◎ Are you not even willing to look at me now? ◎

Zhao Yijiang noticed the phone that Chen Fang was holding and sighed, “Ah, look at me, I keep losing my phone everywhere I go.”

Zhou Ying tried to talk to Tao Xiaoxi, but Tao Xiaoxi smiled apologetically, pointing to her phone to signal she was on a call.

She wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone. In fact, she preferred to listen to her mother’s scolding.

The elevator arrived just then. Zhao Yijiang and Zhou Ying didn’t linger. They waved goodbye to Tao Xiaoxi and quietly got on the elevator.

Tao Xiaoxi glanced at the people coming from the other side, then spoke into the phone, “Mom, his injuries aren’t serious, don’t worry.”

He could walk fine and even handed Zhao Yijiang the phone. There were no major issues with his arms or legs. His face and head didn’t have any obvious injuries, and no surgeries requiring her signature had been done, so it probably wasn’t serious.

Meng Qing didn’t believe her. “Tell me the truth, where is he hurt? I heard from Huihui’s mom that he was covered in blood. We’re on our way. What’s your room number?”

Meng Qing had run into Huihui’s mom when she was coming downstairs. She didn’t get along with her and didn’t want to talk, but Huihui’s mom stopped her.

Huihui’s family had been neighbors with Tao Xiaoxi’s family for over ten years. Huihui, a year younger than Tao Xiaoxi, had always struggled academically. She didn’t even take the college entrance exam but ended up marrying well into a rich family in the city. Huihui’s mother would brag about her daughter’s marriage, often comparing her to Tao Xiaoxi.

“Meng Qing,” she had once said to her, “What’s the use of studying well? You can’t even stay in the big city. You end up back in our little town. It’s already too late for marriage. In the end, you get a construction contractor for a husband. Better for daughters to marry early and live a comfortable life.”

Meng Qing had snapped back at her, “My daughter is focused on her studies, unlike Huihui who knows how to handle men and steal others’ husbands. She has this skill no one else can pull off.”

Huihui’s marriage was well-known. She married a man almost old enough to be her father and had twins before the wedding. After two years of grinding it out, the man finally married her. Everyone knew about it, but no one dared to speak openly. Meng Qing wasn’t one to gossip, but Huihui’s mom had crossed the line too many times, so she couldn’t hold back.

After their last confrontation, this was the first time Huihui’s mom had spoken to Meng Qing. Meng Qing assumed she was just going to brag about something her son-in-law had done for her.

But Huihui’s mom kept exclaiming, “Oh my, you’re going to visit your son-in-law? Your daughter is really unfortunate. How could her husband get into such an accident right after they married? I saw him getting wheeled into the hospital yesterday, all covered in blood. It looked like a car accident. I was so scared. What if he’s disabled or in a coma? How will your daughter manage? I’m really worried for her. Is he seriously okay? Even if he’s seriously injured, it’s easier for your daughter to divorce him now.”

Meng Qing had never felt so weak in her life. Hearing about such a major event and realizing Tao Xiaoxi hadn’t told her left her both angry and anxious. As soon as Tao Xiaoxi answered the phone, she exploded with fury, hence the scolding earlier.

When Meng Qing heard Tao Xiaoxi’s calm voice on the phone, she felt a little relieved. It didn’t sound like she had been crying, and her heart slowly settled. But she still wanted to see for herself before she’d feel truly reassured.

Tao Xiaoxi was at a loss for words when Meng Qing asked her, and she didn’t know how to answer. She handed the phone to the person next to her. “Mom wants to know where you’re hurt.”

She must have been angry because she didn’t even look at him. His mother-in-law was still waiting for his reply, so Chen Fang could only answer the phone first.

“Mom, I just have a concussion. I need to stay in the hospital for observation for a couple of days.”

“The blood isn’t mine; it’s from my colleague. He’s a bit more seriously injured.”

“He had surgery last night, but he woke up this morning. The doctor said if he’s awake, it’s not serious. Now it’s just about resting and recovering.”

Tao Xiaoxi was barely processing his words. Her right hand clutched her left, which was trembling slightly. Finally, she slipped her left hand into her coat pocket, picked up the items on the floor with her right hand, and headed to press the elevator button.

Chen Fang hung up the phone and quickly caught up with her, grabbing her arm. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going downstairs to meet Mom. She gets anxious easily, which causes her blood pressure to rise,” she said, avoiding his touch.

He stepped forward. “I’ll go with you.”

She didn’t want to be with him, not in any situation.

“Then you go ahead. I’ll go upstairs to see Jiang Youlin’s mom,” Tao Xiaoxi said, stepping back and turning toward the hallway. She planned to take the stairs.

Chen Fang blocked her path. “What happened to Jiang Youlin’s mom?”

Tao Xiaoxi blurted out, more out of frustration than intention. “Why should I tell you?”

Chen Fang put both hands on her shoulders. “I didn’t mean to deceive you. I was just afraid that you—”

“Afraid I’d worry?” she cut him off calmly. “Well, I should thank you. Thanks for not telling me. I had a good sleep last night, so you don’t need to explain. I get it, and I’m not angry.”

Saying that she wasn’t angry didn’t erase the anger rising in her chest. She wasn’t someone who usually got upset over minor things. When she once caught Gu Zichu and Wu Sining in bed together, she had only slapped Gu Zichu once. After that, her anger disappeared. He was just scum, and she didn’t need to waste her emotions on someone like him.

She reminded herself not to be angry, telling herself that he did this for her good. He was trying to keep her from worrying, even coming up with lies to soothe her. She should be understanding.

A married older sister at the company had once shared the secret to a lasting marriage: the key is to avoid taking things too seriously. Sometimes, it’s better to let things slide and not make a fuss. The trick to a long marriage, she said, is being a little bit confused.

Tao Xiaoxi tried to follow this advice, but when she thought about him being in the car accident and hospitalized, it bothered her. She was the last to know, and if she hadn’t happened to run into him, she might never have found out. She couldn’t just act like a happy couple when he had kept such an important thing from her.

He had pushed her out of his life under the guise of protecting her.

The elevator dinged as it arrived at the floor. Tao Xiaoxi impatiently urged him, “Are you going or not? If you’re not, I’ll go by myself.”

Chen Fang took the things from her hands and, without waiting, pulled her into the elevator.

There were people in the elevator, and Tao Xiaoxi didn’t want to make a scene in front of everyone. She couldn’t get away from him, so she stared at the elevator wall.

Chen Fang quietly apologized. “I was wrong. No matter the reason, I shouldn’t have kept this from you.”

When he saw her pale face in the hallway earlier, he realized his mistake. He had done something foolish and destroyed the trust they had worked so hard to build. He was afraid she would never trust him again.

Tao Xiaoxi shifted her feet, moving a little farther away from him.

When the elevator doors opened, Meng Qing and Tao Wenyong were waiting. As soon as Meng Qing saw Chen Fang, she let out a relieved sigh. She silently thanked the gods, vowing to confront Huihui’s mother later for cursing her son-in-law with such misfortune.

The four of them entered the elevator together. Meng Qing needed to check Chen Fang’s medical records, while Tao Wenyong kept his eyes on him, asking, “Are you sure you’re alright? No other injuries, right? Don’t lie to me and your mom.”

Chen Fang moved his arms and legs, showing them. “I’m fine. The doctor said I just need to be monitored for a while. I should be able to leave the hospital today.”

Tao Wenyong finally relaxed and asked how the accident happened.

Chen Fang explained that the other driver was drunk, and the car crashed through the guardrail, hitting theirs head-on.

Tao Wenyong sighed and warned him again, saying that drinking and driving was dangerous and could ruin two families in the blink of an eye.

As the elevator approached their floor, Tao Xiaoxi told Meng Qing, “Jiang Youlin’s mom is in the hospital with a back injury. I’m going to visit her.”

Meng Qing’s expression turned serious. “Is it serious? A back injury is painful, especially for the elderly. Wait for me to finish checking on Chen Fang. I’ll go with you.”

Tao Xiaoxi shook her head. “No need. I’ll go alone. She needs quiet time to recover, and too many people will only make things worse.”

Meng Qing nodded, her mind still focused on her son-in-law’s condition. She’d visit Jiang Youlin’s mom another time.

“Give me the things,” Tao Xiaoxi said, reaching for the items as they spoke.

Chen Fang handed them over. Their hands brushed, and as he moved to step forward, Tao Xiaoxi quickly stepped back and took the items.

Chen Fang tried to make conversation. “Is it heavy?”

Tao Xiaoxi looked ahead. “No, it’s not.”

After that, Chen Fang remained silent.

Tao Xiaoxi spent quite a while with Jiang Youlin’s mother, who loved to talk. Bored and stuck in the hospital, the elderly woman chatted with Tao Xiaoxi about everything from her injury to her daughter’s struggles with finding a partner, eventually leading to questions about when Tao Xiaoxi planned to have children.

Just as Tao Xiaoxi left the hospital room, her phone rang. It was Meng Qing.

“Is it over?” Meng Qing asked.

“I just came out.”

“We’re heading home now, so don’t wait for us. I still have to work, and your dad will make lunch. Go home and get it later. Chen Fang’s condition is more serious than we thought. He has some fluid in his chest. He shouldn’t leave yet. He’ll stay another day and we’ll reassess tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

“One of his employees is in worse shape. It’s tragic. I heard Chen Fang say he grew up without parents and has an older disabled brother to take care of. Yesterday, it was his employee driving. Chen Fang was in the passenger seat. If it weren’t for that… sigh…” Meng Qing sighed deeply.

Tao Xiaoxi’s hand tightened slightly.

“Fortunately, it’s not too serious. Being able to recover is what matters.”

“Yeah. Mom, let me take you both home.”

“No need. We’ll take a taxi back, and I’ll come by again this afternoon,” Meng Qing hesitated for a moment. “Xiaoxi, when Mom was shouting at you, it wasn’t because of anything else. I was just worried you wouldn’t want us to worry about you, keeping everything from us. Your father and I are older, but we’re not at the point where we can’t handle things. This time nothing serious happened, but even if something difficult had come up, if you had told us, the family would have shared the burden. When we face challenges together, it doesn’t feel so hard. Do you understand what I mean?”

“Yes, I understand, Mom.” Tao Xiaoxi’s eyes grew a little misty.

After hanging up the phone, Tao Xiaoxi walked toward the hallway. She didn’t want to squeeze into the elevator, so she decided to find a quieter place. As soon as she opened the door, she almost collided with someone coming out. She was about to apologize but stopped when she saw who it was.

“How is Auntie?” Chen Fang lowered his head to meet her gaze.

Tao Xiaoxi focused on his shoulder. “Not serious, just needs to rest.”

Chen Fang grabbed her hand and pulled her from the bustling corridor to the quiet stairwell.

“Now you don’t even want to look at me?” Chen Fang bent down to meet her eyes.

Tao Xiaoxi turned her gaze away and looked at the white wall behind him. “Since you’re fine, I’ll leave now. I still need to go to the industrial and commercial bureau. If I’m late, people will be taking their lunch break.”

Chen Fang cupped her face with both hands. “Who says I’m fine? I didn’t want to say it in front of mom and dad earlier, but I have a headache, and my chest hurts. It’s been so bad that I didn’t sleep well last night.”

“You should see a doctor. I can’t treat any of your pain.” Tao Xiaoxi pushed his hands away but couldn’t suppress the frustration in her heart. “Or you could go see Zhao Yijiang or Sister Yingying. They should be able to help with your pain.”

Chen Fang chuckled at her words. “Why would I go see them? Zhao Yijiang is such a chatterbox. If he’s around, I’m worried not just my chest and head will hurt, but my ears will too. His brother is in the traffic police department, and yesterday he was on duty. When Zhao Yijiang found out, he insisted on coming to the hospital.”

Tao Xiaoxi waited for him to continue.

“Zhou Ying knows because she was in my car yesterday.”

Tao Xiaoxi’s mouth twitched, and she almost interrupted him. She didn’t want to hear more.

Chen Fang continued, “Fengyi Group is planning to build a factory here, and I want to secure this project. Zhou Ying knows the person in charge of Fengyi’s local operations. She was supposed to meet with him in the city yesterday, but on the way, there was a car accident.”

He mentioned it was a drunk-driving accident, but it might not be as simple as that. Huang Baodeng also wanted to get the project, and though the person involved was a stranger, if it was investigated, there would be traces to follow.

Tao Xiaoxi could tell he was holding back something, but since he didn’t want to share, she didn’t press. She glanced at her watch. “I have to go. You should go back to your room. You running around like this won’t help anyone, not even yourself.”

Her voice remained soft, but Chen Fang could hear the distance in it. He held onto her fingers as she tried to pull away, and he had a feeling that this distance wasn’t just physical.

“Tao Xiaoxi, what can I do to make you stop being angry with me?”

Clearly, today’s issues couldn’t be solved with a simple apology.

Tao Xiaoxi was about to pull her hand away but paused halfway.

She looked at their intertwined hands, then after a long moment, she spoke. “You once said I could ask you anything I wanted to know?”

“You can ask anything, anytime,” Chen Fang said, tightening his grip on her hand.

Tao Xiaoxi lifted her gaze, the first time she truly met his eyes today.

“Do you like Sister Yingying? Even if it was in the past, or maybe now… just a little? I want your honest answer.”

°.✩┈┈∘*┈˃̶୨୧˂̶┈*∘┈┈✩.°

Hey guys, do check out Ayalee’s other translation works here (❀‿‿❀)