TFSRITA Chapter 118

One push!

Nothing happened.

Chu Zhao frowned slightly and pushed harder the second time.

Yan Qing woke up. As she opened her eyes, she saw a gloomy man sitting in front of her. Startled, she bolted upright and shrank back against the wall. “Who are you?!”

“…” Chu Zhao turned on the bedside lamp.

The harsh light lit up the room like daylight, allowing Yan Qing to finally see who was in front of her.

Her heart, which had been pounding wildly, gradually settled down, though it was still racing a bit faster than usual.

Slightly out of breath, Yan Qing asked, “Why are you here?”

The person before her looked at her without speaking. His beautiful features, under the bright light, lost their sinister look, leaving only his striking appearance and a hint of chill in his light brown eyes.

But when Yan Qing met his gaze, she was surprised to see a faint light in his eyes and a hint of a smile at the corner of his straight mouth. Overall, he seemed… almost pleased.

Yan Qing blinked, unsure how to react.

Still, remembering her purpose, she quietly asked, “Do you need something?”

Chu Zhao’s slightly sunken, almond-shaped eyes narrowed a bit, and he shook his head slowly, as if already satisfied. Then he maneuvered his wheelchair to turn around.

He left, with Yan Qing watching his back in utter confusion.

As he exited, she noticed three people standing by the door.

Chu Yang was staring in surprise, mouth slightly agape as he watched the interaction between Yan Qing and his brother. Since when had they gotten this close? Had something happened that he didn’t know about?

His brother hadn’t done anything inappropriate to a minor, as Chu Yang had feared, but still, the scene was strange enough. Waking her up just to hear her say a couple of words?

Chu Yang’s mind spun in confusion and even a little jealousy. He had waited so long, yet his brother barely looked at him, and when he did, it was with disdain. It wasn’t easy for him!

The other two people standing there were Chu Zhao’s parents.

Unless it was a special circumstance, Chu Heng and Zhou Huaiya always left their door slightly open so they could hear if Chu Zhao needed anything.

With all the commotion, they were immediately alerted and came out to check. Seeing Yan Qing’s door open with light spilling out, and their second son standing by, they naturally walked over.

As they arrived, Chu Yang stopped them, signaling them to stay silent and just watch.

Yan Qing, meeting the curious eyes of the three, waved awkwardly and said, “Uncle, Auntie.”

The young girl was wrapped in a blanket, with her small face peeking out. Her dull yellow hair, freshly washed, was now soft and framed her face, which looked even smaller. In the bright room, her large eyes sparkled, and her small hand waved like a little lucky cat.

Honestly, she looked adorable.

If it weren’t for this awkward situation caused by Chu Zhao in the middle of the night, Zhou Huaiya would have had the urge to go over and ruffle her hair. But now…

“Ah.” Chu Heng and Zhou Huaiya nodded quickly, casting careful glances at their son.

Seeing that he was about to leave, they immediately stepped aside, watching as he moved from Yan Qing’s room back to his own.

Zhou Huaiya gave a gentle cough, nudging her husband and son back to their rooms, then softly said to Yan Qing, “Sorry about that! Did he scare you? It’s the first time we’ve seen Zhao Zhao come to someone on his own. If he does come by again, just call out, and we’ll be right here. We won’t let him do anything harmful to you…”

Yan Qing, now completely calm, smiled slightly and shook her head. “It’s fine; he didn’t harm me.”

Zhou Huaiya examined her expression, relieved to see no trace of displeasure. After a few more words, she finally left.

Once they were gone, Yan Qing lay back down, though this time she left the light on. Looking at the doorknob, she hesitated. Should she lock the door?

On second thought, she decided not to.

Better just go back to sleep.

…

Yan Qing quickly fell asleep, but the three from the Chu family couldn’t sleep at all.

“Yan Qing affects Zhao Zhao!” Zhou Huaiya excitedly grabbed her husband’s hand. “Thank goodness I suggested putting out the word. I just knew with so many girls coming, one of them would reach him.”

Chu Heng was excited too, though less confident about her theory. Reflecting on Chu Zhao’s reaction, he shook his head. “Zhao Zhao might not be interested. Who knows what it is about that girl that gets his attention?”

Zhou Huaiya replied firmly, “It has to be her eyes. Yan Qing’s eyes are so beautiful—big, bright, clear like the waters of Mermaid Island. Just looking at them is refreshing.”

The waters around Mermaid Island were crystal clear, with picturesque surroundings, a paradise of sorts. This was the highest praise Zhou Huaiya could give.

Chu Yang thought for a while, then reluctantly agreed, “Yeah, I guess it’s her eyes. Other than that, she’s all skin and bones.”

Zhou Huaiya gave him a knock on the head and said seriously, “Go buy some supplements for her. Get things like bird’s nest and donkey-hide gelatin. Yan Qing’s still young, and she hasn’t grown properly because of all the mistreatment.”

This time, Chu Yang didn’t argue back and obediently nodded. “Got it. I’ll go to sleep now.”

“Go on, go on. And remember to be nicer to your future sister-in-law,” Zhou Huaiya teased.

Chu Yang snorted and didn’t reply, though he treated Yan Qing much better the next day.

Yan Qing knew very little about Chu Zhao, only picking up a few details from conversations with the Chu family and some memories from the original Yan Qing’s past encounters.

But those few encounters had always terrified her.

Yet Yan Qing wasn’t afraid of these things. Her mission was simple: to stop Chu Zhao from taking his own life. A difficult task, as Chu Zhao was obsessive and immersed in his world. Though he hadn’t shown suicidal tendencies yet, he often did things that harmed himself.