You Must Be Good 90

Chapter 90

After Qiao Xiaoxiao returned from Wuliu Village, she had completely changed.

This change was so obvious that even the most obtuse person could notice. The once-lively her was now always silent. At gatherings, she would often fall into a daze while talking, and her once-lively eyes were now so empty they were alarming.

The most worrying thing was that she had even put aside her most enthusiastic “money-making” career.

She didn’t go to Qingxin, and she didn’t go to university often. Most of the time, she would be curled up at home, sleeping in a daze.

Several times when Chu Xinrou had come home, she had seen her hugging that faded old cloth doll, lying motionless on the bed. Sometimes, Xiaoxiao would even wrap herself in a blanket from head to toe, like a mummy.

Yang Feitang was so anxious she was spinning in circles, trying all sorts of ways to make Xiaoxiao happy. Spicy crayfish, freshly bought hot pot ingredients, these delicacies that used to be able to whet her appetite the most, could now only get a few bites. More often than not, Qiao Xiaoxiao would just chew mechanically a few times and then hide back in that world that only belonged to her.

Yang Feitang asked Chu Xinrou worriedly, “The brat isn’t depressed, is she?”

Chu Xinrou did not answer immediately. She was all too familiar with this state, that feeling of the whole world having faded, as if her entire soul had been sucked out, leaving only an empty shell wandering in the human world.

There was no way.

She could only figure it out on her own and walk out of it herself.

Qiao Xiaoxiao’s original figure was well-proportioned and strong. Under the continuous loss of appetite, she had quickly become thin, and even her spirit seemed to have been drained, her whole being on the verge of collapse.

Facing Chu Xinrou’s gradually anxious gaze, Qiao Xiaoxiao sat on the bed and said slowly, “Jiejie, I’m fine. I just need some time.”

It was just that there were many emotions piled up in her heart, as if being pressed down by a stone, making her unable to breathe.

Chu Xinrou had also been like this before. She had used a long time, almost half her life, to walk out of it.

She knew what it felt like to not be able to reconcile with the self deep inside.

Chu Xinrou also reduced the time she spent outside. Most of the time, she would be at home painting or watering the flowers.

She didn’t say anything, but she silently accompanied Qiao Xiaoxiao with her actions.

Yang Feitang would also come over often. A person who loved to be lively like her would not change. She didn’t care if Xiaoxiao was depressed or not. Just like before, she would talk to the brat nonstop.

Several times, Chu Xinrou had seen Qiao Xiaoxiao lying in bed, not moving at all.

And Yang Feitang would be sitting by her bed, holding a plate of Go. After she had finished her own game, she would grab Qiao Xiaoxiao’s hand to play, and in the end, she would even say smugly, “I won again!”

Chu Xinrou: …

They were all protecting her in their own way.

After about half a month, Qiao Xiaoxiao finally spoke up. She slowly got up, walked to the living room, and said to Chu Xinrou, who was reading a psychology book, “Jiejie, I want to eat noodles.”

These words made Chu Xinrou so excited. She quickly went to the kitchen to make a bowl of noodles for Xiaoxiao.

This was probably the most Xiaoxiao had eaten in this half a month. She had eaten a whole bowl of noodles in one go.

“Jie, I’m going to Beijing for a trip.”

That was where Wang Su was.

Chu Xinrou’s fingertips paused on the page for a moment. The only sound in the room was the ticking of the clock. She finally closed the book, turned to look into Qiao Xiaoxiao’s eyes, and said softly but firmly, “Okay, I’ll wait for you at home.”

She had enunciated the word “home” particularly clearly, as if to make Qiao Xiaoxiao remember.

Qiao Xiaoxiao put down her chopsticks. She moved to Chu Xinrou’s side and gently rested her head on her sister’s shoulder. The faint scent of jasmine on Chu Xinrou’s body made her unconsciously relax her tense nerves.

“Yes,” Qiao Xiaoxiao’s voice was muffled in Chu Xinrou’s clothes. “I’ll be back early.”

The sunlight slanted in through the window, plating the two overlapping figures in a golden light. Chu Xinrou felt the weight on her shoulder and reached out to stroke Qiao Xiaoxiao’s hair.

Yang Feitang had always been against Chu Xinrou letting Xiaoxiao go to Beijing alone. She was very afraid that Xiaoxiao would get stuck in a rut and not be able to get out.

Her attitude towards Wang Su was very firm.

“I know she was forced to run away back then and had no other choice. I also admit that she is a pitiful woman, but—” Yang Feitang took a deep breath. While Qiao Xiaoxiao was not around, she finally said what had been weighing on her heart for a long time. “I think she doesn’t deserve to be forgiven by Xiaoxiao.”

Chu Xinrou pressed her lips together, her fingers unconsciously stroking the rim of the teacup.

Yang Feitang paced back and forth in the living room, getting more and more excited. “Didn’t you say that that damn father was an alcoholic every day? That he would take the money and go to the casino every day? Did she really not have a single chance to take both her daughters with her? That chain, could it really not be opened?”

As she spoke, her own face was red with anger. “Yes, I’m standing here and talking without a care. She may have been in a “desperate” situation when she ran away with her younger daughter. From her perspective, this was the only way out of a desperate situation. Abandoning the elder daughter was better than everyone dying here. But this is too tragic for Xiaoxiao.”

Didn’t she say it herself?

If she had taken the elder daughter with her, Qiao Wanshan would not have let them go. The anger in his heart would not have dissipated, and he would have chased them to the ends of the earth.

Then what was left for Xiaoxiao?

It was a ten-year-old child who had to bear all of Qiao Wanshan’s dissatisfaction and resentment.

She had heard from Village Chief Song Yan that Qiao Xiaoxiao had not only almost been beaten to death back then, but a little girl who was not taken care of and was beautiful, what kind of good life could she have in the village?

Xiaoxiao didn’t say it, but they all knew.

She had almost been dragged away by a homeless man several times.

Why did she have such a strong affection for Wang Ning’s grandmother? Besides that one meal of kindness, the old lady would always come out with her cane and scold them whenever she heard a little noise.

No one knew how Xiaoxiao, who had endured all of Qiao Wanshan’s anger, had lived under his fists day after day, had finally survived until her father died, had not received a single cent of compensation, and had been taken home by her uncle to be a free laborer, to continue to starve and be beaten, had gotten through it.

If it weren’t for Chu Xinrou.

She wouldn’t have been able to hold on.

Now, she might have already returned to the village to get married, or she might be spending her whole life on the assembly line of some factory.

That’s why Qiao Xiaoxiao would desperately make money as if she were grabbing a life-saving straw, and would insist on exercising rain or shine. She would always say “I like it” with a smile, but behind that smile was a pitiful person who was carefully filling the void of her childhood.

For so many years, Wang Su’s company had already grown to more than five hundred people. It was considered a medium-sized enterprise. She had money, ability, and resources. Even if she was scared herself, she was afraid. Couldn’t she have sent her subordinates to pick up Xiaoxiao?

“Wang Su saved herself and redeemed her younger daughter’s life. Since she chose to abandon her back then and has not come back for so many years, she shouldn’t have the face to come and ask for forgiveness.”

The high-speed train to Beijing was speeding on the tracks, and the scenery outside the window was receding rapidly.

This was not the first time Qiao Xiaoxiao had taken this train. Besides the road trip with Bai Qi before, these past few years, whether it was for an inspection or a meeting, as long as she had the chance, she would always take a detour to this city for a walk.

She hadn’t told anyone.

In fact, these past few years, although it seemed that she was already happy and had accepted everything, Xiaoxiao had always longed for it in her heart…

Xiaoxiao had asked around and had also tried to find her, but the sea of people was vast. She had only heard from her maternal grandmother’s family that she had probably gone to Beijing, but she didn’t know where exactly.

So, every time, she would come to this strange city for a walk.

Perhaps, at some street corner, she could see a familiar person, right?

Qiao Xiaoxiao didn’t know what was wrong with her. She clearly resented Wang Su, resented her for just abandoning her like that. But deep down, she was constantly longing, even praying… wanting to see her again.

This contradictory emotion was almost tearing her apart.

She couldn’t digest it, so she had chosen to sleep these past few days.

Only when she was asleep would she return to her childhood, to her mother’s embrace, without resentment, without pain, and without… being abandoned.

The address on this piece of paper was left by Wang Su for her.

When she arrived in Beijing, a fine rain was falling from the sky. The fine rain was like a thin veil, gently enveloping this ancient capital of a thousand years. Qiao Xiaoxiao stood at the exit of the station, staring at the gray sky in a daze for a long time before she dragged her suitcase to the booked hotel.

After settling down, she first sent a message to Chu Xinrou to report her safe arrival, then found a ramen shop near the hotel. The steaming hot beef ramen was letting off white steam. She chewed mechanically, her gaze never focusing.

It was still raining. Qiao Xiaoxiao opened her umbrella and hailed a taxi.

“Master, to the north gate of Wanbo Yuan Community in Xicheng.”

The driver was an enthusiastic old Beijinger. He sized up the quiet girl in the rearview mirror. “Are you here for a tour, miss? This is a good season to come to Beijing. It’s not cold and not hot. Do you want me to recommend a few authentic restaurants?”

Qiao Xiaoxiao looked at the rain-soaked street outside the window and did not refuse. “Thank you.”

The driver immediately became spirited and started to chatter like a family treasure. “Speaking of roast duck, Quanjude is for tourists. We locals all go to Dadong or Bianyifang… you should not try douzhi’er easily. That taste…” From copper pot mutton to luzhu huoshao, from Jubaoyuan to Xiaochang Chen, he wished he could introduce all the delicacies of Beijing.

The car slowly drove into Xicheng District, and the route on the navigation map had already turned a deep red. The driver repeatedly checked the real-time traffic conditions and couldn’t help but sigh. “This city is so congested at this time, especially here. It’s next to the Beijing South Railway Station and within the Second Ring Road. It’s almost impossible to move.” He glanced at the silent passenger in the rearview mirror. “Little girl, are you here to visit relatives?”

Qiao Xiaoxiao’s gaze was distant. “Yes, my mother and sister live here.”

“Oh my!” The driver’s eyes widened in surprise. “Then your family is not simple! This area is right next to the Financial Street school district, and it’s only a few steps away from Tiananmen Square. The property prices have long since gone through the roof.” He clicked his tongue. “Just this Wanbo Yuan Community, you can’t get it for less than a hundred thousand per square meter.”

The driver glanced in the rearview mirror. The always-quiet girl was staring out the window in a daze. The rain was snaking down the glass, blurring her profile, like an ink wash painting smudged by water.

The car moved with difficulty in the congested traffic. It took a full hour and a half to reach the destination.

Opposite the community was a chain hotel. Qiao Xiaoxiao had specially chosen a room facing the street. When she was checking in, the receptionist looked at her curiously. This young girl was only carrying a simple backpack, but she had asked for the most expensive room with a view.

Standing in front of the window, Qiao Xiaoxiao could clearly see the entrance and exit of the community opposite. She didn’t rush to knock on the door but just sat quietly in the chair by the window. The fine rain outside wove a hazy net, enveloping the entrance of Building 3.

On a rainy afternoon, there were few pedestrians in the community. Occasionally, someone would walk by in a hurry with an umbrella, splashing small puddles of water.

Qiao Xiaoxiao’s gaze never left that main gate. It wasn’t until school was over that the community gradually became lively. The elderly who were picking up their children came out of the building in twos and threes, holding umbrellas and waiting at the school bus stop.

Qiao Xiaoxiao suddenly sat up straight, her fingers unconsciously clutching the curtain. In the crowd, a little girl with two pigtails was skipping along. Her Burberry windbreaker was particularly eye-catching in the rain. The little girl was looking down at the latest iPhone, and the middle-aged nanny beside her was carefully holding an umbrella, leaning over to say something from time to time.

Although it had been ten years, Qiao Xiaoxiao still recognized her sister, Qiao Mumu, at a glance.

That slightly upturned corner of her eye, that small nose, and even the curve of her lips when she smiled were like a scaled-down version of Qiao Xiaoxiao.

The only difference was the small beauty mark at the corner of the girl’s right eye.

The girl had a little argument with the nanny, then made a phone call. As if she had gotten her way, she showed a victorious smile, picked up her umbrella, and walked towards the mall next door by herself.

She was really so tired of this feeling of being followed every day. Her peers could all go downstairs to play by themselves. She was almost thirteen. Why couldn’t she go out by herself?

They would say every day that a bad person might kidnap her.

Please, she was already 1.65 meters tall, almost taller than her mother. Who would kidnap her?

And there were surveillance cameras everywhere, and she had a phone in her hand. If anything happened, couldn’t she just call?

Next to them was a bustling mall, with a one-stop service for eating, drinking, and playing. She had been in tutoring classes all day and had long wanted to rest.

Qiao Xiaoxiao had originally wanted to hold back and not get close.

But that was her sister, who had the same blood as her, the little girl she had always held in her arms when she was a child.

At that time, the countryside was patriarchal. After Qiao Xiaoxiao was born, Qiao Wanshan was already unhappy. And then came this little girl. He didn’t even give her a name and just threw her to Wang Su.

In those few years, the family was already on the decline. Wang Su and Qiao Wanshan had no time to take care of their younger daughter at all.

It was no exaggeration to say that from her birth until she was three, before she left, it was basically Xiaoxiao who had taken care of her.

…

Qiao Xiaoxiao cautiously approached her sister. The little girl was playing a basketball game. Recently, the school’s girls’ basketball team was recruiting, and she really wanted to join, but her skills were too poor.

Up close, Qiao Xiaoxiao could see her sister’s face clearly. It was bright and sunny, her skin so good it was flawless. But she didn’t show it on her face at all. She casually picked up a basketball, raised her hand, and threw it. A three-pointer.

In the past, during the breaks in her training, she had been pulled over by the girls’ basketball team to make up the numbers, and her skills were not bad.

Sure enough, the little girl was immediately attracted to Qiao Xiaoxiao. When she saw Qiao Xiaoxiao’s appearance, she covered her mouth in surprise, her eyes fixed on Qiao Xiaoxiao’s face. “Wow, sister, you look so much like me!”

She really looks so much like her!

Like real sisters!!!

Her carefree and unafraid personality was not what Qiao Xiaoxiao had expected. She remembered that when she was thirteen, not to mention taking the initiative to talk to people, even if someone glanced at her, Xiaoxiao would immediately lower her head.

Qiao Xiaoxiao smiled at her. “Yes, we look so much alike.”

Her tone was tinged with an imperceptible bitterness.

“Jiejie, I see that you’re so good at shooting. Can you teach me?”

The little girl was eager to try. Qiao Xiaoxiao nodded. She picked up a basketball in each hand and threw them casually. All of them went in.

The little girl’s eyes were about to turn into hearts. She immediately clapped. “Amazing, so amazing!”

So cool! This is what she dreamed of being like.

Qiao Xiaoxiao smiled slightly. She looked at the girl. “Hello, my name is Qiao Xiaoxiao.”

As she said this, her heart was in her throat. She was both afraid that her sister would recognize her and wanted her to recognize her.

Qiao Mumu was almost three when she was taken away by Wang Su. Her memory was probably missing. But if Wang Su had mentioned her to her all these years, then…

The little girl immediately held out her hand generously. With her and Xiaoxiao’s almost identical features, she smiled brightly. “Hello, Sister Xiaoxiao. My name is Wang Nuanyang!”