Chapter 57 You Look a Lot Like My Wife
Qiao Shu is still in a daze.
I was stunned when I received the call. I even subconsciously wanted to refute it. It's impossible. It shouldn't be like this. The words were on the tip of my tongue but I couldn't say them. My mind was blank. Until I saw the person, it was like a sledgehammer had hit me. From then on, I was just dust to dust.
Emotions are complex.
Love and hate always coexist, while death is like a pause.
Qiao Shu hadn't cried like this in a long time, because she knew too early that tears were useless, only making her look incompetent and cowardly, and otherwise meaningless.
She had almost forgotten that the expression of emotions didn't need to have any meaning.
Yu Zeheng stayed by her side the whole time. Her sadness was silent; tears were flowing, and her eyes were vacant. He knew she was probably reminiscing about the past. He didn't disturb her; any comfort he could offer would be futile.
After crying, Qiao Shu took a hot bath, washing herself from head to toe, and then went to sleep wrapped in a blanket.
Yu Zeheng hugged her, her face resting on his chest, her scalding tears soaking through the fabric, the heat seeming to burn into her heart.
Late at night, Qiao Shu said in a hoarse voice that she had figured it out: whether the answer was given or not, it was meaningless to them.
They are not people who can be changed.
Regret is a normal part of life, and she will accept it.
News of Qiao Zhenkai's death spread quickly. The company's official website account was changed to black and white, the obituary was sent out, and the funeral arrangements were handled by his uncle and Qiao Mingjie.
At the same time as the news of his death broke, rumors also circulated that his granddaughter had driven her grandfather to suicide. Various posts flew around, causing heated discussions. However, the rumors didn't last long before they were all taken down and deleted, and the news was wiped clean. Following this, Qiao Kaiyu, who was implicated, was sued by the company's shareholders for abusing his position to embezzle company funds for profit-making activities. The amount involved was so large that it was enough for him to spend several years in prison.
Qiao Shu was completely unaware of the online uproar.
She was so busy with so many decisions at the company that she didn't pay attention to things outside of work.
The funeral was held on the third day.
Qiao Shu appeared as a family member, greeting guests who came to offer their condolences at the door and listening to their words of comfort. Her manners and interactions were impeccable.
The eldest aunt came out and stood beside Qiao Shu, her face haggard, and asked Qiao Shu how far he had to go before he would stop.
Qiao Shu said expressionlessly, "I don't understand what you mean."
Aunt turned her head away, her tone restrained: "We've come this far, how long are you going to keep pretending? We're family after all, and Kaiyu is your cousin. Are you really that heartless to send him to prison? He's been pampered since he was a child. If you really send him to prison, aren't you going to kill him?"
Qiao Shu frowned, not understanding what she was talking about. She turned to look at her, and at that moment someone came over. She expressed her gratitude and nodded when the other person said "please accept my condolences."
After everyone left, the aunt continued, "He did make a mistake, but family matters can be discussed behind closed doors. Why take it to court? He has already paid back the embezzled funds. Why are you still holding onto this matter?"
Qiao Shu understood.
Qiao Kaiyu is being sued for embezzling company funds and is about to face imprisonment; he didn't even show up today.
She looked straight ahead, her tone still cold: "Since it's a lawsuit, it's not clear who the plaintiff is. I'm not the one suing him, so telling me won't help."
"Who else could it be but you?" Auntie sobbed. "You know that the old man left the company to him in his will, so you want to use this method to squeeze him out and secure your position so that no one will compete with you."
Qiao Shu glanced at her.
The bloodshot eyes of my aunt indicated that the matter was indeed very serious.
"He did it himself, and he should have known the outcome before he did it. Now that he got what he wanted, who can he blame?"
Qiao Shu pursed her lips, called out to Ye Yuzhen and asked her to take her place. Ignoring her aunt's piercing and resentful gaze, she went inside.
"Did you do it?" She walked up to Yu Zeheng, who was helping out in the lobby, and asked in a voice only the two of them could hear, "About Qiao Kaiyu embezzling funds."
Yu Zeheng turned to look at her and gave a soft "hmm": "How did you guess?"
"That's very much like your style." Although Qiao Kaiyu has offended quite a few people, most of them are after money and wouldn't be so clean and decisive as to directly file a lawsuit.
Yu Zeheng stopped and asked her, "Do you think it's meddling?"
"He deserved it."
Before the two could say much, the guests had almost all arrived, and the ceremony was about to begin.
Qiao Kaiyu rushed over before the ceremony began.
The eldest aunt's family cried their hearts out. Qiao Shu and Yu Zeheng were on the other side. Her expression was almost numb. In the eyes of others, she could be described as indifferent. She remained expressionless throughout the entire process and watched the old man's urn being buried.
Rest in peace.
Qiao Shu silently recited it in his heart.
As the guests left one after another, only the Qiao family remained. Qiao Kaiyu was the first to make trouble, calling out to Qiao Shu: "Our Qiao family has really produced a remarkable person. He angered his own grandfather to death and is now sending his eldest brother to jail."
"Qiao Shu, let's have a serious talk in front of the old man today. What do you want from him to stop?" The uncle stood in front of Qiao Shu, making her look at the old man's tombstone.
Auntie asked, "Do you want our whole family to kneel down and beg you before you'll stop?"
Qiao Mingjie wanted to say something, but Ye Yuzhen stopped him. Ye Yuzhen pursed her lips and said, "If you have anything to say, you can go back and talk behind closed doors. Don't let Dad leave in peace."
Qiao Kaiyu rudely interrupted her: "I'm going to say it right here. I want to see if she has any conscience at all. How can someone be so cruel?"
"I have no conscience? What about you?" Qiao Shu looked at him coldly, her tone icy.
She didn't believe in the idea that the dead are restless. When a person dies, they're dead. There's nothing left. She had no more attachment to the Qiao family, and she had no scruples or compassion for anyone else.
Qiao Shu didn't bother with any more words and started to walk away.
Qiao Kaiyu stood in front, but before his fingers could even touch Qiao Shu, Yu Zeheng pushed him aside. He stood in front, his thin face and expression even colder.
“I’m the one who got you sued. You’ve been in office for so many years, and this isn’t the first or second time. The amount of money involved is enough to put you in jail for seven or eight years. If you want to ask me about my conscience, I can tell you the location of our Yu family’s ancestral graves. You can ask me what my intentions were in front of my grandfather.”
Qiao Kaiyu was stunned for a second, then became furious: "Qiao Shu is vicious, and you, Yu Zeheng, are no better."
Yu Zeheng nodded: "That's right."
After talking for so long, he finally said something he wanted to hear.
Qiao Shu, standing behind him, was also speechless. He had been scolded and didn't understand what was so proud about his tone.
Qiao Kaiyu launched into a tirade, accusing Qiao Shu of being ungrateful and heartless, and calling Yu Zeheng a fool who had been manipulated by a woman. The two people being insulted remained expressionless, while he was so angry that the veins on his temples kept throbbing.
Auntie Qiao was immediately drawn into the scene, tears welling up in her eyes. She recounted her childhood to Qiao Shu, saying how pitiful she was for losing her mother at a young age and how she took care of her. She emphasized that their years of kinship were genuine and that it shouldn't come to the point of a complete breakdown.
Qiao Yizhou touched his nose: "Yes, Xiao Shu, we're all family, there's really no need to make a scene like this. Consider our many years of sibling relationship."
The noise broke the gloomy and desolate atmosphere of the cemetery.
Qiao Shu had been listening quietly, but when she heard them constantly talking about being family and the pricelessness of kinship, she couldn't bear it any longer and said, "I don't run this court. I advise you to use your energy to find a better lawyer."
“I will also help submit the documents required by the court. I will also sue for the money my older brother borrowed from me. You should prepare to receive the court summons. I don’t want to be the one to collect debts after others. If you have no assets to execute against then, that would be my biggest loss.”
A few words made the four members of the uncle's family turn ashen with anger.
With Yu Zeheng and Qiao Mingjie present, Qiao Kaiyu didn't dare to act rashly. His clenched fists bulged with veins: "You wait and see how long you can be so cocky."
If you don't see eye to eye, even half a sentence is too much.
The two got out of the car one after the other, neither of them showing any goodwill. The aunt wanted to say something, but Qiao Kaiyu called her away.
After the funeral, the lawyer will read out the will, and family members must be present.
Everyone returned directly to the Qiao family's old residence, with the two families sitting on opposite sides, clearly separated, and the lawyer standing in the middle.
Qiao Kaiyu sat on the armrest of the sofa, holding a glass of wine and drinking: "We already know the contents of the will, so we can just go through the process. We've also told some people that all she can get is the trust's annual dividend of two million."
Everyone already knew the contents of the will; the inherited property would be his only chance to turn his life around.
Qiao Shu had no interest in the will; he was just going through the motions here.
The lawyer stepped forward to announce the will: "Since everyone is present, let's begin directly. This will was made a month ago, at 3:27 pm on the 17th, when Mr. Qiao Zhenkai was fully conscious and had full civil capacity. The entire process was recorded on audio and video to verify its authenticity."
Before he could finish speaking, Qiao Kaiyu interrupted him: "Wait, is this a new will?"
"Yes, Mr. Qiao, Qiao Zhenkai made changes to the original will."
"What's going on?" the uncle demanded.
The lawyer explained that he was only working for Qiao Zhenkai and could not fathom the client's psychology. He guaranteed that the entire process was legal and compliant, therefore the will was legally valid.
Qiao Kaiyu raised his hand: "Alright, just read it."
The lawyer nodded and read out the will. The changes were not many. The property was basically given to the eldest uncle's family. Qiao Mingjie received ten million in dividends from the family trust every year. In addition, the management of Zhongcheng, including Shengyu, was handed over to Qiao Shu.
Money and power are separated, and they do not interfere with each other.
Before the will was even finished being read, Qiao Kaiyu couldn't sit still any longer. He quickly took the document aside and read it over and over again, utterly unable to believe that this was the final outcome.
"What tricks did you play this time to get the old man to change his will? Threats or something? Did you drive the old man to his death because of this will?"
The outcome of the will was beyond Qiao Shu's expectations; she never imagined that the old man would ultimately change his will.
Qiao Shu retorted, "Your delusions are so severe, I suggest you see a doctor."
"I don't believe it, I want to see the video."
The lawyer was prepared and played a video recording of the will being amended.
The video was recorded in the study of the old house, and it is confirmed that the old man recorded it while he was of sound mind. There is no doubt about the authenticity and legal effect of the will.
"If there are no problems, please sign here."
“I do not recognize this will. The old man hated her so much that he would never change such a will under normal circumstances. If it wasn’t through coercion, bribery, or other means, why would the old man suddenly change his will?”
"They probably realize how useless you are, and that handing the company over to you would only lead to disaster."
Qiao Shu signed first, followed by Qiao Mingjie. Qiao Kaiyu, preoccupied with finding evidence, refused to sign. Qiao Shu, not having time to play along, signed and left.
After a long day, Qiao Shu ate a little something and went to bed early.
Yu Zeheng still had work to do. When he returned, Qiao Shu was already asleep in bed. The room light was on. She wasn't wearing an eye mask. She was lying on her side, curled up, as a way of protecting herself.
He sat on the edge of the bed and looked at her.
I've lost a lot of weight.
Qiao Shu doesn't eat much normally, and she hasn't touched anything much these past few days. Her jaw is thin, and you can see tiny blood vessels in her tightly closed, thin white eyelids. Her eyelashes are curled, and she's not sleeping soundly.
Her long eyelashes fluttered, and she opened her eyes to see Yu Zeheng's face: "You're back?"
Yu Zeheng knew she was a light sleeper and easily woke up, so he brushed the hair off her cheek when he saw she was awake and said, "Hmm, I woke you up."
Qiao Shu shook her head and slowly sat up, supporting herself on her arms.
"Were you dreaming?"
She shook her head again, thinking she would dream of the old man, but strangely, she never did.
When Qiao Shu lay down to sleep that night, she nestled in Yu Zeheng's arms. Yu Zeheng lowered his head and rubbed his chin against her hair, asking if she wanted to talk to him.
"What should we talk about?"
"Anything is fine."
Qiao Shu wasn't someone who particularly wanted to confide in others, nor did she have any close friends. She disliked boredom and sentimentality. She closed her eyes and suddenly felt a strong urge to tell him about her childhood.
She began by saying, "Actually, there's nothing particularly special to say. Compared to yours, it's probably quite boring."
Qiao Shu has been very goal-oriented since she was a child. She has a clear plan for her time and doesn't go out shopping or watch movies with her friends like her peers. Her grandfather hired all sorts of teachers for her, but he personally taught her to write. She could actually learn to write very well, but her handwriting was terrible. The paper was covered with dripping ink, which would then get on her hands and face.
The old man's brows furrowed when he saw her writing, and his furrows deepened when he saw her face. He told her to put down her pen and took her to wash it. As she was washing it, he smiled and said that he wasn't cut out to be a teacher.
There were still heartwarming moments like this in our later interactions, but time passed too quickly, and eventually, all that remained were the interests and calculations of the adult world.
Qiao Shu spoke intermittently, and some things she said made her feel relieved.
Such is fate; the bonds between friends, family, and lovers can vary in depth.
Qiao Shu was already sleepy. She hugged Yu Zeheng's neck, pressed her face against his, and said sincerely, "Thank you."
I've been staying with her during this time.
As long as she knows there's someone there for her, she feels secure.
—
Qiao Shu later learned that Qiao Kaiyu was still signing the will. He was in dire need of money, burdened by debt, and the news of debt collectors was like a death knell. In addition, the case of embezzlement was suffocating him. His lawyer told him that his current situation was not ideal, the evidence was conclusive, and it would be difficult for him to get away with it.
Qiao Kaiyu pulled out Zhou Wanying, the accountant, wanting her to take the blame for him and take full responsibility for all the crimes, promising her a large sum of money.
Zhou Wanying had seen through Qiao Kaiyu; he had never kept any of his promises. After she pretended to agree to ask for a sum of money, she disappeared without a trace.
With nowhere else to turn, Qiao Kaiyu was sentenced to eight years in prison in the first instance. He appealed the verdict.
Once he fell from power, the remaining confidants in the company dared not utter a word and kept a low profile.
The company was discussing this matter privately, and everyone implied that Qiao Shu was no pushover. She could even send her own cousin to jail, let alone outsiders like them who were not related by blood. Now that she was the only one in the company, dealing with them would be a piece of cake.
"The days ahead will likely be tough. When the reckoning comes, none of us will escape."
"What are you afraid of, Mr. Zhou? You've been promoted to regional general manager, which means you're highly valued. We're the ones who should be worried."
"That's true, but who can say for sure what will happen now? It's always the case that a new emperor brings in a new court, and there's no room for us."
"Good luck, everyone."
"..."
It wasn't until half a month later that she actually took action. Qiao Shu's decision was very decisive. The former group had long been disbanded and could no longer amount to anything. She didn't want to get rid of everyone. She kept the useful ones and either transferred or demoted the useless ones, or let them go directly. In short, the company didn't support idle people.
Her decisive and ruthless actions are bound to cause controversy.
Those who left complained bitterly, and some radicals even caused trouble in the office and refused to leave, so security had to be called in to remove them.
Song Yue walked into Qiao Shu's office, pressing her temples with a headache: "He usually dresses in a suit and ties like a proper person, but when he really causes trouble, he's no different from a thug."
"They're all just there to eat, drink, and have fun with Qiao Kaiyu. A bunch of parasites, not many of them have any brains," Qiao Shu said calmly. Chaos was inevitable, but the company would be much cleaner after this period.
"No matter what, this battle is finally over." Song Yue raised her coffee cup. "Thank God."
Qiao Shu smiled, resting her chin on her hands: "How about it, do you want me to give you a few days off to rest?"
Song Yue immediately waved her hand: "No, you've already given me several years of leave. I've only just begun. There are still so many things I want to do."
As they were talking, Qiao Shu's phone rang. She saw the note on the screen and a slight smile appeared on her lips.
Looking at her expression, Song Yue knew exactly who was making the call. She raised an eyebrow, smiled lightly, and walked out of the office on her own.
Yu Zeheng's voice came through the phone: "It's time to get off work."
Qiao Shu checked the time and it was indeed the right time.
"I'll be waiting for you downstairs," Yu Zeheng said. "As your personal driver, I'll pick you up from get off work."
Qiao Shu turned off her computer, grabbed her bag, and left the office.
As she went downstairs and out the door, she saw Yu Zeheng by the car. His tall figure was leaning against the black car, one hand resting on the body, looking refreshed.
Only then did she realize that early summer had truly arrived.
Qiao Shu walked briskly over and threw herself into his arms, looking up at him and asking, "How long have you been waiting?"
Yu Zeheng wrapped his arms around her waist: "A few minutes."
"Why did you suddenly become a driver?" After getting into the car, Qiao Shu had a feeling that something was unusual about today, especially since the route back didn't seem to be going back to South Bay.
Yu Zeheng's answer was watertight. He often drove her around, and since there wasn't much to do at the company today, he thought he'd come pick her up early.
Qiao Shu crossed her arms and looked at him: "Where are we going?"
"Let's go to the restaurant for lunch first."
"OK."
Qiao Shu and the other person chatted casually. Her image had long been demonized, like Medusa, a dangerous woman who could petrify anyone with just one glance.
Yu Zeheng looked at her expression: "Did I make you happy by praising me?"
"What do you mean? Do you have masochistic tendencies?" Qiao Shu shot him a sharp look.
Wasn't I just complimenting your beauty?
Qiao Shu smiled and gently patted his arm: "Do you think you can read my mind?"
As they spoke, the car drove out of the main urban area. Yu Zeheng gripped the steering wheel and noticed a car following him in the rearview mirror. He composed himself and tentatively changed lanes, but the car behind him kept following closely.
Soon, the car behind began to accelerate.
Yu Zeheng stepped on the gas and reminded Qiao Shu, "Hold on tight, there's a car following behind."
Qiao Shu reacted in a second and immediately sat up straight.
Yu Zeheng steered the car, overtaking several vehicles in succession. Just as the cars behind him were being left far behind, a truck suddenly rushed out from the intersection on the right.
In a split second, he instinctively slammed on the gas pedal and turned the steering wheel at the same time. The truck crashed into the rear of his vehicle, and the car crashed through the guardrail. He slammed on the brakes, and the front of the car was violently impacted. The two people were thrown forward by inertia, and the airbags deployed instantly.
Qiao Shu was hit on the head and before she could think of anything, everything went black and she lost consciousness.
A truck crashed into a guardrail and overturned while going downhill on the road.
The car behind only noticed the accident when it got closer, immediately stopped, and took out his phone to call for help.
When Qiao Shu opened her eyes, she was met with a blinding white light, followed by the smell of disinfectant, and then a wave of pain. She saw a nurse, who, upon seeing that she was awake, called a doctor.
The doctor told her that she had suffered minor injuries, including a possible mild concussion from the impact, but that the condition was not serious and that she needed to rest.
Qiao Shu felt dizzy and disoriented. When she saw Qiao Mingjie and Ye Yuzhen by the bedside, she opened her mouth, her voice hoarse, and asked, "Where is Yu Zeheng?"
"He's alright." Ye Yuzhen leaned closer and took her hand. "How are you feeling now?"
Intuition told Qiao Shu that things weren't that simple; if he were truly alright, he would be here.
“I want to see him.” She struggled to get up.
Ye Yuzhen and Qiao Mingjie repeatedly assured Yu Zeheng that she was alright, but Qiao Shu insisted, so they had to say that Yu Zeheng's condition was more serious than hers because at the moment the car crashed, he swerved the steering wheel to avoid her as much as possible to protect her, so the driver's seat was severely impacted.
In addition, he had a previous injury, with two broken ribs and severe blood loss. Fortunately, he was taken to the hospital in time and underwent surgery. He is out of danger, but he is still unconscious.
Qiao Shu unplugged the equipment. Yu Zeheng's ward was next to hers. When she went over, Jiang Wenxin and Yu Xunli were there.
Upon seeing her, Jiang Wenxin covered her lips, almost in tears, and said with a pained expression, "Why did you get up? You need to rest now."
Qiao Shu grasped her arm: "I want to see him."
Yu Zeheng lay on the hospital bed. The numbers displayed on the monitor indicated that his condition was stable. However, he had just undergone surgery and the anesthesia had not yet worn off, so he was still unconscious.
His wounds had been treated, his head was wrapped in gauze, his face was pale and thin, his eyes were closed, and his dark eyelashes did not move. He lay there as if he might stop breathing at any moment.
Qiao Shu sat down by his bedside, took his hand in hers, and pressed her head against the back of his hand, tears streaming down her face.
"He'll be alright." Jiang Wenxin patted her shoulder.
Qiao Shu nodded repeatedly.
He will.
It definitely will.
Qiao Shu sat there for nearly two hours, knowing he could wake up at any moment, so she didn't want to leave. She just wanted him to wake up soon, like he was normally, instead of lying lifelessly in the hospital bed like he is now.
Until, the hand I was holding moved unconsciously, its fingers gliding very lightly across my fingers.
Qiao Shu realized this and immediately sat up straight. She watched him slowly open his eyes, finally looking at her with his eyes half-closed.
She held his hand tightly, her face pressed against the back of his hand.
"You're awake. Call the doctor." Jiang Wenxin came to her senses and went to press the button by the bed. She covered her face, wanting to cry, but Yu Xunli pulled her into his arms.
Qiao Shu blinked her moist eyelashes and said softly, "You're finally awake."
Yu Zeheng stared at her for a long time, as if he didn't recognize her. His gaze was blank beneath his dark eyelashes, as he tried his best to recognize her.
After a long silence, he opened his mouth: "You..."
Qiao Shu's eyes glistened with tears.
Yu Zeheng looked at her, his voice dry and hoarse: "Miss, you look a lot like my wife."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
