Chapter 28
A fast-food restaurant beside the hospital.
The environment here was not really suitable for a conversation, but since it was near the hospital, there was no room to be picky.
Qi Hengxing and Xu Qingzhi sat facing each other, both of them feeling somewhat strange.
Qi Hengxing was the first to speak. “I still don’t know how I should address you.”
Xu Qingzhi came back to herself. “My surname is Xu.”
“Miss Xu.”
Qi Hengxing seemed thoughtful. She glanced at Xu Qingzhi’s hands resting on the tabletop. Those hands were slender and fair, looking soft and warm. Most importantly, both hands were empty, without any accessories at all.
“Would you like something to drink?”
Xu Qingzhi shook her head. Her spouse in name was lying unconscious in the hospital, yet she had not even taken a look and had instead come to talk with a strange Alpha. No matter how one put it, that would not sound very good. If she ate and drank on top of that, it would be even harder to justify.
Seeing her refuse, Qi Hengxing did not insist. She thought for a moment, then asked Xu Qingzhi, “Miss Xu, how much do you know about Shen Baiyi’s affairs?”
Xu Qingzhi was startled, not knowing what she meant.
“Miss Qi, which aspect are you referring to?”
Qi Hengxing did not hesitate and immediately answered, “Her relationships.”
Obvious emotion appeared on Xu Qingzhi’s face.
After hesitating for a moment, she carefully said, “Not much.” Whether it was Shen Baiyi’s past romantic history before dating and marrying her, or Shen Baiyi’s current romantic experiences.
Xu Qingzhi’s clear gaze turned toward Qi Hengxing. “Miss Qi, you may as well speak directly.”
Qi Hengxing interlaced her fingers, her elbows resting on the table. Because of this movement, the bluish-gray watch on her wrist slid slightly down along her skin, and the ring of tiny diamonds around the watch face gathered into fine, scattered lights and shadows.
After a long while, Qi Hengxing finally said, “Recently, Shen Baiyi has been dating my younger sister.”
Xu Qingzhi did not react for a moment.
“Shen Baiyi hid the fact that she was married and got together with my younger sister. It should have been going on for a few months.”
Xu Qingzhi froze, while Qi Hengxing continued, “Not only that, Shen Baiyi also has another long-term and stable affair partner. Her name is Jiang Yi.”
“Jiang Yi knew that Shen Baiyi was married. But she didn’t know that Shen Baiyi’s wife was you. After Shen Baiyi got together with my sister, for certain reasons, Jiang Yi mistook my sister for you. She secretly got my sister’s contact information from Shen Baiyi and wanted to confront her. Today, they arranged to meet at Shenglong Plaza. After meeting, Jiang Yi realized she had the wrong person, and my sister also discovered that Shen Baiyi had been lying to her all along.”
Xu Qingzhi listened quietly.
“My sister has always had a very bad temper. After she found out the truth, she called Shen Baiyi over to confront her in person. During their argument, a truck beside them lost control, causing today’s accident.”
After Qi Hengxing finished saying all this, Xu Qingzhi remained silent for a long time.
Xu Qingzhi had never imagined that at such a time and place, from the mouth of a stranger, she would learn Shen Baiyi’s biggest hidden secret.
From beginning to end, she had been the one Shen Baiyi played in the palm of her hand.
If not for today’s accident, perhaps even after Xu Qingzhi and Shen Baiyi divorced, she still would not have known the truth.
The woman across from her had not spoken for a long time. Qi Hengxing could not help frowning. Had the way she revealed the truth been too blunt? Would Xu Qingzhi be unable to accept it all at once…?
After thinking for a while, Qi Hengxing solemnly said, “Regarding my sister’s matter, I apologize to you on her behalf. I also bear responsibility in this. If I had disciplined my sister more strictly from the beginning, perhaps she wouldn’t have interfered in your marriage.”
As soon as the words fell, Qi Hengxing saw the woman across from her gently shake her head and smile faintly.
“There’s no need to apologize to me.”
“After all, your younger sister was also deceived by Shen Baiyi. She can be considered a victim too,” Xu Qingzhi said slowly. “Besides, even if your sister hadn’t gotten together with Shen Baiyi, I would have divorced her very soon anyway.”
—
She said she wanted a divorce?
Qi Hengxing was surprised.
Thinking back to when Jiang Yi had called Xu Qingzhi, and how cold and indifferent Xu Qingzhi had sounded on the phone, perhaps the relationship between these two had long since gone wrong.
But Xu Qingzhi had already stood up. She felt that the two of them had said what needed to be said, so she politely nodded to Qi Hengxing. “Thank you, Miss Qi, for telling me these things. I need to go back now and check on Shen Baiyi’s condition.”
She turned and walked outside, but the person behind her also strode after her. Just as Xu Qingzhi was about to grasp the door handle, a hand reached out first, pushing open the door ahead of her.
Xu Qingzhi was a little surprised. She turned her head and saw that the person standing behind her was Qi Hengxing.
“…Uh, thank you.”
Without leaving a trace, she shifted a little to the side, putting some distance between herself and the Alpha.
Qi Hengxing did not seem to notice her small movement and casually replied, “It’s nothing. I was also just about to go back and check on my sister.”
The two returned to the hospital side by side. Only after Qi Hengxing returned to Qi Yue’s ward did Xu Qingzhi let out a breath of relief and turn toward the other end.
Not long after Xu Qingzhi left, Shen Baiyi slowly woke from her deep sleep.
When she saw the ceiling, she still did not react to where she was. Chaotic memories flashed through her mind, strange and bizarre fragments appearing one after another before her eyes, finally freezing on the scene of Qi Yue slapping her across the face.
Qi Yue knew she was married!
Jiang Yi had also been there, and Qi Yue knew about Jiang Yi too!
Shen Baiyi’s mind was a mess. She unconsciously struggled, but the moment she moved, intense pain came from every part of her body. Shen Baiyi lowered her head and only then discovered that she was lying on a hospital bed.
Gauze, bandages, even scrapes and bruises on her hands. Shen Baiyi tried painfully to lift her hand, intending to look at the scrape there, only to discover that a small part of her vision was also blocked.
Her fingertips carefully touched it. Only then did Shen Baiyi realize that gauze was actually wrapped around her brow bone too.
This—this was also…?
A wound?
She had many wounds on her body?
Shen Baiyi suddenly remembered.
After Qi Yue slapped her twice, before she could react, she had been swept beneath the wheels by the car behind her!
What should she do?
Shen Baiyi struggled and found that her legs were in unbearable pain. Right now, she could only lie on the hospital bed. She could not go anywhere.
For a moment, she sank into endless panic. Just then, the ward door was pushed open.
Shen Baiyi abruptly raised her head and discovered that the person walking in was actually Xu Qingzhi.
The moment she saw Xu Qingzhi, Shen Baiyi felt as if she had seen a savior from the bottom of her heart. She hurriedly called Xu Qingzhi’s name. “Qingzhi!”
As soon as Xu Qingzhi entered, she saw that Shen Baiyi on the hospital bed had already woken up.
She had not expected to return at just the right time.
There was a chair in the ward, but Xu Qingzhi did not sit down. She stood at the foot of the bed and looked at Shen Baiyi calmly.
“You just woke up? How do you feel now?”
Enduring the pain, Shen Baiyi’s gaze stuck to Xu Qingzhi, her tone somewhat aggrieved. “Right now, everywhere hurts.”
“Qingzhi, my face seems to be injured too. What should I do? I’m not going to be disfigured, am I?”
She looked at Xu Qingzhi in panic, but unexpectedly, Xu Qingzhi nodded. “Not only is your face injured, you also had several stitches on your head.”
“What?”
Shen Baiyi’s face instantly turned pale.
Her original intention had only been to hear Xu Qingzhi comfort her a little. She had no idea that she actually had a wound on her head too.
She tremblingly wanted to reach out and touch the wound on her head. The sight was truly rather miserable.
“Qingzhi, my head is injured too. I won’t have any aftereffects, will I? If—”
Xu Qingzhi interrupted her. “Shen Baiyi, don’t move around yet. It won’t be good if you touch the wound. Besides, I have something to say to you now.”
Shen Baiyi was still immersed in fear. She lowered her hand and continued looking at Xu Qingzhi with a frightened, uneasy gaze, completely failing to notice that Xu Qingzhi had just called her by her full name.
“Let’s get divorced,” Xu Qingzhi said.
The air in the ward seemed to freeze instantly.
Shen Baiyi lay on the hospital bed and blinked with difficulty. What had Xu Qingzhi said?
The ward window was opened by a small crack, and wind silently seeped in through the gap, gently tugging at the hem of Xu Qingzhi’s dress and her long hair.
Shen Baiyi suddenly shivered. For the first time, she discovered that when Xu Qingzhi’s dark eyes looked at someone, they could be so indifferent, without a single trace of emotion.
She suddenly thought of something and spoke incoherently. “Qingzhi, you—you know everything? About me and Qi Yue, about me and Qi Yue, you know?”
“Is it because of this that you want to divorce me?”
Since Xu Qingzhi had come to the hospital, she must know the entire cause and process of the accident. Naturally, she also knew about Shen Baiyi and Qi Yue’s relationship!
But she could not divorce Xu Qingzhi!
If Xu Qingzhi divorced her, Shen Baiyi would now have no money and no one to take care of her. In this incomparably miserable state, how was she supposed to survive?
“Qingzhi, I was wrong, Qingzhi!” Shen Baiyi’s voice trembled, her eyes full of pleading. “Qingzhi, believe me one more time. I promise I’ll never get entangled with another Omega again. From now on, you’ll be the only one I have!”
Her heart suddenly throbbed painfully, so painful that she could not breathe. Shen Baiyi choked up, and by the end, she could not even pronounce her words clearly.
Xu Qingzhi stood at the foot of the bed, yet it was as if she were standing in another world.
She shook her head very properly. “That isn’t why I’m divorcing you.”
“A few days ago, I already asked my friend to help me contact a suitable lawyer. There should be news very soon. Once the divorce agreement is drafted, I’ll send it to you as soon as possible.”
“As for the division of property, I don’t think there should be much of a problem. If you have any opinions, we can slowly negotiate.” Xu Qingzhi glanced at Shen Baiyi on the hospital bed. “After all, now that you’ve become like this, you probably won’t have so much overtime to work anymore.”
Shen Baiyi stiffened. Her heart began pounding. She did not know whether Xu Qingzhi’s words contained a hidden meaning or whether she had only said them casually.
Seeing the unease in her heart, Xu Qingzhi now truly felt the invisible shackles that had bound her for so long suddenly shatter. All the loneliness and solitude that had accumulated in her heart ever since marrying Shen Baiyi vanished like smoke with the words “divorce.”
“No matter what, I still have to thank you,” Xu Qingzhi said, her tone still calm and composed. “A year ago, during the time when Grandma was seriously ill, your existence did indeed bring me a lot of spiritual strength. And that night, you truly did save my grandmother in time.”
“Although after we got married, I only did some insignificant little things like washing your clothes, cooking for you, and cleaning the room, I at least did them for a full year.”
Xu Qingzhi’s voice was light and gentle, as if she were teaching students in class.
“So even if your purpose in approaching me back then was not pure from the start, even if you’ve been deceiving me all along, I no longer care about any of it. Let’s write off everything in the past.”
After saying this, she turned and left the ward.
Only after Xu Qingzhi’s figure completely disappeared behind the door did Shen Baiyi finally come back to herself. She sank heavily back onto the hospital bed, as if falling rapidly.
A layer of cold sweat seeped out across her back.
…It was over. Xu Qingzhi knew everything.
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