My Weekend Lover Turned Out To Be My Boss - Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Firing a Hard Shot. “The Beloved Across the Void”

“You’ve wrapped me up like a little chicken!”

Qin Yun complained with a slight frown. Her increasingly thin body was heartbreaking to look at. The island was windy, and trying to see the most beautiful sunrise over the sea-sky horizon was quite a chore, so I bundled her up in very thick clothes to prevent her from catching a chill. We left the hotel early and followed the directions given by the locals to find the best viewing spot. We sat on the rocks. Qin Yun leaned her head on my shoulder, and I tucked her hands into my sleeves, occasionally asking if she was cold. She smiled sweetly and kept shaking her head.

As the sun, carrying the light of hope, slowly crept upward, Qin Yun raised her finger and pointed at the sun, saying innocently, “Doesn’t it look like the egg yolk cookie you make? A huge one!”

“Are you craving my breakfast? Then I’ll rent a kitchen and make it for you!”

“You just love to fuss! Do you think the sun gets tired rising and setting every day?”

“Silly, the Earth is the one revolving and rotating. Why don’t you ask if the Earth is tired?”

We held hands, chatting about childish things. The roar of the waves crashing against the rocks covered our laughter. I wanted to leave her with only smiles and happiness for the rest of her life. I suggested drawing a picture, and she immediately posed, which made me want to laugh. On the cliff overlooking the sea, the dawn-burning light of the sunrise illuminated her face, merging with the sea and the sky. The gentle smile on her lips was unforgettable for the rest of my life. That was the moment of her greatest happiness in all my drawings, yet my heart was secretly bleeding.

After recording the most beautiful sunrise, Qin Yun took a pen and checked off the item on the travel plan. Leaving the island, we headed west to Inner Mongolia. I tried my best not to let her feel the hardship of the journey. Her spirits were better than I expected. In every city we visited, the first thing I did was take her to the hospital for a check-up. The medical records in my backpack had stacked up into several books, and several bottles of medicine were empty. Depending on the state of her health, we would stay in a new city for a while.

The grasslands of Inner Mongolia captivated us. She loved horse riding, saying that ever since watching Princess Pearl a long time ago, she fantasized about galloping across the green grassland while Er Kang confessed his love to Zi Wei. Now, her wish was finally granted. And so, the dashing figure of her on horseback also became one of my paintings.

In the blink of an eye, the spring of 2016 was about to end. The weather in Inner Mongolia was too cold, so I decided to continue heading west. Having endured an entire winter, Qin Yun’s physical condition began to decline. Despite taking her medicine on time without fail, her bruises and purple spots worsened, and uncontrollable bleeding symptoms frequently occurred. Whenever this happened, I could only hold her and try to stop the bleeding, finding no better solution. This was a chronic despair, tormenting my spirit.

If the world truly allowed pure bartering—a life for a life—could half of her suffering be transferred to me? Watching the person I loved the most fade away from my world, the sense of hopelessness and helplessness grew daily. The first thing I did every morning was place my hand on her chest. When she felt the warmth of my touch, Qin Yun would look at me with helplessness and console me: “I’m here.”

Hearing her voice, the heart that had been suspended all night without sleep would temporarily feel a little lighter. We made a spontaneous decision to visit Dunhuang. From grassland to desert, from emerald green to golden yellow, she said the world was marvelous and regretted spending so much time confined to the concrete jungle. She complained, looking as distressed as a kindergarten child who had lost a beloved lollipop.

We admired the flying apsaras murals in the Mogao Grottoes. While sketching, I deliberately drew the celestial fairy in her likeness. She flipped through the sketchbook, laughing at my imagination. Continuing westward, as if following the Silk Road, we reached the final destination of this long journey: Xinjiang.

We searched for the trace of the Flaming Mountain from Journey to the West in Turpan but couldn’t find Princess Iron Fan or the philandering Bull Demon King. We heard the scenery in Southern Xinjiang was beautiful, but for safety reasons, I decided to change the itinerary to Northern Xinjiang.

Qin Yun put on the traditional attire of a Uyghur girl, braided her hair, and, mimicking the steps of a Xinjiang dancer, leaned over and asked if she looked beautiful. I sang, rising to the occasion: “Lift up your skullcap… oops, no, that’s not right…”

“Hahahahaha! What a terrifying image!”

She collapsed into my arms, and we burst into laughter. Following the scenery along the way, we walked, stopped, sang, and laughed, seeing all the beauty in the world, eating oleaster and raisins, and raising lamb skewers while cheering “Long live!” Finally, moving from south to north, we reached the deep valley of Kanas. Enthusiastic Uyghur locals ran an exotic hotel there. Due to the season, there weren’t many tourists, and it was very quiet.

Qin Yun said, “Let’s stop here. If we go any further, we’ll cross the border.” She didn’t want to exhaust me anymore. I knew she was tired. Although I tried my best to keep her happy, I was too insignificant in the face of her illness.

We stayed at the hotel in Kanas for nearly a month. Her health was rapidly deteriorating. We didn’t have much medicine left. I wanted to take her home; it was time. But she stubbornly refused my request.

“This place is so beautiful. I don’t want to go back to the noisy city. It’s all your fault for making me fall in love with traveling!”

That day, it rained lightly in the valley. A hazy mist lingered among the mountains. Waking up in the morning, Qin Yun pulled me excitedly. Her mental state was remarkably good, not at all like someone with a serious illness. She insisted on climbing the mountain. I knew her body couldn’t handle much physical exertion anymore, but as soon as she acted spoiled, my resolve crumbled.

“Xiao Qi, I want to walk in the mountains. Moon Bay is too beautiful. I’ve been thinking about it and want to see it again, and maybe look for little elves!”

“You are a little elf yourself! Do you need to look for one? Why insist on tiring yourself out instead of resting?”

We sat at the dining table, eating freshly baked kao baozi (stuffed buns). She pouted, and I rubbed her head: “You’re getting more and more like a child!”

She leaned in, kissed my cheek with a smack, and whispered, “Childishness is precious. I’ve saved it all for you~ Besides, you spoiled me like this!”

“Okay, it’s all my fault! Hurry up and eat. When you’re done, I’ll take you mountain climbing!”

“Yay~”

We slowly climbed the stone stairs in the mountain. Fearing she might run out of strength, I specifically found a wooden stick for her to use as a cane. When we reached the top, we could see Kanas Lake’s proud Moon Bay, a picturesque stream winding around the mountain.

Gasping for breath, she found a tree and sat down somewhat awkwardly. I wanted to approach, but she waved me away, weakly requesting: “It’s truly beautiful here, Xiao Qi… Draw another picture of me… The especially beautiful kind… I’ll be mad if it’s not pretty… Xiao Qi… I love you so much…”

She leaned against the tree, closing her eyes to rest, her hands clasped in front of her, looking as if she had fallen asleep. I held the sketchbook, every stroke filled with love. I smiled and said, “You said you were looking for little elves. You look like the Fairy of the Flowers in the valley right now~”

After I spoke, there was no reply. I froze for a moment, but my pen couldn’t stop moving. Only tears betrayed my overwhelming sorrow, dripping onto the drawing and blurring the beautiful lines. My trembling hand spoke through a choke: “We’ll go home after I finish this drawing. Lucky must miss us… Please, talk to me again… Qin Yun, I love you… I love you…”

Until the very end, a faint smile remained on her lips. I held her, leaning against the tree, tilting my head back so the tears wouldn’t fall…

Qin Yun didn’t waste her time in a hospital room smelling of disinfectant. Her graceful departure, quiet and beautiful, put a final period on this magnificent and extraordinary journey.

Stepping off the plane, He Mu stood before me. He silently stared at the urn of ashes in my arms, lowered his eyes, and said with infinite tenderness, “Qin Yun, welcome home.”

…

Qiu Qi, having lost Qin Yun, was a soulless body. I locked myself at home, living in a drunken stupor, because only alcohol allowed me to see her in my dreams. He Mu often came to visit, but he could only leave with a sigh. Until one day, the lawyer arrived at the door with everything Qin Yun had left behind.

What about going to the farm? What about getting married? This heartless woman abandoned me, saying she didn’t want me anymore. As I held Lucky among the pile of notarized bequests, I found a handwritten letter from Qin Yun. I read the two long pages over and over, and every time I reached the end, I burst into tears:

‘Forgive me for leaving you alone in this world, unable to accompany you for the rest of your life. I was always busy with work and neglected your feelings, spending little time with you. I haven’t done enough, but I swore I would support you and give you the best, didn’t I? How could I neglect that promise?

‘So, even though the sickness took my body, my heart and soul will forever belong only to you. I’ve taken the darkness away. The light is yours too. Everything I have is yours. Walk out of my nightmare. Don’t lose the courage to love, for only then will you truly love me.

‘If I had another chance, I would still walk up to you that day and make you know me. Qin Yun must have Qiu Qi. I love you.’

…

When He Mu appeared again, he was furious. Empty wine bottles were scattered across the floor. He fiercely kicked a bottle away, grabbed my collar, and I knelt on the ground, a mixture of tears and laughter. He slapped me hard, stunning me. I covered my cheek and roared, “Why did you hit me!”

“Look at you! You look neither human nor ghost!”

“Leave me alone!”

“If Qin Yun hadn’t entrusted you to me, would I bother with you, this useless fool?”

I widened my eyes and pushed him away: “Say that one more time!”

“Useless fool!”

I collapsed onto the floor, sobbing bitterly. He paced back and forth in anger, then sat on the sofa, calming down for a moment, and revealed everything: “The truth is, even back then, when I accompanied her on that month-long business trip, I already knew she was sick. She begged me not to tell you, saying you were still young and she wanted to spare you that pain as much as possible.”

As soon as he finished speaking, I lunged at him like a mad dog. I grabbed his collar, raised my fist, but stopped. The man, seven feet tall, suddenly cried hysterically. He covered his face, choking: “Qin Yun never told you about her background, did she? When we learned that this disease required a bone marrow transplant, I took her to find her family. That person agreed to come to the hospital with us for a check-up. The bone marrow match was quite high. We all saw hope.

“But that person suddenly refused the transplant, proposing a condition: she had to transfer all the shares of the company she had painstakingly built. Qin Yun immediately rejected the demand. I told her, ‘When facing life and death, what could be more important than life itself?’ But her stubbornness was deeply ingrained; not even a bull could pull her away. She said these were her savings for her wife, and no one would dare touch them.

“Later, there were malicious manipulations that caused the company’s stock price to plummet, and a series of events followed. Qin Yun overworked herself, worsening her condition. I investigated for a long time. The mastermind turned out to be her family.”

Speaking up to this point, He Mu stared at me with bloodshot eyes: “She was willing to sacrifice her life so you could live a superior life. Yet you hold onto that wealth and turn into a coward, spending your days drunk. Do you think you deserve her?”

I collapsed onto the ground again. An invisible pressure instantly pressed down on my shoulders, making it hard to breathe. He Mu calmed down, stood up, and coldly looked down at me: “That’s why she suddenly wanted you to get involved in the company’s operations. I’m giving you one day to pull yourself together. Next, for Qin Yun, you have many, many things to do. I will help you stabilize her empire, and then we will hit back hard at the bastard who caused Qin Yun to leave.”

Slam! He Mu slammed the door and left. Grief surged through me. It turned out I was the fool kept in the dark. No, Qin Yun was the fool. For me, how could she just give up her life?

I curled up, hugging myself tightly: “What was so good about me? You must have been blind! You fool!”

Holding Lucky and looking at the documents on the table that represented wealth, I suddenly smiled. ‘Smile when you’re happy, and smile when you’re not.’ He Mu didn’t explicitly name Qin Yun’s family, but we both knew what had to be done: revenge.