After Song Xian left, Song Zhi groped her way through the dark to Xu You’s side, pulled up a small stool, and fell asleep propped up against the edge of the bed.
She had a dream. In it, a snow-white little kitten was being bullied by a pack of stray cats, its body covered in wounds.
Furious, she chased the strays away with a stick, then scooped the kitten into her arms. Hugging and kissing it, she said, “I’m here now. No one will ever bully you again.”
For some reason, the kitten in her arms suddenly transformed into a human. The person wrapped their arms around her as a faint, elegant fragrance washed over her. In a cool, clear voice, they said, “You said it yourself.”
Song Zhi murmured an assent and lifted her head, only to see Xu You’s fair, exquisite face.
She snapped her eyes open, only to lock gazes directly with Xu You, who was sitting up in the hospital bed. Song Zhi’s heart gave a violent thud.
To her surprise, Xu You handed her a few tissues, her voice incredibly gentle. “Did you have a nightmare?”
A bit overwhelmed by the unexpected favor, Song Zhi took them and shook her head blankly. “N-No.”
Recalling her dream just now, she felt as though her face were on fire. Pretending to be casual, she asked, “Um, did I say anything in my sleep just now?”
Xu You watched her quietly. After a long moment, she let out a soft laugh. “No.”
Hearing that, the heart in Song Zhi’s throat finally settled back into her chest.
Thank goodness, thank goodness. It would have been way too embarrassing if I’d said it out loud.
While her mind was racing, she heard Xu You say to her, “Thank you for yesterday.”
Song Zhi blinked. “Huh?”
Xu You’s soft demeanor made her feel incredibly flattered and a little bewildered.
“Thank you for helping me out of that situation,” Xu You explained.
Xu You had a habit when speaking, she would look very intently into the other person’s eyes.
This held a massive attraction for Song Zhi. A simple “thank you for helping me out” was enough for her to mentally leap all the way to “will you marry me” (what on earth was she thinking?). Right now, she didn’t dare look into Xu You’s eyes at all. She panicked and stammered out, “It… it’s fine.”
Xu You took in her entire reaction. She said softly, “In any case, I owe you a favor. You can make a request, and I will do my best to satisfy it.”
In reality, in Xu You’s eyes, everything Song Zhi was doing right now had an ulterior motive, including yesterday’s humble apology and her stepping up at the birthday banquet.
Perhaps, just as Xu Jie had said, it was all to get close to her and fish for information, or maybe she wanted to use this opportunity to make her leave Fu Nian.
Sure enough, the moment she said this, Song Zhi’s eyes lit up. “Really?”
A flash of disappointment crossed Xu You’s eyes, but she gave a soft, “Mm.”
Yet, in the very next second, Song Zhi’s face gradually flushed crimson. “I know I did a lot of wrong things in the past, but I’m apologizing to you. I’m sorry. I’ll change everything. Can you…”
She lifted her eyes to look at Xu You, asking tentatively, “…not hate me?”
Xu You blinked in bewilderment, wondering if she was hallucinating.
She wasn’t asking for property, nor was she demanding that she leave Fu Nian. She just wanted her… not to hate her?
Were these really words that could come out of Song Zhi’s mouth?
And at this moment, she actually thought Song Zhi looked like a pitiful big dog begging for forgiveness.
This didn’t match her usual image at all.
How could a person change so much overnight?
She was highly curious.
Xu You had always been someone whose outer appearance contrasted with her inner thoughts. No matter how much was running through her mind, her surface remained gentle with a warm smile. “Mm, I don’t hate you.”
When Xu You smiled, she was breathtakingly beautiful. Her usually cold, clear peach-blossom eyes rippled with warmth as she gazed at you quietly. Her pace of speech was deliberate and steady, as if she were making a solemn vow.
Song Zhi’s face flushed a explosive red. She practically tripped over her own feet as she rushed out the door, leaving behind a panicked, “I-I’ll go buy you some food.”
Watching her retreating figure, the gentle expression on Xu You’s face vanished completely.
The phone resting on the table buzzed loudly. Xu You cast a glance at it.
It was a call from Xu Jie.
She picked up the phone, waited a brief moment, and then connected the call.
“Are you awake?”
Xu You didn’t bother making small talk, asking tersely, “Is something wrong?”
“Is this how you speak to your father?!”
Xu Jie’s face flushed with anger at those three words. He had regretted giving her that slap all night, worried that Fu Nian would reject the marriage alliance with their family because of it.
That was why he had lowered himself to call, hoping to ease the tension with Xu You. He hadn’t expected her to be so ungrateful.
“Fine, you’re capable now,” Xu Jie snapped. “If you’re so capable, stay out there forever and don’t ever come back to this house!”
The only response he received was the cold, electronic beep of the disconnected call.
Xu You pinched the bridge of her nose, her expression exhausted.
She pulled up her contacts list and dialed a number.
It was picked up almost instantly, and a young woman’s cheerful voice rang out. “Hey, Boss! I’m handling official business right now. What are your orders?”
Xu You’s voice was flat. “Keep putting pressure on the Xu family. And,” she paused briefly, “investigate Song Zhi’s recent movements and her internet search history.”
“You got it, Boss.”
The girl was incredibly fast, the information was sent over in less than five minutes.
Xu You reviewed it twice. There was nothing unusual about Song Zhi’s physical behavior, nor were there anomalies in her search history, save for one entry from eight minutes ago on Xiao Fengshu.
“How do you tell if a girl says she doesn’t hate you, whether it’s real or fake? Urgent, urgent, urgent!”