Although They're Mentally ill, They're Extremely Easy to Comfort - Chapter 28

Seasoned from her journey, Ji Changyi concealed her travel fatigue behind sunglasses. Dressed in a smooth satin white shirt neatly tucked into black wide-leg trousers, her cool, elegant face and tall, well-proportioned figure made her stand out distinctly in the crowd.

Chu Xi spotted the graceful figure instantly at the arrival gate. Smiling, she waved, her welcoming posture elegant and proper: “Dr. Ji, welcome back to China. I hope your journey wasn’t too tiring.”

“Long time no see, Secretary Chu. You look quite well; it seems Xuancheng is good for people.”

Ji Changyi returned the polite greeting with a smile. However, scanning the surroundings and not seeing the person she longed for, a flicker of disappointment crossed her eyes, but she didn’t ask.

Chu Xi took the luggage and led the way, offering a natural explanation: “The boss had an urgent matter come up at the last minute, so she couldn’t come to pick you up.”

“I understand. She’s always very busy, busy enough that she won’t even answer my calls,” Ji Changyi replied with a wry smile, though her tone held a hint of complaint.

As an observer, Chu Xi saw Ji Changyi’s feelings for her boss, which went beyond a simple doctor-patient relationship. She maintained the good habit of seeing but not speaking, and to avoid causing trouble for herself, she saw no need to expose it.

Of course, Chu Xi was skilled in the art of conversation. A simple double entendre easily smoothed over the awkwardness: “The boss has indeed been very busy lately.”

“Is that so? Let’s go.”

“By the way, Dr. Ji, the boss arranged a hotel for you. Do you want to rest first, or shall we go back to the company to wait for her?”

“Let’s go to the company. I haven’t been to your company, and I’d like to sit there for a bit.”

“No problem.”

Ji Changyi followed behind Chu Xi, walking through the lengthy parking garage. She still couldn’t resist bringing up the topic she cared about most: “How has Bo’er been lately? I mean, her illness.”

“She seemed to have an episode yesterday, took her medication, and didn’t sleep well all night, but it’s nothing major.”

Hearing about the episode, Ji Changyi frowned slightly and quickened her pace to walk alongside Chu Xi: “I warned you before to observe her emotions carefully. You wouldn’t answer my calls either, or else I wouldn’t have rushed back home.”

Chu Xi’s smile turned helpless, and she sighed softly: “The boss has never liked mentioning this, so I dare not ask too much. She repeatedly emphasized that I shouldn’t make a big fuss, so I can only follow her instructions.”

Ji Changyi smiled faintly, naturally not wanting to make things difficult for Chu Xi over such trivial matters. “It’s alright. Now that I’m back, I’ll keep a close eye on her.”

“However… Dr. Ji, forgive me for being nosy and gossiping, but you’ll find out sooner or later: the boss finally managed to find Professor Ling’s daughter recently. It’s a good thing, but it doesn’t seem like an entirely positive development.”

Chu Xi spoke vaguely, hinting about Qiao Bo’er’s recent actions, but also stating clearly that it had nothing to do with Ji Changyi.

Why did Chu Xi’s voice, though light, have the effect of harshly striking Ji Changyi’s heart?

The smile on her lips became strained. Ji Changyi paused, self-consciously reaching up to adjust her sunglasses, concealing her uneasy emotions. She pressed her lips together, unsure how to continue the conversation.

During the dozen hours of her flight home, the heart eager to see her had pounded incessantly with excitement. Now, in this moment, it was suddenly drenched with cold water, causing an abrupt pain.

Why was the parking lot so vast, and why did the walk feel so long?

Ji Changyi despised Xuancheng.

Watching Ling Xi rub her bulging stomach and occasionally let out a hiccup, Qiao Bo’er instinctively reached out and poked her head: “Are you full?”

“Hiccup…” The ‘Salted Fish’ was utterly content: “I’m about to burst.”

“Who was it just now that wanted to eat me into bankruptcy? Look at your small capacity; you can’t even manage that.”

Qiao Bo’er teased. Ling Xi immediately perked up: “Hey, adults shouldn’t say ‘can’t’! This only proves your financial strength. I can continue to freeload meals in the future.”

Sizing up Ling Xi’s slender figure, Qiao Bo’er thought taking her out to eat often was a good idea. If she could make her face a bit plumper, she’d be better to pet: “I don’t mind you eating my meals every day. Let’s see when you can bankrupt me.”

“No good deed goes unpunished, I see through your little schemes. Don’t go secretly tallying up the meals you bought me and then extorting me later.”

Qiao Bo’er looked at Ling Xi’s wary expression, and her smile hesitated: “In your eyes, am I that kind of unprincipled and stingy person?”

“Aha, three pounds of herring and one ice cream cone says it all. Who says you’re not?” Ling Xi retorted, remembering the past, which only earned her a lukewarm snort from Qiao Bo’er.

“Check, please.” Qiao Bo’er motioned for the manager to sign the bill. Ling Xi stretched her neck to peek, mentally counting the amount.

Ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand… No way, a five-figure amount for one meal? Was she eating gold or jewels? That was completely absurd!

If she hadn’t looked, it would have been fine, but after seeing it, her legs felt weak. In the world of the wealthy, were banknotes used by the pound?

No wonder the restaurant didn’t turn tables today and only served them. It turned out Qiao Bo’er had used her ‘cash power’ active skill.

Leaving the restaurant, Ling Xi felt that accepting the meal made her indebted, and she somewhat awkwardly tugged on Qiao Bo’er’s hand: “Um… we should go Dutch on the meal.”

Qiao Bo’er looked back at her in surprise, then teased: “You haggle for ages over three meat and two vegetable dishes in the cafeteria. Has the iron tree finally blossomed today?”

“The main thing is this meal was too expensive. I can accept spending five hundred yuan, but a five-figure bill completely goes against my values. Add me as a chat contact, and I’ll transfer the money to you.”

Ling Xi had her own ulterior motive. She wanted to get Qiao Bo’er’s contact information, using the excuse that it would be convenient for future communication. But she wanted to get it gracefully, and using the excuse of ‘going Dutch’ would be natural and smooth.

The Salted Fish couldn’t help but secretly praise herself for being a clever little genius.

Since Ling Xi had voluntarily brought up adding contacts, Qiao Bo’er naturally wouldn’t refuse. But she didn’t explicitly agree to the split payment, she just took out her phone and showed her QR code: “Add me. Once you’ve added me, I’ll take you to buy new clothes.”

Hearing that Qiao Bo’er wanted to buy her things again, Ling Xi hastily waved her hands: “Clothes can be washed clean, no need to buy new ones. Besides, I bought ten identical white T-shirts; I have more than enough to rotate through from Monday to Sunday.”

Qiao Bo’er stared at Ling Xi in disbelief. This dog’s brain really wasn’t wired like a normal person’s.

It was the first time she had heard of buying ten identical shirts to wear on rotation for a week. What was she so proud of with that smug expression?

“You care a lot about me spending money on you?”

“Of course! Even if you are incredibly wealthy, we are merely unrelated people. Your willingness to spend money doesn’t mean I have to accept it. Don’t you think I have excellent manners? I was raised strictly, and my values are very sound!”

“So… should I pin a big red flower on your chest and parade you down the street with gongs and drums in a grand ceremony?”

“Hehe, that’s not necessary… Since we’ve added each other as friends, from today onward, our teacher-student relationship will officially elevate to that of a mentor and friend. So, you must treat me even better and not bully me.”

Qiao Bo’er’s mood was originally quite good upon seeing the ‘friend request accepted’ notification on her phone. But hearing Ling Xi define their relationship as merely ‘friends,’ the movement of her finger across the screen paused.

Could it only be friends?

Seeing Qiao Bo’er lost in thought, Ling Xi stretched out her finger and waved it in front of her: “Hey, what are you spacing out about?”

Qiao Bo’er snapped back, offering a faint, elegant smile: “Nothing.”

“It’s still early. Do you want to watch a movie?”

“Dinner and a movie? Isn’t that cliché date package something only couples do?”

Qiao Bo’er chuckled mockingly. Ling Xi immediately countered: “Isn’t this something friends usually do when hanging out? Never mind. Help me ask Director Chen for a leave of absence, and I can legitimately skip work and go home to sleep.”

“So… sleeping is more important than me?”

Qiao Bo’er suddenly asked seriously, which completely stumped Ling Xi. She scratched her head and gave a surprisingly unique answer: “Sleeping is a verb, Qiao Bo’er is a noun. Nouns are used more often as subjects than verbs. So, judging by that, you are relatively more important.”

Qiao Bo’er considered herself a master of witty remarks, but Ling Xi’s answer actually choked her up: “Huh?”

“Ah, you’re important, you’re important. Just tell me what you want to do, and I’ll keep you company.”

Seeing the Salted Fish compromise, Qiao Bo’er checked the time, realizing it was about time to head back to the company.

She tightly clasped Ling Xi’s hand again, afraid she might back out, and enthusiastically invited her: “Then come back to the company with me. I have several collections in my office; you can take your time admiring them. You definitely won’t be bored.”

“Are there really collections? You’re not trying to trick me and sell me, are you?”

“Do I look like a human trafficker? Besides, what value do you have? You’re not heavy enough to sell by weight, and as a child bride, no one would look twice at your figure… only I would begrudgingly take you in as a pet.”

“Hmph, you’re the one with the venomous tongue, the venomous tongue, making me sound completely worthless!”

Support