Chapter 175

She did not want to draw Zhong Ning’s attention.

Zhong Ning absolutely did not want to have any connection with her—Xie Shiqing knew this. So she only wanted to quietly keep an eye on her, without disturbing the other’s life.

But she would never give up.

She could learn anything, except how to give up.

However, after parting from Zhong Ning, there was at least some good news.

The butler came to her, both shocked and delighted, and read out the words of the attending physician: “Miss Xie’s eye disease might have a chance for treatment.”

Xie Shiqing froze for a moment.

When she arrived at the hospital and met the doctor, the other explained that her mentor had made a new breakthrough in the medical field—a novel treatment combining medicine and science, capable of cultivating and repairing damaged visual nerve cells.

Clinical trials had already been conducted, and there were successful cases. Only then did the doctor reach out to Xie Shiqing.

Coincidentally, the day of the breakthrough happened to be the same day as the Zhong Corporation’s team-building trip—the day she and Zhong Ning had gone together to the Zhou King Temple to make a wish.

——“If your eyes could be healed, you would definitely be much happier than you are now.”

Would she?

Her eyes finally had a chance to be cured, yet she felt no happiness at all.

“Would Miss Xie like to undergo the surgery?”

How could Xie Shiqing not want to—but she was not as excited as she had imagined. She only nodded silently.

The attending physician began explaining various precautions and preoperative preparations: which medicines she needed to apply, how many cycles she would have to go through, and that she must avoid her fever period. Only when her pheromones were completely stabilized and her physical condition reached its best could the surgery formally begin.

Xie Shiqing was hospitalized.

All company affairs were handed over to her agent.

She truly began to calm down.

The single-patient room was quite spacious, and the butler stayed by her side throughout. Each meal was specially prepared by the chef and sent over from the villa.

On the day she was admitted, Qi Wan took leave to come see her.

She had changed out of her usual white lab coat, wearing instead a black-and-white shirt and slacks. She brought neither flowers nor fruit—just herself.

“Congratulations,” she said.

Xie Shiqing, dressed in her hospital gown, leaned lazily against the bed. Her hair was tied up, with stray locks clipped neatly away, keeping her face clean and unobstructed.

“Aunt,” she replied softly.

Qi Wan let out a long sigh. She made no comment on Xie Shiqing’s current state or emotional experiences, only asked with concern, “How long will you need to stay in the hospital before the surgery?”

“It depends on my recovery. It’s uncertain,” Xie Shiqing answered.

“I hope your surgery goes smoothly,” Qi Wan said.

She herself felt her words were stiff and dry, but there truly was nothing else to say. She and Xie Shiqing were no longer as close as they had been when she was a child.

“DX’s Dark Night Rose,” Xie Shiqing suddenly said out of nowhere.

Qi Wan froze.

“You met with Le Zhiyu,” she continued, her tone certain. “You came here in her car.”

Qi Wan was struck speechless.

After a while, she cleared her throat and said, “We met downstairs. Talked for a bit. She happened to be coming to the hospital, so she offered me a ride.”

Xie Shiqing let out a soft “Oh.” “Can you teach me?”

Qi Wan was taken aback again. “What?”

With a perfectly serious expression, Xie Shiqing said, “How to reconcile. Can you teach me?”

The words “We’re not in that kind of relationship” stuck in Qi Wan’s throat, and she could not say them. Though they were not as close as before, they still understood each other very well.

Xie Shiqing knew Qi Wan was an independent person, someone who never cared about face or social conventions, so from the scent of perfume on her, she had already guessed her thoughts.

——If there were no desire to reconcile, she would never have had any contact with Le Zhiyu.

Qi Wan could only press her fingers against her temples helplessly, half laughing, half sighing. “You know our breakup wasn’t because of emotional problems, right?”

She had planned to go abroad for career development but refused to accept a long-distance relationship. Yet Le Zhiyu couldn’t leave. She was strictly controlled by the Le family—her studies, her life, everything was arranged, and she didn’t dare to resist.

Qi Wan’s decision back then had, in truth, been a form of pressure. It was either her or her family.

Le Zhiyu had wanted to choose her, but she hadn’t had the courage to sever ties with her family, so they broke up.

They met again later—at the engagement banquet of their two families.

Le Zhiyu still loved her.

“Our situation is different from yours,” Qi Wan said.

Xie Shiqing’s lips were pressed tightly together, her lashes lowered, hiding her vacant, lifeless eyes.

Seeing her like that, Qi Wan almost sighed again but restrained herself. Just then, the attending physician came in, placing thick gauze smeared with ointment over Xie Shiqing’s eyes. While wrapping it securely, he said, “This medication needs to be changed twice a day—once in the morning and once in the evening. I’ll come by to do it. Don’t let it get wet.”

“As for your diet, keep it light—no greasy, salty, spicy, or stimulating food.”

He also reminded her to avoid strenuous activity, not to overthink, to maintain healthy sleep, and so on—it was as though she had already entered the health-preservation stage.

Xie Shiqing agreed to everything one by one.

Her recent lifestyle was already quite similar to health preservation—keeping a very regular schedule, never losing her temper.

Qi Wan did not stay long before leaving; she had only taken half a day off and had to return to work in the afternoon.

As soon as she was gone, Xie Shiqing, out of habit, climbed the wall of the system to listen to Zhong Ning’s videos.

No matter what she was doing, as soon as she heard Zhong Ning’s voice, her heart would calm down. She even played those videos at night to fall asleep.

When Zhong Ning took away Pine Mushroom, she wasn’t surprised at all. Even the dog was happier than she was now.

Xie Shiqing lay flat on the bed, her mind empty of jealousy. How could she have any?

Jealousy that is accepted is playfulness—it’s coquettish, it’s an expression of affection. But jealousy that has been abandoned and despised is ugly—it’s the basest, dirtiest kind of jealousy.