know her cousin at all. It was difficult to reconcile this incredibly gentle man with the one who had smashed a car window with his fist and dragged someone out through the broken glass just a short while ago.

After a while, Lei Yin turned to Kurata Ryoko. “Did you let Kazumi and the others know the hospital address?”

“I—I already called Ms. Hasegawa earlier. She said she’d be here soon,” Kurata Ryoko replied, snapping back to reality.

At that moment, Bibi looked at Lei Yin with wide-eyed admiration and said, “Masashi-oniisan, you were amazing earlier! You took those two guys down so quickly, just like Kuang Dao-ojisan. Both of you are so strong!”

Lei Yin coughed lightly and said, “Actually, fighting isn’t good. Don’t learn from me or Kuang Dao.”

“Why does that sound just like what my mom says?” Bibi replied, looking a little disappointed.

“Your mom is right. Girls shouldn’t learn to fight.”

“But why do you and Kuang Dao-ojisan fight?”

“If you’re curious, ask your mom when we get back,” Lei Yin replied, unsure how to explain it to the curious little one, opting instead to push the question to Tani Akiko.

Seeing his troubled expression, Kurata Ryoko couldn’t help but chuckle quietly.

As they talked, Lei Yin suddenly heard a series of hurried footsteps outside the hallway. From the familiar patterns of some of them, he already knew who had arrived. Lowering his head, he said softly to the little girl in his arms, “Kiddo, Naoko and the others are here to see you.”

Amy perked up and turned her head toward the door, her face lighting up with excitement.

Kurata Ryoko, a little confused, was about to ask something when a knock sounded at the door.

When she opened it, she found that it was Ms. Hasegawa and her sister Aiko, along with Tani Akiko, Kazumi, and Rumi.

※※※

Watching Amy’s soft and peaceful sleeping face, Naoko smiled. She gently tucked the little girl’s hand, which was peeking out from the blanket, back under the covers. Then, she turned down the air conditioning in the room. At this point, everyone else had returned to the hotel, leaving just her, Lei Yin, and the little girl in the room.

After a while, Lei Yin emerged from the hospital room’s bathroom, freshly showered and wearing slippers.

“Is the kid asleep?” he asked in a low voice as he walked over.

“Yes. She gave us quite the scare this time. Thankfully, Amy is okay,” Naoko said with lingering fear.

Looking at the sleeping little girl, Lei Yin said quietly, “This was my negligence. I should have warned them in advance about which animals they shouldn’t touch.”

Naoko gazed at him for a moment, her expression growing even softer. Resting her head lightly on his shoulder, she said, “Who could have predicted something like this?”

Lei Yin sighed. “If something really happened to her, words like that wouldn’t mean anything. I plan to stay at the hospital for the next two days to keep her company. She might feel scared being alone in an unfamiliar place.”

“Then I’ll head back to the hotel and bring some clothes for you both. Just leave your laundry in a bag, and I’ll take it back to the hotel to wash when I leave,” Naoko offered.

Lei Yin nodded. “The kid is only here for observation, so you can tell the others not to come. It’s rare for them to have a vacation here—let them enjoy it.”

“Okay. Actually, Takeda and the others wanted to come see Amy, but I thought having too many people at once wouldn’t be good, so I told them to stay at the hotel and wait for updates. If they really want to see her, you can let them come later.”

Lei Yin wrapped his arm around her slim waist and said, “Those two wolves are dying to stick to Aiko 24/7. Now that they know the kid is fine, the chances of them coming here are slim. As for old Kuang, forget it—he’s just a drunkard.”

Naoko smiled. “Then how about I keep you company here for the next two days?”

“You’re not going to enjoy yourself?”

“Dummy. How can I have fun if you’re not there? When I go back to the hotel later, I’ll bring dinner for you two. Hospital food never suits your taste,” Naoko said, knowing his usual disdain for hospital meals.

“That works. Also, bring me a few books from my luggage.”

Suddenly recalling something, Lei Yin added, “Be careful on your way back. I taught a troublesome guy a lesson while bringing the kid to the hospital.”

Naoko held his hand and said, “Your cousin already told me about that. She looked quite shocked when she mentioned it—probably because she never imagined you’d have that side to you.”

Lei Yin shrugged indifferently. “I’ve never claimed to be a kindhearted person. You should know that better than anyone.” As he spoke, he mischievously blew into her sensitive ear, making her shiver slightly.

Naoko’s face quickly turned red. She couldn’t help but lightly hit Lei Yin’s chest and whispered, “Not only are you not kindhearted, you’re a total scoundrel.”

Lei Yin laughed, lifted her entirely, and placed her on his lap, wrapping his arms tightly around her. He loved the feeling of holding her in his arms—the warmth, softness, and fullness that made him feel complete.

Naoko knew his mood had improved because Amy was safe. Although she worried about the awkwardness if Amy suddenly woke up and saw them holding each other, she decided not to dampen his spirits and let him enjoy the moment.

※※※

In the middle of the night, Lei Yin suddenly sat up instinctively. When he saw who was walking toward his bed, he immediately relaxed and asked, “Does your hand still hurt?”

The little girl shook her head, then silently walked over and hugged him tightly.

“What’s wrong?” Lei Yin asked, stroking her hair.

“Lei, I just had a dream,” the little girl said softly.

Feeling her body trembling slightly, Lei Yin guessed she must have had a nightmare that scared her.

“Don’t be afraid. It was just a dream. Everything’s fine now.”

After a while, Amy whispered, “Lei, can I sleep with you?”

Hearing the pleading tone in her voice, Lei Yin couldn’t bear to refuse and reluctantly agreed.

As soon as he said yes, Amy visibly relaxed.

After Lei Yin lay back down, the little girl quietly wrapped her small arms around his waist and curled up against him like a kitten, nestling into his embrace.

While gently stroking the back of her head, Lei Yin asked, “Kiddo, does your hand still hurt?”

The little girl shook her head lightly. Seeing her remain silent and only express herself through actions, Lei Yin suddenly had the illusion that she had reverted to the withdrawn little girl she used to be.

With this thought, he tentatively asked, “Kiddo, can you tell me what you saw in your dream?”

Perhaps because of his presence, Amy appeared calm. She raised her head and said, “I don’t remember clearly. I just remember someone seemed to be calling me in the dream, but I couldn’t see her face no matter how hard I tried.”

When Lei Yin heard her say “her” instead of “him,” a thoughtful expression appeared in his eyes. After a moment, he asked, “Were you scared of that person?”

Amy pressed her head against his chest and said, “Yes. When she started walking toward me, I woke up.”

Lei Yin felt as though he had grasped something. After thinking for a moment, he asked, “Have you had dreams like this before?”

The little girl nodded, instinctively tightening her hold on him.

By this point, Lei Yin had a good idea of who the person in her dream was.

If his guess was correct, the person Amy saw in her dream was her biological mother.

The reason Amy feared her wasn’t because of her mother herself, but because she instinctively feared recalling what had happened to her mother.

Four years ago, to treat Amy’s autism, Lei Yin had used a special psychological suggestion technique to suppress her memories of her mother, especially the memory of her mother committing suicide in front of her. He had also instructed Ailin and the butler, Bacon, to hide all of her mother’s belongings and photographs.

After that psychological suggestion, the word “mother” became nothing more than a meaningless term to Amy. She didn’t remember anything about her mother, as though she had grown up without one.

Although this method seemed harsh, Lei Yin had no intention of lifting the memory block until Amy was emotionally mature enough to handle it.

However, after four years, it seemed the seal on Amy’s memories was beginning to loosen, which was why she had started seeing her mother in her dreams.

If that was truly the case, it might be necessary to perform another round of psychological suggestion to seal those memories again.

With this thought, Lei Yin gazed at her with pity, gently stroking the back of her head.

Under his comforting touch, the little girl soon drifted off to sleep peacefully.