Chapter 30
"The hospital—go if you want."
She just looked very displeased and still wouldn’t admit it.
Zhong Ning only dared to grumble inwardly, afraid that if she spoke out loud, the other would flare up again. But Xie Shiqing wouldn’t let her consult the dog-headed strategist. What was she supposed to do?
When it came to romance, she was utterly clueless.
If it hadn’t been for Fu Nanshuang’s help, she wouldn’t have noticed anything at all.
"Why isn't Ning Ning saying anything? Is there a problem?" Seeing the younger girl remain silent for so long, Xie Shiqing raised an eyebrow and smiled faintly.
"No, no." Zhong Ning shook her head like a rattle drum. "I’ll do whatever you say."
Xie Shiqing let out a soft laugh.
She leaned lazily on the bed. "Go downstairs and bring me a glass of warm water, alright, Ning Ning? It's time for my medicine."
Medicine.
Zhong Ning brought the water back up and, under Xie Shiqing’s instruction, fetched a small pre-packed bag from the medicine box. The capsules and pills combined almost filled half a bowl.
Yet Xie Shiqing grabbed them by the handful, tossed them into her mouth, and swallowed them with water.
"What are all these medicines for?"
Why did she have to take so many?
"My eyes," Xie Shiqing replied with just those two words and said no more.
In truth, aside from the medication for her eyes, there were also ones for psychological issues and minor ailments. She had only stopped taking the sustained-release medicine related to her Pheromone Imbalance Disorder—because the root cause remained unresolved—and had become chronic, still required treatment.
But there was no need to fully disclose all that.
Seeing that her answer was vague, Zhong Ning's emotional intelligence, which usually only surfaced in specific situations, kicked in once more, and she didn’t press further.
Though she was truly curious about what exactly was wrong with Xie Shiqing’s eyes, and whether there was any chance of recovery in the future, the other clearly didn’t want to discuss it. Zhong Ning wasn’t about to prod at someone’s wounds just to satisfy her own curiosity.
Dinner done, medicine taken, Xie Shiqing also seemed to be in a good mood. But Zhong Ning never heard her say anything about staying to sleep together.
"…Then I’ll go back to my room. If anything comes up, just call me."
Xie Shiqing responded with a quiet "Mm."
Zhong Ning left, turning back to look every few steps.
Clearly, she used to sleep alone just fine. But ever since she met Xie Shiqing, it had become uncontrollable.
She couldn’t wait to stick to her day and night.
She glanced at the time—7:30.
Might as well start the livestream. She had promised to stream today. It was originally planned for the afternoon, but had to be postponed due to uncontrollable circumstances—nothing could be done about that.
Meanwhile, Xie Shiqing heard the door close, and the room immediately fell silent, with only her faint breathing remaining.
She picked up her phone, brought it slowly to her lips, and said, "Auntie, guess what news I just heard."
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Xie Shiqing (grumpy face): I’m not upset. I repeat, I’m not upset!
Zhong Ning (timid) (timid).
Chapter 18
The Qi family situation was a mess. Qi Wan’s biological mother passed away not long after giving birth to her. The family head quickly remarried, and things became chaotic. Madam Qi brought her younger sister into her household.
Qi Wan and Xie Shiqing practically grew up together. The age gap between them was only five years.
Calling her an elder was more of a formality—their relationship was more like that of friends.
On the day of the Xie family’s car accident, the family head and Madam Qi died at the scene. Xie Shiqing was lucky, sustaining only minor injuries. The most serious were her eyes; the rest were just cuts and bruises.
She had rushed to the emergency department, only to hear from the nurses that it was Madam Qi who had shielded her daughter with her own body, and her spine pierced by the car door that came crashing in.
It had been a sunny day, with drifting clouds and radiant sunlight. Like a dark irony.
Xie Shiqing had suffered optic nerve damage. With current medical technology, it was impossible to repair. Unless a miracle occurred, or there was a major breakthrough in medical science.
The doctor’s words were really just a form of comfort.
It was essentially a declaration of permanent blindness.
She knew it. Xie Shiqing herself understood it, too.
After that, Xie Shiqing changed her personality. Moody and calculating—though she still often smiled, there was little sincerity left in it.
Time could heal most wounds. At least now, Xie Shiqing could still talk to her calmly.
Qi Wan cherished these moments, so when she saw the call from her niece, she picked up immediately.
"What did you hear about? Don’t be mysterious—I’m busy."
The sound through the receiver was slightly distorted but couldn’t hide the amusement in the voice. "It’s Le Zhiyu."
"Not sure if it’s a coincidence, but Zhong Ning picked up a stray cat, and the adopter turned out to be Le Zhiyu. She even sprayed perfume—I could smell it. It was Dark Night Rose from DX."
"Auntie, don’t you have anything to say?"
Qi Wan’s hand paused with the pen, leaving a heavy dot on the paper. She lowered her gaze, the curtain casting half a shadow over her face, hiding her eyes in the dark. "What is there to say? We’ve broken up a long time ago."
"After a breakup, your ex-girlfriend was still using your favorite perfume." (Editor: Le Zhiyu is an alpha, and she was using an omega perfume) Xie Shiqing’s teasing laughter filtered through the phone. "Seems like she still can’t forget you."
"We’re not getting back together. If it doesn’t work, then it doesn’t work. When have you ever seen me regret it?" Qi Wan continued writing, her expression returning to one of cold indifference.