No. 30 The Bumpy Road of Fate
After that, my life seemed to return to normal.
At least, for me.
I gradually adapted to this body, to being treated as a girl, to the daily routine.
I woke up early every morning to pick up Huang Yingdie for school, paid attention in class, studied hard, occasionally chatted with my classmates, visited Lan Zhuoyue at the hospital after school, then went to the Taekwondo gym to train those kids. In the evenings, I did my homework, browsed the forum, reviewed my lessons, and practiced the techniques Pai Ge had taught me. My days were full and productive.
Although I already knew the material by heart, I still dedicated myself to studying.
The monthly exams were approaching, and I wanted to surprise my parents.
That’s how parents were. They had simple desires. Now, they wanted me to get good grades. When I grew up and started working, they would just want me to visit them more often.
It had been a while since I last visited Mom at the hospital. I wanted to bring her a stack of perfect test papers as a gift.
After the kidnapping incident, Ouyang Dati had reassigned 043. Pai Ge had disappeared without a trace. Huang Qinghao had kept a low profile. If it weren’t for Huang Yingdie, who sat on the back of my bike every morning, silently playing on her phone, I would have thought it was all a dream.
As for the money, I had over 100,000 yuan in my bank account. I could use it to help my father if he needed it, making up some excuse about winning the lottery.
My main concern was the future. If my parents’ fates were predetermined, I had to plan for my own life.
I didn’t want to repeat the tragedy of my past life…
…
“I’ll be going now.”
On the evening of February 24, 2016, I left Lan Zhuoyue’s hospital ward.
I had been spending most of my evenings with him for the past week.
Because I didn’t know how much time he had left.
Like my father in my previous life. The doctors had initially given him six months, but he had passed away suddenly after an accident.
Illness was often linked to a person’s mental state. Some chronic illnesses were resistant to medication, but if the patient suddenly had a change of heart, became optimistic, they might even recover.
Conversely, minor ailments could worsen if the patient gave up hope and wallowed in self-pity.
The good news was that, during the week I had been visiting him, Lan Zhuoyue’s condition had stabilized. His face was still pale, but he claimed it was just anemia and that he would be fine after a few days of rest.
“Wait, child.”
Lan Zhuoyue’s mother stopped me as I was about to leave.
“Take this two thousand yuan…”
She fumbled in her pocket, but I quickly stopped her. “Auntie, you need the money more than I do. I can’t accept it.”
“No, you’ve been so kind to us. You deserve it…”
“Auntie!”
I pretended to be angry. “If you insist, I won’t come back tomorrow.”
“Okay, okay…”
Seeing my determination, she reluctantly put the money away. “Sigh… Lan Zhuoyue is lucky to have a friend like you. But he doesn’t have the fortune to enjoy it…”
Tears welled up in her eyes. “His father and I are both healthy. Why did our child inherit this disease? It’s so unfair…”
“Auntie, have faith in Zhuoyue. He’s getting better, right?” I smiled and patted her shoulder reassuringly. “Use that money to buy him some delicious food. I remember he loves roast duck and sausages.”
“Oh, you’re such a sweet child.”
Despite the wrinkles on her face, she smiled warmly. “Be careful on your way home.”
“Okay. Tell Zhuoyue to go to bed early tonight. And no more playing on his phone.”
I left the hospital and went straight home.
The apartment was empty. Dinner was laid out on the table in the living room. My father was asleep on the sofa, his face etched with exhaustion.
It was understandable. Taking care of Mom and working at the same time would tire anyone out.
In my previous life, I had stayed in the hospital with my mother for a week.
I had only slept for less than six hours each day.
Patients could have sudden fevers, need medication, require IV changes, or need to use the restroom at any time, even in the middle of the night.
And that was with my mother trying her best to endure and only waking me up when she absolutely couldn’t handle it on her own.
I could only imagine how difficult it was for nurses, who worked rotating shifts, dealing with irregular sleep schedules and patients’ unreasonable demands and complaints.
“Dad?”
I called out softly, but he didn’t stir.
I’ll let him sleep. I’ll grab a bite and head to the gym.
I draped a blanket over him, ate dinner, and grabbed my Taekwondo uniform.
Based on the usual progression of the disease, my father was probably still in the early stages.
But I didn’t know how to convince him to get checked…
When I arrived at the gym, Zhai Fangning, who was already there, opened his arms for a hug, but I dodged him with a swift kick.
“You said there’s a new student coming today?”
I was already wearing my uniform under my jacket, so I just took it off.
I had received a call from Da Ning after school, saying that a very eager student had specifically requested me as her instructor. I hadn’t thought much of it at the time, assuming it was just an ordinary Taekwondo enthusiast who admired my skills.
But judging from Da Ning’s excited demeanor, this student was someone special?
“Yeah, let me tell you, she’s incredibly beautiful… uh, not that you’re not beautiful, Yi Yao. What I mean is, she’s the epitome of feminine beauty, like a princess from a painting.”
“Please, act like an instructor.” I pointed at the students behind him, who were staring at him with amusement. “Look at those kids laughing at you.”
“As if you’re not a kid yourself.”
“You want to get beat up?”
“Sister… sister, I’m sorry.”
However, I never expected this “eager student” to be her.
“Xiaodie, you’re done changing?”
A delicate figure, enveloped in a faint fragrance, emerged from the changing room.
She was my age, with long, beautiful hair, delicate features, and a slender figure. The white Taekwondo uniform, instead of making her look tough, accentuated her feminine curves, making her appear even more delicate and vulnerable.
“Yi Yao, let me introduce you. This is Huang Yingdie. She just transferred from the “Nurturing Talent School”. She’s a blue belt and has been training for a year.”
Zhai Fangning, oblivious to the awkwardness between us, enthusiastically introduced us. “This is the legendary Instructor Yao, Yi Yao.”
I wasn’t particular about titles. The students usually called me by my name. “Yi Yao, Yi Yao” had somehow morphed into “Instructor Yao.” That’s probably how Xiaodie had been misled.
“Yi Yao, she’s only been training for a year. Her previous gym wasn’t as strict as ours. So, you…”
“Don’t worry.” I cut him off, my gaze fixed on Huang Yingdie’s small frame. “Even if she’s the mayor’s daughter, I won’t go easy on her.”
She looked up at me, her eyes filled with determination and defiance.
“Gather up!”
We bowed to the national flag, completed our warm-up exercises, and then came the most grueling part of the training.
Twenty laps around the gym. It was a daunting task for most beginners.
I was curious to see how many laps Huang Yingdie could endure.
“Let me know if you can’t handle it. You’re still recovering from your injury. Don’t push yourself too hard.”
I jogged beside her, unable to resist offering a word of concern.
She didn’t answer.
By the eighth lap, beads of sweat were forming on her forehead.
By the tenth lap, her breathing was heavy, and her pace had slowed.
By the fifteenth lap, she was practically walking, but she was still moving forward, her face flushed with exertion.
By the eighteenth lap, her white uniform was soaked with sweat, clinging to her body, revealing her curves.
By the nineteenth lap, she was the last one left, her eyelashes and cheeks dripping with sweat.
“Thud!”
With half a lap to go, she collapsed onto one knee, exhausted.
I rushed over to help her up, but she pushed me away.
“Don’t touch me.”
She struggled to her feet, her gaze fixed on the other students ahead of her. “Yi Yao… if you can do it, so can I…”
“But you…”
I hesitated, then took a step back.
“Less than thirty meters to go.”
“Okay.”
She wiped the sweat from her forehead and started walking again.
She completed the last thirty meters under the watchful eyes of everyone in the gym.
“Yi Yao, why do I feel like the new girl hates you?”
Zhai Fangning approached me during the break, his brow furrowed.
“How should I know? Ask her yourself.”
I rolled my eyes at him, then added, “Maybe you should try talking to her. Pushing herself too hard isn’t good for her health.”
