Chapter 53
Ye Yimo's last operation was successful.
When Dr. Zhu was writing the post-operative medical instructions, he suggested that Tong Yufei take her brother to participate in more social activities, so she planned to rent a house near her workplace. There was a studio called "Honghe Woodcarving" in that area. After the previous woodcarving factory closed down, a master craftsman named Sun went out to work on his own and set up the studio. Master Sun had seen Ye Yimo's carvings and agreed to let him learn the craft with the apprentice, providing three meals and daily care, on the condition that the finished products belonged to the collective. Although Master Sun had been the boss for three years, he still spoke and acted in the style of collective economy.
Tong Yufei didn't expect to make a fortune from her brother's handicrafts for the rest of her life. She simply wanted to find him a place to stay during the day so she could work, and she accepted the offer immediately. After nearly six years of living in the tube-shaped building, she wanted to rent a two-bedroom apartment, one for each of her siblings, with a smaller living room, or even no living room at all. But after three days of searching through real estate agencies, she was either offered a monthly rent equivalent to half her monthly salary or located in ridiculously remote areas, forcing her to move out of West City. She had to make do with a few unfinished apartments, but the conditions were so shabby they were unbearable to look at. Some even had no bathroom doors.
When Tong Yufei came out of the hospital, he was planning to try his luck at a few more agencies, but he ran into Chen Ruchao under the carport at the entrance of the inpatient department.
Maybe it wasn't a chance encounter, the other party was waiting for her specially.
Chen Ruchao said he wanted to talk to her, but after leaving the hospital he didn't say a word and kept walking north.
When they reached the Friendship Bridge, Tong Yufei stopped and said, "If you want to talk, then talk. If not, I'm going back."
Chen Ruchao pointed ahead and said, "The old campus of our school is in front. You've been there before."
"But I don't want to go now. How about reminiscing about the past with Dr. Chen?"
"Don't remember those days, you came here anyway?" Chen Ruchao didn't move forward, but leaned against the bridge railing and said, "Let Jueyao go, don't try to fool her."
"You've tried to persuade her, haven't you? She still won't listen. Just like when you took her to the abandoned factory, but couldn't stop her from running into the mines, where she stepped on a detonator and injured her ear. She never blamed you, but you could never forgive yourself. That's why you always protected her, even doing shameful things for her, even against your conscience."
"Young Master, you've been talking nonsense. Now her reputation is ruined and her career is ruined. You've achieved what you wanted, and someone has avenged you. How else do you want to trample on her?"
"Did I force her to fall in love with Cao Cong? Did I force her to die rather than break up? Since she's determined to go against the tide of this era, she must pay a price. I didn't laugh at her to her face, but instead tried to pull her out of the quagmire. What else do you have to complain about? You judge others by your own standards."
"Are you a gentleman? A gentleman who repays evil with kindness? No one would believe that. She needs someone to speak up, but that person will never be you. If you insist on interfering, I don't mind telling Mo Daoyan about your scandal. You never imagined that Doctor Zhu was once my advisor. If I hadn't come to see him today, I wouldn't have known your story was so fascinating. You know Mo Daoyan. He wouldn't even share an eraser with anyone... Does he know someone called you his wife?"
"Doctor Chen, who always talks about saving lives, is also capable of despicable deeds. Does he know that?" She was not afraid. She met Chen Ruchao's gaze and retorted sarcastically, "Go ahead and tell him about it. And tell him about your bribery of the teacher. Don't worry about the lack of evidence. Those people are still alive. His network of connections is much wider than mine. Maybe with some effort, he can even overturn my case. They say that a foot is closer than four fingers. Between you and me, he should definitely favor me more."
"you……"
"I've already made the reason for the interview very clear. You may not believe me, but your sister believes me. She has talent. Even if she can't join the city song and dance troupe, she can still display her talents elsewhere. The biggest stain on her life is precisely what you gave her. If you want to continue, please do so."
She left after she finished speaking. Chen Ruchao looked at Tong Yufei's receding back, his heart burning. He just couldn't tell whether the anger burning in his chest was directed at Tong Yufei, who he didn't know whether he was an enemy or a friend, or at himself who always said "I'm sorry" to his sister.
----
In the back garden of the Qiao family compound, Qiao Zhuocheng was hit on the head by Mo Daoyan's tennis ball for the fourth time.
He gasped and called for a stop, but Mo Daoyan dragged him along from sunset to the lights coming on. Even going to the bathroom was rushed like catching a train. Even Ivan Lendl would be outdone by this level of exercise. Was Mo Daoxing here to relax him, or was he just taking him for a walk? He hadn't said a single word since he entered the room, just the same thing over and over again.
"One more round."
When Qiao Zhuocheng fell into the rose bushes once again, he completely lost his composure. Chen Jueyao's two slaps had already completely shattered his soul. With his mind broken, how could his body keep up? He couldn't understand why she could hate him for so many things, so why did she choose the most heartbreaking one? She suspected he was madly trying to destroy her. God, even if he set the whole world on fire, he would have to leave her a stage. Besides, he wasn't a lunatic at all. She was still alive and well in this world. How could he bear to do that?
These days, he had no idea whether he loved her or not. He just felt a tightness in his chest when he thought of her crying, and felt a pang of pain when he heard that she was being chased by reporters. But now, looking at Mo Daoyan, who he had specially invited to comfort him, he found that his good friend's spirit was not as strong as it used to be. The frown on his brows was so thick that the shape of the Chinese character "川" (Chuan) could be seen, and it could kill a mosquito.
Qiao Zhuocheng collapsed on the rattan chair, picked up two bottles of mineral water from the stone table, and tossed one to Mo Daoyan: "Are you worried about something?"
Mo Daoyan raised his head and drank the entire bottle of water: "For work."
It would have been fine if he hadn't said that. Saying that would only make things more obvious. Qiao Zhuocheng wiped his sweat and said, "You said you wanted a divorce before, and then you didn't. If you don't want a divorce, then just live happily ever after. A few arguments between husband and wife are nothing new. Even teeth and tongues clash, so how can there be any lasting grudges? Fight at the head of the bed, make up at the foot of the bed. If you can't make peace once, try again. Miss Tong is such a reasonable person, how could she have such a quarrel with you?"
Reasonable? Her superficiality worked, so whenever there was a conflict, people would think she was the one who was giving in and he was the one who was being unreasonable. But who knew that she was two-faced, saying one thing and doing another, being attentive to him in every way, but cuddling with other men behind his back?
After that night, their relationship fell into a cold war deadlock. They ignored each other for several days and nights. Her door was locked again, but she opened it on her own initiative last night and her smile returned. She asked him for money as soon as she opened her mouth. His bonus was in cash and not deposited into the card. She said she wanted 500 yuan for her family. Did she really think he didn't know which "home" the money was going to be sent to?
He gave the money, but from then on he kept a record of every false account.
Mo Daoyan didn't want to mention Tong Yufei, so he picked up the paddle and asked, "Again?"
Qiao Zhuocheng begged for mercy: "I am physically and mentally disabled and cannot withstand your torture."
As they were talking, a figure flashed by under the grape trellis in front of them. He was wearing an apricot-colored chiffon dress with lotus leaf sleeves and white jeans. He looked around as he walked, as if afraid of making any noise. It was unknown whether he saw them. When he walked out of the grape trellis, his pace became faster. Mo Daoyan followed him for a few steps before confirming that the man was Ji Xilin. He came down from the second floor. That floor was either the Qiao family's bedroom or the guest room. It was a horror story no matter how you looked at it.
"Senior Sister Ji took sick leave yesterday. Why didn't she rest at home or go to the hospital, but stayed here with you? You two..."
Qiao Zhuocheng knew what he was going to say next and quickly interrupted him, "I'm not so horny as to want to hook up with my senior sister while I still have feelings for Chen Jueyao. But she's definitely not one of my sister's friends. Think about it, there are only three men in the family, who else could it be?" He asked himself, "It can't be Grandpa. You know my dad, he only drinks from a single drop of water. Besides, he wouldn't dare bring a woman home in front of my mother even if he had ten guts."
Mo Daoyan hadn't thought about Old Man Qiao at all. After hearing what Qiao Zhuocheng said, the answer was obvious: "How did she and Brother Zhuo Yuan know each other?"
"It was that disco social. I was rejected in love, and her father and daughter had a falling out. In the end, everyone left, and Ji Xilin and I were the only two heartbroken people left in the whole karaoke bar. That night, we reconciled and drank two bottles of whiskey. When I was leaving, she insisted on acting like a senior sister and sending me home, and we ended up stumbling into Qiao Zhuoyuan's car. I blacked out in the middle of it, and the next day I opened my eyes and saw her coming out of Qiao Zhuoyuan's room. This is known to heaven, earth, you, and me. Don't tell anyone."
"What is there to say? This only proves that she entered Brother Zhuo Yuan's room. Do you think this is a play? A man and a woman alone are bound to have a passionate affair? If only one of them were sober, nothing would happen. Brother Zhuo Yuan is a playboy but not a scumbag. He wouldn't take advantage of someone in distress. Could he be drunk? It's even more impossible."
"Seeing is believing, hearing is not. I only said what I saw, but I didn't say it was a raging fire. But you didn't see how hard he was chasing Ji Xilin now."
"Love at first sight?"
"Given Qiao Zhuoyuan's devilish demeanor, who would believe him if he said he was playing with pure love? It's hard to say whether he has any feelings or not, but he has a lot of calculations. Although Uncle Ji is not as powerful as before, he still needs to be strong to forge iron. Ji Xilin is a technical expert and has the resources of Jiaotong University. If he marries her, he can please his parents on the left and gain a right-hand man on the right. Of course, he won't miss this kind of business that is sure to make money. But it's too early to say that they are in a relationship. She stayed overnight last night because she had a high fever of 40 degrees. He took her to see the doctor, but he was worried about leaving her with Uncle Ji, so he took her home. After settling her in, he went to the company. As for how far things have developed, only the curtains in his room know."
"There's always something to admire. For him, it's not difficult to spend money to recruit technical talent."
"Money can buy people, but it can't buy hearts, especially women's hearts. Once they're committed to someone, they'll be devoted to them forever. But you're right. A man without any sincerity would never think of marrying someone. I think there's something else going on. Do you still remember his first love? The girl who went to study in London and was robbed and killed the next day?"
"He Qiu, from the Department of Chemical Engineering of Western University."
Mo Daoyan was deeply impressed by He Qiu. During those years in the Qiao family, he could always see her in Qiao Zhuoyuan's room. Whenever Qiao Zhuoyuan took the kids out for a trip, he would always take her with him. He had originally promised to send her abroad in person, but broke the promise because of a big business deal. It was the only time, and the last time.
"He Qiu is pretty, smart, and kind-hearted. The family was poor at that time, and most of what Qiao Zhuoyuan ate and wore was forced upon him by her. She even shared an egg with him. During the years when he dropped out of school to work in the supply and marketing business, everyone looked down on him. Only she kept encouraging him, saying that difficulties were temporary and that he would be fine once he got through them. Later, when the family business picked up, he immediately returned to school. It wasn't because he loved studying so much, but because he didn't want others to look down on He Qiu because of him. When he was with He Qiu, he felt a little more human." Qiao Zhuocheng couldn't help but sigh when talking about He Qiu, "That Such a good girl, and yet she died so tragically. When he heard the news, he was as good as dead. I've only seen that one time in my life. If he hadn't personally chased her to England and found the murderer, and if his family hadn't needed him, I doubt he would have followed He Qiu. If Qiao Zhuoyuan heard about suicide for love now, he would probably just laugh it off. But his years of roaming around with women might have been a form of self-preservation. I only recently realized that when people are at their most desperate, throwing in the towel is the least they can do.
"Of course it's a pity for He Qiu, but what does it have to do with what's happening now?"
"Don't you find that Ji Xilin and He Qiu are somewhat similar? Especially their profiles."
A body double? This speculation startled Mo Daoyan, and he suddenly remembered the moment of trance he had experienced when he saw the photos of Ye Yimo and Tong Yufei in the tube building... Then he thought it was absurd. People look for a body double because the original owner is gone. How could they look for a replacement when the original owner is still around? Unless this was her special hobby, even relying on others had to conform to her aesthetic.
"I hope I'm overthinking this. Otherwise, with Ji Xilin's temper, he'll definitely bring down the Qiao family." Qiao Zhuocheng shrugged, a gleam in his eyes. "When water is too clear, there are no fish."
Emotional gossip always brings a subtle pleasure. Thinking of the emotional storm that Qiao Zhuoyuan is about to face, the two smiled at each other. Qiao Zhuocheng laughed because if his elder brother fell deeply in love, the balance in his father's heart might tilt towards him. Mo Daoyan laughed at this absurd affair and hesitated whether to give a warning to Ji Xilin. Senior Sister Ji is simple-minded, and the precarious family relationship has already made her exhausted. If her relationship suffers another blow, life will be too bitter.
As a side note, if Qiao Zhuoyuan became Tong Zhaoyang's brother-in-law, Qiao Zhuocheng would be Tong Zhaoyang's brother-in-law. He and Tong Zhaoyang would be inseparable in this life, and he might even appear at both of their weddings. By then, Tong Yufei would inevitably meet Tong Zhaoyang... Would someone else's wedding evoke memories of their youth for this pair of old lovers?
His wedding with her could not give her any fantasy.
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