Chapter 2038: No

“I’m not feeling well. I’ll go upstairs to rest for a while. Help yourself.”

Lian Li never hid his dislike for Ye Qingqiu.

Ye Qingqiu held the cup and nodded. “Your health is more important.”

Not long after Lian Lili left, Ye Jianyun called Ye Qingqiu.

“Qingqiu, are you at the Li family now?”

Since it was inconvenient for Ye Qingqiu’s legs, she could only sit on the sofa and rebel.

Looking at the sunny weather outside, Ye Qingqiu asked calmly, “We’re here. What’s wrong?”

“Xu’er is here too?”

The corners of her eyes couldn’t help but drop a little, but the smile on her lips remained unchanged.

She could hear the anger in Ye Jianyun’s voice.

“No, why do you ask?”

Ye Jianyun was silent for a moment. “…Nothing. I’m in the hospital now. The doctor said that your Aunt Lian came to bring her out. I thought she brought her back…”

“Oh, Auntie Lian isn’t at home now. It’s inconvenient for Liang Xuer’s legs. Auntie Lian shouldn’t be able to walk far with her. I’ll get Li Tingshen to look for them.”

“No need, I’ll send someone to look for it.”

“He has already gone out.”

Ye Jianyun took a deep breath.

“Alright.” After a pause, he continued, “This is your first time at the Li family. Don’t throw a tantrum easily, understand? No matter how difficult it is, you have to get through today…”

“I know,” Ye Qingqiu replied. “Dad, I saw the menu for the New Year’s Eve dinner just now. I still want to eat at home. Leave some for me tonight.”

“Girl… you can’t be picky over there, understand?”

“I know, I know. You must leave me more of my favorite dishes.”

“I got it too.”

Ye Qingqiu smiled lightly, her tone light and coquettish.

“I’m hanging up.”

“Hang up.”

The moment the call ended, the smile on Ye Qingqiu’s face darkened.

The hand holding the phone trembled imperceptibly.

*

Ye Jianyun had been waiting for Liang Xuer to return. When she saw Li Tingshen carrying her back, her face darkened.

However, because he had called Ye Qingqiu previously, he thought that Li Tingshen had found her outside and sent her back to the hospital.

Without asking further, she said, “I’ve already informed the doctor to bring you home for the new year…”

Liang Xuer was placed on the bed by Li Tingshen. She lowered her head and didn’t look at Ye Jianyun.

“I’m not going back.”

Her tone was filled with anger.

Ye Jianyun said patiently, “Grandpa is waiting at home.”

“It’s inconvenient for my legs. I’ll only cause trouble for you if I go back. It’s just a meal. I can eat it myself. You don’t have to consider so much.”

With Li Tingshen around, Liang Xuer didn’t say anything harsh.

“There are so many servants at home. It’s enough to take care of you.”

“Uncle!” Liang Xuer was a little impatient. “I really don’t want to go back and forth. You’re troublesome and so am I. Let me stay in the hospital!”

Li Tingshen glanced at Liang Xuer before saying to Ye Jianyun, “She’s right. You should go back first. I’ll bring Qingqiu back early tonight.”

Ye Jianyun’s patience had long been exhausted. Li Tingshen’s words gave him a way out.

“I’ll get someone to send you dinner tonight.”

With that, she stormed out of the ward.

“It’s between you and Ye Qingqiu if you don’t like her, but you should know what the two elders think of you. Don’t exhaust other people’s patience. Smart people won’t push away the Ye family’s backing.”

Liang Xuer sneered. “The Ye family is only Ye Qingqiu’s backer, not mine.”

“Do as you deem fit.”

With that, he left the ward.

Liang Xuer sat alone on the bed for a long time before she suddenly swept everything on the floor.

*

After returning to the Li family, Ye Qingqiu sat alone on the sofa.

“Where’s Mom?”

“I’m not feeling well. I’m going to rest,” Ye Qingqiu said casually. “I’m going to the washroom.”

Li Tingshen bent down and picked her up.

“Did you tell my father? Or did he say something to you?”

Li Tingshen stood outside the bathroom and heard her voice clearly. “No.”

“Liang Xuer refuses to go with him.”

“Whatever.” Ye Qingqiu stood up and tidied her clothes. “It’s a good thing that she’s not around. After all, no one wants to eat in front of a dead face.”

The door of the washroom opened. Li Tingshen stood at the door and watched as she stood by the toilet with one leg dangling. She looked a little disheveled.

Ye Qingqiu put down her clothes and looked at him expressionlessly. “What’s wrong? Are you unwilling to hear me say that Liang Xuer has a dead face?”

Li Tingshen walked over and carried her upstairs.

She sat calmly on the bed in Li Tingshen’s room.

Looking around, the room remained the same.

There was also the pillow doll she had bought on the bed.

There were ornaments on the table that she had bought. Unsurprisingly, there were also toiletries for the two of them.

But all of this suddenly felt unfamiliar to Ye Qingqiu.

These were all the things she had bought when she pestered Li Tingshen. At that time, she always wanted his life to be filled with traces of her own. Even if she wasn’t by his side, he would still remember her when he saw these things.

But now, she suddenly felt bored.

Her initial enthusiasm seemed to have diminished.

She guessed that her mentality had changed.

Because the man she used to chase was now hers.

Her childish behavior back then was normal now.

“Can I come here often in the future?”

Li Tingshen looked at Ye Qingqiu quietly. The way she looked around made him unhappy.

“Naturally.”

Ye Qingqiu smiled and said, “I’m afraid that if I come a few more times, Auntie Lian will lose a few years of her life. But I don’t want to see her either.”

“Then don’t come.”

Ye Qingqiu hugged the pillow beside her and lay down.

“Try not to.”

*

There were three people and more than twenty dishes on the table.

It was as if nothing had happened today.

Lian Lili chatted happily to liven up the atmosphere.

Li Tingshen had always been a calm person. He didn’t say anything the entire time and occasionally picked up some food for Ye Qingqiu.

Lian Lili probably couldn’t bear to see him treat Ye Qingqiu well. Every time Li Tingshen served Ye Qingqiu food, she would fall silent.

There were more than twenty dishes for the three of them, but there weren’t many dishes left.

She sat in the living room for a while and chatted with Lian Lili. To Ye Qingqiu, it was an awkward conversation.

Li Tingshen probably felt the same. “It’s getting late. We’ll leave first. Rest early.”

Lian Lili’s expression turned cold. “You’re not sleeping here tonight?”

“Yes, I’m meeting a friend for a drink. I might be playing too late, so I won’t be back.”

Compared to him wanting to leave the Li family with Ye Qingqiu, the excuse of going out with his friends was obviously much better.

Lian Lili didn’t ask him to stay.

On New Year’s Eve, no matter how dedicated Xiao Chu was, she had to go back for a reunion dinner.

Li Tingshen drove Ye Qingqiu back to the Ye residence.

Ye Qingqiu sat in the front passenger seat with a doll pillow in her arms.

On the busy roads in the past, there were few cars now.

Ye Qingqiu called Ye Jianyun and said briskly that she was on her way back and could still make it in time for the New Year.

After hanging up, Ye Qingqiu fell silent again. Her tone was completely different from before.

“Are you still angry?”

Halfway through the journey, this was the first thing they said to each other.

Ye Qingqiu looked at the rare wide road outside the car window and asked with a faint smile, “What are you referring to?”

Li Tingshen watched as the three-second yellow light at the intersection ahead lit up. He slowly stepped on the brakes.

Three seconds of silence was enough. “Both.”

The red light fell on the two people in the front row. The changing numbers flickered on their bodies, and their expressions were half bright and half dark.

“Have I been angry recently?”

Ye Qingqiu suddenly spoke with an indifferent expression, as if she had nothing to do with her.

Li Tingshen heard the sarcasm and his face tensed.

“Actually, you’re not in a good mood either.” Ye Qingqiu continued, “Didn’t you lose your temper this morning? You’re indeed tolerant. I tried it today and it didn’t feel good. Being able to endure until the end of this New Year’s Eve dinner is already my limit.”

Li Tingshen’s eyes darkened.

“Your mother also told me today why I can tolerate it. With my temper, what you said this morning was enough to make me leave. It’s not that I can’t leave with my leg crippled. If I really leave, I have a hundred ways to leave the Li family.”

“You want to bring Liang Xuer away and make me wait for you to come back. Ha…”

Ye Qingqiu sneered and finally turned to look at him. “Li Tingshen, where did you get the confidence to be so sure that I’ll really wait for you at home obediently?”

Li Tingshen was expressionless as his grip on the steering wheel tightened.

“Then why did you choose to stay?”

“Because I’ve been with you from the beginning to the end. Because I’ve finally been brought back to the Li family for the new year. Because I love you and like you?”

Her last sentence was full of sarcasm.

Li Tingshen thought that she had been holding it in. Now that there were only the two of them, she should vent her grievances.

He allowed her to fuss.

But at this point, he suddenly didn’t want to hear him finish.

However, he seemed to be possessed and wanted to know the other answer.

“Aren’t you?”

“No.”

The leather glove in her hand was deformed.

Ye Qingqiu’s simple and straightforward words made him panic.

“All the confidence you used to have when you were fearless in front of me. You took it accurately—because I love you.”

Ye Qingqiu hugged the bolster tightly and laughed sarcastically. “But it’s really not the case this time, Li Tingshen. Do you know why I insisted on sending Liang Xuer away after what your mother said today?”

“You said that my father didn’t ask anything when he saw you carrying Liang Xuer back to the hospital. Do you know why?”

Green light suddenly shone on their faces.

Li Tingshen’s expression was frighteningly cold.

There weren’t many cars on the empty street, nor were there any cars behind him.

The car was still parked there when Ye Qingqiu’s cold and sarcastic voice sounded.

“Because you’re the one who brought me from the Ye family to the Li family. Everyone in the Li family knows that I’m going to the Li family for the new year today. If I go back halfway, I won’t be the one who’s sad. Everyone in the Ye family will be. What did my grandfather and father do wrong? Why should I make things difficult for them during the new year?”

“Think about it carefully. What have I brought them all these years? I’ve always been the one bearing their love for me. I’ve always been the one asking for it. I suddenly thought that if I gave them some of my thoughts, they would be happier and love me more. I’ve given all my thoughts to you. Do you love me?”

“The moment I saw you giving me the cold shoulder before leaving with Liang Xuer and I chose to stay, the first person I thought of wasn’t you, but my father. He went to the hospital to pick her up today, but he missed her. If he knew that Liang Xuer was brought back to the Li family by your mother and had a reunion dinner with me, he would be so upset.”

After saying that, she turned her head to look at the quiet and desolate city outside the car window and took a deep breath.

“I’m angry and aggrieved today. The reason why I’ve endured until now is really not you.”

She rested her arm on the edge of the car window and smiled lightly.

“Perhaps it’s not entirely without you, but it’s definitely… not as important as before.”

The car suddenly sped off. Ye Qingqiu pressed her back against the seat and chuckled.

“Then why are you angry? Even if it’s not as important as before, it’s still more than what you have for me.”

“Slow down. The food today doesn’t suit my taste. I still have to save my appetite and go home to eat.”

She overtook a few cars before slowing down.

Ye Qingqiu secretly relaxed a little.

“I heard that you have an appointment with a friend tonight. If you drink too much and it’s too late, don’t go back to the Ye residence. I don’t like to be woken up.”

“There’s no drinking. It won’t disturb your sleep or wake you up.”

Li Tingshen said coldly, his handsome face as cold as ice.

“Then why did you say…”

Li Tingshen’s gaze made Ye Qingqiu stop speaking.

“I haven’t been home recently. It’s the new year.”

So if he didn’t say that, Lian Lili wouldn’t let him go so easily.

Almost no one could understand Li Tingshen’s answer, but Ye Qingqiu still figured it out herself.

The atmosphere had never been good, and Ye Qingqiu’s words made Li Tingshen especially frustrated.

A phone rang in the quiet car.

The phone was connected to the car’s Bluetooth and the screen showed the name Yin Ruijue.

She answered the call and Yin Ruijue’s voice sounded in the car.

“Casa Club, hurry up and come out for New Year’s Eve.”

“I’m not free.”

“Sigh, we’re all here. You’re the only one left. If you don’t come, I’ll put it on your tab next time.”

“Did I say that I went?”

“You didn’t say that you weren’t coming…”

Before Yin Ruijue could finish speaking, Li Tingshen hung up.

Ye Qingqiu pursed her lips and said, “Since we have an appointment, let’s go. It’s normal to relax during the new year. It’s not too late to send me home.”

Li Tingshen didn’t respond.

Ye Qingqiu didn’t intend to continue convincing him.

In less than two minutes, Li Tingshen’s phone rang again.

Ye Qingqiu thought that it was Yin Ruijue calling to rush her again. She turned her head and saw an unfamiliar number on the screen. It was a landline.

Ye Qingqiu frowned slightly when she saw Li Tingshen.

In the end, she answered the call.

“Mr Li, this is the City Central Hospital…”

Ye Qingqiu paused and a hint of mockery flashed across her face. She turned her head and looked straight ahead.

Li Tingshen’s cold voice sounded, “What’s wrong?”

The voice on the other end sounded timid and troubled. “It’s Miss Liang. Something happened.”

Li Tingshen’s eyes darkened and he subconsciously glanced at the smiling woman sitting upright beside him.

“What’s going on?”

“After you left in the morning, her emotions had been unstable. However, someone had been taking care of her. Other than falling things and losing her temper, she was fine. However… it was the new year and a few nurses didn’t go home. They gathered for a meal… Who knew that Miss Xu’er actually wanted to go to the washroom herself and fell from the bed… She has been sent to the examination room for further examination…”

Ye Qingqiu’s body suddenly leaned forward due to inertia. Her feet, which had been relaxed, suddenly felt the weight of her body leaning forward and she felt a piercing pain.

She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes to suppress the sudden pain.

Her right hand gripped the armrest tightly as cold sweat seeped out of her pores.

She didn’t see Li Tingshen’s expression, but she could guess what his expression was.

What was his expression when he slammed on the brakes?

“I’ll be right there.”

A cold voice and the sharp sound of wheels rubbing against the ground.

Ye Qingqiu’s body leaned against the car door.

A few thin blood vessels protruded from her fair forehead.

“Li Tingshen.” Her eyes were tightly shut and her voice was tense.

Li Tingshen glanced at her but didn’t slow down.

“Let’s go to the hospital first.”

Ye Qingqiu’s heart skipped a beat. Before she could feel sad, the pain on her foot was real!

Her heart…

There were no wounds, no bleeding, no swelling or bruises.

Who said that a broken heart would hurt more than physical pain?

Not at all.

His words left no room for argument. It wasn’t an order, but he didn’t give her any room to argue.

“I have to rush home for dinner.”

Li Tingshen frowned. “I’ll let you catch up.”

His car didn’t slow down. Ye Qingqiu’s eyes trembled as she suppressed the unbearable pain. Even her emotions were suppressed.

“Li Tingshen, stop the car first.”

Her voice was calm and gentle.

Li Tingshen seemed to have suddenly realized something. He slowed down and heard something.

Ye Qingqiu took a deep breath and unbuckled her seatbelt.

Hearing her voice, Li Tingshen turned to look at her.

“I said that I have to rush back for dinner. It’s useless for me to go to the hospital. Liang Xuer might not be happy to see me. My legs are inconvenient and I’ll be a burden there. That’s why I’m not going to the hospital. I’ll alight here.”

As she spoke, she pushed the car door open.

Just as she was about to get out of the car, a hand reached out and grabbed her wrist tightly.

Ye Qingqiu’s expression did not change.

“Anything else?”

“You just heard it…”

“Oh, right.” Ye Qingqiu seemed to have suddenly recalled something and interrupted Li Tingshen.

“Don’t let the hospital call Grandpa and my father. Even if they know, Liang Xuer’s leg is broken. They’re not immortals. As long as they rush to the hospital, Liang Xuer will be fine.”

Li Tingshen suddenly loosened his grip on Ye Qingqiu.

It sounded like a warning, but it sounded sarcastic.

While he was in a daze, Ye Qingqiu’s body moved and her uninjured foot reached out of the car door.

His grip on her arm tightened again.

“You know that I know that your leg isn’t convenient. I can’t leave you here alone… I’ll send you home first.”

He paused in the middle, as if he was holding something back.

Ye Qingqiu grabbed the pillow in her arms and rejected him.

“No need. You’re not allowed to turn back on this road. You’ve already violated the rules once, so it’s better not to do it again. Looking at you just now, I feel like Liang Xuer is about to die. Don’t waste your time here with me. Go and save her as soon as possible. If she really dies, you’ll hate me forever.”

Wasn’t it as good as dead?

Until now, she had never thought that her foot would be injured again.

Using the drinking session with her friend as an excuse to convince Lian Lili to bring her home earlier.

He rejected Yin Ruijue’s invitation coldly.

However, after receiving a call in two minutes, he ignored the rules and ignored her injury. He forgot that he had to rush to the hospital to bring her home for dinner.

“Ye Qingqiu, what do I have to do before you’re willing to let go of Liang Xuer? With you around, if I really want to have something with her, I won’t let you know. I thought that as long as I’m calm enough in front of you, you’ll be at ease. From the looks of it, your attitude is probably the same. Even if I really have an affair with someone, as long as you don’t see it, everyone will be happy, right?”

The door wasn’t closed and the heater in the car dissipated.

The cold air seemed to freeze between the two of them.

“What does that mean? Li Tingshen, her leg is broken. What does it have to do with me if she’s going to die? Do I have to affect my mood because of her every day? She’s in front of me for no reason and has become a hurdle in front of me. Do I have to cross it for no reason? Everything is because of her and you. I didn’t do anything. I just like you and love you. Why is it her? I can’t escape or hide from her. I have to face her!”

“Am I the one who can’t get over it? It’s you guys who can’t get over it! It’s you guys who are annoying me!”

“There’s nothing between you and her? Are you sure you don’t like her at all?”

Li Tingshen’s face darkened, but when he heard her words, he suddenly looked up and stared into her eyes.

“Do you have any reason why I would like her and choose to be with you?”

Ye Qingqiu sneered, “It does sound like I’ve insulted you.”

Li Tingshen said patiently, “Did something happen between me and Liang Xuer, or did I tell you that I like her? What are you worried about?”

Ye Qingqiu smiled faintly, but her eyes were as cold as the air in the dark night.

“You don’t like her, but you don’t love me either.”

That was the only reason for everything.

She had always felt that it didn’t matter if he didn’t love her. As long as he was hers, it was enough.

What she loved, she had.

Everyone had spent their entire lives working hard for a perfect outcome.

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