After Qin Zongming and Butler Sun left, the atmosphere in the room instantly became much more relaxed.
Qin Jia rubbed her heavy head and asked Shen Yushu softly, "Mom, can I go back to sleep?"
Shen Yushu looked at Qin Jia, who was still clueless, and couldn't help but chuckle: "Go to sleep."
Qin Jia lay down, hugging the blanket, and slowly closed her eyes, casting aside the terrible dream she had just had.
Looking at her daughter lying peacefully on the bed, Shen Yushu was momentarily dazed. She suddenly felt that being carefree like this wasn't so bad after all.
The adult world is too tiring.
Shen Yushu left the room, and Qin Mo followed beside her. He was about to speak when his mother shushed him.
Shen Yushu closed the door and said softly, "If you have something to say, go somewhere else. Don't disturb your sister's sleep."
Qin Mo nodded silently.
The two walked downstairs side by side.
Once they were sure they were far enough away, Qin Mo slowly spoke, "Mom, how am I going to explain the locust tree and swing in the backyard to Dad?" @Unlimited good stories, all at Jinjiang Literature City
"What's there to explain?" Shen Yushu rubbed her sore shoulders, raising her eyebrows slightly. "What's there to explain? I'm the lady of this house, don't I even have the right to plant a tree or build a swing?"
"If he doesn't agree, then we'll split up. This house will stay with me, and he can move somewhere else."
Qin Mo was stunned by his mother's words. He stared at her blankly, hardly believing his ears. In his memory, even when they had their worst arguments, they had never mentioned separating.
"Mom, are you saying this out of anger?"
"I'm serious." Shen Yushu sat on the sofa, raised her right hand and rubbed her temples. "I don't know if it's because I'm getting older, but I've been really annoyed with him lately. Everyone's fine when he's not around, but as soon as he comes back, the house is in chaos, and there's no peace and quiet."
"Now that I think about it carefully, I was really bewitched before. Your dad doesn't have any other good qualities besides being tall and handsome."
Shen Yushu became more and more puzzled as she spoke, "This person has a whole host of bad habits and flaws that I could talk about for three days and three nights. How did I manage to put up with him back then?"
Qin Mo coughed, changing the subject: "Mom, it seems you haven't really held back either. Every time you two argue, it's always a huge, earth-shattering argument, haven't you forgotten?"
Shen Yushu paused, "Really?"
As she spoke, she suddenly remembered something and looked around: "Hey, where's your dad?"
Qin Mo took out his phone and sent a message to Butler Sun, "He probably went to the hospital. His wrist looks swollen."
Shen Yushu said speechlessly, "How come your body has become so weak after going abroad? Jiajia just touched him lightly, and his hand swelled up like that. He's so weak."
@Unlimited great articles, all at Jinjiang Literature City
Qin Mo looked up upon hearing this. He recalled the scene at the charity gala where Qin Jia had pushed him away, and said weakly, "Mom, have you ever thought that perhaps..."
"My sister has a really strong grip!"
Shen Yushu raised an eyebrow, "Have you tried it?"
Qin Mo: "..."
-
At the hospital.
After the X-ray was taken and a cast was applied, Qin Zongming asked the doctor, "How long will the cast be in place?"
The doctor remained calm: "4-5 weeks, with a follow-up check every two weeks to see how the recovery is going. After that, you can do some appropriate functional exercises."
"As for a full recovery, it may take two to three months," the doctor said. "Mr. Qin, I think you know that it takes at least a hundred days to recover from a broken bone."
Upon hearing the specific numbers, Qin Zongming's vision blurred, and he felt utterly devastated. One hundred days, three months without being able to use his right hand—what would he do about his job?
Qin Zongming walked out of the consultation room in frustration.
The butler, Mr. Sun, helped him put away the report and asked cautiously, "Sir, do you plan to go back to recuperate, or stay in the hospital?"
Qin Zongming glanced down at his right hand and coldly uttered two words: "Go back."
It's just a hand injury; there's no need to make a fuss. If he actually stays here, it will only arouse suspicion. Then, he'll probably become a laughing stock in Yucheng.
The black Porsche sped along the wide road, the scenery on both sides of the road rushing past.
As they drew closer to home, Butler Sun became increasingly anxious and restless.
Qin Zongming noticed his unusual behavior and asked, "Butler Sun, what's wrong?"
"Is there something on the mat?"
Butler Sun forced a smile and, in his embarrassment, quickly came up with a solution: "There's nothing on the mat, but I just needed to use the restroom. Please forgive me, sir."
Qin Zongming glanced at him and instructed the driver to find the nearest public restroom.
Soon, the car pulled over to the side of the road.
Butler Sun hid in a toilet stall and quickly took out his phone to call Qin Mo. "Young Master, the Master is coming back soon. Tell Miss not to sleep anymore."
Only after receiving a positive reply did he feel relieved and return to his car.
-
In the backyard, Qin Jia sat on the swing, lost in thought.
The warm sunlight fell on her face, illuminating the fine hairs on her skin and making her skin appear as white and translucent as a peeled egg.
She was considering whether or not to agree to Luo Shiqing's offer to be a model for her brand.
Returning to work at Zhenyuan is not realistic at this stage. If she wants to find something to do and meet more people, modeling might be a viable option.
Just then, my phone rang.
Qin Jia took out her phone from her pocket and paused for a moment when she saw the caller ID.
She stood up from the blue swing and gently pressed the answer button, "Lucy?"
The caller was her colleague from Zhenyuan, Lin Lucy, whom everyone called Lucy. They hadn't seen each other for half a month since their parting on the cruise ship.
"What do you want?"
The sunlight streamed down from above, a little dazzling. Qin Jia sought refuge in the dense shade of the locust tree, leaning against the trunk, and switched the side of her phone to hold it. "Why aren't you saying anything?"
After a two-second silence, a voice came from the other end: "Sorry, sorry, I was in the elevator just now, the signal was very bad. Can you hear me now?"
Qin Jia nodded. "Okay."
Lin Lucy spoke quickly: "Qin Jia, it's like this, I'm about to represent the company in a jewelry competition, but we're short of a model."
"Could you do me a favor?"
Seemingly afraid she wouldn't agree, she quickly added, "After it's done, I'll treat you to dinner."
"If a meal isn't enough to show your sincerity, I can introduce you to someone."
Seeing that she was going on and on, Qin Jia couldn't help but laugh and said, "I promise you, just treat me to a meal."
"There's no need for introductions."
A girl's silvery laughter came from the other end of the phone. Qin Jia narrowed her eyes and asked curiously, "Hey, how did you come up with the idea of asking me to help you?"
"Do you think I'm well-suited to be a model?"
Lin Luxi: "You're the most beautiful flower in our Zhenyuan family! An angelic face, a devilish figure, a ready-made model right here, who else would I choose if not you?"
"Oh, right, let me tell you, there's a prize for winning this competition. It's 500,000 yuan, and I get all of it. The company only wants the honor."
"If I win, I'll give you 50,000 yuan. If I lose, I'll just have to treat you to a few more meals."
Qin Jia smiled and said, "I wish you success."
Lin Lucy: "Thank you, Qin Jia, you've really helped me a lot!"
"I'll send you the event details on WeChat. Take a look when you have time. Come to Zhenyuan's auditorium in a couple of days and we'll rehearse a few times."
Qin Jia: "No problem."
As I ended the call, a gust of wind blew by, and white petals drifted down into view.
Qin Jia looked up and saw that the locust flowers that were originally buds on the branches above her head had blossomed.
Overwhelmed with joy, Qin Jia put his phone back in his coat pocket and, as he always did when climbing trees, skillfully used both his hands and feet to climb up the tree.
She sat on a tree branch, watching the cluster of blooming locust flowers up close. When she was deeply moved, she closed her eyes and gently smelled them, feeling incredibly happy.
And at this moment, under the locust tree.
Qin Zongming, who unexpectedly witnessed his daughter climbing the tree, silently closed his mouth, which had been agape in surprise.
As people gently swayed the branches, petals, leaves, and dust fell from them.
Before long, an indescribable itching sensation spread down his neck, invading his limbs and bones.
Qin Zongming moved his lips, but a breath caught in his throat, neither rising nor falling. The words of criticism he had been preparing all the way here vanished completely.
Just as he was feeling unwell, a familiar voice sounded beside him: "Sir, what's wrong?"
Qin Zongming looked in the direction of the sound, as if he had seen a savior. He grabbed Butler Sun's hand desperately, pointed to his collar, and said in a hoarse voice, "Save me—"
The butler hurriedly loosened his tie. "Sir, what do you want to say?"
Before anyone could answer, the next second, the big guy collapsed on him, uttering a few fragmented words.
Butler Sun helped the man leave quickly. Halfway there, he suddenly realized that Qin Zongming had just said three words with great force.
Go to the hospital.
Butler Sun quickly called the driver, and the two of them helped him into the car and returned the way they came.
At the same time, in the backyard. @Unlimited great stories, all at Jinjiang Literature City
Qin Mo ran breathlessly to the locust tree and called out urgently to Qin Jia, "Sister!"
Qin Jia leaned against the tree trunk, looked down at him, and asked, "Xiao Mo, what's wrong?"
Qin Mo: "Have you seen Dad?"
Qin Jia looked around from her vantage point and shook her head. "No, he's back?"
Qin Mo, hands on his hips, looked slightly bewildered and said, "I don't know. Butler Sun said he's back."
"But I didn't see anyone." He said, his voice suddenly changing, "Sis, you'd better come down quickly, or he'll scold you again."
Qin Jia smiled calmly and asked him, "Would you like to come up and take a look? The view is excellent."
Qin Mo shook his head, "No, I'm afraid of heights."
"I'll go upstairs and check. Be careful, you're all skinny, don't fall."
"Okay, I'll be careful," Qin Jia said, turning back to look into the distance.
Sunlight filters through the leaves, dappling the girl's skin. Branches laden with flower buds sway in the wind, creating a beautiful interplay of light and shadow, a scene as picturesque as a painting.
Under the tree, Qin Mo couldn't help but take out his phone, open the camera, and silently capture this scene.
More than half an hour later.
In the hospital, Qin Zongming, sitting in his ward receiving an IV drip, breathed a sigh of relief.
His morning was filled with perilous situations and twists and turns in just a few hours.
It felt like several years had passed.
The housekeeper, Mr. Sun, entered the ward with the medical bill and said softly, "Sir, the doctor said your pollen allergy isn't too severe. You should be fine after half a day of rest."
"After the IV drip is finished, there won't be time for lunch, but there will be plenty of time for dinner."
Are you going back later?
Qin Zongming gave him a disgruntled look and said in a hoarse voice, "I won't be going back for now."
"Haven't you been coming back for a while?" Butler Sun asked, taking notes as he went. "Are you planning to stay here?"
Qin Zongming: "Butler Sun."
Butler Sun: "I'm here."
"Could you please leave now?"
"Let me have some peace and quiet."
Butler Sun: "...Oh."