Chapter 34: Settlement of Accounts

After arriving home, Liu Suping sneezed several times in a row, then quickly lay down on the bed, groaning and complaining of a headache.

Han was worried that she would catch a cold, so he made her a cup of hot ginger tea. Liu Suping closed her eyes, took a sip, then waved her hand and refused to drink any more, saying that the ginger tasted too strong and unpleasant.

Han persuaded her for a moment and took out a thermometer to take her temperature. Liu Suping frowned and said, "Don't bother me all the time. I don't have a fever or a cold. I'm just angry at you. If you stop being angry at me, I won't have any illnesses anymore."

Han finally lost his patience and threw the thermometer on the table. He couldn't help but retort, "I don't understand how I offended you to make you angry and angry like this. You clearly caught a cold, but you blame me."

Liu Suping turned over with her eyes closed, facing the wall, and ignored her. However, Han stood blankly by the bed for a while, looking at her pale and tired face. He felt uncomfortable and turned to leave the room.

It was raining outside, and the yard was blocked by the crowded awnings. The light was very dim, and time seemed to have fast forward to dusk.

Raindrops pattered against the fiberglass-tiled kitchen ceiling, making a crackling sound. The damp bluestone tiles in the yard reflected the dim light from the room. On the dark roof, weeds had grown half a foot tall, swaying gracefully in the wet night breeze. Someone had placed a tattered basin under the eaves to collect water, making a clanging sound. Occasionally, you could hear the squeaking of a bicycle passing outside the door, the tires rubbing against the gravel.

She sat on the small bamboo chair at the door in a daze, her chest feeling like it was blocked by a ball of cotton.

She thought about it and sent a message to Fang Jiayan: Are you there?

After a long time, Fang Jiayan replied: "I was in the ward just now. I'll be free now."

Han then asked, "Is voice convenient?"

Fang Jiayan called directly and heard Han Que's exhausted voice, so she asked her if she was sick. Han Que talked about Liu Suping's condition when they went to visit the grave, and was full of sorrow. "If this continues, my mother will become more and more powerful. Look at her today. She was just being unreasonable with me and didn't listen to any reason. In the past, even if she liked to control me, she would still distinguish right from wrong, but now she can't even tell right from wrong."

Fang Jiayan was silent for a moment, then said, "Perhaps you went to visit your father's grave today, and she was upset and had a lot of emotional fluctuations. This is a normal reaction. But you'd better take her to see a doctor for a checkup. Otherwise, if she continues like this and there is no treatment plan, her condition will quickly worsen."

"How could my mother agree..." Han sighed, "She said she had a headache. I was afraid she had a cold, so I took her temperature but she refused. She even scolded me, saying it was a headache that pissed me off. If you asked me to take her for a brain scan, she'd probably throw a tantrum and make a scene."

Fang Jiayan also sighed: "Since you can't take her to the hospital for treatment, you can only observe it yourself. What else can you do? Don't think about the temporary difficulties, you have to find a way to coax her to go. If the treatment time is delayed, won't you regret it for the rest of your life?"

Han was silent for a while. After a while, she lowered her voice and asked, "Will the treatment cost a lot? My mother's medical insurance has been deducted for a long time, and she doesn't have health insurance. Will the minimum living allowance be enough?"

After deducting the repayment from her salary every month, there is very little left for the daily expenses of the mother and daughter. Now Han Youfang is forcing her to repay the loan in advance. She really has not thought about where the medical expenses will come from.

Fang Jiayan pondered for a moment and said, "Let me ask for you. Maybe there are policies for disadvantaged groups."

Han hummed, "Thank you, Jiayan."

Fang Jiayan: "What are you thanking me for? We're all family. Oh, and where's Zhou Wenwen? I haven't heard from her in a while. I don't know what she's been busy with."

Han Que then remembered that Zhou Wenwen said she wanted to meet Lu Xiaoping today. Thinking of Lu Xiaoping, Han Que's temples suddenly throbbed and his head began to hurt.

Zhou Wenwen had met Lu Xiaoping several times before, and Han Que was always present.

This time, Han was not around, and she felt a little uncomfortable when she saw Lu Xiaoping.

As soon as Lu Xiaoping saw her, his melancholy eyes fixed on her, as if he could read Han Que's attitude from her face. She avoided Lu Xiaoping's eager gaze and simply said to Zhou Hongbin, "I called Han Que, but she can't come because something happened at home."

Zhou Hongbin glanced at Lu Xiaoping and said indifferently, "Well, if she doesn't want to come, then don't come. She deserves a good rest. If she were this aggressive, all the other coaches in our club would have resigned."

Zhou Wenwen snorted and laughed, "That's all because of you, a capitalist."

Zhou Hongbin waved his hands repeatedly: "Don't blame me, I didn't force her, she pushed herself."

Zhou Wenwen snorted again: "What can I do if I don't rely on myself?" She glanced at Lu Xiaoping and said: "Women can't rely on men, so they can only rely on themselves."

Lu Xiaoping blushed and stammered, "Zhou Wenwen, is Han Que's family in trouble?"

Zhou Wenwen raised her eyebrows and glanced at him with a bit of disdain. "You've been in a relationship with her for half a year, and you don't even know her basic situation. And you still come to ask me, don't you find it strange?"

Lu Xiaoping said in a low voice: "She never told me that. Every time she asked me to take her home, she would ask me to walk to the street corner and never let me go to her house."

Zhou Wenwen snorted: "How many times have you sent her off?"

"Okay, Wenwen, don't be so aggressive." Seeing this, Zhou Hongbin quickly pulled Zhou Wenwen to sit down. "Since she's not coming, let's just have dinner together, the three of us. We can talk while we eat, right, Xiaoping?"

The three of them were in the hotel's Japanese restaurant, where the lighting was soft and the decoration was exquisite. There was also a small Japanese-style courtyard in the restaurant, with gurgling water, fine gravel, tall and vigorous Podocarpus trees, and faint music playing in the background.

Zhou Wenwen didn't say anything else and sat down a little further away from Lu Xiaoping.

The sashimi boat Zhou Hongbin ordered was served on the table, surrounded by cold mist. It contained Arctic scallops, salmon, lobster, and even expensive thick-cut tuna.

German Riesling wine was poured into the glass. The amber liquid stirred slightly in the crystal glass, emitting a faint aroma.

Zhou Hongbin picked up and pulled apart a piece of Arctic scallop, then placed it in the soy sauce dish in front of Zhou Wenwen. He smiled and said, "You must be tired after walking around all afternoon. Eat more. This is high in protein, low in fat, and won't make you gain weight."

Zhou Wenwen glanced at him with a half-smile: "Brother, I've made you spend a lot of money today."

Zhou Hongbin remained calm and looked at her with a smile: "You're welcome. We are brother and sister."

Zhou Wenwen smiled, rolled her eyes, glanced at Lu Xiaoping who was silent beside her, and said to Zhou Hongbin, "If you want to ask me something, just ask. I'm a man of few words, so I won't hold back on what I have to say."

Zhou Hongbin: "What about things that shouldn't be said?"

Zhou Wenwen picked up the Arctic scallop dipped in mustard and soy sauce and put it in her mouth. The mustard made her take a deep breath and said, "I won't say what I shouldn't say. It's useless for you to bribe me."

Zhou Hongbin smiled: "Okay, she is indeed my sister, loyal and a good friend."

He glanced at Lu Xiaoping beside him: "Then let me ask you, what's going on with Han Que recently?"

Zhou Wenwen nodded with an expression that said, "I knew you were going to ask me this."

She continued chewing her Arctic clams and said, "What's going on? It's still the same as before. Going to work, teaching, and taking care of her mom at home. What else could it be?"

She glanced at Lu Xiaoping and said with a hint of meaning, "She doesn't have rich parents, and she's not the daughter of a wealthy family. She can only work like a slave to make a living. What's more, she has to pay off her debts and support her mother. You know her situation."

Zhou Hongbin coughed. "I know all about her situation, but...she and Xiaoping..." He looked at Lu Xiaoping and considered his words. "What's going on? They haven't been in touch since the birthday party."

Zhou Wenwen glanced at Lu Xiaoping, then turned to Zhou Hongbin and sneered, "Whether they're connected or not, I don't know. Anyway, I do know that some people make bad friends and end up with bad friends who not only say nasty things but also gossip."

"Xu Tao's words were harsh, but he didn't lie." Lu Xiaoping finally spoke up. He defended himself aggrievedly, "Han Que left with Gu Ningwei that night."

"Oh, she left with Gu Ningwei, so what? Did they leave together just to get a room?" Zhou Wenwen stared at Lu Xiaoping with wide eyes, put down her chopsticks, and questioned, "Why did she leave with Gu Ningwei? Don't you have any idea?"

"I..." Lu Xiaoping was speechless.

"Wenwen," Zhou Hongbin reminded, "Girls, please speak politely and don't use dirty words."

"What's wrong with me?" Zhou Wenwen continued, "I just can't stand his behavior. Why is he pretending to be pitiful? He even blames others, saying this and that. What about him?" She pointed at Lu Xiaoping, "It was his birthday, and he introduced Han Que to everyone as his girlfriend."

Zhou Hongbin nodded: "That's what I should do, right?"

Zhou Wenwen continued, "Yes, but calling her 'Miss' and flirting with her in front of his girlfriend is insulting enough. Who the hell is Han Que? Damn it, and his friends, they all come to Han Que, don't give him a good face, and say nasty things, saying that Han Que cheated them of their money for your club... Damn, how much money do they have, and they are so showy..."

Zhou Hongbin glanced at Lu Xiaoping, pursed his lips and sneered, his tone still gentle: "Wenwen, don't say that. Business entertainment like this is bound to be a bit of a show, but Xiaoping is not that kind of person."

"Business entertainment? Celebrating a birthday is a business entertainment?"

Zhou Hongbin: "Didn't we also invite Gu Ningwei? It's considered a business dinner."

Zhou Wenwen squinted at Zhou Hongbin and said, "Brother, please stop speaking well of him. Do you know why Han Que ended up leaving with Gu Ningwei?"

"Why?" Zhou Hongbin asked.

Lu Xiaoping also raised his eyes.

Zhou Wenwen snorted. "I heard Han Que say she wanted to leave after seeing how chaotic they were having fun," she pointed at Lu Xiaoping. "A guy like him is just having fun with the girls, so why would he care about Han Que's thoughts? Or whether it's safe for Han Que to walk alone at night so late... If Gu Ningwei saw him on the road, of course he'd send Han Que off."

Lu Xiaoping opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but seeing her fierce and fierce look, he didn't dare to say it out loud.

Zhou Wenwen knew what he was thinking and sneered, "I know what you're going to say. Men like you have dirty minds. Let me tell you, Han didn't go anywhere. She went home and talked to me on video for a long time. I know her whereabouts very clearly. If she doesn't settle the score with you, I will settle the score for her."