Chapter 34

The shoe pads were burned, and Wang Chunhua left.

Qin Yao and Chen Baozhen went up to the second-floor balcony. For now, the issue was temporarily resolved. However, Chen Baozhen didn’t feel happy. It was as if a large stone was pressing on her chest, making her feel stuffy and unable to laugh.

"Yaoyao, am I really that bad? Before, you always compared me to Bai Qiuling next door, saying I wasn’t as good as her. Now this widow has come to our doorstep. I’ve lent her money, and she’s the one in debt, but it’s made to seem like I’m the one who can’t tolerate others, bullying her because she’s pitiful. If I were really bullying her, I’d ask her to repay the money!"

Chen Baozhen rambled angrily, her heart filled with fear. Wang Chunhua had given shoe pads to Gao Jianguo, claiming they were made for her deceased husband. When Chen Baozhen threw the pads away, it caused a scene. If outsiders found out, they would say she had insulted the dead.

In this country, the dead are always held in high regard. Even if Wang Chunhua’s actions weren’t proper, people would sympathize with her because she’s a widow. Few would blame or mock her, while the aggressive Chen Baozhen would become the target of public criticism.

"Since I came here, I’ve never harmed anyone. I don’t speak ill of others behind their backs, nor do I argue or care about small matters. Why do they all attack me and dislike me?" Chen Baozhen felt wronged and angry, yet helpless.

She was tall, nearly 1.7 meters, taller than the average man, which allowed her to look down on most of the sisters-in-law in the compound. Her beautiful shoulder-length bob and slightly slanted eyes made her seem hard to get along with.

Chen Baozhen’s personality was much softer than her proud appearance. As a girl from the city, she hadn’t suffered much. Even if someone took advantage of her, she would just frown and never argue or hold a grudge.

So, when she felt wronged, she endured it, only for these people to "persecute" her further.

The hot wind blew against Chen Baozhen’s face, like a torture in the desert. The hot wind, mixed with sand, cut her face, causing a stinging pain that irritated her.

"Zhenzhen," Qin Yao opened her mouth, looking up at Chen Baozhen’s profile. From an outsider’s perspective, Qin Yao understood why Chen Baozhen wasn’t popular in the compound. Compared to the other sisters-in-law, she was too distant and couldn’t blend in, creating a natural opposition.

Chen Baozhen felt wronged but didn’t actively cause trouble for others. She thought she had done her best. But others saw her as arrogant and looking down on them.

Today, Wang Chunhua targeted Chen Baozhen and Gao Jianguo because the couple had money. Since Chen Baozhen wasn’t popular in the compound, few would stand by her side when trouble arose.

The logic was clear, and Qin Yao understood it well. She instinctively wanted to advise Chen Baozhen, to analyze the situation and offer solutions.

But just as she was about to speak, Qin Yao saw Chen Baozhen lift her chin high, like a graceful and proud white swan. However, her eyes were red, and her pupils were filled with tears.

Seeing this, Qin Yao’s heart ached, and the words she had prepared couldn’t come out.

Was Chen Baozhen, her "best" friend, complaining to her to find solutions?

The words woven in Qin Yao’s mind, those seemingly rational analyses from a bystander’s perspective and theoretically effective solutions, felt cold and couldn’t be spoken.

Qin Yao suddenly realized that these correct answers were cold, like the responses given by an AI.

In 2024, before she traveled here, artificial intelligence had begun to develop rapidly. Many people were afraid that AI would continue to evolve and become smarter than humans themselves.

AI had powerful computational capabilities and could provide the best solutions after analyzing pros and cons.

But Qin Yao wasn’t an AI. She was a living person, Chen Baozhen’s best friend. The primary responsibility of a friend wasn’t to analyze pros and cons or offer advice but to provide comfort and companionship.

Only humans could truly empathize.

Qin Yao sensed that Chen Baozhen was very upset at that moment. If she put herself in Chen Baozhen’s shoes, she believed Chen Baozhen needed the comfort, understanding, and solace of a good friend.

"Zhenzhen, you’ve already done very well," Qin Yao softened her voice and hugged her, "None of this is your fault."

Chen Baozhen hugged her back, tears streaming down her face, but she didn’t feel bad. The wind around them seemed to have softened, blowing Qin Yao’s loose hair, brushing against her chin.

All the grievances, anger, and rage disappeared at that moment.

After a heavy downpour, what remained in her heart was calmness and a quiet joy.

The two girls sat hand in hand on the balcony, like little girls of seven or eight years old by the roadside. Chen Baozhen said, "As long as you understand me, it’s enough."

"I don’t care about others."

Qin Yao turned her head and smiled. She found that Chen Baozhen’s face, now wiped dry of tears, looked like a little pear blossom. Her smile reminded Qin Yao of pear blossoms after the rain, cold yet carrying the warmth of spring.

Her heart basked in the warm sun. Even though she felt she hadn’t done anything or said anything to change the situation, while comforting Chen Baozhen, her own heart felt filled.

Chen Baozhen gave her the feeling of being valued and needed.

It made her feel that her existence itself was valuable.

This was a feeling her parents had never given her. Her parents made her feel unnecessary, like an accessory or a tool for show and boasting.

Coming here, Chen Baozhen and Gu Cheng, two people with extremely high favorability towards her, nourished her with their goodwill. The nourishment brought by the goodwill system was physical comfort, while interacting with them brought spiritual joy and satisfaction.

She seemed to understand that to love someone, one must learn to empathize.

"Yaoyao, I still need to think of a way. If Wang Chunhua comes again, how should I deal with her? Give me some ideas."

Qin Yao took her hand and led her downstairs, "Come on, I’ll take you to the Women’s Director."

The two left, not letting the men follow. Gu Cheng and Gao Jianguo stayed in the room, continuing to stare at each other.

Gu Cheng leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, feeling upset. He didn’t have much free time, squeezing time from work, hoping to spend more time with Qin Yao.

Now, the two men were stuck together, feeling depressed and frustrated. He didn’t want to leave, afraid that Qin Yao would be angry if she returned and didn’t see him. Of course, he also wanted to see her again.

The real reason he couldn’t leave was that he wanted another chance to see her.

Just thinking about the opportunity to see her again made him feel like a donkey with a carrot dangling in front of it, unable to let go.

Gu Cheng couldn’t stand still. After pacing back and forth for a few minutes, he passed by Gao Jianguo and kicked his stool leg.

Gao Jianguo stumbled, barely holding onto his needlework. He sat up straight and asked curiously, "Captain Gu, what are you doing?"

In his impression, Gu Cheng was a serious and emotionless officer, excelling in everything, rarely showing emotions, representing his stability and composure.

Gu Cheng: "..."

He wanted to act crazy.

"Baozhen and the others will be back in a little while." Gao Jianguo lowered his head and continued with his needlework. This required careful attention and patience.

Gao Jianguo and Chen Baozhen were married and often returned home to see each other, sleeping in the same bed at night. Being apart for such a short time didn't make him feel uncomfortable at all. After all, there were still many hours in the night... So he couldn't truly empathize.

The full man does not understand the hunger of the hungry.

Gu Cheng glanced down at the watch on his wrist. Only five minutes had passed, but it felt like an eternity.

His eyes swept over Gao Jianguo. The more he looked, the more annoyed he became. He was irritated by the Gao couple. Go bother your own wife, loser! Don't let your wife bother my wife!

Cough, not yet his wife, though.

The cold probation period.

*

Qin Yao and Chen Baozhen met with the Women's Director, who was surnamed Liao. She was a kindly, slightly overweight woman with short hair, a round face, and thick lips.

"Director Liao."

"Teacher Chen."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Chen Baozhen said, "Director Liao, I want to report something about Wang Chunhua."

Director Liao's eyes flickered, and she immediately realized that this was a complaint. "Comrade Wang... Sigh, Teacher Chen, with this incident, no matter what happens, please try to understand her."

"Yes, I understand her," Chen Baozhen continued. "I hope the organization can pay more attention to Comrade Wang Chunhua."

Director Liao was stunned.

Chen Baozhen said, "She borrowed one or two hundred yuan from my family, and I heard she borrowed from several other families as well. Everyone knows her family is in a difficult situation, but where did all that money go?"

"Director Liao, you should pay more attention to her. Something must have happened in her hometown that required so much money. We should make sure no ill-intentioned people are taking advantage of her, bullying her and her orphaned children."

"If Lao Xu found out, he'd be heartbroken."

Director Liao's expression turned serious, and she nodded. "I'll look into it and see what's going on."

After leaving Director Liao's office, Chen Baozhen breathed a sigh of relief. She was curious about where Wang Chunhua's money had gone. It wasn't that she cared about the money itself, but she was curious about the truth.

When they returned to the Gao family's home, it was getting late. Gu Cheng escorted Qin Yao back to the hospital. They walked side by side, and Qin Yao, still thinking about what had happened on the balcony, couldn't help but share her thoughts with a smile. "Captain Gu, Baozhen is so adorable!"

The string in Gu Cheng's mind snapped at that moment. A storm of suppressed anger surged within him, and all the frustration he had been holding back came bubbling to the surface.

Baozhen, Baozhen. She was always Baozhen. He was always Captain Gu. And now she was saying Baozhen was adorable. What did that have to do with him?

"Baozhen is really so adorable." Recalling the warmth of their earlier hug, Qin Yao rubbed her chin. She glanced sideways at Gu Cheng's face, his jawline sharp and handsome beyond words.

When he wasn't making any expression, he looked cold and efficient. But Qin Yao knew that beneath this cold exterior was a passionate heart, something she could see from the three-line love poems he wrote.

Qin Yao used to be unsure of Gu Cheng's thoughts, but now she wanted to try to understand things from his perspective. If she were Gu Cheng...

This reserved man looked cold and stern on the outside, but in reality, he liked being close to her. Outside, however, he was extremely restrained, his personality twisted. He was also foolish, really thinking she liked the Captain Gu type.

If the mountain won't come to me, I'll go to the mountain.

In the eyes of others, the two were dating. Qin Yao looked around to make sure there were no outsiders. Holding hands wouldn't mean anything, a little touch would be nice. She wanted to express some affection by scratching his palm.

Qin Yao took a couple of quick steps forward, reaching out to take the man's hand beside her. But just as they were about to touch, he sidestepped, putting a meter of distance between them. Qin Yao missed.

Qin Yao: "!?"

Gu Cheng silently snorted, marching forward with precise steps, his momentum unstoppable.

Qin Yao glared at him, infuriated. Was he trying to make her lose her mind? How could she empathize with him when he was so hot and cold? What was he thinking?