Professional Stand-in, With an Hourly Salary of 100,000

84 - At Least A Few Hundred Millions

"There was a little girl named Ji Fanyin," said Ji Fanyin calmly. "She was a precocious child, sensitive and fragile, desperate for familial love. It was just that those qualities were a double-edged sword to her..."

Ji Fanyin chose to selectively share details of 'Ji Fanyin's' past. Her goal was not to convince Li Xiaoxing about supernatural happenings but to make him realize how and where he had erred.

Being able to judge a person's character accurately was an important skill to a 'King of the Seas'.

Ji Fanyin knew that possessive people like Li Xiaoxing tended to be easily controlled themselves, which was why she had conditioned him over the past few months.

Her primary goal was not to manipulate Li Xiaoxing; she was earnestly doing her job to fulfill Li Xiaoxing's wish of getting together with Ji Xinxin. She wasn't planning on using the conditioning under normal circumstances, it just served as a safety precaution, should things go awry.

And things did go awry.

As Ji Fanyin slowly shared the story, Li Xiaoxing's pained breathing gradually quietened down.

By the time Ji Fanyin stopped to take a sip of water at the end of the hour, Li Xiaoxing had already recovered enough to ask a question, "Is everything you have told me true?"

"It is true if you wish to believe in it."

"... What happened afterward? You haven't shared anything about your life after university."

"Aren't you already feeling better?" Ji Fanyin pointed out.

Time froze. It took a while before Li Xiaoxing managed to formulate a reply.

"... No, it still hurts badly. I feel like a truck is crushing my legs." Li Xiaoxing appeared to be in a state of panic but was trying his best to remain calm because he knew that he couldn't succumb to it. "I want to extend the session for another two... No, an hour will do."

"Hush." Ji Fanyin stopped him with a single word. "Time's up."

...

Ji Fanyin hung up the phone.

Li Xiaoxing tightened his grip around his phone as he watched the screen go dim. The unbearable pain reared its ugly head once more, starting from his knees before swiftly consuming his legs like a flood of flames.

He bit down hard on his lips in an attempt to suppress the mind-numbing pain and hurriedly dialed Li Mingyue's number. "You have Ji Fanyin's diary?"

Li Mingyue's voice sounded sober, seemingly having woken up early. "I just received it, but I haven't finished looking through it. Do you want a copy?"

"Send it to me." He further emphasized, "Directly."

"Got it." Li Mingyue hesitated for a moment before asking, "Brother, are you alright? Your voice sounds weak."

"I'm fine," Li Xiaoxing replied perfunctorily. "I need the diary as soon as possible."

He hung up the phone.

The excruciating pain continued to torture him, so he started murmuring Ji Fanyin's name over and over in his mind. He thought about every single word and action from her, allowing her to consume his mind.

It seemed to dull the pain in his legs, as if a pail of cooling water had been poured over the raging inferno. It wasn't as effective as hearing her voice directly, but he did feel better.

Perplexed, he tested his theory out a couple of times. It didn't take long for him to be soaked in cold sweat, but he managed to confirm a fact...

... Ji Fanyin was the only cure to his phantom pain.