Chapter 67

That single word “Sister” was deafening. Xia Qingning couldn’t hold back anymore, tears streamed down her face. She desperately wanted to respond, but the bus had already driven far away, and his small figure had disappeared.

She leaned her head against the window glass, trying to keep her crying quiet. She had no siblings in the real world and had never experienced such intense sibling love.

Reluctance, helplessness, gratitude, sadness… a multitude of emotions intertwined, surging in her heart. Her heart couldn’t calm down for a long time.

Xia Qingcao must have gotten up early. Knowing his sister was leaving, he picked loquats, carefully selecting the biggest ones, and placed them on the table. Then he went to the bus station early and quietly waited for them.

Maybe at first, he just wanted to hide in a corner, sneak a peek at his sister, and then go back. But in the end, his deep affection and reluctance for his sister couldn’t be suppressed when he saw the bus slowly driving away. He chased after it.

He was so strong, so stubborn, yet at the last moment, he called out to her.

Thinking about this, Xia Qingning felt even worse. She was immersed in the sadness of parting, and her emotions couldn’t calm down for a long time. At that moment, an arm stretched out and gently pulled her head away from the hard window glass, placing it on his shoulder.

He didn’t say anything, but he silently comforted her with his actions.

Xia Qingning didn’t refuse Lu Jingzhe’s kindness. She rested her head on his shoulder and slowly calmed down. His warm body temperature, through the thin fabric of his shirt, slowly transferred to her, calming her heart.

She realized that this man beside her was truly good! Very good! He always managed to give you strength without saying a word, making you feel safe and warm.

She leaned against his shoulder, the bus swaying as it moved forward. After a long time, she finally stopped feeling sad. Afraid that she had been leaning on him for too long and his shoulder couldn’t take it, she lifted her head from his shoulder.

At that moment, she suddenly felt that someone was looking at her. But when she subconsciously looked over, she didn’t see anything.

“What’s wrong?” Lu Jingzhe noticed her expression and asked in a deep voice.

Seeing that there was nothing unusual, Xia Qingning thought she had imagined it. She shook her head and said softly:

“Nothing.”

Lu Jingzhe didn’t ask anything else. He told her that if she was tired, she could sleep for a while and he would wake her up when they arrived.

She had walked such a long mountain road, and her emotions had been so up and down. Xia Qingning was indeed a little tired. She leaned back, closed her eyes, and fell asleep after a while.

Maybe she hadn’t slept well last night. She slept very soundly this time, and only woke up when Lu Jingzhe called her and said they were almost there.

As soon as she opened her eyes, she realized that she had somehow leaned against his shoulder again. The most embarrassing thing was that she found a small wet spot on Lu Jingzhe’s shirt.

She touched her damp lips and immediately understood. It was her saliva.

“I’m sorry.” She said apologetically, reaching out to wipe it for him, but she felt it was inappropriate and retracted her hand. “When we get back, you take it off, and I’ll wash it for you.”

“It’s okay.” Lu Jingzhe said two words in a deep voice, as if he didn’t mind.

Around three o’clock, the bus stopped. They got off the bus and walked forward, ready to take the bus back home. At that moment, a cautious questioning voice came from behind:

“You, are you Xiaoning?”

Xia Qingning turned around and saw a woman in her twenties looking at her. The woman was a little thin and had dark circles under her eyes, but it was clear that her features were still pretty.

She could call her by name, so she must know her. But Xia Qingning felt that she looked unfamiliar. She asked, “Who are you?”

The woman gave a slightly awkward smile and stammered, “I, I’m Xiaoyu. We’ve met before, don’t you remember?”

Xia Qingning searched her mind for a while before she realized. This was her brother’s childhood sweetheart.

Actually, on the bus, Lin Xiaoyu hadn’t recognized Xia Qingning at first. She had changed so much, she was like a different person. It wasn’t until she shouted Qingcao’s name out the window that Lin Xiaoyu was sure it was her.

She had been observing her silently all the way. The gaze Xia Qingning had felt was hers.

After knowing her identity, Xia Qingning’s face remained calm. She didn’t show any disgust or anger. She asked, “Oh, is there something you need?”

Seeing her so calm, Lin Xiaoyu was a little surprised. She hesitated for a moment before cautiously asking, “Your brother… is he okay now?”

“He’s fine.” Xia Qingning unconsciously frowned and replied.

“Then he…” Lin Xiaoyu paused, her eyes filled with anticipation. She asked, “Has he mentioned me to you?”

After she said this, Lu Jingzhe, who had been expressionless the whole time, unconsciously showed a hint of disgust.

Xia Qingning’s eyes flashed with a hint of dissatisfaction. Her voice was a little cold as she answered her:

“No, he hasn’t.”

Originally, she didn’t have any opinion about Lin Xiaoyu leaving her brother and marrying into the city. After all, her brother’s leg was broken, and she couldn’t stand on a moral high ground and demand that others stay with him. That would be moral blackmail.

But since she had made her choice, it was a little cheap of her to come back now and ask these ambiguous questions.

After hearing Xia Qingning’s words, Lin Xiaoyu’s eyes dimmed for a moment. Then she said sadly, “I know he still hates me, but I couldn’t help it. If his leg hadn’t been broken, how could I have left him? If you want to blame someone, blame the heavens…”

She blamed the heavens for her own decision. Xia Qingning really didn’t like people who didn’t take responsibility. She didn’t want to listen to her anymore and directly interrupted her, saying with anger:

“You made the decision, not the heavens!”

Then, she calmed down and continued, “And you’re wrong. My brother doesn’t hate you. Your relationship ended the moment you decided to break up.”

“But… I still have him in my heart.” Lin Xiaoyu said pitifully. “Oh! We were destined to be together but not meant to be. It’s all because the heavens are unfair, they cruelly separated us.”

Hearing her words, Xia Qingning’s brows furrowed even deeper. She didn’t want to continue talking to her. She said in a warning tone, “Don’t say that you still have him in your heart. You’re married now. Please respect yourself, respect your husband, and respect him. Don’t make people look down on you!”

“Just because I’m married, I can’t have him in my heart? He’s in my heart! Is it wrong of me to have deep feelings for someone?” Lin Xiaoyu retorted with a grievance, as if she was the victim, and she was the most wronged in the whole incident.

“Late love is cheaper than grass! You’re free to think whatever you want, but don’t go looking for him, don’t go bothering him.” Xia Qingning’s tone was clearly filled with anger. After saying all this, she didn’t want to stay any longer and was about to leave.

Seeing that she was about to leave, Lin Xiaoyu became anxious. She suddenly reached out and grabbed her, no longer beating around the bush. She finally revealed her purpose for talking to Xia Qingning:

“That, Xiaoning, can you tell your brother something? Just say…”

Before she could finish, a rough male voice suddenly came from behind:

“Lin Xiaoyu, who are you talking to?”

Xia Qingning turned her head and saw a short, sharp-faced man walking towards them angrily. His eyes fell on Lu Jingzhe, and he asked Lin Xiaoyu, “Who is this man?”

Lin Xiaoyu’s face changed drastically. She immediately went to meet him and pulled his arm, explaining cautiously, “That woman asked me for directions, that man is her husband.”

The man’s suspicious gaze lingered on Xia Qingning and Lu Jingzhe for a moment. He said to Lin Xiaoyu in a fierce tone, “What are you saying? I’ve told you so many times, don’t talk to other men. Are you itching for a beating again?”

“I didn’t say anything, I just said a few words to that woman.”

The two of them turned and left, and the man’s scolding and abuse could still be heard along the way.

Xia Qingning unconsciously sighed. She felt it was both pitiful and hateful. She didn’t say anything else and walked quickly forward.

Lu Jingzhe looked at Xia Qingning’s back, his eyes becoming unclear. Somehow, the more he interacted with her, the more he felt that she was different from other women.

She wasn’t angry that Lin Xiaoyu had left Xia Qing Shu. Instead, she showed disdain, just like him, when Lin Xiaoyu said that she still had Xia Qing Shu in her heart.

She was so clear-headed, so wise. At that moment, he unconsciously began to wonder:

If one day I was injured on the battlefield and lost my leg or arm, what would she choose?

They got on the bus back home. Xia Qingning didn’t say anything the whole way. Lu Jingzhe wasn’t the type to initiate conversations either, so they were both silent. They rode the bus, got off, and walked back to the compound.

At Lu’s house, He Shanshan had been ranting and raving in the house for almost a day.