To Escape an Arranged Marriage, I Became the Heir’s Fake Girlfriend - Episode 16

Light green eustoma was Qi Jinyou’s favorite flower, but she only felt happy about it in her heart.

Women love flowers no matter their age.

She was no exception.

Flowers are not always bought for oneself. Qi Jinyou noticed that Song Chu was very familiar with the people at the hospital.

The Song family’s business focused mainly on real estate and the computer industry, and they had recently expanded into artificial intelligence. This hospital was probably just a supporting facility for their other industries and was insignificant among their many businesses. It was puzzling that Song Chu, the heir of the Song family, was so familiar with the hospital staff.

The flowers were probably for someone else at the hospital.

Song Chu coughed loudly, startling a small bird by the window. It flapped its wings in fright and flew away.

Qi Jinyou frowned and complained inwardly.

He pushed the wheelchair and turned in another direction. “Let’s eat.”

Qi Jinyou was wheeled to the dining table while Song Chu went to get a vase, filled it with water, and placed the flowers inside.

Were they really for her? Even if they weren’t, having them in her hospital room was nice.

They had dinner together, brought by Song Chu.

After the meal, Aunt Li arrived just in time to clean up.

The doctor entered, first greeting Song Chu before bending down to examine Qi Jinyou’s foot. The brace was removed, revealing her swollen ankle.

The swelling had gone down a bit compared to last night, and the color had started to turn red and purple.

Qi Jinyou noticed the doctor’s name tag, which identified him as Doctor Zhao.

Respectfully, she asked, “Doctor Zhao, how is it? Can I be discharged tomorrow?”

After carefully examining her foot, Doctor Zhao replied, “The bleeding has stopped, and the afternoon therapy was effective. Keep taking the medicine on time. You won’t be able to leave the hospital tomorrow. We need to observe it a bit more.”

“What about the day after tomorrow?” Qi Jinyou pressed on.

Her vacation would end then. The club would compensate her for a week, but since she had just become a full-time employee, she didn’t want to take unnecessary leave. If she had to, one day would be the most she could afford.

“Whether you can leave the day after tomorrow depends on tomorrow’s condition,” Doctor Zhao said patiently.

“Young lady, don’t rush. If you don’t recover properly, it could leave lasting issues, and then it won’t be a matter of just a few days to heal.”

Before leaving, Doctor Zhao gave a few more reminders.

It was now 6:30 PM.

Song Chu stood up to get his coat. Qi Jinyou sat up straight in her wheelchair, ready to say goodbye.

But instead of heading toward the door, Song Chu went to the wardrobe, took out a blanket, and draped it over her.

“I’m taking you out for a walk.” It wasn’t a request; it was simply informing her.

Once again, Qi Jinyou felt a loss of control. But after staying in the room all day, she actually wanted to go outside.

The hospital had only three or four buildings, with most of the area covered in greenery and flowers. It looked more like an estate, except for the ambulances parked in the lot.

The rare clear weather brought a gentle spring breeze, carrying a bit of warmth.

The wheelchair moved slowly along the pathway.

The breeze brushed against her face, mixed with the light scent of flowers, making Qi Jinyou feel much more relaxed.

They remained silent, and Qi Jinyou couldn’t think of a topic to start a conversation.

“Jinyou, did you get the notice about Eighth High School’s anniversary celebration?” Song Chu broke the silence.

Eighth High was their alma mater. The school’s centennial celebration had already been announced on its public account, and its website had also sent out invitations to alumni.

Their class’s group chat had also shared the notice.

Eighth High was a prestigious school in Haishi. Only top students could get in, and most of them later attended the country’s top universities. Over a hundred years, the school had produced many industry elites.

“The class group chat mentioned it.”

The celebration was scheduled for May 1st, less than a month away.

“Song Chu, are you going?” Song Chu was considered one of Eighth High’s outstanding alumni.

He asked in return, “What about you?”

“I’ll go if nothing special comes up. Our classmates are planning to take the opportunity to reunite.”

“I still miss my high school classmates.”

She had chosen to attend college in another city to escape her aunt’s family, losing touch with many classmates.

“High school friendships are the most unforgettable and easiest to rekindle,” she added.

“What about college friendships?” Song Chu paused before suddenly asking.

Thinking of her college friends, Qi Jinyou first thought of Le Yi. At first, they had planned to stay and build their careers in Huashi after graduation, but she had backed out and returned to Haishi.

Every time they chatted, Le Yi would tease her about it.

“College friendships are meant for betrayal.” Qi Jinyou laughed.

“Betrayal of friendships? Or betrayal of a college boyfriend?” Song Chu asked seriously.

During college, Qi Jinyou rarely returned to Haishi during breaks. Partly to avoid her aunt’s family, but also because she worked part-time to save money.

Le Yi’s family lived in Huashi, and since her parents were always busy with business, they kept each other company while working.

She couldn’t completely avoid returning to Haishi, but she usually only stayed for a week or two before heading back.

One winter break, during a gathering, people were chatting away, and she didn’t feel like joining in. She sat aside, scrolling through her phone.

Cheng Zian approached her and asked, “Jinyou, are you dating someone in college? You hardly come home for breaks.”

She noticed Shen Yan was engrossed in conversation nearby and hadn’t paid attention to them. Smiling, she jokingly whispered, “Keep it a secret for me.”

As the granddaughter of the Shen family, she was working part-time to earn money.

She didn’t want anyone to know.

Dating was a convenient excuse.

Qi Jinyou sighed. Cheng Zian was such a big mouth, never able to keep a secret.

If he ever found out she had just been joking, what would he think?

“You must have heard from Zian. I never actually dated anyone in college. I was just messing with him,” she chuckled.

But the man behind her didn’t react.

Qi Jinyou turned to look at him. Under the streetlights, his dark eyes shone with an unreadable expression. When their gazes met, she saw something unusual in his eyes.

She couldn’t figure out what it was, but it definitely wasn’t laughter like hers.

She withdrew her smile and sat properly.

“Song Chu, did you ever date in college?” she asked casually to ease the mood.

In Haishi’s wealthy circle, many girls admired him. Winning over Song Chu was a greater status symbol than carrying a limited-edition Hermès bag. Yet, no one had managed to do it.

“Not exactly.”

His answer was vague.

“But I liked someone. Back then, she was in high school at Eighth High.” His tone was heavy, as if recalling something painful.

Qi Jinyou was shocked. Had she uncovered a rare secret?

All kinds of novel-like scenarios ran through her mind—unrequited love, forbidden romance, family opposition…

“Oh,” she said, suppressing her curiosity.

As they continued strolling, the night air grew colder.

They turned back toward the hospital.

When they returned, Aunt Li was not in the room. Qi Jinyou attempted to get up from her wheelchair and onto the bed by herself.