Chapter 782 - 751: Old Friends
Ye Qingya spent the past few days at Changxing Hospital. After a brief interaction with Qiao Rulong, she realized she hadn’t gone outside for a walk in days. An unexplained sense of restlessness arose within her, and she had a strong urge to go out, feel the sunshine and breeze, and touch the real world.
Qiao Rulong’s car accident brought her to Dongzhou, confining her in this hospital. As his wife, she felt obligated to stay by his side, sleepless and unfed. Seeing that Qiao Rulong was out of danger, she felt a huge relief, not just for his new lease on life, but also for regaining her freedom.
Ye Qingya knew very well what kind of person she was. She had her own inner world. She could live without marriage, without children, but she couldn’t lose her freedom.
She hadn’t always thought this way. Growing up, she was an obedient girl with an enviable family background. She didn’t even need to plan for her future; her family had arranged everything for her, including her marriage.
Marrying Qiao Rulong seemed like the right choice. He was undoubtedly an outstanding man, and their families were old friends. Everything felt natural. Ye Qingya never even considered whether she loved him, as her grandfather said, while ensuring a good family match, one shouldn’t overly demand love.
Love is often blind; marriage must be rational.
Ye Qingya was incredibly intelligent, understanding the role she needed to play. Yet, her intelligence made her see too much of reality. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to manage their household, but she realized that the more she invested, the more painful it could become later. So she shifted most of her energy to her art and calligraphy.
Ye Qingya walked out of the hospital building but saw no sunlight. The sky was shrouded with thick clouds, and the wind was strong. She wandered aimlessly forward.
"Mrs. Qiao! Where are you going?"
Ye Qingya looked towards the voice and saw Zhao Feiyang, the director of Changxing Hospital, beside her, carrying a large bag.
"Just taking a stroll."
"It’s going to rain. Don’t go too far," Zhao Feiyang kindly reminded her.
Ye Qingya asked, "Where are you heading?"
Zhao Feiyang replied, "To see my son. He was born prematurely with neonatal jaundice and is still in the phototherapy box."
Ye Qingya nodded, suddenly remembering that if Zhao Feiyang’s wife hadn’t donated her heart, it would have been difficult to save Qiao Rulong. Now Zhao Feiyang’s son was without a mother. As Qiao Rulong’s wife, she felt morally obligated to visit, so she offered to accompany Zhao Feiyang to see the child.
After a brief hesitation, Zhao Feiyang agreed to her request.
Ye Qingya had never seen such a small child before. Zhao Feiyang told her that since the baby was premature, he was much smaller than a normal infant, though his health was decent and his development showed no abnormalities.
If it were another woman, she might have complimented the child for being cute or pretty. But Ye Qingya couldn’t say that. The baby was thin, small, and covered with wrinkles, looking like a little monkey, so she couldn’t say something she didn’t truly feel.
Ye Qingya opened her bag, which contained ten thousand yuan in cash, saved for emergencies, now ready to be used.
Zhao Feiyang initially declined, but Ye Qingya insisted on giving the child a meeting gift, so he had no choice but to accept.
As Ye Qingya prepared to leave, it started raining heavily outside. She stood in the hospital corridor, watching the downpour. Zhao Feiyang approached her and said, "This rain won’t stop anytime soon. I’ll go find you an umbrella."
Ye Qingya shook her head. "No need; I’ll wait a bit. I’ve been staying in that ward these days anyway."
Zhao Feiyang said, "This is also a ward. By the way, I asked Dr. Shu, and President Qiao’s recovery is going well. His rejection reaction is minimal. He should be out of isolation before long."
Ye Qingya said, "Thanks to your hospital’s full efforts and your selfless contribution."
Zhao Feiyang sighed and said, "It’s fate." He then left for other matters.
Ye Qingya stood by the window, silently watching the rain. There are too many entanglements in this world; even a sudden downpour can hold her feet in place.
Elder Qiao and Elder Ye rarely visited each other’s homes after Qiao Rulong and Ye Qingya got married; they seldom met, even speaking on the phone infrequently.
It wasn’t because they were old and avoiding ineffective social interactions, but because they both chose to live quietly at home.
There’s an unwritten rule in the system; once you retire, you should minimize your appearances, especially the higher your position was.
The old comrades also avoided visiting one another to avoid misunderstandings.
Elder Qiao ventured into the Ye Family home, where Elder Ye was already waiting for him in the courtyard.
Though both stood with straight backs, they noticed each other’s visible aging.
Elder Ye said, "Did you think of coming to my house for a meal today?"
Elder Qiao laughed, "I didn’t plan on eating at your place. I just thought of you suddenly, so I came to visit."
"What’s there to see? I’m doing just fine," Elder Ye said as he invited Elder Qiao inside.
Elder Ye had prepared tea, and the two elderly gentlemen went to the tea room, where Elder Ye began boiling water for tea.
Elder Qiao said, "I heard some time ago your health wasn’t good, so I wanted to come and check on you."
Elder Ye replied, "I’m in perfect health. Who told you otherwise?"
"I’m not telling you."
Elder Ye said, "Crafty old fox!"
"Mutual understanding, mutual understanding!" Both of them laughed, but it was clear their laughter was not so carefree.
Elder Ye handed the tea cup to Elder Qiao. Elder Qiao took it and sniffed the tea aroma: "Good tea!"
"My grandson sent it."
Elder Qiao thought to himself, where did you get a grandson? More like a god-grandson. Even Chunliang didn’t send me this tea, so how could he send it to you? This is deliberately said for me to hear.
Elder Qiao said, "I came over today to discuss something with you."
Elder Ye lifted his tea cup: "Have tea, let’s have tea first."
Elder Qiao took a sip of tea and said, "You should know about Rulong’s situation, right?"
Elder Ye asked, "Which matter are you referring to?"
Elder Qiao said, "Brother, don’t pretend to be confused with me. What can’t we talk about between the two of us?"
Elder Ye sighed and said, "When we were young, there was nothing we wouldn’t talk about. But as time passed, we began to understand that even with the best of friends, some things can be discussed while others cannot. Now that we’re old, we try to talk as little as possible."
Elder Qiao said, "Some things need to be discussed. With what’s happened to Rulong, even if he recovers, it’s impossible for him to be the same as he was. Although I wish him well, reality is what it is. Brother, I don’t want him to be a burden on Qingya for life."
Elder Ye’s brows furrowed. He had thought Elder Qiao was here to negotiate terms, but surprisingly, he directly stated his stance. Old Qiao, oh Old Qiao, this is retreating to advance. Clearly, it’s your grandson’s fault, yet it seems like you’re being considerate of our Ye Family.
Elder Ye took a sip of tea and said nothing.
Elder Qiao said, "I initially planned to discuss this with Changyuan, but after thinking it over, I felt it was best to talk with you. I will certainly accomplish what I promised. With Changyuan’s capabilities, whether I intervene or not, it’s only a matter of time before he advances further."
Elder Ye looked at his lifelong friend and said, "Are you doing this as a form of compensation?"
Elder Qiao shook his head, "I’m not hiding anything from you. All my hopes are pinned on Rulong. With his health, there’s no possibility for him to progress within the system. Even if he stays, he won’t go far. Now, I just want him to live healthily for a few more years."
Elder Ye knew that Elder Qiao wasn’t saying this just for his benefit. He too was aware of Qiao Rulong’s condition. After heart transplant surgery, no matter how well he recovers, he cannot return to his former physical state. In fact, it can be said that Qiao Rulong is no longer a healthy person. No one would dare entrust him with heavy responsibilities. The Qiao Family’s rising star has fallen before it could rise.
Elder Ye picked up the teapot and refilled Elder Qiao’s cup with hot tea. Looking at the amber tea, he asked meaningfully, "Are you admitting defeat so easily?"
Elder Qiao said, "The only person who can defeat you is yourself. In him, I see the shadow of Yuanshan."
Elder Ye asked, "Have you asked Rulong for his thoughts?"
Elder Qiao replied, "He will respect my opinion."
Elder Ye asked, "Are you seeking my opinion now or just informing me of your decision?"
Elder Qiao reminded him, "It’s full!"
The tea cup in front of them was already full. It’s taught to fill tea only to seventy percent. Elder Qiao didn’t believe his old friend didn’t know this principle, nor did he believe he would suddenly lose focus at their age. He came prepared today, and Elder Ye must have thought deeply about this in the meantime.
Elder Ye said, "As long as you hold it steady, even when full, it won’t spill."
Elder Qiao said, "I’m getting so old that my hands are starting to tremble."
Elder Ye said, "Isn’t holding tea your forte?"
Elder Qiao chuckled silently. His friend was still angry after all. He picked up the full cup of tea. His hands were as steady as ever, not trembling at all. He took a sip, drinking half of it.
Elder Ye said, "I told you, you can do it."
Elder Qiao said, "I don’t have much confidence in myself."
Elder Ye said, "Changyuan really dotes on his daughter. He feels wronged."
Elder Qiao nodded slightly, "I really care for Qingya too, so I don’t want her to be wronged by following Rulong all her life."
Elder Ye said, "There’s nothing to feel wronged about. If there’s anyone to blame, it’s me. I arranged it all back then."
Elder Qiao pursed his lips, "Brother, I’m sorry!"
Elder Ye said, "Actually, it’s not as bleak as you say. The Qiao Family still has hope."
Elder Qiao understood what he meant and smiled wryly, "I can never accept that." In his heart, he thought of that chubby boy, George. Indeed, the Qiao Family still has hope, but he will never see that hope come to fruition.
Elder Ye said, "Whether you accept it or not, it’s a fact. And as for the future, it’s not up to you to decide."
The two gazed at each other. Elder Qiao understood what his old friend’s words signified. He was getting old, and his influence was waning. It wouldn’t be long before he could no longer control this increasingly fading family.
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