That “Bad” Woman Next Door – Chapter 42

It was always you taking care of me before, now it’s my turn to take care of you.

Yu Xi was walking back, holding the camera, when she suddenly heard someone frantically shouting for her. Looking up, she saw Yuan Yue running toward her at full speed.

Yu Xi hurried to meet her.

Yuan Yue grabbed her arm anxiously and asked, “What on earth happened? Why did you suddenly ditch me and run off?”

With the camera in hand, Yu Xi had no more reservations. She spoke with straight words and no avoidance¹, “Someone was secretly taking pictures of us just now. I think it might be related to that incident with Jie Ran yesterday. The situation was urgent, so I didn’t have time to explain it to you clearly.”

Yu Xi had no experience with this kind of situation. When she realized the man was deliberately taking secret photos, a bad premonition instantly rose in her heart. All she could think about was not letting him get a shot of Yuan Yue’s face; she didn’t want Yuan Yue to be harmed by one thread or one fine hair², which was why she had so forcefully demanded she not move just now.

But clearly, Yuan Yue hadn’t listened to her and had followed her over. Now that she had snatched the camera, however, nothing else mattered.

Only then did Yuan Yue notice the camera she was cradling, utterly astonished. “Someone was taking secret photos?”

“Mhm.” Yu Xi frowned slightly. “But it’s a good thing I got the camera back. I’ll delete the photos in a bit.”

“Why was he secretly taking pictures of us?” Yuan Yue was full of curiosity.

“I don’t know, it might be related to Jie Ran.”

After her reminder, Yuan Yue seemed to think of something too, but she was still very surprised. “Weren’t those Weibo³ posts already deleted? You mean the matter still isn’t settled?”

Yu Xi didn’t understand this either, shaking her head and saying, “Let’s not worry about this for now. Let’s go back first.”

Yuan Yue’s gaze went past Yu Xi and inadvertently fell upon the scene of an accident not far ahead. She couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Over there…”

Yu Xi cut her off, saying, “It’s the man who was secretly photographing us. He was accidentally hit by a car.”

“Ah?” Yuan Yue exclaimed.

Yu Xi blocked her prying gaze and said with a cool indifference, “He deserved it. Don’t worry about him, it’s not like he’s going to die.”

Yuan Yue was surprised by Yu Xi’s cold attitude, but when she turned to look at Yu Xi’s face, her surprise immediately turned to worry. “Honey, you look terrible. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Yu Xi licked her lips, grabbed her wrist, and said, “Let’s go.”

When Yu Xi’s damp palm touched Yuan Yue’s skin, Yuan Yue was even more alarmed and quickly stopped in her tracks.

Yuan Yue turned Yu Xi’s palm over and found it was covered in sweat, yet Yu Xi’s hand was so cold. She couldn’t help but ask with concern, “Are you feeling unwell anywhere? Why are you sweating so much?”

Having run a bit too fast just now, Yu Xi only felt a tightness in her chest. She paid it no mind, smiling as she said, “I’m really fine. How can you not sweat after running so fast?”

Yuan Yue was still worried, holding her hand tightly, her mouth open as if she wanted to say something but then hesitated.

Yu Xi quickly cut her off, seamlessly changing the subject. “I lost my phone. Quick, help me look for it.”

Yuan Yue’s attention was thus diverted. She lowered her head and began to search. “Where did you lose it?”

Yu Xi had been forced to throw her phone just now, and by a stroke of luck, it had hit that man squarely on the head. She naturally remembered where the phone had landed and pulled Yuan Yue straight over.

Yuan Yue’s sharp eyes spotted the phone lying on the ground. “Found it!” she said in pleasant surprise.

“Go pick it up for me,” Yu Xi said softly.

Yuan Yue didn’t notice anything unusual about her. She let go of Yu Xi’s hand, walked over to pick up the phone, and accidentally touched a button, causing the screen to suddenly light up.

To Yuan Yue’s surprise, Yu Xi’s phone wasn’t locked. She clearly remembered that Yu Xi had always used a passcode lock before, so why was it suddenly gone now?

Yuan Yue then noticed the wallpaper on Yu Xi’s phone screen. Before, it had clearly been a solo picture of her, but now Yu Xi had changed it to a photo of the two of them together. Yuan Yue remembered that this photo was one Yu Xi had taken of them with a selfie stick while they were collecting shells on the beach.

Yuan Yue stared intently at the smiling faces pressed intimately together on the screen, deeply touched. The corners of her mouth turned up unconsciously.

A sweet feeling filled Yuan Yue’s heart. Cradling the phone, she was about to turn back to return it to Yu Xi when she saw Yu Xi, who was five meters away, sway. Suddenly, her eyes closed, and her body collapsed without warning.

Yuan Yue’s happiness lasted for less than a second. Her eyes widened in horror, and she dashed toward Yu Xi, just barely managing to catch her as she was about to fall. But unable to bear the falling weight, Yuan Yue’s legs went weak, and she fell to the ground with Yu Xi in her arms.

The camera rolled to her feet, but Yuan Yue only had eyes for Yu Xi. Seeing Yu Xi’s bloodless face, seeing her quiet appearance with lips pressed tight, brows furrowed, and eyes closed, Yuan Yue felt as if her chest had been struck by lightning. She became scared and panicked, losing all composure⁴ as she cried out, “Honey, don’t scare me!”

…

An hour later, Yu Xi slowly regained consciousness.

Yuan Yue’s miserable face finally showed another expression. She quickly leaned in and asked with concern, “Are you feeling any better now?”

Yuan Yue’s voice was very soft, as if afraid of startling her. Yu Xi opened her mouth and found her throat was a little dry. Due to her weakness, her voice was even softer. “Did I just faint?”

Yuan Yue nodded without pause⁵, holding her still-cold hand, her heart aching. “You suddenly fainted and scared me to death, so I had to bring you to the hospital. The doctor said you have hypoglycemia and just gave you a shot. You’re finally awake.”

No wonder Yu Xi felt dizzy, nauseous, and weak all over. She squeezed Yuan Yue’s hand back and said apologetically, “I’m sorry for making you worry.”

Yuan Yue shook her head repeatedly. “I should be the one saying sorry. It’s all my fault for treating you like that last night…”

Yuan Yue’s voice grew quieter as she spoke. Seeing Yu Xi’s state of having breath but no strength⁶, her eyes grew hot, and she quickly lowered her head.

“Are you crying?” Yu Xi asked tentatively, using a finger to lift her chin. Sure enough, she saw that Yuan Yue’s eyes were red. She let out a nearly inaudible sigh. “I only fainted because I didn’t eat breakfast. You don’t need to be sad or blame yourself.”

How could it just be because she didn’t eat breakfast? Yuan Yue knew Yu Xi’s physical condition. In her impression, Yu Xi was always full of energy; she never saw her complain of being tired, nor had she ever seen her get sick. Yu Xi had been the one driving when they went to the beach. Returning travel-worn from wind and dust⁷ was tiring enough, but Yuan Yue had been inconsiderate, insisting on fooling around like that last night. Even if Yu Xi’s body were made of iron, it wouldn’t have been able to take it.

Yu Xi just spoiled her too much. She had fallen ill herself but was comforting her instead. Yuan Yue felt both gratified and heartbroken. She sniffled, deliberately avoiding Yu Xi’s gaze, and said, “You wait here. I’ll go buy you something to eat now.”

Yuan Yue stood up to leave, but Yu Xi grabbed her hand and reminded her, “You haven’t eaten anything either. Remember to buy two servings.”

Yuan Yue gave a muffled grunt of acknowledgment and turned to leave.

The hospital had meals prepared for patients. As soon as Yuan Yue left the room, she saw an Auntie⁸ in the hallway pushing a cart and calling out in a low voice. She took the opportunity to buy two servings of meat congee.

When Yuan Yue pushed the door open and entered, Yu Xi asked her, “Where’s the camera?”

“I put it in the car.” Yuan Yue carried the disposable plastic bowl to Yu Xi’s side and said softly, “Open your mouth.”

“I can do it myself.”

Yu Xi wanted her to eat as well and raised a hand to take the congee, but Yuan Yue wouldn’t let her. She said stubbornly, “Save your strength. It’s better if I feed you.”

Yu Xi couldn’t win against her, so she had no choice but to obediently open her mouth. She was very unaccustomed to being fed. She knew Yuan Yue was blaming herself, so she could only cooperate.

Yuan Yue fed Yu Xi one spoonful at a time with extreme patience when she suddenly heard someone behind her say, “You two sisters have such a good relationship.”

Yuan Yue suddenly turned her head and saw that a nurse had come in and was looking at them with a smile.

Being spoken to like that so suddenly, Yuan Yue’s face flushed hot. She stammered in rebuttal, “We’re not sisters.”

The nurse took a quick look and realized the two didn’t look alike. She gave an embarrassed laugh. “Sorry, I was mistaken.”

The nurse said no more and walked to the innermost part of the room to change an IV drip for another patient.

The nurse’s unintentional remark, however, sent Yuan Yue into deep thought: Did her relationship with Yu Xi always have to be so hidden and concealed?

Sometimes, it felt quite sad to think about it. Not being able to be with the person you love openly, not being able to do the things normal couples do without hiding, and not even being able to refute it with conviction when others misunderstand their relationship…

Yuan Yue’s expression darkened, and she lowered her eyes.

Yu Xi didn’t know what she was thinking. Seeing her suddenly become dejected, she asked, puzzled, “What’s wrong?”

Yuan Yue pulled herself together and said with feigned ease, “It’s nothing. Come on, finish this up.”

After feeding Yu Xi, Yuan Yue finally started to eat her own food. But she was quick; she finished the bowl of congee in an instant. She wiped her mouth and said, “Rest a little longer. We’ll go back when you’ve recovered your strength.”

But Yu Xi said, “Let’s go rest in the car. It’s not a serious illness, there’s no need to occupy a bed.”

Yuan Yue thought for a moment and had to compromise.

She carefully helped Yu Xi get off the bed, but Yu Xi deliberately pushed her away a little, smiling reassuringly. “I’m completely fine now. You don’t have to be so nervous.”

Yuan Yue shamelessly stuck to her again, staring at her face, which was gradually regaining its color, and said with a serious expression, “I just regret listening to you and not going after him with you. From now on, I have to keep a closer eye on you.”

Yu Xi felt helpless in the face of her childish behavior. This time, she didn’t push her away again.

As Yuan Yue was helping Yu Xi walk out, she suddenly thought of something and said, “That person who was secretly photographing us, he was also sent to this hospital.”

The mere thought of that man made Yu Xi’s anger flare up. She said with a cold face, “That has nothing to do with us.”

Yuan Yue was afraid Yu Xi would fly into a rage. She didn’t dare continue the topic, but it made her think of something else. “Will Jie Ran be okay?”

Yu Xi didn’t know how to answer. She had no time to worry about others right now; she only hoped Yuan Yue wouldn’t be dragged into this. She had originally thought the matter was simple, that since she wasn’t in the industry, there wouldn’t be any negative impact even if she was photographed. But from today’s events, the problem seemed to have become more complicated.

Was the matter with Jie Ran really settled? Yu Xi wasn’t sure. She needed to call over there to confirm, but then she realized her phone wasn’t with her.

“Where’s my phone?”

“I put it in the car with the camera.”

She’d have to make the call from the car then.

Once in the car, Yuan Yue sat in the driver’s seat. She leaned over, intending to fasten Yu Xi’s seatbelt. Yu Xi was startled by her sudden movement. “What are you doing?”

Yuan Yue said as if it were a matter of course, “I’ll help you.”

Yu Xi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry⁹. “I can do something this small myself.”

Yuan Yue continued to do as she pleased¹⁰, personally fastening the seatbelt for her and muttering, “It was always you taking care of me before, now it’s my turn to take care of you.”

The moment Yu Xi heard this tone, she knew she was still blaming herself. She sighed heavily and said helplessly, “I want to be good to you of my own free will. Taking care of you has already become a habit for me.”

Yuan Yue was very moved. She knew Yu Xi had always treated her like a child who would never grow up, tolerating and doting on her unconditionally, causing her to lose more and more of her sense of self. She didn’t want to accept her care as a matter of course.

Yuan Yue held back the stinging sensation in her nose, looked at her, and said with one beat and one eye¹¹, “Then please get used to me taking care of you from now on. I can fasten your seatbelt, I can be your driver, I can make you breakfast, and make you fruit salad. Anything you can do, I can do too.”

Yu Xi didn’t know why she was suddenly being so serious today. She understood her stubbornness. Seeing that Yuan Yue wasn’t joking in the slightest, she couldn’t help but smile faintly. “Alright, whatever you say, goes. Little Driver Yuan, can we start the car now?”

Satisfied, Yuan Yue smiled along with her, fastened her own seatbelt, and started the car.

Yu Xi took the camera from the dashboard. Just as she was about to find and delete the photos of her and Yuan Yue that had been secretly taken, she suddenly heard Yuan Yue let out a sound of surprise. “Huh?”

Yu Xi paused and looked up at her. “What’s wrong?”

Yuan Yue stared straight ahead and said, “Look at that woman up ahead. Doesn’t she look like Zhuang Xiaochen?”

Yu Xi followed her gaze forward and indeed saw a woman not far ahead, holding a parasol and limping toward the road.

Just then, the woman turned her head. Yu Xi saw her face clearly and said with certainty, “It’s her.”

Seeing Zhuang Xiaochen’s wretched state, Yuan Yue couldn’t help but recall the first time she met Xu Ming. At that time, Xu Ming had said he wanted to treat her and Yu Xi to a movie. They were waiting for him at the entrance of a coffee shop while he went to get his car, but Xu Ming never returned. He called to say that Zhuang Xiaochen had been injured and he urgently needed to take her to the hospital.

It seemed now that Xu Ming hadn’t lied to her.

To be frank, Yuan Yue had never liked Zhuang Xiaochen. The woman gave off a sinister vibe, and because she knew about her and Yu Xi’s relationship, Yuan Yue had always been on guard against her.

But when she saw Zhuang Xiaochen frowning, moving with difficulty as she tried to hail a taxi by the roadside, Yuan Yue’s heart instantly softened.

Yuan Yue was hesitant. She deliberately slowed the car down, turned her head to glance at Yu Xi beside her, and asked with difficulty, “Should we… help her?”

Yu Xi had been watching Zhuang Xiaochen the whole time. Seeing her move with such difficulty, Yu Xi didn’t even blink. She met Yuan Yue’s eyes and said after a moment of thought, “You’re the driver today. You decide.”

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