translated_Chapter 56

56: Loneliness.

Like porridge and grilled meat with rice.

“It’s okay, there’s still rehabilitation exercises to come,” Qiu Shi comforted.

Qiu Ci ate without tasting, putting down his fork after one bite: “I talked to the doctor today.”

Qiu Shi’s hand paused: “What did they say?”

“I can apply for a disability certificate.” Although Qiu Ci didn’t show much disappointment, as twins often have a telepathic connection, Qiu Shi could feel some of Qiu Ci’s emotions: pain, despair, depression.

These complex negative emotions were only summarized by Qiu Ci as: “Uncomfortable,” brushed over in a sentence.

He didn’t want his sister to suffer because of this either.

“The driver wasn’t the one you usually use…” Qiu Ci must have wanted to ask this a long time ago.

“That day was Monday, and I had to go to school, so I found someone temporarily for you. I’ve already comforted his family, you don’t need to worry about it.”

“He died.”

Qiu Shi felt the topic was inappropriate: “I took care of it.”

“There was a metal feather ornament in the car. I saw that thing stuck in the driver’s head.”

Even though she already knew her brother had brushed shoulders with death, hearing it brought up still made her feel lingering fear: “I know, don’t be afraid, it’s all in the past.”

“I felt that ornament looked very familiar. Years ago, when we were still in New York, someone came to the manor. I was in the warehouse that day, and I saw a feather pattern on that person’s clothes through the crack in the door. It’s a logo of a niche brand.” Qiu Ci always felt that thing was very familiar.

“A coincidence, maybe? That day…” Had Qiu Ci met Qin Yishan?

“I later found out that someone from the Qin family had come, but I’m not sure who from the Qin family it was. There are a lot of children in his family, and the relationships between the younger generation aren’t very harmonious.”

Qiu Shi cleaned things up: “I probably have to go first, the teacher gave me an assignment. Don’t overthink it, get some rest.”

Qiu Ci didn’t mention the Qin family anymore, but said something else that shocked Qiu Shi: “Sister, don’t you, don’t you want me to go to Hangzhou?”

“What are you talking about? I really have to go.”

“You dug up the professor’s young-age affair with a lover, and secretly holding classes. The latter is a small thing, the former, that lover was a man, and you exposed a lot of the teacher’s scandals. You did it.”

“Does it have to be me? How can you think of me like that? I am… your sister.”

“So was it you? Sister, you can lie, I can tell.”

Qiu Shi seemed trapped in this room.

“A few days ago, I spoke with Dad, and he told me that if I need help, I can look for the Qin family’s son, Qin Yishan, and he also said that you have a very good relationship with him. Coincidentally, he’s back in the country. When did you two meet? Was it at the manor when we were thirteen? Was the person back then also him? So you borrowed the car and driver from him, and coincidentally the driver’s family was sick and needed money, coincidentally the car had a malfunction, and coincidentally the airbags also had a problem.” Qiu Ci finally added: “Of course, these are just my guesses. Maybe you don’t know Qin Yishan at all, or maybe that lover suddenly got angry and exposed the professor after twenty years.”

Qiu Shi turned around angrily: “What are you talking about? Are you trying to ruin our relationship? Qiu Ci, don’t push it.”

“Then is it me…” Qiu Ci sneered: “From what point did you start disliking me? Qiu Shi.”

“You’re my brother.”

“I know.”

“I didn’t want to harm you, I just didn’t want you to be so far away from me. I didn’t want you to go to Hangzhou. We’ve never been apart, don’t guess randomly, okay?”

“I believe you.” Qiu Ci reached out his hand, but that hand trembled like a sieve in the air: “Sister, let me see your phone.”

Qiu Shi was completely disappointed. Her brother was a little too smart, too clever for his own good: “You really disappoint me.”

Qiu Ci’s light green eyes were like a fox’s, without the previous innocence.

The Qiu Ci who shouted: “I want to be a painter!” was also gone. The car accident took away his right hand and severed his fate.

The relationship between the two also deteriorated.

“You really don’t want to take me with you anymore?” This time, Qiu Ci’s tone carried a hint of inquiry.

Qiu Shi’s mood had already reached freezing point: “Think whatever you want, go wherever you want. I’m going to Japan to study next month.”

The two young people were at an age where they were self-centered, and at this moment, they were at odds, neither willing to give in.

Qiu Ci was angry that Qiu Shi wanted to leave him.

Qiu Shi was angry that Qiu Ci would actually think of her that way.

The door slammed shut.

For a long time afterward, no one came to this ward except for the caregiver and the doctor.

The day before Qiu Shi left, she was looking at messages on her phone in the hospital corridor.

The chat history with Qiu Ci showed that a month ago, Qiu Ci would use voice messages to tell her what rehabilitation he did today.

The schedule for the fifth surgery.

Wanting to eat dumplings from a certain famous shop.

There was a long gap in between, and further back were the photos shared before the car accident.

The empty period was when he was in a coma.

Since the last fight, there had been no new messages.

She refreshed it several times, but there were none. In the end, Qiu Shi still sent a message.

“I’m leaving, plane ticket for tomorrow.”

At the name, the “typing” indicator flickered several times, finally sending back a sentence.

“Bon voyage.”

Okay, it wasn’t exactly a cold war.

The reply was quite fast, probably because he was always watching.

No apology.

But the two seemed to have forgiven each other.

Or rather, not forgiven, at least turned the page.

Louis’s every suggestion was very important.

For example, he wanted Qiu Shi to make more friends, but Qiu Shi didn’t listen.

Now, alone in Japan, she had no one to talk to.

Without Qiu Ci, Qiu Shi felt like she was incomplete.

When they were little, Qiu Ci even slept next to her.

Before school started, Qiu Shi spent her days sleeping in a daze.

No one called her to eat, no one told her whether she should be asleep or awake.

If she could do it again, she would keep the “painter” Qiu Ci.

Instead of the suspicious and vindictive Qiu Ci now.

Those eyes were too captivating.

Or maybe it was because she had a guilty conscience.

Woke up hungry in the middle of the night, too lazy to cook alone.

Ran downstairs to the convenience store to buy some snacks.

Her brain wasn’t very clear, and she spoke Chinese in Japan.

Fortunately, the clerk was Chinese, which was a stroke of fate.

After a brief chat, Qiu Shi learned that this person was also a finance student who didn’t like finance.

Similar experiences made it easy for Qiu Shi to empathize.

When talking about what she would do if she didn’t study finance.

“Conan Doyle’s “Sherlock Holmes” and all of Conan Doyle’s books, I also want to be a detective.” At this age, loving to daydream was also the closest one could be to their dreams.

Looking at the light in that person’s eyes, Qiu Shi panicked for a moment.

“That’s great, I support you…”

If she could have thought this way when she was with Qiu Ci.

Qiu Ci removed the nails from his hand.

This is how it would be from now on. Despite the doctor’s efforts to repair it, it ultimately left him with a disability.