TNSFC – Chapter 66

Que Yining’s consciousness seemed to still linger in that great fire, with its intense thick smoke and painful sense of suffocation, but her gaze touched the white ceiling.

Her eyes slowly cleared, the pain lingering in her consciousness gradually receded, and her eyes moved.

Pain pinned her to the bed. Que Yining lay there, slowly recalling what happened before she lost consciousness.

Undoubtedly, she had been hit, and her injuries were not light.

Que Yining felt the stiffness in her body, her eyes filled with gloom.

She moved her head slightly and clearly saw everything within her field of vision.

Gu Shanxue was just coming out of the bathroom. When she saw Que Yining’s open eyes, she didn’t even bother with the water on her hands and quickly walked over.

“Ningning, you’re awake?”

Her voice carried pleasant surprise, and she carefully observed Que Yining’s reaction.

“Mm.”

Que Yining responded with effort. She saw Gu Shanxue sit down in front of her and press the nurse call button.

“It’s good that you’re awake, it’s good that you’re awake.”

Gu Shanxue murmured softly with a look of relief, gazing intently at Que Yining’s eyes, filled with unconcealable tenderness and concern.

Seeing Gu Shanxue so uncharacteristically flustered and distressed, Que Yining couldn’t help but want to smile.

She moved the hand she could move. Gu Shanxue quickly grasped it and pressed her forehead against the back of Que Yining’s hand.

“How long was I asleep?”

Que Yining tried to feel her body, but found her waist and abdomen were full of pain, and she could barely feel her right leg.

“Three days…”

Gu Shanxue’s heart was filled with lingering fear. After Que Yining was wheeled out of emergency surgery, the doctor said she might not wake up soon.

The car accident caused Que Yining to have a fractured right leg and fractured left ribs. Even her brain had suffered some damage. She might wake up soon, or she might remain asleep indefinitely.

Gu Shanxue knew that given Que Yining’s temperament, she wouldn’t just sleep forever. So she waited day after day. Thankfully, Que Yining woke up.

“It’s actually been that long.”

Que Yining murmured, wanting to move, but frowned due to the discomfort coming from her head.

“Shanxue, it hurts so much.”

Que Yining looked at Gu Shanxue’s face and said softly, her words mixed with pain, her voice low, as if she were acting spoiled.

Que Yining was really in pain. Her whole body ached.

“Let me blow on it, and it won’t hurt anymore.”

Gu Shanxue looked at her, her heart aching, wishing she could bear the pain for her. Her voice was a little hoarse, and her heart was heavy.

Que Yining was a bit stunned by Gu Shanxue’s attitude, followed by boundless joy. If she weren’t currently incapacitated, she would definitely do something.

The more Gu Shanxue indulged her, doted on her, and softened her attitude, the more aggrieved and coquettish Que Yining became.

“I had already made plans with you to see the fireworks, and now I can’t go anymore.”

Que Yining looked aggrieved, utterly heartbroken.

Her fireworks trip, the fireworks display Gu Shanxue had promised to go to with her, was ruined just like that. She couldn’t go.

“It’s okay, we’ll have many more chances. We can go see them in the future.”

Gu Shanxue coaxed her, tucking the stray hairs from her face behind her ear, and wiped away the tiny water droplets on her eyelashes.

“You promised me, okay?”

“I promise you.”

“Then you have to pinky promise me that you’ll always go with me to see them in the future.”

Que Yining wiggled her little finger. She couldn’t tell if Gu Shanxue’s current emotions were mostly friendly concern or romantic affection. At this juncture, she didn’t dare say anything clear or direct, but she also took advantage of Gu Shanxue’s attitude to ask for favors for herself.

Whichever emotion was dominant, it showed that Gu Shanxue also had feelings for her. The thin layer of ice between them seemed to have been shattered by this disaster, vanishing without a trace.

“Okay, pinky promise.”

How could Gu Shanxue not indulge her? She carefully hooked her finger with Que Yining’s, afraid of hurting her elsewhere, gently wiggling their linked fingers.

Que Yining started to laugh, but this laugh pulled at her wound.

A strange pulling sensation on her face made Que Yining immediately realize something. She stared at Gu Shanxue with wide eyes, somewhat unconsciously flustered.

“Shanxue… my face?”

She struggled to lift her hand to touch her face. What she felt was not smooth skin.

“It’s okay, your face is fine. It just got scraped a little. It still looks very good.”

Gu Shanxue comforted her, but in her heart, she felt both sad and angry.

When Que Yining was wheeled out, Gu Shanxue had seen the wound on her face. The doctor said the car might have shattered glass, and the flying shards cut her face. The doctor sounded regretful when saying it; after all, it was such a beautiful face.

Gu Shanxue had been stunned for a moment then. It wasn’t that she cared about Que Yining’s looks per se; she was just thinking how devastated Que Yining, who cared so much about her appearance, would be if she knew. Gu Shanxue would feel distressed even if there was a tiny scratch on her face, let alone the current situation.

“Where’s the mirror? Give me the mirror.”

Que Yining’s tone was calm, but her heaving chest indicated that her current mood was not as calm as it appeared on the surface.

Although Que Yining couldn’t be said to value beauty above all else, she did treasure her face. If anything went wrong with it, she would make sure the person behind it suffered death by a thousand cuts.

“Current medical technology is very advanced. I asked the doctor; this can be removed. When you’ve recovered, we can go get it removed. Besides, you don’t look bad like this either.”

Gu Shanxue found a mirror in the hospital room and gave it to her, still soothing her softly as she handed it over.

Que Yining looked at her face in the mirror. Her left cheek was normal, but on her right cheek, starting from below the corner of her eye, there was a diagonal scar that almost reached the corner of her lips. It looked exceptionally gruesome.

The scar had already scabbed over, looking exceptionally hideous.

Que Yining resisted the urge to throw the mirror, but her fingers gripping it were white from the force, as if she wished she could crush it directly.

“I’m so ugly.”

Que Yining said sullenly.

Appearance wasn’t what Que Yining cared about most, but in front of Gu Shanxue, she really cared.

“You’re not ugly, you’re the most beautiful.”

Gu Shanxue touched Que Yining’s cheek without any hesitation, making her look into her eyes.

“In my heart, you are the most beautiful.”

Her eyes were calm and serene, carrying a magical, convincing power.

“But I still think I look so ugly like this.”

If Que Yining could move, she would probably have burrowed under the covers.

She wasn’t self-conscious about the scar in front of Gu Shanxue; she just felt that with this half-scarred face, she couldn’t quite exert her charm when acting coquettishly towards Gu Shanxue.

The nurse knocked on the door. Gu Shanxue asked her to wait a moment and stroked Que Yining’s face.

“In my eyes, you are the most beautiful.”

The most unique rose.

Gu Shanxue opened the door, and the nurse came in with a cart to change her dressing.

The nurse inquired about Que Yining’s injuries and condition. Gu Shanxue stood to one side and called Que Yining’s parents.

For the first two days, Papa Que and Mama Que insisted on staying by the hospital bed. But their own health wasn’t very good, and it was too much for them. So Gu Shanxue offered to take care of her. Papa Que and Mama Que didn’t quite trust her. It was Qiao Yuchu who strongly vouched for her, giving her the chance to stay and care for Que Yining.

Papa Que and Mama Que rushed over immediately after receiving the news. You Lanqing’s voice arrived before she even reached the hospital room, constantly urging her husband to walk faster.

“My Ningning! You’re finally awake! You scared Mom to death.”

When You Lanqing saw Que Yining sitting on the hospital bed, tears welled up in her eyes.

“It’s good that you’re awake. Are you uncomfortable anywhere else?”

Que Hanyi also stepped forward with concern, his eyes also red.

The couple’s words of concern, the deep familial love, made Que Yining feel a little overwhelmed, so much so that she didn’t quite know what expression to wear on her face.

You Lanqing just assumed she was terrified and comforted her in a soft, gentle voice.

“It’s okay, Mom, it’s okay. I’m awake now, aren’t I? Don’t cry.”

Que Yining wanted to raise her hand to wipe You Lanqing’s tears, but You Lanqing quickly held it down and nodded.

“Okay, Mom won’t cry, won’t cry. You being awake is a joyous occasion, a joyous occasion.”

You Lanqing said she wouldn’t cry, but seeing Que Yining’s face and the way she was comforting her instead, she couldn’t quite hold back her tears again.

The couple held Que Yining’s hand and talked for a while longer. Then Que Hanyi put a hand on his wife’s shoulder, telling her to let their child rest first.

“Right, Ningning just woke up, she needs to rest well. Mom will go make you something to eat and bring it over. Xiao Xue, I’ll trouble you to watch over Ningning a little longer. When I come back with the food, you can go rest.”

“No need, Auntie. I’m fine staying with Ningning.”

Gu Shanxue shook her head and sat down beside Que Yining’s hospital bed.

You Lanqing nodded, thinking to herself that this was truly a good child.

She had previously been a little surprised where her daughter had made such a friend, as she knew nothing about it. But Xiao Qiao assured her that this was Ningning’s most special friend, so You Lanqing felt a bit more at ease. Later, when visiting Ningning, seeing Gu Shanxue’s devoted and tireless care, her genuine concern, You Lanqing’s favorable impression of her grew by leaps and bounds.

As she walked out of the hospital room, You Lanqing still felt sad.

“Hanyi, do you think our daughter has really grown up? She doesn’t even cry to me anymore, and instead tells me it’s okay and not to worry. My heart aches from this.”

In the past, if her daughter was upset about something, she would definitely cry to her. She had even thought about how she would comfort Ningning if Ningning hugged her and cried. But now, with such a major incident, she was instead so strong.

“She has grown up, sigh… I will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly. No matter what, Ningning deserves an explanation.”

Que Hanyi’s face was grim, his mind racing with thoughts. Looking at his still grieving wife, he said nothing more.

After Papa Que and Mama Que left, Que Yining lay in bed, her mind starting to work.

“What about Shiyu? She was in the same car as me. She should be okay, right?”

Gu Shanxue: “Her injuries aren’t serious. She woke up on the same day, and her family is taking care of her.”

Que Yining felt slightly relieved, thinking that if the car had been hit head-on, then Zhang Shiyu would likely have been the one in more danger. Fortunately, it wasn’t.

Gu Shanxue: “This car accident was definitely intentional. The driver was drunk driving and had a prior conviction for drunk driving manslaughter, for which he was imprisoned. But just over ten minutes after your accident, someone was planning to widely report on your car crash.”

“I’ve already suppressed the relevant reports, so don’t worry. On the day of the press conference, your subordinates were there to manage the situation, and everything went smoothly. The game is also very popular.”

As if knowing what Que Yining was thinking, Gu Shanxue addressed her worries one by one.

“I understand.”

A dark glint surged in Que Yining’s eyes, which were filled with coldness.

These injuries, she would definitely repay them manifold!

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