Although They're Mentally ill, They're Extremely Easy to Comfort - Chapter 56

The night was a thief cloaked in black, stealing Ling Xi’s pitiful sleep.

She had clearly followed Dr. Bai’s instructions and taken her medication on time, so why couldn’t she sleep? Could it be that her illness was terminal, and the medicine no longer had any effect?

Ling Xi leaned back on the sofa, utterly bored. Her mind was blank, yet a chaotic mess of unpleasant memories was being squeezed out.

“Why not think of it more romantically? Maybe the house is lit up brightly just for you, so you won’t be invaded by darkness or endure loneliness by yourself.”

Qiao Bo’er’s words lingered in her ears. Ling Xi raised a hand to cover her cheek, trying to forget about her existence.

In her moment of helplessness, she couldn’t recall anything good about Lin Fangwan. Instead, it was the uncontrollably wild Qiao Bo’er who was relentlessly stirring her heart.

A muffled hum escaped her nostrils, a sign of some kind of surrender. Ling Xi resisted the fact that she was missing Qiao Bo’er.

Getting up, she walked into the kitchen. The freezer was stacked with ice cream cones Qiao Bo’er had given her. Taking one out, Ling Xi didn’t immediately tear off the wrapper.

She suddenly realized that Qiao Bo’er, like invisible air or water that was hard to cut with a knife, had already infiltrated her life, filling every crack.

Ling Xi walked to the balcony with anticipation. When she saw the house opposite still brightly lit, an irresistible smile curved her lips. She quietly whispered a thank you, grateful for the inexplicable companionship.

On a night like this, the only things that could comfort Qiao Bo’er were the endlessly looping video recording and the bitter ice cream cone.

The difference was that there was an extra person beside her: Ji Changyi.

“Stop watching.” Ji Changyi snatched the remote control from Qiao Bo’er’s hand and turned off the TV.

Although she didn’t know what Qiao Bo’er and Ling Xi had gone through in that short day and night, judging by Qiao Bo’er’s distraught state, she must have been deeply hurt.

Qiao Bo’er mechanically took back the remote and stubbornly turned the TV on. She knew the footage by heart; she could accurately state what Ling Xi would encounter at which minute and second.

Qiao Bo’er completely ignored Ji Changyi’s abrupt action, talking and laughing about the video as if nothing had happened: “She’s about to trip. Three… two… one… clumsy, so silly!”

“Qiao Bo’er, snap out of it! Even if you stay up all night until dawn, she won’t know how much you love her!”

Ji Changyi watched Qiao Bo’er laughing hysterically, only to suddenly burst into painful tears. Her heart felt sliced by a knife as she roared, but it failed to elicit any response from the other person.

“I wasn’t good enough. I shouldn’t have been so reckless in offending her from the start. It’s all my fault, my fault…” Qiao Bo’er muttered madly, shaking her head. She frantically stood up, preparing to leave: “I need to go apologize to her. I’ll apologize properly, and she’ll definitely forgive me.”

Ji Changyi grabbed Qiao Bo’er’s arm and pressed her back onto the sofa: “Why do you have to take all the blame? You can’t go!”

“Let go of me!” Qiao Bo’er screamed hysterically. She tried to break free from Ji Changyi’s restraint, but it was useless.

“Calm down! You just said yourself that you acted rashly. If you go now, she’ll only dislike you more!”

Ji Changyi could only use Ling Xi as a shield, and Qiao Bo’er finally quieted down.

She couldn’t control her sorrow, a sorrow so intense it was nearly suffocating: “It’s too late… that woman is back, it’s too late… I’m going to lose her, lose her completely. I want to see Ling Xi, I just want to see her.”

Qiao Bo’er lay slumped on the sofa, staring intently at the person in the video. Tears streamed slowly from the corners of her eyes, making her heart ache faintly, and she kept murmuring, “It’s too late.”

Only when the person on the sofa lost all strength did Ji Changyi slowly let go of her hand.

She took the medicine from the table and brought it to Qiao Bo’er’s mouth, comforting her: “Just take the medicine, and you’ll be fine. Be good.”

Qiao Bo’er was unresponsive. She continued to stare at the TV. The video could no longer quell her unrequited desire. Sniffling, she choked out a self-mocking statement: “You know, my love for her is just like this damn emotion—uncontrollable and unstoppable.”

“Have you ever considered that you’ve always unilaterally thought of her as too wonderful? The truth proves she’s not worth it.”

“Ling Xi is the best person in this world, even if she is full of scars. Even if the person in her heart isn’t me, she is still the best, and I forbid you to say anything bad about her.”

In the early morning, before the alarm clock could ring, Ling Xi awoke from her light sleep.

Instead of the typical worker’s rebellious urge to hit snooze, she got straight up and walked to the wardrobe.

Looking at the uniform row of white t-shirts, Ling Xi put her hands on her hips, clearly dissatisfied. She then dug out a smoke-grey printed shirt from the bottom of the pile, held it up to herself, and only then nodded in satisfaction.

Just as she was about to choose pants, a piece of clothing that wasn’t hers was dragged to the floor. Bending down to pick it up, she realized it was Qiao Bo’er’s shirt.

This shirt hadn’t been washed yet, so how did it end up stuffed into her wardrobe?

Ling Xi mused that she really needed to set aside a weekend for a thorough deep clean.

Just as she finished pulling on her jeans, the sound of the electronic lock opening came from outside the door.

Ling Xi walked to her bedroom door and peered into the living room through the crack, seeing Qiao Bo’er quietly walking in with a bag of takeaway breakfast.

The next moment, Ling Xi pulled the door open.

Qiao Bo’er felt the awkwardness of being caught in the act. The air was silent, as if the end of the world was approaching.

“Good morning.”

It was Ling Xi who spoke first, greeting her. She politely took the bag from Qiao Bo’er, but then poured cold water on the gesture: “In the future, you don’t need to trouble CEO Qiao to specially deliver breakfast. You have no obligation, and I also find it inappropriate. But please be assured, I will eat on time at the school cafeteria.”

Ling Xi’s change permeated her very core. Whether it was her words, her clothes, or even her tone of voice, she was conveying a sense of distance to Qiao Bo’er.

“But I just can’t be at ease.” Qiao Bo’er remained stubborn, even adorably so.

“If you really can’t be at ease, I’ll send you a photo as proof.” Ling Xi smiled but then froze. Qiao Bo’er’s still-swollen eyes were too obvious, and Ling Xi felt a bit of self-reproach: “You start eating. I’m going to wash up and will be out shortly.”

“I’ll wait for you.”

“CEO Qiao, please start eating.”

If this were two days ago, Ling Xi wouldn’t have been so firm. Qiao Bo’er was still unable to adapt but nevertheless complied with Ling Xi’s request and silently walked towards the dining table.

Ling Xi carefully arranged the meal and only felt relieved enough to go to the bathroom after watching Qiao Bo’er start sipping the hot congee.

Hearing the sound of running water from the bathroom, Qiao Bo’er sighed and put down her spoon. She didn’t want the breakfast to taste bland.

After washing up, Ling Xi returned to the table. Seeing that Qiao Bo’er still hadn’t touched her food, she didn’t say anything, just sat down and quietly ate her breakfast.

Before, Qiao Bo’er had many mischievous ideas for teasing Ling Xi. The “little devil” would take her bait, leading to much laughter. But now that her temperament had suddenly changed, the interaction had lost its fun.

It seemed the nickname “little devil” was no longer suitable for Ling Xi.

“CEO Qiao.”

“Call me Bo’er, or you can keep secretly cursing me as a crazy woman. But I genuinely dislike hearing ‘CEO Qiao’ from your mouth.”

“Then I’ll call you Miss Qiao. I have coffee at home; would you like some? If so, I can make you a hot Americano.”

Ling Xi’s new term of address was unexpected for Qiao Bo’er, yet it didn’t lessen the sense of distance. However, her sudden offer of an Americano carried a sincere, heartwarming thoughtfulness.

Lowering her gaze, Qiao Bo’er murmured: “I definitely need an Americano.”

Ling Xi was quick. Soon, she brought the steaming coffee to Qiao Bo’er and quietly explained: “Americano helps with swelling.”

This version of Ling Xi had a unique charisma that still captivated Qiao Bo’er.

Those four words concealed a concern that could only be noticed through careful observation. Yet, they cleverly avoided directly pointing out the awkwardness of her swollen eyes.

Cupping the coffee mug, Qiao Bo’er took a small, quiet sip. Why did the bitter coffee taste sweet?

The two of them didn’t exchange any more words during the rest of the meal.

Ling Xi’s way of eating hadn’t changed much; she still maintained a serious attitude, even a sense of reverence for her food.

Qiao Bo’er watched Ling Xi meticulously start to clear the table. She wanted to lend a hand but was again routinely rejected: “I’ll do it.”

“Ling Xi.” Qiao Bo’er felt helpless and could only call her name.

“Hmm?”

“I like the lazy you. I like the you who would fuss and shout about hating me.”

Putting down the box in her hand, Ling Xi scrutinized Qiao Bo’er’s disappointed face. She shook her head with a faint smile: “That wasn’t good. It was because I was sick.”

“No, this version of you is the one who’s sick.”

“Miss Qiao, the person I am now is the most authentic one. The personality deviation you felt was my issue. But it won’t happen again. I will take my medicine on time to maintain stable emotions and won’t speak ill or offend you. Isn’t that a good thing?”

“Do you know? You’re standing right in front of me now, but there’s a Grand Canyon separating us. You are deliberately distancing yourself from me.”

Qiao Bo’er had hit the nail on the head. Ling Xi didn’t respond, continuing to organize the leftover meal. She didn’t realize that every single move she made was tearing at Qiao Bo’er’s heart.

“Oh, right, I’ll take your shirt to the dry cleaners and return it to you when I have time.”

“No need. Leave it here at your place. Let it be a cherished thought for both of us.”

“A cherished thought?”

Ling Xi was confused. Qiao Bo’er leaned against the back of the chair with a smile; she was a romantic: “I’ll think about how I have something left at your house, so I’ll always have an excuse to come see you. And you’ll think about returning it to me, which means you’ll be thinking of me.”

Ling Xi was speechless. She still couldn’t cope with the sincerity of Qiao Bo’er’s heart. She never could.

Ji Nanchen arranged to meet Qu Ye by the street. She was sitting comfortably in a wooden chair, her legs crossed and happily tapping her foot.

She held a large meat bun in her hand and took a bite. The flavor of scallion oil brought out the goodness of the early morning in her mouth.

“Nanchen.”

“I’m here.”

“Why did you have to arrange to meet me so early in the morning? Did you find anything good?”

Ji Nanchen threw a stack of documents into Qu Ye’s arms and explained: “Lu Jiuzhe, an employee at Xiao Yunxi’s studio. He was the one who called the fire department on the day of the incident.”

“So… you suspect he’s crying ‘stop thief’ while being the thief?”

“First, let’s rule out natural fire causes. It’s less effort to start the investigation from internal suspects.

The studio had its power cut, so there are no surveillance records of people coming and going. Furthermore, the surveillance system in their office building is old and in disrepair, so we can’t track anyone’s movements.

However, a path always remains open. Excluding the three partners, the studio has five employees in total.

Didn’t you complain to me before that the item your boss brought for valuation was damaged? I kept an eye out and looked into the person named A-Zhe.

Investigating this kind of thing, you still have to rely on a mystical sixth sense.

Logically speaking, people in the antique appraisal and collection industry are usually cautious. After all, any item is measured in tens of thousands, and there’s no room for carelessness.

Don’t you think damaging an antique is a very unprofessional thing to do? So, using the process of elimination, I have to investigate them one by one, and naturally, I chose to start with him.

Evidently, my thought process was correct.

I checked all of Lu Jiuzhe’s movements after work that day. He lives in an apartment near the cultural and creative park, and there are three routes he could take to the studio.

Compared to the time he called in the report, he was a full half hour early. That half hour is enough to show he’s suspicious. Do you want a bun? I bought too many.”

Ji Nanchen smiled and offered the bun, but Qu Ye politely refused: “No, thank you. Be serious, is this all you’ve found?”

“I’ve found the person who committed the act for you, and the documents are all organized. The rest is your job.”

“It’s not that simple. We also need to find his motive.”

“Motive? Money, of course. Money makes the world go ’round. So…” Ji Nanchen rubbed her fingers together, utterly money-crazed: “I need a raise.”

Qu Ye irritably shoved an envelope full of cash into her hand: “The boss has a lot of things to look into lately, so money isn’t an issue. While you’re at it, also look into someone for me—Lin Fangwan.”

“Say no more, say no more. As long as the money is right, anything is possible…”

–Request for Pre-Order Mini-Theater–

Hu Yaoyao: Ji Nanchen, come here. Ask the little angels for a pre-order for, Forced to Contract Marry the Ice Beauty, CP: Resourceful Iceberg Rich Woman x Max-Level Martial Arts Money-Grubbing Bodyguard.

Ji Nanchen: I’m the main character in the next book? Are you crazy?

Hu Yaoyao: Is there a problem? I specially paired you with a peerless beauty…

Ji Nanchen: Is she very pretty? Is she a rich woman? Can she support me?

Hu Yaoyao: She’s in debt for hundreds of billions and lives in a basement. You’ll have to support her (smirk jpg)

Ji Nanchen: No money! Let anyone who wants to be the main character do it. I’m out!

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