Jiang Wan’er brought her mother and younger brother to her apartment; she hadn’t yet had time to pack up all of Qiao Xunan’s belongings. Qiao Xunan’s assistant hadn’t taken everything—only a portion of his things—and Qiao Xunan had decided to leave the rest behind.
“There are still a few things left to pack up; I’ll take care of them in a bit,” Jiang Wan’er said. “There are several rooms here, so there’s plenty of space.”
The house wasn’t small—it was over 200 square meters. A house of this size was considered quite large in Hong Kong, with a generous amount of usable interior space.
Previously, only part-time helpers had come to work here; she hadn’t allowed anyone to live in the house.
Qiao Xunan didn’t like having the housekeeper live here; he found it inconvenient. He kept a stand-in, and he didn’t want to make a big fuss about it.
“What needs to be packed up?” asked Jiang’s mother.
“There are still some of Mr. Qiao’s things,” Jiang Wan’er replied.
“Let’s take a look. Not everything has to be thrown away; some things can be sold secondhand, and we might even make a little money.” Mrs. Jiang went to see what Qiao Xunan had left behind.
“Mom,” Jiang Wan’er hadn’t expected her mother to say something like that.
“The things these people use are quite high-end; they certainly aren’t cheap,” Mrs. Jiang said. “You don’t have a job, I don’t have a job, and your brother… sigh, he doesn’t have a steady job—he works when there’s work, and plays when there isn’t. Back then, I asked you to have President Nan arrange a good job for your brother, but you wouldn’t listen.”
“I was going to break up with President Nan sooner or later,” Jiang Wan’er said. “And here we are—we’ve broken up. Now that I’m separated from him, my brother can’t keep working there either.”
“That’s not necessarily true,” Jiang’s mother said.
“Mom, we’ve already asked for so much—if we ask for more, I’m afraid…”
“All right, that’s all in the past. Let’s not talk about it anymore.” Jiang’s mother felt Jiang Wan’er hadn’t asked for nearly enough. Jiang Wan’er, an unmarried young woman, had been with Qiao Xunan all these years; fortunately, she still had the house, and Jiang’s mother had some money on hand—money that Jiang Wan’er had given her.
Mrs. Jiang knew Jiang Wan’er had even more money, but she hadn’t asked her to hand it over just yet; she planned to have Jiang Wan’er contribute more later. Mrs. Jiang also thought about the fact that her son wasn’t married yet—he would get married someday, and there would be plenty of expenses to come.
“You really don’t need to throw these things away—take them to sell,” Mrs. Jiang said, picking up a tie. “I see this tie is still in good condition.”
“Maybe he… maybe he’ll want them back?” Jiang Wan’er said.
“Wealthy people aren’t short on things like this,” Jiang’s mother replied. “Didn’t you say Mr. Nan’s assistant went through them and didn’t take them back? If they weren’t taken, that means they’re unwanted. To Mr. Nan, this is just trash—there’s no problem with us selling them secondhand.”
Mrs. Jiang pondered what else might be worth selling. “You were with Mr. Nan for all those years, so you might not care about this money, but I do. Your brother hasn’t settled down yet, and with my health, who knows how much longer I have left. We have to plan ahead.”
“Well… I’ll do as you say,” Jiang Wan’er replied, though she had originally wanted to keep a few items as mementos.
“Pack it all up,” Jiang Jie said, instantly guessing his sister’s thoughts. “Sis, if you want to reminisce, just look at this apartment—isn’t that enough? You two lived here together for a long time.”
“……” Jiang Wan’er fell silent; there were indeed traces of her life with Qiao Xunan here. Whenever Qiao Xunan came over, he never exchanged much small talk with Jiang Wan’er; he usually got straight to the point. It was a luxury for Jiang Wan’er to even hope he’d stay for a meal.
Qiao Xunan didn’t particularly like it when Jiang Wan’er spoke. He said that when she spoke, she didn’t seem like “her”—by “her,” he meant Shi Zhuojing, Qiao Xunan’s ex-girlfriend.
It wasn’t until very late—nearly midnight—that Qiao Xunan returned home, having had quite a bit to drink.
Qiao Xunan didn’t show up to see Shi Zhuojing. After she left the airport, he went to meet up with his friends. As he drank with them, thoughts of Shi Zhuojing weighed heavily on his mind, and he drank a little more than usual.
When Qiao Xunan returned home, his mother was still awake.
Lately, his mother has been having trouble sleeping and staying up late. Knowing Qiao Xunan hadn’t come home yet, she waited a little longer.
As she came downstairs, she happened to run into a heavily intoxicated Qiao Xunan.
“Xunan,” Lady Qiao said, clearly displeased at the sight of him.
“Mom,” Qiao Xunan replied, his mind clearing slightly upon seeing her. He didn’t dare tell her what he’d been up to—he couldn’t risk making her dislike Shi Zhuojing—“I… I had some business to take care of, just a conversation with someone.”
“Is this for business, or for your personal affairs?” Lady Qiao asked. “Your older brother is still in bed.”
“It’s… just a small matter,” Qiao Xunan replied, neither confirming it was business nor admitting it was personal.
Lady Qiao felt exhausted and decided not to press him further. If Qiao Xudong really didn’t wake up, Qiao Xunan would still have to hold things together.
“Your older brother has treated you well,” Lady Qiao said. “He’s a member of the Qiao family, and so are you.”
Lady Qiao turned and went upstairs, while Qiao Xunan stood there for quite a while.
All evening, Yun Ruozhu didn’t contact Qiao Yitong; he had indeed done exactly as his biological mother had told him. Yun Ruozhu had his reasons: he was thinking of his future with Qiao Yitong, hoping to make her transition into the Qiao family as smooth as possible.
Qiao Yitong didn’t wait for Yun Ruozhu to contact her; she knew it was highly likely he wouldn’t. Having been friends with Yun Ruozhu for many years, Qiao Yitong had a basic understanding of him—Yun Ruozhu wasn’t particularly fond of Qiao Yitong’s friends, and Qiao Yitong didn’t force Yun Ruozhu to interact with them. Early that morning, Old Master Murong and his wife, Murong Ya, and Murong Yuchen all went to the Qiao family home. They also brought along a doctor whom Murong Yuchen had hired from abroad at great expense.
The doctor was acquainted with the Murong family, and since the Murongs had indeed spent a considerable sum, they couldn’t very well let him make the trip for nothing without paying him a single penny.
The doctor examined Qiao Xudong first. Qiao Xudong had already undergone the relevant tests, and none of them revealed any major issues, but he still hadn’t woken up. The doctor took a look at Qiao Xudong and asked about his condition.
“His finger twitched—it happened yesterday,” Zhu Shanshan told the doctor honestly.
At the time, Zhu Shanshan had been talking to Qiao Xudong about Qiao Yitong when she saw his hand twitch—just a slight twitch—and she wondered if she’d been seeing things.
“It happened while I was talking to him,” Zhu Shanshan said.
“That could be a reaction to what you said, or it could be a natural bodily reaction,” the doctor replied.
The human body sometimes twitches suddenly; many people have experienced this. Afterward, when they go to the hospital for a checkup, there’s usually nothing wrong.
“Talk to him more often,” the doctor advised.
The doctor didn’t have any better solutions for Qiao Xudong’s current condition.
Qiao Xudong had been taken outside for some sun; he wasn’t confined to his bed all the time. The Qiao family took great care of him, but even the doctor didn’t know when he would wake up.
This doctor was an expert in the field and internationally renowned. Whether a patient is in a vegetative state or not, sometimes it still comes down to the loved ones—if they care for the patient and talk to them often, who knows when the patient might wake up.
The doctor had seen many such cases: some patients never woke up, while others woke up years later. No one can predict such things; if the family can persevere, then they should keep going.
The Qiao family is well-off, and since Qiao Xudong’s accident happened not too long ago, the doctor is confident they will certainly persevere.
First Uncle Qiao and his wife received the doctor, while Old Master Qiao, Father Qiao, Mother Qiao, and others welcomed the Murong family. The Murong family had come to propose marriage, so this matter had to be handled properly.
The Murong family adopted a very humble demeanor; they didn’t act as haughtily as Lady Yun had.
“Xiaotong has such a gentle disposition—it’s exactly the kind of person our family needs,” the Elder Lady Murong said with a smile. “If Yuchen dares to treat her badly, we’ll definitely stand by Xiaotong’s side.”
“That’s right. My brother has thick skin—he can take a beating and a scolding,” Murong Ya chimed in.
Murong Ya had been briefed before arriving; both the Elder Lady Murong and Murong Yuchen had given her a few words of advice. Murong Ya thought to herself that she wasn’t facing an enemy, so there was no need to come across as so assertive.
Qiao Yitong glanced at Murong Yuchen: Is this really your older sister?
In the past, Qiao Yitong had seen Murong Ya from a distance; she hadn’t been very keen on getting close to her. Murong Ya had a very imposing presence—it wasn’t just Qiao Yitong who avoided her; none of the young girls liked to get close to her.
Qiao Yitong’s older brother, Qiao Xubei, got close to Murong Ya because he admired her ambition; being with her meant he had no choice but to work hard.
Qiao Xubei had also arrived, and he didn’t feel the least bit embarrassed. Qiao Xubei reasoned that the fact he and Murong Ya weren’t together was their private matter. As Qiao Yitong’s older brother, he naturally had to come take a look—he simply couldn’t not come.
Murong Ya didn’t give Qiao Xubei a second glance; she had never been in a relationship with him, nor did they have any other conflicts.
Qiao’s eldest uncle and his wife weren’t present; Grandfather Qiao had asked them to attend to the doctors. Grandfather Qiao had done this on purpose—at this critical moment, it was best to let Qiao’s parents and others remain here to make the decision, so that no one could claim Qiao’s eldest uncle and his wife had pressured Qiao Yitong into making the choice.
“I’ll take good care of Tongtong,” Murong Yuchen said, forcing his alter ego to stay in check so it wouldn’t surface at this moment. This was a pivotal moment in his life; Murong Yuchen couldn’t let his alter ego emerge. He had to propose to the Qiao family himself—a moment he would never forget for the rest of his life. “For a lifetime, I will never forget.”
“So many vows of eternal love have come to nothing—what’s the point of saying that now?” Qiao Xubei said. As the man destined to become Murong Yuchen’s brother-in-law, he wasn’t afraid of Murong Yuchen. In the past, Qiao Xubei would never have dared to say such things to Murong Yuchen’s face. But things were different now. It was Murong Yuchen who was marrying Qiao Yitong, not Qiao Xubei marrying Murong Ya. It was Murong Yuchen who should make the promises, and it was Murong Yuchen who should back down.
Qiao Xubei stood up straight and looked at his sister: See that? That’s what a big brother is supposed to be like!
Qiao Xunan was drunk and hadn’t gotten out of bed yet today. And Qiao Xunan’s younger brother was racing abroad and hadn’t returned yet. Qiao Xubei thought to himself that as Qiao Yitong’s biological older brother, he couldn’t let her down at this critical moment.
“Our family can transfer two percent of the Murong Group’s shares to Xiaotong as a dowry.” Old Master Murong cut to the chase, bypassing all the formalities. What the Yun family couldn’t offer Qiao Yitong, the Murong family could.
Old Master Murong didn’t need to wait for Old Master Qiao to express the Murong family’s sincerity; if the bride’s family had to ask for it, it would make the groom’s family appear insincere. Having married off a daughter himself, Old Master Murong knew exactly what kind of security the bride’s family needed.
“Once the marriage between our two families is finalized, the shares can be transferred before the wedding,” Old Master Murong said. He wasn’t afraid the Qiao family would back out; if they did, the shares would naturally not end up in Qiao Yitong’s hands, and she would still have to return them to the Murong family. “What do you say?”