TNSFC – Chapter 69

A door separated two worlds.

The light from outside the hospital room passed through Gu Shanxue’s body. She stared blankly at the opaque door, her mind somewhat empty upon hearing those words.

It was an indescribable feeling, as if struck by something, or as if something had been abruptly snatched from her hands, leaving her to stare blankly, her mind unable to process it.

Que Yining… didn’t like her anymore?

Wasn’t this something she had suspected for a long time? Or rather, wasn’t this exactly what she wanted?

Que Yining didn’t like her, but they were still very good, very close friends. Everything was just as it was before, unchanged.

But why… Gu Shanxue took a deep breath as if lacking oxygen. She stood rooted to the spot, feeling the emotions welling up inside her, slightly at a loss.

It was as if the veil she had used to constantly console and deceive herself had been suddenly torn away, forcing her to admit certain things.

To admit that she was, in fact, a despicable person. To admit that she actually still wanted Que Yining’s affection. To admit that she liked being treated as someone special by Que Yining… To admit that she liked Que Yining.

Her feet felt rooted to the spot, her arms as heavy as lead, leaving her with no strength to push open the door.

She was waiting for another voice to sound from inside the room, but she didn’t know what kind of answer she wanted.

But she didn’t get an answer. The room was quiet.

Gu Shanxue’s heart sank slightly, her eyes filled with an unconscious emptiness.

Inside the room, Que Yining hadn’t expected Qiao Yuchu’s imagination to run wild like that. She shook her head slightly at her, a smile on her face.

“Tch, I actually thought you didn’t like her anymore.”

Qiao Yuchu’s expression changed, and she spread her hands.

Outside the door, Gu Shanxue suddenly lifted her head, her gaze almost piercing through the door panel.

Que Yining didn’t explain to Qiao Yuchu. This kind of feeling was hard to articulate; after all, liking someone was just that mysterious.

Some people could fall in love with a single glance; others might struggle for half a lifetime and still not achieve a good outcome.

“Alright, stop prying about me. How are things on your end? Any new developments?”

Que Yining changed the subject, directing the conversation towards Qiao Yuchu.

“No, same old, same old. Lately, everyone seems boring. What’s the point of dating? Romance isn’t interesting at all.”

Qiao Yuchu mumbled. Ever since the young girl left, she often dreamed of the words she had said.

Wait then, wait. She didn’t know how long she could wait. Anyway, no one she liked more had appeared yet, so she might as well wait.

“Oh right, I need to call Jiang Xiaowan. My memory is terrible.”

Qiao Yuchu slapped her forehead as if remembering something and took out her phone.

“She came to see you when you were unconscious and asked me to tell her when you woke up. It seems she has something to discuss with you.”

Qiao Yuchu moved towards the door while holding her phone. When she opened it, she was startled by Gu Shanxue standing at the entrance.

“Hey, Miss Gu, why are you standing here so silently? You scared me.”

Qiao Yuchu patted her chest and asked, somewhat puzzled.

“Just arrived.”

Gu Shanxue raised her hand, indicating she was about to open the door.

“Okay, you can go in then. Ningning just woke up.”

Qiao Yuchu said quickly and started talking to the person on the other end after the call connected.

Gu Shanxue walked in and closed the door.

“Did something happen? You look like you’re in a good mood.”

Que Yining looked at Gu Shanxue, who had a slight smile on her face, and asked curiously.

Gu Shanxue was taken aback. Good mood?

She adjusted her facial expression and nodded at Que Yining.

“Indeed, there was a discovery.”

Gu Shanxue told Que Yining everything she had discovered, omitting the intermediate steps and only stating the final result.

Que Yining wasn’t surprised to hear this. Currently, there was only evidence suggesting the driver was hired to kill, but the employer behind it wouldn’t be easy to find.

If it really was Que Linyang, Que Yining felt the chances of finding evidence pointing to him were slim. A cautious person like Que Linyang would never use his own accounts for a contract killing or have someone close to him handle it.

But there’s no such thing as an airtight secret in the world. Even the most cautious person would slip up eventually; it just depended on whether she had the patience.

Que Yining, currently ill, had no shortage of time and patience.

“Let me tell you something interesting too.”

Que Yining beckoned to Gu Shanxue, who understood and sat down beside her.

Que Yining told Gu Shanxue about Que Linyang having an illegitimate child, her face holding an inscrutable smile.

Gu Shanxue was also slightly surprised by this matter, but her focus wasn’t on that. Instead, it was on the fact that Que Yining would even tell her such a private thing, which was enough to prove her trust.

The corners of her mouth unconsciously curved into a faint arc. Upon noticing her mood, Gu Shanxue suppressed it again.

She didn’t dwell on the reasons she had repeated to herself countless times in her heart; she just looked at Que Yining like this.

After finishing her call, Qiao Yuchu re-entered the hospital room. Seeing Que Yining and Gu Shanxue so close, she unconsciously took a step back, feeling like she had come in at the wrong time. But it seemed neither advancing nor retreating was right, so Qiao Yuchu had no choice but to continue walking in and sit on the sofa, feeling like a walking, brightly lit lightbulb.

To alleviate the awkwardness, Qiao Yuchu decided to lower her head and play on her phone.

“A new game that recently came out seems to be quite popular. Many people in my social circle are discussing it. Those guys have finally found some new entertainment.”

Qiao Yuchu clicked on a shared screenshot of game achievements, becoming somewhat interested in the game.

“Huh… this poster, is it my imagination, Ningning, or does it look a bit like you?”

Qiao Yuchu looked at the game page screenshot. A female hero character named ‘Afra’ on it bore some resemblance to Que Yining.

Que Yining: “It’s not your imagination, it does look a bit like me. That’s the game I’m currently developing.”

Gu Shanxue nodded to herself, confirming her inner suspicions.

“Really! Oh my god, I’ll download it right away and recommend it to all my sisters and brothers. Everyone, play it!”

Qiao Yuchu knew Que Yining was starting a business, but she never knew what it was. So this was it.

Qiao Yuchu wanted to say a few more words, but a knock on the door interrupted her train of thought.

“Wanwan Jiejie, how did you get here so quickly?”

“I was already in the car when I answered the call. You’re awake, that’s great.”

Jiang Xiaowan placed the flower basket she brought on a nearby table. Her gaze swept over the scars on Que Yining’s face, but she greeted her as usual.

Que Yining’s impression of her improved somewhat, and she smiled at her.

Gu Shanxue, beside her, was the exact opposite. The moment she saw Jiang Xiaowan, her brow furrowed unconsciously.

“You look quite energetic. Want some fruit?”

Jiang Xiaowan pulled up a chair and sat down, pointing to the fruit she had brought.

“I don’t want any. Xiao Qiao said you have something to tell me?”

Que Yining moved her head, indicating she was all ears.

“It’s a secret.”

Jiang Xiaowan smiled brightly. Her attire today was rather plain and elegant, and the fine lines at the corners of her eyes added a touch of graceful charm to her smile.

Gu Shanxue’s brow furrowed even more. She looked at the ground, hiding her gaze.

“Wanwan Jiejie, we’re all friends here. What secret could there be that we can’t hear?”

Qiao Yuchu asked curiously, unable to resist leaning closer.

Jiang Xiaowan looked at Que Yining and said directly: “It’s about your Second Sister.”

“Ningning’s Second Sister?”

Qiao Yuchu had a decent relationship with Que Yining’s family, but she wasn’t very familiar with this Second Sister of Que Yining.

“Tell us, tell us! I promise I won’t breathe a word of it outside.”

Qiao Yuchu swore to the heavens. After all, humans have a natural passion for gossip.

Que Yining nodded slightly, so Jiang Xiaowan spoke directly.

“Because of what happened last time, I kept an eye on Que Chuling for you. On the very day of your car accident, I saw something and took pictures. I originally wanted to tell you, but then I received news of your accident.”

Jiang Xiaowan showed Que Yining the photos and videos she had taken. When Que Yining saw the person in the photos, her eyes widened unconsciously.

Que Yining had seen photos of Jiao Shanyue. When she had Lin Zhen investigate Que Chuling and Hou Manni, she learned about this person and memorized her appearance.

Didn’t Jiao Shanyue die in a car accident? How could she still be appearing beside Que Chuling?

Que Yining quickly realized that this person definitely couldn’t be Jiao Shanyue.

Jiao Shanyue and Que Chuling were classmates. If Jiao Shanyue hadn’t died, she would be in her thirties now. But the girl in the photo was at most in her early twenties, clearly very young. Looking more closely, she also didn’t seem completely identical to the photo in her memory.

The photos only showed the two of them entering and exiting together, holding hands. In the video, they were seen intimately hugging and kissing in public.

They were undoubtedly lovers. Que Yining processed this news and thought of Hou Manni.

Qiao Yuchu also leaned over and saw. However, the information she processed was limited to Que Chuling also being a lesbian. Looking at Que Chuling’s short hair, she felt it seemed quite normal. Just as she was about to say something, she saw Que Yining’s slightly grave expression and realized things might not be as simple as she thought, so she decided to keep quiet.

“Is it useful?”

When Jiang Xiaowan saw Que Yining’s expression, she knew what she had captured was useful, but she still asked.

Que Yining nodded: “Yes, thank you.”

“What’s there to be polite about between us? I’ll send you a copy. I definitely won’t spread it. Just ask me if you need anything.”

Jiang Xiaowan quickly compressed the files and sent them to Que Yining. Seeing a strand of hair on Que Yining’s hospital gown, she reached out and plucked it off.

The gesture was somewhat intimate. After Que Yining saw it clearly, she said thank you again.

Gu Shanxue still sat quietly, but her hands by her sides unconsciously clenched.

Only after Jiang Xiaowan and Qiao Yuchu had left did Gu Shanxue’s slightly stiff body relax.

Que Yining hadn’t noticed. She only saw Gu Shanxue looking down at her phone with a serious expression and assumed she was handling business matters, so she didn’t disturb her, instead immersing herself in her own thoughts.

Undoubtedly, Que Chuling had found a lover who resembled Jiao Shanyue. Whether that girl was related to Jiao Shanyue was still unknown, and she also didn’t know if Hou Manni was aware of this matter.

She pondered for a moment, then called Gu Shanxue’s name.

“Shanxue, can you help me investigate someone?”

“Of course.”

Gu Shanxue agreed without hesitation and noted down what Que Yining said.

After Que Yining finished speaking, she rubbed her fingertips, then couldn’t resist reaching out and gently stroking the spot Jiang Xiaowan had touched.

When Que Yining looked over, Gu Shanxue pretended to casually flick her hand towards the trash can.

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