Chapter 80 He depends on you
After leaving the meeting room, Qin Qiao didn't rush to leave. She stepped aside, took out her phone, and held it in her hand. She nodded to the several executives who had greeted her, and only lowered her eyes after they had walked away.
She swiped her thumb across the screen, found the phone number of a well-regarded cake shop nearby, dialed it directly, and ordered a ten-inch cake.
With things piling up lately, she was afraid she'd forget them in a second, so she wanted to get things sorted out while she still remembered.
Before I could even put my phone away, an unknown number suddenly rang.
Local number… Qin Qiao hesitated for a moment, but still answered.
“Madam.” It was Old Song’s voice.
"What's wrong?" As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized something and asked urgently, "Did something happen to Jia Shu?"
The pale pink fingertips gripped the device tightly, pressing out white marks.
The call was made by Lao Song on Chen Jiashu's behalf. Lao Song relayed that there was no need to pick him up from his home later, as he was at the Dongxin Sanatorium and planned to stay there for a while.
More accurately, this is a notification.
A breath caught in her throat, unable to come up or down, making Qin Qiao's chest ache.
Old Song also said that they have now arrived at the Fifth Municipal Hospital.
Qin Qiao pressed down on the soreness in her nose, hung up the phone, and hurriedly looked for him.
The sounds of cars and people were mixed together over there.
Old Song and Chen Jiashu were standing by the main road leading to the outpatient department, under the shadow of the trees on the sidewalk.
Once the phone screen went dark, Lao Song lowered his hand and put the phone back in his pocket.
Chen Jiashu's hand remained gripping the arm Old Song was using to make the call. Noticing his movement, Chen Jiashu's thin lips moved slightly; he had intended to ask if Qin Qiao was angry.
After thinking about it, I decided to give up.
It must have been tough on the people around him, having to learn a unique set of "sign language" to accompany their deaf and blind boss.
The thought flashed through Chen Jia's mind, and he gave a slight chuckle before pressing his lips together even tighter.
The two continued walking. Old Song didn't deliberately look at Chen Jiashu's face, but every time he glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, he would see the gauze under the glasses and that face that was so thin it was unrecognizable.
It seems Chairman Chen has gone for eye surgery again. He's suffered quite a bit over the past year.
But these ears...
Old Song sighed inwardly. At the prime age of not yet forty, when he should be making great strides, Chairman Chen was instead hampered by his recurring eye ailment.
Qin Qiao arrived quickly. She first picked up the specialist appointment she had booked in advance, and then, following the floor signs, took the escalator up to the fifth floor ophthalmology clinic.
She spotted Chen Jiashu standing sideways by the window at a glance.
The sunglasses accentuated his already defined facial features, making him appear even more aloof, while the black trench coat-style cashmere overcoat, with its exquisite tailoring, perfectly outlined his tall and slender figure with broad shoulders and a narrow waist.
He stood there, attracting all eyes to him like a magnet.
Amazing, inquisitive, or tinged with sympathy.
Qin Qiao took two steps forward and took Chen Jiashu's arm. She could feel the tension in his muscles even through the thick fabric of his clothes. She pressed herself closer to him, almost hanging on him like a sloth.
Suddenly, the electronic screen at the entrance of the clinic called out Chen Jiashu's name. Qin Qiao gave Lao Song a look that indicated they should wait outside, and Lao Song understood and stepped aside. She then led Chen Jiashu into the clinic.
The door was closed behind Qin Qiao. She settled Chen Jiashu on a stool, pulled up another stool and sat down next to him, then looked up and explained his current situation to Director Wu in detail.
When she mentioned that Chen Jiashu was also blind, a hint of surprise flashed across the director's eyes, but she quickly regained her professional demeanor.
Qin Qiao took out a Braille board from her bag and said, "I can write your question to my husband."
So after each question from Director Wu, a soft, rhythmic clattering sound would fill the quiet consultation room. After writing, she would turn the paper over so her husband could touch and read it with his fingers.
The man answered questions clearly and articulately. However, when asked why he didn't want to hear the noise, he fell silent, his left hand resting on the table unconsciously tightening, perhaps without even realizing it himself.
"Doctor... I know why." Qin Qiao's eyes were slightly red with tears in them.
She reached out and gently enveloped his clenched fist. This gesture made the man pause slightly.
“Qiaoqiao…” Chen Jiashu interrupted softly, taking her hand in his own, “Let me explain.”
Several hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor outside, the sound passing by the door and disappearing into the depths. Qin Qiao's attention was drawn to the sounds until Chen Jiashu slowly spoke, bringing her back to her senses.
As she expected, Chen Jiashu didn't mention Yang Shuhua at all. Instead, he talked about his past medical history, mentioning that his month-long recovery might be related to his own stress. He even took the initiative, directly asking the doctor to prescribe some other medications.
This Director Wu has treated countless patients; how could he not see that Chen Jiashu was downplaying the seriousness of the matter?
Director Wu tilted his head towards the door, and Qin Qiao immediately understood, nodded slightly, took Chen Jiashu's hand, and wrote: I'll go out first.
This couple's unique way of communicating was quite novel, and Director Wu had a plan in mind. He raised his chin and said to the woman who had stood up, "It will take about an hour. Wait outside, and I'll call you when it's ready."
Chen Jiashu flipped his wrist and opened his palm.
On his palm, his neatly trimmed fingernails spelled out: "One hour to the treatment room."
"I...I'm not going." Chen Jiashu thought of hypnosis.
He wasn't afraid of being tricked into revealing his true feelings, but rather he was afraid that once he fell asleep, they would be able to see what he looked like without restraint.
Director Wu instantly discerned the man's deepest inner conflict through his subconscious body language. He wrote again: I can restore your hearing.
The man was stunned.
The next moment, his expression softened.
The doctor seized the opportunity and continued writing: You must listen to me.
Qin Qiao lingered at the door, glancing at her watch every now and then. This Director Wu was a leading figure in psychology, ranked among the top ten in the country. He only saw five patients a day, and appointments were often extremely difficult to obtain.
I obtained this number through connections between mainland China and Taiwan.
As dusk fell.
The torrential rain that morning washed the leaves a vibrant green, and a few sparrows hopped among the branches. A gust of wind blew, causing the branches and leaves to shake violently, startling the sparrows into a flurry of flight that vanished in the blink of an eye.
"Family member, please come over here for a moment." Director Wu gestured to her from the doorway of the consultation room.
Qin Qiao put away her phone and quickly stepped forward.
She followed the doctor into the consultation room.
Chen Jiashu was still sitting on the examination stool. Qin Qiao immediately noticed that his face was unusually pale, and his body was trembling slightly. He exuded an indescribable fragility, as if a porcelain doll would shatter at the slightest touch.
She immediately sat down beside him and reached out to gather his curled fingers into her palm.
The director picked up his thermos and took a leisurely sip of water: "Don't worry, the hypnosis process went very smoothly. After he entered a state of deep relaxation, we had some conversations, and he responded to the questions."
"He can hear me?" Qin Qiao looked at Chen Jiashu with surprise.
The man's head was still slightly lowered, and he looked dazed, as if he had not yet woken up from the world the doctor had created for him.
"His hearing is perfectly fine; it was psychological factors that blocked it before. Recovery will take some time and a bit of opportunity; it may be quick, or it may take a few more days."
Setting down his cup, the director smiled gently and added, "Subconsciously, he's very dependent on you. When he was about to wake up, he kept calling 'Qiao Qiao' and expressing that you are the most important person to him, but at the same time, he said he felt very 'ashamed'."
"Ashamed?" Qin Qiao's vision blurred instantly.
The director nodded slightly: "When I tried to delve deeper into this topic, his subconscious immediately activated a strong protective mechanism, refusing to reveal any more information. This is a common psychological defense mechanism."
After leaving the hospital, Chen Jiashu insisted on returning to the sanatorium. Qin Qiao was exhausted and unable to persuade him, so she finally had to give in.
Old Song drove his Mercedes into the traffic, and Qin Qiao waited until the car was completely out of sight before starting her car and following it at a leisurely pace.
It was rush hour, and the traffic was so bad that the cars couldn't move.
Old Song glanced discreetly at Chen Jiashu in the back seat through the rearview mirror.
The man's features blended into the dim light of the carriage, except for his pale lips, which were taut. Whether it was just his imagination or not, after seeing the psychologist, Mr. Chen's mood seemed even more somber than when he arrived.
The journey, which should have taken half an hour, took more than an hour before the car finally pulled into the underground parking garage. Old Song immediately got out of the car, went around to the back seat, opened the door, and simultaneously raised his left hand to protect the top of the door frame.
Chen Jiashu climbed out of the car, stood up straight, and took two or three steps forward to make it easier for Lao Song to close the car door.
The car door closed softly. Old Song quickly walked back to his right side. The man raised his hand, first grasping his shoulder, then slowly moving down to grip his upper arm.
Just as the two were about to leave, two blinding headlights shone into Lao Song's eyes. He turned his head to avoid them, but out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that the car was the Audi that his wife had been driving.
The Audi came to a stop and smoothly reversed into the parking space next to it.
Qin Qiao got out of the car with her bag, closed the door, and walked towards this direction.
Without pausing, she instructed, "Old Song, go home. I'll text Sister Jing and ask her to pack some clothes for me. You and I can bring them over."
As he inhaled the familiar, cool fragrance, Chen Jiashu's lips twitched slightly. He released his grip on Lao Song's hand and turned to face the direction from which the scent emanated.
Old Song tactfully stepped aside, opened the car door, and got into the driver's seat.
Qin Qiao led Chen Jiashu a few steps to the side so that Lao Song could drive the car away.
"I will not go back," Chen Jiashu said firmly.
Looking at his stubbornness, Qin Qiao suddenly felt that he resembled Xi Xi when she was throwing a tantrum and loudly announcing things, which was somewhat cute. She lowered her head and wrote: I'm not advising you to go upstairs.
Chen Jiashu asked in surprise, "Really?"
It is said that people become like children when they are sick, and looking at Chairman Chen, who is usually mature and composed, there is indeed some truth to that.
She smiled and wrote again: Which floor?
Chen Jiashu curled his fingers, a helpless smile appearing on his face: "Fifth floor, room 501."
This was Qin Qiao's third visit to Dongxin Sanatorium. The previous two visits were to see her superiors.
As a high-end private sanatorium in the city, this old campus, with its Nordic-style buildings, is located in a prime new development area. Although not large in size, its historical significance has made it a popular filming location for many production crews.
The interior is decorated in bright, light colors, with white walls and pale yellow palace lamps. It is not the kind of vulgar, opulent splendor, but exudes a sense of tranquility, gentleness, and healing.
Upon opening the door, all the lights came on one by one. The arched doorway led to the reception room, and further in should have been the bedroom, with a layout not much different from the Dongxin Hospital where Chen Jiashu used to stay.
Chen Jiashu noticed the room and turned his head to ask, "Are we in the room yet?"
Qin Qiao's gaze swept across Chen Jiashu's face, and she grabbed his hand.
The two had reached such an unspoken understanding that holding hands was equivalent to writing. The man immediately turned his wrist and opened his hand.
Qin Qiao wrote: Arrived.
Chen Jiashu nodded and said, "You can go back now."
Qin Qiao seemed not to hear him, pulled him inside, closed the door behind her, and stopped in front of the shoe cabinet.
She casually placed her bag on the entryway cabinet, bent down to open the shoe cabinet door, took out two pairs of cotton slippers, and gently placed them in front of the stool.
His blindness and deafness had turned him into a complete cripple. He wanted her to leave temporarily and give him some time, but he was also worried that it would hurt her feelings.
“Qiaoqiao…”
Qin Qiao was sitting on a stool taking off her shoes when Chen Jiashu's call made her pause.
She slowly raised her head, completely enveloped by the shadow he cast.
“I’m not here to give up on myself,” Chen Jiashu said gently, taking a deep breath. “It’s not that I’m abandoning this family. It’s just that I hope you… give me some time, and I will… try my best to learn to overcome and adapt to these things.”
He needs to learn how to coexist with this darkness, to overcome the shame and fear. It will be an inner battle, one he won last year, and he believes he can win this year too.
This time... it might be a long one, but he will work even harder.
Receiving no response from Qin Qiao, Chen Jiashu continued, "This isn't a push away, but... just think of me as entering a learning process. The pace of learning can vary, but I'll try my best to graduate in the shortest possible time."
study......
Those two words felt like a scalding hot iron branding her heart.
Qin Qiao burst into tears. At that moment, she suddenly understood everything. He chose to move here because he wanted to do what he did a year ago: wait until he had repaired a respectable facade before coming back to see her.
She reached out and gently tugged at Chen Jiashu's sleeve, writing in his outstretched palm: "Go inside and talk, change your shoes."
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Author's note: Another list... I'll keep writing.
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