Her body’s detoxification function was solely reliant on the one kidney she possessed.
Yet, she paid no mind to these matters, merely asking,
“Is Qin Yusheng alright?”
The doctor paused, clearly taken aback. “He hasn’t woken up yet, but his body is responding well, and no signs of rejection have been detected.”
“That’s good then.”
Her heart finally found peace.
The thought of a kidney belonging to her residing within this man’s body filled her dreams with sweetness.
During her week-long hospital stay, Old Master Qin arranged for the best caregivers and provided her with the most luxurious room.
Perhaps due to her youth, her body healed remarkably fast, and she was discharged within a week.
Filled with joy, she obtained Qin Yusheng’s phone number from the Old Master.
She planned to call him once he recovered and tell him.
*Your kidney is mine.*
However, on the day Qin Yusheng was discharged, she received news that struck her like lightning, alongside the confirmation of his recovery.
Qin Yusheng was in love.
Who was the girl?
Zhao Shuyao got Qin Yusheng’s whereabouts from the Old Master and personally witnessed him on a date with a girl at a coffee shop.
The girl had a plain appearance, a slender build, dark hair, and fair skin…
It was none other than her own cousin!
Fu Yanxue!
In an instant, the world seemed to lose its color.
Zhao Shuyao’s eyes could only focus on Qin Yusheng and Fu Yanxue.
Qin Yusheng was smiling so tenderly, holding Fu Yanxue’s hand even as they sat facing each other.
They were seated by the window.
It was the coldest twelfth lunar month in the capital, with heavy snow falling and pedestrians hurrying along the streets.
Zhao Shuyao stood motionless at a distance, watching the two of them.
Outside, the weather was freezing, with temperatures nearing negative ten degrees Celsius.
The coffee shop was warm, bathed in soft, inviting light that illuminated Qin Yusheng and Fu Yanxue.
Every time Zhao Shuyao saw Qin Yusheng, his face was always tense.
Never before had he appeared so gentle and smiling as he did at this moment.
His eyes seemed to reflect the warm light of the coffee shop.
Warm as midsummer.
The way he looked at Fu Yanxue was as if he had decided she was the one for him, the one he would love forever, with a love that ran deep into his bones.
Hot tears streamed down her cheeks, tracing paths across her cold face before finally dripping onto the cold snow.
They vanished without a trace.
Much like her own emotions, which had nowhere to go at this very moment.
A dull ache began to throb in her abdomen.
She fainted in the freezing snow.
She didn’t know who saved her, but when she awoke, she saw Old Master Qin’s face, etched with worry.
“Grandpa, I think I’m dead…”
She threw herself into his arms and sobbed uncontrollably.
It felt as though nothing in the world could be more sorrowful than this.
The Old Master comforted her, “Those destined to be together will eventually find their way. Those not meant to be will part ways.”
The snow fell for a very, very long time.
Zhao Shuyao chose to attend the same university as Qin Yusheng.
Every day, she watched him and Fu Yanxue walk hand-in-hand, a picture of perfect couples that envied many girls.
“Fu Yanxue is so plain-looking, not pretty at all. I don’t know how Qin Yusheng could be so blind!”
“Zhao Shuyao, I heard Fu Yanxue is your cousin. How come you two don’t look alike at all?”
“Exactly! You have a melon-seed face, big eyes, and a hot, voluptuous figure. This Fu Yanxue is plain from head to toe!”
“Forget about boys, if I were a guy, I wouldn’t like this kind of plain, simple girl either!”
The girls gossiped and chattered amongst themselves.
Zhao Shuyao’s vision blurred as she watched their figures disappear from sight.
She clutched a hot water bottle to her chest.
She couldn’t help but wonder if the warmth of his hand was anything like that of a hot water bottle.
Time passed quickly. In her senior year, the Zhao family suddenly faced a crisis. She was interning at a company at the time and was frantic upon hearing the news.
The entire family was desperately trying to find ways to cover the deficit of hundreds of millions of yuan.
The family sold all their jewelry, designer bags, stocks, villas, and cars.
Yet, it was a drop in the ocean, utterly insufficient to plug the enormous hole.
Fu Yanxue visited the Zhao family once after hearing about their plight and gave them a sum of money.
It was a staggering five hundred thousand yuan.
Having been by Qin Yusheng’s side all these years, Fu Yanxue’s lifestyle had improved immeasurably.
She was no longer the simple, unassuming girl; she had transformed, adorned in the finest luxury brands, and even her parents had moved into a grand villa.
It was evident that Qin Yusheng treated Fu Yanxue very well.
“This is just a small token of my appreciation. Although it’s not much, it’s a thank you from Yu Sheng and me. If it weren’t for you, Yu Sheng wouldn’t have survived and recovered so quickly. Consider this five hundred thousand yuan payment for one of your kidneys. From now on, you and Yu Sheng are no longer connected. Don’t look for him, understand?”
Fu Yanxue stared intently at her, her eyes filled with a fierce glint.
Zhao Shuyao couldn’t decipher her gaze.
Fu Yanxue was already living the life she had always dreamed of, holding the hand of the man she longed for, so why was she still confronting her?
However, this money was crucial for the Zhao family, so she agreed.
From that day on, she and Qin Yusheng were quits.
Seeing her accept the money, Fu Yanxue finally seemed to relax, letting out a sigh.
Then, she took Zhao Shuyao’s hand. “Cousin, you need to take good care of yourself. Look how thin you’ve become.”
Zhao Shuyao remained outwardly unfazed by this feigned concern, merely observing it.
Five hundred thousand yuan was still far too little for the Zhao family.
Her father’s hair was falling out in clumps under the immense pressure.
That morning, however, they received an invitation to a banquet from Old Master Qin.
The entire family dressed in their finest attire, hoping to seek assistance at the event.
Zhao Shuyao also attended the banquet. She saw Qin Yusheng and Fu Yanxue by his side.
Fu Yanxue, with her arm linked through Qin Yusheng’s, wore a formal gown. Although not revealing, Fu Yanxue was too slender to fill out the magnificent dress.
Zhao Shuyao, on the other hand, wore a simple, plain colored dress.
The moment she entered, nearly all the male gazes were drawn to her.
Her skin was fair and translucent, like a piece of fine white jade.
A delicate blush tinted the skin around her knee joints.
Even to the naked eye, her skin appeared fair and smooth.
Her melon-seed face was adorned with a pair of peach blossom eyes, their outer corners upturned, veiled in a misty allure, exuding a captivating charm.
A mere glance from her could make any man’s heart skip a beat.
Not to mention her enviable figure.
Even without revealing much skin, her graceful silhouette accentuated the simple, unadorned dress.
A vision of earthly beauty, impossible to look away from.
Men flocked to her, eager to strike up a conversation.
She felt weary and did not wish to engage.
Zhao Shuhui approached, holding a glass of fruit wine, and offered it to her with a smile. “It tastes good. Would you like to try it?”