Coveted for a Long Time 62

Chapter 62

Qiao Xi couldn’t help but glance at the other person’s chest, hesitating to speak.

Fu Bei noticed it first and said nonchalantly, “Just a cut, a few stitches.”

Qiao Xi hadn’t noticed that day; this person didn’t look injured at the time. She hadn’t expected stitches, and now she was still on a drip, so it was quite serious.

Qiao Xi didn’t know why she listened to Qiao Jianliang and ran over, doing whatever she was told. Now facing Fu Bei, she had nothing to say for no reason.

Even though Qiao Xi rushed out to find Fu Bei that day and hugged her in the hospital, their relationship was still deadlocked. The past couldn’t be turned over so easily. It was just that different moments brought different reactions. In the face of life and death, some things could be put aside temporarily. Once passed, everything returned to how it was before, without much change.

Fu Bei understood this well and didn’t push her. Even while on a drip, she poured a glass of water for her and said, “Can’t go out lately, have to stay home. Asked Teacher Qiu to help substitute classes at school for the time being.”

Although the car accident wasn’t reported, some rumors inevitably leaked out. After all, a death wasn’t a small matter. There were many onlookers on the day of the accident, and word spread, so quite a few people knew someone died in a car accident outside the city. Those who could drive a Bentley were certainly rich or noble. Being able to handle the matter quietly meant it definitely wasn’t an ordinary wealthy family. For a while, it caused small-scale attention and discussion, but eventually, all voices gradually died down, and no one paid attention anymore.

One had to admit Grandpa Fu had foresight, anticipating this long ago and handling things decisively and quickly. The Fu family had considerable influence in Jiang City and was watched constantly. With such an incident, right or wrong didn’t matter; what mattered was that someone died. Those with designs on the Fu family wouldn’t care about the truth, surely seizing it to create issues and lead public opinion. The information age spawned too much distortion and anger; the simplest way to avoid trouble was to keep a low profile.

Qiao Xi understood this. Taking the water glass, she replied perfunctorily with a couple of sentences, not discussing substantial content, speaking only to cope.

And Fu Bei wouldn’t actively touch upon certain topics; those previous conflicts were temporarily buried at this moment.

Probably really unable to find a topic, Fu Bei suddenly said, “Teacher Qiu is getting married.”

Qiao Xi didn’t pay much attention, reacting only after a long while. “Qiu Yinong?”

“Mmh.”

Just said she was going on a blind date before; progressing to this step so quickly.

Having not seen Qiu Yinong for too long, Qiao Xi almost forgot what she looked like. She should have minded terribly earlier, but now she even forgot the person’s appearance. After a slow silence, she gave an “Oh.”

“Are you going to the wedding?”

“The date is still being discussed; should be going.”

Chatting sporadically, an insurmountable distance always remained between them. The crack already existed; forcibly patching it up still left it fragmented, not much use.

Fu Bei lifted her eyelids, looking straight at Qiao Xi while she spoke. Her gaze was direct, containing too deep and heavy meanings. Regardless of what Qiao Xi thought, for Fu Bei, this accident brought subtle changes, enough to overturn many previous concepts and practices. She pursed her thin lips, stopping the conversation for no reason.

Sensing something wrong, Qiao Xi tried hard to ignore this gaze, pretending not to feel it.

“Qiao Xi,” Fu Bei suddenly called softly.

No response.

This person lowered her eyes halfway, saying to herself, “My wound will definitely scar. When you have time, can I go to your place for a tattoo?”

**

Qiao Xi didn’t answer. She didn’t stay at the Fu house for long before returning to the Qiao house next door.

Having to go to the hospital at night, she rested temporarily in her old room, planning to go over after eating dinner later.

And it was this unintentional decision that led to an unexpected event.

Lying in the room, she rested for more than half an hour first. After waking up and lying for a few minutes, she planned to go downstairs, but someone came up, accompanied by the sound of arguing.

She paused instantly, subconsciously stopping her movement, focusing on listening to the noise outside.

The house had good soundproofing; normal speaking volume wouldn’t be heard at all. But the conflict between the mother and son in the corridor outside erupted uncontrollably. Zhou Meihe lost her usual amiable appearance. Probably truly provoked by Zhou Lin, she couldn’t control her anger, her voice exceptionally sharp. In agitation, she slapped Zhou Lin twice directly.

Zhou Lin was beaten quite a bit as a child; verbal insults were daily fare. He had long become numb to it back then. But since Zhou Meihe got together with Qiao Jianliang, life had been much better, and he gradually forgot those unbearable times. After being hit, he couldn’t recover for a moment, keeping his face turned sideways, his expression suppressed.

“Shouldn’t have given birth to you in the first place! Look at you, dead set like that dead man, resembling no one but him. Should have let him take you away back then. Good for nothing but angering me all day!” Zhou Meihe’s words were truly vicious. After all, he was flesh of her flesh. Just because Qiao Jianliang was sick, Zhou Lin didn’t do well enough to please him, and was outshone by Qiao Xi, she was furious. Coupled with suffering anger everywhere recently, she vented it all on her son.

She was a qualified teacher but not a good mother, never fulfilling her due responsibilities. Accustomed to beating and scolding, she truly treated the child as a punching bag, summoning and dismissing him like a toy—acting like a madwoman.

Hearing the content of the mother and son’s dispute in her room, Qiao Xi couldn’t help frowning, feeling disgusted. No matter how much she disliked Zhou Lin, she didn’t agree with Zhou Meihe’s approach. After all, he was still a student; this educational method was truly excessive. However, she didn’t intervene, not planning to act.

The mother and son walked closer and closer, finally arguing right outside her door.

Perhaps the anger was too great. Zhou Lin couldn’t hold it back, crying and almost screaming at Zhou Meihe: “Should have let him die in the car! If he died, you wouldn’t have it easy either!”

Zhou Meihe was furious. She didn’t pay attention to the deeper meaning of this sentence, only caring that Zhou Lin dared to disobey her. She slapped him immediately, leaving a red mark on half of Zhou Lin’s face instantly.

Inside the room, Qiao Xi’s pupils shrank for an instant. Unable to recover for a while, she finally tasted something unusual after a long time. She paid no more attention to the mother and son’s quarrel, pondering this sentence in her mind.

Should have let him die in the car…

The doctor had said tactfully that Qiao Jianliang almost died when sent to the hospital because no emergency measures were taken after the onset, and the delay in between was a bit long, almost missing the optimal rescue time. He told the family to pay more attention in the future and learn more relevant first aid knowledge, as the recurrence rate of cerebral hemorrhage is high.

At that time, Qiao Xi didn’t care about these words, letting them pass without taking them to heart. For a minor like Zhou Lin, asking passersby for help and sending Qiao Jianliang to the hospital was already very good. Besides, this was a sudden illness; who could have predicted it? Who would blame a child?

But thinking of Zhou Lin’s words just now, her frown deepened. She had to consider these small details carefully, weighing Zhou Lin’s words repeatedly.

Speaking indiscriminately or blurting out the truth in anger?

Either way, it was a bit too much.

Qiao Jianliang wasn’t a good father—too lousy to both Qiao Xi and his stepson Zhou Lin. But he wasn’t hopeless either. At least he usually spoke gently, giving everything materially. Since marrying Zhou Meihe, he had been good to Zhou Lin, actively protecting this stepson in front of outsiders and treating him well at home, never shortchanging him.

Zhou Lin’s meaning was: ungrateful and wanting to bite back.

Qiao Xi was unhappy, simply uncomfortable. When she was young, Qiao Jianliang didn’t care much about her, his biological daughter, for decades. It only got better in recent years. She had never said or thought such things; what right did Zhou Lin have to say that?

Thinking about it, he felt like a heartless ingrate.

She was very displeased but not impulsive enough to open the door for confrontation. Pondering for a moment, she stayed in her room until the noise outside died down before tidying up and going out.

Zhou Lin locked himself in his room. Zhou Meihe was so angry she wanted to smash things. However, looking at the time, she still had to go downstairs to cook for Qiao Jianliang and deliver it. So as soon as she went downstairs, she met Qiao Xi in the living room.

She was stunned, then reined in the angry expression on her face, asking tentatively, “Why are you back? Didn’t tell me.”

Qiao Xi pretended nothing happened, as if she hadn’t heard the mother and son’s quarrel, replying composedly, “Not long ago; came back to get some things.”

These words were specially said for Zhou Meihe to hear. The subtext was: just came back, know nothing. Zhou Meihe’s expression softened immediately, actually believing it.

The helper aunties at home were tactful and didn’t gossip, burying their heads in their own work, sensibly not getting involved in this family’s affairs, behaving dutifully.

Qiao Xi went upstairs again, really picking up two random things to take away. When leaving, she took the food to Qiao Jianliang in passing, saving Zhou Meihe another trip.

Arriving at the hospital, she beat around the bush asking Qiao Jianliang about the events of the day he fell ill. Qiao Jianliang didn’t remember clearly; having fallen ill then, how could he recall specifics? He asked back, “Did something happen?”

Qiao Xi denied it.

**

Two days later, a light rain raided Jiang City. The world was gray, the whole city shrouded in misty rain. The temperature dropped sharply that day. Qiao Xi, dressed thinly, shivered as soon as she went out. The unusual temperature brought light snow in the latter half of the night.

Snow fluttered down, heavier than that year.

Fu Bei’s car accident wasn’t announced externally, only saying she was unwell and needed to rest for a while. Many people went to the Fu family to curry favor with motives, but couldn’t even touch the door. Qiao Xi didn’t go to the Fu family again, not even making a phone call; she had urgent matters to attend to.

Many things are like stones in a small pool; completely submerged when the water is deep, but once the water level drops slowly, more and more stones are revealed.

Qiao Xi inadvertently heard something about Liang Jincheng—at an unimportant dinner, a partner drank too much and boasted wildly, mystifying half-truths. He said he knew So-and-so, who had considerable power but unclean hands, being quite close to the brother-in-law of a big family in Jiang City years ago, acting in collusion and often conspiring together.

Ambiguous words; others took it as drunken boasting, laughing it off. But Qiao Xi paid attention, taking half of it as truth.

There is no wall in the world that doesn’t leak wind. Digging deep with the right means, one can always dig out something unusual. She didn’t find any useful evidence but found several of Liang Jincheng’s dirty deeds—simply disgusting enough to vomit.

With Liang Jincheng doing these things, the Liang family naturally wasn’t clean. As for how much Liang Yuzhi participated or intervened, no one knew.

These days, Qiao Xi gradually calmed down, sorting through the events of the past carefully. Leaving aside other things, Liang Jincheng must not be let off. Before, Qiao Jianliang treated him as a bosom friend, but he cheated Qiao Jianliang to death. He couldn’t escape responsibility no matter what. And Qiao Jianliang collected those materials definitely to deal with Liang Jincheng, just biding his time and not acting rashly.

Qiao Xi had no ability to stir up waves but understood the method of leveraging strength. So she kept an eye on Liang Jincheng’s movements, waiting for an opportunity.

Coincidentally, she returned to the Qiao house on Saturday. This time truly to pick up things, she happened to see an unknown scene from behind the room window.

In the Fu family’s backyard, Liang Yuzhi and Liang Jincheng were talking about something, looking unhappy. Unknown what happened, Liang Yuzhi suddenly got emotional, slapping Liang Jincheng’s face mercilessly, cursing a few words.

That slap was hard enough to turn Liang Jincheng’s face aside.

Liang Jincheng said something, resulting in another ruthless slap from Liang Yuzhi.

It looked painful.

Qiao Xi sighed. Liang Yuzhi’s usual image was so elegant and decent; hitting people was surprisingly ruthless, and in her own backyard too, disregarding the occasion. Must be a really big matter.

She had heard that the Liang family had been going downhill for many years. It was only because Liang Yuzhi married well and spared no effort to help her maiden family over the years that the Liang family stabilized and moved up. And Liang Jincheng having his current status was naturally indispensable from his own sister’s promotion.

Now Liang Jincheng took two full slaps without resisting once—truly intriguing.

Qiao Xi hid behind the window, secretly observing that side.

Her luck was truly incredible. In such a short time, she had bumped into two big family dramas; no peace anywhere.

However, the drama not far away didn’t last long. Soon, Liang Yuzhi left, leaving Liang Jincheng alone. Before long, Liang Jincheng also walked into the house.

Qiao Xi raised an eyebrow, withdrawing her gaze. Inadvertently glancing at the second floor diagonally opposite, she discovered another person there.

—Fu Bei was watching her from the room window. From a distance, her expression couldn’t be seen clearly, but it made one’s heart tighten for no reason.

Qiao Xi grabbed the curtain, hesitated for a moment, then pulled it shut with a swish.

**

These events were just interludes. After the song ended, everything returned to normal.

Qiao Xi had been investigating Liang Jincheng, secretly checking in various ways, cautious enough never to be discovered. As the investigation deepened, she gradually discovered many anomalies.

The Qiao family were nouveau riche. Qiao Jianliang’s thinking was always limited to the stage of ordinary folks—shortsighted but sensible and law-abiding. Liang Jincheng was completely different, taking risks repeatedly. Sometimes his actions were unclear, but the profits were huge in the end, involving many people.

Worried about getting burned, she hesitated whether to continue investigating. It was then that someone cut off all clues from the middle. Checking further yielded nothing.

During this period, Qiao Xi once asked Zhao Shihuan for a small favor. Zhao Shihuan agreed verbally and kept her promise to help, but turned around and told Fu Bei about it.

Maybe doing a favor for the Fu family, or maybe not wanting Qiao Xi to take risks, stopping all this in time. Anyway, whatever the reason, Zhao Shihuan’s choice was clear and unhesitating.

Qiao Xi didn’t know at first. Until Fu Bei came to visit Qiao Jianliang with injuries once, saying some meaningful words—not accusations or warnings, but speaking roundaboutly. Inconvenient to talk directly about some things in the hospital, they set a time to meet again.

She agreed.

Calling Zhao Shihuan again, before she could ask, Zhao Shihuan told the truth directly.

“Qiao Qiao, some things aren’t as simple as you imagine. This is for your own good. Listen to my advice; stop investigating these things.”

Obviously, Zhao Shihuan also knew some inside information.

Before asking for her help, Qiao Xi had already trimmed the beginning and end, hiding it very deeply. She couldn’t figure out how she found out. Anyway, everything she did failed.

Qiao Xi hadn’t been able to extract herself from previous events, having hesitated and been confused because of the car accident. But now her mood was gloomy like the overcast sky in May or June, impenetrable by a single ray of sunlight.

With an indifferent face, she used a tone colder than ever before: “Understood. That’s it then. Hanging up.”