Chapter 553: Chapter 527: Facing the Future

“It feels like I owe you something, since you’ve treated her for so long.” Jingjing’s mother said regretfully. Although Dr. Chen Xiaoqian was young, she was the most dedicated and responsible doctor she had ever met.

Xiao Qian’s gaze swept around and suddenly stopped at a small keychain on the table.

It was a somewhat faded metal mashimaro pendant.

“Can I have this?”

“Sure, but it’s a bit faded. If you like it, I can buy you a new one.”

Xiao Qian waved her hand, “Faded items, unfaded memories. Please take good care of your recovered daughter. Goodbye.”

“Thank you, Dr. Chen! You are a good person!”

Jingjing’s parents bowed to Xiao Qian’s retreating figure.

Xiao Qian held the Mashimaro pendant tightly in her hand, a faint smile appearing at the corner of her mouth.

A good person, huh?

She would rather be a bad person, but she was indeed a good doctor.

Being a bad person and a good doctor wasn’t a conflict.

After leaving Jingjing’s house and reaching the entrance of the community, she suddenly heard someone calling her name, but she couldn’t find a familiar face in her surroundings.

“It’s me!” Qiuqiu took off his hat and sunglasses, and walked up to Xiao Qian.

“Why are you dressed like this?” Xiao Qian looked at Qiuqiu’s ragged outfit, with a crooked hat on his head and large sunglasses covering half of his face. It was hard to recognize him without getting close.

“I’ve been pretending to be a beggar at the entrance of the community these days. Didn’t you say not to let her discover my existence? How’s the treatment going?”

“No problem, rest assured. She will definitely have a brand new life in the future. But are you alright?”

“What could happen to me? I’m fine. Boss Qian, can you have a few drinks with me?”

“Wait for me to make a phone call. If there’s nothing wrong with my mom, I’ll be with you for awhile.”

“Mom, did you get checked?” Xiao Qian called Jia Xiufang.

“I did. It’s nothing serious, just a bit of inflammation. Some medication will do the trick.” Xiufang’s voice sounded a little weak, but it was unclear if it was due to illness.

“I better go back to check on you then.” Xiao Qian was always worried.

“What do you need to come back for? I sent you to school so you could study, not to keep coming home! Focus on your studies, I don’t need you to worry about me!”

Hearing her mother sounding so full of energy, Xiao Qian felt it might not be a big problem.

“Put Eldest Sister-in-law on the line. I want to talk to her.”

Jia Xiufang handed the phone to Eldest Sister-in-law, and made faces at her. Eldest Sister-in-law cleared her throat and took the call.

“Xiao Qian, it’s Eldest Sister-in-law.”

“Eldest Sister-in-law, what’s wrong with Mom?”

“Chronic… um, appendicitis.” With Xiufang’s eye signal, Eldest Sister-in-law said the predetermined illness.

“Is it serious?”

“Not serious, just…”

Eldest Sister-in-law glanced at Xiufang, who silently pleaded with her hands clasped.

“Just what? Do I need to come back and take care of her?”

Xiao Qian knew that there were no relatives around her mother. Her younger brother was still a kid, and her two uncles were either unavailable or unhelpful. The Old Chen family had stopped contacting them after the divorce, and the only ones who still contacted them were Fourth Uncle and Fourth Aunt, who were taking care of Grandmother.

“No need. I can take good care of Aunt. Don’t worry, there’s really no problem.”

“Alright, we’ll stay in touch.”

Xiao Qian didn’t suspect anything and hung up the phone, speaking to Qiuqiu.

“Let’s go, I’ll accompany you to relax.”

In the hospital, Eldest Sister-in-law spoke to Jia Xiufang who was lying on the bed.

“Why do you have to keep this from Xiao Qian? Appendix surgery isn’t a big deal. Letting her come back to see you would put her at ease, wouldn’t it?”

Jia Xiufang didn’t have a gynecological disease but chronic appendicitis. After a thorough diagnosis, the doctor suggested that she have it removed to avoid recurrent episodes.

It was a very minor surgery with almost no risk. Eldest Sister-in-law thought it would be better to tell Xiao Qian and let her come back to take care of her mother.

“Qian’er is still a student, and she has a lot of school stuff to deal with. This surgery may be minor, but she would have to lie down for some time afterwards. If she were to come back, she would be distracted. Don’t let the child go back and forth. I can just spend some money to hire a nursemaid.”

Jia Xiufang felt that this minor matter made it too troublesome for Xiao Qian to come back. In her heart, Xiao Qian was still a child who couldn’t cook and had no experience in taking care of others. What could she do if she came back?

“You don’t need to do that. I have two aunts at home who can take care of you. Besides, I’m in the hospital and can look after you. But if you don’t tell Xiao Qian, she might worry and even hold a grudge against you after finding out.”

Eldest Sister-in-law had been in the hospital for many years, and she knew that having a family member at your bedside after being admitted was not only for care but also for a sense of security. If you open your eyes and see your loved one there, you will feel better.

“It’s fine. I know my girl. She’s tough on the outside but soft on the inside. She can’t be mad at me. Eldest Sister-in-law, you must keep me a secret, don’t tell Xiao Qian.”

“Alright.”

Xiao Qian and Qiuqiu drank a silent drink. They found a random place, Qiuqiu drank while Xiao Qian sat and listened to him talk about his time with Jingjing. Xiao Qian acted as a silent audience, knowing that what Qiuqiu needed at the moment was just a listener, not for her to express her opinion.

“I’m happy that she has her life today, that she can start a happy new life, and that it’s not bad for her to forget about me. If I’m around, she’ll only think about bad things. Isn’t it better for me to stay away? I have no regrets, just a bit of a pity. Pity that I didn’t see her wear the skirt I bought for her, pity that I didn’t wait for the flowers to bloom…”

Qiuqiu spoke haltingly, not really knowing what he was talking about. But what if he had waited for the warm days and the blooming flowers? That would have always been a one-sided love with no ending, a lot of giving but only rewarded with her forgetting about him.

Two empty bottles of alcohol had appeared on the greasy table of the small bar, and Xiao Qian saw it was about time to leave. She asked, ”

“It’s about time, aren’t you going to see her for the last time?”

“Where?” Qiuqiu had drank a bit too much, but he was still conscious.

“Train Station, to say goodbye to the girl who has been on your mind for several months.”

“I’m going… Isn’t that inappropriate?”

“We can hide in the crowd, so she won’t notice.”

This was a very tempting suggestion, and Qiuqiu hesitated. Xiao Qian opened her palm, revealing the metal Mashimaro.

There were still traces of welding on the ears, and Qiuqiu recognized it at once. He and Jingjing had met because of this rabbit.

At that time, Jingjing was still in a state of shock and couldn’t approach men. He had picked up her lost rabbit, repaired it, and given it back to her, which started their sweet but bitter and ambiguous love, where everything seemed to be understood without any words spoken.

Xiao Qian didn’t accept the payment for the treatment from Jingjing’s parents, but took out this pendant instead.

The item stirred Qiuqiu’s emotions, and he grabbed the little rabbit into his palm. Xiao Qian pulled him up.

“Let’s go, seeing her may not change anything, but not seeing her would be a lifelong regret. Only by facing the past can we embrace the future. Let’s go!”

Together, they took a taxi straight to the Train Station, hid in an inconspicuous corner, and silently waited for Jingjing to arrive.