novelraw Chapter 237 Irreplaceable
Chapter 237 Irreplaceable
Lu Xiran woke up almost the instant she opened her mouth. She abruptly raised her head, her eyes not yet fully open, and reached out to touch Jin Qiqi's forehead to check her temperature. Then she cupped Jin Qiqi's face and examined her carefully.
"Qiqi! How are you feeling? Does your head hurt? Are you dizzy? Are you hungry? Do you want some water?"
A barrage of questions came at Jin Qiqi like a machine gun, and before Jin Qiqi could answer, Lu Xiran had already turned to pour water. She held the glass, tested the water temperature, and then brought it to Jin Qiqi's lips.
Jin Qiqi took two sips, shook her head, indicating that she had enough. Her gaze wandered somewhat unfocused around the room, finally settling on Lu Xiran's face, and she spoke very softly:
"Where is Gu Yanxu?"
Lu Xiran paused slightly. She lowered her head, placed the water glass on the bedside table, and then took Jin Qiqi's hand again, gently stroking the back of her hand with her thumb.
"He's gone." Lu Xiran's voice was quiet. "When Lin Chen went over..."
"I know." Jin Qiqi closed her eyes, her eyelashes trembling. The scenes from last night surged through her mind like shards of glass—that towel, the person she thought would be with her for life, personally handing the sleeping pill to her mouth and nose.
"He drugged me." Jin Qiqi's voice held no anger, no hysteria, only a chilling coldness. That coldness made Lu Xiran's heart clench.
"Ranran." Jin Qiqi opened her eyes, tears finally bursting forth, one after another, landing on Lu Xiran's hand. "I really realize... I've never known him. I really don't know what kind of person is lying next to me."
Her voice was broken and fragmented by sobs. Her shoulders trembled violently, like a leaf struggling in a storm. She cried like a child, not in a loud wail, but in a release of pent-up emotions—all the grievances, fears, and disappointments poured out in that moment.
Lu Xiran didn't speak. She simply stretched out her arms and pulled Jin Qiqi into her embrace. One hand encircled her shoulder, while the other gently patted her back, just like many years ago when they were still young.
Back then, Jin Qiqi was heartbroken and cried on her shoulder like this. Lu Xiran patted her like this too, saying over and over, "It's okay, Qiqi, it's okay."
This time, however, it was a broken heart that was wounded.
Jin Qiqi, exhausted from crying, leaned on Lu Xiran's shoulder, her breathing gradually calming down. She looked up at Lu Xiran with her swollen, red eyes, her voice hoarse and almost inaudible:
"sorry."
Lu Xiran gently rubbed her hair, her gesture filled with tenderness born of deep heartache.
"I told you," Lu Xiran's voice was soft but firm, "you've never been wrong."
"No." Jin Qiqi shook her head, tears welling up again. "Twice...twice, you fell into Lian Bichen's trap because of me. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have been lured to that place, you wouldn't have—"
"Stop talking." Lu Xiran interrupted her, cupping Jin Qiqi's face in her hands and wiping away her tears with her thumbs. Her movements were very slow, as if she were making a solemn promise.
"Qiqi, listen to me." Lu Xiran looked into her eyes, her voice gentle yet firm. "I remember, you always stood in front of me. You always helped me without considering the consequences."
Her voice trembled slightly, and her eyes reddened again: "I can't blame a friend like you. Do you understand?"
Jin Qiqi's tears welled up again, but this time, her tears were different. They weren't tears of pain or guilt, but tears of being caught—like someone who had fallen for a long time and was finally caught by someone's hand.
She reached out and hugged Lu Xiran tightly. Their shoulders touched, their tears mingled, and their heartbeats conveyed warmth to each other through the thin fabric of their clothes.
"Ranran," Jin Qiqi buried her face in Lu Xiran's shoulder, her voice muffled, "thank you."
Lu Xiran didn't speak, but simply tightened her arms and rested her chin on Jin Qiqi's head. The two of them nestled together like that.
The night outside the window was deep, but the light in the room was warm, casting long shadows of two people embracing each other onto the off-white wall, like a quiet silhouette painting.
Gu Yanshen had quietly slipped out sometime earlier, gently closing the door behind him. Even the click of the lock was so soft it seemed as if he was afraid of disturbing something. In the corridor, he leaned against the wall, still holding the cup of hot milk in his hand—the milk had long since stopped steaming, but he seemed to have forgotten to put it down.
He sighed softly.
Some bonds are closer than blood ties and last longer than love. He had seen too many estranged relatives and separated lovers, but he had rarely seen people like them, who had each other's lives etched into their very bones.
He knew that Jin Qiqi's significance to Lu Xiran was irreplaceable.
During the years he cruelly pushed Ranran away, during the days when she swallowed all her grievances and walked through all the dark nights alone, it was Jin Qiqi who sent more than a hundred WeChat messages a day, it was Jin Qiqi who was always there for him, it was Jin Qiqi who held up an umbrella for him. What he owed Jin Qiqi was not just a favor, but a period of time that he could never make up for.
She was also his benefactor. He had imagined more than once what he would do if Jin Qiqi cried and begged him to let Lian Bichen go—for the sake of her mother-in-law and for the sake of Gu Yanxu, her husband?
He would be in a dilemma, he would hesitate, and he would not know how to face Ranran.
But to his surprise, Jin Qiqi never hesitated.
She always hated evil and couldn't tolerate even the slightest injustice. Her sincerity towards Ranran sometimes even made him feel ashamed—at least, she had never hurt Ranran like he had, using the words "for your own good" to wound her bit by bit.
The next evening, as dusk approached, a wisp of orange afterglow still lingered on the twilight horizon.
Lu Xiran sent messages to both Lin Chen and Gu Yanshen: "Come over for dinner early tonight."
Lu Xiran tied on an apron, casually tied her long hair into a bun, and let a few stray strands fall beside her ears. She glanced back at Jin Qiqi, who was washing vegetables, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously curved into a smile.
The kitchen quickly became lively.
Jin Qiqi was in charge of washing and chopping the vegetables, while Lu Xiran was in charge of cooking. The two worked together as smoothly as a well-functioning machine—Jin Qiqi would arrange the chopped scallions, ginger, and garlic in a small dish and hand it to Lu Xiran, who would then put it into the pan. With a sizzle, the oil and aroma rose together.