Chapter 38
"It's none of your business; mind your own affairs," Wang Qi said, glancing at Qin Wanshu, a woman elegantly dressed and quite beautiful, who clearly had an extraordinary presence and was wealthy. Wang Qi didn't think for a moment that she knew Zuo Qinghuan.
"Qi Jie, she's the woman who was with Zuo Qinghuan last time," Du Xiaoli whispered to Wang Qi.
Wang Qi looked at Qin Wanshu with some surprise. She turned to glance back at Zuo Qinghuan, who had turned her head away, clearly avoiding Qin Wanshu, as if she couldn't face her. The fierce aura around her had long since faded, which made Wang Qi somewhat understand the situation, but more so, she felt anger. She liked seeing Zuo Qinghuan transformed into a little lamb, but only when it was directed at her.
"I told you to let her go," Qin Wanshu said again, her displeasure growing more evident.
"So, you've hooked up with someone from a high status, climbing the social ladder. Zuo Qinghuan, you're indeed more successful than your mother," Wang Qi said, her hand touching Zuo Qinghuan's face in a feigned intimacy, though it was extremely sarcastic.
Zuo Qinghuan turned her face away, hating Wang Qi's touch. She wanted to see Qin Wanshu's expression at that moment, but she was afraid to look.
Shi Yunyang seemed a bit taken aback, but seeing that Qin Wanshu was clearly angry, she started to understand. She had seen the woman before but couldn't recall who she was. Not daring to ask anyone to follow or investigate Qin Wanshu, her curiosity remained unsatisfied. The current scene felt somewhat fishy.
Seeing that the woman in front of her had no intention of letting go, Qin Wanshu took out her phone. "I am Qin Wanshu. I need a few people here at XX parking lot within five minutes."
Wang Qi was taken aback. She clearly recognized this figure; the Qin family had considerable power in this city, one that she couldn't provoke. Qin Wanshu was the most favored daughter of the Qin family, and Wang Qi had heard a little about her.
"Zuo Qinghuan, you really have some skills; you can even hook up with the Qin family's young lady. Let's go," Wang Qi reluctantly released Zuo Qinghuan, though she was extremely unwilling to do so. The situation was stronger than her feelings; she really couldn't afford to provoke the Qin young lady, especially not Qin Teng, who was completely unpredictable. The Qin family had significant influence in legitimate circles, and Qin Teng was involved in many underworld dealings and was a ruthless character.
Here's the translation into English:
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Shi Yunyao was once again astonished. Qin Wanshu actually revealed her identity for this little lily, it seemed she really wanted to protect this little lily.
After those people left, Qin Wanshu approached Zuo Qinghuan. Zuo Qinghuan instinctively backed away until she had no place to retreat, pressing herself against the wall, and she didn't dare to look directly at Qin Wanshu.
"The Zuo Qinghuan I know isn't that cowardly," Qin Wanshu said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Zuo Qinghuan finally looked up at Qin Wanshu. She couldn't tell whether Qin Wanshu genuinely didn't know or was pretending not to know. For the first time, Zuo Qinghuan despised Qin Wanshu for meddling.
"Yes, that's the look—angry but not content with the status quo, rather than hiding in a corner feeling inferior." Qin Wanshu was truly not a good person; knowing that Zuo Qinghuan's wounds were still bleeding, she continued to pour salt on them, causing Zuo Qinghuan to feel some anger towards her. Qin Wanshu shouldn't have appeared. Even if she did, she shouldn't have kicked her when she was down. Inferiority—she was indeed inferior; why shouldn't she be allowed to feel that way? Qin Wanshu would always be one of those lofty women who would never understand the shame of being labeled and branded like them, those who feared stepping out of the darkness.
"Alright, your face is all swollen, you don't look like a fairy sister at all. Go back and put on a face mask," Qin Wanshu said, looking at Zuo Qinghuan's angry eyes with a faint smile, then she extended her hand towards her.
Zuo Qinghuan stared at Qin Wanshu's hand. Although Qin Wanshu had been somewhat insensitive and even a bit cold in her previous statements, she was certain she didn't see a trace of disdain on Qin Wanshu's face. This eased her heart slightly. After hesitating for a long time, Zuo Qinghuan couldn't resist her longing for warmth and held Qin Wanshu's outstretched hand.
Shi Yunyao's mouth was agape; the series of unexpected events tonight left her speechless. The most exaggerated was when Qin Wanshu reached out her hand—so damn pretentious and cheesy—but she had to admit that at that moment, Qin Wanshu truly seemed to be playing the role of a goddess, saving a girl struggling in hell.
"I'm not going back tonight; you help me clean up the aftermath," Qin Wanshu instructed Shi Yunyao before leaving the parking lot with Zuo Qinghuan. Shi Yunyao was left alone in the parking lot with the security guards who had hurried over. She had to lie to send them away. The security guards looked at Shi Yunyao with obvious displeasure, filled with anger but unable to express it, believing they had been played by this unreliable Miss Shi. This made Shi Yunyao speechless; these incidents were clearly orchestrated by Qin Wanshu, who appeared to be so serious while sneaking around behind her husband's back, yet she was the one who was utterly innocent.
Later, Shi Yunyao called Han Shibin and told him she accidentally gave Qin Wanshu a drink, fell asleep, and was now at her own home, not returning. Han Shibin was clearly not very pleased, but he, too, felt he couldn't voice his anger. Shi Yunyao didn't expect that after helping Qin Wanshu clean up tonight, she would be resented by so many people; it was all because her reputation was too poor while Qin Wanshu's was too good.
Zuo Qinghuan and Qin Wanshu didn't speak during the drive; the car was excessively quiet. Qin Wanshu drove seriously, while Zuo Qinghuan glanced out the window, wondering how long Qin Wanshu had been there and what she had heard.
"Did you hear everything?" Suddenly, Zuo Qinghuan's voice broke the silence in the car. Qin Wanshu looked at Zuo Qinghuan, noticing her face was still turned towards the window.
"Not more, not less." In fact, she had heard everything, but Qin Wanshu chose to phrase it more gently.
"How much is that?" Zuo Qinghuan didn't like Qin Wanshu's vague response.
"Not too much, not too little." Qin Wanshu thought this phrasing was more appropriate.
"Qin Wanshu!" Zuo Qinghuan turned her head and lowly shouted at Qin Wanshu, somewhat irritated.
"Hmm?" Qin Wanshu looked at Zuo Qinghuan, puzzled, responding lightly.
"How much exactly did you hear?" Zuo Qinghuan's tone was unfriendly as she asked.
"Are you that concerned? Their mouths are on their own bodies; it's none of your business what they say. The more you care, the prouder they become. Ignoring them is the greatest retaliation against your enemies," Qin Wanshu said lightly.
Zuo Qinghuan didn't respond. Many years ago, she understood this principle, but after so long without being attacked like this, she had forgotten how to pretend to ignore her enemies.
"Understanding something and doing it are two different things." Zuo Qinghuan awkwardly turned her head to continue looking outside. Qin Wanshu still hadn't answered her question. However, hearing Qin Wanshu's words, Zuo Qinghuan felt she probably heard it all, making her feel upset again.
"We're home; I want to be alone for a while." Zuo Qinghuan didn't want to face Qin Wanshu at that moment. The embarrassing feeling hadn't dissipated, and she wanted to hide alone, lick her wounds, and rebuild her fragile self-esteem.
"Give me the keys." Qin Wanshu looked at Zuo Qinghuan seriously, ignoring her dismissive gesture.
Zuo Qinghuan refused, and the two of them stood stubbornly at the door.
Qin Wanshu shook her head slightly. It seemed she would need to take some extraordinary measures; she moved closer to Zuo Qinghuan.
Qin Wanshu's face got closer to Zuo Qinghuan's, so close that Zuo Qinghuan felt somewhat flustered.
Suddenly, Qin Wanshu reached out and hugged Zuo Qinghuan. Taking advantage of Zuo Qinghuan's momentary daze, she slipped her hand into Zuo Qinghuan's coat pocket and pulled out the keys. This wasn't her first time here; she knew Zuo Qinghuan habitually kept her keys in her coat pocket.
When Zuo Qinghuan snapped back to reality, Qin Wanshu had already stepped away from her and gone inside after unlocking the door.
Once inside, Qin Wanshu went to the kitchen and boiled a few eggs. When she came out, she saw that Zuo Qinghuan had run to the bedroom. Was she really hiding under the covers after being triggered?
Qin Wanshu pushed open the bedroom door and discovered that Zuo Qinghuan was in the bathroom taking a shower. The most surprising thing was that the bathroom had transparent glass. A mist of steam surrounded Zuo Qinghuan like a thick fog, but Qin Wanshu could still see her naked body clearly. After taking a glance, Qin Wanshu retreated awkwardly. But once outside, she felt something was off. Both she and Zuo Qinghuan were women, and their bodies weren't that different—shouldn't seeing Zuo Qinghuan's body feel the same as seeing her own?
Whenever Zuo Qinghuan felt unworthy, she would spend a lot of time showering. There seemed to be a belief in certain religions that bathing not only cleansed the body of dirt but also washed away sins. So, Zuo Qinghuan had always liked to take long baths. She let the water flow over her body, the warmth making her feel much better.
Qin Wanshu sat on the sofa in the living room, waiting. She glanced at the clock and realized that Zuo Qinghuan had been in the shower for over an hour. She began to wonder if Zuo Qinghuan's long showers were a form of compulsion. Feeling concerned, she stood up again and pushed open the bedroom door. This time, Zuo Qinghuan's naked body emerged from the bathroom. She went straight to the bed, lifted the blanket, and burrowed under it, wrapping herself tightly.
Qin Wanshu shook her head involuntarily. Was Zuo Qinghuan acting like an ostrich?
"Come on, put on a face mask, or you won't be able to show your face tomorrow," Qin Wanshu gently pushed the lump under the blanket and said.
"I'm not going to see anyone tomorrow," a muffled voice replied from under the covers.
"You still need to do it." Qin Wanshu was worried about Zuo Qinghuan's face, which was too swollen to be ignored.
"Qin Wanshu, you know, the last thing I want is for you to see me like this tonight. I wish I could always show you my best side," Zuo Qinghuan said sadly. She suddenly understood how Madam Li must have felt when she didn't want Emperor Wu of Han to see her as she grew old and lost her beauty. Although their situations were different, the sentiment was the same.
"Why?" Qin Wanshu might have understood, but she still chose to ask. Hearing it was different from simply understanding it on her own.
"Don't you get it?" Zuo Qinghuan retorted. It wasn't that Qin Wanshu didn't understand; she just didn't want to.
"How would I understand if you don't say it?" Qin Wanshu gently touched Zuo Qinghuan's back through the thick blanket, but Zuo Qinghuan couldn't feel Qin Wanshu's tenderness.
"Forget it if you don't understand," Zuo Qinghuan replied, sulking as she tightened the blanket around herself.
"Maybe I could try to understand," Qin Wanshu said with a smile, watching Zuo Qinghuan, who seemed determined to smother herself.
Hearing this, Zuo Qinghuan froze. Although she couldn't see Qin Wanshu's expression, she knew that when Qin Wanshu said those words, she must have been serious.
"Really?" A small crack appeared in the tightly wrapped blanket.
"Mhm." Qin Wanshu couldn't help but chuckle. At that moment, Zuo Qinghuan looked like an egg with a tiny crack, amusingly vulnerable.
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