“What are you doing here?”
Su Yuqing clenched her fists slightly, her nails digging into her palms.
“I came to see you, of course.”
Ruan Qingqing’s voice was sweet and soft. “I heard you were sick. A-Yan’s busy with work and didn’t have time to come, so he asked me to check whether you were feeling better.”
“He asked you to come?”
“Of course. Why else would I be here?”
Ruan Qingqing looked utterly innocent.
The pain Su Yuqing had felt at first had already given way to calm.
She watched the unmistakable smugness and mockery on Ruan Qingqing’s face and knew she was deliberately trying to provoke her.
Su Yuqing curled her lips. “Then tell Huo Peiyan I appreciate his concern. He can stop pretending to care and visiting me from now on. It makes me sick.”
“How can you talk like that? Su Yuqing, Brother Peiyan was only trying to be kind, and you won’t even appreciate it! No wonder he doesn’t like you.”
As Ruan Qingqing spoke, she watched Su Yuqing’s expression.
Normally, if someone said Huo Peiyan didn’t like her, Su Yuqing would fly into a rage and argue endlessly, trying to prove that he did.
But the more she tried to prove it, the cheaper and more pathetic she looked—and the more Huo Peiyan looked down on her.
Ruan Qingqing had used that trick to provoke Su Yuqing many times before.
But now Su Yuqing sat quietly on the hospital bed, her lips faintly curved as she stared at her, as if she had seen through everything long ago.
Ruan Qingqing felt a flicker of panic.
She deliberately acted as if nothing were wrong, glanced at the glass on the table, then smiled, a sly glint in her eyes.
She picked up the glass, filled it with hot water from the dispenser, and offered it to Su Yuqing with a beaming smile.
“Yuqing, I know you must be angry. What can I say? Huo Peiyan loves me more. Have some water and cool down. You’ll get used to it eventually.”
As she spoke, she moved the scalding water toward Su Yuqing’s face.
She was counting on Su Yuqing’s injured leg keeping her from moving. The moment Su Yuqing reached for the glass, Ruan Qingqing would pretend to lose her grip and splash the water in her face.
She stared fixedly at Su Yuqing’s beautiful features, thinking viciously: You dare compete with me? I’ll destroy you.
Su Yuqing had seen through her intentions from the start.
Without making it obvious, she gripped the edge of the blanket with both hands. Just as Ruan Qingqing was about to splash the hot water onto her face, Su Yuqing sprang to her feet and flung the blanket high.
The boiling water changed direction and splashed all over Ruan Qingqing.
“Ah—!”
A cry of agony rang through the room.
Ruan Qingqing’s face and neck were instantly reddened by the boiling water, and white blisters rose on her skin.
She screamed in pain, “Su Yuqing, how dare you hurt me! I’ll make you pay!”
With that, Ruan Qingqing lunged at her, clawing and flailing like a vengeful ghost.
“Oh, come on—not again!”
Su Yuqing cursed under her breath. She had no time to react.
Standing on the bed, she looked down at Ruan Qingqing and kicked her squarely in the chest.
The kick was powerful. Ruan Qingqing lost her footing and staggered backward toward the door.
She was about to fall flat on her back and hit the corner of the table by the door when Huo Peiyan hurried into the room and caught her in his arms.
His face was livid.
He looked down at the red, swollen skin on her cheek and neck, then raised his eyes to the bed.
Su Yuqing still had the blanket clutched in her hands, holding it in a defensive stance.
“It wasn’t my fault! You spilled it on yourself. There are security cameras here, so don’t try to blame me.”
Su Yuqing looked up and met Huo Peiyan’s eyes. She froze for a moment.
When she saw him holding Ruan Qingqing, she frowned slightly, then gave a cold laugh and turned her head away.
Ruan Qingqing lay in Huo Peiyan’s arms. Her face burned with pain, but when she saw the brief flash of concern in his eyes, she knew her gamble had paid off.
She immediately put on a tearful expression and clung tightly to him.
“Brother Peiyan, it hurts so much,” she said, her voice breaking.
Two nurses heard the commotion and hurried over.
They were startled by what they saw. Quickly taking Ruan Qingqing from Huo Peiyan’s arms, they said, “We’ll take her to the burn unit,” and prepared to lead her away.
Ruan Qingqing’s eyes were misty with tears, her pale, delicate face pitiful. She looked at Huo Peiyan reluctantly.
“Brother Peiyan, I’m scared. Sob… It hurts so much.”
“Yuqing didn’t do it on purpose. Don’t scold her.”
Su Yuqing watched it all with cold eyes.
Ruan Qingqing was about to say more when Huo Peiyan looked at the broad patch of red scalding on her neck. A small black mole on the side of her skin was faintly visible.
His gaze darkened.
He turned on his heel, walked toward Ruan Qingqing, bent down, and picked her up. Without looking back, he carried her out of the room.
Ruan Qingqing turned her head past Huo Peiyan’s arm and raised an eyebrow with a smile.
Her defiance was unmistakable.
The pain from the burn twisted her smile into something almost convulsive.
Huo Peiyan carried her to the doorway, then paused.
He turned his head and looked at Su Yuqing with dark eyes, as still and unreadable as a deep well.
“Wait here. Don’t move around.”
A flash of malice crossed Ruan Qingqing’s eyes.
Damn it!
She hooked an arm around Huo Peiyan’s neck and looked at Su Yuqing. “Brother Peiyan, it hurts.”
Su Yuqing watched them coldly. Her voice was icy. “Mr. Huo, just take care of yourself and your girlfriend. You don’t need to worry about anyone else.”
They were embracing right in front of her.
Was she some part of their little play?
Su Yuqing felt both exasperated and furious.
Did he think she was some cheap thing he could summon whenever he wanted and dismiss whenever he pleased?
She had really let them get away with too much before, letting them climb all over her and shit on her head without a care!
She ignored Huo Peiyan’s shifting, inscrutable expression and showed them the door.
“If you two don’t leave, I won’t hesitate to call the police for disturbing the peace.”
A triumphant smile lurked in Ruan Qingqing’s eyes. “Brother Peiyan, let’s go. Yuqing looks scary.”
“Get out. Now.”
Su Yuqing waved them away.
Huo Peiyan’s dark brows drew together, and a flash of intense fury passed through his eyes, as if a storm were raging beneath the surface.
But he said nothing. Holding Ruan Qingqing, he left the room.
The hospital room fell quiet again.
Su Yuqing watched them go, then glanced down at the mess around her.
Her blanket was soaked through, and she couldn’t rest under it anymore.
She sighed and slowly climbed down from the bed, pushing down the ache in her heart.
They had already broken up. That bastard could hold whoever he wanted. It had nothing to do with her.
She wouldn’t give Huo Peiyan another glance.
Su Yuqing put on her shoes and stood by the window. Below, beneath the city’s night sky, neon lights flickered and traffic streamed past. The city was lively and bustling.
The thought that Huo Peiyan and Ruan Qingqing were in the same hospital made her heart sink.
Her desire to be discharged grew even stronger.
She turned around just as the caregiver came in to change her sheets.
When the caregiver saw Su Yuqing, she was remarkably deferential and showered her with compliments.
“Miss Su, your fiancé is so handsome, wealthy, and considerate! You have no idea how many people out there envy you!”
“?”
What fiancé?
How was he handsome, wealthy, and considerate?
Where had she heard all that?!
Su Yuqing was completely bewildered.