Chapter 76

Since the doctor had said she must work from home, Su Qingqiu wouldn’t let her run around either, so Rong Jin naturally obeyed obediently and worked diligently at home.

Rong Jin used her phone to summon her all-capable assistant, Xiao Qiangwei, and had her bring over the files and materials she needed to review.

Xiao Qiangwei was diligent and arrived quickly. In less than half an hour, she was hugging a stack of documents and standing at the villa’s door, pressing the doorbell.

Rong Jin opened the door for her.

Xiao Qiangwei changed into slippers and came in.

This was Xiao Qiangwei’s second time here. The last time, Rong Jin had been unconscious on the other side of the ocean, Rong Corporation’s stocks had plummeted, and Su Qingqiu had taken the opportunity to buy up a large amount of them. She had been furious and stormed over demanding an explanation.

Now, things had turned around—the stocks were still in someone else’s hands, and even her boss was living in their home.

Xiao Qiangwei felt miserable just thinking about it.

What a family misfortune!

Moreover.

Xiao Qiangwei glanced around Su Qingqiu’s home and looked Rong Jin up and down a few times.

Rong Jin asked her, “What are you looking at?”

Xiao Qiangwei eyed the specially replaced soft, easy-to-slide carpet, which had clearly been swapped out to make it convenient for Rong Jin to maneuver her wheelchair.

The house was filled with accessibility features everywhere, allowing Rong Jin to do whatever she wanted easily even when she was home alone.

There were three water cups on the coffee table—one white, one gray, one pink—all with the same floral pattern.

If she wasn’t mistaken, the white one was Rong Jin’s, the gray one Su Qingqiu’s, and the pink one Su Xijing’s.

They even had personalized matching cups for the family of three!

Xiao Qiangwei glanced toward the balcony in the living room, where a white kitten was curled up sleeping in the sunlight.

Oh ho, a family of three plus a cat.

What was the difference from a real family?

Xiao Qiangwei looked at Rong Jin again. After returning from the hospital, she had changed into a set of pajamas and was lounging idly in her wheelchair, which had several soft cushions on it.

It made her look all the more languid and gentle.

Xiao Qiangwei didn’t recognize Rong Jin’s pajamas and asked, “Boss, are those Su Qingqiu’s pajamas you’re wearing?”

Rong Jin nodded.

On her second day moving in, she had asked Xiao Qiangwei to fetch clothes from her own home, but she didn’t buy clothes often and usually stuck to simple styles, so she hadn’t brought many.

But Su Qingqiu had plenty of clothes.

When she realized she hadn’t brought pajamas, Su Qingqiu had silently handed her a new set.

Xiao Qiangwei’s expression turned strange. “Boss, don’t you feel like you’re being kept by Su Qingqiu right now?”

Rong Jin: “……?”

It really did seem that way.

Rong Jin stroked her chin thoughtfully, not at all ashamed—in fact, rather proud of it, completely unconcerned about her apparent status as someone’s kept woman.

Suddenly, something occurred to her, and she said, “Didn’t you say you can read fortunes? Can you read marriage prospects?”

Xiao Qiangwei: “……I can.”

Rong Jin sat up straight and said solemnly, “Can you help me figure out if Su Qingqiu actually likes me?”

Xiao Qiangwei was stunned, completely thrown off. “……I can’t do that.”

Rong Jin was disappointed. “You can’t even do this?”

Xiao Qiangwei explained instinctively, “Fortune-telling is a precise metaphysical system. Of course we can’t read what’s in someone’s mind—we’re not psychologists.”

And even psychologists couldn’t know exactly what someone was thinking.

Only after explaining did she react and ask, “Boss, you think Su Qingqiu likes you too?”

Rong Jin leaned back in her wheelchair. “I don’t know, that’s why I wanted you to check.”

She really didn’t know.

Back when she had liked Su Qingqiu, she felt like Su Qingqiu had some feelings for her—not full-blown love, but at least some goodwill.

She had been very optimistic then, thinking that as long as there was goodwill and an emotional foundation, even if Su Qingqiu rejected her confession, she would pursue her properly.

She would use every method to show her sincerity.

Maybe one day, her earnestness would move Su Qingqiu to like her back.

That was what she had thought at the time.

But later, she discovered Su Qingqiu didn’t like her.

She had been heartbroken over it for a long time.

And now?

After more than a decade, Su Qingqiu had taken the initiative to get close, to care for her.

And she blushed so easily.

Did she like her or not?

Xiao Qiangwei murmured, “If even you don’t know, how would I……”

Then something occurred to Xiao Qiangwei, and she suddenly grew excited.

“But after all these years, the way Su Qingqiu treated you—if she really liked you, why did she keep provoking you over and over?”

“If you like someone, shouldn’t you be good to them?”

Rong Jin chuckled. “Wasn’t it you who first said she was into me?”

Xiao Qiangwei muttered, “I was just saying that.”

Xiao Qiangwei waved her hand grandly. “Forget it, Boss. Let me read your marriage prospects.”

Rong Jin hadn’t expected her to actually do it. She watched as Xiao Qiangwei pulled an incomprehensible book from her bag, spread it on the living room coffee table, muttered incantations under her breath, and then accurately stated Rong Jin’s birth details.

Rong Jin: “……”

Wow.

Xiao Qiangwei worked on it for a full ten minutes. At first, Rong Jin watched with interest, but she didn’t understand a thing.

When Xiao Qiangwei finished the reading, she looked at Rong Jin in astonishment.

“Boss, you’re actually going to get married someday! I thought you’d never fall in love, since I’ve never seen you care about anyone.”

Rong Jin: “……”

So in your eyes, I was destined to be alone forever?

Rong Jin asked curiously, “When will I get married?”

Xiao Qiangwei calculated with her fingers and said, “Probably in more than a decade, with your fated partner. So don’t rush, Boss—haste makes waste.”

She thought for a moment and added, “But Boss, you’ll be over forty by then. Your soulmate’s coming a bit late, huh.”

Rong Jin: “……”

What nonsense.

Rong Jin didn’t believe a word Xiao Qiangwei said and ruthlessly ushered her out.

……

Su Xijing’s primary school let out early, around three in the afternoon.

With Aunt Zhao gone and Su Qingqiu absent, Rong Jin had been working and flipping through files when she glanced at the time.

Su Xijing should have been out of school by now.

She was still young; it wasn’t safe to let her come home alone.

Rong Jin thought for a moment and called Su Xijing.

Su Qingqiu had bought her a kid’s phone after she started elementary school, for easy contact.

A childish, milky voice came through: “Auntie, what’s up?”

Rong Jin said, “Aunt Zhao went back to her hometown and can’t pick you up. I’ll come get you soon. Stay at school and don’t run around, okay?”

Su Xijing was a bit surprised but agreed obediently. “Okay, Xixi understands.”

Rong Jin went back to her room and changed into a light purple long skirt that covered her casted left leg.

She slowly wheeled herself to the entryway, grabbed the spare keys, and headed out.

Yuying Primary School was very close to the villa—just a few minutes’ walk out of the neighborhood.

Seeing no one around, she was too lazy to hand-push the wheelchair and switched it to electric mode. The wheelchair sped her along like the wind, and in less than two minutes, she was at the school gate.

She had always hand-pushed before, not used to electric mode because it felt out of control. But trying it now, she found it fast and steady—extremely convenient.

Rong Jin was completely conquered by the high-tech wheelchair’s wheels and let out a sigh of admiration.

“……Wow.”

Technology had advanced so much that even wheelchairs were this handy.

The electric mode was pretty great.

School pickup time had passed, and there weren’t too many parents around.

When Rong Jin saw people, she wanted to keep using electric mode but didn’t dare go too fast, so she slowed it down and leisurely rolled into the school.

The parents all turned to look, their gazes filled with admiration.

How could they let a disabled person pick up a kid?

Talk about indomitable spirit despite physical disability.

Under the curious stares, Rong Jin calmly wheeled to the first-grade teaching building and called Su Xijing.

Rong Jin said, “Xixi, I’m downstairs.”

Soon, Su Xijing came bouncing down in a cute pink frilly dress, her little backpack on.

First grade got out earliest. Teacher Yu had to hand all the kids safely to their parents before she could leave, and Su Xijing was the last in class, so she came down with her. Seeing Rong Jin, she was a bit surprised.

Thinking Teacher Yu might not remember Rong Jin, Su Xijing introduced, “Teacher, this is my auntie.”

Teacher Yu remembered this beautiful woman who had come to register with Xixi’s mom, limping on one leg.

If she recalled correctly, when Su Xijing had fought with Song Chuyi, she had sneakily asked Song Limo for an autograph.

Was this auntie reliable?

Teacher Yu handed Su Xijing over and glanced at her leg, a bit uneasy. “Auntie Xixi, how about I walk back with you two?”

Rong Jin waved it off. “No need, you’ve worked hard enough, Teacher.”

Su Xijing said obediently, “Bye, Teacher.”

Rong Jin slowly left the school with Su Xijing.

By now, most people had cleared out. Su Xijing had short legs, wore a poofy little skirt, and carried a backpack. Holding Rong Jin’s hand, they walked excruciatingly slowly.

Rong Jin felt itchy inside.

She wanted to switch back to electric mode for that exhilarating speed.

Rong Jin eyed Su Xijing while pondering.

The kid was short, round like a dumpling—probably didn’t weigh much.

She glanced at her wheelchair—extra-wide and large.

It should fit.

They could ride together.

Su Xijing noticed Rong Jin’s gaze on her face, touched her cheek, and asked, “Auntie, is there something on Xixi’s face? Why are you staring at me?”

Rong Jin gave a mischievous smile.

“Xixi, want to ride the wheelchair with Auntie?”

Su Xijing: “……Huh?”

Teacher Yu watched them leave slowly. They huffed and puffed along so leisurely that she stood at the building entrance watching for ages until they reached the gate, then relaxed and planned to head back to the office.

Should be fine, right?

This auntie didn’t seem that unreliable.

But before she could turn to go upstairs, she saw them stop.

Teacher Yu: “?”

She saw Rong Jin shift over on the wheelchair, then Su Xijing climb onto it.

Teacher Yu: “???”

Finally, she watched as Rong Jin flipped some switch—the wheelchair shot off like it was spring-loaded, zooming away in a flash.

Teacher Yu: “……”

Help, where did this unreliable auntie come from?!