Bullying The Sister-In-Law - Chapter 12.2

After hanging up, Su Zhiluo washed her face and brought the food in. It was a clear soup with shredded cabbage, egg, and lean pork, which smelled quite good. Su Zhiluo didn’t have much appetite, so she sat by the bed and watched Liu Chengxu eat. She said, “If you can’t finish it, just stop.”

Liu Chengxu nodded. She also noticed Su Zhiluo’s red eyes. “Sister-in-law, I’m fine now. Don’t worry.”

Su Zhiluo asked, “Are your friends still at school?”

“Yes.”

“You didn’t get to spend time together during the New Year. Why don’t you invite your friend over so you can hang out? I’ll go buy some groceries.”

After Yang Jie exposed Liu Chengxu’s feelings that day, an unspoken awkwardness had settled between them, and they had been keeping their distance. Now, things had slightly eased.

Liu Chengxu clutched the corner of her clothing, her voice barely audible: “Okay, I’ll ask her.”

That day, Su Zhiluo played a game with her and they watched the Lunar New Year special movie that had been downloaded for a long time but never watched. Their shadows were cast on the wall, seemingly intimate, but both were preoccupied with their own thoughts.

Later that night, while making the bed, Su Zhiluo’s finger paused near the pillow, debating whether she should ask Liu Chengxu to sleep beside her. Liu Chengxu remained silently still, pretending not to understand, waiting for Su Zhiluo to call her over.

Everything Liu Chengxu did was, in fact, an attempt to return to the past, to remove the barrier between them, but… Liu Chengxu knew better than anyone now that they couldn’t go back.

“I’ll just sleep here,” Liu Chengxu said, feigning ease, and voluntarily retreated to her own bed.

She turned her back, mimicking Su Zhiluo’s usual posture, but the moment she turned, her eyes reddened, and tears slid down her nose and fell onto the pillowcase. Her fingers plucked at the edge of the pillowcase.

The lights were turned off. The night was windless, and the drop of a needle would have been audible.

Liu Chengxu tried her best to suppress her voice, not letting herself cry aloud.

Su Zhiluo was silent. She also turned over to face the wall, her fingertips digging deep into her palm. These past few days, she had constantly told herself to remain rational and not overthink.

However, the pain surging in her chest left her utterly confused.

She didn’t know who to turn to for help, so she could only seek guidance from the one person she had previously relied on: Liu Jinhuan.

Sister, what should I do?

You said that when you like someone, you should be brave, and whether you accept or reject, you should follow your heart. Now, what choice should I make?

Your sister likes me. What should I do? Was it my mistake? Should I apologize to you?

The dead could not give her an answer. Su Zhiluo parted her lips, and all these difficult questions turned into tears.

The day Liu Jinhuan left was a completely ordinary morning.

Liu Jinhuan was in a hurry to leave, and Su Zhiluo gently advised her, “Don’t rush so much. It’s not a special day; there shouldn’t be many people lining up to register.”

Liu Jinhuan looked up and smiled at her, her eyes full of starlight: “Because I’m so excited! To think that you’ll soon become my unique rose, a rose that belongs only to me in this world.”

Su Zhiluo: “Ah, I’m not a rose.”

Liu Jinhuan said, “A wife is a rose.”

Looking back now, she had to admit that they had indeed been blinded by the passion of their love, eager to solidify their relationship and be together forever.

Su Zhiluo raised her hand and wiped her cheeks.

How did things end up like this?

How could Liu Chengxu have fallen in love with her? Could this inappropriate feeling be changed?

In this sleepless night, Su Zhiluo repeatedly pondered these questions. Until the first light of dawn, she finally found a seemingly reasonable explanation: It will get better when Liu Chengxu grows up.

When she’s older, she’ll become rational, and those fervent affections will naturally fade.

She quietly got up, put on her clothes, carefully tucked Liu Chengxu in, and replaced the cool water in the thermos with hot water. When she left, the morning light had already filled the room.

Only after confirming that Su Zhiluo had gone far did Liu Chengxu dare to release the tickle in her throat, letting out a series of suppressed coughs. Liu Chengxu had a splitting headache. She reached up to feel her forehead. The heat in her palm was clearly abnormal, but she couldn’t tell if it was a high or low fever. She curled up under the covers and continued to cough.

She slept fitfully for an hour before fumbling for her phone. The screen lit up with a message from Su Zhiluo.

Su Zhiluo: I made you steamed egg custard with minced pork. Eat it when you get up.

Followed by a money transfer: Go have fun with your friend. I saw you collected a coupon for barbecue last time, how about going to eat that?

Liu Chengxu typed, wanting to reply, Sister-in-law, I have money, but fearing she would worry, she accepted the money. She sent a message to Meng Zhengyue: I have a cold. I don’t have time to hang out today.

Meng Zhengyue had gotten up early specifically to take the subway to meet her. She replied quickly: Did your sister-in-law take you to the hospital?

Liu Chengxu: I’ll be fine if I lie down for a bit. I have cold medicine at home.

Meng Zhengyue: Did your sister-in-law go to work?

Liu Chengxu: Yes.

Liu Chengxu turned over, intending to send another message to Su Zhiluo, but she didn’t get the chance; she fell asleep again. She was awakened by the phone vibrating. She answered, and Meng Zhengyue called her name a few times before she managed to answer with a hoarse voice.

“You sound really sick. Do you have a thermometer at home? Check your temperature. I’m coming to take you for a shot,” Meng Zhengyue said.

Liu Chengxu was weak and shivering with cold. She struggled to sit up and directed Meng Zhengyue to walk towards the “Blue Sky Community” inside the complex, while she went down to the ground floor to meet her.

Meng Zhengyue said, “Put on your clothes properly. I’m taking you straight to the hospital.”

Liu Chengxu put on her clothes and said, “My sister-in-law made me some food. I haven’t eaten yet.”

Meng Zhengyue said, “Put it in a bowl.”

Meng Zhengyue subconsciously pulled up her sweater collar, asking in confusion, “How did you spend your New Year? How did you get yourself into this state?”

Liu Chengxu was about to speak, but Meng Zhengyue interrupted: “Forget it, let’s go get you a shot first.”

She reached out to support her. Liu Chengxu’s legs were so weak that she leaned almost her entire weight on Meng Zhengyue, asking hoarsely, “Do you… want to go eat barbecue today?”

Meng Zhengyue shook her head. Liu Chengxu managed a bitter smile: “Then use that money for my injection.”

The words were heartbreaking to hear. Meng Zhengyue reached out and felt her forehead; it was burning hot to the touch. The two went to a nearby small clinic, had her temperature taken, a skin test done, and were finally prescribed an intravenous drip for a cold.

Liu Chengxu leaned her head on Meng Zhengyue’s shoulder, the profound sadness threatening to drown her. Meng Zhengyue hesitated for a moment, then reached out to gently pat her shoulder: “Did you confess?”

Liu Chengxu didn’t know how to explain.

She had said, “I don’t love you,” not “I love you.” It wasn’t a confession at all, yet she was in agonizing pain. She had thought that saying it would set everything back on track, but instead, reality slapped her in the face, and the distance between her and Su Zhiluo widened.

Meng Zhengyue gently patted her shoulder: “It’s okay. Everything will gradually get better.”

“But it’s really hard,” Liu Chengxu whispered.

“Trust me,” Meng Zhengyue’s voice was gentle. “Time heals everything.”

Liu Chengxu fell asleep leaning on her shoulder. At that moment, the phone screen lit up. Meng Zhengyue saw a young woman on the lock screen photo. The picture was taken in front of a dormitory building. The woman was wearing a black down jacket with the collar pulled up high, but her delicate features were still visible. She was smiling at the camera, her eyes gentle and doting. Although she was looking at the camera, it seemed more like she was looking at Liu Chengxu, who was taking the photo. If this was the sister-in-law Liu Chengxu often mentioned, then she must be very fond of Liu Chengxu.

Meng Zhengyue said, “Think about your sister-in-law. You still have her.”

When she said that, Liu Chengxu let out a muffled sound and burst into tears.

It was past twelve o’clock by the time they finished the injection and returned. Meng Zhengyue bought two meat pies on the way. Liu Chengxu had no appetite, so Meng Zhengyue ate them herself.

Meng Zhengyue looked after Liu Chengxu until three in the afternoon before leaving. She didn’t dare stay long.

This cold came on aggressively, and Liu Chengxu didn’t dare let Su Zhiluo know, so she could only take medicine secretly. When Su Zhiluo returned from work in the evening, she forced herself to make dinner, smiling and weaving a lie: “I had a great time with my friend today. That barbecue place had really good food.”

“Why is your voice so hoarse?” Su Zhiluo asked with concern.

“Maybe I had too much fun,” Liu Chengxu replied with a forced lighthearted laugh.

“That’s good,” Su Zhiluo smiled back.

This cold lingered for an entire week. Fortunately, Su Zhiluo had to work during the day, which allowed her to slowly recover at home. During this time, a student’s parent called to inquire about tutoring arrangements. Liu Chengxu resigned from the job, citing illness. The kind parent added her to a neighborhood mutual help group, suggesting she might find new tutoring opportunities there.

After recovering from her illness, Liu Chengxu finally had to return to school.

Liu Chengxu started packing her luggage a day in advance. Su Zhiluo helped her pack, adding a few extra sweaters.

She spoke softly: “Chengxu, there’s something I want to discuss with you.”

“Hm?” Liu Chengxu stopped what she was doing and looked at her in confusion. Su Zhiluo seemed a little hesitant. As their eyes met, Liu Chengxu put down her clothes, sat on the edge of the bed, and said seriously, “Tell me.”

Su Zhiluo looked down and thought for a moment before finally saying, “I’m planning to quit my job.”

Liu Chengxu didn’t respond immediately. Her first thought was whether her sister-in-law was having difficulty because of her, or if someone had been gossiping. She lowered her eyes; her voice tinged with guilt: “Is it because of me?”

“No, it’s not because of that,” Su Zhiluo quickly explained. “It’s actually my parents. I’ve blocked all their contact information, but they keep sending me messages using other people’s phones.”

She handed her phone to Liu Chengxu. The screen showed several unread messages, all urging her to answer the phone, some even threatening to call the police to find her. Su Zhiluo sighed: “They seem to be convinced that I’ve struck it rich. I’m worried they’ll find this place later. I plan to quit after this month.”

“That’s great, sister-in-law,” Liu Chengxu immediately expressed her support. “I don’t need to pay tuition this semester, and I have enough savings for living expenses. You don’t need to worry.” She thought for a moment and added: “Why don’t you study for exams at home? Didn’t you always want to improve your education? Now is a good time to try while your current degree still has some value.”

Su Zhiluo hesitated to speak.

She was planning to change cities for work.