Chapter 16: Sooner or Later, You’ll Come Back to Me

Li Qingqing hurriedly closed the door behind her.

“Master, you… why are you here?” Her voice trembled slightly with panic. She wasn’t sure if Mu Xingyi had overheard her conversation with Lu Yan just now.

“You’ve been gone a while and didn’t come back. I was worried, so I came looking for you,” Mu Xingyi said with concern in his eyes. As he looked at Li Qingqing, he noticed the tear stains still fresh on her cheeks.

“Are you alright, Qingqing? Did something happen at home?”

Li Qingqing quickly wiped away her tears and tugged on Mu Xingyi’s arm, trying to lead him back to the private room.

“I’m fine. It’s nothing serious—just something about my younger brother. I’m a little worried about him,” she said, telling a harmless lie.

Mu Xingyi looked at her with obvious distress. “Qingqing, I’m your Master now. If you’re going through anything, you must tell me. I’ll do everything I can to help you.”

Hearing this, Li Qingqing felt a surge of warmth in her chest. “Got it. Thank you, Master,” she choked out emotionally.

Behind them, Lu Yan stood in the shadows, watching their backs. A surge of uncontainable fury burned inside him, and his expression turned cold and hard.

“I knew it—you’ve been sneaking around behind my back,” a voice chimed in behind him.

Qin Yichuan.

“You really are something. I handed her to you on a silver platter and you didn’t want her. Now you’re here brooding over a love triangle,” Qin Yichuan continued to taunt him.

Lu Yan said nothing.

“What? Want me to slip her something and toss her into your bed?” Qin Yichuan said, clearly half-joking, half-testing.

“Don’t pull any of your filthy tricks,” Lu Yan warned coldly.

“What’s the matter? You in love now?” Qin Yichuan teased.

Lu Yan slowly turned to him, his voice like ice. “Say one more word, and I’ll make sure you never speak again.”

Qin Yichuan shut up immediately. He knew Lu Yan well—his usual gentlemanly façade hid the ruthlessness he was fully capable of unleashing.

As he watched the two figures disappear at the end of the corridor, a dark shadow settled over Lu Yan’s heart.

Li Qingqing, sooner or later… you’ll come crawling back to me.

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That entire week, Li Qingqing followed Mu Xingyi closely, learning traditional Chinese medicine. The experience of having a Master guide her was far more reassuring than her previous aimless self-study.

In the past, she would often get stuck in the middle of reading medical texts, lost and confused, sometimes taking ages to grasp even a single concept. It was always a slow and frustrating process.

But now, things were different. With Mu Xingyi’s explanations and guidance, the once-vague ideas became crystal clear. It was like someone had unblocked the meridians in her brain.

She felt like she was absorbing an incredible amount of knowledge, and that constant sense of growth gave her a deep sense of purpose and stability.

Mu Xingyi even praised her for her quick understanding, saying she was a natural fit for studying Chinese medicine.

Li Qingqing felt like her life was finally back on track. She was steadily advancing in the field she loved, earning a small but stable internship stipend, and even her brother Ah Ze’s condition had eased enough to give her some breathing room.

As long as she stayed focused and learned diligently under Mu Xingyi, she believed that one day, she could become an outstanding doctor like him.

On the weekend, Li Qingqing got on the bus back home, carrying a comic book she had bought for Ah Ze.

Ah Ze had been wanting this comic for a long time, but back then, all the money she earned from part-time jobs had gone toward his medication. There was never enough left over to spend on little indulgences.

But now, life was finally beginning to stabilize. Ah Ze would definitely be happy when he saw this book.

The bus jostled along for quite a while before finally stopping at a remote stop.

Li Qingqing got off and walked toward a narrow alley—unfamiliar, yet strangely familiar.

Before long, Li Qingqing arrived in front of a dilapidated residential building. This was an old housing complex, mostly home to migrant workers and people doing odd jobs in the city.

On the rooftop of the building to the left, a few illegal extensions had been built—small rooms the landlord had added to collect more rent. Access to these rooms required climbing an iron staircase installed on the side of the building.

This was Li Qingqing’s home.

She climbed the rusted iron stairs, pushed open the unlocked door, and stepped inside.

A thick cloud of smoke immediately hit her, making her frown deeply. She lifted her sleeve to cover her mouth and nose.

The apartment was a mess—clearly not cleaned in a long time.

Li Qingqing walked into the living room and tossed several empty liquor bottles into the trash bin.

Hearing the noise, Ah Ze (Xie Ze) ran out from the bedroom.

“Jiejie, you’re back!” he cried, throwing himself into Li Qingqing’s arms.

She held him tightly, nearly bursting into tears. Her little hero was finally alive and full of energy again.

Just a few weeks ago, he had been lying weakly in a hospital bed. The memory of that still made her chest tighten with sorrow.

She looked down at his small frame, gently cupping his cheek. “Ah Ze, does your heart still hurt?”

Xie Ze gave her a bright, innocent smile and answered very sensibly, “Not anymore! The doctor said as long as I don’t do anything too intense or get too emotional, I’ll be fine. Jiejie, did you know?”

He glanced at the door to the inner bedroom and lowered his voice. “Actually, I think my heart’s not that bad. It only acted up last time because I saw Daddy hitting Mommy…”

Li Qingqing followed his gaze to the bedroom door. Her heart ached with guilt and helplessness. How could his condition improve in an environment like this?

“Where’s Mom?” she asked. She hadn’t seen Chen Suyun since arriving.

“She went out to buy groceries. Daddy hadn’t come home for days, and the moment he did, he said he wanted spicy stir-fried eel. So Mom went out to buy it. That drunk is still sleeping in the room.” Xie Ze pointed at the door.

Li Qingqing sighed. She pulled out the comic book from her bag and handed it to Xie Ze. “Ah Ze, look what I’ve got.” She waved the book in front of him.

His eyes lit up with surprise and joy, but then his expression dimmed again.

“Jiejie, you didn’t have to work so hard just to buy me this. I heard that you paid the deposit for my heart surgery… that must’ve cost a lot. You must be working so many jobs… I don’t want you to suffer because of me…”

Xie Ze looked into her eyes and spoke with a seriousness beyond his years.

Li Qingqing’s eyes welled up again. She stroked his head gently. “You don’t need to worry about me, Ah Ze. I’ve got a proper job now. One day, I’ll make enough money to take you far away from here, alright?”

Hearing that, Xie Ze’s face lit up once more.

“Go read your comic. I’ll clean up the house a bit.”

Xie Ze took the comic, happily settling down at the staircase entrance. He flipped through the pages with delight while waiting for his mother to return with the groceries.

Li Qingqing turned back toward the mess inside and got to work. She was no stranger to this.

When she was younger, Chen Suyun often worked outside, so Li Qingqing handled all the housework. After school, she’d come home early to cook dinner for the family.

It had been this way until she started living in a dorm during high school.

After finally getting the living room in order, she walked into the kitchen—only to find it in even worse condition. The sink was piled with dirty dishes, and the food waste hadn’t been taken out for days. A foul smell lingered in the air.

Li Qingqing threw out the trash, replaced the bag, and started washing dishes.

The sound of running water echoed as one plate after another was scrubbed clean. Just as she was wiping down the sink—

She suddenly felt a strong arm wrap around her waist from behind.

She had been grabbed. Someone was holding her from behind.