Chapter 35 The Young Lady in the Wheelchair 35: I'm Not Leaving.

Seven days later, the two, who had been enjoying themselves at the beach and had forgotten all about home, finally returned to the Xi residence.

The two cats' return was warmly welcomed by everyone in Wenhai, including Nao Nao, who received local cat food and treats as gifts, as well as an unexpected little surprise.

Having heard that letting kittens smell tree branches can enhance their appearance, Cheng Zhishu specially brought a tree branch and put it in her pocket. When she saw Nao Nao, she squatted down, clumsily touched the cat's entire body, and then took out the small tree branch.

Cheng Zhishu: "Smell it, it smells like the seaside."

Nao Nao's pink nose twitched as she crept closer, stepping on her paw pads.

"Mmm."

It was like a meticulous inspector, carefully sniffing the twig in Cheng Zhishu's hand, not missing a single spot.

But it wasn't satisfied with that, so it carefully took the branch from Cheng Zhishu's hand and ran to a corner of the sofa to gnaw on it.

Cheng Zhishu had checked and found that this was a plant that was harmless to cats, so she felt at ease letting it play with it, sharing some of her holiday joy with it.

Clap her hands and stand up. Cheng Zhishu started to feel bored and wandered around the house aimlessly.

Because Xi Congshuang left home this morning, she is not at home now.

Soon, Cheng Zhishu will regret it.

Xiao Liu walked over and looked at her closely. She asked, "Xiao Shu, did you get a tan? Your teeth are whiter than usual."

One sentence can make a girl who loves to laugh lose her smile.

Xi Congshuang, who is not at home, has not yet arrived at the company. Just now, she went to the hospital first.

After ending the conversation, she returned to her car and headed to the company.

Dr. Xu said she was very optimistic about the situation, and it was clear that she was more inclined to advise Xi Congshuang against surgery, as the current situation could not get any worse.

But Xi Congshuang's mind was made up; in essence, she was a gambler.

Her repeated escapes from dire straits gave her the thrill of overcoming fate, which made her arrogant.

Seeing her determination, Dr. Xu respected the patient's opinion and instead talked about the precautions to take in the days leading up to the surgery.

Both parties agreed to schedule the surgery in the fall, as Dr. Xu hoped the cooler weather would make Xi Congshuang feel better after the surgery.

Although this insignificant wish won't play any role in the surgery, what if the surgery fails...

She will not live to see the golden autumn that follows.

Li Mi, who was focused on driving, was unaware of what her boss had discussed at the hospital. Ever since she left Dr. Xu's office again, she had been in a bad mood.

Even the atmosphere inside the car became oppressive.

Xi Congshuang wasn't the only one who was unhappy; the system was unhappy too.

Because that damned Collapse value just won't drop anytime soon, from late spring to the height of summer, the 11 Collapse value shows absolutely no sign of wavering.

Red Apple stared at this number in the background every day, going from being overjoyed to extremely anxious, feeling like the whole system was about to collapse.

The protagonists are usually very lucky and difficult to deal with, but Cheng Zhishu is also difficult to deal with to a certain extent, which is rare.

It really wanted to grab Cheng Zhishu by the shoulders and shake her, demanding to know what else was bothering her. Tell me, tell me now!

Unfortunately, just as Xi Congshuang cannot mention any words related to the mission to anyone, the red apple cannot appear in the sight of anyone other than the mission takers.

Whoever violates the rules will be punished.

As soon as Xi Congshuang arrived at the office, she saw Red Apple anxiously pacing around in front of her.

With no one else in the office, Xi Congshuang took the initiative to say, "I know I've been slow lately, but I'll keep working hard in the future."

If Ni An were there, she would have found these words very familiar, as if they were something she often said to Xi Congshuang.

The red apple stopped and flew to her: "No, this matter has little to do with you anymore."

Xi Congshuang: "Oh?"

It was quite rare to hear a single human word from this anxious red apple.

The red apple fluttered around in front of her like a bird released from its cage, muttering to itself.

"Money, status, enjoyment, you've given her almost everything, so in my opinion you've basically done your job and there's nothing more you can give her."

"But I can't figure out what she's still dissatisfied with, that little bit of Honkai value that just won't go down."

Do it properly?

Xi Congshuang raised an eyebrow, thinking that might not be the case.

The happiness standard embodied by the red apple is merely a reference to what most people like; in reality, Cheng Zhishu is a very easy person to please.

Her gaze, which had been raised, fell back down, and Xi Congshuang stared blankly at her reflection in the computer screen.

But she couldn't give it to him.

An invisible hand forcibly tore her thoughts apart, splitting her in two, one clamoring for indulgence while the other desperately trying to restrain herself, leaving her helpless.

She would also weakly comfort herself: many things have changed, haven't they?

Xi Congshuang felt a rare moment of relaxation, but the change happened much faster than she had imagined—Flora, who had finished her inspection of the branch office early, came to visit again.

He specifically requested to meet with Xi Congshuang.

On the way to the meeting room, Ni An said, "Actually, Xiao Wang told me a long time ago that Ms. Flora Feng from the Ander headquarters had hoped to meet with you a week ago, but since you had already made plans to travel, I had Xiao Wang refuse her and suggest that we discuss any needs first."

"But Ms. Feng refused. She only said that she only wanted to talk to you about this matter and refused to reveal any more information."

"After that, Mr. Ping contacted her, but without exception, Ms. Feng rejected him. She only insisted on one thing: she only wanted to see you, even if it was just for five minutes."

Ping Zong is Xi Congshuang's fourth aunt. Her name contains the character "Ping". Her full name is Xi Pingxian.

Flora's persistence sparked much discussion and speculation at headquarters, but unfortunately, the protagonist, Xi Congshuang, was not present, so no matter how much everyone speculated, nothing could be confirmed.

Xi Congshuang stopped her wheelchair: "A week ago?"

Ni An was taken aback, then replied, "Yes, it was the day after Xiao Shu finished her college entrance exam."

"..."

At that time, she and Cheng Zhishu were already on a flight to a coastal city and had not dealt with any news from China.

Long ago, Xi Congshuang had a vague premonition that her unresolved worries would finally come to a heavy end, but she didn't feel relieved at all.

The timing was perfect.

After the college entrance examination, the female protagonist suddenly disappeared outside the examination hall. No matter how hard the original owner searched, she could not find any trace of the female protagonist. It was as if she had vanished into thin air.

She began to resist moving forward and opening the door.

The door opened ahead of time, and Flora, who had taken off her coat and was only wearing a white shirt and a fitted vest, stood behind it.

Flora looked at Xi Congshuang with her blue eyes pleadingly: "Please forgive my rudeness, my sudden visit has taken up your time, please come in."

Xi Congshuang sensed the woman's persistence in her tone, and realized that the conversation would probably last more than five minutes.

A brief silence fell at the entrance to the meeting room, the two men, one sitting and one standing, locked in a silent standoff.

Flora was extremely anxious and couldn't help but urge, "Miss Xi."

The wheelchair parked at the door moved. Before going in, Xi Congshuang said to Ni An, "You wait here. I need to speak with Miss Feng alone."

Ni An: "That coffee..."

Flora spoke first: "I don't need coffee, I haven't finished mine yet."

After saying that, the door was closed, leaving Ni An scratching her head in confusion.

"Just because you don't need coffee doesn't mean my boss doesn't need to drink it either."

But Xi Congshuang didn't ask for it, so Ni An had no choice but to stay outside and wait through the thick door.

Inside the door, Xi Congshuang calmly finished reviewing the documents in the file bag. It was a paternity test, or rather... two.

One is a hair test, and the other is a blood test.

Turning to the end, it was revealed that Cheng Zhishu and a woman named Wen Lingwang are mother and daughter; the paternity test result was 99.99%.

Among them, the name Wen Lingwang is very familiar. She is the head of the overseas Ander Group. She does not appear in public often and entrusts many of her affairs to her confidants or vice presidents.

There has been a persistent rumor that Wen Lingwang is actually a puppet controlled by someone else, a mascot put forward by an ancient family, and that the real person in charge is someone else.

Ke Xi had researched Wen Lingwang's rise to power and pieced together her early life from snippets of information.

She rose from the youngest daughter in her family to become the head of the household, and remains unmarried to this day. Beneath her gentle exterior lies a ruthless and decisive nature, something she could not have achieved simply through the affection of her elders.

Moreover, her series of decisions and changes after taking power were very much in Wen Lingwang's style, so she scoffed at the claim that Wen Lingwang was a puppet.

Xi Congshuang casually tossed aside the documents in her hand and asked, "How did you obtain the blood and hair? Did you bribe someone close to me?"

Flora was taken aback by this question as her first question, and after a moment of hesitation, she hurriedly explained, "No, no, that's not it. I found the hair at Chairman Xi's birthday party, and it just so happens to be useful."

"As for the blood... In your country, a physical examination is required before the college entrance examination, so I managed to obtain blood through the school."

Xi Congshuang: "It seems you've done a pretty thorough job."

Flora instinctively felt that she was being sarcastic, but she was willing to accept the emotion.

She gathered the documents on the table, including photos of Wen Lingwang when he was young, as well as recent photos.

If Ni An hadn't been turned away by the two men, she would have realized that her initial impression of Cheng Zhishu's somewhat mixed-race features upon first meeting her was not a misperception.

Because Wen Lingwang is of mixed race, apart from eye color and facial features, she looked quite similar to Cheng Zhishu when she was young, with only minor differences in facial features.

However, the two are too far apart and their identities are too different, making it difficult for people to reconcile these two similarities.

Only Flora, who knew the truth, would be so bold. Unexpectedly, she actually found the right person. Every day after receiving the result, she felt as if it were the guidance of fate.

Flora said, "This is the patriarch's lifelong regret. She was betrayed by her family and lost her beloved daughter, but that man would rather commit suicide than tell her whereabouts."

"Until the moment the gun was fired, the other person insisted: 'The child is dead. I personally delivered him to the killer. Give up hope.'"

"The head of the family was depressed for a long time because of this, and was in unbearable pain."

"But to my surprise, the missing child was actually abroad. It was a wonderful surprise."

Xi Congshuang's expression remained unchanged from the beginning; at least Flora couldn't detect any emotion on her face.

However, Flora was not surprised. Before coming, she had investigated and learned that Xi Congshuang valued Cheng Zhishu highly, even to the point of indulging her, and did not allow anyone to touch her, just like a dragon guarding her treasure.

She had already made up her mind that even if Xi Congshuang disagreed, she would find a way to take the young lady away, as her home was in the United States.

"I have no interest in your family head's past grievances. Why didn't she come in person?" Xi Congshuang said coldly. "If she is depressed because of the loss of her child, shouldn't she have traveled a long way to come in person?"

Flora's once straight and relaxed shoulders slumped: "The long-term mental torment has made her ill, and she will have surgery in two months. She cannot bear the hardship of the long journey."

Xi Congshuang: "..."

"The doctor said that the head of the household has a very low will to live, and even if she undergoes a life-saving surgery, she may fall asleep forever."

*

In Wenhai Garden, Shangguan Yin used a tree branch to lure Nao Nao out of the bushes.

This wasn't her first time visiting Cheng Zhishu in Wenhai, but today she brought something special, wanting to experiment with it.

"I've got you, baby." Shangguan Yin reached out and hugged the cat, sat down on the ground, took out a magnet from her pocket, and quickly pressed it onto the longevity lock around Naonao's neck.

Shangguan Yin: "Hmm? Why didn't you get any?"

Cheng Zhishu bit her straw: "..."

The math whiz often did things that puzzled her, so she wasn't surprised today.

Shangguan Yin also asked, "Why can't I inhale it?"

Cheng Zhishu: "Is it possible that this is the real Golden Lock?"

"..."

Shangguan Yin looked up blankly, her face conveying only one meaning.

Impossible, absolutely impossible.jpg

"You actually gave a cat a gold lock? Orange, let me tell you, that's exactly what you are." Shangguan Yin gave her a thumbs up.

Cheng Zhishu smiled inexplicably, raised a finger and shook it: "It wasn't me who gave it to you, it was a New Year's gift from my sister to Nao Nao. I wear it for a while every now and then, look how pretty it is."

Shangguan Yin said she couldn't bear to watch.

But she wouldn't be surprised if it was given to her by Xi Congshuang.

A short while later, Xiao Liu came over from the other side of the road, put down the fruit plate in his hand, and said to Cheng Zhishu, "Xiaoshu, Miss is back. She wants you to go to the small living room."

The small living room is a place specifically for entertaining guests, but Wenhai rarely has guests and the small living room is used very few times.

How did it end up there?

Cheng Zhishu didn't understand why, but she still went.

She walked happily down the corridor, pushed open the half-closed door, and said with a bright smile, "Why are you off work so early today, sister? I found a new movie, want to watch it together..."

A blonde woman sat on the sofa facing the door, looking up at her.

It took her a while to remember that she was the blonde woman she had met at Chairman Xi's birthday party.

Feeling uneasy under her gaze, Cheng Zhishu inexplicably wanted to turn around and leave: "I went to the wrong place..."

It was Xi Congshuang's voice that stopped her: "Zhishu, there's something Miss Feng wants to tell you."

Cheng Zhishu then came in and walked to her side: "What is it?"

Then she saw the photo on the table, a woman with an oriental face and a gentle temperament looking at her across time and space.

"..."

Half an hour later, still worried, Xiao Liu walked to the vicinity of the small living room.

She didn't know why the young lady had brought that tall foreign woman over, but since it concerned Xiao Shu, she felt uneasy.

Just as Xiao Liu was wondering whether to find an excuse to send something in, he noticed that the door to the small living room was actually ajar and not closed.

Cheng Zhishu's agitated voice came from through the crack in the door: "I don't want to hear anything you're saying!"

"They haven't come looking for me all these years, and I've accepted the fact that I'm an orphan with no parents. Now they suddenly want me to go back. Have they even respected my opinion?"

"I'm not leaving! I don't want to go anywhere!"

Flora tried to explain, "But the head of the family is seriously ill, and she really wanted to come here in person to apologize to you."

Overwhelmed by panic, Cheng Zhishu, like Nao Nao in danger, raised all her sharp spikes to express her resistance: "I don't accept it."

Flora tried to calm her down, glancing at Xi Congshuang for help from time to time, but Xi Congshuang was staring at the photo in a daze and ignored her.

So of course, it didn't work. Cheng Zhishu resisted relentlessly and ordered Flora not to come within five steps of him.

Flora had no other choice but to stand a few steps away with her hands raised.

Cheng Zhishu: "I don't want to hear your moral blackmail. Yes, she is seriously ill and it is very painful and pitiful, but what about me? Have I had an easy life for the first ten years of my life?"

Do you know how I feel? Do you know how hard I tried to reconcile with the past?

Flora didn't know that there was no such thing as true empathy.

The tall, strong-willed woman looked helpless. According to the investigation, Cheng Zhishu, who was adopted after being switched at birth, was not doing well. She wanted to comfort her, but didn't know how to start.

Cheng Zhishu sneered: "Of course you don't know that an elite like you must have grown up in a privileged environment, enjoying a quality education, and not having to worry about whether the balcony will leak on rainy days, and having to do your homework until midnight while splashing the water away."

"Do you know how heavy and stuffy a mascot costume is in the summer? Do you know what it feels like to have a kite string cut you until it bleeds and then be blamed by the child's parents for scaring the child?"

"Miss Elite, I really find it hard to pity others."

She would never speak so harshly. Even when she encountered the girl who stole her pendant, whose family was facing a financial crisis and who had lost her study abroad opportunity and all her cameras, she was powerless and verbally abused her.

Cheng Zhishu didn't say anything sarcastic, she just watched quietly, didn't react, and walked away calmly.

The girl stood there, clutching her head in anguish, filled with deep regret. However, not everything in this world can be undone.

Flora: "I am willing to apologize to you on behalf of the head of the family. Whatever you want, I will make it up to you as long as it is within my power."

Cheng Zhishu wiped away her tears and turned away, saying, "I don't accept it. Please leave."

“I don’t need compensation. Compensation comes too late. I don’t need it anymore.”

"..."

“But…” Flora hadn’t expected the biggest obstacle to be Cheng Zhishu, and she hesitated for a moment. “But the head of the family…”

Xi Congshuang finally spoke, interrupting Flora's words that were adding fuel to the fire: "I will have Xiao Liu arrange accommodation for you. Please leave first, Miss Feng."

Since things have come to this, this is the only way.

Flora left, and was taken away by Xiao Liu, who looked strange outside the door.

At this moment, she was too preoccupied to notice the rudeness of the Xi family servants towards her, and looked dejected. She dared not answer the message from the head of the family.

She didn't dare answer, knowing she might not be able to take the young lady away successfully.

Cheng Zhishu lay sobbing uncontrollably on Xi Congshuang's lap. Her face was lifted by cool, long fingers, and a familiar handkerchief was placed against her cheek, gently wiping away the endless tears.

"You always cry a lot, your eyes are red, like a little rabbit."

After being told off by Xi Congshuang, Cheng Zhishu, who was still trying to appear mature, lowered her face and refused to be seen.

Xi Congshuang waited quietly.

Gradually, Cheng Zhishu stopped crying. Her eyelashes were wet with tears, making her look pitiful.

She asked in a choked voice, "Why are you letting her live here? Can't you just kick her out?"

It seems she really considers this place her home, for she would say something like that.

Xi Congshuang met her gaze in silence, her smoky gray eyes reflecting her sorrow.

Cheng Zhishu, her hands trembling with sobs, grabbed Xi Congshuang's hand, almost pleading, "Please don't let me go."

Xi Congshuang remained silent, which was unsettling.

“You…” Cheng Zhishu suddenly stopped speaking, afraid of hearing an answer she didn’t want to hear.

But things won't fall into her lap like a pie unless she fights for them, and she never believes in free lunches.

She said again, "Please don't let me go. I don't want to leave you."

Xi Congshuang almost agreed to her request.

The red apple appeared again, urging Xi Congshuang in her ear: "I sense the Honkai value is loosening, you should agree to her!"

"As long as I agree to her request and fulfill her wish, the mission will be complete!"

Just like before, I agreed to her request with a utilitarian sincerity, talked to her, became intimate, and shared emotions.

"..."

Xi Congshuang slowly withdrew her hand, while Cheng Zhishu looked confused and tried in vain to grab the hand that was determined to pull away.

Red Apple kept urging, "Just nod, and I'll take you away when it's done."

Xi Congshuang asked, "What would happen if I left?"

In her panic, Cheng Zhishu couldn't hear what she said. Thinking that Xi Congshuang was leaving, she replied, "I don't want to leave. Don't you want me to stay?"

Red Apple replied, "Since you are the one wearing the body, you will naturally go back. The world consciousness will generate a new body to continue living in your place. Don't worry, the world consciousness will continue the logical chain, and the female lead will not forget you, her benefactor."

Xi Congshuang stepped back again: "What if I say no?"

"..."

"Honkai value +10, current Honkai value 21."

Red Apple exploded, its wings flapping loudly: "What are you doing! Xi Congshuang, you're ruining everything, you're going to destroy it all!"

"Are you out of your mind? Things were almost done, why are you messing it up at this crucial moment?"

In reality, the heartless words reached Cheng Zhishu's ears, and she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Why? Why are you rejecting me too?" Cheng Zhishu couldn't help but ask.

“This is not a rejection, this is the right thing to do.” Xi Congshuang felt calmer than ever before, and all the words just came out of her mouth.

"You're too young, you don't understand."

"If you continue to stay here, have you forgotten the ideals you've had since childhood? Are you just giving up on the distant horizon, willingly staying here, wasting your time on me, and betraying your former self?"

Cheng Zhishu interrupted her: "This is not a waste."

"What else is this but a waste?" Xi Congshuang asked again. "I'm a useless person, what's the point of keeping me by your side?"

She pointed to her legs without any hesitation, her almost cold attitude serving as a reminder to Cheng Zhishu.

"Are you planning to stay here and watch me suffer the pain of being unable to move and being turned over by the caregiver?"

Cheng Zhishu opened her teary eyes wide.

"Honkai value +5, current Honkai value 26."

Red Apple screamed, "Aaaaaaah! Xi Congshuang, what's wrong with you again! Stop provoking her!"

"How can you say that about yourself?" Cheng Zhishu said urgently, "But do you even know me..."

In the abrupt silence, Xi Congshuang asked, "What?"

"..."

Cheng Zhishu was speechless and unable to speak.

She knew very well that whether she said it or not, it would be difficult to change Xi Congshuang's decision.

Many arguments don't necessarily have a resolution. Life isn't a debate; more often than not, it ends in unpleasantness and misunderstandings.

"Think it over carefully, don't do anything foolish."

Xi Congshuang maneuvered her wheelchair away, without closing the door to the small living room, nor showing any sympathy for the suppressed sobs.

"Honkai value +10, current Honkai value 36."

————————

First love, oh first love, the exciting and intoxicating first love.