You Must Be Good 58

Chapter 58 

Qiao Xiaoxiao’s pupils suddenly contracted, her fingertips unconsciously digging into the bedsheet. The figure standing against the light made her wonder if it was a hallucination caused by the pain.

The air froze.

She could hear her own heart beating like a drum, and she even held her breath, as if the person before her would disappear with a single blink.

Chu Xinrou’s knuckles were white. The moment she had found out that Qiao Xiaoxiao was injured, her heart had ached so much she had wanted to fly to her side immediately. But then, when she had heard that Qiao Xiaoxiao had already had surgery, had quit the track and field team, and had left on crutches without even recuperating after being discharged from the hospital, and had not contacted anyone for several days, an uncontrollable anger had welled up from the bottom of her heart.

It was a feeling she had never had before. Even when she was being crushed by her family, she had never been so irritable and uneasy. Chu Xinrou had been on the road for nearly 12 hours. She was so angry she hadn’t even had a sip of water. She had been thinking about how she would question her, how she would scold her, when she saw Qiao Xiaoxiao. But when she saw her casted foot and her red and swollen eyes from who knows how many times of crying, all that sharp anger was swallowed back down.

Qiao Banshan found that Xiaoxiao, who had been lying in bed for several days like a mother hen brooding over her eggs, had finally moved.

Not only had she gotten up, but she had also gotten some water, washed her face, and tidied her hair. He saw that if it weren’t for the inconvenience of the cast, Xiaoxiao would have taken a shower.

Chu Xinrou had been cold-faced the whole time, with a “stay away” aura. After washing her hands, she had gone to the kitchen to light a fire and cook.

Qiao Xiaoxiao had followed her in slowly on her crutches. Her sister didn’t know how to use the high-end kitchen utensils at home, let alone this kind that needed to be burned.

Sure enough, the moment she stepped into the kitchen, she saw Chu Xinrou staring at the stove in a daze, a handful of firewood in her hand.

Qiao Xiaoxiao quickly said, “Let me do it.”

The only response was the crisp sound of the firewood breaking. Chu Xinrou didn’t even lift her eyelids.

Qiao Xiaoxiao knew that her sister was really angry this time. In the past, she would never have been willing to give her the cold shoulder for so long. But… but, no matter how upset she was, the moment she saw her, Xiaoxiao felt as if her soul had returned.

In the courtyard, Qiao Banshan’s pipe glowed and faded. These past few days, he had been cooking all sorts of dishes for his niece. Although it couldn’t compare to Xiaoxiao’s cooking, it was at least edible. And Qiao Xiaoxiao had barely touched any of it.

But he watched as Chu Xinrou brought out a white basin of what he didn’t know was for feeding pigs or chickens. Qiao Xiaoxiao actually sat down obediently at the chair and ate it mouthful by mouthful. She ate very seriously and would even sneak a peek at Chu Xinrou’s expression. After being glared at, she would immediately lower her head and not dare to look again.

Qiao Banshan: …

As the dusk deepened, the old-fashioned light bulb under the eaves swayed gently in the evening wind.

Qiao Banshan flicked the ash from his pipe, glanced at the motionless Chu Xinrou, and turned to tidy up the clutter in the main room. He lowered his voice to Xiaoxiao, “I’ll go to your Uncle Song’s place for the night.”

When he had first said this, he had been afraid that Xiaoxiao wouldn’t want him to go.

Who would have thought that Qiao Xiaoxiao would stare at Chu Xinrou and wave her hand at him “impatiently.” “Uncle, wait for my news. Don’t come back for a few days.”

Qiao Banshan: …

Her uncle’s footsteps gradually faded away outside the courtyard gate. Only the two of them were left in the old house.

Qiao Xiaoxiao looked at Chu Xinrou eagerly several times, wanting to say something to ease the tension, but was frozen back by her sister’s icy face.

Chu Xinrou held her suitcase, her tone distant. “Which room are you sleeping in tonight?”

Qiao Xiaoxiao timidly pointed to the inner room. She had been sleeping in a daze these past few days, and the bedding was all messy.

Chu Xinrou ignored her and pulled her suitcase straight in. She rolled up the bedsheet and quilt and threw them on the floor, frowning. “Like a pigsty.”

Qiao Xiaoxiao: …

Chu Xinrou took out a brand-new violet four-piece set from her suitcase and deftly made the bed. Finally, she looked up at Qiao Xiaoxiao, who was standing at the door. “I’m sleeping here.”

The implication was, go wherever you want.

Qiao Xiaoxiao started to press her lips together. She slowly lowered her head. Usually, when she did this, Chu Xinrou’s heart would have ached, and she would have forgiven her for any great mistake.

But not today.

Chu Xinrou glanced at her lightly. “Go take a shower. You stink.”

Qiao Xiaoxiao’s face turned red. She grabbed her crutch and walked out. Chu Xinrou stood up and sighed softly. “I’ll help you.”

She thought that Xiaoxiao hadn’t showered these past few days probably because it was inconvenient.

At this point, Chu Xinrou’s angry heart had calmed down a little. All Qiao Xiaoxiao had to do was to take the opportunity and say a few nice words, and hug her sister, and it would be fine. But who knew the thoughts of a dead child? She immediately grabbed her collar, her face flushed, and shook her head vigorously. “No, no, no… I’ll wash myself.”

How flustered must she have been to become a little stutterer who couldn’t even speak properly?

How could Sister Chu understand those winding girlish thoughts?

Listening to the sound of the water heater, Chu Xinrou sat on the edge of the bed alone, getting angrier and angrier. She even had the urge to grab Qiao Xiaoxiao’s neck and pin her to the wall.

Qiao Xiaoxiao’s shower was exceptionally difficult. She had to first wrap the cast in layers of plastic wrap and then tie the edges with rubber bands. When she stood on one leg, the entire weight of her body was on her left arm, which was supporting her against the wall. She was glad that she had installed a water heater when she had come home last time. Otherwise, she would have suffered even more.

She stayed in the bathroom for a full hour, scrubbing her skin red before she stopped.

Qiao Xiaoxiao deliberately didn’t dry her hair. The water droplets from the ends of her hair slid down her neck and into her collar, chilling her to the bone. She was planning to make her sister feel sorry for her and blow-dry her hair, as she had done before. But when she reached the door, she was stunned.

The door was tightly shut, and it was pitch black inside.

Qiao Xiaoxiao stood there for a while, thinking. She called Yang Feitang.

It took a long time for her to answer. Yang Feitang’s voice on the other end was very small. “Hello? Xiaoxiao, is there something? If not, I’m hanging up.”

As she spoke, she hung up the phone with a click.

Qiao Xiaoxiao, who hadn’t even had time to say a word: ???

…

With “nowhere to turn,” Qiao Xiaoxiao could only limp back to her room to sleep. A few days ago, she had been in a daze, unable to get up once she lay in bed, in a complete state of chaos. But today, her brain was as if it had drunk coffee, and she couldn’t sleep at all.

She rested her hands behind her head and stared at the cracks in the ceiling in a daze.

Even if Chu Xinrou was cold to her, even if she didn’t even give her a glance.

But because of her sister’s arrival, the air here seemed to be different.

In the next room, Chu Xinrou was also tossing and turning, unable to sleep. She stared at the empty box of ibuprofen on the bedside table, her heart as if being squeezed by an invisible hand. Qiao Xiaoxiao had always been resistant to painkillers. In the past, when her knee was injured, she would endure the pain all night with a cold compress and would not take a single pill. At that time, she would always say with a smile, “My head is the most precious part of my body. I can’t easily take medicine.”

And now, the medicine box was almost empty.

Trimalleolar fracture, complete ligament tear.

Chu Xinrou closed her eyes, as if she could hear Xiaoxiao’s sobs as she gritted her teeth and endured the pain in the middle of the night.

She had always been particularly sensitive about Xiaoxiao’s matters. But this time, when the cheerful reply of “it’s just a minor injury” came from the other end of the phone, she had actually believed it. Perhaps it was because she trusted her too much that she had even dismissed the faint unease in her heart as overthinking.

It was precisely this unreserved trust that had turned the truth at this moment into thousands of fine needles, densely pricking her heart.

Every time she thought of Xiaoxiao enduring the pain alone, the needle would prick even deeper.

Chu Xinrou could not forgive her own “carelessness,” and even more so, she could not tolerate Qiao Xiaoxiao’s “concealment.”

This time, her sister was really angry.

Until the day of their return, Chu Xinrou still ignored Qiao Xiaoxiao.

Qiao Xiaoxiao had wanted to suggest taking the train to save some money, but Chu Xinrou had ignored her and hadn’t even given her a chance to speak, directly arranging for a private car to take them to the airport. The spacious seats in first class were a novelty for Qiao Xiaoxiao. She couldn’t help but touch this and that, but when she turned her head, she met her sister’s icy profile.

Chu Xinrou was engrossed in typing on her keyboard, her profile in the morning light filtering through the porthole like a piece of suet jade polished by time. The fine chain of her gold-rimmed glasses swayed slightly with her typing, casting fine shadows on her neck.

She could clearly feel the burning gaze from her side but kept her jawline tense and didn’t turn her head.

It wasn’t until she heard her breathing gradually become long and deep that she glanced over. Qiao Xiaoxiao had fallen asleep at some point, her head tilted, her eyelashes casting two small shadows under her eyes, a slight smile on her slightly parted lips.

She got herself into this mess, and she’s still happy?

Chu Xinrou was really angry at her for not living up to expectations. She called the flight attendant and had her cover her with a thin blanket. She leaned back, took off her glasses, and pinched her temples.

She had barely slept these past few days.

She was both anxious and angry and couldn’t sleep at all.

She really wanted to ask Qiao Xiaoxiao, in her heart, what did she think of her? Such a big thing had happened, why hadn’t she said a word and had even hidden herself?

The “heartless” Qiao Xiaoxiao smelled the familiar scent of jasmine and really slept through the whole flight.

When she opened her eyes, the plane had already landed.

It was Ah Sen who had come to pick them up.

Qiao Xiaoxiao was actually quite curious why Sister Yang hadn’t come, but seeing Chu Xinrou’s “don’t say a single word to me” look, she didn’t dare to make a sound.

In the car, she actually dozed off again.

Ah Sen could keenly sense that the eldest miss seemed to be angry with Qiao Xiaoxiao. He was very nervous and frequently observed the eldest miss’s expression in the rearview mirror.

He found that it wasn’t until Qiao Xiaoxiao had fallen asleep that Chu Xinrou’s furrowed brow had relaxed a little. She had instructed him in a soft voice, “Drive slower.”

Ah Sen: “Yes.”

It seems that she’s not really angry. She still cares about her.

When they arrived at their destination and got out of the car, the cool wind blew on her, and only then did Qiao Xiaoxiao look around in a daze.

Isn’t this the studio?

Why are we here?

Chu Xinrou walked straight in. Although Qiao Xiaoxiao was confused, she had no choice but to follow her slowly on her crutches.

She had previously instructed Yuan Lu to return the rented house and get the deposit back.

Did something else happen?

Qiao Xiaoxiao’s heart suddenly jumped to her throat. The moment she pushed open the door, a cacophony of voices and bright lights rushed towards her—the small equipment she had thought had long since been moved out was not only untouched, but a few new instruments had also been added. What made her breath catch even more was that the room was filled with busy figures, all of whom were familiar faces.

The one in the lead was Wang Tiantian, who had just returned from a training camp abroad. The moment she saw Qiao Xiaoxiao, her eyes turned red and she punched her in the chest. “You brat! You still know how to come back!”

She had only been away for a few days, and when she came back, she had heard the bad news of Qiao Xiaoxiao’s injury and withdrawal from the team.

Qiao Xiaoxiao stared at her in a daze. Chu Ge was sitting with her legs crossed, holding a popsicle, smugly directing Lu Chen, “Coach, put that batch over here. Don’t mix up the goods.”

Lu Chen glared at her fiercely.

Wang Ying, who was supposed to be in another city helping her daughter, had also returned and was back to her old job. She was sorting the trash into different categories and looked at Qiao Xiaoxiao with a smile. “Are you hungry? Shall I make you some food?”

Yang Feitang was stringing beads. Seeing Qiao Xiaoxiao, she also snorted coldly and then looked at Chu Xinrou.

Well, she still didn’t give her a good face.

And beside Yang Feitang was the ever-elusive Xue Youyou. CEO Xue had arrived the latest but was the fastest learner. She nodded at Qiao Xiaoxiao and then raised her hand to pat Yang Feitang’s head. “She’s injured. What’s with your attitude?”

Yang Feitang: …

Yuan Lu was the most excited to see Qiao Xiaoxiao return. She rushed forward and hugged Qiao Xiaoxiao tightly. “Sob, sob, big sister, why didn’t you answer my calls?”

What is called a silver lining?

She had originally followed Qiao Xiaoxiao’s instructions and had personally gone to Yiwu to pay the penalty to the factory owner.

But who would have thought that the factory owner, seeing that it was a little girl who had come, and who was crying, and after hearing her explain Qingxin’s situation, was particularly moved by Qiao Xiaoxiao’s “sense of responsibility.” The other party had directly said, “She did not fail me, and I will not fail her.”

“Just based on her conscience, I’ve decided to be her friend!”

“Go back and tell your Boss Qiao that I don’t want the penalty. Just treat it as a deposit for the current stock. The delivery will be as usual. Tell her to hurry up and rush the work.”

Wang Ying had already washed her hands and was starting to beat eggs. As she stirred the eggs, she looked back at Qiao Xiaoxiao. “My daughter said that they want ten thousand of that basic red string. It will be given as a gift along with the tutorial to the customers.”

Xue Youyou said with a smile, “Your Sister Yang’s music room also wants five hundred.”

Yang Feitang craned her neck. “I don’t want them!”

Before she could finish, she received another flick on the forehead. She clutched her red forehead and wailed in her heart, on the verge of tears. Oh heavens, open your eyes! She had worried herself sick for this little ancestor, and now she was being framed as a “co-conspirator,” sentenced to death by Chu Xinrou, and now she was being pressed to be a little worker. Is there any justice in this world?

Qiao Xiaoxiao looked at everyone, tears streaming down her face. At this moment, no words could express her feelings.

Chu Xinrou’s gaze slowly swept over everyone, and she said softly, “Everyone has worked hard.”

Everyone looked at Chu Xinrou with excitement.

She had gathered them all one by one. Now they were incredibly united, only listening to “CEO Chu’s” commands.

Everyone had been really tired recently. Even the most capable CEO Xue had lamented, “I never thought a small workshop could produce so much work.”

Everyone lamented that Chu Xinrou had been away for three days, and they had been tired for three days. Now that Qiao Xiaoxiao had also been found, they could finally rest, right? Wouldn’t CEO Chu take everyone out for a collective meal and drink and have some fun?

Chu Xinrou smiled slightly. “We’re still three thousand pieces short. Let’s keep up the good work and finish it in one go!”

Everyone: …

After speaking, her smile disappeared. She crossed her arms and looked at Qiao Xiaoxiao coldly. “You, come with me.”