Ji Xinxin’s anger in her eyes trembled slightly as Ling Chuxia said those words. She spoke very calmly, so calmly it seemed as if she didn’t care at all, but Ji Xinxin could feel the dead silence and sadness in her words.
Ling Chuxia’s eyes reddened, yet she forced a smile on her lips and stifled the sob in her voice as she said to Ji Xinxin, "Actually, today, Shi Che asked me to wait for him. He said he had something to tell me. I knew what he might say, yet I couldn’t let go, I still held a little hope. Then I waited, from morning till night, but he never came back. I even made excuses for him, thinking he must be busy, must be held up. In the end, I made a phone call."
Ling Chuxia suddenly laughed, "Guess what happened?"
Ling Chuxia’s laugh sounded almost like crying, and Ji Xinxin, looking at her, couldn’t bring herself to say anything.
"The call was answered by elder sister; she told me he was with Madam, accompanying her." Ling Chuxia articulated each word very seriously, her eyes visibly red, yet not a single tear fell.
Ji Xinxin felt incredibly pained, involuntarily clenching her fists tightly, "Xiaxia, stop talking."
"No, Xinxin, let me finish." Ling Chuxia still forced a smile, her voice hoarse but insistent, "At that moment, I understood, people really shouldn’t covet things that don’t belong to them, not even love. I’ve occupied elder sister’s place for so long; it’s time for me to step back and stop disturbing them."
"Perhaps, this is fate too, the necklace is gone, the child lost, the marriage over. God has severed every tie between Shi Che and me, and the truth is right before my eyes. All I can do now is face it."
"All right, I’ve said everything." Ling Chuxia finally closed her mouth, and for a moment, silence filled the car, severely oppressive. Ji Xinxin stared at Ling Chuxia’s reddened eyes, opened her mouth but couldn’t find the words to say. In the end, she just reached out and slowly embraced Ling Chuxia.
Ling Chuxia’s head rested on Ji Xinxin’s shoulder, and as she turned her face, a tear escaped and slowly soaked into Ji Xinxin’s clothes.
In the hospital’s meeting room.
Shi Che listened as the group of medical experts argued over treatment plans, which had been going on for hours without reaching a consensus, his brow furrowing deeply, his body instinctively becoming irritable.
He closed his eyes and rubbed his brow, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over his wristwatch, his pupils suddenly darkening.
How had it gotten so late? Chuxia... she was still waiting for him!
A sense of urgency flashed through Shi Che’s eyes, and he hastily searched for his phone, only to realize, after a thorough search, that he had left it in his suit jacket, which was on the couch in the hospital room.
Shi Che abruptly stood up.
The incessantly arguing experts, startled by his sudden movement, fell silent, and Shi Che scanned them with dark eyes and said in a deep voice, "That’s enough for today. We’ll continue discussing this tomorrow."
With that, he strode out of the meeting room with long steps, leaving the experts behind, exchanging bewildered looks.