Chapter 12 "We can say it's been a long time since we've seen each other..."
Qiao Shu was indeed very happy in Australia.
She chose to live in Australia because of her mother. She found photos of her mother living here, and the woman in the photos had a smile warmer than the sunshine. After coming here, she followed in her mother's footsteps, living in the same place at a different time, which can be considered a kind of reunion.
Life begins to be simplified.
Qiao Shu no longer needs to meticulously maintain relationships with the wives and heiresses in the industry, nor does she need to inquire about others' preferences and cater to them just to achieve cooperation. Here, there are no Qiao family members. She focuses on her current life, enrolls in financial courses to learn about financing and investment, and also uses her professional advantages to participate in Sino-foreign cultural exchange activities to get to know more professionals in the field.
She has a Bichon Frise named Xiao Xi. When it's still, it looks like a rag doll. It has fluffy, soft white fur, round, black eyes, and a wet, puppy-like nose. It's gentle and affectionate. When it's happy, it will grin and smile. When it's confused, it will tilt its head and stare at her, looking silly.
Aunt Chu has always believed that the child is not very intelligent compared to other dogs.
She didn't like cats and dogs, but when Qiao Shu brought the three-month-old little guy home, she still took good care of him. She would brush his fur to prevent it from getting tangled, and wash his face and wipe his paws. Xiao Xi stared at her blankly. Aunt Chu did things meticulously with a stern face. Later, she bought Xiao Xi all kinds of little clothes.
Aunt Chu adapted to life abroad very quickly. Although she couldn't speak the language, she carried a translator with her every day and could easily buy daily necessities and fruits and vegetables.
The house they lived in was bought by Qiao Shu the year before. At the time, it was just for investment and occasional vacation stays. Behind the house was a neat little yard with a lemon tree planted in the corner, full of bright yellow fruits. Aunt Chu often picked them, sliced them, and soaked them in water. A small round table was set up next to the lemon tree, where Qiao Shu often ate and drank coffee.
"Xiao Xi, come here." Qiao Shu sat under the parasol, put down her book, and waved to Xiao Xi, who was tilting her head and observing her.
Xiao Xi grinned, excitedly sticking out her little tongue, and hopped over to her side with her short legs.
"Good dog." Qiao Shu lowered her hand, hugged it into her arms. Its carefully groomed fur was soft and shiny. She rubbed its head lovingly, then buried her face in its little head and took a deep, addictive breath.
Xiao Xi is a close friend, and she lets him hug and cuddle her.
The brief, heartwarming moment between parents and children was interrupted by the arrival of Luke, who was only twenty years old. He was physically strong, with deep and defined features, a head of fluffy blond hair, and a handsome and charming smile. He was holding a surfboard.
"Joyce, let's go surfing. There are clean little swells for the next three hours, perfect for beginners." He then squatted down to greet Xiao Xi, the thief who tried to steal the puppy yesterday, and also Qiao Shu's neighbor, sunny and wealthy.
Joyce is Qiao Shu's English name, derived from Latin, and means happy and pleasant.
Xiao Xi responded enthusiastically with two barks.
Luke happily said that Xiaoxi likes him.
Qiao Shu said sorry and declined, saying she wanted to stay quiet today. After Luke asked about her health, he said okay, and she could contact him again when she was interested. Then he left with his surfboard.
Aunt Chu saw this and came out, placing a freshly brewed pot of lemon tea on the table: "He likes you. You're single now, why don't you go out and date?"
Qiao Shu picked up her coffee cup, paused upon hearing this, smiled slightly, but didn't know how to respond.
Perhaps because she was alone all the time, she had no desire to be in a relationship. She had tried dating boys before. They were young and enthusiastic, good at sweet talk and expressing their love, but after having dinner together a few times, she found it boring and didn't feel any attraction.
Like Luke, young and handsome, Qiao Shu's attitude is like facing a vast blue sea and a boundless grassland; he only appreciates beautiful things and has no desire to possess them.
At 10 p.m., Xiao Xi went back to its bear doghouse to sleep, a soft and delicious cotton candy. Aunt Chu, who was used to going to bed early, had also gone back to her room. Qiao Shu sat down at the dining table, turned on her computer to work, and received an email from China.
She opened the email, saw the word "debt" and treated it as spam. About ten minutes later, her lawyer, Fang, in China, sent her a message.
Attorney Fang: [Ms. Qiao, did you see the email I sent you? Attorney Yu just mentioned that you have a joint debt incurred during your marriage.]
Qiao Shu reread the email she considered spam, resting her chin on her hand. As she read further down, her beautiful eyes narrowed. When she saw the amount, an incredulous sneer escaped her nose.
She carefully counted the zeros, five zeros, exactly one hundred thousand.
Qiao Shu asked, "Is he unable to afford to live?"
So you went bankrupt after the divorce? You even had to ask your ex-wife to share the burden of 100,000 yuan? Their financial division at the time was very simple, with almost no haggling. The division did not include debts, such as the loans for various properties they purchased after marriage, which Qiao Shu didn't pay any attention to.
Legally, even if a divorce agreement states that each party will bear their own debts, it is invalid for the creditors.
Qiao Shu had no questions about the money; she was just very unhappy. Yu Zeheng had been quite generous when they got married, but she hadn't expected him to be so stingy after the divorce.
She thinks it's incredibly tasteless to keep up with her after the divorce.
Qiao Shu gave him the money and had her lawyer pass on a message to him, asking how his car fleet was doing. If there were any problems, she, as his ex-wife, would definitely provide some assistance.
Attorney Fang relayed the message truthfully.
Half an hour later, the opposing lawyer relayed Yu Zeheng's response as a screenshot. Yu Zeheng took a screenshot of that sentence and marked it with the words "as ex-wife".
Silence speaks louder than words, and is highly ironic.
Attorney Fang: "..."
She didn't intend to forward the screenshot, but Qiao Shu knew Yu Zeheng's personality and that he would definitely retort. So she asked him first, and only then did Attorney Fang click forward.
"As ex-wife" is marked in bright red.
Qiao Shu gritted his teeth in displeasure. He mocked her, saying that since she knew her own identity, she shouldn't overstep her bounds. He said that his business situation had nothing to do with her. She slammed her laptop shut, then shuffled upstairs in her slippers.
She thought that would be their last confrontation, but to her surprise, another email arrived in her inbox the following month. This time, the amount was 30,000. She choked on her coffee when she saw the amount, pulled out a tissue to wipe the table, gave a cold sneer, and then transferred the money.
Is Yu Zeheng really going bankrupt?
Half a month later, Qiao Shu received another debt of five thousand yuan. After several such incidents, she gritted her teeth and finally realized that Yu Zeheng was doing it on purpose. This petty and narrow-minded man.
What's wrong with him? During the divorce, he made some harsh remarks, saying he never wanted to see her or hear anything about her again.
After the divorce, he frequently sought to settle debts with his ex-wife?
Qiao Shu pursed her lips, her expression haughty and aloof. After a moment's thought, she transferred one million to Attorney Fang, instructing her to transfer it all to Yu Zeheng's account. She switched the hand holding the phone and said, "Just say it's for the expenses of that night."
Out of professional habit, Attorney Fang instinctively wanted to ask for details: "What were the charges for that night?"
“He knows.”
After hanging up the phone, Attorney Fang, following his employer's instructions, paid the other party one million yuan, explaining to the opposing lawyer: "Ms. Qiao said to consider this as payment for that night."
What are the fees?
The question, which left the two lawyers completely baffled, was eventually sent to Yu Zeheng himself.
Yu Zeheng stared at the line of text on the screen. After a few seconds, a cold smile appeared on his lips. She actually dared to mention that night and even offered him a million to humiliate him.
Even though he couldn't see her or hear the tone of her voice, he could still picture her expression at the time—she must have been holding her chin up, her eyes upturned, looking arrogant and haughty.
He put away his phone. On the track, the five red lights went out one after another. The sound of engines and the cheers of the audience swept over like a heat wave. The race cars sped past. He crossed his arms and stared at the data panel. In his headphones, he heard the team and the driver communicating. The voices floated past his ears. He suddenly thought of the accident that led to his retirement.
He was young and impetuous at the time, and he misjudged the road conditions and did not listen to the team's advice. It was raining heavily that day, and he had not yet gone to the repair shop to change his tires. He made a blind decision, and in a flash, he was thrown off the track and crashed heavily into the guardrail.
In his hazy state of consciousness, he breathed heavily inside the helmet, the excruciating pain causing his muscles to twitch, and three words floated into his mind—unwillingness.
He was unwilling to accept it.
He was unwilling to accept that things had slipped out of his control and ended in this way.
Early morning in Australia.
Every day at seven o'clock sharp, Xiao Xi jumps onto Qiao Shu's bed to provide a wake-up service. It runs back and forth excitedly, barks twice next to Qiao Shu, and when Qiao Shu opens one eye, it smiles obediently. Qiao Shu hugs it into the quilt, affectionately rubs its head, and then lifts the quilt to get out of bed.
She changed into a tank top and hot pants, yawning as she took Xiaoxi for a walk near her home. Xiaoxi would sometimes stop to smell the tips of the grass by the roadside, stick out her tongue after tasting them and finding they didn't taste good, and sometimes turn around to rub against her calves.
Qiao Shu casually took out her phone and received a message from her lawyer from the night before last, as well as a transfer notification for 990,000 yuan.
Attorney Fang: [Mr. Yu said he accepted the payment for that night's performance.]
Attorney Fang: [The following are President Yu's original words.] This has nothing to do with her personally.
Attorney Fang: [The amount is ten thousand less because the acting was really terrible.]
Qiao Shu turned off her phone expressionlessly. She squatted down and gave Xiao Xi some snacks from the snack bag. Xiao Xi was greedy and after finishing a freeze-dried snack, she licked Qiao Shu's fingertips with lingering satisfaction.
She stroked its head: "Grow up well, little one. When you grow up, will you help Mommy bite bad people?"
Xiao Xi smiled at her and barked enthusiastically twice.
"Good boy." Qiao Shu rewarded it with a freeze-dried fruit.
Dogs are better than people.
At the end of the year, Qiao Shu was scrolling through her phone when Yu Mingwu posted the news that Yu Zeheng's team had won the championship in Qatar. Rookie driver Ke Ming was hailed as a god, and Yu Zeheng, who had once defied public opinion to select this promising young driver, also received media attention. From driver to team owner, his performance was evident to all.
The best-angled photos Yu Mingwu chose include one close-up where he stares directly at the camera, his brows high and his eyes slightly narrowed by the blazing sun, his sharp gaze reminiscent of a hawk.
This post received a huge amount of traffic, with over 100,000 people liking it.
The comments were all praise, praising his good looks and saying that his gloomy and affectionate eyes made him a lovesick fool. Qiao Shu scoffed and closed the interface. Was she the only one who could act?
Their appearance is the most deceptive.
Qiao Shu has lived in Australia for two years and has developed a relaxed and carefree vibe, as if she's been thoroughly soaked in the sun. She's completely used to the pace of life here, where she can spend an afternoon sunbathing on the grass and playing frisbee with Xiao Xi, or have a BBQ and chat with friends in the yard in the evening.
Life should have continued smoothly like this.
It wasn't until she heard from a friend in China that the old man had fallen seriously ill and been hospitalized.
My friend claims that the information is absolutely reliable. Now her older brother is keeping the news from the public, partly because he's worried that the news will affect the stock price, and partly because he probably has his own agenda.
Qiao Shu was also among those who blocked the news.
Memories resurfaced in her mind, and Qiao Shu didn't sleep all night. Logically and emotionally, she should return to China. Putting everything else aside, he had raised her, and she should fulfill her filial duty by his bedside. Besides, no one could predict the outcome. If she didn't go back, her two brothers might forget she existed.
Qiao Shu took the earliest flight back to China and went straight to the hospital after landing.
When she appeared on the heavily guarded floor, looking travel-worn, Qiao Kaiyu was taken aback and asked in surprise, "Xiao Shu, why did you suddenly come back?"
He had kept the news a secret, and apart from himself and his father, even his younger brother Qiao Yizhou was unaware of it.
Qiao Shu was still pushing her suitcase. Because she hadn't rested well, she looked sad and haggard, and her voice was very soft: "Big brother didn't inform me about this. Does that mean he's already tacitly acknowledging that I'm not a member of the Qiao family?"
They hadn't seen each other for two years, but they weren't unaware of her whereabouts. Qiao Shu had gone missing after her divorce, and for a short time, no one knew her whereabouts. A month later, she reconnected with her friends in China, and they then learned that she was in Australia.
The old man was furious about her divorce and declared that no one was allowed to contact her, as if the Qiao family no longer had her. The old man made his statement, and no one dared to disobey him or anger him.
Qiao Kaiyu waved his hand, signaling the security guard to let them through: "How could that be? Although the old man is angry and refuses to acknowledge you, I have always considered you my sister."
In his heart, he never believed that Qiao Shu was qualified to compete with him for anything. When she returned with the news, he wasn't worried.
"Really?" Qiao Shu stepped forward and gave him a hug, leaning on his shoulder, her voice choked with emotion: "I thought it was because I was young and ignorant back then, and I got divorced on impulse. As a result, my older brother refused to inform me about such a big event as Grandpa being admitted to the hospital. He couldn't forgive my willfulness back then."
Qiao Kaiyu patted her shoulder: "It's good that you're back. But we have to keep the news a secret for now. I don't want the rest of the family to worry."
Qiao Shu nodded and released him, her eyes slightly red: "Can I go see Grandpa?"
"Of course, but Grandpa's condition is not optimistic right now. He's in the intensive care unit, and we can only see him from the outside."
Qiao Shu nodded: "Okay."
Through the glass window, Qiao Shu saw Qiao Zhenkai lying on the hospital bed with a breathing tube inserted. He suddenly deflated and slumped down. If it weren't for the data on the instruments, he would have remained motionless, as if he had already passed away.
Qiao Shu pressed her hand against the glass and stared for a long time.
“Grandpa has been unconscious for a day and a night.” Qiao Kaiyu stood beside her and explained in a low voice. He was at the company at the time. When his assistant went in after lunch break, the old man was lying on the ground. Fortunately, he was found in time and after an eight-hour operation, his life was saved.
The old man is old and has some problems with various organs. His kidneys and lungs have varying degrees of disease, but the most serious problem is his brain. This fainting spell was caused by a brain hemorrhage.
Whether he will wake up or not, no one knows for sure.
As he left the hospital, Qiao Kaiyu said, "Now that you're back, spend some quality time with the old man. Who knows if you'll ever have the chance again?"
"good."
Qiao Shu checked into the hotel, took a shower, and stood with her arms crossed in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. Hearing the news was one thing, but seeing it with her own eyes was another. She was overwhelmed with emotions and never imagined that her next meeting would be like this.
For the first eighteen years of her life, she tried every means to gain the old man's approval, until a will shattered her illusions. In the last two years, she has come to realize that no one's approval matters except for her own.
Qiao Shu didn't want anything to happen to him because of her granddaughter's feelings for her grandfather.
At the same time, she also had to prepare for the worst. If the old man passed away, his will would take effect immediately, and by then it would be too late to regain her reputation.
The old man has been in a coma for a week and there is still no sign of him waking up.
Qiao Shu flew back to Australia midway through her trip to deal with the shutdown there, and also suspended her work in Australia. She plans to fly back to China once everything is settled, and this time she intends to stay for a longer period of time.
Aunt Chu stayed in Australia to take care of Xiao Xi.
After returning to China, Qiao Shu lived a life revolving around the hospital, hotel, and auction house. She rehired Uncle Qin, who had already retired. Upon receiving Qiao Shu's message, he agreed without hesitation. Song Yue, having gained experience, became increasingly outstanding and began to wear professional suits. When the two reunited, they seemed like friends who hadn't seen each other for a long time.
The car stopped downstairs at the hospital. Qiao Shu got out of the car, and Song Yue said to her that the German doctor would arrive tonight, and the hospital would hold a seminar on the old man's condition shortly afterward.
Qiao Shu nodded. If the old man continued to be unconscious like this, his condition would only get worse.
Autumn has arrived, and a cool breeze is blowing everywhere. Qiao Shu is wearing a shirt, white trousers, and a long blue coat. She is tall and slender, and with her high heels, she walks with a breezy air, exuding an impeccable, lazy, and casual temperament.
In the distance, a black Aston Martin drove up and stopped.
The car door opened, and a pair of shiny black leather shoes stepped onto the ground. The next second, Qiao Shu saw a familiar yet unfamiliar face. It was familiar because the three-dimensional and upright features had not changed, and below the high nose bridge were tightly pursed thin lips. It was unfamiliar because of the temperament. Under the black, tousled hair, a pair of eyes were melancholy and deep, and the expressionless face was indescribably gloomy.
Yu Zeheng got out of the car, his gaze cold and clear, falling on her face, yet seemingly passing through her and landing behind her.
Qiao Shu never expected to meet him here.
She always believed in leaving room for maneuver so that they could meet again in the future, and that it was better not to tear things apart and make things ugly for both parties.
Their eyes met, and Qiao Shu gave a superficial smile: "Long time no see."
Yu Zeheng strode over, and the air seemed to freeze. He walked quickly to her without saying a word. Qiao Shu's breath caught in her throat. She smelled the woody scent on him, with a fresh, slightly bitter bergamot base.
Her smile was glued to her face, and as he drew closer, her eyelashes curled and thickened.
Until he walked straight past her, and just when she thought he was going to ignore her, his deep, cold voice slowly rang in Qiao Shu's ear: "Miss Qiao, can we say we haven't seen each other in a long time?"
-----------------------
Author's Note: Many years later, a legend circulated in the circle: someone endured for two years just to show off. V Nest 50, listen to his story of turning to the dark side (not really).
Just kidding, but the tonic is punishing me! [Clown]
——
50 red envelopes, kiss kiss!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
