Chapter 41: Dragged Out by Qin An
unable to sleep even after returning home, Lu Zhiyin sat by the balcony all night. The next morning, she dragged her tired body to make breakfast for Qin An.
She found noodles in the refrigerator and casually took out an egg. Not wanting to bother Qin An any further, Lu Zhiyin decided to cook at her own place so she could eat something.
She couldn’t die yet; she had to ensure her body had enough energy.
While cooking the noodles, Lu Zhiyin recalled how she had once tried to please Leng Qing Qiu by making her noodles, but it didn’t have much of a good effect.
With that precedent, Lu Zhiyin didn’t expect that helping Qin An with chores and cooking would greatly improve their relationship. Such actions could only gradually increase that tiny bit of affection.
The noodles were quickly cooked. Lu Zhiyin ate a small bowl herself, and then served the rest of the noodles and the egg in a large bowl. Carrying the large bowl of noodles, she left her apartment.
“Are you awake?”
Knocking on the door, Lu Zhiyin placed the bowl of noodles on her lap. Her weak forearm muscles couldn’t support her holding the bowl with one hand.
“Mmm…”
Qin An’s response came from inside. After a series of footsteps, Qin An opened the door.
She looked energetic, seeming to have rested well last night. Perhaps because she was going to see her father, Qin An was unusually dressed up.
She had neatly styled her short blonde hair, was wearing a suit and tie, and had on a pair of polished leather shoes.
“Here, your breakfast. Remember to bring the bowl back after you eat.”
Pushing the large bowl of noodles into Qin An’s hand, Lu Zhiyin returned to her apartment.
“…”
Without thanking her, Qin An merely glanced at the bowl of noodles in her hand.
The broth was not clear, indicating it wasn’t plain noodles and likely contained a fair amount of oil. There were no chopped scallions or vegetables in the noodles, giving them a somewhat plain appearance. However, Qin An had nothing to complain about; it was good to have something to eat.
Moreover, Qin An didn’t feel it was proper to complain about Lu Zhiyin. She wasn’t blind and could see the dark circles under Lu Zhiyin’s eyes.
Picking up her chopsticks, Qin An squatted in front of Long Qinxin’s door and began slurping the noodles.
“Later, accompany me to find my dad.”
She requested while slurping her noodles.
She actually knew why her father wanted to see her. It was because she had recently attended a banquet with her peers for the first time. Although she had just sat on the edge of the crowd for an evening, her rare presence had garnered significant attention.
At least everyone who attended the banquet knew what the Judicial Officer’s daughter looked like.
Having made a rare appearance before the upper class, it was impossible for her father not to notice her. After all, discussions about who was more competitive, the adopted son or her, had always been ongoing, and after her first appearance, the discussion had reached an unprecedented level.
Qin An hadn’t seen her father in a long time, and she hadn’t behaved particularly well at the banquet. She still didn’t know if her father wanted to see her to scold her in person, and feeling a sense of fear, she decided to bring Lu Zhiyin along.
“Accompany you? Are you crazy?”
Lu Zhiyin looked at Qin An squatting down to eat noodles at the door. She then looked at the long flights of stairs and felt speechless.
“Are you expecting me to climb down to the first floor?”
Lu Zhiyin’s tone was harsh. She recalled the times Qin An had bullied her.
Making her climb the stairs at school, only to kick her back down when she reached the top.
The piercing pain still felt as if it was present. Lu Zhiyin closed her eyes.
She tried her best to push away things that would cause her emotions to fluctuate too much. She couldn’t think about them now, otherwise, she might not be able to suppress her hatred for Qin An.
“…Ugh…”
Qin An choked on Lu Zhiyin’s words. Only now did she remember that Lu Zhiyin was disabled and could not climb stairs by herself. The apartments near the school also had no elevators.
This meant that if she wanted Lu Zhiyin to accompany her out, she would have to carry or have her carried down.
The thought of being so close to someone who had bullied her sent an uncontrollable shiver down Qin An’s spine.
“…Well, it seems you’re not entirely stupid. Since you know I can’t go downstairs, don’t say such foolish things.”
“Damn you, don’t keep belittling me, you idiot.”
Qin An couldn’t stand Lu Zhiyin’s constant demeaning remarks. She just hadn’t been in the mood to use violence recently, not that she had truly become a helpless lamb to be slaughtered.
She swore, stood up, walked into Long Qinxin’s apartment on her own, placed the bowl after finishing the noodles in the sink, and then returned to the living room, grabbing Lu Zhiyin’s shoulder.
“…Uhhh, what are you doing?”
Qin An’s strength was considerable, and her grip on Lu Zhiyin’s shoulder caused her pain. She hadn’t expected Qin An to suddenly make such a move, and the unexpected pain made her voice tremble.
“…You can’t go downstairs, right? I’ll carry you down.”
Furious from Lu Zhiyin’s belittling, Qin An no longer cared about feeling disgusted. She grabbed Lu Zhiyin’s shoulder and attempted to lift Lu Zhiyin from her wheelchair.
“…Ugh, are you a child? Why do you need me to accompany you to see your father?”
Lu Zhiyin’s pain subsided. Of course, it might have been because Qin An noticed Lu Zhiyin’s expression and had loosened her grip, making it less painful for Lu Zhiyin. She patted Qin An’s hand.
“…”
Qin An remained silent, looking intently at Lu Zhiyin.
In a way, she was indeed like a child, trying various methods and means to gain parental attention.
Lu Zhiyin disliked children.
“…Forget it, I can’t help it. I’ll go get something.”
Lu Zhiyin finally relented. As she spoke, Qin An released her grip.
Lu Zhiyin rubbed her shoulder, then took out some banknotes from her money bag and retrieved Long Qinxin’s wedding ring from the sofa, placing the ring back in its original position.
If nothing unexpected happened, Qin An’s father would be meeting her in the affluent area. Although the probability of encountering Long Qinxin was low, it was not zero.
Just in case, Lu Zhiyin decided to wear the ring properly so she would have an explanation if they met.
“…”
Qin An stood at the door, staring silently at Lu Zhiyin as she moved around the living room. She noticed the bag on the sofa containing money and the wedding ring that was put back on.
Qin An’s eyes dimmed. She felt inexplicably displeased.
It’s so nice that the little disabled person has someone who loves her. If only she had someone to love her too.
Qin An inexplicably became melancholic.
“Let’s go, I’ve got my things.”
Having changed into a thick cotton coat, Lu Zhiyin maneuvered her wheelchair back to the door.
“…Mmm…”
Qin An, in a bad mood, responded dully. Then, she picked Lu Zhiyin up on her back and carried the disabled person she had once bullied downstairs.
