After Gu Qingxu finished speaking, she lowered her eyelids, her lashes trembling slightly, wearing an expression that was both guilty and helpless.
Qiao Zhao smiled, her tone unhurried: “Don’t overthink it. That’s just how he is—once he sets his heart on someone, he can’t bear to leave their side for even a moment. Back when he was pursuing me, he’d stay all night and refuse to leave. Later on… well, you know. But seeing how devoted he is to you now, I’m genuinely happy for you.”
The smile on Gu Qingxu’s face froze.
Qiao Zhao tossed her luggage bag onto the chair and turned to leave.
“Qiao Zhao!”
Her sleeve was grabbed, forcing her to turn back.
Gu Qingxu stood barefoot on the floor, the IV needle having been pulled from her hand, with the medication dripping steadily onto the ground.
Qiao Zhao frowned. “What are you doing?”
Gu Qingxu let out a soft “ah” and collapsed to the floor.
A moment later, the ward door swung open and Shen Moyan walked in.
“Xuxu.” His expression changed instantly as he rushed over to help Gu Qingxu up.
The area around the needle on the back of her hand had already turned red and swollen.
Shen Moyan raised his head, his gaze icy as he looked at Qiao Zhao. “If you didn’t want to come, you could have said so. Why did you do this?”
Qiao Zhao was momentarily stunned, then smiled—though it didn’t reach her eyes. “First, I said I didn’t want to come, but you insisted. Second, her falling to the ground has nothing to do with me.”
“Apologize!”
“Apologize?” Qiao Zhao stared at him in disbelief. “Are you sure? You want me to apologize?”
“Shouldn’t you apologize when you’ve done something wrong?”
Qiao Zhao nodded. “Fine, I suppose I should.”
She picked up the water glass from the bedside table and slowly poured it over Gu Qingxu’s head.
“Ah—” Gu Qingxu shrieked and curled into Shen Moyan’s arms as the hot water ran down both their heads.
Qiao Zhao hurled the glass in front of them. Shards scattered, and Shen Moyan, quick as lightning, shielded Gu Qingxu with his back so neither of them got cut.
“I never apologize for things I didn’t do, but now I can.” She said coldly, “I’m sorry, you two.”
With that, she turned and left.
Before she turned sixteen, she was bullied relentlessly—until that person appeared and taught her: since no one has your back, you fight back yourself.
Shen Moyan helped Gu Qingxu onto the bed and chased after her.
Qiao Zhao reached the elevator when Shen Moyan grabbed her arm. “Qiao Zhao, wait.”
She turned around. “What, not formal enough? Should I light three sticks of incense and kowtow to her?”
“I was impulsive just now.” A flicker of guilt crossed Shen Moyan’s face. “That’s not what I meant. I’ll apologize to you on Xuxu’s behalf—she’s been in a bad mood these past few days.”
Her husband, apologizing to her on behalf of another woman, defending that woman who had framed her at every turn.
Qiao Zhao smiled faintly. “It’s fine. It wasn’t me whose IV needle got yanked out, it wasn’t me who got scalded, and it wasn’t me who was played for a fool. What do I have to be angry about?”
Shen Moyan was about to say something else when a woman dressed as a nurse ran over. “Professor Shen, please come quickly and check on Miss Gu.”
Shen Moyan’s face tightened. He said to Qiao Zhao, “Wait here for me. I’ll be right back.”
Then he ran toward the ward, his steps so frantic you’d think someone had died.
.
Shen Moyan returned to the ward, where the doctor had just finished examining Gu Qingxu. “Rest assured, Young Master Shen. That cup of water had been sitting out for a while, so the temperature wasn’t that high. Her skin is just a bit red—an ice pack will take care of it.”
“Thank you for your trouble.” Shen Moyan saw the doctor out.
“Moyan.” When he returned to the hospital room, Gu Qingxu was leaning against the headboard, her eyes red as she looked at him. “You love her very much?”
Shen Moyan was silent for a moment. “I owe her.”
“Then what about me?” Gu Qingxu’s tears slid down silently. “Back then, the domestic music scene wasn’t easy to break into, but with the Gu family’s backing, becoming famous was only a matter of time. I chose the shortcut of going abroad for our future, to marry you sooner. And you just watched me get bullied by her?”
Shen Moyan frowned. “She’s not that kind of person.”
“Enough, Shen Moyan. You defend her at every turn—then what am I?” Gu Qingxu pulled the blanket over herself, curling up on the bed and sobbing quietly.
Shen Moyan was stunned. He didn’t know what had come over him, but he simply couldn’t bear to hear anyone speak ill of Qiao Zhao.
Including that day at the Western restaurant, when he’d been flustered and wrongly blamed her.
But thinking about it carefully, over these three years, aside from being a little greedy with money, Qiao Zhao had been as docile as a little lamb. How could she have done something like that?
He was just stating the facts.
Or perhaps, over these three years, he really had owed her too much.
So much that he didn’t know how to repay it—defending her a little was only right.
He snapped back to reality and walked out of the hospital room to find Qiao Zhao, but in the quiet elevator lobby, there was no trace of her anywhere.
.
After Shen Moyan left, Qiao Zhao turned and stepped into the elevator. Just as the doors were about to close, a hand blocked them.
Tan Zheng strode in.
Visiting hours were already over at this time, so the two of them were alone in the elevator.
As the elevator descended, the air in the cabin grew stifling.
The man’s icy voice rang out: “Those two are going at it in bed, and you’re handing them condoms by the bedside. That’s some impressive endurance.”
Qiao Zhao tugged at the corner of her mouth. “Isn’t that what you taught me?”
Tan Zheng’s expression darkened. “I never taught you to be this disgraceful.”
Qiao Zhao: “No need to worry about that. No one knows that the upstanding and refined President Tan is acquainted with a nobody like me.”
Whether it was her imagination or not, after she said this, the atmosphere in the cabin became even more oppressive.
When the elevator reached the first floor and the doors hadn’t even fully opened, unable to bear it any longer, she strode out quickly.
Outside the hospital, Lu Yao’s car was waiting for her.
Merging into the traffic, Qiao Zhao saw from the rearview mirror that Peng Yan was opening the car door for Tan Zheng.
She let out a slight sigh of relief.
Good thing she’d called Lu Yao—otherwise, hailing a cab on the street would have meant another round of entanglement with Tan Zheng.
Lu Yao looked at her and chuckled. “Anyone watching would think a wolf was chasing you.”
“Yeah.” Qiao Zhao’s tone was indifferent. “Something scarier than a wolf.”
.
The moment she stepped through the door at home, Qiao Zhao received a message from Shen Moyan.
“I’ll compensate you for tonight.”
Qiao Zhao sneered. No defense, just compensation.
Fine then—that meant she had no burden at all. She replied calmly: “I want the villa on Binjiang Road, plus the one I had you sign last time. Transfer the titles tomorrow.”
“Fine.”
This time, Shen Moyan was uncharacteristically reliable, having his personal assistant—the manager who handled the Shen family’s assets—complete the property transfers.
Qiao Zhao wasn’t worried about any traps. Shen Moyan either didn’t give, but if he did, he wouldn’t cheat her on something like this.
Qiao Zhao gleefully laid the two property deeds in front of Lu Yao.
Lu Yao’s eyes went wide. “Both in prime locations, but… property values are dropping now. You’d be better off with gold.”
Qiao Zhao: “Gold is hard currency—too hard to pry out of the Shen family’s mouth. Better to hold onto the properties and live the good life as a landlady.”
Lu Yao hugged her and said, “I want to be your rent collector, and maybe ask to be kept by you.”
“Sure, sure, sure.” Qiao Zhao waved her hand grandly. “Come on, let’s go have some fun at Tinglan Pavilion.”
Tinglan Pavilion was the most famous private club in northern Jing.
When Qiao Zhao and Lu Yao arrived, it was exactly the peak hour for guests. As the elevator doors opened, a full car of people stood inside, with Shen Moyan and Gu Qingxu at the very front.