Shen Qi had a mischievous idea and deliberately stomped heavily into the kitchen, startling the two people who had been speaking ill of her behind her back.
Xu Ailian clutched her chest and shot Shen Qi a glare. “Couldn’t you have knocked first?!”
Shen Qi picked up the thermos to pour water. “What are you talking about, Mom? The kitchen is a common area—anyone can come in. Why would I need to knock?”
“Unless you and Shen Baozhu are doing something shady in the kitchen?”
“Nonsense!” Xu Ailian glared at her.
Shen Baozhu bit her lip, both flustered and embarrassed. “Shen Qi, don’t casually slander Mom.”
Shen Qi’s gaze was like a knife, scraping painfully across Shen Baozhu’s face.
She remembered that unreasonable slap and hid further behind Xu Ailian.
Oh.
Scared?
Good that you’re scared.
Shen Qi flashed a bright smile at both of them. “I was just joking—why are you taking it so seriously?”
Then, holding her cup, she leisurely walked out.
The next day, Shen Qi left early as usual.
For breakfast, she went to a slightly farther place and bought two bowls of wontons.
She remembered Chen Li loved these, having mentioned that back when she ran her own shop, she would go to Liu’s Place for a bowl of wontons whenever mornings weren’t busy.
These two bowls were exactly from Liu’s Place.
Chen Li was opening the door and didn’t turn around upon hearing Shen Qi’s call, simply pushing the door open and walking straight in.
“Sister Li, hurry up and eat breakfast.” Shen Qi placed the wontons on the table and called out to Chen Li.
Chen Li seemed disinterested, her eyes gloomy.
“A person is iron, food is steel. No matter what, filling your stomach comes first.” Shen Qi looked at Chen Li. “If you don’t eat and end up fainting from hunger, how can a novice like me, who’s only been here two days, handle haircuts for customers?”
Chen Li could sense Shen Qi’s concern for her.
Her gaze was probing.
“We’re not related in any way. Why are you so good to me?”
“Would you believe me if I said it’s fate, Sister Li? The moment I saw you, I felt a connection.”
“Trying to scam me?”
Chen Li had heard of similar scams.
Some swindlers pretended to be relatives, offering empty warmth and care, only to vanish after swindling all the money.
Usually, elderly people fell for such tricks.
She wasn’t even 30 yet—hardly an old lady, right?
Shen Qi thought seriously for a moment. “In a way, yes. After all, I’m learning skills from you. Once I master them, won’t I be able to earn money?”
Chen Li chuckled, her heavy mood lightening considerably.
She sat down to eat the wontons.
After a warm bowl of wontons, she returned to her usual self.
Shen Qi went to return the bowls, and by the time she got back, the shop already had customers.
It was another day alternating between busy and quiet periods.
During lunch, Chen Li cleared her throat and laid out the rules for taking Shen Qi on as an apprentice.
“Do whatever I tell you to do, and don’t ask why.”
“You can’t graduate as a full-fledged stylist until I say so.”
“Also, I don’t provide room and board. Apprentices don’t get paid, and I won’t charge you extra for the training.”
Shen Qi agreed readily. “Fine, no problem. I have my own place to stay, and meals will be as usual—I’ll cover three meals a day for you.”
Chen Li couldn’t help but glance sideways at her.
This was practically a naive, money-flush sucker delivered right to her doorstep.
In the afternoon, they closed an hour early. Chen Li didn’t explain why, and Shen Qi didn’t ask.
Shen Qi had no desire to return to the Compound. After a moment’s thought, she bought a bag of apples and headed to the hospital.
Old Man Fang should have been transferred back to a regular ward by now.
Although she suspected that Grandpa Fang’s illness had been triggered by his anger at Fang Yi, she still wanted to confirm this and also try to reason with the elderly man.
She truly couldn’t marry Fang Yi.
Grandpa Fang was staying in a private ward, which was quite spacious. None of the Fang family members were present, only Aunt Xie, the nanny specifically assigned to care for the old man, was there.
Grandpa Fang happened to be awake at that moment, laboriously raising his arm to gesture for Shen Qi to come closer.
“Grandpa Fang.”
Seeing the old man in such a tormented state, Shen Qi felt somewhat saddened.
“Xiao Qi.” Grandpa Fang spoke very slowly and with great effort, needing to take two heavy breaths after each sentence.
Shen Qi immediately abandoned her original plan.
In this condition, it was impossible to have a proper conversation with the old man.
“Grandpa Fang, please don’t speak. I just came to see you and keep you company.”
Grandpa Fang gripped Shen Qi’s hand firmly and nodded.
Shen Qi stayed with Grandpa Fang while he watched the news and fed him some steamed eggs.
Before they knew it, it had grown dark outside. Grandpa Fang patted her hand and said, “Go back now.”
Shen Qi looked down at the old man’s withered hand, her feelings complicated.
She knew Grandpa Fang had personal motives in trying to match her with Fang Yi, but his affection for her was genuine.
Shen Qi looked up and smiled, “Alright, I’ll visit you again when I have time.”
Leaving the ward, Shen Qi felt a heaviness in her chest, quite uncomfortable.
She had thought that if she didn’t complain, Grandpa Fang wouldn’t have fallen ill and might have lived longer.
She had been too naive.
And she had been wrong.
In her previous life, she had always carried guilt about this matter, believing that her complaints had caused the argument between Grandpa Fang and Fang Yi, hastening the old man’s death.
Now it seemed that the real culprit behind Grandpa Fang’s death was Fang Yi.
And this person showed no awareness of it, always shifting the blame onto her.
“Shen Qi, who told you to come here?Suddenly, a human wall blocked her path, and a cold question sounded above her head.
Shen Qi looked up and met Fang Yi’s furious eyes.
Shen Qi didn’t want to speak to him and tried to walk around him.
Fang Yi grabbed her arm and dragged her into the stairwell.
“What did you say to Grandpa this time?! Are you determined to kill him?!” Fang Yi gripped Shen Qi’s shoulders and growled, “He treats you like his own granddaughter! How can you be so heartless, completely disregarding his life?!”
Shen Qi felt as if her shoulders were about to shatter from the intense pain.
“Are you insane?” Shen Qi pushed him but couldn’t break free, so she angrily bit the hand that was holding her.
Fang Yi grabbed her chin, preventing her from moving.
“Shen Qi, I wish I could kill you right now!”
“Let go of me!”
“The doctor said Grandpa shouldn’t get agitated! He just got out of the ICU and can’t handle any stress, don’t you understand?!”
“If you don’t let go, I won’t be polite!”
“Shen Qi, you…”
Shen Qi raised her foot and stomped hard on Fang Yi’s shoe, then swiftly kicked at his knee, aiming for a more serious blow.
Fang Yi reacted quickly enough – he couldn’t avoid the foot stomp, but managed to dodge the knee kick.
Fang Yi’s lips tightened into a straight line. Before Shen Qi could react, he had twisted her arm and pinned her against the wall.
Shen Qi was furious.
“Fang Yi, if you’re sick, why don’t you go get your brain checked?! So all the skills you learned in the Troops aren’t used against bad people, but are all directed at me?!”
Fang Yi gritted his teeth: “You forced me into this!”
“Fine! If you have what it takes, kill me! If you don’t succeed, I’ll kill you!”
Shen Qi also turned fierce, raising her voice to shout: “Help! Someone’s assaulting me!”