Secret Lover Who Stealthily Fell in Love with My Older Sister - Chapter 75

Chapter 75: One should always bring…

One should always bring some gifts when visiting a patient, but Shen Ya arrived at the hospital empty-handed. She didn’t feel like she was visiting a patient. Shen Qiuyu was more like an unwanted enemy to her. If it weren’t for Chen Qian’s crying and the mention that Qiao Xi had also visited the hospital, she wouldn’t have decided to come and see Shen Qiuyu.

The hospital had significantly fewer people than usual today. Shen Ya followed the address Chen Qian sent and found the ward where Shen Qiuyu was staying. Just as she reached the doorway, she seemed to catch a whiff of that nauseating rotten smell in the air.

Shen Ya leaned against the wall to steady herself for a long time. This sickening smell, mixed with the scent of disinfectant, brought back unpleasant childhood memories. Her fingertips pressed hard against the wall until they turned white. Just as her right foot slightly retreated half a step, the blue diamond necklace on her chest also gently swayed.

In an instant, that annoying aura surrounding her was separated by a barrier. It was as if her little sun had always been by her side. She thought she saw a familiar shadow, and that shadow was holding her hand, seemingly telling her: Don’t be afraid.

The foot that had retreated half a step now stepped forward. Shen Ya walked into the ward. The three-bed room housed two patients. Shen Qiuyu was on the innermost bed. As Shen Ya entered, she saw the heavily plastered leg.

Chen Qian was sitting on the folded-up companion chair. Hearing the movement, she looked up. Upon seeing Shen Ya, she jumped up in surprise, quickly walking up to Shen Ya. Looking at Shen Ya, she seemed to have found her backbone, her eyes filled only with admiration and respect.

Shen Qiuyu, lying on the hospital bed, hadn’t seen Shen Ya in a long time either. Every time they met, they never had a peaceful conversation of more than three sentences. It had also been a very long time since she had properly looked at this daughter.

It turned out Shen Ya had grown up so much. She was still cold and perpetually serious, with an overt hostility and rejection in her gaze when looking at her from the foot of the bed. Qiao Xi’s causality argument began to echo in Shen Qiuyu’s ears again.

In the past, seeing Shen Ya’s unlikable demeanor, she would have certainly scolded her. But today, memories of Shen Ya as a child kept flashing before her eyes. Shen Ya and Chen Qian were both her daughters. She clearly loved Chen Qian and had never laid a hand on her. Why had she been so cruel to Shen Ya before?

She had been pondering this question for the past two days. Looking back now, Shen Qiuyu realized she seemed to have made many mistakes. But it was too late to realize it now. She knew her relationship with Shen Ya could never be repaired. This eldest daughter probably utterly hated her now.

“Why did you call me here?” Shen Ya didn’t want to stay in the hospital for long. Every time she met Shen Qiuyu, she felt like a gasping fish.

“I’m getting a divorce.”

“So?” Although Shen Ya was slightly surprised, she didn’t bother to think much about it: “Your business has nothing to do with me.”

Watching Shen Ya constantly guarding against her, with every word laced with sarcasm, Shen Qiuyu felt she was seeing the fruit of the seeds she had sown over the years. She thought this was probably retribution. Shen Ya’s father was already dead, and she was now lying in the hospital, relying only on an immature daughter. The sins committed over the years must be repaid. Even before old age, she could see how miserable her twilight years would be.

The current Shen Qiuyu no longer had the right to yell. She only felt sorry for herself: “Your little girlfriend came to the hospital two days ago and brought me some fruit and milk. She is a very good person, and kind. You should cherish her.”

Shen Ya exhaled, her tone growing impatient: “Did you call me here just to say this nonsense? Since you mentioned her, I want to ask, what did you say to her? Did you use your mindset to insult her again!”

The mere thought of Qiao Xi being near Shen Qiuyu made Shen Ya feel utterly disgusted. She knew Shen Qiuyu too well. How could a person like that say anything nice? She couldn’t tolerate Shen Qiuyu making things difficult for Qiao Xi. If it weren’t for her, Qiao Xi would never have to deal with a person like Shen Qiuyu in her entire life.

Shen Ya walked around the foot of the bed and approached Shen Qiuyu. Her expression was still cold, but her eyes held a spark of anger. She didn’t care what the person on the next bed thought of her. She grabbed Shen Qiuyu’s collar and angrily scolded: “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re thinking! Now you’re lying in bed, and no one can take care of you, so you thought of me again! Shen Qiuyu, I really want to ask, am I truly your biological child? In your eyes, am I just a tool, an animal?! You don’t deserve to mention her!”

“Sis!” Chen Qian was afraid Shen Ya would physically hurt Shen Qiuyu. She quickly went over and pulled on Shen Ya’s arm: “Sis, you misunderstood Mom. Mom isn’t thinking that way. She knows she was wrong before. She wants to apologize to you.”

“Apologize?” Shen Ya let out a cold laugh through her nose: “Stop acting in front of me! She, Shen Qiuyu, is scared now. Because she has no one around, she is lowering herself and putting on an act in front of me. Do you really think I’m still a child? I’m telling you, I will never forgive you in this lifetime!”

If she had known Shen Qiuyu wanted her to come and act out a scene of “mother-daughter affection,” she absolutely would not have stepped into this ward. Seeing the tearful look in Shen Qiuyu’s eyes only made her feel nauseous.

What did Shen Qiuyu have to cry about? She deserved all of this. They could have had a different life, but it was all ruined by Shen Qiuyu’s choices!

She had seen the person. Shen Ya felt she could leave now. Even if Shen Qiuyu died in the future, she wouldn’t come to see her again. Shen Ya released her grip and turned to walk away, but Shen Qiuyu anxiously called out to her: “Shen Ya!”

Seeing that Shen Ya had no intention of stopping, Shen Qiuyu quickly patted Chen Qian’s hand and said: “Go grab your sister.”

Chen Qian ran over and blocked Shen Ya’s path: “Sis, please wait a moment longer.”

“Move.”

Chen Qian’s eyes were red from crying. She shook her head, then rushed forward and hugged Shen Ya: “Sis, don’t leave. I only have you and Mom.”

This sentence made Shen Ya clench her fists. Her legs felt glued to the floor. She truly wasn’t as heartless as Shen Qiuyu.

Shen Qiuyu moved slightly. After a few days, she seemed to have aged a lot. Even her voice was not as spirited as usual: “You don’t need to send me money every month anymore. Save that money for yourself. When I die in the future, the money and house will be divided equally between you and your sister. Mom knows you hate me, and Mom understands that you won’t forgive me. This is what I deserve, and I don’t blame anyone. You can come home anytime you want in the future. Also, thank your little girlfriend for me. The lawyer she recommended to me is also very good. Even though she is so much younger than you, she is truly sincere to you. Cherish her.”

These words sounded particularly harsh to Shen Ya. In her lifetime, she could actually hear Shen Qiuyu humbling herself to her, yet she didn’t feel happy at all.

Shen Ya twisted her body to break free from Chen Qian’s embrace. She returned to the foot of the bed, gripped the bedpost, and scoffed: “Do you think saying a few self-pitying words can erase what you did to me? There’s no such good thing in the world! Shen Qiuyu, you were the one who kicked me out of the house first!”

After yelling this, Shen Ya turned away resolutely. She left the ward, fueled by anger. Why? Why could Shen Qiuyu easily mend their relationship just because she wanted to? What about the suffering she endured as a child?

She would absolutely never forgive Shen Qiuyu in this lifetime!

Back in the car, Shen Ya gripped the steering wheel, resting her forehead on it. She closed her eyes. She had expected to be sad, to cry, but not a single tear could be forced out of her eyes.

After hearing those words, besides anger, she also felt a sense of relief. She didn’t know what Qiao Xi had said to Shen Qiuyu that would make the other party truly stop bothering her. Had she been saved by Qiao Xi again?

Shen Ya lifted her head, her mood slowly calming down. Shen Qiuyu was an insignificant person to her now. She didn’t need to devote too much of her mind to a person like that.

After letting out a deep breath, Shen Ya found her phone in her bag. She first sent a message to Chen Qian, asking what Qiao Xi had said that day.

It was still early, but ‘Blank’ operated 24 hours. However, before going to ‘Blank’, she needed to send a message to Zhou Ziqian first.

After confirming that the other party was heading to ‘Blank’ immediately, Shen Ya’s finger paused over Qiao Xi’s chat window. It had been long enough since she left Qiao Xi. It was time for her to act a bit more like the older person in the relationship.

[Qiao Xi, are you free tomorrow? I’d like to see you.]

After pressing the send button, Shen Ya put down her phone. She started the car and quickly drove away from the hospital towards ‘Blank’.

Along the way, every time she stopped at a red light, Shen Ya would pick up her phone to see if Qiao Xi had replied. She wondered if it was too early and Qiao Xi hadn’t woken up yet. Qiao Xi hadn’t replied until she parked the car in front of ‘Blank’.

Shen Ya walked into ‘Blank’ with her bag, greeting the girl at the bar. The girl told her that Zhou Ziqian was already waiting for her in their usual spot.

Sure enough, she saw Zhou Ziqian in the corner right away. The other party was leaning on her hand, holding her phone with the other, seemingly chatting with someone, with a smile sweeter than ten pounds of honey.

Zhou Ziqian snapped out of it when Shen Ya sat down opposite her, her excitement barely contained: “You’re here.”

Shen Ya nodded, then scanned the room and asked: “Where’s Shiyi?”

“Sleeping upstairs. Qiao Xi got drunk the day before yesterday and stayed in your room for one night. Maybe because of her scent, Shiyi likes to sleep in your room now.”

As they were talking, a young employee of ‘Blank’ came over with a cart. She placed a few plates of food on the table, counted them, and then said to Zhou Ziqian: “Sister Qianqian, all your food is here. Would you like to check?”

“It’s all here, all here. I have no doubt about your work.”

The young employee joked with Zhou Ziqian for a moment before pushing the empty cart away.

Zhou Ziqian picked up her chopsticks: “Boss Shen, you probably haven’t had breakfast since you came so early, right? Perfect. Come and taste some freshly made Cantonese dim sum.”

Shen Ya didn’t pick up her chopsticks. She asked: “Why haven’t I seen Fang Moyao?”

“She went home for something. Besides, what time is it now? She wouldn’t wake up this early.” Zhou Ziqian took a bite of a shrimp dumpling, her eyebrows raised, showing a satisfied expression: “The taste is indeed excellent.”

“I want to know what you talked about with Qiao Xi the day she came.”

Zhou Ziqian didn’t stop eating. After finishing the shrimp dumpling, she picked up a chicken claw: “We didn’t talk about much. Boss Shen is so concerned, why don’t you just ask her directly?”

Shen Ya hadn’t thought about asking Qiao Xi directly, but she couldn’t be sure of Qiao Xi’s attitude towards her right now. Qiao Xi still hadn’t replied to her message. She was afraid she might have acted too late.

Should she ask Zhou Ziqian? But if she asked directly, the other party would probably tease and laugh at her. Seeing Zhou Ziqian leisurely and comfortably eating, Shen Ya knew the other party was deliberately keeping her in suspense, yet she willingly stepped into the trap.

Shen Ya pondered for a moment and finally came up with a not-so-clever way to ask. She said: “I have a friend. She rejected someone’s confession, but now she regrets it. What should she do?”

Zhou Ziqian almost spat out the food in her mouth. She stopped her chopsticks, swallowed the food, and then burst into hearty laughter. Seeing Shen Ya’s neck gradually redden, Zhou Ziqian covered her mouth but still lightly patted it: “Boss Shen sure tells funny jokes.”

Shen Ya’s face was serious and her posture upright. Even though she knew her lie was exposed, she maintained her outward composure.

Zhou Ziqian calmed down slightly, but a smile still lingered on her face. She smoothed her hair, adopted a mysterious look, and said to Shen Ya: “The ‘wife-chasing-hell’ trope, right? You little couples certainly know how to have fun. I’m an expert at this. I’ve read at least eight hundred, if not a thousand, novels on this subject. I guarantee I can teach you… ah, no, teach your friend how to win back her lover.”

Although Shen Ya was suspicious, Zhou Ziqian genuinely seemed experienced. Since she was completely clueless about relationships, listening to her shouldn’t be a big problem.

Just as she was about to listen carefully to what Zhou Ziqian had to say, the other party moved the plate: “Eat first. I’m starving even if you aren’t.”

Qiao Xi was the only one at home. Her mother and sisters were still in Zhoucheng. She didn’t want to get up so early, but Pangpang couldn’t wait and kept scratching at the bedroom door, trying to wake her up.

Qiao Xi, who was having a sweet dream, was suddenly awakened by the noise. She rubbed her eyes. Staring at the ceiling, there was a moment when she didn’t know where she was. Her eyelids were heavy, and after several attempts, she couldn’t fully open her eyes. She simply gave up, turned over, hugged the blanket, and continued sleeping.

But the scratching at the door wouldn’t stop, irritating Qiao Xi. She threw off the blanket and sat up. Without even putting on shoes, she rushed to open the door. Pangpang must have gotten smarter. Hearing the movement, the moment the door opened, he immediately pounced on Qiao Xi, knocking her to the floor.

Qiao Xi was dazed from the impact. She lay on the floor for a long time, unable to recover. Pangpang jumped and ran around in front of her, occasionally kicking her. Qiao Xi couldn’t take it anymore. She grabbed Pangpang’s chest fur and scolded: “You’re going to kick me to death! You just want to go out, can’t you wait!”

After Pangpang licked half of her face wet, Qiao Xi lifelessly climbed up from the floor. She patted Pangpang’s head and said: “Wait. I’ll take you out after I brush my teeth.”

Pangpang finally quieted down, but didn’t leave. He just lay in her room, waiting.

Qiao Xi couldn’t help but roll her eyes. She desperately needed her two mothers to save her. Qiao Xi picked up her phone from the bedside table and saw Shen Ya’s message right away.

This time, it wasn’t a photo of Shiyi, but a line of text:

[Qiao Xi, are you free tomorrow? I’d like to see you.]

Seeing this line, Qiao Xi’s heart sank halfway. Did Shen Ya want to ask her out to definitively say it was impossible? After avoiding her for so many days, did she finally have to face it? Her mood immediately plummeted.

Shen Ya calling her by her full name so formally meant there was truly no room for negotiation, right?

She suddenly didn’t want to reply so quickly. She simply pretended not to see it, turned off her phone, and tossed it onto the bed.