After Redeeming the Female Lead, I Faked My Death and Escaped - Chapter 19.3

Looking at Wei Xuyan’s face, the woman had a compassionate demeanor, her downturned eyes radiating an indescribable warmth.

“Ms. Wei,” Ying Xu echoed the address, instantly stirring murmurs of shock and exchanged glances of disbelief.

How could even the way she addressed Wei Xuyan be identical?

Wei Xuyan’s deep-set eyes softened as she gently reassured, “Let’s leave this matter here. Miss Gu, you should take better care of yourself. If Xu Ying knew how you’ve been suffering, she would be heartbroken.”

The same words carried different weight when spoken by different people.

Almost instantly, Gu Qingzhu let out a choked sob and instinctively replied, “I will. This time”

Wei Xuyan showed no concern for her, letting Gu Qingzhu weep as she turned slightly to Ying Xu, a faint smile playing on her lips tender, as if gazing at her own child. “Ying Xu.”

“If you have time, come visit alone sometime.”

The implication was clear, and no one dared to comment.

Gu Qingzhu heard it too. Stunned, her eyes blurred with tears as she looked bewildered at Ying Xu beside her.

What she had yearned for all her life, the other woman had effortlessly obtained without lifting a finger.

A pang of bitterness twisted Gu Qingzhu’s heart, leaving her speechless.

But Ying Xu didn’t respond to Wei Xuyan.

Instead, she bent down to pick up the umbrella. Even though half her body remained exposed to the rain, she unhesitatingly tilted the canopy toward Gu Qingzhu.

“Let’s go, Qingzhu.”

Ying Xu’s expression was calm, just like Xu Ying years ago, always walking by Gu Qingzhu’s side.

The woman’s lips curled in that same familiar way, her eyes alight with quiet amusement as she looked at Gu Qingzhu.

“Why aren’t you moving, Qingzhu?”

Ying Xu handed Gu Qingzhu another tissue, and this time, the Omega didn’t refuse.

Almost as soon as they got into the car, the assistant exclaimed, “Qingzhu!”

Gu Qingzhu was drenched from head to toe. Even with Ying Xu’s jacket draped over her, she still felt cold and damp.

“Let’s go to the hotel,” Gu Qingzhu said, her voice trembling slightly. “And… about what happened this morning”

Her lips moved as if she wanted to apologize, but when the Alpha sat down beside her, she remained silent.

“Let’s go,” Gu Qingzhu finally murmured softly.

No one brought it up or asked further, but Assistant Lu kept glancing at Gu Qingzhu’s expression throughout the ride. The moment the woman closed her eyes drowsily, seemingly falling asleep, the assistant instinctively called out, “Miss Ying.”

“Weren’t you just supposed to bring an umbrella?” Her tone couldn’t help but carry a hint of complaint. “How did it end up like this?”

Ying Xu shook her head, offering a helpless, bitter smile.

Assistant Lu quickly realized it was all Gu Qingzhu’s own doing and sighed.

“Check her temperature first,” Assistant Lu whispered. “I’ll contact the doctor now.”

Ying Xu lowered her gaze to the woman. Her breathing was shallow, her hair disheveled, giving her an unusual fragility.

As soon as Ying Xu pressed the back of her hand to Gu Qingzhu’s forehead, she felt the scorching heat radiating through her skin.

She was already feverish in such a short time.

Just how weak was her body?

Assistant Lu immediately bent her head to make the call. Ying Xu withdrew her hand and looked out the window at the passing streets. Their destination was clearly still the hotel. “Why not go straight to the hospital?”

Assistant Lu hesitated, uneasy. “Last time we went to the hospital, Qingzhu already had a fight with Sister Shan. If we go again, Miss Ying, could you take care of Qingzhu overnight after the doctor arrives?”

“Me?” Ying Xu was taken aback, momentarily wondering if this was an order Shan Qiaoyun had specifically given.

But she quickly snapped out of it. If it really were Shan Qiaoyun’s instruction, Assistant Lu probably wouldn’t have asked so politely.

“Qingzhu always needs someone by her side when she’s sick,” Assistant Lu ventured cautiously, unusually worried that Ying Xu might refuse.

This kind of concern would never have crossed her mind before after all, to put it bluntly, Ying Xu had always clung to Gu Qingzhu like a stubborn plaster, unwilling to leave her side no matter what.

But after witnessing more and more of Gu Qingzhu’s violent outbursts, her sympathies had unconsciously shifted toward Ying Xu.

When she saw the woman nod slightly, Assistant Lu nearly sighed in relief, expressing heartfelt gratitude. “Thank you, Miss Ying.”

Dizzy and disoriented.

It had been so long since Gu Qingzhu last lay beneath the shade of a tree, letting sunlight spill over her face.

She felt an unfamiliar happiness and slowly turned over. Though her arms ached dully, she dismissed it as mere “aftereffects” of last night’s violence, paying it no mind.

So happy.

She stared up at the vast expanse of clouds, thinking how much better it would be if someone were here with her now, sharing this sky.

There used to be someone like that, hadn’t there?

Who was it?

A soft murmur reached her ears: “Qingzhu?”

Gu Qingzhu recognized the woman’s voice. Instinctively, she lifted her face, but all she saw was a blurry silhouette.

“Xu Ying?” she called out softly, her voice tinged with surprise and confusion.

The woman seemed to respond, but Gu Qingzhu couldn’t make out the words. Without thinking, she reached out toward her.

“Sister.”

This long-suppressed address, uttered once more from her lips, gave Gu Qingzhu a sense of surreal clarity.

Though unable to see the person before her, she still clutched tightly at their sleeve, repeating in a whisper: “Sister Xu Ying”

Darkness swallowed all.

Ying Xu narrowed her eyes, standing by the bedside as she read the number on the thermometer.

39°C.

Why was she still burning up even after the injection?

Feeling a surge of irritation, Ying Xu was about to go mix another dose of medicine intent on forcing it down Gu Qingzhu’s throat whether it worked or not when suddenly, a hand clutched at the hem of her clothes from behind.

Turning around, Ying Xu heard only a faint, deeply affectionate murmur: “Sister.”

“Sister Xu Ying.”

Ying Xu set down the thermometer, paused for a few seconds, then sat on the edge of the bed.

“What’s wrong?”

Gu Qingzhu’s response remained the same, just those simple syllables, as if they were the most precious treasures hidden in her heart. Only in these most vulnerable moments would she reluctantly let a few slip out.

In her pocket, her phone vibrated softly, likely Sheng Qiuyu finally noticing Ying Xu’s message and hastily calling back. Ying Xu reached to answer it, but the hand gripping her clothes suddenly tightened.

The sound of fabric rustling abruptly filled the room as the phone fell onto the carpet, its vibrations growing more insistent.

Listening to the noise, Ying Xu took a deep breath and tried to gently pull her clothes free. But Gu Qingzhu didn’t cling to the fabric, instead, her hands wandered, first to Ying Xu’s arm, then the back of her hand, and finally her fingers.

Their fingers suddenly intertwined, and Gu Qingzhu finally asked another question.

“Why are you leaving?”

Ying Xu stared at Gu Qingzhu’s face even in sleep, her brows were furrowed, restless and parted her lips slightly. “Who am I?” she asked, her voice low and soothing, carrying a hypnotic quality.

Wrapped in the familiar scent of pheromones, Gu Qingzhu instinctively sought something to ease her emotions, she clung tightly to the person before her, like seaweed adrift in the ocean, desperately hooking onto the edge of a passing boat.

“Xu Ying.”

“Sister.”

“Don’t leave me, okay? I’ve missed you so much”

“It’s been so, so long since I’ve seen you.”

Every word dripped with tender longing. Ying Xu listened, the mockery at the corner of her lips deepening.

She reached out, and suddenly, a system warning buzzed in her ear, but Ying Xu couldn’t be bothered to care. She just wanted to greet Gu Qingzhu properly. Why did the system have to be so annoying?

Her slender fingers traced the woman’s peach-blossom eyes. Ying Xu leaned closer, using two fingers to forcibly pry open those beautiful lids.

“Qingzhu,” she whispered. “Look closely. Who am I?”