After Escaping Marriage - Chapter 96
Chapter 96
【If you feel you're not good enough for her, then what do my seven years count for?】
Yu Qingtang's fingertips hovered over the virtual keyboard, typing and pausing, the cursor blinking in the blank box. Finally, Yu Qingtang closed the chat window.
Yu Qingtang's impression of Wen Zhihan was that of a university classmate: good-looking, gentle-tempered, and an excellent student. In their final year of master's studies, they had both applied to different programs at the same prestigious overseas university. At that time, Yu Qingtang's maternal grandfather hadn't yet had his fall, and Yu Qingtang's life was still on the path of studying abroad. Wen Zhihan had excitedly told her this news, and Yu Qingtang had genuinely been happy for her. As for the two of them being classmates again in a foreign land, Yu Qingtang hadn't considered that aspect at all; she couldn't fathom Wen Zhihan's joy.
Yu Qingtang never denied her own cold-heartedness. Before Cheng Zhanxi, Wen Zhihan could only be "considered" her friend because Wen Zhihan always accompanied her, and in the conventional definition, that seemed to be what friends were. But she herself had no desire to actively get close to her.
On the day of their master's graduation, Wen Zhihan confessed to her, saying she had always liked her – a romantic kind of like, not a friendly one. At that moment, Yu Qingtang didn't hesitate for even a second and directly rejected her.
There was no contemplation, let alone any sense of inferiority, or feeling that she and Wen Zhihan were incompatible.
In Yu Qingtang's memory, Wen Zhihan's father was a socialite, and her mother was a physicist. As for Wen Zhihan herself... Yu Qingtang hadn't paid much attention, but it seemed everyone around her liked her too. She was well-educated, cultured, and possessed many talents. Once, at a large joint arts gala, Wen Zhihan performed a piano solo. Afterwards, both men and women came to give her flowers, nearly starting a fight below the stage.
She wasn't universally loved and popular like Cheng Zhanxi, whose brilliance was so dazzling she would be noticed at first glance. Cheng Zhanxi was the sun, Wen Zhihan the moon, but the moon only reflects the sun's light; it cannot warm another moon.
Cheng Zhanxi had once teased that Wen Zhihan was the "less ice, one-third sugar" version of Yu Qingtang, showing a unique insight in recognizing early on that they were essentially the same type of person.
Setting aside Yu Qingtang's "painter filter," objectively, Wen Zhihan and Cheng Zhanxi were equally outstanding. Wen Zhihan was telling Yu Qingtang not to devalue herself, nor to devalue her seven years of feelings.
Yu Qingtang looked at the small nail hole on her bedroom wall.
It was left from when Cheng Mo's painting, Blizzard, had been moved from the living room and then back again.
The phone on the bedside table vibrated.
Yu Qingtang snapped out of her daze, her gaze slowly shifting to the phone, which she then picked up.
Cheng Zhanxi: 【Good night】
After sending this message, Cheng Zhanxi watched the "typing..." indicator appear at the top of the screen. Two minutes later, Yu Qingtang's message popped up.
【Good night】
The stillness of the night tended to amplify emotions. The heart in Cheng Zhanxi's chest was beating faster. She pressed her hand to her heart and excitedly rolled over once on the large bed.
After replying, perhaps due to a telepathic connection or some inexplicable urge, Yu Qingtang clicked on Cheng Zhanxi's profile picture and went into her Moments. She scrolled down a few posts and was about to exit when she casually refreshed the feed and saw a new post Cheng Zhanxi had just made.
【Want to kiss her】
Yu Qingtang's cheeks grew warm. She stared at this Moments post, her gaze lingering for a long time.
Cheng Zhanxi's breath seemed to brush her nose again, her deeply affectionate eyes, the way she had lingeringly traced her lips and tongue, nibbling and sucking, the base of her palm cupping Yu Qingtang's cheek, leaving her no escape, only able to receive the passion she offered.
Each time, her heart pounded violently, the air in her lungs seemingly sucked dry, yet she still wanted to drown in that intoxicating tenderness.
Yu Qingtang closed her eyes, her breathing heavy.
Cheng Zhanxi hadn't set this post to be visible to only one person. Friends were teasing her in the comments, and after about ten minutes, Cheng Zhanxi deleted it.
She used a selfie stick to take a picture of her bed – a large, white, soft bed. She only occupied half of it, the other half empty.
This time, she set it to be visible only to Yu Qingtang. The implication couldn't have been more obvious.
But she suspected Yu Qingtang might think she was only after her body, deepening the misunderstanding, so she quickly deleted it too. She was clearly after her whole person!
Yu Qingtang happened to be scrolling through her Moments all night and saw both posts.
An unconscious smile played in Yu Qingtang's eyes as she scrolled to Cheng Zhanxi's last Moments post before bed.
【Good night, baby】
Conventional and safe, playing it safe was best.
Yu Qingtang put down her phone and turned off the bedside lamp.
She thought she would toss and turn, unable to sleep, but unexpectedly, she fell asleep quickly, a smile on her lips.
Waking up the next morning, Yu Qingtang unsurprisingly felt the upward curve of her lips. She didn't remember what she had dreamed, but she must have dreamed of Cheng Zhanxi; perhaps she had kissed her again in the dream.
Today was Saturday, two days before the official start of the second semester of the first year of high school. As a homeroom teacher, Yu Qingtang needed to go to school to prepare for student registration.
Last semester, she had received a complaint, and Director Tao had said she would only teach Class 7 for one semester. Later, as the teacher-student relationship improved, Director Tao retracted that statement. Yu Qingtang naturally had no objection and thus continued as the homeroom teacher for Class 7.
After freshening up, she returned to find a message from Cheng Zhanxi: 【Teacher Yu, would you like to come to my place for breakfast?】
Yu Qingtang changed her clothes and went out to the apartment opposite hers.
The door to 2102 was wide open.
Yu Qingtang stopped in the entryway, looking at the slippers placed inside, hesitating where she stood.
Before, she hadn't understood, hadn't realized. Now, she hadn't yet agreed to Cheng Zhanxi's proposal. To continue acting so familiarly, as if she weren't an outsider, felt a bit...
Cheng Zhanxi, wearing an apron, walked from the kitchen towards the refrigerator. Seeing Yu Qingtang standing outside, she smiled and said, "Why don't you come in? Do you want me to carry you in?"
She put down what she was holding and made a move as if to come and hug her.
Yu Qingtang quickly lowered her head, swiftly changed into the slippers, and sat down on the living room sofa.
Cheng Zhanxi couldn't help but chuckle.
"Sit for a moment, it'll be ready soon." Cheng Zhanxi's figure disappeared behind the kitchen door.
Yu Qingtang placed both hands on her knees, her back straight, her expression reserved.
It was similar to her first formal visit, yet her mood was subtly different.
Cheng Zhanxi made two bowls of hand-pulled noodles. The noodles were chewy, the broth rich, and it was served with various seafood, making it fresh, fragrant, and delicious.
Yu Qingtang held the bowl with both hands, took a small sip of the rich soup, and asked, "How is this noodle dish made?"
Cheng Zhanxi, holding bamboo chopsticks, paused. "You want to learn?"
Yu Qingtang nodded.
Cheng Zhanxi smiled gently. "To make it for me?"
Yu Qingtang nodded again, nearly burying her face in the soup bowl.
Cheng Zhanxi stopped teasing her and said with a smile, "Then come over early tomorrow, and I'll teach you."
After breakfast, Yu Qingtang put the bowls and chopsticks into the dishwasher in the kitchen.
Cheng Zhanxi stood not far behind her, her gaze following Yu Qingtang's slender figure. The walk from her apartment wasn't long, so Yu Qingtang hadn't bothered to wear a coat, only a tight black sweater underneath. From behind, her waist looked exceptionally slim, like a supple willow branch. With just a gentle embrace, Cheng Zhanxi could hold her fully.
Yu Qingtang's waist and abdomen weren't as flat and firm as Cheng Zhanxi's. No matter how thin a person was, if they didn't deliberately exercise, their waist would have a bit of softness, feeling plush to the touch, a unique sensation.
But Cheng Zhanxi didn't approach. Since they had both spoken openly, it wouldn't be too late to be openly affectionate once their relationship was official.
Cheng Zhanxi withdrew her gaze.
Yu Qingtang noticed Cheng Zhanxi's respectful restraint, unlike before when she would hug her at the slightest pretext, and these past two days, she would kiss her at the drop of a hat, causing Yu Qingtang's mind to instantly lose its ability to think.
Cheng Zhanxi's appropriate respect, knowing when to advance and when to retreat, eased Yu Qingtang's inner tension. Although she also desired Cheng Zhanxi's closeness, unrestrained intimacy at this stage would clearly only cause her stress. She needed not only time but also space.
Cheng Zhanxi was someone who always made people feel comfortable around her.
Yu Qingtang looked down at the marble coffee table in front of her, not at Cheng Zhanxi sitting on the other side of the sofa, and said, "I need to go to school in a bit."
"What time?" Cheng Zhanxi asked naturally.
"Nine o'clock. The students are due to register. I need to go to the academic affairs office to pick up some materials and attend a meeting."
"Shall I go with you?"
"Mm."
Yu Qingtang's peripheral vision caught Cheng Zhanxi's slender, fair fingers resting casually on the sofa. Her heart skipped a beat, and she lowered her eyelids.
Cheng Zhanxi picked up an empty cup from the coffee table to get some water.
Yu Qingtang put down the throw pillow and took the opportunity to stand up. "I'll head back first."
Cheng Zhanxi turned back, her expression unchanged as she smiled. "Alright, I'll see you at the elevator in a bit."
Yu Qingtang hurried out, her retreating figure flustered, like a little rabbit making a getaway.
Cheng Zhanxi smiled, looking at the empty doorway.
Nine o'clock sharp.
Yu Qingtang came out of 2101 on time. Cheng Zhanxi was already waiting by the elevator. The weather had warmed up a bit. Having returned from the north, Cheng Zhanxi had shed her thick overcoat. She wore a lake-blue trench coat, light-colored trousers, and brown ankle boots. Her peach-blossom eyes, looking over, held a subtle sparkle.
Yu Qingtang's steps faltered for a moment before she silently walked forward.
Ding—
Yu Qingtang walked in first. Looking at her reflection in the elevator wall, she saw her black overcoat and black trousers. The only touch of difference was the bamboo-green scarf around her neck. She couldn't remember which year she had bought it; the color had faded, dull and lackluster.
The descent passed quickly as she was lost in thought. The elevator doors in front of her opened, and the face of a tenant came into view.
"Miss Yu."
Yu Qingtang nodded and walked past the tenant.
"Good morning to you both," the receptionist on the first floor said with a sweet smile.
Yu Qingtang nodded. "Good morning."
Walking along the familiar path to school, Yu Qingtang slowly returned to reality from her state of distraction. She wiggled her fingers, which were hanging by her side, and her hand was naturally taken by Cheng Zhanxi, their fingers interlaced.
She was like a kite drifting in the sky, and Cheng Zhanxi was the string connecting her to the human world.
Other homeroom teachers were already in the office. Yu Qingtang greeted them and went to the academic affairs office, while Cheng Zhanxi stayed behind to tidy up both their desks.
The school cafeteria was open. At noon, the two ate in the cafeteria. The dishes they had grown tired of last semester tasted good again in the new semester.
The lunch break was still spent in the study at Cheng Zhanxi's apartment. Yu Qingtang no longer locked the door, and Cheng Zhanxi didn't enter uninvited.
But when Yu Qingtang got up and opened the door, Cheng Zhanxi was standing at the study entrance, looking up at her with a gentle smile in her eyes.
Yu Qingtang couldn't help but feel a deep throb in her heart for her.
However, the more perfect and flawless Cheng Zhanxi appeared, the more insecure and self-conscious Yu Qingtang felt, daring not to accept this relationship with such a vast disparity.
Student registration began at two o'clock on Saturday afternoon, handled by the homeroom teachers, and lasted for two days.
The corridors, deserted for a month, became lively again.
At ten minutes to two, Yu Qingtang sat at the teacher's desk. Cheng Zhanxi had moved a student's chair and sat beside her, her fingers gently combing through Yu Qingtang's dark hair, which cascaded down her back.
She lifted a strand to her nose, sniffed it, praised how fragrant her hair was, and asked what brand of shampoo she used.
Yu Qingtang said she didn't remember but would show her when they got back.
The two chatted idly. A girl not in school uniform walked in through the doorway. She wasn't tall, nor was her skin fair, but her eyes were large, revealing a cleverness.
Tong Feifei peeked in and asked, "Teacher, am I the first one?"
An unconscious smile touched Yu Qingtang's lips. "Yes, you're the first. Come on over."
Tong Feifei replied, "Alrighty!" and skipped over, paid her school fees, and watched as Yu Qingtang wrote her name on the registration list.
Afterward, she sat down in the front row of the classroom and didn't leave, cupping her face and acting cute. "Teacher Yu, I missed you so much."
Yu Qingtang's eyes curved into a smile.
Cheng Zhanxi noticed Yu Qingtang's mood visibly improving. Feeling a twinge of jealousy, she deliberately prompted Tong Feifei to say more. "What did you miss? Did you finish your winter homework?"
Tong Feifei said, "Of course, I finished it. Isn't it due on Monday? I didn't bring it."
"You must have had a blast during the winter break, right? You probably really don't want to go back to school, huh?"
"Hahahaha."
"Before I left, you all said you'd miss me. Do you remember my surname?"
"Your surname is 'Awesome,' hahahaha."
Tong Feifei alone made the quiet classroom sound as if three or four people were there.
Students gradually came in through the door to register. Some had paid their fees online or at the bank, while others, for various reasons, paid directly to the homeroom teacher at school. Cheng Zhanxi, quick-handed, was responsible for counting the money, while Yu Qingtang recorded names in the register. Most students didn't leave after registering; they either chatted with Cheng Zhanxi or bantered with classmates they hadn't seen for a month. The classroom was abuzz with chatter, as if filled with five thousand ducks.
Yu Qingtang listened from the teacher's desk. Occasionally, when someone cued her, she would give a faint smile.
Class 7 students: "!!!"
Incredible! What had changed Teacher Yu? A glance beside her, and the case was solved: Teacher Cheng was sitting right there.
She even came along for student registration. Isn't this the power of true love?
Lian Yabing was so engrossed in 'shipping' them she felt dizzy: When on earth are those two getting married?
Li Lan watched Yu Qingtang; whenever Yu Qingtang smiled, she would smile too, bright and sunny, a complete fangirl.
Gradually, students started heading home, but Li Lan, Lian Yabing, and others stayed the longest, only reluctantly leaving the classroom with Yu Qingtang when Saturday's registration period ended.
Yu Qingtang went to the dormitory area to check on the returning boarding students. Two hadn't come back yet, including Xiao Qing.
Class teachers became busy at the start of the school term. Sunday followed the same procedure as Saturday. After finishing, Yu Qingtang checked the list, her brow clearly furrowed.
Cheng Zhanxi moved the chair back to its original place, walked up to the teacher's desk, and asked, "What's wrong?"
Yu Qingtang handed her the list and said, "Xiao Qing didn't come."
Cheng Zhanxi: "Go check the dormitory area?"
Yu Qingtang put away the list, and the two of them hurried to the dormitory area. Xiao Qing's bed was empty. Her roommate said she hadn't returned.
Yu Qingtang called Xiao Qing's father. A cold, robotic female voice announced: "Sorry, the number you have dialed is switched off. Please try again later..."
Yu Qingtang paced back and forth twice.
Cheng Zhanxi comforted her, "It's okay. Maybe she'll come tomorrow. If not, we'll figure something out. She's a grown person; she won't just disappear."
Xiao Qing really had disappeared.
Monday was the official start of school. During the flag-raising ceremony, the national anthem played solemnly. Class 7 stood in neat rows, but one person was missing from their ranks. Yu Qingtang spent the whole day at school, occasionally dropping by the classroom, looking at the empty seat. The students in the class were also discussing why Xiao Qing hadn't come to school.
When Li Lan came to the office to ask Yu Qingtang what had happened, Yu Qingtang had just hung up another unanswered call to Xiao Qing's father.
She sat in her office chair, looked up at the class monitor with the mole on the tip of her nose, and said in a firm voice, "It's alright. I will bring her to school."
Li Lan left.
Cheng Zhanxi was sitting diagonally opposite Yu Qingtang. She saw Yu Qingtang's gaze turn towards her, and Yu Qingtang asked calmly and rationally, "Teacher Cheng, are you free to accompany me to Baishui Township on Saturday?"
Cheng Zhanxi nodded. "Of course."
Baishui Township, Zequan Village.
Xiao Qing's home was at the end of the village, a simple two-room bungalow. The vegetable garden enclosed in the yard hadn't been tended to for who knows how long; it was overgrown with weeds, with only a few loofahs hanging forlornly on their vines.
An auntie with a basket hooked on her arm pushed open the wicker gate and walked in. Seeing the neglected vegetable garden, she sighed, raised her voice, and called out, "Chunjin."
She continued walking in, calling, "Chunjin? Xiao Qing's dad?"
The lights were off in the house, and it was dim. The auntie entered the main room and said to the ajar door of the innermost room, "Chunjin, I've brought you lunch. I'm coming in."
The auntie pushed the door open and entered.
Her pupils contracted suddenly. She immediately put down the basket containing the food bowl and rushed to Xiao Chunjin, who was lying face down on the floor. She struggled to turn him over, patting the middle-aged man's emaciated face, and anxiously called out, "Chunjin! Chunjin!"
Xiao Chunjin let out a muffled groan and opened his cloudy eyes, which looked far older than his actual age. He grabbed the auntie's hand, his chapped lips parting and closing.
"Xiao Qing..."
The auntie quickly said, "Xiao Qing is fine. She asked me to bring you food, don't you remember?"
Xiao Chunjin kicked his leg like a dying fish, his eyes rolling upwards, showing the whites.
The auntie was scared half to death. In a desperate attempt, she pressed the philtrum point below his nose, managing to bring him back.
Xiao Chunjin took a heavy gasp of air and asked, "Xiao Qing... Where is Xiao Qing?"
The auntie thought he was worried about his daughter and comforted him, "She's in town, doing well, nothing's wrong. You just rest and recuperate at home."
Xiao Chunjin gripped the auntie's hand, his eyes bulging as if they would pop out of their bluish sockets. He used all his strength to say, "Let her... let her go... go to school..."
The auntie sighed. "Can you please take care of yourself first? Xiao Qing is just being filial."
I don't want her filial piety!
Xiao Chunjin could no longer speak. His eyes were wide with fury, his breathing grew heavier and heavier, and finally, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted.
"Chunjin—"
The auntie shook his shoulder. Xiao Chunjin's eyes were tightly closed, his lips deathly pale, and he showed no reaction.
The auntie hurriedly ran out of the gate, shouting loudly, "Someone, quick—"
Two men worked together to move Xiao Chunjin onto the bed. The auntie went to the east end of the village to fetch a villager who had once been a barefoot doctor. The old man was elderly and walked slowly with a cane. By the time he arrived, Xiao Chunjin had already woken up and was lying weakly on the bed, drenched in cold sweat.
Xiao Chunjin had farmed for many years, and the accumulated toil had led to illness. Initially, it was just back pain that kept him from sleeping. Last November, not long after Yu Qingtang's home visit, Xiao Chunjin collapsed on a field ridge. People from the neighboring village had to bring him home on a cart. After that, he could barely straighten his back, which ached with a piercing pain. Daily life became difficult, let alone working. Several aunties in the village took turns bringing him meals.
He lay at home for half a month with no improvement. He went to the hospital, where the doctor took X-rays and said he needed surgery.
Xiao Chunjin left the hospital and continued to lie at home, enduring the pain. He couldn't sleep night after night, and pained groans often came from his room in the middle of the night.
Xiao Qing only found out when she returned home at the end of the semester that her father was ill and had been bedridden for two months.
She wanted her father to be hospitalized, but Xiao Chunjin refused. He didn't have much savings to begin with, and having not worked for two months, he was depleting what little he had. The money on hand was just enough for Xiao Qing's tuition and accommodation for the next semester. If he spent it, Xiao Qing wouldn't be able to go to school.
The father and daughter became stubborn with each other.
Starting from the winter break, Xiao Qing went to work washing dishes at a hotel in town to earn money for Xiao Chunjin's surgery. She didn't even go to register for the new school term. She was determined not to study anymore; nothing was more important than her father's health. She had hands and feet; if she went out to work in the future, would she and her father starve?
The old man who had been a barefoot doctor entered the room. Squinting, he looked at Xiao Chunjin, the patient on the narrow bed who was breathing shallowly, and muttered, "Why aren't the lights on?"
He had the villagers turn Xiao Chunjin over. His five thin, dry fingers pressed on the bones of Xiao Chunjin's back. Xiao Chunjin broke out in a cold sweat and kept gasping.
The old man released his hand, leaned on his cane, and sighed, "You still need to go to the hospital. Just lying here won't do any good; it will only get worse."
He looked at the cold food nearby and said, "Why aren't you even eating? Are you trying to starve yourself to death?"
Saturday.
Cheng Zhanxi had a car, so unlike last year when the two of them had to go through the trouble of changing transport to get to the village. Even so, Cheng Zhanxi drove for nearly two hours.
No main road passed through Zequan Village. Cheng Zhanxi parked the car in a convenient spot, and she and Yu Qingtang took a small path. They once again set foot on that mountain path, a steep slope. Cheng Zhanxi rushed down first and stood at the bottom with her arms open. Yu Qingtang also ran down, bumping into Cheng Zhanxi and knocking her back several steps before she regained her balance.
Cheng Zhanxi hugged her tightly, laughing beside her ear.
Yu Qingtang's heart pounded violently in her chest. It took a while for her to calm down before she lifted her head from the crook of Cheng Zhanxi's neck.
Cheng Zhanxi touched Yu Qingtang's face and ears, which were cold from the mountain wind, then retook her hand tightly, swinging it twice in the air, and said, "Let's go."
Now familiar with the route, the two of them walked down from the stone tablet at the village entrance. They encountered a few villagers on the way, who looked at them curiously.
From outside the fence, Cheng Zhanxi saw the neglected vegetable garden inside, her brow furrowing slightly.
Before she could reach out, Yu Qingtang had already pushed open the wooden gate and gone inside.
"Xiao Qing's dad?"
Cheng Zhanxi chuckled.
If Yu Qingtang were half as proactive with her as she was with her students, they would be celebrating their golden wedding anniversary by now. Students, well, Cheng Zhanxi wouldn't bicker with children.
Yu Qingtang knocked on the ajar main door, which creaked open.
She lifted her foot to step forward, but Cheng Zhanxi grabbed her arm, pulled her behind herself, and pushed both doors wide open, letting all the sunlight from outside flood in.
"Will this be alright?" Yu Qingtang whispered.
"There's nothing wrong with it," Cheng Zhanxi said, leading her inside.
Yu Qingtang looked at Cheng Zhanxi's figure shielding her from the front and pursed her lips.
After calling out several times with no response, Cheng Zhanxi opened the rooms one by one. There were only three rooms in total. When she reached the second one, an unpleasant odor emanated from inside.
Cheng Zhanxi told Yu Qingtang to wait at the door. She went in, and her expression changed slightly. She looked back at Yu Qingtang and moved aside a little.
Xiao Chunjin lay on the innermost bed, emaciated, his eyes tightly closed, his chest rising and falling slowly.
Yu Qingtang stood by the bed, calling him repeatedly, "Xiao Qing's dad."
Xiao Chunjin slowly opened his eyes. Through the dim light, he recognized Yu Qingtang's face and shed two streams of cloudy tears. Then, with a sudden burst of unknown strength, he sat up halfway, his withered hand reaching for Yu Qingtang's. Cheng Zhanxi, quick-eyed and swift-handed, pulled Yu Qingtang into her embrace for protection.
Xiao Chunjin couldn't manage to sit up fully; he fell back halfway, his hand dropping limply onto the bed.
He looked at Yu Qingtang, tears streaming down his face, muttering something.
Yu Qingtang patted Cheng Zhanxi's arm, signaling her to let go, and pressed her ear close to the middle-aged man's chapped lips.
"Let Xiao... Xiao Qing go back... back to school... to study..."
In the courtyard behind the restaurant kitchen, greasy plates were stacked high in pile after pile.
Xiao Qing, wearing rubber gloves, deftly washed the dishes in a large basin, placing them into clean water on her left.
Her back ached to the point of numbness from sitting all day. Her eyes were dull as she mechanically repeated the dishwashing motions.
Suddenly, a pair of feet in black hiking boots appeared before her.
Xiao Qing slowly raised her head. Black trousers encased straight legs, and a dark gray overcoat was buttoned up to the very top, revealing a woman's smooth, fair chin and delicate features.
The cloth in Xiao Qing's hand fell into the water. She stared blankly at the woman in front of her.
"Teacher Yu..."
Yu Qingtang, her hands in her overcoat pockets, said calmly, "Your dad is in the hospital."
Xiao Qing's expression changed drastically. She pulled off her rubber gloves and, ignoring her aching back, got up and ran outside.
Yu Qingtang's voice came faintly from behind her, "Do you know which hospital he's in?"
Xiao Qing turned back to look at her, her eyes clearly red-rimmed.
Yu Qingtang walked over, sighed softly, took her chapped hand, and said, "I'll take you. Your dad is fine, don't worry."
Cheng Zhanxi was at the kitchen exit. Seeing the two of them come out together, she smiled.
Yu Qingtang also smiled back at her.
A taxi was waiting at the restaurant entrance. Cheng Zhanxi gave the address, and the taxi headed towards the hospital.
Yu Qingtang gently stroked Xiao Qing's hair.
Cheng Zhanxi quietly watched this scene. The phone in her pocket vibrated; it was a text message from an unknown number.
【Wen Zhihan: I'm at the airport now, preparing to go abroad. Last week, after you confessed to Yu Qingtang, she private messaged me. If you're interested in the content, add me on WeChat. Search for this phone number on WeChat. Offer expires soon.】
Cheng Zhanxi scoffed.
Yu Qingtang looked at her with confusion.
Cheng Zhanxi put her phone away and said casually, "It's nothing, just a spam message."
Yu Qingtang turned her face away.
Why would Yu Qingtang want to chat with Wen Zhihan?
Cheng Zhanxi replied to her text: 【What did she talk to you about?】
Wen Zhihan ignored her.
Cheng Zhanxi gritted her teeth, shielded her screen with her hand, searched for the phone number, and added her as a friend.
Wen Zhihan accepted instantly and sent over a chat log.
Wen Zhihan: So why aren't you with her?
Yu Qingtang: I'm not good enough for her.
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