After settling the couple who had traveled a long way, all three of them breathed a sigh of relief.
On the way home, the driver, Xiao Liu, exclaimed as he drove, "Mr. Si, you are truly destined for great wealth and prosperity. Whenever your business encounters difficulties, benefactors always come knocking on your door."
Si Jiuyin smiled and replied, "I think so too."
But her smile didn't reach her eyes.
She then turned to Li Han beside her and asked, "How did your blind date go yesterday?"
Last night she thought Li Han would come back very late, but she didn't expect that Li Han would come back soon after she returned, looking like he had fled in panic.
After stammering for a long time, Li Han finally managed to say, "It's good."
Seeing this, Si Jiuyin understood the situation and didn't ask any more questions.
*
It was 11:30 p.m. in a semi-basement near the parking lot of Huihe Residential Complex.
He Qinqin lay in bed, too hungry to sleep. There were very few takeout restaurants in the suburbs, and the food they sold was not to her liking. She opened her chat window with Shi Yao, wanting to send him some food, saying she was starving.
However, since her message hadn't been sent for a while, and Shi Yao's night shift usually ended at 4:00 AM, He Qinqin was worried that sending a message to Shi Yao now would make him worry and affect his work. She didn't want to make Shi Yao worry or feel embarrassed.
He Qinqin tossed and turned, feeling the bed board digging into her bones and the blanket smelling musty, something she hadn't noticed when she was with Shi Yao.
The moment she closed her eyes, she saw her last night at the Si family home, where Si Jiuyin had prepared a large table of dishes for her, including a piece of Wagyu beef that she had just taken a bite of.
There was a table full of food, but I only ate a few bites before leaving.
He Qinqin now wishes she could travel back to that night and feast to her heart's content.
After swallowing several mouthfuls of saliva, He Qinqin opened her eyes, turned on her phone, and dialed Si Jin's number.
My brother is probably still busy with work at this time and hasn't gone to sleep yet.
And no matter how late it was, Si Jin's call would always go through.
He Qinqin recalled what she had said to Si Jin at the hospital. Her brother probably wouldn't take it to heart. After all, they had been siblings for 18 years. Even if what she said was too harsh, her brother would always forgive her.
—"Hello, the number you dialed is busy, please try again later."
The standard female voice coming from the other end of the phone interrupted He Qinqin's reverie.
He Qinqin's heart pounded in panic: "No, my brother won't ignore me, he's just busy."
He Qinqin quickly comforted herself, and then sent a WeChat message to Si Jin.
Brother, I was too harsh yesterday, please forgive me?
"I'm so hungry and cold, can you bring me some..."
He Qinqin was editing what she wanted to eat when she discovered that the first message she sent had a red exclamation mark in front of it.
She was blocked by Si Jin!!!
He Qinqin's heart sank into an ice cellar.
"Cough cough cough—"
Overcome with emotion, He Qinqin coughed violently.
The doctor said there would be aftereffects, and recovery would depend on the situation. At the time, He Qinqin didn't take it to heart, since she had recovered quickly from any aftereffects she had experienced when she was sick before.
She forgot that it was because the Si family took such good care of her every time that she didn't develop any chronic illness.
He Qinqin was coughing badly and wanted to drink some hot water to calm down, but it was too cold outside the blankets, and she was too weak to get out of bed.
He Qinqin looked at her chat history with Si Jin. The last time they chatted was when Si Jin sent her a message on Thursday.
—【Qinqin, I've had today's vegetables and fruit delivered to your door. It includes your favorite little river shrimp. Put them in the sink as soon as they arrive.】
It's okay if you can't produce a report; remember, eating well and taking good care of your health are the most important things.
He Qinqin stared intently at the red phone, as if trying to pierce through it.
After a while, tears streamed down her red eyes, and she began to regret her actions.
Why didn't you agree to transfer to the Si family's private hospital yesterday? Why did you say that you were severing ties with Si Jin yesterday?
She could have been in a spacious and bright VIP ward, receiving care from nurses and housekeepers, and eating meals specially prepared for her by a nutritionist.
He Qinqin regretted being too foolish and impulsive yesterday. It wouldn't be too late to find Shi Yao after she recovered from her illness.
Now that I'm sick and staying here, I'm only causing trouble for Shiyao and my aunt.
Their family situation was already not good.
The more He Qinqin thought about it, the more regretful she became, and gradually a trace of hatred appeared in her eyes.
Is the Si family so ruthless and decisive because they have found a new substitute for their arranged marriage?
Li Han is more outstanding and more obedient than me.
Eighteen years of mother-daughter relationship, eighteen years of brother-sister relationship, and the Si family just threw it all away like that.
Does Si Jiuyin have done right by her biological mother?
They were childhood friends, Si Jiuyin is such an ingrate.
He Qinqin cried and coughed, gasping for breath, until she felt that she had almost run out of tears and her lips were dry, cracked and bleeding.
The metallic taste lingered on her lips and teeth, so she opened her phone and sent a message to Shi Xin: "Xin Xin, I feel terrible all over and I'm so thirsty. Could you get me a glass of hot water?"
The sound of a short video playing aloud came from the next room on the other side of the wall. He Qinqin was relieved to hear that her younger sister was not asleep and sent a message.
After a long while, Shi Xin still hadn't replied.
In the past, whenever I needed to contact Shi Xin, she would reply instantly.
He Qinqin couldn't help but call Shi Xin, only to be met with a barrage of scolding from her:
"He Qinqin, you're not missing an arm or a leg, why don't you go pour it yourself?"
"It's so cold outside the blankets, I don't want to go out."
He Qinqin was startled by Shi Xin's unusually different reaction.
He Qinqin said weakly, "Xinxin, I've only eaten plain porridge all day, and I'm not full. I have no energy. Please help me."
Shi Xin said irritably, "Didn't you say you were going to give me a bag? When are you going to give it to me? My birthday is coming up soon."
He Qinqin said in a dilemma: "You know that my cards have been suspended. I only have the salary from the TV station now, and the program fees haven't arrived yet."
"As soon as the payment for the show arrives, I'll take you to buy a bag, okay?"
Shi Xin was very shrewd: "You're not just making empty promises, are you? How about this, I see that some of the clothes and shoes you brought back are still wearable, and you can also give me that bag you're carrying."
He Qinqin hesitated, "That's my last designer bag. I need something to make a good impression when I go out for interviews—"
"What, do you look down on my job?"
He Qinqin denied it: "No, no—"
Shi Xin was furious. "My friends who do micro-business are always posting pictures of their new bags on their WeChat Moments. I just want a second-hand bag from you, and you're making such a fuss?"
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