Chapter 113: Shi Ran
You Ruxu and Zhou Tianzui fell asleep in each other’s arms. They hadn’t expected to sleep, but they drifted off while chatting. Zhou Tianzui, sensing the stillness beside her, turned and saw You Ruxu sleeping peacefully, she must be exhausted. Even when Zhou Tianzui gently brushed her hair away from her face, she didn’t wake.
Zhou Tianzui carefully adjusted You Ruxu’s position, making her lie flat on her back, then placed You Ruxu’s leg on her own, wanting her to be as comfortable as possible, giving her as much space as she could. When she woke up in the morning, You Ruxu was curled up, occupying only a small portion of the bed, while Zhou Tianzui had moved closer to her.
You Ruxu, hearing the alarm, quickly turned it off and waited quietly for the nurse’s morning rounds. She sat up. Zhou Tianzui also opened her eyes. You Ruxu said, “Go back to sleep, it’s still early.”
Zhou Tianzui asked, “What time is it?”
You Ruxu said, “6:30.”
Zhou Tianzui asked, “Why are you up so early?”
You Ruxu said, “I have to go to the station.”
Zhou Tianzui was silent, her hand resting on her forehead. Seeing You Ruxu get out of bed, carefully putting weight on one leg, hopping towards the wheelchair, then sitting down, she asked, “When can you remove the cast?”
“After I’m discharged.” You Ruxu said, “Another week.”
Zhou Tianzui watched as she went into the bathroom, her movements still efficient despite being in a wheelchair. You Ruxu helped Zhou Tianzui wash up, ordered them breakfast, and said, “Auntie will be here soon, you can eat together.”
“Okay.” Zhou Tianzui asked, “Aren’t you eating?”
You Ruxu said, “I’ll eat at the station.”
Zhou Tianzui nodded, watching as You Ruxu quickly got ready and called Wu Xiulian to come pick her up. Before leaving the ward, she heard Zhou Tianzui ask, “Coming for lunch?”
You Ruxu said, “Not sure yet, I might be busy, you eat first.”
Zhou Tianzui said, “Okay.”
You Ruxu left the ward. Wu Xiulian was waiting for her outside. Seeing her, she asked, “Should I take you to the TV station?”
“Aunt,” You Ruxu said, “I want to go somewhere first.”
Wu Xiulian helped her into the car, sitting in the passenger seat. When they neared the cemetery, You Ruxu asked Wu Xiulian to buy her some flowers, which she held in her arms after getting out of the car. Wu Xiulian wheeled her to the tombstone.
You Ruxu said, “This is Reporter Zhou.”
The man in the photo on the tombstone looked young, a gentle smile on his face. Wu Xiulian crouched down and placed the flowers in front of the tombstone. They didn’t speak, the cold wind whipping You Ruxu’s hair around her face. She sat up straight and silently apologized to the tombstone countless times. Then she took out her phone, about to dial a number, when it rang, she looked at the caller ID, it was Yu Qiao.
You Ruxu paused, “Hello.”
“Are you free?” Yu Qiao asked. “Come over for dinner.”
You Ruxu glanced at the time, “I’m free.”
When they reached Yu Qiao’s apartment complex, Wu Xiulian wanted to go with her, but You Ruxu said, “Aunt, just wait for me here.”
Wu Xiulian, looking at her worriedly, watched as You Ruxu entered the elevator and went upstairs. When You Ruxu arrived, the door to Yu Qiao’s apartment was slightly ajar. She could smell the aroma of food, chicken soup, and a few home-cooked dishes, the timing strange, too late for breakfast, too early for lunch. Yu Qiao, hearing her enter, looked over and said, “I made the soup last night, wanted you and Xiao Tian to have something nourishing, come sit down.”
Her tone was calm and even. You Ruxu’s expression was also calm.
They sat at the dining table. Yu Qiao was wearing the same clothes as yesterday, her hair looking grayer, the wrinkles on her face more pronounced, her complexion sallow, a look of exhaustion. She served You Ruxu a bowl of rice, “When did you and Xiao Tian meet?”
You Ruxu took the bowl, sat opposite her, and said, “When she transferred to the Affiliated Hospital.”
“It’s been a few years, hasn’t it?” Yu Qiao had asked Zhou Tianzui the same question, but she wanted to hear it from You Ruxu, “Do you like her?”
You Ruxu’s throat tightened. She gripped her spoon and nodded: “Yes.”
“What do you like about her?” Yu Qiao said, “Is she easy to talk to? Easy to deceive? Or easy to manipulate?”
You Ruxu looked up, “Auntie…”
“Do you deserve to call me Auntie?” Yu Qiao looked at You Ruxu, her calm demeanor a mask for the turbulent emotions beneath, her jaw clenched. She had tossed and turned all night, wanting to confront You Ruxu, only managing to calm down this morning, preparing this meal. She said, “You Ruxu, such a beautiful name, but I prefer calling you Shi Ran.”
You Ruxu’s face paled, her heart pierced by those words, the pain rendering her speechless.
Yu Qiao continued, “Shi Ran, is that you?”
You Ruxu said, “Yes.”
Yu Qiao took a deep breath, “You had the journal all along?”
You Ruxu was silent.
Yu Qiao said, “Should I thank you? Thank you for finally bringing it out, for clearing Zhou Qiming’s name?”
You Ruxu said, “Auntie…”
“Shut up!” Yu Qiao yelled, then seeing You Ruxu’s reaction, calmed herself down, “Xiao Tian is foolish, I don’t know what you said to her, but she still wants to be with you?” Yu Qiao looked up slightly, her eyes red, “She truly is her father’s daughter.”
Yu Qiao gritted her teeth, “She’s so filial!”
You Ruxu said, “Auntie, don’t blame her.”
“Blame her?” Yu Qiao said, “Of course I won’t blame her, she’s my daughter, if she makes a mistake, I’ll correct her. What about you? I heard you have adoptive parents? What? Didn’t they teach you how to be a decent human being?”
You Ruxu’s expression froze.
Yu Qiao continued, “How could you do this, after all these years, having a mother who gave birth to you, but not a mother who raised you?”
You Ruxu’s face paled. The spoon slipped from her hand and clattered onto the table. Yu Qiao said, “This meal, it’s for you.”
“You have a respectable job, a good family, if you hadn’t come forward, no one would have known it was you. This meal, it’s to thank you, to thank you on behalf of Zhou Qiming.” Yu Qiao said, “I should have realized it sooner.”
She had been foolish.
She should have known, seeing You Ruxu standing alone before Zhou Qiming’s grave, seeing Zhou Tianzui’s reluctance to talk about her relationship in front of his tombstone, she should have known, the connection between You Ruxu and her family.
Yu Qiao asked, “Shi Ran, don’t you feel any guilt? Being with Zhou Tianzui, how could you live with yourself? Haven’t you harmed her enough? Do you want to ruin her entire life?”
You Ruxu’s voice was soft: “Auntie, I didn’t want to harm her.”
“It’s not about what you want.” Yu Qiao said, “She finally moved on from her father’s incident, and now, being with you, if people find out, if her colleagues find out, how can she face them? She’s already been ridiculed and judged, for so many years, just let her go!”
You Ruxu said, “We’re together…”
“You’re not together!” Yu Qiao’s voice rose sharply, interrupting her, “You’re not, you were never together, you’re just friends, ordinary friends!”
You Ruxu’s words were caught in her throat.
Yu Qiao stood up: “Do you know how much I’ve hated you all these years? I wanted to die just seeing you!” Her body trembled, her hands gripping the edge of the table tightly, supporting her weight, “Yet, despite hating you so much, I still cooked for you, bought you things, cared for you, these past few years, Shi Ran, have you ever met anyone as pathetic as me?”
You Ruxu’s eyes instantly filled with tears, “I’m sorry, Auntie, it’s my fault.”
“Of course it’s your fault!” Yu Qiao said, “It wasn’t enough that you ruined our lives when you were young, and now you’re seducing Zhou Tianzui, what are you trying to do? What does our family owe you? Tell me! Do we owe you our lives? I’ll give you my life, just let Xiao Tian go!”
She stormed into the kitchen, her demeanor frantic. You Ruxu, ignoring the pain in her leg, hopped towards Yu Qiao. Yu Qiao grabbed a kitchen knife. You Ruxu called out, “Auntie!”
Yu Qiao seemed not to hear, “Whatever we owe you, I’ll repay it…”
You Ruxu, enduring the sharp pain in her leg, her face ashen, her lips bloodless, trembling slightly, hugged Yu Qiao, “Auntie, please calm down, Auntie…”
Yu Qiao pushed her away violently. You Ruxu, afraid she would hurt herself with the knife, reached out to grab the blade. Yu Qiao struggled, and as they wrestled, the knife slipped, cutting You Ruxu’s hand, blood welling up instantly. You Ruxu swayed, the pain making her dizzy. Yu Qiao, seeing the blood, froze, and You Ruxu took advantage of the moment to grab the knife, but her body, unable to support her weight, she stumbled, hitting the glass kitchen door, the glass rattling ominously.
Yu Qiao looked down at You Ruxu, who was sitting on the floor, holding the knife, her hand bleeding profusely, the blood staining her clothes, a shockingly bright red.
A sudden silence.
You Ruxu said, “Auntie, I know you hate me, that you despise me, you can hit me, yell at me, vent your anger on me.” She looked up slightly, tears streaming down her face. “Just don’t hurt yourself, okay?”
Suddenly, Yu Qiao thought of Zhou Tianzui.
“Mom, if you’re hurting, just hit me, it won’t hurt me, but don’t hurt yourself, please?”
Yu Qiao’s voice was choked with emotion, “What are you trying to do?”
“Playing the good person now?” Yu Qiao said, “It’s too late!”
You Ruxu, enduring the excruciating pain in her hand and leg, her face ashen, her lips bloodless, trembling slightly, her phone suddenly rang, breaking the tense silence, once, twice, three times.
Her hand trembling, she answered the call.
It was Chen Xiang, telling her they were waiting for her at the station.
She said, “I’ll be there soon.”
After hanging up, she struggled to stand up, placed the knife on the counter, and hopping on one leg, stood in front of Yu Qiao, “Auntie, if you want, I won’t do the interview anonymously.”
Yu Qiao didn’t reply.
You Ruxu took her silence as agreement.
She slowly made her way to the wheelchair and just as she sat down, Yu Qiao said, “You will do the interview anonymously.”
You Ruxu looked at her.
Yu Qiao said, “If you do it openly, you’ll be attacked, and Xiao Tian will feel sorry for you. Do you think I’ll give her another chance to care about you? No, Shi Ran, I want you to carry the shame of your actions for the rest of your life! Live in guilt forever!!!”
You Ruxu’s body tensed, the blood flowing freely from her hand, staining her clothes and the armrest of the wheelchair, dripping onto the white tiles.
A bright, shocking red.
A stark contrast.
You Ruxu pursed her lips.
She looked at Yu Qiao and said again, “I’m sorry.”
Then she turned and wheeled herself out of the kitchen. Just as she reached the doorway, Yu Qiao called out, “Shi Ran.”
She turned around, and Yu Qiao, holding a bowl of chicken soup, threw it at her, like dumping garbage.
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