Su Banxia sensed that he had something more to say and held his hand.
Shang Lu’s deep black eyes were fixed on her as he said, “I’m going abroad for a while starting tomorrow.”
Su Banxia’s heart sank, and she asked, “How long will you be gone?”
Over the past year, Shang Lu had been going abroad periodically, and she knew it was for medical treatment on his legs. His legs weren’t recovering as easily as one might hope.
Fortunately, his rehabilitation had been effective, and he was now able to stand.
Shang Lu gently touched her face and his voice was low as he said, “Dr. Edward recommended that I stay abroad for six months.”
Six months could feel long or short, depending on the perspective. Not being able to see each other for such a long time was indeed uncomfortable. Shang Lu hadn’t given her any advance notice about his trip, leaving her unprepared.
“Oh,” she replied.
“Banxia,” Shang Lu spoke softly, “I’ll video call you every day and talk to you. I promise to reply to your messages instantly unless I’m really busy.”
Su Banxia couldn’t help but tease him, her lips curving into a playful smile, “Little LuLu, where did you learn to be so considerate?”
Shang Lu’s eyes flickered slightly, and of course, he wouldn’t mention that he had learned from Qi Jiashu.
Their marriage was initially arranged, and they both didn’t know each other at the beginning. It was like starting a romantic relationship from marriage. Dating was a skill, and he was an apprentice who needed to learn how to win her heart.
Seeing Su Banxia no longer upset, he felt a warmth in his heart.
This marriage, which began for the sake of mutual benefit, would not have become what it was without her deliberate efforts to break down his emotional barriers, leading him forward and showing him that the world was beautiful, and someone looked forward to him becoming a better person.
The darkness cracked, and moonlight streamed in. From then on, his world was as bright as day.
Su Banxia was his moon.
…
When Qi Jiashu called her to inquire about Lin Qingya’s whereabouts, Su Banxia was bewildered.
The fact that Lin Qingya’s secret lover was Qi Jiashu was completely unexpected. They never showed any romantic interest in each other when they met, as if neither of them cared for the other.
Therefore, she hadn’t even considered that possibility.
Lin Qingya had sworn to her that she wasn’t interested in men who were too passionate, and Qi Jiashu had said he would never be attracted to proud and aloof girls.
As it turned out, Qi Jiashu and Lin Qingya had been secretly together for a year.
Qi Jiashu’s relationships usually didn’t last more than three months, so Lin Qingya had been with him for quite a while.
“So, you’re saying she’s missing?” Su Banxia furrowed her brows.
Just a few days ago, she had video-called with Lin Qingya, and there was nothing suspicious. Lin Qingya wasn’t the type to play disappearing acts.
Qi Jiashu’s voice was filled with suppressed anxiety. “She blocked me and said she wanted to break up.”
Su Banxia raised an eyebrow and questioned, “Did you cheat on her and get caught?”
Qi Jiashu almost spat out blood. “Su Banxia, don’t spread rumors about me!”
Realizing that his tone was impatient and irritable, he controlled himself and continued in a subdued voice, “I’m sorry, I got a bit worked up just now. I haven’t been able to find her for these past few days. She blocked me on all social platforms, and I can’t reach her. Since you’re her good friend, could you help me find her?”
Finally, he added, “I want to confront her face-to-face and ask her why she wanted to break up.”
After hanging up the phone, Su Banxia couldn’t help but find it amusing. Even Qi Jiashu had his moments, being manipulated by Lin Qingya like this.
As the saying goes, “One good turn deserves another.” The world worked in mysterious ways.
He had certainly met his match.
Su Banxia sent messages to Lin Qingya but received no response. She then tried to video call her multiple times, but Lin Qingya didn’t answer any of them. That’s when she realized something was wrong.
In a panic, Su Banxia left her place and first went to Lin Qingya’s home, but she couldn’t find her there. She spent the entire afternoon searching all the places she could think of but still couldn’t locate Lin Qingya.
Su Banxia was growing increasingly frustrated and worried. She continued to call Lin Qingya’s phone repeatedly until someone finally answered. It was a child who picked up.
The young girl’s clear voice said, “Big sister is sleeping.”
Su Banxia patiently inquired, “Little sister, can you please tell me where you are?”
“At the hospital,” the little girl replied.
Su Banxia’s heart sank at this revelation. She asked more questions, but the little girl could only say that they were at the hospital and couldn’t provide further details.
She quickly made some calls, using her connections to find out more information. Su Banxia then drove to the People’s Hospital and eventually located Lin Qingya in a hospital room, unconscious.
The room where Lin Qingya was staying had two other patients, and the little girl who had answered the phone was in the adjacent bed. She greeted Su Banxia as she entered.
“Big sister.”
Su Banxia gently touched the girl’s head and asked one of her security personnel to get some fruits for her. She then took a seat in a chair beside Lin Qingya’s hospital bed.
Su Banxia furrowed her brows, feeling that something important had been neglected. She was uncomfortable with the thought that Lin Qingya hadn’t informed anyone about her illness despite spending time in the hospital.
When Lin Qingya woke up and saw Su Banxia’s clear eyes, she displayed a mix of guilt and sadness in her gaze.
“Banxia, why did you come here?” Lin Qingya asked.
Su Banxia stared at her and questioned, “Why didn’t you tell me that you were sick?”
“It was just a minor surgery, nothing worth mentioning,” Lin Qingya replied, her face pale.
Su Banxia showed her displeasure. “Even if it was a minor procedure, you still needed someone to take care of you. Why didn’t you tell anyone? Were you planning to go through it alone?”
“I won’t do it again in the future,” Lin Qingya hurriedly promised.
Su Banxia then asked, “What happened? I remember you used to be very healthy. Why did you suddenly end up in the hospital?”
Lin Qingya didn’t want to hide anything. She explained that her health had deteriorated over the past year. It started with skin problems like acne and yellowing skin, followed by severe hair loss. Doctors couldn’t diagnose her condition, and no medication seemed to help.
As her condition worsened, she became increasingly self-loathing. Facing the women who pursued Qi Jiashu relentlessly, she had no confidence to compete with them. There were several instances when she broke down emotionally and had heated arguments, making her feel like she was going insane.
Lin Qingya, shedding her facade, looked at Su Banxia with a choked voice and said, “Banxia, I didn’t know what to do. My health deteriorated so much.”
Su Banxia’s brows furrowed tighter, and suddenly, a flash of insight crossed her mind. Cold sweat broke out on her back, and she felt like she was drowning and gasping for air.
“Don’t worry too much,” Su Banxia held Lin Qingya’s hand and reassured her, “Qingya, just rest and take care of yourself. You’ll be fine.”
She decided to change the subject and said, “Qi Jiashu came to see me.”
Lin Qingya’s pupils slightly contracted, and she said, “I’m sorry, Banxia. I and him…”
Su Banxia teased, “You kept it a secret from me for so long. It’s been hard on me. You could become a secret agent with these skills.”
Lin Qingya felt embarrassed and explained, “I didn’t think we’d be together for long.”
From the beginning, she never had high expectations for a future with Qi Jiashu. She tried to restrain her emotions and not get too deeply involved, hoping to withdraw in time. However, she still found herself trapped in the relationship.
“I broke up with him,” Lin Qingya said.
Su Banxia remarked, “That’s just your unilateral decision, right? I don’t think Qi Jiashu wants to break up.”
Lin Qingya looked remorseful and admitted, “We’ve broken up, regardless of whether he agrees or not.”
“Should we tell him about your hospitalization?” Su Banxia asked.
Lin Qingya thought for a moment and said, “No.”
Su Banxia then suggested, “I asked the doctor, and you can be discharged tomorrow. You can come stay at my place for a while.”
“Wouldn’t that disturb you and Shang Lulu?” Lin Qingya was still quite afraid of Shang Lulu, even though their relationship had improved.
“He’s gone abroad,” Su Banxia replied.
After Lin Qingya fell asleep, Su Banxia returned to her apartment. She couldn’t wait any longer to check her phone. Her luck score had reached 90%, just a little more to reach five stars.
She had always thought that it was her interactions with Shang Lulu that boosted her luck score, but it turned out that she had misunderstood. At some point, Mu Ruxue had changed her target for stealing luck scores.
In fact, everything was traceable.
When she took back the luck scores, Mu Ruxue’s appearance initially deteriorated, but later she suddenly regained her good looks. Mu Ruxue had smugly claimed that she would make Su Banxia lose her loved ones and friends.
Presumably, by that time, she had already started targeting Su Banxia’s friends.
Su Banxia blamed herself for being careless. She asked the system if there was any way to destroy Mu Ruxue’s luck-stealing system.
Ao bai had told her that she needed to retrieve 100% of her luck scores and complete the main storyline quest thoroughly before the system would have the ability to eliminate the other system and grant her freedom.
Isn’t that dangerous for Lin Qingya? She would be at risk.
The system reassured her that the other system’s speed of stealing luck scores wasn’t that fast, which eased her worries.
The next day, she went to pick up Lin Qingya from the hospital, and there, she ran into Mu Ruxue and her mother in the narrow hospital corridor.
When Mu Ruxue saw Lin Qingya in a wheelchair, she smiled and greeted Su Banxia, saying, “What a coincidence.”
Su Banxia glanced at Mu Ruxue’s mother who quickly placed her hand on her abdomen, adopting a defensive posture.
“It’s a late-life blessing, not easy at her age. Pregnancy in older women can be dangerous,” Su Banxia sneered, “I wish your mother a safe delivery.”
Mu Ruxue raised an eyebrow and smiled, “Thanks for your good wishes. My mother will give birth to a lovely little brother.”
Outside the hospital, Lin Qingya muttered, “Disgusting.”
“An old third party wanting to have a son, it’s unbelievable. They’ve turned my worldview upside down. Mu Ruxue and her mother have no shame,” Su Banxia commented.
Su Banxia patted her shoulder and said, “Don’t waste your emotions on trash.”
Lin Qingya was puzzled, “Aren’t you angry?”
Su Banxia replied with a meaningful tone, “If she wants to have a child, let her.”
Lin Qingya was even more puzzled. The scheming mother and daughter from the Mu family were eager to inherit the Su family’s assets. Su Banxia seemed unfazed and relaxed. Could she have some kind of secret plan?
When the Mu family mother and daughter returned home, they waited for Su’s father to come back from his social engagement. They joyfully shared the good news with him.
“Dad, Mom is pregnant, and it’s a son.”
Su’s father’s expression changed dramatically, and he stared at them both, fluctuating between anger and frustration. He was so upset that he couldn’t even speak.
“Get an abortion,” he finally uttered, his voice stern.
Mu Ruxue was taken aback and asked in her trademark gentle tone, “Dad, why?”
“I won’t accept this child!” Su’s father shouted in anger.
Mu’s mother collapsed on the sofa, crying uncontrollably. “This is your child.”
Su’s father gritted his teeth and said, “I command you to get an abortion tomorrow, do you hear me?”
Mu Ruxue and her mother, of course, didn’t want to get rid of this child that had come with so much effort. To them, this child was a bargaining chip.
The situation escalated, and Su’s father was furious when he found out about his wife’s pregnancy. He threatened to take back everything he had given them if Mu’s mother didn’t get an abortion. Mu Ruxue was in a state of panic, making various pleas and requests, but her father remained unmoved.
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