Even a vector known for only half a month would be gentle towards her, yet the man before her offered not a shred of tenderness.
Zhao Shuyao scoffed inwardly.
How dare she still expect anything from this man.
Returning to Tanjing Palace, Zhao Shuyao went straight upstairs to her room and locked the door.
She didn't emerge for a full three days.
Sister Wu, worried about Zhao Shuyao, knocked on the door daily, bringing food, but there was never any response from inside.
"Sir, could something have happened? She hasn't eaten for three days. What if something happens?"
Sister Wu hurried downstairs. Qin Yusheng had just finished a case and returned home, changing his clothes in the entryway.
"Let her be. I don't believe she can starve herself to death."
Qin Yusheng sat down in the living room and opened his laptop, continuing his work.
Sister Wu sighed. When Qin Yusheng went to rest, she secretly called a locksmith.
The door was soon opened. The room was pitch black, the curtains tightly drawn. The air was stale. Haicheng's autumn weather was a bit cool, but the temperature inside was stuffy and warm, with a faint scent of decay.
Sister Wu turned on the light and immediately saw Zhao Shuyao昏睡 on the bed.
She seemed to have a fever, her forehead slick with cold sweat, her hair damp and clinging to her skin.
"Miss!" Sister Wu cried out, intending to take Zhao Shuyao to the hospital.
Turning around, she saw Qin Yusheng standing at the doorway, looking indifferently at everything in the room.
"Sir, Miss has a fever. She must be taken to the hospital..."
Sister Wu pleaded with Qin Yusheng for help.
Qin Yusheng remained motionless. "If she wants to, let her be!"
He then turned away coldly.
Zhao Shuyao, delirious with fever, was awakened by the sound of Qin Yusheng forcefully slamming the door.
It felt as if a heavy weight was pressing down on her head, making it difficult to breathe.
"Miss Le, please wait. I'll go buy you fever reducers right away."
Seeing that Zhao Shuyao was in no condition to go to the hospital, Sister Wu had to run to a nearby pharmacy to buy some fever reducers.
Zhao Shuyao, in her daze, heard Sister Wu's words and realized she had a fever.
After Sister Wu left, Zhao Shuyao pushed away the quilt. Even this simple movement was strenuous.
Her body felt like it was caught between ice and fire; she shivered from the cold without the quilt, and sweated profusely with it on.
Sister Wu bought fever reducers and cooling patches, poured a cup of warm water, and brought it to Zhao Shuyao's lips. "Miss, take some medicine, and you'll feel better after a nap!"
Zhao Shuyao forced herself to sit up, took the cup from Sister Wu, and gulped down the medicine.
Sister Wu gently wiped the cold sweat from Zhao Shuyao's body and applied a cooling patch.
Zhao Shuyao felt a little more comfortable and wanted to say thank you, but the effects of the medicine made her drift into a deep sleep.
"Sir... Miss has taken her medicine..."
"Don't give her medicine. If she wants to die, let her!"
"But Sir, Miss is really seriously ill..."
"She's faking it! Sister Wu, you haven't had a vacation in a long time. Go back and rest for a while."
"Sir..."
Before leaving, Sister Wu gave Zhao Shuyao medicine one more time.
Even in her hazy state, she heard every sound clearly.
"Miss, Sir doesn't want me to take care of you anymore. I have to pack my bags and leave. Please take care of yourself. The medicine is all by your bedside, along with mineral water. Remember to take your medicine on time. If you don't get better, remember to call an ambulance..."
Sister Wu arranged everything before leaving with unease.
After taking the medicine twice, her fever subsided considerably. After Sister Wu left, Zhao Shuyao had enough strength to sit up.
She was about to take her third dose of medicine when the door opened.
The man walked in slowly, glancing at her languishing on the bed. "Heh, stop playing the victim. Do you think pretending to be sick will make me pity you? Zhao Shuyao, if you want to die, don't die here!"
The man swept all the medicine and mineral water from the table into the trash can.
Zhao Shuyao watched his actions from beginning to end, neither stopping him nor speaking.
She had no strength left.
"If you want medicine, pick it up from the trash!" Zhao Shuyao's indifference struck a nerve with Qin Yusheng. He spoke sarcastically, gritting his teeth, wishing he could use the most cutting words to humiliate Zhao Shuyao. Zhao Shuyao slowly pushed aside the quilt. She was still wearing the clothes she had on when she returned to Tanjing Palace three days ago, now soaked through and clinging to her from the sweat.
By the bedside were the loungewear Sister Wu had prepared. Zhao Shuyao picked them up and changed into them in front of Qin Yusheng.
The fresh, dry clothes felt incredibly comfortable against her skin.
"Are you done?" Zhao Shuyao managed a few words before coughing, "If you're done, get out."
In the past, she would have endured silently, without a word.
But now she had nothing to worry about, not even the Zhao family.
Not divorcing was only because she didn't want Huo Yanxue to succeed.
"Get out? Zhao Shuyao, this is my home..."
"Fine, then I'll get out."
Zhao Shuyao stood up and walked towards the door. Her head felt heavy and her feet unsteady. Even a few steps were exhausting.
But she forced herself, walking past Qin Yusheng.
A flicker of emotion crossed the man's dark eyes.
But soon, remembering what he had seen a few days prior, jealousy ruthlessly suppressed the last trace of pity.
Bang—
Suddenly, there was a commotion.
When Qin Yusheng walked out, he saw Zhao Shuyao tumbling down the stairs, finally falling motionless on the floor at the bottom.
"Zhao Shuyao, stop pretending..."
After speaking, he received no response for a long time.
When Zhao Shuyao opened her eyes again, she was in the hospital, an IV drip in her arm, a bandage on her forehead. Her fever had subsided significantly, but her head still ached.
The ward was empty. A nurse came in to change the IV drip and, seeing she was awake, called the doctor for an examination.
She had been lying there for days. Only Jiang Shiyu had visited a few times. On the day of her discharge, Jiang Shiyu came to pick her up. "Are you feeling better? Do you need me to arrange a place for you? You don't look very well." In the few days since returning to the country, Zhao Shuyao had become like a nine-tailed fox that had lost eight tails, severely depleted.
"Shiyu, my dear, you're so busy lately, yet you still come to take care of me and pick me up from the hospital. I'm so touched, I've decided to pledge myself to you!"
The moment Zhao Shuyao saw Jiang Shiyu, she became like a child, clinging to Jiang Shiyu and acting spoiled.
Jiang Shiyu smiled helplessly and patted Zhao Shuyao's hand. "You've just been discharged. I don't want to discuss unpleasant topics with you, but I still have to ask, when are you going to divorce Qin Yusheng?"
Zhao Shuyao had only been back in the country for half a month, and she had already become like this, either missing or sick.
Qin Yusheng was like a fox spirit from ancient times, draining people's vitality. Zhao Shuyao was being consumed almost entirely.
"I'm not reconciled... Huo Yanxue impersonated me back then, deceived Qin Yusheng, and stole the love that should have been mine. If I divorce Qin Yusheng, then Huo Yanxue will have succeeded. I know Qin Yusheng doesn't love me, he even detests me, but I'm just not reconciled..."
If it weren't for her unwillingness, given her personality, she wouldn't have stayed by Qin Yusheng's side for so long.