Can’t Pretend Chapter 97: The Plan is Complete

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: SpringBreeze, Kiramekineko

 

“He can’t die.”

After hearing the doctor’s apologetic reply, Ji Shanhong did not even look at Ji Cheying, who had arrived late, and he asked urgently, “Did you do everything you could? Go save him! He must not die!”

The doctors did not dare to straighten up and could only say with great sadness and apology, “Yes, I did everything I could. The bullet that struck His Highness was a blaster, and as soon as it entered, the fragments of the bullet had completely shattered His Highness’s heart, and he had already died on the way here. We are only doctors, and we cannot save a dead man.”

When Ding Fei heard this gruesome description, she then finally could no longer hold on, directly falling to the ground. With painful emotions, she sobbed and wailed, and then cried loudly.

Ji Shanhong heavily closed his eyes, he restrained his emotions, but still leaked a few out of control. “I want to see for myself.” He still did not believe it.

Then, he walked towards the rescue room without hesitation.

However, Henry suddenly took a step to the side and blocked in front of Ji Shanhong.

Ji Shanhong looked at Henry with cold eyes. He asked, “What is this?”

Soft words, but like a boulder on Henry’s body. Henry resisted the urge to retreat and he said stubbornly, “Major General’s orders, no one is allowed near the resuscitation room, including you, Marshal.”

Ji Shanhong raised an eyebrow and turned sideways as he looked back at Ji Cheying.

“I know that His Highness is very close to you, but this is not the time for you to be capricious.” His voice was calm and steady with an air that would not be denied. “Tell them to get out of the way.”

Ding Fei didn’t know how it had come to this, especially when she realized that Ji Cheying didn’t seem to have any intention of backing down at all.

Why? What were they thinking at a time like this?

Ji Cheying steadily walked up to Ji Shanhong, his already stern eyes were now like a cold pool. “You dragged him into all this, you are not qualified to see him.”

Ji Shanhong, as a military marshal, even if the image was usually mild, no one could ignore the aura of his body that was superior, that was the aura that could grasp the life and death of people at every turn.

Therefore, everyone saw that the first reaction Ji Shanhong had was to be afraid. But at this moment, the people present suddenly found that before such an aura, this young imperial major general was not the least bit down. Ji Shanhong was even slightly stunned, although he was not close to Ji Cheying, at this moment he found the other side even stranger.

He seemed to have grown from a small wolf to a wolf king. Ji Shanhong’s mind suddenly flashed back to the moment when he learned of the death of that highness.

Obviously so much time had passed, but that memory still caused him pain in his heart, like residual pain that still couldn’t heal. Clenching his fist with restraint, Ji Shanhong’s heart was filled with mixed feelings, and his gaze at Ji Cheying suddenly took on a bit of pity.

Finally, he made a concession. “I will not go.” 

Ji Shanhong took the lead and moved his eyes away, then he looked at his deputy. “You go in and take a look.”

As if he was making up for his previous intentions, and as if he was looking for a reasonable excuse, he said without refusal, “The military ministry has the right and obligation to confirm the life and death of His Highness, and must not be rash. I must give an account to the royal family as well as the people.”

Ji Cheying’s muscles were tense, his hands in his trouser pockets, and the pressure of his body uncontrollably released due to his unstable emotions. He sneered, “Have you really looked at him as a human being?”

Then, without turning his head, he walked towards the resuscitation room. His pace getting faster and faster, with only the heart-chilling resuscitation room left in his eyes.

The second-in-command of Ji Shanhong hesitated, and Ji Shanhong said faintly, “Go and confirm carefully, and then tell me the result.”

“Yes, Marshal.”

Henry knew that in the end, Ji Cheying was actually giving tacit permission for the deputy to enter, so he didn’t stop him, but only admonished, “Please do it as soon as possible.”

The deputy nodded. “Understood.”

Major General Ji must have wanted to be alone with his beloved one when he died.

Ding Fei looked at the situation and wanted to go in with him, she couldn’t believe that Xie Quan had died like that. Are you kidding, how could he die this way? So, she wiped her tears and got up from the floor, however, without taking a few steps, Henry stopped her. “I’m sorry, the rest of the people are not allowed in.”

The deputy followed Ji Cheying into the resuscitation room, which still smelled like blood even though it was empty with many instruments, and in the center of the room was the hospital bed that had just been pushed in, and Xie Quan was lying on it.

His eyes were closed. Except his face that didn’t have a trace of blood, and even through the strands of blue and white, it was as if he was only asleep. The dead were senseless, but perhaps because it was intolerable, or perhaps to cover the wound on his chest, the doctor still gave him a thin layer of cloth.

Ji Cheying did not move. He stood at a distance of a few meters from the bed like a fool, as if he was afraid to approach. He just stayed there, eyes painfully looking at the person on the bed.

The deputy sighed in his heart, then he looked at the vital signs detector next to him, and just as the doctors had said, both the heartbeat and brain activity were a flat line, and the vital signs had completely disappeared. He walked to the bedside and wanted to reach out to lift the thin cloth to look at the wound, but then a low, dark voice came. “Don’t you dare touch him.”

The deputy hastily retracted his hand. He hesitated, but then the pressure in the room vaguely began to show signs of eruption, and finally he could only give in and say, “I dare not.”

He stretched out his hand and probed Xie Quan’s nostrils, and then took a closer look at Xie Quan. There was no nasal breath, not a single rise or fall in his chest. He stepped back, bowed toward Ji Cheying, and said, “Major General, please feel my condolences.”

Ji Cheying closed his eyes, the murderous intent and mania under his eyes was barely suppressed. “Get out.”

The deputy hurriedly exited the room, no one wanted to confront a top alpha who had just lost his mate.

Ji Shanhong saw him come out and asked, “How is it?”

The deputy replied, “We’ve confirmed carefully that His Highness is indeed… Is it necessary to notify the royal family immediately?”

Ji Shanhong frowned, his face was heavy. “Notify.”

Never thought that the person was actually dead. He sighed lightly with some fatigue, his eyes full of unwillingness. Could it be that the plan he had carefully planned for so long had fallen through? Then, what was the purpose of his persistence for so many years?

Now that Joan’s only bloodline had died… He couldn’t even accomplish this little thing for Joan.

Henry and Ji Shanhong’s deputy saw Ji Shanhong show such an expression for the first time, vulnerable and confused, and also very tired. It was like he was drained of life in a flash and aged all at once.

The deputy couldn’t help but be a little worried. “Marshal…”

However, Ji Shanhong only took a deep look in the direction of the emergency room, then turned around and left with his men.

“Investigate who did this. Make sure to catch the person. Also, contact Ham immediately.”

He had to quickly stabilize the situation. No matter what, he had to make one last attempt.

Only after the people left did Ji Cheying slowly walk over to Xie Quan’s bedside, then his tense body finally loosened up and knelt down next to the bed in a posture where he almost lost his strength and fell down. Looking at Xie Quan’s sleeping appearance, his jawline tightly collapsed. He exhaled a long breath, but even the act of his breathing trembled uncontrollably.

Ding Fei was not wrong earlier, Ji Cheying was indeed shaking. Even on the way here, he could barely drive because his hands were shaking too much. That’s why he delayed a bit.

“Xie Quan…” He gently called out to the person.

After a few minutes, suddenly a dark door on the wall of the emergency room was pushed open and Yan Siyu came out from inside. He said, “Ji Shanhong has taken someone away…” He looked at Ji Cheying kneeling by the bedside with a hostile aura and the pheromone emanating from him. He frowned. “He’s not dead.”

Without asking him what was wrong or saying anything else, Yan Siyu just emphasized this fact to keep Ji Cheying awake.

The violent fear of seeing Xie Quan, a living dead man, had tricked him.

Ji Cheying’s head rested against the edge of the bed. His eyes were closed and his eyelash feathers were trembling uncontrollably, while still breathing heavily, even gasping for air. 

“I know. He’s not dead.”

Yan Siyu was very worried about him, came over, and he said, “That shot you made was very accurate, it was embedded in the pre-prepared heart protection layer, he only suffered a flesh wound from the bullet’s impact, and when the medicine passes, he should open his eyes immediately.”

Yes, this was all a ploy designed by Xie Quan. People gather for profit, and as soon as the profit disappears, Ji Shanhong’s group would naturally be scattered. And his plan was simple, only two steps.

The first step was to let the world know the truth about beta.

The second step, let him die in front of everyone.

The former would make Ji Shanhong lose the support of betas, and the latter would make Ji Shanhong give up on him completely.

This was what Xie Quan said at the time, “I need a gunner I trust enough to hit me in the heart in front of everyone. I’m confident I can design a protective layer that will not be penetrated by bullets, but it’s difficult to hit accurately at such a distance.”

Ji Cheying didn’t agree at first; it would have been too dangerous. If the shooter slightly deflected, Xie Quan’s chance of survival would be slim. However, he couldn’t stop Xie Quan, and he couldn’t refuse.

So, he took the gun. He asked, “Do you trust me?”

Xie Quan stared into his eyes and replied, “I only believe in you.”

At that moment, Ji Cheying was completely compromised, and he smiled helplessly and bitterly. “You are so cruel.”

Let him take the gun and point it at the heart of his loved one.

In that moment from on top of the clock tower, he used the sight to point at Xie Quan’s heart, pulled the trigger and fired the most cautious and fearful shot of his life, which would probably be his nightmare forever. Even now, after learning that Xie Quan was unharmed and that his shot was not accurate, he still couldn’t control the chills. The hands that held the gun were trembling.

At the time of the shooting, he used all his courage and self-control to suppress his own nonsensical thoughts, to suppress his fear. Because he couldn’t panic, nor could he be afraid, he must use the most calm state of mind to shoot that shot. However, the moment after the trigger was pulled, those previously suppressed emotions seemed to backfire and consume all of his sanity.

Fear made it impossible for him to breathe, and even as he gasped for air, he seemed unable to get a single breath.

Until now, the air had his familiar lime pheromone smell. He was like a fish back in the water, breathing.

It’s okay. Everything was safe and sound. He was alive.

He was alive…

Barely suppressing his emotions, Ji Cheying looked up at Xie Quan’s pale face and resisted the urge to look away, saying, “Hurry up and take the next step, we have to get him out of here.”