Chapter 67: Electric wheelchair
Lu Zhiyin was pestered by Leng Qing Qiu to stay in bed until the afternoon. As agreed before, Leng Qing Qiu went home to get the wheelchair and then went to handle Lu Zhiyin’s discharge procedures.
“Hoo…”
Pushed out of the hospital and feeling the cold wind, Lu Zhiyin let out a sigh of relief.
She had initially thought she could lie comfortably in the hospital for a few months, but unfortunately, Long Qinxin’s arrival shattered her fantasy.
With the bag of money in her arms, Lu Zhiyin closed her eyes. The street scenery was still as desolate as ever, really nothing worth looking at.
Her hands and feet were in casts, basically unable to move. The only thing that could move freely was her left hand. Lu Zhiyin could have pushed the wheelchair herself, but now she could only be pushed.
Leng Qing Qiu behind her walked slowly, not uttering a word.
The sound of the wheelchair’s tires turning was exceptionally clear.
Lu Zhiyin began to worry about meeting Long Qinxin later. Even if Leng Qing Qiu didn’t stop her, with her current condition, she probably wouldn’t be able to go see Long Qinxin alone.
“Sigh…”
Sighing, Lu Zhiyin opened her eyes and looked up.
The sky was gray and overcast, and the clouds were getting thicker. It was probably going to rain.
Since coming to this world, Lu Zhiyin hadn’t had a good impression of rainy days.
The last time it rained, her home became unlivable, forcing her to stay at Leng Qing Qiu’s place.
If it hadn’t been for that heavy rain, she probably wouldn’t be as miserable as she was now? Well… perhaps, no one can be sure about what didn’t happen.
“Why are you sighing?”
Behind Lu Zhiyin, Leng Qing Qiu gently stroked the girl’s hair.
The soft hair felt wonderful to the touch, almost addictive.
“It’s nothing, I just feel like life will be a bit difficult for a while.”
Actually, it was already difficult, but now it was even more so.
“… It’s okay, I’ll take care of you, so it won’t be too much trouble.”
Leng Qing Qiu didn’t even believe her own words. Not only was she not good at taking care of people, but she was probably the biggest trouble for Lu Zhiyin herself.
“Mmm…”
She let out a soft hum and looked at the empty street ahead, Lu Zhiyin touched her chest.
The air was a bit damp, making Lu Zhiyin feel as though her breathing was heavy.
“Let’s go buy an electric wheelchair.”
She needed an electric wheelchair.
“There’s no need, the cast will be removed in a little over two months, it’s not that long.”
Refusing Lu Zhiyin’s request, Leng Qing Qiu didn’t want Lu Zhiyin to have the ability to move freely. She wanted to restrict Lu Zhiyin’s freedom, preventing her from leaving her side.
Her childhood friend always thought about that Long Qinxin. If she didn’t impose some restrictions, she could run away from her at any time.
“Let’s buy one, I’ll pay for it myself.”
Touching the bag in her arms, Lu Zhiyin was grateful for the 100,000 yuan, which allowed her to proceed with some of her decisions with confidence.
“… Can you tell me why you want to buy an electric wheelchair?”
In theory, Leng Qing Qiu shouldn’t interfere too much with others’ thoughts, but that was just theory.
Although she didn’t want to have a big conflict with Lu Zhiyin and hoped to change her image in Lu Zhiyin’s eyes by making concessions on some matters, Leng Qing Qiu had to know Lu Zhiyin’s purpose. This was an unchangeable fact.
“… I need to return a book to school.”
After a brief silence, Lu Zhiyin quickly came up with an excuse.
She habitually lied.
Since Leng Qing Qiu was present when Zhu Qing visited, she should know that she had borrowed books and hadn’t returned them yet.
“I can help you return it.”
Leng Qing Qiu didn’t stop pushing Lu Zhiyin forward. She didn’t believe that Lu Zhiyin buying a new wheelchair was just to return a book.
“……”
Falling into silence, Lu Zhiyin felt a tightness in her chest. She began to consider whether to tell Leng Qing Qiu directly that she wanted to see Long Qinxin.
She felt conflicted, but in the end, she came to a decision before going home.
“I need to see Long Qinxin.”
As Lu Zhiyin spoke, Leng Qing Qiu stopped walking. She frowned. Her childhood friend really wanted to see that person again.
“Why see her? She’s just a coward.”
Her words carried a hint of jealousy. Leng Qing Qiu let go of the wheelchair’s handle and instead placed her hands on Lu Zhiyin’s shoulders.
Her weight made Lu Zhiyin’s chest feel even more constricted.
“… Uh… see her… to end a relationship…”
As more weight was placed on her shoulders, Lu Zhiyin felt a dull ache in her chest, making it difficult to speak. However, she still told another lie.
“End a relationship?”
Leng Qing Qiu raised her hands, giving Lu Zhiyin some room to breathe.
She was curious about what Lu Zhiyin meant by “ending a relationship.”
“… Hoo… Hoo…”
Breathing heavily, Lu Zhiyin closed her eyes, her vision darkening. In the darkness, her thoughts became clearer.
“Mmm… Long Qinxin is clinging to me just because I saved her before. Honestly, I just wanted to be friends with her at first, but it’s too difficult to get along with her. She has no sense of personal space and always seems to want to develop a relationship beyond friendship. I’m actually a bit annoyed with her.”
She blurted out a long string of lies, trying her best to keep her tone steady.
She didn’t dislike Long Qinxin, though she did find her annoying at times.
Lu Zhiyin turned her head and met Leng Qing Qiu’s expressionless gaze. It seemed she wasn’t deceived by Lu Zhiyin’s lies.
“… Actually, the more important reason is that she did something excessive to me today.”
Her eyes dimmed, Lu Zhiyin touched her neck.
She pulled at her collar, revealing faint red finger marks on her neck.
“I hate pain… so, I hate her now too.”
As Lu Zhiyin finished speaking, Leng Qing Qiu raised an eyebrow.
She touched the faint finger marks on Lu Zhiyin’s neck. She knew that Lu Zhiyin was afraid of pain.
Although she knew that Lu Zhiyin was most likely deceiving her, Leng Qing Qiu still wanted to try and believe her once.
On one hand, it was easier to make Long Qinxin give up her intentions once and for all than to constantly guard against her. On the other hand, Leng Qing Qiu needed an opportunity to take things further.
With this in mind, Leng Qing Qiu walked in front of Lu Zhiyin, crouched down, and lifted Lu Zhiyin’s chin.
“What if you’re lying to me?”
Leng Qing Qiu’s lips curved upwards slightly. She leaned close to Lu Zhiyin’s face and gently blew into her ear.
“Little liar, I can’t be fooled by you forever, can I?”
Leng Qing Qiu’s address to her became somewhat ambiguous, making Lu Zhiyin’s scalp tingle.
She had a bad premonition.
“I remember buying some small toys when we went grocery shopping together? If you lie to me, I’ll use those things on you.”
Leng Qing Qiu didn’t actually want to stop there, but she knew that if she asked for too much, Lu Zhiyin wouldn’t agree, so she lowered her demands.
“… Mmm…”
Lu Zhiyin’s face flushed and paled. Leng Qing Qiu’s words made her feel embarrassed.
However, after a moment of thought, she agreed to Leng Qing Qiu’s request.
It’s not like she was asking for her chastity, so it should be fine, right?
Mmm… it’s fine.
“Alright then, let’s go pick out a wheelchair for you.”
Returning behind Lu Zhiyin, Leng Qing Qiu continued to push her forward, but in a different direction this time.
