As she hesitated about how to answer, Xu Qingzhu suddenly rolled over to her side.
"You..." Liang Shi had barely finished speaking when Xu Qingzhu placed her finger on her lips and whispered, "Don't speak."
Liang Shi: "..."
Her fingers also had a faint, pleasant orange scent.
The aroma alone is enough to stir one's heart and soul.
Xu Qingzhu rested her head on her shoulder, her voice muffled and deep, "Then lend me your shoulder."
Chapter 17
The rich fragrance continued to spread.
This smell permeates every breath and nostril.
Liang Shi's lower abdomen was taut, and her arm brushed against Xu Qingzhu's skin.
It had a slight chill in it.
But this coolness was not enough to relieve the burning sensation in one's body.
Liang Shi turned his face slightly away and moved his body to the other side of the bed.
The hottest spot is the shoulders.
It seemed as if hot tears had fallen, soaking her T-shirt.
The skin on my shoulder was badly burned.
Something must have happened, Liang Shi thought.
But Liang Shi did not ask.
She wondered if Xu Qingzhu felt the same way, not wanting anyone to speak in this atmosphere.
All I need is a shoulder to lean on and some energy to draw from.
Even just a little bit.
If Xu Qingzhu wants to say it, then she will naturally say it.
If he didn't want to, Liang Shi would just be her tool.
Fortunately, Xu Qingzhu didn't stay long.
She stayed for a while, then moved away. Liang Shi could vaguely make out her outline in the darkness.
She sat up, propped herself up on the bed with her arms, her back to Liang Shi, her face turned toward the window. In that instant, Liang Shi felt that she was very lonely.
It's the same kind of loneliness as myself.
But it was only for a moment. Xu Qingzhu bent down to put on her shoes, then stood up and picked up her phone. Her voice had returned to its usual cold tone, but if you listened carefully, you could still tell that she had just been crying.
"I'm leaving now," Xu Qingzhu said.
Liang Shi also sat up. "Aren't you going to say anything?"
Xu Qingzhu paused, "What do you want to hear?"
"Didn't you just say you wanted to chat?" Liang Shi asked.
Xu Qingzhu shook her head, "I don't want to think about it now."
Liang Shi: "..."
She's quite easygoing.
It's quite interesting, though.
Liang Shi thought Xu Qingzhu would be an introverted, aloof but gentle and reserved person, but after getting to know her, she found that she was quite unexpected.
She's not a rigidly clever person, nor is it a deliberately contrived persona.
She may appear quiet, gentle, and aloof, but she actually has a fiery and resilient heart.
It's very similar to... a white-faced but black-hearted person.
It's also very similar to... pretending to be weak while actually being strong.
Liang Shi responded with a nonchalant "Oh".
She didn't force herself and lay back down on the bed. Xu Qingzhu walked to the door and stopped again, calling softly, "Liang Shi."
"Hmm?" Liang Shiyong responded with a nasal tone.
“You owe me a favor, right?” Xu Qingzhu said.
Liang Shi: "...?"
"Tonight," Xu Qingzhu reminded her, "Zhou Yi'an has always concealed her gender from the public."
"How did you know that?" Liang Shi asked.
“A friend helped her with the diagnosis.”
Is that Zhao Xuning?
Xu Qingzhu paused for a moment, then said, "This has nothing to do with you."
"Then why did you tell me?" Liang Shi stood up, taking steps closer. "Just to help me?"
What do you think?
“I don’t think so.” Liang Shi moved closer to her, able to smell the fragrance of her hair. “You’ve always wanted a divorce. If I were with Zhou Yi’an, you would have gotten what you wanted, but you didn’t. Given how much you hate me, I don’t simply believe that you told me this because you were worried about me. So… what’s your purpose? Or rather, what else do you want from me?”
She spoke very close to Xu Qingzhu, almost touching her.
Her lips were getting closer and closer to Xu Qingzhu's ear.
Xu Qingzhu didn't move at all.
She chuckled softly upon hearing this, then suppressed her laughter. "Regardless of your motives, it's a fact that I helped you, right? So you owe me a favor."
"Then what do you want me to do?" Liang Shi asked. "Does the Xu family's company still need financing? You just heard me on the phone, right? The Liang family is in dire straits right now and even has to sell their daughter to get a piece of land. They probably can't help you."
"I haven't decided yet," Xu Qingzhu said. "I'll make you pay me back when I do, no need to rush."
“Xu Qingzhu.” Liang Shi took half a step back. “You are nothing like you were before.”
She stated the facts in a calm tone.
Xu Qingzhu suddenly turned around, a smile playing on her lips, "Is it possible that you've never truly understood me?"
Liang Shi was speechless for a moment.
"You should rest," Xu Qingzhu said before leaving the ward.
Liang Shi stood there, only snapping out of his daze when he heard the door close.
//
Xu Qingzhu walked briskly towards the elevator after leaving the ward; it was a busy time at the hospital.
The elevator entrance was crowded with people, and she stood in the crowd, trying her best to hide herself.
Her forced composure made her face flushed, her ears were bright red, and her palms were sweaty, making her hold the phone warm and damp.
There were five fingernail marks on the palm where I had pinched hard, and the nail plates were an abnormal white.
An older woman standing nearby asked kindly, "Little girl, how are you? Do you need me to call a doctor?"
"No need, thank you, Auntie," Xu Qingzhu politely declined.
She placed her hand over her heart, trying to calm her wildly beating heart.
She's not an actress, and her acting is terrible.
If the lights were on, Liang Shi would definitely notice her unusual behavior.
Fortunately, with the lights off, she could pretend to act.
When the elevator reached the tenth floor, Xu Qingzhu returned to her ward. The nurse was hanging up an IV drip. Hearing footsteps, she turned around, smiled, and greeted her, "You're back."
"Hmm." Xu Qingzhu sat on the bed and took a few deep breaths, finally feeling a little better.
"Lie down," the nurse said. "The sooner the IV is finished, the more you can sleep."
"Okay." Xu Qingzhu placed her phone on the bedside table and asked while the nurse was giving her the injection, "Where's Dr. Zhao?"
"We're doing rounds," the nurse replied. "There's a patient who needs a physical exam, so it'll probably be a while before we're done."
"All right."
"Do you need to see her for something?" the nurse asked.
"Okay, I'll call her in a bit, thanks," Xu Qingzhu said.
Only after the nurse finished administering the IV drip and left the ward did Xu Qingzhu finally relax completely.
A single tear fell.
She raised the back of her hand to wipe it away.
The phone vibrated slightly very quickly.
She picked it up reluctantly; it was a message from her mother.
【Baby bamboo.】
Before Xu Qingzhu could reply, the message screen was quickly flooded with messages.
If your dad says no, then forget it. Don't let these things create a rift between you and Ashi.
Your father and I have discussed it. Minghui's fate is what it is. We've tried our best, but there's nothing we can do about it.
None of this has to do with you. Mom was just too emotional today, which is why I put pressure on you.
[I'm sorry, Mom apologizes. Just be okay. Don't worry about things at home. Your dad and I have been through everything; this little thing won't break us.]
[Mom only has you and your sister left. I'm so sorry, we shouldn't have put so much pressure on you.]
My dearest bamboo, Mommy loves you.