Chapter 69: News
You Ruxu, wearing her pajamas and light makeup, emerged from the bedroom, her skin looking even fairer. Zhou Tianzui took a chicken leg from the takeout box and handed it to You Ruxu, asking, “Are you hungry?”
You Ruxu, remembering how weak and pliant she had been just now, completely lacking strength, understood the implication, glanced at Zhou Tianzui, and ignored her.
Yao Zhao sat on the sofa, eating fried chicken with her head lowered. She was well-behaved and quiet, barely making a sound, easily overlooked if she wasn’t sitting there. You Ruxu sat beside her and asked, “Have you finished your homework?”
Yao Zhao nodded, “I’ve finished it all.”
She had even started previewing the next unit’s material, her voice more energetic. Yao Zhao looked at You Ruxu. Although she had only been here for two days, it felt much longer. Thinking about You Ruxu and Zhou Tianzui, she felt a strange sense of strength surging within her.
That strength told her that if she worked hard enough, she could also become someone capable.
And because of this strength, she was less afraid of her stepfather now.
You Ruxu said, “That’s great.”
Zhou Tianzui, hearing this, chuckled softly, the sound making You Ruxu feel inexplicably annoyed. She glanced at Zhou Tianzui, “What are you laughing at?”
“Nothing.” Zhou Tianzui turned on the TV and heard You Ruxu ask, “Aren’t you going back tonight?”
“No.” Zhou Tianzui said, “My mom’s leg is much better now.”
Yu Qiao, seeing that Zhou Tianzui had also returned to the hospital, worried she would be tired running back and forth, so she told her to rest at home over the weekend. Zhou Tianzui didn’t object. Yu Qiao had been in a good mood recently, perhaps scared by the mention of blind dates, she hadn’t been pressuring Zhou Tianzui to find a partner lately, even often asking about You Ruxu.
After all, having gained a goddaughter, it was natural to be concerned.
Yu Qiao was quite pleased, even asking Zhou Tianzui to bring You Ruxu home for dinner over the weekend. Zhou Tianzui wasn’t quite sure what it meant to be a godmother, but she could guess, so she agreed to bring You Ruxu home.
You Ruxu said, “My team’s having a dinner gathering tomorrow.”
Zhou Tianzui glanced at her, “You’re quite busy.”
She had been quite busy this week, the team dinner, dinner at Zeng Jing’s, dinner at Zhou Tianzui’s mother’s. She hadn’t had many social engagements before, her life much more fulfilling now. But Yao Zhao—You Ruxu looked at her.
Yao Zhao was nibbling on a chicken leg, wanting to say she didn’t need to be taken care of, but staying here indefinitely wasn’t an option either. You Ruxu had kindly taken her in for a few days, and the case was almost closed, her lie exposed, so there was no reason for You Ruxu to continue caring for her.
After much deliberation, Yao Zhao couldn’t bring herself to say anything. After finishing the fried chicken, she went to wash up, then peeking into the living room, seeing You Ruxu, she called out softly, “Sister.”
You Ruxu looked over. Yao Zhao’s heart was filled with emotions, but in the end, she just said, “Good night.”
You Ruxu smiled, “Good night.”
She looked down, returning to her work.
Her slender neck, gracefully lowered, the pale blue earrings against her fair skin, a touch of color, like flawless gems, a beauty so captivating it was almost blinding.
Zhou Tianzui came out of the bathroom and stood behind You Ruxu, gently pinching the back of her neck. You Ruxu paused and turned around, seeing Zhou Tianzui, fresh from the shower, wearing a milky white nightgown. Seeing You Ruxu look over, she deliberately pulled the nightgown down slightly, revealing she wasn’t wearing anything underneath. You Ruxu’s expression changed slightly. She immediately glanced at Yao Zhao’s door, which was closed. She said, “Go back to your room.”
Zhou Tianzui said, “I’ll wait for you.”
“I’ll be a while.” You Ruxu resisted the temptation, “You go first.”
Zhou Tianzui sat down beside her, “I don’t mind waiting.”
You Ruxu kept glancing at Yao Zhao’s door, then finally, unable to resist, took her laptop and went to the bedroom with Zhou Tianzui.
The room was dark, only the faint light from the laptop screen, which soon went dim. Two figures, intertwined, moved against each other.
Late into the night, Yao Zhao sat by the window, unable to sleep. She didn’t have many belongings, just a few things You Ruxu bought her, new clothes, new shoes. She hung the new clothes by the bed, carefully folding them before going to sleep, so she could see them the moment she woke up. To her, these clothes were like a source of strength, giving her courage she didn’t usually have.
She had yelled at that man today.
She could imagine what she would face when she went back, but she wasn’t afraid.
Yao Zhao, her hands still trembling slightly, got under the covers, the bedding carrying a pleasant fragrance. She pulled the blanket over her head and drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, Zhou Tianzui had a regular meeting. You Ruxu made breakfast. While they were eating, she said to Yao Zhao, “I’ll drive you to school later.”
Yao Zhao said, “Sister, I can go by myself.”
She lowered her head, “I don’t want to trouble you too much.”
You Ruxu said, “It’s no trouble, it’s on my way.”
Yao Zhao looked up at You Ruxu, the sunlight streaming through the window casting a warm glow around her. She nodded: “Okay.”
It wasn’t far from You Ruxu’s apartment to the school. On the way, they encountered a car accident, two cars collided, not a serious accident, no casualties, but You Ruxu still got out to talk to the drivers. Yao Zhao waited in the car. When You Ruxu returned, she said, “Sorry, that took a while.”
Yao Zhao quickly said, “It’s okay.”
She said, “Sister, I like watching you work.”
You Ruxu turned to her, “Watching what?”
Yao Zhao said, “Watching you work, you’re so focused, so beautiful.”
You Ruxu chuckled, “What about you? What do you want to do in the future?”
“Me?” Yao Zhao had never had any aspirations before, but after these two days, a small seed of hope had been planted in her heart, growing steadily. She said, “I want to be a police officer.”
This was the first time she had told anyone her dream.
Because she knew You Ruxu wouldn’t laugh at her.
And You Ruxu didn’t laugh. She just looked at Yao Zhao, then reached out and pulled the hood of her jacket over her head, adjusting her clothes slightly, and said, “Good, work hard.”
Yao Zhao smiled.
Tears suddenly welled up in her eyes.
She quickly lowered her head, remaining silent until they reached the school. You Ruxu dropped her off at the entrance. Yao Zhao watched You Ruxu drive away, stood there for a few minutes, then turned and entered the school. Before class, she went to see her homeroom teacher, inquiring about boarding at the school. The teacher, although aware that it was almost the end of the semester, and arranging boarding at this time wasn’t usually allowed, considering Yao Zhao’s situation, decided to apply to the principal, asking, “Where are you staying now?”
Yao Zhao said, “I’m staying at Reporter You’s place.”
“That Reporter You, I remember her.” Among all the reporters, she had a strong impression of You Ruxu, not only because of her beauty, but also because she had asked so many detailed questions about Yao Zhao, clearly wanting to help her. The teacher had thought then, perhaps this reporter could really change this child’s life.
She said, “Reporter You also asked me about boarding.”
Yao Zhao said, “She did?”
The teacher nodded, “She even went to the principal with you to apply for your accommodation for next semester, she even paid the fees in advance.”
Yao Zhao stood there, frozen, remembering You Ruxu’s casual “work hard,” and tears welled up in her eyes. They were strangers, yet You Ruxu had gone above and beyond for her, even arranging her living situation for the next semester.
Yao Zhao returned to the classroom, her eyes red. She borrowed her deskmate’s phone and, after much deliberation, messaged You Ruxu: [Sister, thank you.]
Three simple words, light as a feather, yet carrying all of her emotions.
You Ruxu received the message just as she arrived at the station. She was about to call Chen Xiang when she saw the message, an unknown number, no signature, but she knew it was from Yao Zhao. You Ruxu smiled. Chen Xiang called out, “Teacher You!”
You Ruxu looked up, “I was just about to talk to you.”
Chen Xiang’s face lit up, thinking it was gossip. You Ruxu said, “It’s about work.”
Chen Xiang gave a small “oh” and followed her.
They spent the morning filming at the train station, and during their break, they met with a few interviewees and went to the transportation department. Shi Qi, seeing them constantly on the go, curiously asked, “What story are they working on?”
Her team members shrugged, “Teacher You didn’t say.”
Shi Qi hadn’t received a report from You Ruxu either. There wasn’t any major news at the moment, so she didn’t call her. The midday news proceeded as usual, several news items reported. You Ruxu was responsible for the live broadcast again. Half an hour before it started, she started applying her makeup, standing in front of the train station. After a few minutes, she asked the makeup artist, “Has Chen Xiang returned yet?”
The makeup artist chuckled, “I haven’t seen her.”
You Ruxu nodded, occasionally glancing at her watch, her hair neatly styled. The makeup artist adjusted her bangs, revealing her beautiful and expressive eyes.
Chen Xiang arrived at the hospital at noon. She asked at the nurse’s station, “Hello, which ward is Yin Lanlan in?”
The nurse looked up.
Zhou Tianzui, coming out of her office, saw a familiar face and called out, “Chen Xiang?”
Chen Xiang turned around, her eyes lighting up, almost tearing up at seeing Zhou Tianzui, “Dr. Zhou!”
The nurse looked at Zhou Tianzui, “Dr. Zhou, you know her?”
Chen Xiang said, “I told you, I’m from the TV station—”
The nurse was still verifying the information. Zhou Tianzui nodded slightly, “Yes, she’s from Jindu TV. Who are you looking for?”
“I’m looking for Yin Lanlan.” Chen Xiang said, “She was admitted this morning, right?”
Zhou Tianzui thought for a moment, then nodded: “Yes, this morning.”
A car accident, possible signs of miscarriage, so she was still under observation. Chen Xiang said, “Can I see her?”
Zhou Tianzui said, “Ward 306, her family is outside, you can talk to them first.”
Chen Xiang profusely thanked Zhou Tianzui and hurried to the ward. After she left, the nurse said, “Dr. Zhou, is there another case?”
They had seen many reporters during the fireworks factory explosion incident, so they were used to it, just curious. Zhou Tianzui said, “I don’t know.”
She took out her phone and messaged You Ruxu.
At the same time, Chen Xiang called You Ruxu, who was standing by the car. After listening to what Chen Xiang said, she nodded and immediately gestured to Shi Qi, who rushed over, hearing You Ruxu say, “We have breaking news.”
Zhou Tianzui: Fried chicken, or me? Which is better?
You Ruxu: …
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