Luo Chunya nodded, her expression as playful as a little girl’s. “Drink water! Listen to Lingling! Drink water!”
After downing the water in one gulp, she leaned against the headboard and looked at Chi Nian with confusion, frowning as she asked, “Xiao Nian, what happened to your face?”
As soon as she finished speaking, she began coughing violently.
Yu Wanli hurriedly patted her bony back, helping her catch her breath.
“Aunt Luo, I got this playing around with Xiao Ao and accidentally got hurt,” Chi Nian said, sitting by the bed with a grin. “Do you remember Xiao Ao? That fluffy little dog who really loves eating watermelon rinds.”
“Xiao… Ao?” Luo Chunya’s frown deepened, as if she couldn’t recall. She seemed frustrated and suddenly raised her hand to hit her own head.
Qiao Ling reacted swiftly, gently grasping her hand to divert her attention. “Aunt Luo, do you miss Wanli a lot?”
“Yes,” Luo Chunya replied, as expected, no longer thinking about who Xiao Ao was. But then she abruptly changed the subject again. “No, no, I don’t miss Wanli, and I don’t miss you either. You should focus on your studies and not come to see me.”
With that, she began shooing them away. “Go, go, hurry back and study.”
“Miss Qiao,” the attending physician called softly from the doorway. “Could you come out for a moment?”
Qiao Ling nodded slightly, glanced at Luo Chunya, who was unhappily lowering her head and waving her arms, and gave Yu Wanli a reassuring look before stepping out.
In the hallway.
Director Li and the attending physician led Qiao Ling to an empty room next door.
“Miss Qiao, we have something to tell you,” the attending physician said, glancing at Director Li and hesitating for a moment before continuing. “And also about what’s been happening in the hospital these past two days.”
Naturally, the matter concerned Luo Chunya; otherwise, the two wouldn’t have spoken to her like this.
Leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, Qiao Ling’s delicate brows carried a cold indifference. “Go on.”
“It’s like this. When Mrs. Luo was lucid, she told us a few things to pass on to you.” Luo Chunya’s mind drifted in and out of clarity, and her memory was particularly poor, which was why she had asked those by her side to relay the message.
“Mrs. Luo said she is very proud to have a daughter like you.”
“She said you and Miss Yu are as close as sisters from the same womb. Over these years she’s been bedridden, the two of you have kept each other company, and she hopes you’ll continue to do so.”
The doctor paused briefly, his tone tinged with confusion. “Mrs. Luo also said that the Qiao Family is a place that devours people without spitting out the bones. You’re in a den of tigers and wolves, and as a mother, she can’t protect you. Instead, you’ve been protecting Miss Yu, which makes her feel deeply ashamed.”
“Additionally, Mrs. Luo mentioned she has something for you, but you’ll need to go to the small courtyard house to retrieve it yourself.”
A gentle breeze stirred, causing the pale green skirt of the young woman to shimmer softly in the sunlight. The light was warm, yet it couldn’t melt the icy aura surrounding her.
“Continue.”
Director Li then spoke up. “Miss Qiao, we also wanted to tell you that these past two days, Mr. Yu has been waiting outside the hospital every night. Yesterday, he said he wanted to come in, but I refused.”
“He also asked me about Mrs. Luo’s condition and who is protecting her. I brushed him off, but I’m sure he wasn’t convinced.””Don’t bother with him.” Qiao Ling lowered her gaze slightly, letting out a cold scoff. “That bastard is up to his tricks again. Starting today, the main gate will be guarded, so Dean Li, you need not show up anymore.”
Dean Li replied, “Understood.”
Meanwhile, in the adjacent ward.
Luo Chunya’s consciousness and emotions had stabilized for only a few minutes. Not long after Qiao Ling left the room, she grew increasingly agitated.
Yu Wanli and Chi Nian dared not disturb her further and soon left the ward as well.
On the way back, the mood among the three was somber. No one spoke a word throughout the journey.
Upon arriving home, they each retreated to their own rooms.
As evening approached, the setting sun hung low, casting the last glimmer of twilight behind the towering buildings. The bridge spanning the three rivers was already adorned with colorful neon lights, ready to welcome the impending dusk.
Inside the dimly lit house, not a single lamp was turned on.
Suddenly, a faint sound of a door opening could be heard. In the darkness, the slender and graceful silhouette of a young woman emerged from her room.
Perhaps due to the arrival of midsummer, people yearned to feel the gentle breeze. The usually deserted shaded paths of Ziyuan were unexpectedly bustling with activity today.
Sitting in her car, Qiao Ling wore Bluetooth earphones, leaning lazily against the seatback. One hand rested on the window frame, the other on the steering wheel.
She responded absentmindedly, “Got it, don’t worry. How could I forget about the thesis defense?”
It was already late May. Huada University had begun its graduation defenses a week earlier. Qu Yushu, as Qiao Ling’s advisor, had finally managed to contact her after a week!
Regarding this beloved yet exasperating star student of his, Qu Yushu didn’t believe a word of her casual remark!
“Qiao Ling! Don’t think I don’t know you rushed through your thesis! Even though it’s well-written! But…”
“But my attitude is problematic,” Qiao Ling interrupted him, a faint smile curling at the corner of her lips, her tone light and breezy. “Oh, dashing and scholarly Advisor Qu, I’m driving right now. Are you sure you want to give me a lecture on love at this moment?”
Qu Yushu retorted, “Don’t you lie to me!”
Qiao Ling raised an eyebrow but offered no explanation, simply pressing the horn.
Qu Yushu fell silent for a moment. “Fine! Then I’ll give you that lecture another day!”
“Wait! Next time, please address me as the erudite Advisor Qu!”
With that, he promptly hung up.
Qiao Ling chuckled softly, removed her Bluetooth earphones, and played an English song.
.
The black G-Class gradually shifted from the bustling streets into a wide alley filled with an ancient charm, eventually parking in an open space.
Qiao Ling got out of the car and walked deeper into the alley under the dim streetlights. The alley branched out in all directions, and as she ventured further, the path gradually narrowed.
After about five minutes of walking.
She stopped in front of a quiet bar named “LD,” marked by a “Open” sign. The bar’s entrance was tiny, less than a meter wide, slightly ajar, obscuring the view inside.
After a moment’s thought.
Qiao Ling stepped up the stairs, pushed open the door, and was greeted by the sound of mellow music. She walked through a narrow corridor a few meters long, turned a corner, and entered a dimly lit, spacious area decorated in an American retro style.
“Hello, wel—” As she spoke, the proprietress behind the bar stood up. Recognizing the familiar face, her expression brightened with delight, and she changed her tone. “Lingling, what brings you here today!”
Qiao Ling made her way to her usual spot in the corner. “Just here to pick something up. Same as usual, Sister Fei.”
“Coming right up.”The quiet bar was sparsely populated, not because of its remote location—on the contrary, this place was packed every day—but simply because Qiao Ling had arrived a bit earlier today.
Qiao Ling settled into the booth, and before long, she heard footsteps approaching. Qi Fei carried a tray holding two glasses of “Ghost Hospital,” a pack of tea-scented cigarettes, and a lighter.
“Long time no see,” Qi Fei said with a curved red lip, her mixed-race features strikingly beautiful. She placed the items from the tray beside Qiao Ling and smiled. “Master Jin was here yesterday, sitting right in your spot, ordering the same things as you.”
“Three years apart, and Master Jin has grown even more captivating. But his temperament is still the same—so many girls tried to strike up a conversation with him, and not a single one succeeded.”
Qiao Ling propped her cheek on her hand, lifting the corner of her eye. Her jade-white fingertips swirled the square ice cube in her glass as she smiled faintly. “Really? I think his temper has improved quite a bit.”
“…?” Qi Fei shot her a look that said, “Don’t be ridiculous.” Her red lips parted as if to speak, but just then, the ethereal chime of the wind chime at the entrance rang out.
Reluctantly, she said, “You enjoy your drink first. I’ll come find you once I’m done with work.”
“Mm.”
Qiao Ling picked up her glass and took a sip. The drink was a stark contrast to its horror-themed name—the liquid was pink. As it slid down her throat, an intense spiciness instantly flooded her taste buds, followed moments later by a cool minty freshness, and finally, a sweet, lingering peach fragrance on the tip of her tongue.
Few patrons at the quiet bar ordered such high-proof drinks, but Qiao Ling was one of the rare exceptions. She adored this bittersweet-then-sweet sensation.
…
Unnoticed, the bar gradually filled with more people, and the soothing, sensual music played one track after another.
Qiao Ling set down her empty glass, opened the cigarette pack, placed one between her lips, and lit it with practiced ease. She brushed aside the strands of hair resting on her chest and leaned back lazily.
The hazy, mysterious pink-blue light overhead cast an almost eerie glow on her coldly beautiful face.
She narrowed her eyes, recalling Aunt Luo’s words.
Suddenly,
she heard Qi Fei’s voice, filled with surprise and a hint of disbelief:
“Master Jin? You have time to visit again today? Oh my, what a coincidence—Ling Ling is here too!”