Chapter 22:

After asking that question, a sudden sense of fear rose in Lin Qiao’s heart. It felt as though her heart had been tightly gripped, waiting for his answer to decide whether it would be torn apart. To avoid “dying” from this anxiety, Lin Qiao quickly spoke before he could set any conditions: “Actually, you’re just joking with me, right? What Fang Zheng did was righteous, and Master Shen, being a true master, would naturally want to help the people by eliminating evil. Even without any reward, he would still be willing to do it, right?”

Her words had effectively placed Shen Qingzhou on a moral pedestal. If he denied it, he wouldn’t be a true master, nor someone who stood for justice—he would instead be a villain aiding evildoers.

Shen Qingzhou turned the steering wheel, the Bluetooth earpiece pressed gently against his delicate, jade-like earlobe. His voice was low and soft as he said, “Whatever you say is right.”

That nearly affectionate tone made Lin Qiao blush slightly. In a rush, she said “Goodbye” and hung up the phone.

Never before had Lin Qiao felt so clearly that she had truly fallen for Shen Qingzhou. Love brings fear—she both longed for the conditions he might set and feared the consequences they might bring. Once you fall for someone, you start thinking too much and fearing too much. She began to regret not letting him speak his terms.

Stepping out of the restroom, Lin Qiao, burdened with worries, turned her gaze toward Wang Jiaqi. That one glance froze her in place—she stared in horror at the pool of blood on the floor beside the hospital bed. While she was on the phone, Jiaqi had slashed her wrists.

Lin Qiao immediately called Jiaqi’s parents from outside and then rushed to call the doctor. The doctors quickly took Jiaqi away for emergency treatment. Though Lin Qiao kept telling herself to stay calm, she couldn’t help but dial Fang Zheng’s number.

The call connected quickly, and Fang Zheng’s cold voice came through: “Hello, Lin Qiao? Are you calling to accuse me too?”

Lin Qiao inhaled deeply, suddenly realizing she shouldn’t have made this call. What did she expect from Fang Zheng? Regret? Impossible. Would he come to see Jiaqi? Also impossible. Even if he did come, Jiaqi’s family would only start a fight with him.

Feeling defeated, she hung up. After hesitating for a long time, she dialed Shen Qingzhou’s number again. It took a while before he answered, his voice slightly breathless, as if he had been doing something.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, puzzled. “Did something happen?”

Lin Qiao had intended to ask what he was doing and why he sounded so out of breath, but she forgot as soon as he spoke. Her eyes stung with emotion as she said, “Jiaqi just cut her wrists. She’s still in emergency treatment. She did it while I was on the phone with you. I…”

She couldn’t bring herself to finish, but Shen Qingzhou had already understood everything from those few words. Calmly, he said, “Lin Qiao, don’t cry. I’ll be there soon.”

Lin Qiao let out a helpless, bitter smile. “It’s better if you come. I really don’t know what to do right now. I really want you here, but I’m also afraid the family might take it out on you.”

“I’ll come with my mom,” Shen Qingzhou replied.

After asking this, Lin Qiao suddenly felt a flicker of fear in her heart, as if it were being tightly gripped, waiting only for his answer to decide whether to tear it apart. To avoid “losing her life” over this, Lin Qiao preempted him before he could state his conditions: “Actually, you were just joking with me, right? Fang Zheng’s case was about upholding justice. Master Shen, being a master, would naturally want to rid the world of evil. Even if there were no benefits, you’d definitely be willing to do it, right?”

Her words immediately placed Shen Qingzhou on a pedestal. If he said no, he would not be a master, not willing to uphold justice, but rather a villain aiding and abetting evil.

Shen Qingzhou turned the steering wheel, his Bluetooth earpiece snug against his jade-like earlobe. His voice was soft and low as he said, “Whatever you say is right.”

The almost doting tone made Lin Qiao blush slightly. She hurriedly said “goodbye” and hung up the phone.

At no other moment had Lin Qiao been as certain as she was now that she had truly fallen for Shen Qingzhou. Where there is love, there is fear. She both looked forward to the conditions he might propose and worried about whether the consequences would be what both of them desired. Once you like someone, you overthink and fear more. She was starting to regret not letting him state his conditions.

Walking out of the bathroom, her heart filled with worry, Lin Qiao glanced toward Wang Jiaqi. What she saw froze her in place—she stared in horror at the pool of blood beside the hospital bed. Wang Jiaqi had slit her wrists in the time it took Lin Qiao to answer the phone!

Lin Qiao quickly called Wang Jiaqi’s parents in from outside and then went to fetch the doctor. The doctors rushed Wang Jiaqi into emergency care. Though Lin Qiao kept telling herself to stay calm, she couldn’t help but dial Fang Zheng’s number.

The call connected quickly, and Fang Zheng’s cold voice came through: “Hello, Lin Qiao? Are you calling to blame me too?”

Lin Qiao took a deep breath and suddenly realized she shouldn’t have made this call. What answer did she expect from Fang Zheng? Remorse? Impossible. Would he come to see Wang Jiaqi? Also impossible. Even if he did, the Wang family would likely start a fight with him.

Feeling utterly helpless, she hung up. After hesitating for a long time, she dialed Shen Qingzhou’s number. It took a while for him to answer, and when he did, his voice was slightly breathless, as though he had been doing something strenuous.

“What’s wrong?” he asked curiously. “Did something happen?”

Lin Qiao had meant to ask what he was doing and why he was out of breath, but his question distracted her. With tears welling in her eyes, she said, “Jiaqi just slit her wrists. She’s still in emergency care. She did it while I was on the phone with you. I—”

She couldn’t finish her sentence. From her few words, Shen Qingzhou understood the entire situation. Calmly, he said, “Lin Qiao, don’t cry. I’ll be right there.”

Lin Qiao smiled bitterly. “It’s good if you come. I really don’t know what to do now. I want you to come, but I’m worried the Wang family might take their anger out on you.”

Shen Qingzhou replied, “I’ll come with my mother.”

Lin Qiao was taken aback. “Jiaqi’s mother-in-law?”

Shen Qingzhou didn’t elaborate, only saying, “Wait for me,” before hanging up. Lin Qiao sat on a chair, waiting for Wang Jiaqi to be wheeled out of the emergency room. It was only later that she realized something was off about Shen Qingzhou’s tone earlier.

Why had he sounded so out of breath? There was certainly a reason.

After hanging up, Shen Qingzhou stuffed his phone back into his pants pocket and continued running along the road. His car was stuck far back in a long traffic jam, and it would take at least an hour to get out of there.

Given the current situation, he couldn’t wait any longer. He had to find another way.

When Lin Qiao ended her first call with him, he had already predicted something would happen. There were two reasons: first, because Lin Qiao had gone to see Wang Jiaqi, and second, because of what he had learned from Fang Zheng.

He was certain that after the blow Wang Jiaqi had suffered, seeing Lin Qiao would inevitably lead to trouble. So, after hanging up, he had notified Xie Jiayi, and the two of them headed separately to the hospital to stabilize the situation and prevent Lin Qiao from being put in a difficult position.

As for Fang Zheng, Shen Qingzhou had hundreds of ways to subtly push him into a corner without leaving a trace.

After running a long distance, Shen Qingzhou finally made it past the traffic jam. He flagged down a taxi, got in, and took out his phone to send Lin Qiao a text. The message contained just two words, the same two he had said to her earlier: “Wait for me.”

Those two simple words comforted Lin Qiao, who was waiting anxiously at the hospital for the emergency results. She gripped her phone, took a deep breath, and felt somewhat calmer.

Xie Jiayi arrived faster than Shen Qingzhou. When she got there, Wang Jiaqi was still in emergency care. The Wang family was stunned at the sight of her.

Xie Jiayi had a strong presence, so there was no dramatic scene of the Wang family pushing or shoving her. Nor would she do something as crude as throwing down a check to settle matters. Calmly, she walked up to them, nodded at the Wang family, and then sat down beside Lin Qiao.

“I’ll wait with you for the results,” Xie Jiayi said composedly.

Wang Zhengzheng, clinging to her mother’s arm, glared at Xie Jiayi with a mix of timidity and resentment. Xie Jiayi glanced at her briefly before turning her gaze to Lin Qiao, as if comparing the two. This made Lin Qiao feel uneasy.

Fortunately, Shen Qingzhou arrived soon after. Lin Qiao was the first to spot him hurrying down the corridor.

“Qingzhou, over here!”

Unconsciously, Lin Qiao stood up and waved at him. Only after speaking did she realize she had been too enthusiastic, and she awkwardly smiled at the Wang family and Xie Jiayi.

The Wang family’s reaction was relatively neutral—though puzzled, they showed no other suspicion. Xie Jiayi, however, looked at Lin Qiao with a subtle expression.

Before Shen Qingzhou reached them, Xie Jiayi said gently to Lin Qiao, “Miss Lin, I know my son likes you, and it’s clear you like him too. I haven’t had the chance to talk to you in detail, but I think you understand—the two of you aren’t suited for each other.”

Lin Qiao stiffened, pretending not to understand as she looked at Xie Jiayi. “Auntie, what are you talking about? I don’t really understand.”

Xie Jiayi smiled kindly. “You understand. No one understands better than you.”

Lin Qiao’s expression darkened. Just then, Shen Qingzhou reached them. Sensing something amiss, he immediately pulled Lin Qiao behind him and glanced at Xie Jiayi. “Don’t cause trouble,” he said.

Xie Jiayi covered her mouth with a light laugh. “What do you mean? Am I going to eat her?”

Lin Qiao looked down at Shen Qingzhou’s hand gripping her wrist and pressed her lips together bitterly. She had once heard that parents from single-parent families were not to be underestimated, especially mothers who raised their children alone. Such women could never be taken lightly.

What lay before her was clearly a significant challenge.

Shen Qingzhou ignored Xie Jiayi and turned to Mr. Wang. “Mr. Wang, you’re a smart man. You should know why we’re here.”

Wang Jin frowned sternly and said in a low voice, “No matter why you’re here, I won’t discuss anything with you until Jiaqi is safely out.”

Shen Qingzhou let out a soft scoff. “It’s her you’ll be talking to, not me.” He glanced at Xie Jiayi and added, “You’ll be talking to her soon.”

The title “Half-Immortal” was not undeserved for Shen Qingzhou. He had been right more than once, and this time was no exception.

As soon as his words fell, the emergency room light turned off. Wang Jiaqi was wheeled out, her wrist bandaged, ready to be transferred to a regular room.

“Fortunately, she was found in time. Make sure to keep a close eye on her from now on,” the doctor instructed the Wang family.

Mrs. Wang nodded repeatedly and, along with Wang Zhengzheng, followed Wang Jiaqi to the room. Lin Qiao, standing beside Shen Qingzhou, initially intended to follow but was held back by his grip on her hand.

“Stay with me,” he murmured, his words ambiguous. Lin Qiao wasn’t sure whether he meant “be with me” in a romantic sense or simply wanted her to stay by his side at that moment.

Lin Qiao gazed at him. He had changed clothes, likely after meeting with Fang Zheng. Strangely, his usually immaculate shirt was slightly disheveled, a few buttons undone, and his sleeves rolled up to reveal his firm, pale forearms.

Lin Qiao tugged her hand, trying to free it, but Shen Qingzhou held on tightly. Noticing her attempt to pull away, he looked at her. Their eyes met, and she asked softly, “You didn’t run here, did you? Why do you look so disheveled?”

Shen Qingzhou glanced at his appearance. Though he still looked elegant and refined, he was indeed more “relaxed” than usual. As if she had hit a nerve, he said coldly, “Impossible.”

Lin Qiao nodded. “I also think it’s impossible. There’s no way you’d rush here just because of a phone call from me.”

Shen Qingzhou’s expression turned微妙. He released Lin Qiao’s hand and stepped forward to speak with Mr. Wang, his retreating背影 carrying a hint of fleeing in defeat. He could even clearly hear the sound of his blood pounding, as if it were about to burst through his veins. All these abnormalities were because there was now a girl in his heart—a fair, beautiful girl whose faint fragrance seemed to reach him even from afar.

The Wang family, Shen Qingzhou, and Xie Jiayi were talking in low voices nearby. As an outsider, Lin Qiao felt it inappropriate to eavesdrop, so she kept her distance.

Standing by the window, she looked down at the hospital grounds. With nothing to occupy her mind, she couldn’t help but dwell on Xie Jiayi’s words earlier. It was clear that the woman who might become her future mother-in-law disliked her. It seemed this vague romance would have to be nipped in the bud before it even began.

Clutching her phone, she rested her chin on her hand by the windowsill and sighed gloomily. As if sensing its owner’s mood, her phone suddenly rang. Startled, she flipped it over and saw a text from Qin Muyao.

Earlier that day, she had left Qin Muyao, who had been injured because of her, at the hospital. It was now a little past six in the evening, and though the sky hadn’t yet darkened, Qin Muyao had sent a text saying “Good night.” This gave Lin Qiao a bad feeling.

She immediately called him back. The phone rang for a long time before Qin Muyao answered, his voice hoarse and weak. “Hey, Qiaoqiao.”

His voice confirmed Lin Qiao’s suspicion. She didn’t beat around the bush and asked directly, “Have you taken your medicine?”

Qin Muyao replied, “Yes, I took everything the doctor prescribed.”

“Then why do you still sound like this?” she frowned.

Qin Muyao was silent for a long time. All she could hear was his breathing over the phone.

Lin Qiao sighed tiredly. “I’ll come check on you. Wait for me, I’m hanging up now.”

Qin Muyao wanted to refuse, but Lin Qiao hung up too quickly. He only managed to say, “Wait—”

In truth, he hadn’t deliberately intended to make her come. He had only planned to wish her good morning and good night every day from now on. Even if he couldn’t make her seriously consider him, he didn’t want her to have the chance to forget about him.

He hadn’t expected her to guess that he was unwell.

After hanging up, Lin Qiao intended to bid farewell to the Wang family. But when she turned around, she found Shen Qingzhou standing ghost-like beside her. He was very tall, and standing so close behind her, she nearly bumped into his chest when she turned. She quickly stepped back, frowning as she looked up at his face. His handsome, cold features carried an unforgettable sense of loneliness.

What did loneliness look like? It was寂寞又落寞—solitary and desolate.

“I’ll go with you,” he said quietly, enunciating each word clearly, as though极力压抑着什么—struggling to suppress something.

Lin Qiao felt each syllable strike her heart. As if bewitched, she nodded, not even bothering to notice Xie Jiayi’ meaningful expression.

She briefly said goodbye to the Wang family and Xie Jiayi, then firmly grasped Shen Qingzhou’s hand and pulled him away without looking back.

Shen Qingzhou didn’t elaborate. He simply said, “Wait for me,” and hung up.

Lin Qiao sat on a chair, waiting for Jiaqi to be wheeled out of the emergency room. Only afterward did she realize how strange Shen Qingzhou had sounded.

Why had he been out of breath? Naturally, there was a reason.

After hanging up, Shen Qingzhou shoved his phone into his pants pocket and resumed running. His car was stuck far back in a long line of traffic, and it would take at least an hour to get out.

But under these circumstances, he couldn’t wait that long—he had to find another way.

Back when Lin Qiao first ended their call, he had already predicted something like this might happen. There were two reasons: one was that Lin Qiao had gone to visit Jiaqi, and the second was the information he had received from Fang Zheng.

He was certain that after the trauma Jiaqi had endured, seeing Lin Qiao would trigger something. So as soon as he hung up, he called Xie Jiayi and the two of them separately headed to the hospital to stabilize the situation before it got worse for Lin Qiao.

As for Fang Zheng, Shen Qingzhou had a hundred ways to corner him without leaving a trace.

After running a long distance, Shen Qingzhou finally got past the traffic jam. He raised his hand to hail a taxi, got in, and sent Lin Qiao a short text message. It only said two words—words he had just spoken to her moments ago: “Wait for me.”

Those two simple words warmed Lin Qiao’s heart as she waited anxiously in the hospital. She gripped her phone tightly and inhaled deeply, feeling a little calmer.

Xie Jiayi arrived before Shen Qingzhou. When she got there, Jiaqi was still in surgery. The moment the Wang family saw her, they froze.

Xie Jiayi had a strong presence—no one would dare to shove her around, nor did she behave like a rich snob who simply tosses a check and leaves. She calmly walked up to the group, nodded at the Wangs first, and then sat beside Lin Qiao.

“I’ll wait with you for the results,” she said composedly.

Wang Chencheng clung to her mother’s arm, looking at Xie Jiayi with both fear and resentment. Xie Jiayi glanced at her briefly, then turned her gaze to Lin Qiao, as if comparing the two women, making Lin Qiao feel uneasy.

Luckily, Shen Qingzhou arrived soon after. He appeared at the hospital entrance in a rush, and Lin Qiao was the first to spot him.

“Qingzhou, over here!”

Without thinking, Lin Qiao stood up and waved at him. Only after speaking did she realize she’d been too enthusiastic, so she awkwardly smiled at the Wangs and Xie Jiayi.

The Wang family reacted calmly, showing only mild confusion without suspicion. But Xie Jiayi’s expression was more complex—her gaze lingered on Lin Qiao with subtle meaning.

Before Shen Qingzhou arrived, Xie Jiayi leaned closer to Lin Qiao and said softly, “Miss Lin, I know that Qingzhou likes you, and it’s obvious you like him too. I haven’t had the chance to talk to you properly, but I think you understand—we’re not a good match.”

Lin Qiao stiffened, pretending not to understand. “Madam, I’m not sure what you mean.”

Xie Jiayi smiled kindly. “You do understand. No one understands better than you.”

Lin Qiao’s expression darkened slightly. By then, Shen Qingzhou had already reached them. Sensing something was off, he immediately pulled Lin Qiao behind him and shot Xie Jiayi a glance. “Don’t cause trouble.”

Xie Jiayi covered her mouth with a smile. “Would I ever eat her?”

Lin Qiao lowered her gaze to the hand Shen Qingzhou held around her wrist and pressed her lips together bitterly. She recalled a saying—single parents, especially mothers who raised their children alone, were not to be underestimated.

And now, she was facing exactly that kind of formidable woman.

Shen Qingzhou ignored Xie Jiayi and turned directly to Mr. Wang. “Mr. Wang, you’re a smart man. I’m sure you know why we’re here.”

Wang Jin frowned seriously and replied in a low voice, “Whatever your reasons, I won’t discuss anything until Jiaqi is safe and out of surgery.”

Shen Qingzhou gave a slight scoff. “It’s not me you need to talk to—it’s her.” He glanced at Xie Jiayi and added, “You’ll get to talk to her soon.”

Calling Shen Qingzhou a half-immortal wasn’t an exaggeration—he had an uncanny ability to predict things, and this was no exception.

As soon as he finished speaking, the light in the emergency room turned off. Jiaqi was wheeled out, her wrist bandaged, and prepared to be moved to a regular ward.

“She was lucky to be discovered in time. Please be more careful next time,” the doctor warned the Wang family.

Mrs. Wang nodded repeatedly and followed Jiaqi to the ward with Wang Chencheng. Lin Qiao stood beside Shen Qingzhou, intending to follow, but he held her hand.

“Stay with me,” he murmured. His words were ambiguous—Lin Qiao wasn’t sure if he meant being together in a relationship or simply staying by his side at that moment.

She looked up at him. He had changed clothes, probably after meeting Fang Zheng. Surprisingly, his usually perfectly ironed shirt was slightly disheveled, a few buttons undone, and his sleeves rolled up to reveal his strong, pale forearms.

Lin Qiao tugged at his hand, trying to pull it back, but Shen Qingzhou held on tightly. When he noticed her trying to escape, he looked at her and she asked softly, “You didn’t run here, did you? Why do you look so disheveled?”

Shen Qingzhou glanced at his appearance. Though far from messy, compared to his usual polished image, he did look more relaxed. As if she had hit the nail on the head, he replied coldly, “Of course not.”

Lin Qiao nodded. “I thought so too. How could you possibly run all the way here just because of my call?”

Shen Qingzhou’s expression shifted slightly. He released Lin Qiao’s hand and walked forward to speak with Mr. Wang. His back seemed almost like that of someone fleeing. He could almost hear his blood roaring, threatening to tear through his veins. All of this was because his heart now carried a girl—a beautiful, fair girl whose faint fragrance seemed to reach him even from afar.

The Wang family, Shen Qingzhou, and Xie Jiayi were engaged in quiet conversation nearby. As an outsider, Lin Qiao knew she shouldn’t eavesdrop, so she stepped away.

She stood by the window, gazing down at the hospital grounds. As soon as she had a moment to herself, she couldn’t help thinking about what Xie Jiayi had said earlier. It was clear that she had already been disliked by the potential future mother-in-law. It seemed this vague, budding emotion hadn’t even begun before it was destined to be crushed.

She held her phone, resting her chin on the windowsill, sighing in melancholy. As if responding to her mood, her phone suddenly rang. Startled, she flipped it over and saw a message from Qin Muyao.

Earlier that day, she had left Qin Muyao, who had been injured because of her, at the hospital. It was now nearly six in the evening, the sky not yet dark, but the message Qin sent simply read: “Goodnight.” That made Lin Qiao uneasy.

She immediately called him back. The phone rang for a long time before he finally answered, his voice hoarse and weak: “Hmm, Qiaoqiao.”

His tone confirmed her fears. She didn’t bother with formalities and asked directly, “Did you take your medicine?”

Qin Muyao replied, “I took all the medicine the doctor prescribed.”

“Then why do you still sound like this?” she frowned.

Qin Muyao was silent for a while. The only sound on the line was his breathing.

Lin Qiao sighed tiredly. “I’ll come see you. Wait for me. I’m hanging up now.”

Qin Muyao wanted to refuse, but she hung up too quickly. He only managed to say, “Wait—”

In truth, he hadn’t meant to make her come. He had only planned to send her good mornings and goodnights every day. Even if he couldn’t make her seriously consider him, he didn’t want her to forget his presence.

He hadn’t expected her to guess that he was unwell.

After hanging up, Lin Qiao turned to say goodbye to the Wangs, only to find Shen Qingzhou standing silently behind her like a ghost. He was tall, and standing so close behind her, she nearly bumped into his chest when she turned. She hastily stepped back and frowned at his expression—his usually cold and handsome face bore a look of deep loneliness.

What was loneliness? It was solitude mixed with melancholy.

“I’m going with you,” he said softly, each word crisp and clear, as if he were trying to suppress something deep inside.

Lin Qiao felt each word strike her heart. Almost unconsciously, she nodded, not even sparing a glance at Xie Jiayi’s meaningful expression.

She quickly said her goodbyes to the Wangs and Xie Jiayi, then firmly took Shen Qingzhou’s hand and, without looking back, pulled him away with her.