CHAPTER 674: CHAPTER 453: MEETING XIAO RU BY CHANCE (HAPPY SPRING FESTIVAL, EVERYONE!)

The first update is here, and I’m not sure if I can get the second out. It’s the New Year, so I’m a bit busy. You all understand. Anyway, I’m trying my best. I also wish everyone a year where everything goes smoothly and safely, happiness to all~

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Glancing at the time, there were still about ten minutes before the shift change, and Zhou Mikang started the car, "You go to work first, and I’ll explain the reasons in detail tonight."

"Oh," Chuxia responded weakly, feeling somewhat disheartened.

Zhou Mikang wouldn’t lie to her, and after all, Yingying was Zhou Mikang’s niece. Since he said so, it showed that the situation wasn’t as simple as she had imagined.

Thinking she had seen the true nature of things, she was complacently mistaken. It turned out she was just being sentimental over such a small child...

The more she thought about it, the more pointless it seemed. A woman in her twenties being toyed with by a five-year-old was just ridiculous.

Seeing her sulking, head drooping, Zhou Mikang knew he had disheartened her, and patted her hand reassuringly, "Stop overthinking; you’re not stupid, you just see things from a slightly different perspective."

"Is that supposed to be comforting?" Chuxia glanced at him askew, "You might as well have said, ’You’re not stupid, just a bit slow on the uptake.’"

"You..." Zhou Mikang chuckled as he tousled her hair, "You refuse to admit you’re slow and get upset when others mention it. That’s not good."

"Annoying, you’re the dumb one, you big dummy!" Chuxia glared at him indignantly, "If it weren’t for you, would I have been deceived? Instead of comforting me, you’re making fun of me. I’m not talking to you anymore!" With that, she turned her head to the window, refusing to look at him.

"Alright, alright, my fault, I know you did it for me, but I said what I said for your safety, think about it, isn’t that right?"

"You’re really bad at comforting people..." Chuxia said, rubbing her forehead in dismay, "I know you mean well, but is that what I want to hear right now? Can’t you just agree with me and say something nice?"

He sighed, Zhou Mikang said, "I can’t."

"Why?"

"Lying to you about such things would only harm you."

Chuxia: "..." She now understood why Ye Meiru had left him back then. This man really didn’t know how to sweet-talk girls. She had had enough of him.

However, such a man might seem boring at first, but only when you’ve experienced men whose words don’t match their heart will you recognize his worth. Otherwise, Ye Meiru wouldn’t have regretted it enough to trade her happiness to earn his forgiveness.

Why did she always think about Ye Meiru? Chuxia shook her head vigorously to clear her thoughts.

The car had just reached the hospital entrance. Saying goodbye, she got out of the car and coincidentally met Li Xiaoru carrying a lunchbox, smiling at her.

Li Xiaoru greeted her hesitantly, "Hello, Doctor Lin."

Chuxia waved her hands dismissively, "No, no, no, just call me Chuxia... I’m just a regular trainee right now, far from being a doctor. If anyone hears you, they’ll laugh their heads off."

"In my eyes, you are a doctor," Li Xiaoru bit her lip, glancing towards the departing car, "Thank you so much for what you did for my mom."

"Don’t mention it, I barely did anything," Chuxia hesitated before asking, "How is Auntie doing?"

Li Xiaoru’s expression darkened, "Her condition isn’t good. My dad can’t leave her alone at home for fear she might harm herself..." She forced a smile at Chuxia, "We really should be thanking you and Commander Zhou, but given my mom’s condition, we dare not take her out, and I feel embarrassed to meet you."

"Don’t say that, we didn’t really help much, oh..." Sighing, Chuxia didn’t know what else to say.

This era was absolutely intolerant of such issues. Before it was just speculation, and no one said anything. But now that it’s confirmed, some people might point fingers or speak malice to her face.

She had met Li Xinwan; indeed, a beautiful woman. Such women, especially, are prone to jealousy, and the pressure she must feel after everything came to light was imaginable.

Yet, Li Linqing still standing by her side through such times demonstrated he was a responsible man.

But after the scandal was exposed, how did Cheng Guo’s parents view the situation?

Chuxia sighed inwardly. Such matters are swallowed by those involved; outsiders really can’t say much, especially when it comes to issues of morality. Right and wrong are matters of personal opinion.

Truly, Li Xinwan was pitiful. Her endurance back then was probably for her husband and daughter, for the sake of her family.

She remembered her sophomore year, when a classmate went home, and in the waiting room of the station, witnessed a girl and a boy who, out of boredom, struck up a casual chat that evolved into an intense conversation. Then, when the girl’s train arrived, she waved goodbye without a cloud in the sky and left. Upon her return, the classmate shared the story with them like a joke.

As a result, another classmate said, "That’s nothing. When I was ten, I took the train with my mother to my grandma’s house. It was so crowded many people had standing tickets. There was a man in his thirties sitting next to us, and next to him, a woman standing. Then, to secure a seat, the woman let the man hold her as he took liberties with her body."

Then another classmate said, "That’s not strange either. My grandmother told me that in their era, some women, for a bite of food for their children, might succumb to certain people’s desires."

At the time, they all listened to these examples as if they were jokes. Then, each expressed their opinions firmly, criticizing some women for not respecting themselves.

But today, having seen firsthand what kind of person Li Xiaoru was, what Xiao Bingqi was, and what Xiao Yuwen was, she truly felt that some people indeed degraded themselves and didn’t deserve sympathy, but some, indeed, were overwhelmed by their struggles.

Of course, these so-called difficulties were still due to weakness, and she didn’t approve of their actions. However, she felt that as an observer, she had no right to despise them.

How can one who is not in danger know what it’s like to be in danger?

Especially since, in the years before this, there was no reason given.

As they were about to reach the hospital area, Chuxia said, "I’ll go with you to see Brother Cheng."

"Thank you," Li Xiaoru replied, visibly relieved.

Cheng Guo’s head was still tightly bandaged as he lay half-reclined on the bed, in a daze. When he saw Chuxia and Li Xiaoru enter, he quickly straightened up and smiled at them, wincing from the pain it caused.

Li Xiaoru hurried forward to support him, chiding, "Your wounds haven’t healed yet, don’t move around."

"It’s nothing." Cheng Guo smiled apologetically at Chuxia, "Chuxia, you’re okay, right?"

"Didn’t I tell you yesterday I was fine?" Chuxia teased him with a smile, "Sounds like you really hoped I wouldn’t be, right?"

"No, no, I am really afraid something might happen to you. I would feel terribly guilty." Cheng Guo said and sighed, "Later I definitely need to settle things with Da Bao. He is so stingy, even the car’s brakes aren’t working well, and he doesn’t fix them. It almost ended up costing a life, sigh!"

"Brother, you seem to be in good spirits, blaming others already..." Chuxia approached and examined his complexion, "What, did you spend all night thinking about Sister Xiao Ru? You have dark circles under your eyes."

Cheng Guo forced a smile, "Sister, it’s rough. My head hurts, and I can’t lie flat to sleep. How could I rest well?"

While they were talking, Li Xiaoru had already set up breakfast, softly saying, "Let’s eat."

Cheng Guo hesitated, then said, "Xiao Ru, you don’t need to bring lunch this afternoon. My mom will bring it."

Li Xiaoru’s expression stiffened slightly, and she nodded, "Okay, I understand. What would you like for dinner?"

"Don’t come over in the evening either. Wait until I’m better, then I’ll come to see you, okay?"

"I’ll go wash the towel for you." Li Xiaoru grabbed the towel from beside the bed and fled the room like she was escaping.

She cried.

Cheng Guo sighed deeply, turning to Chuxia, "Do you think I’ve been too harsh?"

"Heh..." Chuxia just chuckled dryly. She had no intention of prying into other people’s secrets, but Cheng Guo, feeling restless, couldn’t help but spill everything because he finally met someone who understood his and Li Xiaoru’s situation. He started unsolicited, "My parents disapprove of my relationship with Xiao Ru.

I’m caught in the middle, and so, I hoped to give my parents some breathing room. They were supposed to come and bring breakfast this morning, but after much persuasion, they agreed not to come, on the condition that I make things clear with Xiao Ru."

"Is it because of Aunt Li’s situation?" Chuxia sighed, "Just now when I ran into Sister Xiao Ru, she told me about Aunt Li’s poor condition, and I was wondering if it would affect your relationship. Turns out, it really does."

"I know I can’t blame Aunt Li, and Uncle Li is truly a good person. I really don’t want to upset them. But the circle my parents socialize in, they are all familiar with, and they can’t handle the pressure. Actually, they also feel terrible, but..." Cheng Guo forced a laugh, "they just can’t bear it.

If I hadn’t been so preoccupied with all these intractable issues, I wouldn’t have been caught off-guard when the car was pushed away. Ah, Chuxia, the more I think about it, the more frightened I get. If I had really hit you..."

Chuxia interrupted him, "What’s past is past, don’t dwell on it anymore. I’m okay now, and that’s what matters, right? What’s the point of getting scared all over again?

Brother Cheng, we may not interact that much, but you strike me as a decisive person. So, is your hesitation because of Uncle Cheng and Auntie Cheng, or is something in your heart telling you it doesn’t feel right?"

Cheng Guo suddenly looked up, staring at Chuxia in surprise, "Sister, you... you mean... you’ve noticed it too?" (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com), recommend it, or support it in other ways from your mobile device at m.qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)