She Is Such A Jerk, And Yet She’s The One Crying! - Chapter 10

“What has happened to him recently that he has become so terrified?” Lin Dongruan looked at the state of the shop assistant and questioned the shopkeeper who had just come downstairs. “I do not understand what he meant just now; could you please explain?”

The shopkeeper’s smile did not reach his eyes, though his words were polite: “Him? His brain was damaged a while back, and he’s been acting crazed and irrational ever since. I was afraid he would scare the patients, so I don’t usually let him come to the front hall to see people. Just now, I took my eyes off him for a second, and he ran out to disturb Dr. Lin.”

Lin Dongruan shook her head. Looking at the assistant on the floor, she denied the claim: “No, I have a feeling he has something he wants to say to me.”

“He acts like this with everyone he sees; those of us in the shop are already used to it.” As the shopkeeper explained, he raised his hand, and several men immediately appeared behind him to drag the assistant away.

A faint shadow of worry rose between Lin Dongruan’s brows: “Do not take him away. Let me see what kind of illness he is suffering from.”

“Dr. Lin, you have a healer’s heart, but this is truly unnecessary. Look at his crazed appearance; he isn’t worth it.” The fake shopkeeper was actually a prefectural official under the Eldest Princess; his rank was higher than the other subordinate officials here. When Qiang Ning found it inconvenient to step forward, he could handle minor matters at his discretion. “Furthermore, the clinic finally welcomed you as our sitting physician; how can we let such trivial matters delay you? If someone outside wants to come in and sees such a commotion, it would surely drive customers away.”

“But he—”

“Sister, have you encountered some difficult matter?”

Just as Lin Dongruan spoke, her words were interrupted by Qiang Ning from upstairs. She looked up and saw Qiang Ning pressing both hands against the wooden staircase railing, watching the farce below with great interest.

“Wu, wu, wu-ugh…”

The assistant, about to be dragged away, suddenly began to struggle violently. His throat, unable to make sound, whimpered desperately in an attempt to warn Lin Dongruan.

Lin Dongruan turned her head and saw the assistant’s eyes were bloodshot. He pointed his finger resentfully toward the upstairs direction. Following his guidance, she slowly looked up—directly at the spot where Qiang Ning was standing.

Qiang Ning noticed she was being pointed at. Looking closely, she realized it was the “root of disaster” she had failed to pull up that day. Not only did this person fail to be grateful for her mercy, but he was now biting the hand that fed him, trying to complain to Lin Dongruan in this situation. He was simply seeking death!

She should not have let that man go. If she had simply dealt with him along with the others that day, this wouldn’t be happening now.

“Sister, why is he pointing at me?” Qiang Ning walked downstairs with a wronged expression and stood beside Lin Dongruan, leaning softly against her shoulder. “I’m not even familiar with him; why does he have such great resentment?”

Lin Dongruan vaguely felt something was wrong, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. She raised her hand and stroked the head leaning against her shoulder, as if absentmindedly petting a cat: “Did you have a conflict with him?”

At an angle Lin Dongruan couldn’t see, Qiang Ning silently ground her back teeth. She thought to herself: The conflict is huge; if Lin Dongruan weren’t here, would this person still be standing here safely? If I don’t get rid of him, my name isn’t Qiang Ning!

“I have had no arguments or conflicts with him.” Qiang Ning thought for a moment and added a slanderous remark: “I only remember that some time ago, when I followed Sister past the clinic, the way he looked at me made me very uncomfortable. Lunatics are always erratic in speech and behavior; who can guess what he wants to do?”

Lin Dongruan was unaware of this. she quickly followed up: “He didn’t bully you, did he?”

“Almost.” Qiang Ning grabbed Lin Dongruan’s arm, narrowed her eyes, and spoke with a hazy gaze, “Fortunately, I was cautious and did not go near him.”

Lin Dongruan had been pondering whether the assistant wanted to tell her something, but once Qiang Ning interrupted, she could no longer think calmly about anything else; she was only concerned with comforting the aggrieved-looking Qiang Ning.

Qiang Ning played the part perfectly. She leaned against the other’s shoulder, trembling slightly like a delicate young girl, while actually making a hand signal behind her back, gesturing for her subordinates to quickly drag the eyesore of an assistant out.

While Lin Dongruan wasn’t paying attention, the assistant was led away with eyes full of despair.

When the shopkeeper left the hall and only, she and Qiang Ning remained in the vicinity, Lin Dongruan suddenly asked Qiang Ning: “A-Ning, what were you doing just now?”

Qiang Ning said: “Just wandering around upstairs casually.”

“Recently, you haven’t been willing to walk around this area with me. Why were you so attentive today? Besides, the upstairs rooms are all for storing miscellaneous goods; there’s no reason to stay there so long.” Lin Dongruan thought for a moment and said, “Is A-Ning hiding something from Sister?”

“No!”

Qiang Ning refuted her quickly, but she couldn’t come up with a lie fast enough, only blinking her eyes with a bit of a guilty conscience.

Lin Dongruan looked into her eyes quietly, waiting for her answer.

Before Qiang Ning could respond, a patient finally arrived at the clinic. The person’s condition was quite poor, quickly drawing Lin Dongruan’s attention. Lin Dongruan did not continue to press Qiang Ning for an answer.

Even after returning home that evening, Lin Dongruan did not ask again for the rest of the day.

Qiang Ning could feel a clear coldness in the other’s attitude, making her exceptionally uneasy. She tried to pull at the other’s fingers, but her hand was lightly brushed away. She tried to win favor by doing chores, but the other said she was being clumsy and just getting in the way.

“Sister, I’m sorry, I was wrong.” Qiang Ning thought for half the day and finally came up with a way to patch the lie. That night, as they lay in bed together, she clasped the other’s hand and explained: “Actually, today I went to see the shopkeeper alone to beg him to let me stay and help at the clinic. I cause trouble for Sister every day and have nothing I can really help you with. I felt guilty in my heart. When I accompanied you to the clinic today, I felt the shame of being a useless idler. Even if I am to stay by your side at the clinic in the future, it shouldn’t be as an outsider. The shopkeeper wouldn’t be happy either. So, I took the opportunity while going upstairs to talk to the shopkeeper and ask if he would allow me to stay and help.”

After listening, Lin Dongruan remained silent for a moment and asked: “Then why didn’t A-Ning answer me like that during the day? What were you hesitating about?”

“It wasn’t hesitation; I just thought I would wait until it was settled before telling Sister,” Qiang Ning explained. “If it succeeded, it would be a surprise. Even if it didn’t, I wouldn’t lose face in front of Sister.”

One lie required many more to cover it up. Ever since Qiang Ning arrived here, she had been worried every day about being exposed. She increasingly felt that there was an art to lying, especially when facing a woman as meticulous as Lin Dongruan; one slip-up and she would be suspected or found out.

In the darkness, Lin Dongruan asked her softly: “A-Ning, you promised me before that you wouldn’t lie. Do you remember?”

“Of course I remember.” The atmosphere was strangely heavy, so Qiang Ning playfully hooked Lin Dongruan’s finger with her own to lighten the mood. “I will not forget what Sister said.”

“Good then.” Lin Dongruan’s tone was calm, even somewhat stern as she spoke: “In the future, besides not lying, I want you to explain the facts without reservation. You must not hide anything privately.”

Qiang Ning muttered: “How is this matter so serious that you need me to make such a solemn guarantee?”

“It has nothing to do with this matter.” Lin Dongruan turned her face toward Qiang Ning’s direction. “Promise me.”

Qiang Ning was helpless: “Fine, then.”

Lin Dongruan: “Say it seriously.”

Qiang Ning had no choice but to swear: “In the future, I will tell Sister the truth; I will not lie and I will not hide anything.”