Chapter 76#
Chapter 76#
After a busy day, Zhao Ming’s examination results were released.
Aside from a few tests that wouldn’t have results so quickly, the current findings indicated that Zhao Ming’s condition was very stable.
The doctor told Zhao Rong that although they still needed to wait for the comprehensive results, the overall outlook was very likely to be positive. Most psychiatric illnesses are irreversible; all that could be done now was to delay the progression of the disease.
As for surgical interventions or other treatment methods, they couldn’t be decided upon yet and required careful, long-term consideration.
Zhao Rong listened quietly and then said to the lead doctor, “Once the results are in, please contact me immediately. My phone will be on at all times.”
“Of course,” the doctor replied. “Mr. Zhao, you don’t need to worry too much. Ms. Zhao’s physical vitals are very stable. Besides, you lived in a northern city before—the winters there are too cold and dry, and many elderly people tend to develop other ailments. Moving here was a good choice. Our winters are fine, though the summers can be quite hot and a bit humid. There are other things to keep in mind.”
Zhao Rong had grown up here in his previous life, so he naturally knew this. “I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you.”
He was about to take his leave when the words he was about to say suddenly caught in his throat.
Zhao Rong’s eyes sharpened, and he looked at the doctor with a hint of confusion. “Forgive me for asking, but did I mention earlier that I used to live in the north?”
The doctor gave an awkward smile. “…Ah, Mr. Zhao didn’t say. But… but Ms. Zhao’s accent sounds like it’s from the north. Perhaps I guessed wrong…”
Zhao Rong dismissed the doubt in his mind.
But for some reason, something felt slightly off.
In truth, everything was very normal—one could even say things were going exceptionally smoothly.
—Too smoothly.
Could it really be this smooth?
Zhao Ming’s situation was what he cared about most. Although it wasn’t fully resolved yet, it was getting on the right track.
Even though Zhao Rong still felt a bit uneasy, he was happy that his goals were being met.
He sent Zhou Yueqing a message expressing his wish to take over the team, thanked the doctor with a smile, and left while pushing the wheelchair and chatting with Zhao Ming.
“…I’ll take you back to the nursing home first.”
“…”
“I’ll visit you over the next few days. On New Year’s Eve, if you’re feeling up to it, I’ll pick you up to come home, and we’ll spend the New Year together.”
“…”
Only after the two entered the elevator did the doctor who had been speaking with Zhao Rong look away and walk into the office where Qiao Nanqi was waiting.
“He’s gone?” Qiao Nanqi asked.
The doctor nodded. “Yes.”
“How was his mood? Can he accept his mother’s current condition?”
The doctor thought for a moment before saying, “He can accept it. He said it’s much better than he imagined. He was very happy when he left, smiling the whole time.”
Hearing the word “smiling,” Qiao Nanqi unconsciously curled his lips into a smile as well.
He had been hiding in there, wanting to look but not daring to. His heart felt miserable, as if he were being roasted in a fire at every moment. But knowing that Zhao Rong had smiled, even while standing in those flames, he felt for a brief moment that the searing heat brought him a touch of warmth.
The doctor asked him, “Mr. Zhao just said he wants to take over the entire team. Mr. Qiao, what do you think?”
“He can do whatever he wants.” Qiao Nanqi didn’t hesitate for a second.
He didn’t need to say more; Xiao Wu understood his meaning and stepped forward to speak to the lead doctor. “Mr. Zhao will certainly discuss this with Miss Zhou; there’s no need to consult our master. From now on, whatever results or treatment ideas you have, talk directly to Mr. Zhao.”
He took out his business cards, which he had prepared long ago, and handed them to the doctors. “But if you encounter something serious that Mr. Zhao can’t resolve immediately, you can contact me. If any of you have personal matters that you can’t handle—provided they don’t violate any principles—you can also contact me. Our master will help you handle the trouble.”
The business card was clearly more exciting than a one-time cash payment. The others took them and promised to do a good job.
“Don’t thank me,” Qiao Nanqi simply said. “Once he takes over, he will be your boss.”
With Zhao Rong gone and Zhao Ming’s examination concluded, there was no point in staying.
Qiao Nanqi stood up and left with Xiao Wu.
After getting into the car, Xiao Wu asked, “Back to the hotel?”
Qiao Nanqi nodded slightly but said, “Find a house in that area as soon as possible. Price doesn’t matter.”
“Understood.”
Xiao Wu slowly pressed the accelerator.
As the scenery on both sides receded, Qiao Nanqi’s phone vibrated slightly.
He glanced at it; it was a call from Zhou Yueqing.
Qiao Nanqi had learned that Zhao Rong was in Zhuxi from Chen Jingnian’s driver.
Although he would have found out himself eventually, getting the information through the driver had clearly saved him a lot of time.
After learning Zhao Rong was in Zhuxi, he investigated the situation there. While not many people knew about the business between Zhao Rong and Zhou Yueqing, employees at the Zhou family’s company had handled it, so it wasn’t a hard secret to uncover. He had looked into it and understood everything perfectly.
Qiao Nanqi gazed at the unfamiliar southern winter streetscape outside the window, letting Zhou Yueqing wait for a while before finally picking up the phone.
“Mr. Qiao,” Zhou Yueqing sounded as if she were gritting her teeth, every word seemingly ground out of her throat. “Zhao Rong just told me he’s decided to take over the entire team and will complete the handover with me as quickly as possible. Are you satisfied now?”
Qiao Nanqi’s eyelids flickered, seemingly bored as he casually looked at everything outside the car window without speaking.
Silence drifted between them for a moment before Zhou Yueqing finally lost her patience. She suppressed the displeasure in her voice and said coaxingly, “Since Zhao Rong is satisfied, why don’t you be merciful and stop pressuring us? We originally wanted to use this to expand into the medical field, but now all hope for that is gone. I still have to compete with Ruan Cheng. If Mr. Qiao keeps pushing, you’ll drive us to a dead end.”
“Fine,” Qiao Nanqi said.
This was a bit of a reprieve, and Zhou Yueqing clearly sighed in relief. “Then those projects Mr. Qiao blocked earlier…?”
“Did I ever say I was giving them back?”
“Mr. Qiao!?”
“You seem to have misunderstood. My previous actions weren’t a bargaining chip to be exchanged with you. They were simply to show you,” Qiao Nanqi clearly disliked her, and his tone grew colder, “the consequences of not knowing your place.”
“…So Zhao Rong is that important.”
Qiao Nanqi didn’t answer.
“Lately, I’ve heard some things about Mr. Qiao’s time in Yang City. How could someone like Mr. Qiao, who could be so ruthless even to his own father, fall for someone who—”
Zhou Yueqing seemed to be gauging Qiao Nanqi’s reaction. She paused, and when she received no response, she continued, “Fall for someone who has already married your best friend?”
“If you’re lonely, how about I find a few people who look like him for you?”
Every single word was a challenge to Qiao Nanqi’s limits.
Zhao Rong and Lu Xingping’s fake wedding was Zhao Rong’s choice; he could only respect it.
And his biological father…
He silently repeated the words “biological father” in his mind several times.
Zhou Yueqing was clearly testing his boundaries. His face remained calm, his voice steady yet carrying a chill: “There is only one Zhao Rong in this world.”
“—Do you understand what I mean?”
He hung up the phone immediately.
On the other end of the line, hearing the abrupt dial tone, Zhou Yueqing’s face turned pale.
The day before New Year’s Eve.
The streets were nearly empty. Most people out and about were either shopping for supplies or visiting relatives early. There weren’t many figures, and those who were there mostly walked in small groups of two or three.
It was both monotonous and occasionally noisy.
Places like bookstores and schools were located in the city center, not far from the main road, where many workers in festive uniforms were busy.
Xiao Wu inquired for a bit and then returned to the driver’s seat. Closing the door, he said to Qiao Nanqi in the back, “I asked around. There’s a parade here tomorrow—some kind of umbrella dance. It’s an old custom, nothing special. It’s just that there will be food stalls in the evening, so they’re setting up.”
Qiao Nanqi nodded.
They were just passing through, and since this was close to where Zhao Rong was currently living, Xiao Wu had stepped out to ask.
Xiao Wu drove around the corner and slowly parked near a bookstore.
On the eve of New Year’s Eve, most shops in the vicinity were closed except for convenience stores and the like. Yet, this bookstore was unexpectedly still open.
However, at this time, clearly no one would give up their family reunion to come to a bookstore to read.
In front of the bookstore, there was only a young man in a bright red jacket putting up New Year couplets.
Qiao Nanqi had learned about this place from Zhou Yueqing.
Zhao Rong had bought a few apartments nearby and taken over a shop to open a bookstore where people could both borrow and buy books.
The interior of the bookstore was decorated in warm tones. Unlike some bookstores that prioritized aesthetics over content, leaving the inside empty, this place was packed to the brim. Aside from the reading seats, every corner was unpretentiously filled with books. In an era where some bookstores existed for gimmicks, this one was honestly and simply selling books.
It was exactly the kind of thing Zhao Rong would do.
Qiao Nanqi had originally intended just to “pass by” and catch a distant glimpse of Zhao Rong.
He didn’t dare to see Zhao Rong face-to-face, but he truly wanted to see him. After much thought, this was the only way.
Just passing by, bothering no one, taking one look and then leaving.
But the person putting up the couplets in front of the bookstore was clearly not Zhao Rong.
Even though it wasn’t Zhao Rong, Qiao Nanqi found him familiar at first glance.
He had an almost photographic memory. When the young man turned slightly to pick up the other side of the couplets, Qiao Nanqi recognized who he was.
It was the person Zhao Rong had taken away during a gala back in Yang City—someone whose temperament was thirty percent similar to Lu Xingping’s.
Qiao Nanqi’s gaze froze as he considered numerous possibilities.
Hadn’t this person hinted back then that he had nothing to do with Zhao Rong?
Why was he here in Zhuxi, thousands of miles away, in a bookstore opened by Zhao Rong?
And judging by how busy he was, he clearly wasn’t just here by chance.
Back in Yang City, the reason Zhao Rong had taken him out of the gala was for…
His eyes darkened, his expression a mix of jealousy and madness.
He pressed his hand against the car seat, using so much force that he tore a strip of the leather cover, his fingernails drawing blood.
“I want to know why he is here,” Qiao Nanqi said, enunciating every word.
Xiao Wu naturally understood what he meant. “I’ll handle it right away.”
He took out his phone and called Qiao Nanqi.
After Qiao Nanqi answered, the call remained connected. With the line open and the speaker on, Xiao Wu slipped the phone into his jacket pocket.
Then, he got out of the car and walked to the entrance of the bookstore.
Liang Youjun felt someone approaching, stopped his task of putting up the couplets, and turned around.
The reason he had the door open was partly for the couplets and partly because he was bored with nothing to do; zoning out here was the same as anywhere else. He had planned to sit aside and play on his phone after finishing, never expecting a customer—who would come to a bookstore during the New Year?
“And you are?”
Xiao Wu approached with a smile. “Are you still open? I’m visiting my brother and sister-in-law tomorrow for the New Year and wanted to get a few books as a gift for their daughter. All the other bookstores are closed; I was lucky to find yours.”
“Oh, come in and pick,” Liang Youjun put down the couplets and led Xiao Wu inside. “Just find me to check out once you’ve chosen.”
Xiao Wu walked over to the children’s books section, picked one up, and weighed it in his hand. “Boss, you’re still open during the New Year. You’re very hardworking.”
Liang Youjun yawned and said, “I’m not the boss. The boss went to see his mother today and didn’t want to open the shop. I just figured since I was coming by to sit for a while, I might as well open up.”
Liang Youjun was used to mingling at galas and parties. After coming to Zhuxi and helping Zhao Rong with the bookstore, he had learned to be a bit more talkative for sales, acting familiar with every customer.
He didn’t find Xiao Wu’s presence unexpected and chatted naturally, seeing nothing wrong—after all, he treated other customers the same way.
Being a bit friendlier meant more repeat customers.
Zhao Rong was giving him a cut of the shop’s profits, after all.
“So you’re not the boss,” Xiao Wu selected a book and picked up another. “You seem quite at ease here. Your boss must be a very good person.”
At the mention of this, Liang Youjun stifled the yawn he was about to let out.
He thought of the apartment Zhao Rong had given him and the bookstore commissions. Although it didn’t add up to as much as Xu Xin’s share, Xu Xin was naturally more capable while he was just a drifter. It was more than enough.
He smiled, even letting out a small laugh, before saying, “You bet. He’s the one supporting me.”
Xiao Wu’s movements paused.
Around the corner.
Inside the car.
Qiao Nanqi immediately hung up the phone.
He gripped the phone tightly, watching as the screen went black. His eyes grew increasingly dark and gloomy.
The occasional sharp honks of passing cars were nothing compared to how jarring and painful that sentence felt.
—“He’s the one supporting me.”
Qiao Nanqi felt as if a dull knife were grinding against his heart, stroke by stroke, intentionally refusing to give him a swift end.
The pain of being ground down.
This is normal.
He told himself.
Zhao Rong lacked nothing now. Those people from the Chen family were gone, as was he—an unworthy person. Zhao Rong couldn’t possibly be alone for the rest of his life.
Just like people like Xia Yuantu, it was only natural to keep someone obedient by one’s side.
It was better than waking up in the middle of the night to find no one there.
He understood it all.
He knew he should be happy that Zhao Rong wouldn’t be all alone.
He knew.
But he just…
At that very moment, something seemed to explode in his mind and heart, shattering his consciousness while he desperately tried to hold onto his reason.
He wasn’t just jealous that this person could stay by Zhao Rong’s side.
Rather, at this moment, he suddenly realized he was even more of a failure, even more pathetic than he had thought.
He wasn’t even as good as someone like this—a drifter who hung around wealthy heirs to make a bit of money—who could accompany Zhao Rong, make him smile when he came home, and help him handle the small chores of life.
Xiao Wu returned to the car at some point. After a while, he searched for something in the car and, without turning around, reached back to offer Qiao Nanqi a tissue.
Qiao Nanqi didn’t take it.
“…I won’t cry,” he said, slowly forcing the corners of his mouth upward. “I should smile.”
He should be happy.
Happy that Zhao Rong had someone to accompany him.