Chapter 71: Getting Off Work
You Ruxu froze, looking at Yu Qiao, momentarily breathless. The cold wind swirled around them. Yu Qiao walked over to her and asked, “Xiao Xu, what are you doing here?”
“I—” Her usually eloquent tongue felt tied. You Ruxu paused, then said, “I came to see Uncle.”
She lowered her head, “I heard he also worked at our station.”
Yu Qiao smiled, “Yes, he used to be on the midday news team.”
Yu Qiao didn’t suspect anything, just looked at the tombstone and said, “You’re so thoughtful, even bringing flowers. He loved buying flowers, he would always bring me a bouquet when he came home. He used to say flowers have lives, just like people.”
You Ruxu stood behind her.
Yu Qiao said, “Aren’t you cold?”
You Ruxu said, “I’m fine.” She glanced at the photo on the tombstone, wanting to call Yu Qiao “Godmother,” but the words wouldn’t come out. She bit her lip, tasting the metallic tang of blood. Her face paled slightly. She watched as Yu Qiao bent down and wiped the photo on the tombstone, “I come here whenever I’m free, don’t tell Xiao Tian, she’ll worry.”
You Ruxu nodded, exhaled softly, and said, “I understand.” She finally called out, “Godmother.”
Yu Qiao smiled, looking at the smiling man in the photo, “This is our goddaughter, just like you, a reporter, she’s so thoughtful, even remembering to visit you, bringing you flowers…”
You Ruxu stood beside her, listening to her soft murmurs, her head lowered.
Yu Qiao said, “Xiao Xu, are you not working today?”
You Ruxu said, “Nothing much this afternoon, should I drive you home?”
Yu Qiao said, “Oh, alright, I made some chicken soup, would you like some?”
You Ruxu nodded.
Yu Qiao’s leg wasn’t completely healed yet, she still had trouble walking, her steps slow. You Ruxu supported her as they walked towards the car. Yu Qiao said, “I dreamt about him at noon, so I wanted to come see him.”
You Ruxu noticed that her demeanor was much warmer than usual.
They chatted as they walked. In the car, after You Ruxu fastened her seatbelt, Yu Qiao said, “It’s good that I ran into you, it would have taken ages to get a taxi. Why did you come here today?”
You Ruxu gripped the steering wheel and said, “I heard my colleagues talking about your husband today.”
“Oh…” Yu Qiao sighed, “What did they say?”
You Ruxu said, “They said he was wrongly accused.”
Yu Qiao’s expression changed. She looked out the window at a flock of birds flying past, leaving no trace, and said, “Xiao Xu, don’t listen to those rumors, your uncle wasn’t a bad person.”
You Ruxu said, “I know.”
She looked at Yu Qiao, her expression sincere, “I know he wasn’t a bad person.”
Yu Qiao visibly relaxed, “Do you know about his case?”
You Ruxu hesitated and lied, “I know a little.”
Yu Qiao said, “Your uncle was investigating it, he was trying to help, but he was mistaken for—”
Her voice rose slightly, as if she still hadn’t let go of the past, then she abruptly stopped. You Ruxu knew.
Zhou Qiming had been investigating a sexual assault case, but after his death, he was mistaken for the perpetrator. He had fallen from the rooftop along with her mother and another man. They had argued on the rooftop, and somehow, all three of them fell, dying on the spot. The sexual assault case Zhou Qiming was investigating hadn’t been made public, but her mother’s colleagues had pieced together some of the truth from their casual conversations. A reporter had interviewed You Ruxu, who was still young then, asking if she knew about her mother’s assault, and looking at Zhou Qiming’s body, she had said it was him.
That it was this man.
If it wasn’t for Zhou Qiming, her mother wouldn’t have been crying every day, wouldn’t have been so depressed. She hated Zhou Qiming, convinced that if anyone had assaulted her mother, it must be him.
But the TV station vehemently denied it, saying Zhou Qiming was investigating the sexual assault case. To protect the victim, he hadn’t revealed too much to his colleagues. But they couldn’t find his reporter’s notebook, they didn’t know the truth. The two sides were at a standstill. The police couldn’t find any evidence either, but the accusation that Zhou Qiming was the assailant, having been spread by You Ruxu, had already taken root.
The TV station was accused of covering up for a criminal.
The police were accused of inaction.
Everyone believed her, convinced that a young child wouldn’t lie. They believed her. You Ruxu closed her eyes and heard Yu Qiao say, “For so many years, every time I close my eyes, I see Xiao Tian’s father asking me, why didn’t anyone believe him?”
You Ruxu’s eyes burned.
Yu Qiao continued, “Xiao Xu, you’re also a reporter, how could people do this to him? He spent his entire life helping others restore their reputation, proving their innocence, yet he couldn’t even clear his own name, even in death.”
Such injustice, such a wrongful accusation.
You Ruxu pursed her lips, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly.
Yu Qiao said, “Xiao Tian always tells me to let it go, but I’m old now, I can’t let it go. All these years, I’ve been wanting to ask that little girl, was it really our Lao Zhou who did it?”
It wasn’t.
It wasn’t Zhou Qiming.
You Ruxu bit her lip, but she couldn’t say a word.
She asked, “If, if that little girl realized she was wrong, that she had wrongly accused someone, and came to apologize, would you forgive her?”
Yu Qiao didn’t hesitate: “No.”
You Ruxu’s breath caught in her throat.
Yu Qiao said, “I would never forgive her, not even in death.”
You Ruxu’s heart pounded, her hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She almost drove into the wrong lane. The car was silent for a few minutes. Then Yu Qiao said, “Thank you, Xiao Xu.”
She said, “Thank you for believing that your uncle wasn’t a bad person.”
For so many years, Yu Qiao had heard enough ridicule, enough insults. They called Zhou Qiming a rapist, they called Zhou Tianzui the rapist’s daughter, their faces twisted with malice, so many, so many times that she had become numb to it.
So, for someone to believe her.
It was a rare and precious thing.
You Ruxu, gripping the steering wheel, said, “He wasn’t a bad person.”
Yu Qiao seemed to find the topic too heavy and changed the subject, chatting casually with You Ruxu about everyday things. Talking about Zhou Tianzui, she said, “Xiao Tian said you have an aunt?”
You Ruxu nodded: “Yes, I have an aunt.”
Yu Qiao said, “What does she do?”
“She works at the NRTA.” Afraid Yu Qiao wouldn’t understand, she explained, “The National Radio and Television Administration.”
Yu Qiao wasn’t familiar with it, but it sounded important, presumably a high-ranking position. She said, “Your family is very accomplished.”
You Ruxu said, “They are.”
“You’re also very accomplished.” Yu Qiao said, “I heard about that news report, they said you were instrumental in solving the case.”
You Ruxu smiled, continuing to chat calmly with Yu Qiao, avoiding the heavy topic, their conversation light and casual. Yu Qiao said, “Xiao Xu, I heard from Xiao Tian that you’re not planning to get married?”
You Ruxu paused, pursed her lips, and after a few seconds, said, “I don’t have any plans to get married, yes.”
“You young people, I really don’t understand what you’re thinking.” Yu Qiao’s tone was lighthearted. “Xiao Tian also said she doesn’t want to get married, you should talk to her, what’s the point of not getting married?”
You Ruxu lowered her gaze and said, “She probably has her own reasons.”
“That child.” Yu Qiao nodded. “Yes, she’s always been independent. You saw it last time, she even tried to introduce me to—” Yu Qiao shook her head, “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
You Ruxu’s lips curved into a smile, hearing this.
She soon arrived at Yu Qiao’s apartment. They took the elevator together, You Ruxu supporting Yu Qiao. There were other people in the elevator, who seemed to know Yu Qiao and greeted her.
Yu Qiao said proudly, “This is my goddaughter, she works at the TV station.”
“Oh, I know! That reporter, right?” A woman said, “My son even has her photo in his room!”
Yu Qiao beamed, “Yes, she’s a reporter, a very capable one, always reporting on big news!”
It seemed that without the burden of the past, Yu Qiao was just like any other mother, proud of her daughter. But You Ruxu couldn’t bear such praise, especially with Yu Qiao’s earlier words still echoing in her ears.
She had said she wouldn’t.
She had said she would never forgive herself.
You Ruxu looked down. They soon reached the apartment. Yu Qiao served her a bowl of soup. You Ruxu’s phone rang, an unknown number. She answered the call while sipping the soup.
It was the manager from Fengyuan, wanting to meet with her.
You Ruxu suggested meeting at the TV station. The manager was hesitant, “Reporter You, meeting at the TV station, is that appropriate?”
You Ruxu said, “That’s the only time I’m available. If it doesn’t work, then let’s forget it.”
The manager gritted his teeth, politely tried to persuade her, then hung up.
You Ruxu looked at her phone, paused for a few seconds, and finished her soup. Yu Qiao came out of the bedroom. You Ruxu stood up and said, “Godmother, I’ll be going now.”
Yu Qiao said, “Come have dinner with Xiao Tian this weekend.”
You Ruxu nodded, “Okay.”
Yu Qiao, pleased with her agreement, walked her to the door. You Ruxu entered the elevator. Back in her car, she rolled down the window halfway, resting her arm on the window frame, her long, slender fingers reflected in the rearview mirror. After two minutes, she started the car and left the complex.
Zhou Tianzui had been busy all afternoon, two surgeries back-to-back. Just as she left the operating room, Zhao Mingqi asked, “Dr. Zhou, are you going to the dinner tonight?”
Without hesitation, Zhou Tianzui said, “No.”
Zhao Mingqi wasn’t surprised.
The deputy director position had been filled, by Fu Shushu, who was treating everyone to dinner tonight. Everyone except for those on duty would be there. Fu Shushu had invited Zhou Tianzui earlier, but she said she wasn’t free.
Fu Shushu hadn’t taken it personally.
After all, they had been rivals for so long, and Fu Shushu knew how she got the position. If it wasn’t for Zhou Tianzui taking the blame for He Wei last time, it was hard to say who would have gotten the position. Everyone congratulated her on the surface, but what they said behind her back, Fu Shushu wasn’t foolish. So, Zhou Tianzui’s absence avoided any awkwardness.
Zhao Mingqi hadn’t wanted to go either, but with Fu Shushu as the new deputy director, things were different. He didn’t dare follow Zhou Tianzui’s lead and obediently went to the dinner.
Zhou Tianzui lingered after work, only leaving after most people had left. The second basement level was almost empty, the after-work rush hour over, only a few cars remaining. Zhou Tianzui always parked on this level, as it was less crowded, more space, and of course, her car was more conspicuous.
She spotted You Ruxu’s car immediately.
Parked in the third spot from the elevators, the windows rolled up. She walked over. The tinted windows made it impossible to see inside, she couldn’t even tell if You Ruxu was in the car. Zhou Tianzui took out her phone, about to call, when she heard a click, the car door opened, and You Ruxu looked out.
Zhou Tianzui looked at her for a few seconds, walked around the car, and got into the passenger seat.
Asking, “What are you doing here?”
You Ruxu said, “Picking you up from work.”
Zhou Tianzui chuckled, “What’s the occasion? You’re picking me up from work? Is it because you…”
Before she could finish, You Ruxu reached out and pulled her into an embrace. Zhou Tianzui sat there, her hand, reaching for the seatbelt, pausing. The car’s interior lights suddenly went off, plunging the car into darkness, only their breaths mingling.
In the darkness, Zhou Tianzui’s lips were kissed, a sweet and intoxicating fragrance. Just as You Ruxu was about to pull away, Zhou Tianzui wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her close, and kissed her back deeply.
This way of being picked up from work.
She liked it very much.
Zhou Tianzui: Coming tomorrow too?
You Ruxu: …
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