Chapter 1332 - 1329: Feels Like the Sky Is Falling
Through the door and window, Zi Ruoxi saw Qiao Muyun asleep on the bed, and her heart was filled with indescribable emotions. She took out her cellphone, found that number—something that weighed heavily on her, full of pressure—and didn’t know how to call it or what to say once she did. For the first time, she felt as if the sky was going to collapse, and tears welled up in her eyes with worry.
Finally, she sat motionless on the chair outside the door for a while, taking deep breaths to steady her emotions. Now was not the time to lose composure, much less to cry and vent. It was as if Zi Ruoxi had made some sort of resolve, her bright, watery eyes suddenly grew much darker.
No matter what, she had to save Brother Qiao Muyun...
By now, it was already ten o’clock at night. Zi Ruoxi finally took out her cellphone again, and this time, she dialed that number without hesitation.
"Hello..." A voice with a dense magnetic quality came from the other side.
"Hello, Young Master, it’s me, Zi Ruoxi," Zi Ruoxi’s voice was very soft.
The other person paused for a moment.
"Where are you?" Qiao Junlie asked calmly.
Zi Ruoxi took a breath. Her eyes showed a hint of confusion.
"It doesn’t matter where I am. I want to see you..." Zi Ruoxi said slowly, pausing for a moment, then continued, "I have something I want to talk to you about."
After hearing these two sentences, the person on the other end didn’t seem in a hurry to reply. There was a silence of two seconds.
"You’re at Tiangang Hospital now?" Qiao Junlie guessed.
"Mm," Zi Ruoxi replied softly.
"...Then I’ll come to pick you up," Qiao Junlie replied thoughtfully.
"No, I want to stay and take care of Brother Qiao Muyun," Zi Ruoxi’s voice was still very soft, but very firm.
Without thinking too much, Zi Ruoxi felt she had to be by Qiao Muyun’s side. She had to give him strength, to watch over him, to make sure he was alright. At this moment, she suddenly felt utterly useless.
"I beg you, please save Brother Qiao Muyun..." Zi Ruoxi couldn’t help but plead with heartache. She truly couldn’t think of a better way. If it were possible, she would even endure this hardship in his place. She felt she had wronged him, always blaming herself. If she had desperately stopped him from the beginning, there wouldn’t be this outcome today...
Heavens, why so cruel?
Zi Ruoxi’s deep plea, however, did not consider how her attitude, through the phone, left Qiao Junlie feeling quite uncomfortable. Frankly, if he still had a bit of that touch, it had also evaporated by now.
"Brother Qiao Muyun this, Brother Qiao Muyun that, you call him so affectionately! If that’s the case, why are you making this call at all?! Do whatever you want, right? Zi Ruoxi, are you trying to drive me crazy?!"
Qiao Junlie thought more and more angrily.
"I’m not a doctor," Qiao Junlie replied in annoyance.
"But he needs money for the surgery," Zi Ruoxi lowered her voice. She didn’t even know how she blurted out this sentence.
𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢
The other side seemed to pause.
"Money?!" Repeating that word, Qiao Junlie retorted sarcastically with a near-playful tone, "Aren’t you a designer who doesn’t lack it?"
Zi Ruoxi bit her lip, her charming face suddenly flushed with red, vaguely burning, as if a fire was blazing uncomfortably in her body.
"Right now, there’s not much cash in the company’s account..." Zi Ruoxi spoke softly, then almost pleading again, "Can’t you temporarily forget the grudge with Brother Qiao Muyun? Any wrongdoing is between the older generations and has nothing to do with Brother Qiao Muyun, besides, it’s all in the past now, isn’t it? Brother Qiao Muyun is your own brother!" By the end, Zi Ruoxi almost couldn’t speak, choking on her words.
In truth, the Qiao family was a famous and noble family from abroad, constantly maintaining a low profile, yet they were far wealthier than Zi Ruoxi’s Zi family.
Qiao Junlie was the legitimate eldest young master of the Qiao family, while the second young master Qiao Muyun was just an illegitimate child they found.
Qiao Junlie never really liked this brother, but outwardly, they got along reasonably well, though their statuses were worlds apart.
Zi Ruoxi met Qiao Junlie because they were classmates, then through Qiao Junlie, she got to know his brother Qiao Muyun. The relationship among the three had always been quite delicate.
"Are you saying I’m a narrow-minded, ruthless person, is that it?" Qiao Junlie reprimanded. His handsome face darkened with displeasure.
Not expecting such a response, Zi Ruoxi was shocked. Immediately.
"No, no, you misunderstood..." Zi Ruoxi hurried to explain.
Unexpectedly, the other side let out a cold laugh.
"Thank you for reminding me, he is my brother. Otherwise, I might really as you said, almost forget there was such an ungrateful relative in the world." His impatient tone crept with sarcastic remarks. At this moment, Qiao Junlie truly regretted picking up this call. All was well, only to invite irritation for no reason. Damn woman, damn woman...
Xinjian kept cursing.
On the other end of the phone, Zi Ruoxi seemed to sense Qiao Junlie’s cold attitude. But there was no one else with the capability to save Qiao Muyun except him, so she steeled her heart, biting her lip...
"Young Master, I beg you..." Zi Ruoxi implored meekly.
Listening to her, Qiao Junlie grew annoyed.
"Whatever it is, come to my office tomorrow to talk. It’s late. I need to rest now. Goodbye!" With that, Qiao Junlie hung up with a snap.
As the other side went silent, Zi Ruoxi picked up her cellphone and put it quietly into her bag. Suddenly, she felt a pain in her stomach and quickly requested a paper cup from reception, got some water, took out pills from her bag, and took two, which made her feel a little better.
Tomorrow...
She was still thinking about Qiao Junlie’s last words. Yes, she had to go for Qiao Muyun’s sake. For the first time ever, Zi Ruoxi felt the significance of money. Though they weren’t her real family, in this world, they were even closer than family. How could she bear to watch them suffer and stand idly by?
Zi Ruoxi stood up, returned to Qiao Muyun’s hospital room, crouched down, and looked at his handsome sleeping face, unconsciously brushing her hand gently across it. Qiao Muyun didn’t wake up, maybe because the anesthesia was too strong.
Zi Ruoxi gave a bitter smile, entwined her delicate fingers around his hand, lightly rubbing it against her face. His hand was large and broad, the palm a bit rough, the back cold and icy, yet very soft and comforting. She continued to hold his hand, slowly rubbing it on her face, and unconsciously, it slid to her lips...