translated_Chapter 69

69: Happy New Year

Su Yuyang’s tires were practically smoking, but Qiu Ci sat calmly in the passenger seat and emphasized, “Drive steady, go slower.”

“Qiu Ci! You have a cold, what are you doing at a bar!” Su Yuyang had never been so angry; if something happened to this guy by his side, his own life wouldn’t be worth much.

Qiu Ci said, “Didn’t you ask me to come?”

By the time they reached the hospital, Qiu Ci’s face was already flushed.

Normally, alcohol wouldn’t show on his face, only now.

Su Yuyang supported him to the emergency room.

After understanding the situation, the doctor arranged for a stomach lavage.

His head was already throbbing, and seeing the nurse holding the gastric tube—so long—Qiu Ci felt a rare sense of fear.

Several people held him down, and Su Yuyang couldn’t bear to watch, so he waited in the hallway.

The sounds of struggling and vomiting echoed out.

Qiu Ci hadn’t cried even after watching Jing Yueming go on a date with Qiu Shi during the day, or being scolded by Qiu Shi at night.

The gastric tube snaked down his throat to the deepest part, and the foreign object not only made him feel nauseous, but also caused a stinging sensation in his eyes and nose.

Medicine and tears smeared his face.

Even after the gastric lavage fluid was extracted, he still couldn’t recover for a long time.

They applied for a hospital room for observation, and in the middle of the night, his head throbbed even more.

The stabbing pain in his brain made him feel like he had a fever.

The doctor came to take his temperature and ended up hanging another IV drip.

Qiu Ci sighed, “Looks like I really have to take sick leave now.” Being able to rest, Qiu Ci was actually a little happy.

Looking at a pile of documents and all sorts of bizarre proposals every day gave him a headache.

The next morning, Su Yuyang went downstairs to buy him food.

The phone rang.

It was Qin Yishan’s call.

Qiu Ci answered it.

“Qiu Ci.”

Qin Yishan’s tone wasn’t good: “Why are you taking two days off?”

“Sick leave.”

“You’re sick? Don’t act like a child; you know what the company’s situation is right now…”

“Come to the hospital if you don’t believe me,” Qiu Ci interrupted him.

Qin Yishan was silent for a moment, then adjusted his mood and asked with concern, “What’s wrong? Is it serious?”

“A cold and fever.”

“Rest well and come back early; it’s really troublesome right now.” Qin Yishan’s tone was barely concealing his impatience.

“Mm-hmm.”

After saying that, Qiu Ci hung up the phone.

The drowsiness brought on by the medicine hadn’t worn off.

Qiu Ci burrowed back into the blanket and went to sleep.

It was a long time before Su Yuyang returned.

“Qiu-ge, want to eat something?” He gently nudged Qiu Ci.

Being woken up again made him a little unhappy.

But the aroma of food made Qiu Ci feel a belated hunger.

He simply got up, and Su Yuyang had bought buns and porridge.

The temperature was a little cool, and although Qiu Ci was hungry, his appetite was poor. He drank half a bowl of porridge and only took one bite of the bun.

Su Yuyang had never taken care of a patient before: “Qiu-ge, what on earth stimulated you?”

Qiu Ci also couldn’t figure it out: “Maybe I’m just going crazy.”

As soon as he met this boy, Qiu Ci wanted to joke around.

“Wow, I’ll say it again, with your good conditions, you can find anyone you want. How could you be hurt by love? Tell me about it.”

Qiu Ci pondered for a moment: “I’ve taken a fancy to my sister’s lover.”

Su Yuyang’s eyes were about to pop out: “You’re not kidding, are you? That’s too…”

Not to mention that he and Jing Yueming were both the same gender, there was an age difference, and he was even Qiu Shi’s lover.

Qiu Ci couldn’t express his suffering.

He sent a message to Qin Yishan, asking how Tsukimi Rin was doing.

The result was not optimistic; Tsukimi Rin’s reaction was too intense, and she seemed fearful of Qiu Shi’s calls and texts.

“Let her see a psychologist,” Qiu Ci replied to Qin Yishan’s text message.

This winter was still cold.

The smog made the moon blurry every night.

It was New Year’s, and Qiu Ci was still alone; he had no interest in attending the various parties Su Yuyang was hosting.

Being alone in the villa was too lonely, so amidst the city’s smoky haze, he skillfully drove to Jing Yueming’s building.

He parked the car, unscrewed the thermos, and took a sip.

Warm.

The balconies upstairs were all lit up, including Jing Yueming’s.

But not a single light shone on Qiu Ci.

When one is alone, all the festivals of reunion become cruel.

Fireworks were still shooting into the sky.

Amidst the crackling sounds, Qiu Ci seemed to hear Jing Yueming saying “Happy New Year.”

Thinking about it, Qiu Ci smiled self-deprecatingly.

Actually.

Last year’s New Year’s greetings weren’t for him either.

They were for Ai La.

Having someone to be with must be nice; otherwise, why would Qiu Shi always be in a relationship.

Upstairs, in the small apartment, Qiu Shi was looking at the Porsche downstairs from the balcony.

This car often parked here, starting last month.

She knew that Qiu Ci was inside.

Children from orphanages lack love.

But what she couldn’t understand was why Qiu Ci would fall in love with someone he had never even met because of a design.

That wasn’t love; it was just that he hadn’t experienced love before.

Jing Yueming appeared by his sister’s side with such an identity.

Her younger brother thought he had figured out what that trace of admiration was.

It’s not love, younger brother.

This isn’t love; you’re just being spiteful.

You like what I have.

And I’m jealous of you.

“Ai La-jie, do you want to eat dumplings?” Jing Yueming asked him.

The boy was polite and sincere.

Qiu Shi waved her hand: “You eat first.”

Having said that, she went to her bag in the bedroom and rummaged out an outdated smartphone with a cracked screen.

There was only one contact left inside.

Qiu Shi took a deep breath and called.

It rang for a long time, but no one answered.

Jing Yueming was alone at the dining table, the dumplings were delicious.

Qiu Shi also loved to eat them.

“Happy New Year, Mr. Maple Leaf.”

He suddenly thought of this sentence written in the envelope that year.

The words in the reply were silent, and he couldn’t even imagine the tone in which Ai La said this.

Those words, unfamiliar yet full of love.

Jing Yueming said to the window, “Happy New Year.”

Maple leaf, sir.

Ai La wasn’t good at expressing herself; letters were the best medium for her heart.

Otherwise, Jing Yueming wouldn’t have thought that this person really liked him.

After the New Year, Tsukimi Rin didn’t seem to be getting any better.

On the contrary, she became triggered by Qiu Shi’s increasingly frequent phone calls.

Qiu Shi must be very angry with Qiu Ci.

It will end eventually, right?

No.

Qiu Shi made a scene at the company.

She had identification, and no one could stop her.

“Tell Qin Yishan to get out!” Qiu Shi shouted.

The assistant quickly grabbed her: “Ai La-jie, calm down, President Qin isn’t here.”

“I saw his car; tell him to come out.”

“Let’s talk about whatever it is after work, Ai La-jie; everyone is busy right now.”

Qiu Ci watched from the side for a while: “Sister?”

The assistant was stunned: “President Qiu…”

Qiu Shi stepped forward: “Qiu Ci, where’s Qin Yishan!”

“What’s wrong?”

Qiu Shi was a little agitated: “Where is Tsukimi Rin now? I’ll go crazy if I can’t get any news about her.”

Qiu Ci led her to the office: “It’s not that serious; she’s an adult…”

“I’m very worried about her. Qin Yishan must have contacted her. I checked the hospital records, and Rin Rin is sick.”

Qiu Ci looked indifferently at the ferocity in his sister’s eyes: “She went to the hospital many times in the past few years to prepare for pregnancy; you were quite impressive back then.”