"mom……"
Qiao's mother came to her senses, forced a smile, and patted her hand.
"Don't worry, I'm definitely getting a divorce today."
Shortly after, the court hearing officially began. Both parties expressed their desire for divorce and reached a settlement in court. The judge then gave the final verdict.
"After mediation by this court, both parties voluntarily agree to divorce. The plaintiff, Qiao Zishan, will pay the defendant, Li Dongmei, one million yuan as compensation and transfer a house under his name to the defendant, Li Dongmei, and their daughter, Qiao Yuchu. All litigation costs in this case will be borne by the plaintiff, Qiao Zishan."
Upon hearing this, Qiao Yuchu finally showed a relieved smile.
Mrs. Qiao stood up, her face blank, her eyes calm and empty, revealing no emotion.
Qiao Yuchu helped her walk out step by step.
At that time, she didn't know what it meant to be heartbroken.
"Mom, we're finally divorced! Now you're free. Let's go home, pack our things, and take you on a trip in a couple of days."
“If you don’t want to live at home anymore, we’ll sell the house and buy another one in the provincial capital or a neighboring city, away from this troublesome place.”
"As for compensation, you don't need to worry. Jin has already gone to talk to his lawyer friend. If they really can't reach an agreement, we'll sue. We absolutely can't let this greedy little man get away with it."
No matter what she said or how she arranged things, Qiao's mother always replied with just one word: "Okay."
Before Qiao Yuchu could say anything, her phone rang. She looked down and rummaged through her bag, glancing at it. It was Xie Shi'an calling.
Just as she was hesitating whether to take it or not, Qiao's mother let go of her hand. There were steps in front of her, and she walked on without realizing it. Then she lost her footing and fell down the high steps.
A gasp of surprise rippled through the crowd.
Qiao Yuchu looked up and saw that her phone had fallen to the ground.
"mom!!!"
With red eyes, she screamed at the top of her lungs and lunged forward.
When Xie Shi'an got home, he first knocked on the door next door, but no one answered. The house was also quiet, so the neighbor must not be home.
She opened her front door again, placed the key on the entryway, sat down on the sofa, and called Qiao Yuchu, but there was still no answer, and the line was busy when she tried to call again.
The boy bit his lip. Fine, he'd just wait for her to come back at home. Anyway, they lived so close, she could hear anything coming from next door.
She waited from afternoon until dusk, and then until night fell.
Fate turned its gears little by little.
Xie Shi'an fell asleep on the sofa without realizing it. After waking up, he went to the balcony and waited for a while to see if she had returned.
The lights in the distant buildings went out one by one.
It's late at night.
She went back inside and knocked on the neighbor's door again, but still no one answered. Xie Shi'an was a little disappointed, so she hugged her knees and sat down on the stairs.
***
At the hospital, Jin Shunqi was still discussing compensation with the victim's family when he heard the news and rushed over.
The lights in the emergency room went out.
The two people went to meet them.
"Doctor, how is my mother?"
The doctor took off his mask, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself.
"An open fracture at this age is probably..."
Qiao Yuchu burst into tears.
"What could it be? Please explain clearly so we can have a better understanding!"
"Then I'll be frank. We've already put a steel plate in her neck and fixed her up. Even if she recovers and is discharged from the hospital, this kind of damage is irreversible. I'm afraid it will be difficult for her to recover to the point where she can walk freely again."
"What...that means..."
Qiao Yuchu's vision went black and she was about to fall backward when Jin Shunqi caught her.
"Yu Chu, Yu Chu, are you alright?!"
The doctor, seeing her dismayed expression, also said...
"Your boyfriend is also a doctor, you can ask him."
Qiao Yuchu looked to Jin Shunqi for help, but Jin Shunqi avoided her gaze and nodded his chin with difficulty.
Her tears fell silently.
After taking her back to her ward, Jin Shunqi sat down by the bed, put his arm around her shoulder, and said solemnly.
"Don't be afraid. As people get older, their bones become more brittle, and it's true that it's hard to recover from a fall. But it doesn't mean that she will never be able to stand up again. As long as we take good care of her body and actively involve her in rehabilitation training, there is still a great chance that she can get out of the wheelchair. Moreover, we can go to the United States, where the orthopedic hospitals are much more advanced."
Qiao Yuchu hugged him, tears streaming down her face, filled with regret.
"It was me...it was my fault for not watching Mom properly...that's why she fell down the steps...if I hadn't answered that phone call..."
Jin Shunqi patted her back intermittently to comfort her.
"Alright, alright, let's not talk about this anymore. It was just an accident, you didn't mean to. Yu Chu, I think Auntie will have to stay in the hospital for a while. I'll stay here and watch over her. Go back and pack some clothes for her to change into and bring them over."
Chapter 89 Entanglement
Footsteps echoed in the hallway, and motion-activated lights turned on one by one. Xie Shi'an lifted his head from his arms, his eyes filled with surprise.
"Yu Chu, you're back..."
Qiao Yuchu glanced at her as if she were a stranger, and didn't ask her why she suddenly appeared here. She just took out the key from her bag and opened the door.
Xie Shi'an stood up and followed behind her.
"Yu Chu, I came back as soon as the competition was over. How are things going at home? I can keep you company..."
Before she could finish speaking, she was locked out of the room.
Qiao Yuchu didn't even invite her in to sit down.
Xie Shi'an lowered his hand again, which was about to knock on the door.
Are you still angry with me? Then I'll stay here and wait until you calm down.
Qiao Yuchu quickly packed her clothes after returning to her room, then took a bank card from the drawer. She was waiting outside when she left.
Xie Shi'an stood up from the stairs, and just as she was about to speak, she didn't even glance at her, and walked past her to go downstairs.
She grabbed Qiao Yuchu's wrist.
"I'm sorry I came back late, and I shouldn't have argued with you. How have you been lately? Have they been giving you any trouble? Oh, and I've already got the money..."
She was interrupted as she spoke, and Qiao Yuchu shook off her hand and finally looked at her properly.
"Xie Shi'an, mind your own business."
The forced smile on Xie Shi'an's face was crumbling.
"We...we're friends. I don't think I can be of much help, but at least I can keep you company..."
Qiao Yuchu gave a cold laugh.
"Friend? My mom is right, you're a jinx. If it weren't for you, my mom wouldn't still be lying in the hospital right now!"
Xie Shi'an unconsciously took a step back.
“Yu Chu…”
She called her name again tentatively, her whole body trembling.
"Why... do you say that... I... I just got back today... I didn't do anything... I went to find orange juice as soon as I got off the bus... and then I came to find you..."
Qiao Yuchu's eyes also reddened when she saw her. She gritted her teeth and said, word by word.
"My parents got divorced today. I thought it would be a new beginning, but I never expected that one phone call from you would drag me into an abyss of no return. Do you know what I was thinking when I heard the doctor say that my mother might never be able to stand up again for the rest of her life?"
Xie Shi'an took two more steps back and had to hold onto the stair railing to steady himself. His lips were deathly pale.
Qiao Yuchu looked into her eyes. It had been a long time since she had looked at her so intently. Back then, whenever they made eye contact, there would be smiles in their eyes. Now, all that remained in her eyes was a sharp indifference.
"I'm thinking, why didn't I listen to my mom sooner and meet you? It's the worst thing that ever happened to me."
People often reserve their most extreme side for those closest to them, whether in love or friendship, but they don't realize that once some words are spoken, they can never go back to the past.
Xie Shi'an's tears welled up without warning.
Her explanations were futile.
"I'm sorry, I was just... just... worried about you... I didn't expect... it would..."
She couldn't say anything more.
Since her parents' accident, Qiao Yuchu has barely had a full night's sleep. She feels utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally. Her own life is a mess, so how can she comfort others?
She watched Xie Shi'an cry, and even though she felt a dull ache in her heart, reason told her it was an accident and had nothing to do with her. But emotionally, she couldn't help but feel angry at her. She was overwhelmed with a thousand thoughts and a tangled mess of emotions.
All she wants now is to get away from everything and everyone that bothers her, and find some peace and quiet.
Qiao Yuchu turned and went downstairs.
“You didn’t expect it, but it happened. Xie Shi’an, our fate is over. We can’t be friends anymore. From now on, don’t come looking for me again.”
Jian Changnian had already returned to the training base, but lying in bed, she couldn't stop thinking about Xie Shi'an. So she got up again, took the last bus into the city, and went to wait for her downstairs at Xie Shi'an's house.
She saw the lights come on in the hallway and was about to stand up from the bench in the community garden when she saw Xie Shi'an chasing after Qiao Yuchu.
With tears streaming down his face, the boy shouted at the top of his lungs, disregarding everything else.
"Qiao Yuchu! I don't just want to be friends with you! I like you! I love you! For a long... long time..."
Jian Changnian's foot, which had just stepped out, suddenly froze in place, her eyes wide with shock. When she came to her senses, she was afraid of being seen by them, so she hid in the flower bushes.
She kept telling herself that eavesdropping was immoral and that she had to leave quickly, but she couldn't help looking outside.
She spied on their secrets and also saw a different Xie Shi'an.
She was no longer calm or composed; she had never seen her shed so many tears or cry so heartbrokenly.