To Escape an Arranged Marriage, I Became the Heir’s Fake Girlfriend - Episode 15

This man just wouldn’t stop.

Qi Jinyou blushed and nodded. “Okay, I’ll listen to you.”

It was as if the emotions floating between them finally settled, and they both started eating seriously.

Apart from Qi Jinyou’s injured foot, there was nothing else to talk about.

Luckily, the food was delicious, and her attention quickly shifted to the meal.

Caretaker Aunt Li arrived just in time, right when both of them finished eating.

She was quick and efficient, clearing the table within a minute or two.

Song Chu stood up, gave Aunt Li a few instructions, and then spoke to Qi Jinyou as if he were reminding a child, “Listen to Aunt Li while you’re here. I’ll come back to see you tomorrow.”

She immediately waved her hand to refuse. “No need. Aunt Li is here, and besides, it’s just a minor injury. There’s no need for you to keep coming back and forth.”

Qi Jinyou was speaking from the heart. His constant concern made her feel pressured.

Song Chu didn’t respond, nor did he indicate whether he had taken her words to heart. He simply turned and left.

Aunt Li pushed her wheelchair to the bed, then placed a slightly higher footstool in front of her. “Miss Qi, let’s do a cold compress first, then you can take a bath.”

When her foot was lifted, Qi Jinyou finally took a closer look at her ankle. Her right foot was clearly more swollen than her left, and it was slightly red.

“At this stage, you can’t use heat. Ice packs will help reduce swelling and stop any internal bleeding.”

As Aunt Li applied the cold compress, she explained in a professional manner. Qi Jinyou felt a little embarrassed—she had doubted Aunt Li earlier.

She sincerely said, “Thank you, Aunt Li.”

Half an hour later, after removing the ice pack and resting for a bit, Aunt Li helped her to the bathroom.

“Don’t shower for too long. Hot water isn’t good for your injury,” she reminded, handing over a set of clothes. “These are brand new and have already been washed.”

The bathroom had a special seat for bathing. Qi Jinyou remembered Aunt Li’s warning and quickly finished showering in ten minutes.

Soon, the female doctor from before arrived, checked her foot, and gave her some oral and topical medicine.

Aunt Li frowned at the spray medicine. “Why didn’t they give you a medicated plaster? I still believe in the old remedies.”

“Aunt Li, I’m allergic to medicated plasters,” Qi Jinyao said with a smile.

However, she hadn’t mentioned this to the doctor.

Lying in bed, she thought about her planned trip back to her hometown, Lincheng, for tomb-sweeping.

Now, she definitely couldn’t go. She opened the ticket refund app and canceled her trip.

She imagined other families visiting their ancestors’ graves tomorrow, while her parents’ grave would remain quiet and lonely.

A wave of sadness filled her heart. Ever since she moved into the Shen family, even as a high school student who wasn’t yet an adult, she had never missed returning home for Qingming Festival.

But this year, she couldn’t go.

She would have to wait until her foot healed to make up for it.

Aunt Li applied the spray medicine and gave her the oral medication.

There must have been a sedative in it because Qi Jinyou soon felt sleepy.

When she woke up, it was already eight in the morning.

She wasn’t sure when Aunt Li woke up, but breakfast was already set on the table.

After being pushed to wash up, Qi Jinyou started eating. The meal was a vegetable porridge made with pork bone broth.

She nodded at Aunt Li to express her gratitude.

Her day was filled with treatment—ice packs in the morning and physical therapy in the afternoon.

Qi Jinyou didn’t think it was necessary to go through so much trouble, but she couldn’t refuse and had no choice but to go along with the doctor’s and Aunt Li’s arrangements.

Aside from the treatments, she spent the rest of the time lying in bed, scrolling through her phone, and watching TV.

She finally had time to catch up on the shows she had missed.

After lunch, she received a call from Sister Zhou, who first asked about her condition before apologizing.

She explained that she had to return to her hometown for Qingming Festival and that she and Manager Zhang would visit her in a few days.

Qi Jinyou quickly declined.

It was just a sprained ankle. Making such a big deal out of it only made her feel uneasy.

Sister Zhou chuckled and didn’t insist before hanging up.

Shortly after, Manager Zhang called. He also asked about her condition, and Qi Jinyou played it down.

His tone became more relaxed, and he informed her that the club would compensate her for a week of lost wages so she could focus on recovering.

Before Qi Jinyou could refuse, he added that it was already covered in her part-time contract, then ended the call.

She could only accept it with gratitude.

Then, her aunt sent her a message, asking about her trip home for tomb-sweeping.

Qi Jinyou didn’t tell the truth.

She stuck to her original plan, saying she was already in her hometown and would be staying at a classmate’s place.

Her aunt simply reminded her to be careful while traveling before ending the conversation.

Earlier, she had seen in Shen Yan’s social media posts that their whole family had gone on vacation to Ningshi.

By the time her afternoon therapy session ended, Song Chu still hadn’t come.

Maybe last night he was just saying it casually, or perhaps he took her refusal seriously.

Qi Jinyou got into the electric wheelchair and moved to the balcony. The sun was setting, and the golden light streamed in.

She watched the silhouette of a small bird on the window frame with interest.

That was when Song Chu entered.

His sneakers made little noise against the floor.

She didn’t notice him until he was close.

Sensing someone behind her, Qi Jinyou turned around and met his gaze.

His eyes carried a teasing smile. “What? Are you craving meat? Thinking about catching it and eating it?”

Hearing his joke, Qi Jinyou replied faster than she could think, “Yes, catch it for me and make a stew.”

The moment she finished speaking, she realized her words were a bit bold. Even if it was a joke, Song Chu wasn’t someone just anyone could joke around with.

She recalled an incident from a past New Year’s gathering in their social circle. Shen Yan had acted cute, asking Song Chu to pass her a towel, but he didn’t show her any courtesy at all. He had coldly replied, “If your arms aren’t long enough, use your legs.”

Yet, during the same event, a little kid at a nearby table had squeezed beside him, staring at a plate of desserts. Without hesitation, Song Chu had gotten up and handed the dessert to the child.

Shen Yan’s face had alternated between pale and flushed.

It was obvious to everyone that Song Chu had done it on purpose.

In the end, Cheng Zian had politely handed Shen Yan a towel to save her from embarrassment.

Qi Jinyou had witnessed the entire scene from the neighboring table.

She had pretended not to notice Shen Yan’s awkwardness. After all, she had suffered from Shen Yan’s misplaced anger before. Since then, she had tried to avoid going out with her whenever possible.

Song Chu’s indifference and bluntness had left a deep impression on her.

Now, he had come to see her—was it just because he felt responsible for her injury? Or was it out of courtesy for the Shen family?

She couldn’t take such gestures for granted.

Song Chu would only do things if he wanted to, never because others asked him to.

She was curious about how he would respond.

He finally spoke. “That bird is a nationally protected species. Catching it is illegal. You want me to break the law?”

His answer didn’t embarrass her as she had expected.

Qi Jinyou glanced at the bird again. It was beautiful and familiar. If he said so, she’d believe him.

“Besides, it’s so small. Could you really bear to eat it?”

Qi Jinyou thought to herself: I never actually wanted to eat it.

Then, she noticed the bouquet in his hand.

A bunch of eustomas.

The color was a soft, light green—her favorite.