Zhou Zheng's wife had once told him that when couples argue, girls usually say the opposite of what they mean, so you have to listen to their words in reverse.
For example, when the boss's wife says, "Who needs him to worry," deep down she definitely wants the boss to worry.
Or, for instance, when she asks the boss, "Didn't you say you couldn't make it back?", she's actually angry that the boss wasn't by her side right away.
In other words, the boss's wife might seem like she's still angry, but in her heart, she wants the boss to coax her.
Mustering his courage for the first time, he nudged his boss. "Mr. Lu, say something."
However, Lu Bochuan opened his mouth but couldn't utter a single word.
Shu Qingqing pursed her lips, walked past him, and headed toward the hospital bed.
Lu Bochuan quickly followed, helping her pull back the covers, arranging the pillows, and even trying to support her as she sat down.
Shu Qingqing dodged his hands and looked at Zhou Zheng. "Assistant Zhou, please tell your Mr. Lu that I'm actually fine and will be discharged in a few days. Tell him to go back."
Zhou Zheng: ...
Great. The two of them were literally face-to-face, yet they insisted on using him as a messenger.
Seeing Zhou Zheng hesitate, Shu Qingqing urged, "Assistant Zhou, are you unwilling to pass on my message?"
Great, collateral damage.
Zhou Zheng felt deeply helpless.
He cleared his throat and looked at his boss. "Mr. Lu, the madam says she... is pretty much fine now, and wants you... to go back."
Just when Shu Qingqing thought Lu Bochuan would continue playing mute.
She suddenly heard a "Okay."
???
!!!
Lu Bochuan actually said! Okay?!
Very well.
Just great.
Shu Qingqing lay down on her own and pulled up the covers. "I'm going to rest. If you're leaving, hurry up and go."
Zhou Zheng wanted to say something more, but saw his boss walk out without a word.
Zhou Zheng???
If he hadn't seen with his own eyes how anxious and distressed his boss was upon hearing the news of his wife's injury, he would have suspected their relationship was truly broken.
He hurried out after him. "Mr. Lu, are you going straight home or?"
Lu Bochuan pinched the bridge of his nose. "You go back first. Thanks for your hard work these past few days."
Zhou Zheng paused. So the boss actually wasn't planning to go back?
Then why didn't he say so just now?
Did the boss not know that a man who doesn't speak his mind will end up groveling to win his wife back later?!
He couldn't hold back in the end. "Mr. Lu, you were so worried about the madam, why didn't you... say a single word just now?"
Lu Bochuan clenched his fingers tight.
Because he was afraid Shu Qingqing didn't want to see him. He was afraid that the moment he opened his mouth, he would disgust her, and even more afraid that she would bring up those two words.
Zhou Zheng regretted it as soon as he spoke. Just as he was figuring out how to backtrack, he heard Lu Bochuan order, "You don't need to go to the company tomorrow. Take Lawyer Zhou to the police station. Those people who hurt her must all pay the price."
Zhou Zheng immediately turned serious. "Understood, Mr. Lu."
After Zhou Zheng left, Lu Bochuan stood in the corridor for a long time before quietly returning to the hospital room.
Although it was a VIP ward, it still wasn't home. The sofa in the sitting area was too small to fit a 1.86-meter-tall man.
Lu Bochuan sat down, leaning his head back against the sofa.
After rushing back for over thirty hours, his body was utterly exhausted and desperately needed rest. Yet, his mind kept replaying the image of seeing Shu Qingqing just moments ago.
Her lips were so pale, and the gauze on her left arm was so long. He heard the old madam say she needed twelve stitches. He didn't know what kind of pain she had endured.
Lu Bochuan took a deep breath and covered his eyes with his hand.
The hospital in the early hours of the morning was exceptionally quiet; even the rustling of the wind blowing through the leaves could be heard clearly.
Meanwhile, Shu Qingqing lay on the hospital bed, completely unable to sleep.
She felt that there was definitely something wrong with Lu Bochuan.
He rushed all the way back from Country F, only to not say a word when he saw her.
She forced herself to close her eyes, but the look in Lu Bochuan's eyes when he looked at her kept appearing in her mind.
It seemed like there was a bit of worry?
Why was she thinking about him again!
Shu Qingqing knocked on her head, forcing it to stop imagining things.
She would go to the bathroom and absolutely must sleep when she got back.
Thinking this, Shu Qingqing put on her slippers and walked out.
The curtains in the sitting area weren't closed. As soon as Shu Qingqing came out, she saw a pitch-black silhouette on the sofa.
Shu Qingqing quickly grabbed a teacup from the cabinet. "Who's there!"
Lu Bochuan stood up and turned on the small lamp on the side table.
Only then could Shu Qingqing see clearly.
Lu Bochuan actually hadn't left?
Shu Qingqing breathed a sigh of relief and put down the teacup. "Why aren't you going back to sleep in the middle of the night? What are you doing here scaring people!"
Lu Bochuan took two steps forward, but paused when he saw Shu Qingqing's expression. "Sorry."
Heh, that was the first sentence Lu Bochuan had said to her since coming back.
Shu Qingqing twitched the corners of her mouth and walked toward the bathroom.
Lu Bochuan quickly followed.
Hearing the footsteps behind her, Shu Qingqing finally lost control of her temper. She whipped her head around and glared at him fiercely. "Lu Bochuan! Why are you following me!"
Lu Bochuan's gaze was deep, his thin lips pressed tightly together.
Shu Qingqing took a deep breath. "Lu Bochuan... did you come back specifically to play mute for me?"
Lu Bochuan's fingers tightened, and he spoke softly. "I was afraid it would be inconvenient for you to use the bathroom."
"Well, thank you so much." Shu Qingqing laughed out of anger. Forgoing the bathroom, she turned around to head back.
But just as she turned, she was embraced from behind by Lu Bochuan.
Lu Bochuan carefully avoided her left arm, wrapping only his right arm around her shoulders. "I haven't gone mute. I didn't speak because I was afraid you didn't want to see me, that hearing my voice would disgust you."
"You must have been in so much pain."
"I'm sorry, it's my fault for not protecting you."
"Qingqing, don't chase me away."
Tears fell without warning. Shu Qingqing sniffled. "Who's chasing you away? You were the one who said you wouldn't come back. You were the one who didn't even send a single message of concern."
Lu Bochuan hurriedly stepped around from behind her and held her hand. "I never said I wouldn't come back. I didn't send you a message because... I was afraid you wouldn't want to read it."
On the plane, he had opened their chat box countless times, but backed out every time out of fear that it would make her angry.
Shu Qingqing started despising herself again.
She had promised herself to sever this relationship, yet here she was, longing for Lu Bochuan's embrace.
No, that wasn't it. She was just hesitating because she was injured right now. Once she recovered, she should be able to go back to being the Shu Qingqing who only cared about money and not feelings.
She would just rely on Lu Bochuan briefly for a little longer.
With that thought, she let Lu Bochuan take care of her and help her back to bed.
When she woke up the next morning and saw the scruffy Lu Bochuan again, she finally couldn't help but show her disdain.
"Lu Bochuan, you look so unkempt. Hurry home, take a shower, and change your clothes."
Lu Bochuan didn't object this time and simply left.
It was the National Day holiday. Even though Lu Xun had time off from school, the old madam had taken him back to the old family estate to keep him from constantly clamoring to see Shu Qingqing.
The massive villa was extremely quiet.
Lu Bochuan walked straight to the second floor, opened the bedroom door, and suddenly froze.
Why was everything in the room covered with dust sheets?
Lu Bochuan called Auntie Li over.
"Oh, this. The madam said you wouldn't be coming back anymore, so she had everything covered up to keep the dust off the furniture," Aunt Li explained as she opened the door to the study across the hall.
Lu Bochuan stared at the empty desk, suddenly falling into deep thought.
So Shu Qingqing thought he was never coming back?
