Chapter 31: 31 Chapter 31 Part 2

Before leaving, Ji Qingyou couldn’t help but look back into the office.

Ji Xiruan was still sitting there, her back overlapping with the statue in front of the hospital, silently blending into the glow of the setting sun.

—

The wedding was the next day, but tonight, the two families were hosting a dinner for close relatives and guests. The venue was the same hotel as the wedding.

When she arrived at the hotel lawn where the dinner was being held, Ji Qingyou paused outside, looking at the crowd of people. She didn’t need to go inside to know that many guests had arrived early for tomorrow’s wedding.

Qin Shuangchi and Yu Muzhou’s college classmates, the connections Qin Bailan had made over her years in medicine, the elders from Qin Qinglian and Yan Li’s side, home relatives… and the relatives and guests from the Yu family. She didn’t know most of them, but she knew Yu Muzhou.

And Yu Muzhou’s father, Yu Cheng, and Yu Cheng’s current wife, Gu Xi.

Seeing those two faces laughing uncontrollably in the crowd, she felt like she could smell the nauseating fishy smell from her childhood, lingering persistently around her.

Even though the adjacent wedding venue was filled with flowers by Yu Muzhou, full of the fresh scent of the lawn, it still couldn’t seem to cover up that disgusting fishy smell.

She could only clench her fingertips and stand still.

Maybe she could contact Yu Qinjiu, ask her what she was doing now, to distract herself. But just as she took out her phone and saw the video Yu Qinjiu had sent her in their chat history, her fingers stiffened.

On the first day of the New Year, she had gone to work at the hospital. Yu Qinjiu woke up at her place and sent her a video. In the video, Yu Qinjiu was filming the two goldfish she had bought for her.

Fine fish food fell into the tank. The two little goldfish swam happily, drifting around in the illusionary decoration, seeming to emit a soft, golden light.

Yu Qinjiu laughed behind the camera, freely and gently.

“Ji Qingyou, do you think I should make them another home? Not a castle this time. Just something simple. A two-bedroom, one-living-room, or a one-bedroom, one-living-room. So the two of them can stay together forever. What do you think?”

The video ended as Yu Qinjiu said, “What do you think?”

In the subsequent chat history, Ji Qingyou replied with a simple “Okay,” because she was busy with other things at the hospital.

And right now, standing next to the wedding venue of Yu Muzhou and Qin Shuangchi, Ji Qingyou felt she couldn’t go find Yu Qinjiu.

If she had to attend the wedding tomorrow.

At the very least, she couldn’t let Yu Qinjiu be caught up in her pain.

She was silent, watching the video twice, then slowly put her phone away. Just as she was about to go in, her shoulder was bumped.

“Sorry, I’m sorry.”

A flustered female voice drifted over. She quietly said, “It’s okay,” but she noticed the woman who had bumped into her was already walking away. She wore sunglasses and a large black hat, and a carefully prepared dress.

She looked like an invited guest who had arrived early.

But she hadn’t gone in. Like her, she was hovering outside. After bumping into her, she hurried away, her steps messy. When she was further away, she bumped into another person.

The person she bumped into was wearing a structured coat and a thick, bright royal blue scarf. She steadied the woman, asking if she was okay.

The woman shook her head frantically, then hurried away from the scene.

So, the person who had been bumped into made eye contact with Ji Qingyou, who had been watching everything. There was a moment of stunned recognition, and then she walked towards her. “Why aren’t you going in?”

Ji Qingyou looked at Yu Qinjiu. “What are you doing here?”

Yu Qinjiu looked down at her scarf, her eyelashes lowered, her voice very light. “I’m not really here to call that woman ‘Mom’ like Yu Cheng wants me to. I just came to take a look.”

“What’s there to see?” Ji Qingyou’s gaze rested on her for a long time, showing no intention of going in.

Yu Qinjiu’s lashes trembled. “I don’t know, actually. I was planning to go for a walk, but somehow my mind drifted to the address on the invitation, and then I ended up here. And then I saw you.”

Her voice grew softer, even fading into silence.

Ji Qingyou looked at her silently. “You don’t actually have to come.”

Yu Qinjiu shook her head slowly. “I just wanted to come and see today. I won’t come for the formal wedding tomorrow. I really wanted to see Sister Qin in her wedding dress, but…”

She paused, then looked back at Ji Qingyou. “Why haven’t you gone in yet?”

As she said this, the sound system from the venue started playing. Applause and clamor reached their ears, as if someone was about to speak. On one side was the lively festive scene, on the other was Yu Qinjiu, standing alone in silence.

Ten years ago.

Ji Qingyou was the one who gave up on Yu Qinjiu.

But now, at least once, she had to choose Yu Qinjiu.

Almost without hesitation, Ji Qingyou stepped in front of Yu Qinjiu, blocking her view. She looked at her silently. “I’m not going in. You don’t need to look.”

“There are a lot of people in there you don’t want to see, and soon there will be sounds you don’t want to hear.” She couldn’t bring herself to say the names Yu Cheng and Gu Xi in front of Yu Qinjiu.

Yu Qinjiu pressed her lips together. “If you don’t go in, won’t Sister Qin blame you…”

Ji Qingyou was very calm, but her words were childish. “Let her blame me if she wants. I’ll blame her too.”

Yu Qinjiu’s eyes slowly reddened. “Blame her for what?”

For making it impossible for me to be confident in front of you.

Ji Qingyou didn’t say anything.

Yu Qinjiu quietly met her gaze. After a long moment, she sniffled, looking a little sad. “Maybe I shouldn’t have come. If you and Sister Qin have a misunderstanding because of this, please let her blame me…”

“Don’t you dare get into a fight with her because of this, you hear?”

She stared into Ji Qingyou’s eyes, speaking slowly. “You have to promise me, don’t blame Sister Qin from now on either. If she’s troubled, if you have to deal with the Yu family because of some family matters, if Yu Muzhou is nice to you and doesn’t bully you, you can be a little nicer to him too…”

“Yu Qinjiu.”

Ji Qingyou interrupted her, not wanting her to continue. “No matter where you are, I will always be on your side.”

Yu Qinjiu paused for a few seconds, then the stiff expression on her face gradually relaxed. “Ji Qingyou, you’re so childish. A grown woman like you, still picking sides…”

“Hmm.” Ji Qingyou didn’t deny it. “I’m this old now, and it’s taken me this long to find something this childish to do. Don’t stop me.”

The sounds of the banquet inside were still lively, almost drowning out their conversation. For a moment, the silence of the two seemed more solid than the revelry of the crowd.

“Let’s go.” Ji Qingyou suddenly said this.

Yu Qinjiu was stunned for a few seconds, not understanding her meaning. “Go where?”

Ji Qingyou grabbed her wrist. “Somewhere we can’t hear this place, and can’t see anyone here.”

She took a few steps forward, but found she couldn’t pull Yu Qinjiu along.

She could only stop.

Turning back, Yu Qinjiu wasn’t looking at her. She just shook her head and said,

“I’m fine.”

Ji Qingyou looked at her, saying nothing.

Yu Qinjiu stood there, looking towards Qin Shuangchi and Yu Muzhou inside the venue. Her voice was a little fuzzy.

“I just… want to stand here for a while.”

Ji Qingyou didn’t know why, but she really didn’t want Yu Qinjiu to be here. But looking at the shimmering moisture in her eyes, she ultimately said nothing, just pressed her lips together.

She didn’t leave. She didn’t go in.

She just stood beside Yu Qinjiu. They were as quiet as the daisies swaying on the lawn. One strong gust of wind would be enough to blow them away.

Neither of them knew how long it lasted.

Ji Qingyou’s phone kept buzzing. She took it out and saw that Qin Bailan and Qin Shuangchi were calling her, looking for her at the banquet.

But she didn’t answer.

Until Yu Qinjiu reminded her. “Aunt Qin must be looking for you and urging you.”

Ji Qingyou looked sideways, sounding a bit stubborn. “It doesn’t matter.”

Probably finding her a bit unreasonable, Yu Qinjiu was silent for a few seconds. Then, under the lemon-yellow sunlight, she looked at her.

“Raise your hand a little.”

Ji Qingyou was stunned, not knowing what Yu Qinjiu was up to, but she followed her instructions and slowly raised her hand. Then she felt a light tug on her sleeve.

Yu Qinjiu took a few steps closer to her, using her fingers to gently pull at her sleeve. The wide coat sleeve naturally fell, the black fabric covering Yu Qinjiu’s pretty, delicate face.

A familiar middle-aged male voice sounded from the venue. Ji Qingyou recognized it as Yu Cheng’s voice.

Yu Qinjiu’s father.

The man who had kept his “white moonlight” as a nanny by his side, witnessed by Yu Qinjiu in bed.

And Gu Xi. The nanny who willingly endured humiliation “for love,” even sewing a bow for Yu Qinjiu.

Their voices rang out in turn, at the pre-wedding banquet for Yu Muzhou and Qin Shuangchi, saying blessings like “happy marriage” and “forever and ever.”

Ji Qingyou pinched her own hand with great force to keep her raised hand from falling, to let her sleeve hide Yu Qinjiu’s continuously flowing, scalding tears.

The tears soaked through her sleeve. She heard Yu Qinjiu making a great effort to control her breathing. Her voice was a little muffled as it came out, but she still said it word by word.

“Ji Qingyou, do you still remember, this move is only for me?”

Memory flowed back.

Ji Qingyou watched Yu Qinjiu, remembering how, from a very young age, Yu Qinjiu hated looking ugly when she cried, so she was determined not to let anyone see her crying.

She would either hide and cry secretly.

Or she would cry next to Ji Qingyou.

Of course, she wouldn’t let her see that either. So, from some point on, Yu Qinjiu would use her sleeve to cover her whole face, silently shedding tears.

Whenever this happened, Ji Qingyou wanted to say, you still look beautiful even when you cry. But it was always hard for her to express her emotions directly, so every time, she just said it silently in her heart.

Every time Yu Qinjiu cried, she would brand this sentence in her heart one more time, until it seemed to become her life philosophy.

Later, it became like their special move.

Because no one else cried like this with Ji Qingyou anymore. Hot tears soaked her sleeve, a soft face pressed against her arm, like rainwater pouring backward, every drop burning her heart.

“Of course I remember.” A numb stiffness gradually crept up to Ji Qingyou’s fingers.

“Hmm… That’s good.”

Amidst the noisy, loud laughter and chatter. Yu Qinjiu’s voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, but it accurately carried the hot tears into Ji Qingyou’s heart.

“Because I’m leaving tomorrow.”