Silent Testimony - Chapter 54

Handling the follow-up work on the case. Just got home right now.] Qiu Wan replied promptly. [Does your ankle still hurt?

[No.] Cheng Yingqiu’s smile blossomed instantly. She then deleted the draft message and changed it to: [A little bit.] Occasionally showing weakness prompts more concern and generates more topics for conversation.

[Are you using a hot compress and liniment every day?]

[Of course. I follow the doctor’s orders, and you’ve reminded me repeatedly.]

[Good.]

Cheng Yingqiu forwarded an interview article from the work group titled “A White Coat for the Pure of Heart, Penning a Beautiful Life for a Dream” to Qiu Wan, lavishly praising it: [She is so amazing. She graduated with a Master’s degree from a top medical school in Yancheng in the 1980s, has visited and studied abroad numerous times, was hired as Chief Physician of Hepatobiliary Surgery at a top hospital at 40, and was promoted to Department Head at 49.]

[She’s now 55, and the Affiliated Hospital of Shujiang University is actually rehiring her across hospitals.]

[But she says that because of this, she neglected the feelings of her closest relatives.]

[But I think a great woman should be like that.] Cheng Yingqiu often shared news, current legal affairs, or influential personal interviews with Qiu Wan. Qiu Wan would usually offer her insights and give immediate feedback.

However, unexpectedly, two minutes passed, and Qiu Wan remained silent.

[The key is that she’s a Puchen native, so my colleague went to the hospital specifically to interview her.]

“Why are you frowning?” Li Hewei tapped her knee.

Cheng Yingqiu looked up, her gaze evasive: “No, nothing.” She changed the subject: “Sister Tao Ling went in to shower. When are you going to apologize?”

“When she comes out.”

“That’s right. You misunderstood her and spoke coldly; you should apologize.”

“Mhm. Go to sleep. I’ll go wash the dishes first.” Li Hewei showed she understood and got up to leave the room.

Cheng Yingqiu watched her close the door, immediately unlocked her phone, and checked her messages.

[Pretty good.]

An obvious avoidance. Although Cheng Yingqiu didn’t know the reason, she was perceptive and shifted the conversation at the right time: [Are you off tomorrow? Can you rest for two days?]

[I’m off from the 2nd to the 7th.]

[Nice!] Cheng Yingqiu pondered for a moment. Knowing that Qiu Wan’s avoidance was only aimed at Director Shang and that there must be a reason, she ended the chat for the night, maintaining their boundary: [Sister Qiu, go wash up. Good night.]

[Good night.]

She could easily find out the reason for Qiu Wan’s abnormality, but considering it involved privacy, she had to drop it.

In the living room outside the door, Li Hewei washed the noodle bowl and sat on the sofa, waiting patiently. In her distraction, the phone placed on the coffee table next to her buzzed. She glanced at the note displayed on the screen, confirmed the message was from Tao Ling’s mother, Liu Yun, and then picked up the phone to read.

[Xiao Ling isn’t going on the blind date. She blocked Luhai’s and my phone numbers.]

[This is what she sent Luhai]

Li Hewei received three or four screenshots sent by Liu Yun, all of which were a one-sided outburst from Tao Ling.

[You don’t know the character of Director Zheng’s son? You’re pushing me into the fire for 150,000 yuan, treating me like a commodity that can be traded?]

[Tao Luhai, ever since I was little, I’ve cherished the few times you cared about me while showing affection to Tao Yang. I constantly comforted myself that the preference for boys has existed for millennia, and you were just influenced by the old ways of the time, believing you would eventually change your outdated views.]

[What happened later that made me completely face reality? The Mid-Autumn Festival three years ago. I used the money I earned from my summer job to buy gifts for Mom and you. But it seemed like everything I did was expected. When Mom video-called me, you sat beside her without saying a single word, yet you immediately called Tao Yang after and asked after him, even transferring him 600 yuan as a holiday red envelope.]

[I’m your child too. When Tao Yang sent me the screenshot to show off, do you understand how I felt then?]

[Excruciatingly painful. I wanted to escape, to be as far away from you as possible.]

Every word from Tao Ling felt like a giant rock pressing down on Li Hewei’s chest. Her breathing trembled from the sheer weight of the questions.

[Of course, I know the way to completely break free from my original family, and I tried. I started preparing for the graduate entrance exam in my junior year, aiming for a school at least 1,000 kilometres away from Shuzhou.]

[However, Tao Yang went missing. You spent all your savings searching for him and were left with no one to rely on in your old age. I thought long and hard and finally decided to stay in Puchen.]

[What did my soft heart get me? Not installing air conditioning in 40-degree weather? Or being sold for 150,000 yuan to a factory heir with only a high school education who idles away his days?]

[You always say I have a temper now and talk back, but have you ever considered that it’s just the previously disadvantaged me unwilling to be taken advantage of, and the sensible me no longer wanting to play along?]

[So, from now on, you have no right to interfere in my affairs.]

[I will continue to give you 2,000 yuan every month until the day you start receiving government old-age subsidies. I’m not doing this out of pity for you; I know my mother is the one suffering. As for reducing it to 1,000 yuan after you receive the subsidy, if you’re not afraid of losing face, you can sue me in court. I will give whatever the judge orders.]

Li Hewei’s throat was painfully dry. She stared at the private message Tao Ling sent to Liu Yun, her eyes blurred with unshed tears.

[Mom, you didn’t let him know about the red envelope I sent you separately for the Mid-Autumn Festival, did you?]

[No, I kept it.]

[Don’t be a messenger in the future. I don’t want to know about him unless it’s absolutely necessary.]

Liu Yun’s message followed, with her usual random punctuation and awkward phrasing: [Xiao Wei, I put all of Xiao Ling’s red envelopes in the bank. She will need the money later when she buys a house.]

[Xiao Ling says you treat her well. I’m not afraid of the embarrassment. I sent you the chat screenshots, hoping you can help me watch over her.]

[Okay, Auntie. Don’t worry.] Li Hewei glanced at the time—10:38 p.m. Tao Ling had been in the bathroom for 45 minutes. She worried that the cold hadn’t fully healed and that being in the bathroom for too long could cause a relapse. She quickly walked over. Just as she raised her hand to knock, she heard a clear retching sound from inside.

“Tao Ling?” The bathroom door was locked. Li Hewei’s eyes involuntarily darkened to the deepest black. She knocked urgently.

Tao Ling’s voice was hoarse with extreme suppression of her crying: “Cough, I’m fine.”

The decisiveness tonight might not have harmed the enemy by a thousand, but it certainly damaged herself by eight hundred.

Li Hewei’s heart clenched violently with Tao Ling’s words. She took a moment to compose herself and asked gently: “Open the door, okay?” Fearing the other woman would refuse, she added, “Otherwise, I’ll stay outside the door and wait with you.”

Tao Ling in the bathroom clearly hesitated for a moment. She then hurriedly turned on the faucet and scooped up two handfuls of cold water to wash away her tear stains, trying to make herself look normal. Half a minute later, she turned the doorknob and opened the door.

Li Hewei looked at Tao Ling’s red eyes, reached out, and grasped her right hand, which was restlessly behind her back. Her voice was gentle: “Tao Ling, I’ll say the same thing: you don’t need to hold back in front of me. Cry if you want to.”

“Auntie forwarded me the WeChat messages you sent, so you don’t need to hide anything.”

The girl in front of her visibly trembled. She took a deep breath, looked up, and said in a choked voice: “There are some things you can’t help with. I can only save myself.”

“But I can accompany you. At least when you turn around, I’ll be right behind you.” Li Hewei’s voice was firm. She gently turned Tao Ling’s shoulders to face her.

Tao Ling subconsciously refuted: “Only for a while. The road of life is long. In the end, we still walk it alone.”

Li Hewei looked her directly in the eye: “Who says it can only be for a while?”

Her gaze was as gentle as water. Tao Ling’s heart clearly skipped a beat. She quickly shifted her gaze: “I’m sorry. I spoke out of turn just now.”

“Why apologize? I’m the one who should say sorry.”

The confrontation with Tao Luhai earlier had stirred up a thousand emotions in Tao Ling’s chest. Now, they had mostly dissipated because of Li Hewei, but the realization of her nonsense was immediately followed by panic. She grabbed her change of clothes and rushed past the woman by the door with her head down.

“Tao Ling, listen to me first.” Li Hewei quickly organized her thoughts. “When I came home this afternoon, I misunderstood that you went on a blind date, which made me anxious and unable to eat, and even made my attitude towards you cold.”

Tao Ling, who had slowed her pace, suddenly stopped with her back still to Li Hewei.

“I sincerely apologize now. I hope you can accept it.”

Why would she react so strongly because I went on a blind date? Tao Ling pondered for a moment before replying: “I accept.”

Li Hewei walked up to her, a smile appearing on her lips: “I haven’t congratulated you yet.”

Tao Ling was still deep in thought, unconsciously making a sound: “Hmm?”

“On successfully signing a contract for a physical book.” Li Hewei took out her phone, opened Taobao, and sought her opinion: “Are you going to revise the manuscript soon? I’ll buy you a height-adjustable, portable desk.” The desk in Tao Ling’s bedroom was originally a single desk and chair that the previous owner had placed in the study, customized to their height. As a result, Tao Ling had to use two extra seat cushions when practicing calligraphy or reading. Li Hewei had noticed this and had already been planning to buy a desk. Now was the perfect opportunity.

A desk? Tao Ling pulled herself out of her thoughts. Her lightly closed lips parted: “No, you don’t need to go to such expense.”

Li Hewei understood that the other woman was being polite and explained with a gentle smile: “Consider it a congratulatory gift. Besides, I’m the landlady. Isn’t it normal to add furniture?” She read the room, knowing that Tao Ling’s mood had lifted slightly, and playfully turned the tables: “Comrade Xiao Tao, don’t be so overbearing.”

“I…” Tao Ling’s cheeks instantly flushed crimson.

“Besides, I’ve already placed the order. The desk will be delivered the day after tomorrow.” Li Hewei showed her the order page.

It was an electric height-adjustable solid wood desk. Tao Ling glimpsed the price, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, and her fair face looked a little flustered.

Li Hewei noticed the subtle change in her expression and quickly said: “Solid wood is environmentally friendly. Other materials have too much formaldehyde.”

Tao Ling bit her lip: “Mhm.”

Li Hewei further eased her inner concerns: “Then, when the great writer Tao makes money in the future, can she buy me a gift?”

The stress Tao Ling had been accumulating slightly eased. She nodded and replied: “Okay.”

“Hurry and rest. Your cold just got better; don’t catch another one.” Li Hewei naturally placed her hands on Tao Ling’s shoulders, gently pushing her toward the room: “Also, your way of handling things tonight was excellent. Don’t worry about the consequences. Since you’ve decided to step out, go forward without hesitation.”