The wind in July was unusually noisy. A sudden downpour swept over the entire Jiangnan City, the heavy rain pouring down in sheets, washing away the grime of the city. Rain fell from the clouds, hitting the ground with splattering sounds, rippling through the puddles on the street.
Outside the Qin family ancestral residence, Jiang Zhao knelt at the entrance of the courtyard, his entire body drenched by the rain, stubbornly remaining in place through the storm. He knew Qin Lingxue was inside, just unwilling to see him.
After a long time, the villa’s door finally opened. A figure holding an umbrella slowly approached. Qin Hongyun looked at Jiang Zhao kneeling on the ground and said in a deep voice, “Go home. Xiaoxue doesn’t want to see you. Even if you kneel here until you die, it’s useless. Since you’ve done something, you must be prepared to bear the consequences.”
At this point, whether Jiang Zhao explained or not didn’t matter. Excuses that come too late are always weak and powerless.
Upstairs in the villa, raindrops tapped incessantly against the window, making a soft rhythmic [drip drip] sound like a melancholy tune. Tears still clinging to the corners of her eyes, Qin Lingxue looked out the window. The figure kneeling outside made her heart ache, but when she recalled the moment he held another woman’s hand in public, hesitation crept into her heart again.
In the end, feeling frustrated, she laid back down and pulled the blanket over her head, forcing herself to sleep. If she could sleep, she wouldn’t overthink…
That stormy night passed, and at dawn, just as the sun rose, the rain finally stopped. Warm sunlight once again bathed the entire city.
As for Jiang Zhao, he had remained kneeling the whole night like a statue. His clothes were soaked, and he endured the cold winds and rain until morning. Even for someone like him, it had become too much—his head grew heavier, but his eyes never left the second-floor window.
Inside the villa, Madam Zeng peeked through the curtain and frowned. “If that boy Jiang Zhao really did something to hurt our daughter, would he go this far? There’s something off about this.”
Hearing this, Qin Hongyun shook his head while sipping morning tea, saying, “You’re too softhearted. He knelt one night and you’re already feeling bad for him? What if it’s all an act? Didn’t our daughter say so herself?”
Though he said that, even Qin Hongyun couldn’t help but acknowledge Jiang Zhao a bit more. After all, not everyone could endure a night of wind and rain like that. Enjoying the story? Read on at novelping.com.
Just then, Jiang Zhao, still kneeling in the courtyard, could no longer hold on. His face pale, he lost consciousness and collapsed into a puddle, splashing water around him. It was summer—hot and muggy—and with last night’s storm and sudden cold, even the strongest body wouldn’t last.
“This is bad! He fainted! Old Qin, hurry and take him to the hospital—I’ll go get Xiaoxue!” Madam Zeng, who had been watching everything, cried out in alarm. She shouted and rushed upstairs.
Seeing this, Qin Hongyun didn’t dare delay either. He put down his tea and ran outside.
At the same time, upstairs in Qin Lingxue’s room, she was still asleep, her dark circles clearly visible. Curled up under the blanket, she looked fragile and pitiful.
Suddenly, the door swung open. Madam Zeng rushed in, yanked off the blanket, and smacked her daughter’s backside twice, shouting in panic, “You little devil! You’re still sleeping? Jiang Zhao fainted! Go see him right now! If there’s some misunderstanding, talk it through properly—why let things get to this point!”
Woken abruptly, Qin Lingxue opened her eyes in irritation, ready to lash out, but quickly realized what her mother had just said. In an instant, she snapped awake and looked at Madam Zeng in shock. “What did you just say?”
“Get dressed, quick! Jiang Zhao knelt outside the whole night in the wind and rain—how could his body possibly handle that?” Madam Zeng repeated urgently, throwing a coat onto the bed and urging her to get up quickly.
Hearing that Jiang Zhao had actually knelt outside the entire night, Qin Lingxue panicked. Grabbing her coat, she rushed out the door.
That idiot! How could he be so stupid!
In her eyes, she thought Jiang Zhao would last only a few hours before giving up. She never expected him to be so stubborn—to actually kneel there all night in the rain. Was he trying to kill himself?
…
After settling the matters from last night’s banquet, Ye Long returned to his sister’s hospital room. Sitting beside her bed, he murmured to the air, “Little Huan, Xiao Zhao is so much like you. That resolute back as he walked away for love is exactly like when you ran off with Jiang Chennian in front of everyone.”
Last night’s setup was arranged by their father, and Ye Long had been the one to carry it out. The purpose was to test Jiang Zhao. If the two of them broke up because of it, then maybe they weren’t meant to be. But if they could survive this test, their bond would only become stronger.
Love that has never been tested by hardship is fragile, no matter how long it lasts. One careless word in the future might be enough to break it apart.
Just then, Ye Huan’er, lying on the bed, suddenly moved her fingers. The monitor beside her let out a sharp [beep beep].
Ye Long froze for a moment, then quickly snapped back to reality and pressed the red emergency button by the bed, shouting into the intercom, “Doctor! Quick! My sister is responding!”
Moments later, the hospital room door burst open. Two doctors and several nurses rushed in. After checking the instruments, they immediately began their examination.
“Blood pressure normal.”
“Dr. Long, the patient’s heart rate is increasing.”
“Inject the hormone solution immediately. Monitor the patient’s pulse closely.”