VBNWDW - Chapter 8

Chapter 8

“Sister Yueqing!”

The voice, filled with utter surprise, was scattered by the wind. Luo Yueqing continued forward, feigning a look of astonishment as if drawn by the sound, and turned her head.

She frowned slightly, her eyes filled with confusion as she asked, “You are…”

“A relative of Miss Xi?”

Although Xi Zhoukang and Xi Zhoulu did not share the same mother, they both inherited the Xi family’s characteristic black hair and blue eyes. His complexion was just a bit darker, and his features appeared more delicate. But when the two stood together, one could see their close relationship at a glance.

Hearing this, Xi Zhoukang assumed Luo Yueqing hadn’t recognized him. His expression immediately turned sorrowful, and for a moment, he couldn’t find the words to explain.

Luo Yueqing, however, didn’t stop. Her expression grew even sterner as she said directly, “If you are a family member, you should be well aware of how severe Miss Xi’s condition is.”

“Don’t waste time with idle chatter that can wait. What she needs most right now is rest.”

“Ah…” Xi Zhoukang was at a loss for what to say, merely letting out a sound.

Xi Zhoulu had only moved back to the Xi family home from their grandfather’s old residence after he had turned five. By then, Xi Zhoukang could already recognize people. Spoiled by his parents, he was naturally quite displeased with this sister who had suddenly appeared.

Coupled with his father’s indifference, his mother’s hostility, and the fact that Xi Zhoulu wouldn’t coddle him like others did, Xi Zhoukang grew increasingly cold toward his sister. Despite living under the same roof, they could go half a month without exchanging a single word. After they became adults, their only interactions were when he asked for money.

As for her illness…

To be honest, Xi Zhoukang even had to tilt his head and think. If he hadn’t been unable to reach her by phone, he wouldn’t have contacted Xi Zhoulu’s secretary and learned she was hospitalized. As for why she was hospitalized…

Xi Zhoukang gave a sheepish smile. Didn’t the Xi family have a dedicated medical team for regular check-ups? Seeing that she could still sit up, it probably wasn’t that serious.

“Are you… really a relative?” Seeing his bewildered reaction, Luo Yueqing responded appropriately, beginning to doubt the man’s identity.

Luo Yueqing’s gaze instantly filled with vigilance. “How did you sneak in here?”

Though she had deep, stunning features, when she wiped the smile from her face and put on a stern expression, she became quite intimidating, like a rose revealing its sharp thorns, ready to prick someone.

Seeing that he still wasn’t answering, Luo Yueqing immediately raised her voice. “Secur—”

“Sis—no, Sister Yueqing! I’m her brother, I didn’t sneak in,” Xi Zhoukang couldn’t be bothered with trying to reconnect now. He rushed forward a step and cut her off.

“My name is Xi Zhoukang. I’m her younger brother.”

Xi Zhoukang usually hated saying that sentence. On a normal day, he would even proactively tell people he was an only child, refusing to mention Xi Zhoulu. But now, he had no choice but to offer this frustrating explanation.

Upon hearing this, Luo Yueqing first glanced at Xi Zhoulu. Only after receiving a nod of confirmation did she turn back, her tone softening slightly. “My apologies, Mr. Xi. I just assumed that given Miss Xi’s condition, you all would be the most informed.”

The smile that had just started to form on Xi Zhoukang’s face froze again.

Luo Yueqing suddenly seemed to remember something else and confirmed, “You are blood-related, right?”

Xi Zhoukang was speechless.

He emphasized with a heavier tone, “We have the same father.”

This only seemed to confuse Luo Yueqing more. She asked again, “Her condition couldn’t have developed in a day or two. You really didn’t know?”

Xi Zhoukang forced an awkward laugh. He was extremely embarrassed, wanting to both reconnect with Luo Yueqing and maintain his image. In the end, he achieved neither, and things were only getting worse.

Luo Yueqing frowned and chided, “You should care more about your family. Where are your parents?”

He answered subconsciously, “Still traveling abroad.”

Luo Yueqing’s frown deepened, her voice tinged with anger. “None of you knew about this?”

“She faints from the slightest emotional fluctuation right now, did you know that?”

“You don’t care about her normally, so why are you here bothering her now?!”

As if a thought suddenly struck her, Luo Yueqing spoke with a hint of disgust, “I don’t meddle in the affairs of you wealthy people, but if you’re here to take advantage of the situation and harm my patient for something like inheritance, I absolutely will not allow it.”

At these words, even Xi Zhoulu, sitting on the hospital bed, was taken aback.

Although their relationship was far from good, she knew her good-for-nothing brother well enough. He had little ability but lofty ambitions, lacking even the qualifications to have Old Master Xi let him into the company, yet he was still dreaming of investments that would yield a fortune, only to lose money every time.

Besides, the current head of the Xi Group was Old Master Xi. Their equally useless father could only receive dividends and had no say in any of the group’s decisions. Old Master Xi valued Xi Zhoulu and intended to give the Xi Group to her. These two couldn’t even get a word in, let alone fight over inheritance rights.

“I-I’m not!” Xi Zhoukang’s reaction was even stronger; he practically jumped to his feet.

“I just ran into some trouble with my business and came to borrow some money from her,” Xi Zhoukang quickly tried to salvage the situation, his tone both urgent and indignant.

Who would have thought?

In an instant, he had become a heartless, ungrateful scoundrel in Luo Yueqing’s eyes, someone who would kick a person when they were down.

He strode forward, wanting to grab her hand, and said anxiously, “Sister Yueqing, let me explain…”

Luo Yueqing gave him no quarter, taking a step back to avoid his hand and cutting him off directly. “Mr. Xi, I don’t care what your difficulties are. Right now, my patient needs to rest quietly.”

“Please leave this room immediately. Right now.”

Xi Zhoukang had no intention of giving up. “I still have things to discuss.”

“I think being completely unaware of your own sister’s condition is already outrageous enough. To deliberately disturb her and worsen her situation…” Luo Yueqing didn’t finish her sentence, her expression growing even colder.

Xi Zhoukang knew this matter wouldn’t be cleared up anytime soon. The money wasn’t urgent; what was most important right now was Luo Yueqing.

He said quickly, “I’ll leave right away, but Yueqing, do you really not remember me?”

“It’s me, Xiao Kang!” he said urgently, stepping forward and getting closer, wishing he could press his face right up to her eyes.

In the original story, aside from his jealousy and dislike for Xi Zhoulu, Xi Zhoukang wasn’t a bad person to others. He was just spoiled by his parents, accustomed to being self-centered, and desperate to prove himself. Otherwise, the original Luo Yueqing wouldn’t have slowly drifted from Xi Zhoulu’s side to his.

Therefore, Xi Zhoukang had always remembered being helped when he was bullied as a child and was deeply grateful to Luo Yueqing. Even after she suddenly disappeared without leaving any contact information, he had tried to find her several times, thinking of her often.

“Sister Yueqing, we were in the same class in elementary school!”

Only then did Luo Yueqing pause, a look of confusion and contemplation on her face.

Meanwhile, Xi Zhoulu, lying on the bed, narrowed her eyes. She leaned back slightly against the pillow in a seemingly relaxed motion, but in reality, she had once again gripped her cane.

“It’s you…” Luo Yueqing seemed to finally remember after studying him carefully.

Xi Zhoukang was overjoyed. He took another step forward and said quickly, “Yes, yes! Why did you suddenly leave back then? I went to your house to look for you several times.”

Luo Yueqing’s expression softened a little, but her tone remained cool. “What a coincidence. Something came up with my family back then, so I couldn’t say a proper goodbye to everyone.”

Xi Zhoukang nodded. He thought that now that they had finally reconnected, they would at least exchange a few pleasantries and add each other as contacts, even if there were no tears of gratitude.

Instead, he heard Luo Yueqing’s tone shift again. “Miss Xi needs to rest now. Please come back another time.”

Knowing each other in the past didn’t matter. He still had to leave.

“Huh?”

“Mr. Xi, if you please.” Luo Yueqing simply turned to the side and gestured for him to exit.

Old childhood habits kicked in, and Xi Zhoukang subconsciously started walking with her. “Then… then how can I contact you? Should we find another place to talk?”

“No. I’ll be staying at the hospital for the time being. I don’t have any free time to catch up.”

As her words fell, the door closed with them.

Xi Zhoukang stood at the entrance, staring at the tightly shut door. His expression shifted again and again. He was frustrated but didn’t dare to cause a disturbance, afraid of annoying Luo Yueqing further. After lingering for a moment, he turned and left, unwillingly.

---

Back in the hospital room,

Xi Zhoulu and Luo Yueqing looked at each other.

The woman who had been silent all this time tilted her head slightly. Her excessively exquisite features seemed almost illusory in the sunlight, and her pale, grayish-blue eyes even more so. If not for the unreadable emotion within them, they would have looked just like gemstone beads.

Luo Yueqing met her gaze calmly. The wind lifted strands of her hair, slipping them into the collar of her shirt, where two buttons were undone.

Strangely, neither of them spoke, simply letting the silence stretch between them.

Luo Yueqing stood right where she was in her high heels, while Xi Zhoulu was comfortable, half-reclining against a soft pillow.

A noise came from outside the door—the somewhat loud sound of footsteps. It was Xi Zhoulu’s bodyguards changing shifts. Neither of them paid it any mind.

It was Xi Zhoulu who finally broke the silence. “Where did you just go?”

“Just for a walk downstairs,” Luo Yueqing answered quickly, as if a seal had been broken. She walked toward her.

“How was it?” Xi Zhoulu asked again. Compared to the cold vigilance of the past two days, she seemed a bit more familiar, proactively bringing up matters unrelated to her treatment.

“Not bad. Private hospitals are always willing to spend a lot on landscaping,” Luo Yueqing nodded.

She then asked, “Are you finished?”

Xi Zhoulu nodded. Because of her leg condition, she needed a specialist to massage them every morning and evening. That was why Luo Yueqing had left just now.

“Then how about you rest for a bit?” As soon as Luo Yueqing finished speaking, she bent down to turn the crank on the side of the hospital bed, intending to let Xi Zhoulu lie down.

Xi Zhoulu didn’t stop her, allowing the bed to flatten. Then, Luo Yueqing supported her by the shoulders, trying to pull out the extra pillow propped behind her back.

The distance between them closed. Strands of Luo Yueqing’s hair fell across the other woman’s shoulder and neck.

Xi Zhoulu looked up, her gaze landing perfectly on the scenery revealed by the open collar. Though Luo Yueqing was an Alpha, she was in no way inferior to an Omega. The third button was on the verge of popping open.

The faint scent of roses, tinged with red wine, once again coiled around her nose.

Because the person beneath her wasn’t cooperating, the tightly pressed pillow was extremely difficult to remove. Luo Yueqing couldn’t help but lean lower, trying to yank it out with more force.

The elegant tip of her nose brushed across the silk—an extremely dangerous move.

Xi Zhoulu suddenly spoke. “How do you know him?”

Her warm breath ironed the fabric, trying to slip inside the collar.

Luo Yueqing paused, saying only, “We were elementary school classmates.”

“Very close?” Xi Zhoulu tilted her head, her nose tracing a straight line against the firm curve.

The hand propped on the side of the bed loosened its grip before quickly steadying itself again. Luo Yueqing tried her best to maintain a normal tone. “He was bullied a lot back then. I couldn’t stand by and watch, so I helped him a few times. We became friends after that.”

“But it wasn’t for long. I transferred schools a few months later and we never contacted each other again. I didn’t expect him to still remember me.”

Whether intentionally or not, Xi Zhoulu nodded, her nose once again tracing vertical lines against her.

Luo Yueqing’s breathing grew heavier. She wanted to pull away, but the other woman pressed closer again, maintaining the exact same distance, so precise that even the indentation made in the fabric was identical.

For a moment, it was hard to tell who was the Alpha and who was the Omega.

“He came to ask me for money,” Xi Zhoulu stated abruptly.

Luo Yueqing was a bit slower than usual. She paused before letting out a breathy, “Hm?”

“He didn’t say it this time, but he’ll be back in a couple of days,” Xi Zhoulu said, tilting her head up slightly to look at Luo Yueqing.

“I don’t want you to have any further contact with him.”

It was clearly an unreasonable command, yet it made Luo Yueqing breathe a sigh of relief, knowing she had finally passed this test.

And Xi Zhoulu was no stingy tyrant. When someone pleased her, she would offer her own sincerity in return.

“In exchange, you can name one condition,” Xi Zhoulu offered generously.

Luo Yueqing suddenly grew interested and asked in return, “Anything?”

“As long as it’s within my power,” Xi Zhoulu stressed. It seemed like a restriction, but they both knew that for the heir of a top-tier wealthy family, “within my power” meant she could provide almost anything in the world. It was a frighteningly generous offer.

“Then can I ask for world peace?” Luo Yueqing suddenly laughed, her beautiful peach-blossom eyes curving into crescents.

Xi Zhoulu immediately frowned, assuming she was just fooling around. “If you can’t think of anything right now, you can save it for later.”

Luo Yueqing quickly made another request, her tone nonchalant and still laced with amusement. “Then how about you marry me?”

This request was indeed simpler than the last, but it was no less outrageous.

Xi Zhoulu’s face instantly turned cold. She felt that the other woman was deliberately toying with her, and even her tone became stiff. “If you don’t want it, then forget it.”

In her mind, Luo Yueqing was supposed to ask for a large sum of money to clear her debts, or for her to hire the best medical team to treat her mother. None of these were difficult for Xi Zhoulu. Even if she only mentioned one, she would have thoughtfully taken care of both.

After all, as an heir strictly groomed by those in power, she knew best how to win people over. A proper reward would make them more loyal.

Luo Yueqing seemed oblivious to what she was saying, still wearing that same smiling expression. “No, that’s the one.”

As her words fell, Luo Yueqing pulled the pillow out with more force. Xi Zhoulu was forced downward, falling back onto the soft mattress.

Just as her vision cleared, she saw Luo Yueqing straighten up, still smiling as she spoke. “Miss Xi, it’s time for your afternoon nap.”

“Once you’ve woken up and are well-rested, we’ll continue with the mental guidance.”

The curtains were drawn, shutting out the scenery from outside. The hospital room fell into a dim, gray quiet, and the rapid breathing slowly returned to a gentle rhythm.

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