novelraw Chapter 457 - 223. Yu Qinglu walked up to Nan Wan and said with a smile,
Chapter 457 - 223. Yu Qinglu walked up to Nan Wan and said with a smile,
"Hmm, indeed there isn’t," Lu Yao nodded in agreement, "you just don’t like him, that’s all."Four years, and they haven’t even held hands.
Even elementary school kids in a relationship wouldn’t be this innocent.
The cleaning lady in the hallway was carrying two boxes. They were so high she couldn’t see the road ahead clearly, and accidentally bumped into Yu Qinglu’s back, quickly apologizing.
Yu Qinglu’s thin body staggered several steps from the impact, as if she couldn’t hear the cleaning lady’s apology and didn’t feel any pain at all.
She just looked at Lu Yao, like she had fallen back into that dream, "Feelings are cultivated, Ah Zhao never complained, what right do you, an outsider, have to accuse me here?"
"Did I?" Lu Yao blinked innocently, "I just came to greet you."
It seems her reminder wasn’t enough.
Yu Qinglu’s voice was cold, "No need."
Lu Yao continued walking forward, the smile in her eyes faded without a trace, replaced by an ice-cold expression, "The car in which Ah Zhao had the accident, did you tamper with it?"
It sounded as if she was certain, but also just probing.
Yu Qinglu was cornered, her body touching the tiled wall, a chill penetrating through the thin fabric to her skin, then seeping into her flesh.
The light, airy voice of Lu Yao rang in her ears, "Cutting the brake line is considered indirect intentional homicide, which is punishable by imprisonment."
The tender flesh of her palm was finally pierced by her nails, the knuckles turning blue. The tighter she squeezed, the deeper the nails sank into her skin, tearing at her flesh.
Her face went pale, she raised a hand to push Lu Yao away, then suddenly laughed eerily, "Do you have proof?"
If there were evidence, she’d already be in that dim, square prison.
Lu Yao looked at her coldly, uttering each word sharply, "Yu Qinglu, you will face retribution."
In just five minutes, Yu Qinglu had transitioned from initial surprise at seeing Lu Yao, to fear, and now to indifference, her mindset completely different.
She relaxed her body against the wall, her gaze unfocused, "Retribution, huh? Hasn’t it already come?"
...
The sound of high heels clicking on the floor echoed in the hallway, somewhat piercing.
Lu Yao came from the other end of the hallway. It wasn’t until the distance between them was three or four meters that Nan Wan noticed her expression was off.
"Sister-in-law?"
It was as if she hadn’t seen Nan Wan. If Nan Wan hadn’t called her, she might have just walked past.
Lu Yao came back to her senses, the coldness on her face instantly vanished, returning to her usual demeanor, "Oh, it’s Nan Wan. Sorry, did I step on you?"
Nan Wan shook her head, "No."
Her gaze moved past the tall Lu Yao, looking towards the thin figure in the corner at the end of the hallway. The distance was too far, only a blurred outline could be seen.
She just glanced casually, then retracted her gaze.
Lu Yao smiled harmlessly, "Are you here to see Aunt Du?"
"Director Mu asked me to run an errand for him, to deliver a document," Nan Wan took out the document from her bag, waving it in her hand, her expression gentle and pleasant, "The doctor is not here, I’m going to go upstairs to see Mom first."
She remembered, on Jiu Jiu’s full-month celebration day, Lu Yao asked Mr. Mu, also asked Third Brother, where Yu Qinglu was now.
The man blocking her at the entrance of the first floor, obviously not wanting her to go upstairs, was an employee of the Mu Family.
So, the person at the end of the hallway, was it Yu Qinglu?
That night, what did Lu Yao mean by "more than just knowing"?
"Does he often boss you around like this?" Lu Yao didn’t block Nan Wan’s view and instead smiled naturally, "I’ll go back and have a word with him."
"No, just occasionally, all business matters. Director Mu’s reputation in the hospital is excellent."
Hearing Nan Wan’s words, Lu Yao chuckled softly, reaching up to tuck loose hair behind her ear. The summer sunlight fell on her shoulders, each frame being a beautiful picture.
Taking out her phone to check the time, "Qingqing is about to finish school, I’ll visit Auntie next time."
Nan Wan nodded, "Alright, sister-in-law, drive safely."
The elevator arrived, going down. She stepped aside to let Lu Yao in.
...
Yu Qinglu stopped two steps away from Nan Wan, her gaze falling on Nan Wan, from top to bottom, then back up again.
Mrs. Mu still looked as pretty as before, you couldn’t tell she had a child, time was truly unfair.
In comparison, her current appearance must resemble those middle-aged women in the slums burdened by life.
People passing by, when looking at Mrs. Mu, had eyes full of admiration and envy, but when they looked at her...
Ha! They wouldn’t even glance her way.
The pallor of her face didn’t improve much, her entire being exuded a sickly desolation, her lips curled into a barely noticeable arc as she spoke, "Qing City is so small, and yet we haven’t seen each other for almost a year."
A year, three hundred and sixty-five days, was very long.
She counted how many wards were in the hospital, counted how many osmanthus trees were in the garden downstairs, knew how many steps from the first floor to the rooftop terrace, and even knew how long it took to walk up.
At most, every day for a week, she could see the beautiful sunset, but sometimes it rained continuously for half a month.
Nan Wan’s expression remained unbothered, with no waves, her voice cool, "Yeah, I nearly forgot I knew you."
Didn’t Mu Jin Huan say her illness was improving?
Why then, did she look so haggard...
Hearing this, Yu Qinglu paused for a moment, then covered her mouth with a half-hidden smile, "During this time, Mu Huan has protected you so well, it’s normal for you to forget I exist."
"So what?"
"I’ve done many things trying to break you and Mu Huan apart, even once got involved with the Nan Family," Yu Qinglu walked closer, smiling, "Mu Huan brought me back to Qing City, even lowered himself to ask Sheng Boyan to help treat my illness, aren’t you angry?"
She was almost skinny to the bone, her eyes appeared disproportionately large, and when she smiled, it looked somewhat eerie.
"The worse I became, the guiltier he felt," she stopped ten centimeters from Nan Wan’s toes, blinking, "This time, it’s not an act."
Ending up like this, she felt utterly hopeless.
Lu Yao wouldn’t just let this go easily. Rather than living such a ghostly existence, she might as well... end it.
But she also wouldn’t let Nan Wan live a happy and fulfilling life.