Giving You Dawn and Dusk (GL) - Chapter 6
The ward was quiet; Xu Qingzhu was drinking water in small sips.
Her posture while drinking was very elegant, clearly indicating formal etiquette training. Her beautiful swan-like neck was elongated, revealing graceful lines, and sunlight danced on her skin.
It was a very beautiful scene.
Liang Shi unconsciously became engrossed, until Xu Qingzhu finished her water, screwed the cap back on the bottle, and placed it on the cabinet. Those eyes glanced at her indifferently, “What are you looking at?”
Liang Shi: “…”
She awkwardly averted her gaze.
Liang Shi was not a very eloquent person. Even after several years in the entertainment industry, she maintained her solitary nature.
If it weren’t for her good acting skills, she truly wouldn’t have survived in the entertainment industry.
She always insisted that forming relationships meant exchanging sincerity for sincerity.
So, when Sun Chengcheng showed her goodwill, she wasn’t overly cautious, never expecting to be tricked.
Thinking of these things, Liang Shi’s mood also dropped.
For a long time, neither of them spoke.
Finally, Xu Qingzhu broke the silence. “After I’m discharged, I’ll have my lawyer prepare the relevant documents. I won’t take a single cent of your property. Before, you…”
She paused, her voice colder, yet sounding like she was forcing composure, “The Liang family helped the Xu family…”
A rapid and noisy music ringtone suddenly rang, interrupting Xu Qingzhu’s words.
Liang Shi looked at her first, then belatedly realized it was her own phone ringing.
Liang Shi: “…”
This ringtone was truly awful.
She took out her phone, covered the earpiece, and slightly bowed to Xu Qingzhu, saying, “Sorry.”
Then she looked at the screen; it was Cheng Ran.
“Hello,” Liang Shi answered, deliberately lowering her voice. “What do you want?”
Cheng Ran’s end was a bit noisy, but her voice came through very clearly and loudly. “Where are you?”
“Hospital,” Liang Shi said.
Cheng Ran frowned. “I’m at the hospital too. How come I don’t see you? Or are you…”
She paused, then quickly guessed, “You’re not in your own ward, you’re with Xu Qingzhu?”
Liang Shi glanced at Xu Qingzhu with a guilty conscience, then immediately said with an air of righteousness, “Yes.”
“What? Going to humble yourself?” Cheng Ran heard this and teased idly, “Then I’ll go to Xu Qingzhu’s place now and take a look.”
“Don’t come,” Liang Shi refused.
“What’s wrong? I’m Xu Qingzhu’s friend, aren’t I? She’s sick, and I can’t even visit?” Cheng Ran’s tone left no room for negotiation. “I’m already here, I can’t just leave without doing anything. Why are you so resistant? Could it be… you really want to be a good lover?”
After speaking, she laughed to herself, “Oh, come on, who doesn’t know who?”
“Cheng Ran,” Liang Shi’s tone contained a warning as she called her name.
But Cheng Ran didn’t care. “I’ll be there soon, come out and pick me up.”
With that, the call was hung up.
Liang Shi frowned at the phone screen, then looked at Xu Qingzhu, finding that she had already turned away, no longer looking at her.
She worried that Cheng Ran would come to Xu Qingzhu’s ward and say things that would provoke Xu Qingzhu. She immediately told Xu Qingzhu, “A friend is coming to see me, I’m leaving first.”
Xu Qingzhu didn’t respond.
“If you need anything, press the emergency bell,” Liang Shi said. “Or call me. Your phone is by the bedside, I’ve charged it for you. Also…”
Liang Shi glanced at the phone with a matching couple phone case to her own, and said with lowered eyes, “I’ve restored all the data for you. There’s no password set, you can set it yourself. Also, all copied data has been deleted, including the USB drive that stored your information. I’ve destroyed it. From now on, I won’t touch your phone again, nor will I violate your privacy.”
After the original owner took Xu Qingzhu’s phone, she copied all the data to a USB drive. While waiting outside earlier, Liang Shi thought of this and went to a phone shop, rushing to get it done. She also feared that Xu Qingzhu would be disgusted, so she bought her a new phone.
“There’s also a brand new, unopened phone. If you don’t want to use the old one, you can put your SIM card in the new one,” Liang Shi said, already hearing the clacking of high heels in the corridor. She guessed it was Cheng Ran.
The only person who would stomp around the hospital in stilettos was her.
Liang Shi immediately cut to the chase, “Take good care of yourself. I’m leaving now, and I’ll come see you later.”
With that, she briskly walked out of the ward.
The moment she stepped out of the ward, Xu Qingzhu, lying on the bed, opened her eyes.
She hadn’t been asleep.
She had heard everything Liang Shi said.
Moreover, her hearing had been good since childhood, and she had also heard what Cheng Ran said on the phone.
Not only that, but she had also heard all the flippant and disrespectful things Liang Shi had said about her to others in the past.
She just hadn’t said anything.
Because the Xu family was on the verge of bankruptcy, it was Liang Shi who married her and injected a significant amount of capital into the Xu family, thus saving the company. So, she knew she had a debt to repay and silently endured everything.
Furthermore, she had a good impression of Liang Shi.
In her memory, Liang Shi had always been that girl who, even when kidnapped, would bravely seek a chance to survive and encourage her to escape together, not this cynical, pampered, willful, and promiscuous person she was now.
But memories don’t change; people do.
Liang Shi was no longer the person in her memories.
While suffering in estrus on the bed, she finally came to terms with this.
Even if Liang Shi now said she wouldn’t hurt her and repeatedly assured her, and her behavior had improved, she would no longer trust Liang Shi.
She only wanted to divorce Liang Shi.
Then she would join the company to help her father. She had an MBA, but her father had always worried about her health and hadn’t let her get involved in company affairs.
As Xu Qingzhu was thinking, her phone vibrated slightly.
[Mom: Sweet Zhuzi, has your sister contacted you?]
Xu Qingzhu frowned, [No.]
Xu Qingzhu had a younger sister named Xu Qinya, who was 15 years old, just started high school, and was in her rebellious phase.
Before she got married, Xu Qinya often argued with their parents at home, and she was stuck in the middle, acting as a mediator.
When she got married, Xu Qinya cried terribly and promised her that she would obey her parents obediently from then on.
That promise lasted four months.
At least, this was the first time since she got married that her mother contacted her to ask about Xu Qinya’s situation.
She replied: [No.]
[Mom: Ya Ya and your dad argued again. Your dad threw away all of Chen Zhenxun’s merchandise and tore up all the posters in her room. She got angry and ran away from home. Your dad’s stubborn temper also flared up, and he stopped her card. She should contact you. When she does, take care of her and try to talk some sense into her.]
Xu Qingzhu: [Okay.]
She was exhausted at the moment, yet she still forced herself to call Xu Qinya.
No answer.
When she called again, it was busy.
And switching back to the screen, her mother had sent a message: [Are you and A’Shi getting along well?]
Xu Qingzhu’s finger hovered over the screen, unsure how to reply.
A clear tear fell onto the pillow.
She typed: Mom, I’m planning to divorce Liang Shi
Before she could finish, a message appeared at the top of the screen: [The Liang family is powerful and has helped us. Be good to A’Shi. She might have been spoiled since childhood and has a bad temper, but she’s not a bad kid.]
Xu Qingzhu: “…”
That’s because you haven’t seen her malicious side.
[Mom: The company’s situation doesn’t seem very good lately. Your dad comes back exhausted every time. Just focus on being well yourselves.]
Xu Qingzhu deleted all her words, and thousands of thoughts condensed into one word: [Okay.]
••••
Meanwhile, Liang Shi saw Cheng Ran.
Cheng Ran had big brown waves in her hair, wore a hip-hugging miniskirt, and heavy makeup, very similar to the makeup the original owner had on when Liang Shi transmigrated.
Liang Shi smelled the pungent perfume from a distance. She fanned her nose with her hand, grateful that she hadn’t let Cheng Ran into Xu Qingzhu’s ward.
“Let’s go,” Cheng Ran said. “Let’s go see Xu Qingzhu.”
“No need.” Liang Shi kept some distance from her when refusing. “She’s asleep.”
Cheng Ran heard this, turned to look at her, her face full of suspicion. “Liang Shi, when did you become so thoughtful?”
Liang Shi: “…”
“Alright, I won’t touch her, okay?” Cheng Ran said. “Are you serious? You’re guarding me like a thief.”
Liang Shi pursed her lips and seriously called her: “Cheng Ran.”
She felt it was very necessary to clarify things with Cheng Ran.
If she continued to be entangled with someone like Cheng Ran, Xu Qingzhu wouldn’t be able to help but misunderstand her.
But just after she spoke, her phone rang again; it was an unknown number.
She turned her back and answered, “Hello?”
A wronged voice came from the other end, “Sister Liang Shi.”
Liang Shi: “…”
Who was this again?
The original owner’s habit of not saving contacts was really inconvenient.
“Is my sister with you?” Xu Qinya said. “If she is, avoid her for now.”
Liang Shi: “…”
Who was her sister again?
“Sister Liang Shi?” Xu Qinya called tentatively, “Is my sister with you? Are you at the villa?”
Liang Shi realized who it was; this must be Xu Qingzhu’s younger sister.
Liang Shi cleared her throat. “We’re not together. What’s up?”
Xu Qinya said huffily, “Good that you’re not, otherwise I’d be complained about again. Sister Liang Shi, can you lend me fifty thousand yuan? Don’t let my sister know about this. My dad stopped my card, and I have nowhere to stay now.”
Liang Shi had seen too many rebellious teenage girls run away from home when she was on set, so she was very calm at this moment. She only asked, “Where are you now?”
“Yunding Mansion,” Xu Qinya instructed her. “Don’t tell my sister about this.”
Liang Shi didn’t immediately agree. “I’m coming over now to find you. Find a place to stay.”
Xu Qinya was clearly very familiar with her and trusted her completely. “Okay.”
After hanging up, Liang Shi was pondering how to handle this matter when Xu Qingzhu’s voice came from behind her.
She called out coldly, “Liang Shi.”
Liang Shi turned around to see her standing at the doorway, her face pale.
She asked, “Did Ya Ya contact you?”
Liang Shi: “…”
A moment later, she answered without hesitation, “Yes, she did.”