Another farce has come to an end.
Qiao Yuchu felt utterly exhausted, and her vision blurred again. She had to lean against a wall to steady herself.
Her phone kept vibrating in her pocket; it was probably another call from the victim's family.
She forced herself to calm down; there were still many things to deal with, so she could only drag her heavy steps forward.
***
As soon as she stepped out of the detention center, someone was already waiting for her.
The woman, holding her child's hand, stood by the roadside. Seeing her approach, she stepped forward and said, "Let's talk."
Qiao Yuchu turned her toes and was about to leave.
"I have nothing to talk to you about."
The woman watched her retreating figure and said only one sentence, which made her feel a surge of anger.
Don't you want to know how your father and I started?
"So you've turned my house into this mess just to show off? Let me tell you, even if you're doing this in the name of love, you're nothing but a filthy and despicable mistress!"
Qiao Yuchu turned around abruptly, and seeing the woman's indifferent expression, she couldn't help but raise her right hand.
The little boy stepped in front of his mother.
"Don't you dare bully my mom!"
When she met the child's clear eyes, the hand she raised ultimately couldn't bring itself to strike, and she bit her lip, trembling.
The woman took the child back, took a pack of tissues from her bag and handed it to her. She didn't know when it had started, but she was already in tears.
"You haven't eaten yet, have you? There's a McDonald's across the street, let's go sit down for a while."
How ironic.
She rushed back from Beijing overnight, only to receive the first concern she received from the third party who had broken up her family.
Qiao Yuchu looked at the hamburger and hot milk in front of her, a mocking smile appearing on her lips.
"You don't think that just because you're trying to be nice to me, I'll forgive you, or even... accept you, do you?"
The little boy ran off to play in the play area. McDonald's was nearly empty on a weekday, perfect for a business meeting. The woman sat relaxed in her chair, calmly watching her, and shook her head.
“I never thought that way. I just wanted you to know who the real third party is.”
“Your father and I met in high school. We were admitted to the same university but different majors. I studied English and he studied architecture. We had already agreed to get married after graduation.”
"In his junior year, he was recommended for graduate studies at University A because of his excellent grades, and that's where he met his advisor..."
As the woman finished speaking, she looked up at her, her expression somewhat sorrowful.
"That is, your... maternal grandfather."
"I believe you can guess what happened next. Your father is young and promising, and is highly favored by his professors. Of course, your mother also likes him very much. So, in order for the two of them to be together, your grandfather used all his social connections, threatening me with my parents' jobs, my graduation certificate, his future development, and so on, to force me to leave him."
Upon hearing this, Qiao Yuchu clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug deep into her flesh. Her eyes were red, and she was breathing heavily.
"My grandfather has passed away, don't make false accusations!"
"Whether I'm talking nonsense or not, you can go back and ask your mother."
The woman looked at her indifferently, with even a hint of pity in her eyes.
"We can also ask you how you came to be."
Qiao Yuchu's head buzzed, and she couldn't listen anymore. She grabbed her bag from the chair and was about to rush out the door.
The woman also stood up and said.
“I’m not saying this to provoke you or to excuse my immoral behavior. I just want to say that in this marriage, your father, your mother, and I all made mistakes. The most innocent are always the children. But thankfully, it’s not too late. Try to persuade your mother. Letting go of others is also letting go of yourself.”
As she spoke, she handed over a business card.
"Zishan is already preparing to hire a divorce lawyer. He is willing to give up all his property, leave with nothing, and even go to jail in place of your mother. Apart from the insurance payout, I can also advance the injured party's medical expenses and compensation. Please consider this carefully."
Qiao Yuchu's gaze shifted from the woman's face to the business card in her hand, while the cheerful laughter of a little boy playing in the play area reached her ears.
She curled her lips into a deeply sarcastic smile.
"So, everything my dad said includes me, right?"
The woman lowered her eyes, took her wrist, placed the business card in her palm, and avoided the topic.
“Your dad said you’ve grown up, and he’s very happy to see what you’ve achieved. If you’re willing, his home can be your home too.”
Qiao Yuchu walked out of McDonald's, feeling dazed and confused, not knowing where to go, and suddenly felt as if she didn't know where her way home was in this world.
People came and went on the street, and she could only follow the crowd blankly as the green light on the pedestrian crossing turned red.
The vehicle sped by.
Just as she was about to step down, her phone rang abruptly, waking her from her dream.
Qiao Yuchu glanced down and, upon seeing the name flashing on the screen, covered her mouth and burst into tears.
During a break at an academic conference.
Jin Shunqi hid in the break room to talk to her on the phone, his eyes filled with heartache.
"Oh my god, what on earth happened? It's not your fault. Don't cry anymore. It really breaks my heart to see you like this. I wish I had superpowers so I could fly to your side right now."
Qiao Yuchu found a bench on the street and sat down. His joke finally made her smile, but she was still sobbing.
"I...really...don't know what to do now."
"Listen to me first. You haven't eaten for a day and a night. Go find a place to rest and eat first. After you've eaten and drunk your fill, call the insurance company and ask their staff to go to the hospital with you to discuss the compensation with the victim's family."
Jin Shunqi thought for a moment.
"I'll give you the phone number of one of my lawyer friends later. If they insist on suing, then let the lawyer handle it."
"As for your parents..."
Jin Shunqi paused for a moment.
"If I look at this from an outsider's perspective, I think there's really no need for this marriage to continue."
Qiao Yuchu sniffed and wiped away her tears with a tissue.
“I know, but my mom… in her heart, I and my dad are her everything. She hasn’t worked since she got married. She feels that although the family is often apart, they have enough to eat and wear, and are happy and content.”
"All the beautiful things collapsed overnight. How can she accept this reality?"
Listening to her intermittent sobs, Jin Shunqi felt as if his heart was being fried in oil. He glanced at his watch.
"Yu Chu, I have another surgery in an hour. Wait for me. I promise you will see me before midnight tonight. Then we can face these things together."
"Promise me you'll take good care of yourself before you see me, okay?"
His voice seemed to have a magical power, easily calming her mind. Qiao Yuchu choked back tears.
"Jin, I really don't know... how to thank you."
Jin Shunqi smiled and said gently.
"Isn't that what friends are supposed to do in times like this? Okay, stop crying, let's go find somewhere to eat, I'll be there tonight."
***
After seeing the director off, Coach Liang knocked on the ward door, gently pushed it open, and placed the lunchbox on the bedside table.
"Dinner's ready. What are you looking at?"
Yan Xinyuan lay on his side in bed, wearing a hospital gown and reading glasses, scrolling through his phone.
"Watching sports news."
Coach Liang snatched the phone from his hand, tossed it onto the bedside table, and raised the small table for him.
"The doctor said that you need to rest more and avoid mental and physical exertion."
Yan Xinyuan looked at the lunchbox in front of him, picked up his chopsticks but put them down again, finding it difficult to swallow.
"What's wrong? Is the food not to your liking?"
"Turn on the TV for me. I can't watch my phone, but I can at least watch TV. I'm so anxious about the game results that I can't eat or sleep."
"You..." Coach Liang had no choice but to pick up the remote control.
"Alright, alright, here you go. Shi'an should be able to win today's match, right? See? It'll cheer you up."
As soon as he finished speaking, the television switched to the sports channel.
The camera flashed by, showing Xie Shi'an walking off the field with regret, not even bothering to greet the media present.
Explanation of the first method.
"It's a pity that Xie Shi'an's match ended in defeat again today. She is currently ranked at the bottom of the draw. She has another match tomorrow, against Canadian Anton Sevich, who is currently ranked third in the world."
Commentator B: "Tomorrow's match is crucial for Xie Shi'an. Even if she loses just one game, theoretically, even if she wins all the remaining matches, her current points will not be enough to surpass Anton Sevich, who is currently ranked first in the lower half of the bracket, and she will have no hope of advancing."
There was a moment of stillness in the air.
Coach Liang snapped out of his daze and was about to change the channel.
"It's nothing, it was just a mistake. We'll see about tomorrow's game..."
Yan Xinyuan pushed aside the small table, enduring the pain from the needle puncture in his chest, and sat up.
"Buy me a plane ticket, I want to go to Shanghai."
Chapter 71 Heartfelt Intentions
Yan Xinyuan struggled to get dressed and got out of bed. He walked out, but Coach Liang couldn't stop him and chased after him, yelling at him.
"Are you crazy?! You're in the hospital! Don't you know your own body condition?!"
Yan Xinyuan clutched his chest, slowly turned around, and gritted his teeth.
"I can't just stand by and watch Shi'an lose the match. Didn't you see how much she's being criticized online?! As long as I have a breath left, I'll crawl to Shanghai!"
Coach Liang was so angry at his words that he almost had a stroke and was speechless, pointing at him.