Diagnosis: Friend [Rebirth] - Chapter 36.1

Chapter 36.1

That gaze carried a damp chill, dark and filled with a shuddering iciness; yet within that coldness hid a deep, bone-deep obsession, like a trapped beast.

This is only the beginning.

Tan Baozhu let out a light laugh and slowly swiped the screen closed. Turning around, she saw Jiang Qing holding the medicine box, having picked out a pack of fever reducers and placed them on the coffee table.

The doorbell rang again. Jiang Qing looked up; for some reason, she felt the ringing this time was even more urgent than the last. Tan Baozhu tapped the screen to mute the doorbell, then walked toward Jiang Qing with her hands in her pockets.

She sat down next to Jiang Qing, picked up the fever medicine to inspect it, and whispered, “It’s Gu Yining.”

Jiang Qing’s movements froze, her throat bobbing. Setting the medicine down, Tan Baozhu tilted her head to study Jiang Qing, her eyes capturing every micro-expression. “Should I open it?”

A flash of white light streaked across the sky, followed by a massive clap of thunder that exploded outside the window. Dampness seemed to seep up from the floor. Jiang Qing shivered, her lashes drooping to cover her pale pupils. After a long silence, she sniffled. “I don’t want to see her right now. Could you please…”

“Alright, leave it to me,” Tan Baozhu said.

A few minutes later, Tan Baozhu opened the door. The air conditioning from the hallway rushed in with the wind. Jiang Qing, hiding behind the living room wall getting hot water, shuddered from the cold.

As she looked up, a water droplet from Gu Yining’s eyelashes fell past the corner of her eye. Gu Yining’s gaze bypassed Tan Baozhu, looking directly toward the sofa in the living room. It was empty, save for a box.

Tan Baozhu shifted her body to block the view, crossing her arms against the chill. She glanced at Gu Yining’s soaked clothes. “Who are you looking for?”

Tan Baozhu was surprised—and a little frightened—that Gu Yining had managed to find her home address so quickly. Backed by the Gu family, there were simply too many things Gu Yining could do.

Gu Yining’s gaze drifted back to Tan Baozhu. Her lips were white from the cold as she spoke softly: “I’m looking for Jiang Qing.”

Tan Baozhu: “Jiang Qing isn’t here.”

Gu Yining looked at her coldly. “I’ve seen the surveillance footage.”

Tan Baozhu: “You…”

What kind of trash property management just lets people see the footage? And she’s not even a resident! Tan Baozhu was about to file a complaint until she remembered—the developer of this luxury complex was likely the Gu Group.

Anger flared in Tan Baozhu’s chest. Since her lie had been exposed, she stopped hiding. She raised an arm to block Gu Yining’s path. “She doesn’t want to see you. Why force the issue?”

“Jiang Qing.” Gu Yining looked toward the living room, her voice low and steady. “I know you’re there. The rain is getting worse. I’ve come to take you back.”

By the water dispenser, Jiang Qing popped a fever pill into her mouth and swallowed it with warm water. She acted as if she hadn’t heard the voice at the door, staring down at the polished floor which reflected the ceiling lights.

Looking down at Gu Yining’s rain-stained leather shoes, Tan Baozhu smirked. In a voice meant only for the two of them, she said, “Gu Yining, sometimes you really don’t know your place. Who do you think you are?”

Gu Yining didn’t look at her. She simply shouted toward the entryway: “Jiang Qing, you promised Ms. Jian that you would stay at school. And now, in this storm, you’re staying at the home of a student with a bad reputation, a home with a man known for domestic violence. If Ms. Jian finds out, I think she’ll come to get you herself.”

She didn’t know what trick Tan Baozhu had used to bewitch Jiang Qing into coming here. Since Jiang Qing wouldn’t leave for her sake, she would use Jian Wenxin.

She waited quietly outside the door, her body shivering in the wet clothes. Her eyes were fixed on the wall behind the entryway, counting the seconds until Jiang Qing appeared. Ten seconds later, Jiang Qing, dressed in blue pajamas, walked into view.

Jiang Qing smiled, as if the silent confrontation between them had never happened. She asked lightly, “Why are you here?”

Gu Yining smiled back. “You’re here, so I came.”

The heavy rain hammered relentlessly against the car windows. Vehicles on the road slowed down, their hazard lights blinking as a warning of the slick conditions. In the back seat, the two girls sat on opposite sides, an entire galaxy seemingly between them. A suffocating silence filled the small cabin.

The window fogged up; Jiang Qing wiped it away. The moment her skin touched the cold glass, she realized how high her temperature was. The medicine hadn’t kicked in yet; her head was heavy, as if her brain were stuffed with wet clay.

As the scenery outside grew unfamiliar, Jiang Qing finally spoke. “Gu Yining, this isn’t the way to the school.”

Behind her, Gu Yining’s burning gaze remained fixed on the back of Jiang Qing’s head. She said stiffly, “We aren’t going to school. We’re going to the Gu family villa.”

She heard Jiang Qing take a sharp breath. A second later, Jiang Qing turned around, her dark brows furrowed over her beautiful eyes. “I want to go back to school.”

“You have a fever. You can’t go to school,” Gu Yining said expressionlessly. “Come to my house. I’ll have the family doctor check on you.”

A rare flash of anger appeared in Jiang Qing’s pale pupils. She gritted her teeth. “No need. I took medicine. I’m fine.”

Rain streaked down the glass, leaving winding trails that were immediately washed away by new droplets. Gu Yining clenched her fists on her lap, her knuckles white. “What exactly are you angry about?”

She didn’t understand. For half the summer, Jiang Qing had been seeing Tan Baozhu behind her back. They were intimate, and Jiang Qing had even gone to her house… Gu Yining’s gaze dropped to the pajamas Jiang Qing was wearing. They weren’t hers. She must have showered at Tan Baozhu’s. I should be the one who’s angry, Gu Yining thought. Why does Jiang Qing seem more furious?

Gu Yining swallowed hard. From the corner of her eye, she saw Jiang Qing tilt her head away. Those drooping lashes hid her emotions until even that spark of anger vanished without a trace.

Time in the car felt frozen, save for the rhythmic swish of the wipers. After a long while, Jiang Qing closed her eyes and leaned back against the seat. Her mind was a chaotic mess. She was too exhausted to fight about where they were going. She tried to think of nothing, but Gu Yining’s question echoed in her ears: What exactly was she angry about?

Jiang Qing knew exactly why.

She hated that man. She hated seeing Gu Yining stand with him, even if they didn’t speak, even if they weren’t close. She hated it more than she had at the engagement banquet. One look at him made her want to vomit; one look made her blood boil, and that anger extended to Gu Yining too.

Because she couldn’t help but remember that they were husband and wife. She remembered the ten years they spent in mutual respect or domestic harmony. Meanwhile, the twelve years Jiang Qing had spent by Gu Yining’s side were buried in a coffin, never to see the light of day.

Jiang Qing’s breathing merged with the sound of the rain. She realized she couldn’t be “just friends” with Gu Yining. For over half a year, she had tried to convince herself she had moved on—that they were just good friends with clear consciences.

It was a lie. No “good friend” feels like they’re dying of rage just seeing their friend with a fiancé. Jiang Qing had never been a qualified friend—not in her last life, and not in this one. She was still the same, hiding in the shell of a friend to darkly spy on the other.

But she had no right to be angry. The only reason Gu Yining was coaxing her now was because Jiang Qing was using the status of a “friend” to extort the emotional value of a “lover.” She was the despicable one.

A lover and a friend are simply not the same.

The rain drummed on the car roof, and Jiang Qing’s heart beat in sync—faster and harder until it was in her throat, then sinking heavily to churn her insides. The air in the car was stale; she felt nauseous. Her eyelids grew heavy as an ill-timed sleepiness washed over her. Her head tilted to the side, and she fell into a deep sleep.

The yellow dress faded into the shadows of the dim car. The dark silhouette beside her moved closer. Gu Yining reached out a hand, gently supporting Jiang Qing’s head and guiding it to rest on her shoulder.

The rain was a lullaby. Jiang Qing slept deeply and quietly. Gu Yining was finally able to be close to her. Usually, Jiang Qing was as cold as ice, but today even her breath was burning. Even in sleep, her brow remained furrowed.

Gu Yining wondered what secret Jiang Qing was hiding—a secret she couldn’t tell Gu Yining, but could tell Tan Baozhu. Gu Yining’s own breathing hitched as she touched Jiang Qing’s brow. She had wanted to press down out of spite, but in the end, she only gently smoothed away the worry lines.

The car arrived at the villa. Gu Yining carried Jiang Qing inside with some effort. In the misty rain, Jiang Qing seemed to open her eyes briefly before closing them again, instinctively wrapping her arms around Gu Yining’s neck and pressing her cheek to her chest to seek warmth. This cooperative movement made it much easier for Gu Yining to carry her.

A trail of wet footprints marked the pristine floor. The servants watched in silence as the eldest miss of the Gu family carried a strange girl into her room. Shortly after, the family doctor arrived through the storm.

Rain rattled against the windows. Lightning flashed, illuminating a girl sitting on the sofa with her knees pulled to her chest, staring blankly into the void. Thunder shook the glass on the coffee table.

Tan Baozhu glanced toward the sound, sat up, and grabbed something. A faint click followed, and the flame of a lighter illuminated the cigarette in her mouth and her pale cheeks. The orange glow looked out of place in the damp darkness.

She took a long drag, the red ember glowing in the dark as smoke blurred her face. The room was silent except for the rain and her occasional cough. She sat curled up until the cigarette burned out. Finally, she picked up her phone and dialed a number without hesitation.

When the call connected, she spoke first: “Hello, Ms. Jian. I’m a friend of Jiang Qing, my name is Tan Baozhu.”

She guessed Jian Wenxin wouldn’t remember her. Sure enough, the other end was silent for a moment before Jian Wenxin’s voice came through: “Hello, Student Tan. Is something wrong?”

Tan Baozhu gazed at the building across from her. If the caller were Jiang Qing, would Jian Wenxin be this cold and distant? The answer was no.

She smiled slightly. “Ms. Jian, I couldn’t reach Jiang Qing. She had a fever earlier. She took some medicine and left, but I’m worried. Do you know how she is?”

“A fever?” Jian Wenxin was heard rubbing her hair with a towel. “How did she get a fever?”

Tan Baozhu shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe the rain. Gu Yining from Class 8 took her away. I’m not sure if they went back to school.”