Chapter 36:

Shen Qingzhou was in a terrible state when he returned to the hospital. He lay on the bed resting, while the doctor beside him scolded Du Xinling. Xiao Ning sat by the bedside, resting her chin in her hands, watching her father with his eyes closed, sighing from time to time.

Once the doctor left, Du Xinling walked over and squatted beside Xiao Ning, looking puzzled as he asked, “Baobao, why are you sighing?”

Xiao Ning replied, “Du Shushu, Dad is too silly.”

“Oh? You think he’s silly too?” Du Xinling asked, showing interest.

Xiao Ning nodded. “Yeah. Whether it’s someone else’s mistake or his own, he always tortures himself and makes those who care about him feel sad. Isn’t that silly?”

Du Xinling was momentarily stunned and asked in surprise, “Bǎobèi, where did you learn all this from?”

Xiao Ning secretly pulled out a mobile phone from her pocket and whispered, “From the internet. Don’t tell Dad I have a phone, okay?”

Du Xinling narrowed his eyes. “I can keep your secret, but you have to tell me who bought you this phone.”

“This…” Xiao Ning shyly scratched her head. “It was from Grandma.”

Du Xinling nodded. “Alright, it’s getting late. Let me take you home to sleep. Your dad will be fine here.”

Xiao Ning agreed, hiding the phone inside her hospital gown. She slid off the chair and stretched out her arms toward Du Xinling. He skillfully picked her up and quietly left the ward.

Once the two had left, the ward was left with only Shen Qingzhou. He had originally kept his eyes closed, but now slowly opened them, glancing quietly toward the door. After a pause, he used his free hand to grab the phone from the nearby cabinet.

The screen was black, and pressing the power button repeatedly yielded no response. It must have gotten wet in the rain and was now malfunctioning.

He closed his eyes and sighed, tossing the phone back onto the cabinet. He rubbed his temples with a pained expression, his pale face showing inner turmoil.

When Du Xinling returned, Shen Qingzhou was still deep in thought. Du approached the bed and leaned over with his hands behind his back, teasing, “Hey, you woke up fast.”

Shen Qingzhou shot him a glare. “I wasn’t even unconscious.”

“Tsk, lately you’ve been like Lin Daiyu, fainting at the slightest thing. I’ve had to play the role of your Bao Gege, taking care of your kid and dealing with your mom. I’ve worked so hard. How about we renegotiate my commission from our partnership?” Du Xinling seized the opportunity to negotiate.

Shen Qingzhou caught the key point in Du’s words. “Dealing with my mom? What happened?”

Du Xinling sat on the chair and shrugged. “What else could it be? She called me from overseas, questioning how I was taking care of you. She insisted I hire a good nurse, but I told her Lin Qiao was already here, and then she went quiet.”

“I already know that,” Shen Qingzhou frowned. “I’m asking what else she did.”

Du Xinling hesitated, then lowered his voice. “This is just my guess, I’m not sure if it’s true.”

“Go on,” Shen Qingzhou said tiredly, waving a hand before closing his eyes again.

“Why do you keep your eyes closed?” Du Xinling asked, puzzled. “I’m talking to you. Isn’t it disrespectful not to look at me?”

Shen Qingzhou didn’t move. “I can’t bear to look.”

“…” There he went again, caught in the crossfire.

“Just tell me,” Shen Qingzhou urged impatiently.

Du Xinling sighed, speaking meaningfully, “You know that when your mom came, she met Lin Qiao. She must have made her position clear—she doesn’t want you to be with Lin Qiao. In my opinion, she probably doesn’t want you with any woman. It’s really a tough situation. I never thought your mom would be such a momma’s boy type, but unfortunately, her son isn’t.”

“Get to the point.”

“Alright, alright. Again, this is just my guess, so take it with a grain of salt,” Du Xinling emphasized before continuing slowly. “Don’t you think Lin Qiao secretly going out might have something to do with your mom?”

Shen Qingzhou opened his eyes and looked at him. “But I saw Qin Muyao pick her up.”

Du Xinling said, “She has her own car, so why didn’t she drive it? Did you see her car in the garage?”

Shen Qingzhou paused and then said quietly, “No.”

“So,” Du Xinling shrugged, “maybe something happened and she just happened to meet him? You can’t expect your wife to walk back in the rain, can you? It was pouring, and even taxis were hard to get. Don’t be unreasonable—that’s something only a woman would do.”

Shen Qingzhou slowly turned his gaze away and stared expressionlessly at the ceiling. Du Xinling thought he might need time to process, but Shen Qingzhou soon looked back at him and said, “Give me your phone.”

“What for?”

“To make a call.”

“To who?” Du Xinling asked, pretending not to know.

Shen Qingzhou didn’t care and said bluntly, “Call Lin Qiao and have her come here.”

“Me?” Du Xinling pointed at himself.

Shen Qingzhou said naturally, “Of course it’s you. My phone is broken.” He glanced at the “evidence” lying on the table.

“It’s probably just a small issue. Such an expensive phone shouldn’t break from a little water,” Du Xinling said, pretending to reach for the phone.

Shen Qingzhou stopped him, “Just call. Your job is to follow orders, not to give opinions.”

Du Xinling gave him a look. “It’s your own mess, you know. Who told you not to listen to her explanation back then? Now you want her to come again—it’s a miracle if she even agrees.” Still, he took out his phone and dialed Lin Qiao’s number.

Lin Qiao had already gone to bed. Her phone was in her clothes pocket, which she had tossed onto the washing machine, so she couldn’t hear it ringing.

She wasn’t exactly asleep—just too exhausted, with a headache and signs of a cold. She had taken a shower, taken her medicine, and lay down. Cold medicine usually made her sleepy, and she was now in a half-asleep, half-awake state.

Du Xinling waited a long time until the call finally went to voicemail. He put the phone down helplessly and looked at Shen Qingzhou. “No answer.”

Shen Qingzhou suppressed his emotions. “It’s not that she refused—it’s that no one picked up.”

“Alright, alright, no one picked up,” Du Xinling stood up. “I’m going to get something to eat. I’m starving after all this. I’ll come back later. You rest well. I’ve got a new case waiting for you to recover.”

“What kind of business?” Shen Qingzhou refused. “I’m not in the mood to work. Drop it.”

“You have to go. Someone wants to choose a burial site—it’s a rare opportunity. I’ll bring Lin Qiao too,” Du Xinling said with a determined smile. “You sure you want to drop it?”

Shen Qingzhou opened his mouth, stayed silent for two seconds, and then said, “Whatever.”

“I knew it.” Du Xinling sighed, exasperated. “Alright, I’m off to eat. You rest.”

Shen Qingzhou closed his eyes and calmly said, “Goodbye.”

While Shen Qingzhou lay restless, Lin Qiao had already fallen asleep. The cold medicine made her sleep straight through until noon the next day. If her dad hadn’t come to wake her for lunch, she might have slept until evening.

She got up stiff and sore, mechanically washed up, tied her hair into a casual ponytail, and came downstairs.

At lunch, her dad subtly asked how things were going between her and Shen Qingzhou. Lin Qiao didn’t even look up. “Fine.”

Her dad was taken aback and instinctively asked, “Then what were you doing yesterday?”

Lin Qiao sipped her porridge casually. “Nothing, just a small misunderstanding. I’ll go to the hospital this afternoon to see him and clear things up.”

“You’re going?” Her dad disapproved. “Girls shouldn’t be too proactive. It makes you seem weaker later.”

Lin Qiao shrugged. “We’ve already been together like that. It’s best to explain things clearly. Even if we can’t be together, I don’t want any lingering resentment between us.”

Her dad sighed helplessly. “Alright, I’m old. I can’t control the young people anymore.”

Lin Qiao looked up and smiled. “Don’t say that. Dad isn’t old at all. You can still find love again.”

Her dad blushed. “This child, what are you saying? So shameless!”

Lin Qiao smiled and said nothing more. After finishing her porridge, she ran upstairs to put on makeup and change clothes, preparing to visit Shen Qingzhou at the hospital.

She was a woman of her word. Before falling asleep last night, she had already decided what she would do today, which was why she could sleep peacefully.

Because of her cold, her complexion wasn’t great, so she took extra time applying makeup.

When she was finally ready, it was already past one in the afternoon.

Since her car was in the shop, she borrowed her dad’s. Driving a large black SUV suited her tall, slender frame quite cutely. The traffic was smooth, and she soon arrived at the hospital.

After parking, Lin Qiao walked in carrying flowers she had bought along the way. With dark circles under her eyes, she wore sunglasses today. Her long, shiny black hair flowed down her shoulders, and her slim jeans and white blouse accentuated her graceful figure. She turned heads wherever she went, drawing constant glances.

Lin Qiao was the kind of beauty no one could deny. With a good temper, excellent upbringing, and a high level of education, she was practically perfect.

Even someone like Shen Qingzhou was well-matched with her.

When Shen Qingzhou saw Lin Qiao walk in with flowers, that was exactly what he thought.

Du Xinling, holding his phone, looked at her in surprise and said, “Miss Lin? You’re here just as we were talking about you. What a coincidence. I thought it was a nurse knocking.”

Lin Qiao said lightly, “Is that so? What were you saying about me?”

Shen Qingzhou awkwardly looked toward the window, his ears turning a suspicious shade of red. Du Xinling glanced at him and, when Shen wasn’t looking, silently mouthed to Lin Qiao—He regrets it.

Lin Qiao understood his lip-reading. The tension she had been holding melted away, and she silently mouthed back—Thank you.

Du Xinling smiled. “Come in, don’t be shy. Take a seat. I’ll go get you something to drink. You two chat first.” He canceled the call he had been about to make to Lin Qiao, put the phone in his pocket, and quickly left the room. His speed was so fast that Lin Qiao was slightly taken aback.

Taking the old flowers out of the vase, Lin Qiao said softly, “Let me put these in for you.”

Shen Qingzhou turned to look at her profile and softly said, “Mm.”

Lin Qiao glanced at him. His face still looked pale, so yesterday’s illness must have been serious.

After arranging the flowers, Lin Qiao tidied the cabinet and then sat beside the bed, looking at him as she began, “I came to explain what happened yesterday. After I finish, you can decide whatever you want.”

Shen Qingzhou didn’t speak, just silently watching her. His gaze was intense, as if he wouldn’t look away unless she left.

Lin Qiao took a breath and said softly, “Last night, your mother invited me to have dinner at Qin Xuechang’s restaurant. I didn’t know why she chose that place, but as a younger person, I couldn’t ask an elder to change. Right?” She brushed her hair behind her ear and sighed. “She told me not to let you know about our meeting, so I didn’t tell you yesterday. Later, when we were leaving, there was a fight at the street corner. My car got caught up in it and had to be taken for repairs, so Qin Xuechang offered to drive me home.”

Shen Qingzhou narrowed his eyes, clearly listening intently. Lin Qiao watched him for a moment before continuing, “That’s all that happened. After all, I’ve known Qin Xuechang for many years. He’s helped me a lot. We’re friends. I can’t treat him like an enemy. Besides, he didn’t have any ulterior motives when he drove me home—we didn’t even exchange a word. If you don’t believe me, there’s nothing I can do.”

Shen Qingzhou didn’t comment further on Qin Muyao but asked, “If my mother said she didn’t want you to tell me, why are you telling me now?”

Lin Qiao hesitated slightly, then looked at him with bright eyes. “You can pretend you don’t know. Even if you tell her I told you, I still have to choose between you two. Choosing her would be foolish.”

“So,” Shen Qingzhou slowly sat up. Lin Qiao hurried to support him, but he refused her help, turning to face her as he asked, “You’ve chosen me?”

Lin Qiao was momentarily stunned and hesitated. “What do you mean exactly?”

“Everything,” he said without hesitation.

Lin Qiao was silent for a moment, as if thinking. Just as Shen Qingzhou was beginning to grow impatient, she finally said, “Yes.”