Free Web NovelChapter 445: Chapter 159: Meimei, I Was Wrong (3)
"Why are you following me?" Qin Mei wanted to give Jie Jingchen the cold shoulder, but then she felt it wasn’t worth it. Giving him the cold shoulder would only wear her out.
"Meimei, I was wrong." Jie Jingchen was using a move he’d learned from his father: regardless of who was right or wrong, admitting fault right away was always the safe bet.
Besides, he really was at fault. He knew she had misunderstood but hadn’t bothered to explain right away.
’If our roles were reversed, I wouldn’t have been as magnanimous and forgiving as Qin Mei,’ he thought. ’I wouldn’t have been so kind as to save someone. Save them my ass. It would have been merciful of me not to deliver the finishing blow and hasten their death.’
His eagerness to admit fault actually left Qin Mei at a loss for what to accuse him of.
But remembering how Jie Jingchen had deliberately misled her, her anger was hard to quell. Not wanting to forgive him so easily, Qin Mei’s face turned cold. She shoved her hands in her pockets and quickened her pace.
"Meimei." Jie Jingchen gave a helpless, bitter smile. His wife was ignoring him again. He resignedly followed behind her.
Qin Mei arrived at a hospital room meant for three patients. No other patients had been assigned to it yet, so only Old Zhang and his wife were inside.
The old woman was feeding Old Zhang some porridge. When she saw Qin Mei enter, she looked at her with a complicated expression.
It was a mix of gratitude and hostility.
Old Zhang’s leg had been amputated, but his life was saved. Qin Mei was his savior—that was a fact. The old woman saw this with perfect clarity, but she also believed that no one shows such unsolicited kindness without an ulterior motive. Qin Mei had shown them favor, so she must want something in return.
In their current situation, there was nothing more that could be squeezed from them. The only thing they had left was...
"Old Zhang, how are you feeling?" Qin Mei asked with a smile.
Old Zhang and his wife’s expressions froze. That formal address was both familiar and strange. No one had spoken to him with such deference since their fall from grace.
It was the difference between a title of honor and a dismissive nickname.
"You..." Old Zhang’s murky, world-weary eyes turned to Qin Mei. He didn’t know her name. He only knew that when he was selling medicinal herbs in the black market, she was the only one who dared to buy them.
"Old Zhang, you can just call me Xiao Qin." Qin Mei first checked Old Zhang’s amputated leg, then took his pulse.
"Miss Qin." Old Zhang didn’t dare call her Xiao Qin. His tone was polite yet distant; getting too close to him would only bring this girl trouble.
"Miss Qin, you’ve seen the hovel we live in. We don’t have anything you could possibly want," the old woman said. She was impatient by nature and couldn’t stay as calm as her husband.
Qin Mei was stunned for a moment, then a brilliant smile blossomed on her beautiful face. Her lovely red lips parted, and she spoke two words. "Jie Jingling."
"Jing Ling." The old woman and Old Zhang were utterly shocked. They looked at each other, then turned to Qin Mei in disbelief. "You are..."
"So you really do know Jie Jingling?" Qin Mei asked. She hadn’t been sure when she said the name; it had just been a guess. But seeing the old couple’s reaction, her suspicion was confirmed.
’I didn’t find the wrong people, and I didn’t save the wrong person,’ she thought. ’They’re the ones Jie Jingling asked me to find and to look after.’
Before Jie Jingling had sent her off, she had quietly asked her to find an elderly man with the surname Zhang after she got to Shijiu City. Qin Mei hadn’t paid it much mind at the time. After all, her plan had been to take care of the patient in Shanghai until they recovered and then part ways. But then Jie Jingchen had sweet-talked her into following him to Shijiu City instead.
She had completely forgotten about the task Jie Jingling had given her. It wasn’t until yesterday in the black market, when a woman asked if she was looking for Old Zhang, that she remembered Jie Jingling had asked her to find someone with the surname Zhang.
After witnessing Old Zhang’s condition, she had decided then and there that it was better to risk saving the wrong person than to let the right one slip away. She had come to the hospital today specifically to confirm whether she had made a mistake.
Hearing this, the expressions on the old couple’s faces changed, and they denied it in unison. "We don’t know her."
At that moment, they had only one thought: they couldn’t let this girl use their relationship with Jie Jingling as a threat, and they absolutely couldn’t cause any trouble for Jie Jingling.
Qin Mei was amused by their caution. "Don’t be afraid. I’m not a bad person."
Her words weren’t very convincing. What kind of ill-intentioned person would ever admit to being one?
"It’s no use saying anything. We don’t know Jie Jingling," the old woman said stubbornly. It was as if she had suddenly come to terms with everything and was ready to risk it all. At their age, they had lived long enough. Their current life was worse than death anyway.
Death would solve everything. They would rather die than implicate Jing Ling.
"But I know her," Qin Mei said, deeply moved. Jie Jingling was thinking of them, wanting to offer help in their time of need, but her own circumstances prevented her, leaving her with no choice but to entrust the task to Qin Mei.
And here were these two elders, willing to die just to distance themselves from Jie Jingling, all to avoid implicating her.
The old woman resumed feeding Old Zhang his porridge, her expression clearly stating, ’Whether you know her is your business. We don’t.’
Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, Qin Mei looked at them and revealed her connection. "Jie Jingling is my sister-in-law."
The old woman’s hand paused in mid-air, but she continued to act as if she hadn’t heard a word Qin Mei said.
Jie Jingchen stood at the doorway, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed, watching everything with a cool detachment.
Seeing that they didn’t believe her and were so on guard, Qin Mei felt a little stuck. Jie Jingling hadn’t given her any token of proof, and her word alone meant nothing. She couldn’t blame them. Her only option was to ask Jie Jingchen for help, but she was still angry with him. Asking for his help now would be tantamount to calling a truce.
Qin Mei didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. She proudly turned her head back to the old couple and raised her right hand. "I swear, I’m not lying to you. Jie Jingling really is my sister-in-law. If I’m lying, then may I..."
"Meimei," Jie Jingchen cut in. How many times had he told her not to make oaths so carelessly? They could come true. But she always let his words go in one ear and out the other.
Qin Mei ignored him and continued to swear her oath piously. Seeing her disobedience, Jie Jingchen’s cool eyes turned frosty. He walked into the room and pulled down the hand she had raised to swear.
Qin Mei was feeling defiant. It was a standoff now. The more Jie Jingchen tried to stop her, the more determined she was to go through with it.
"Old Zhang, Jie Jingling really is her sister-in-law," Jie Jingchen said, gripping Qin Mei’s hand tightly as he fixed the old couple with a sharp gaze.
The old woman and Old Zhang frowned. ’What’s with this young man’s glare?’ they thought. ’It’s as if we’re the ones forcing her to make an oath.’
They knew Jing Er and Jing San. Neither the young man from yesterday nor the one before them now was Jing Er or Jing San.
They also knew Second Daughter-in-law Jing and the Third Wife of Jing, and this girl was clearly neither of them.
The old woman suddenly thought of something and blurted out, "Are you the one Jing Er is divorcing his wife to marry?"
Despite their sorry state and terrible circumstances, they were surprisingly well-informed. Even though she was in the hospital, she had found out that very afternoon that Jing Er had divorced Xu Chunyan in the morning.
"..." Qin Mei was speechless.
"..." So was Jie Jingchen.
"No! Ma’am, how did you even connect me with Jie Jingwei?" Qin Mei was exasperated. She was all about looks, and Jie Jingwei’s appearance didn’t even register on her radar.
Qin Mei looked up, gazing at Jie Jingchen. His bone-deep handsome features, the heart-stopping charm that emanated from him, and his dazzling aura—it all made her feel like she could lose herself in him.
"See? Your lie’s been exposed. Of all the people to impersonate, you chose to be Jie Jingling’s sister-in-law. Let me tell you, we know Jing Er and Jing San, and we’ve met their wives," the old woman said with a triumphant look.
Qin Mei found this amusing. ’By saying that,’ she thought, ’you’ve given yourself away, too.’
The old woman knew she had slipped up, but she wasn’t the least bit afraid. She was stubborn and would deny it to her dying breath.
Jie Jingchen rubbed his temples in resignation and called out, "Grandpa Zhang, Grandma Hua."
Old Zhang and the old woman froze in astonishment. They scrutinized Jie Jingchen, thinking the young man looked somewhat familiar. Connecting his face with the names he had just used for them, they had a sudden realization.
Surprise, shock, and sorrow—a complex mix of emotions washed over them.
The two elders exchanged a look, then, with a silent understanding, averted their gaze and spoke coldly. "You’ve got the wrong person. We don’t know you."
Coldness was their best protection. Intimacy would only bring harm to the young couple.
Qin Mei felt a pang of sadness. They had clearly recognized Jie Jingchen but were pretending not to.
Jie Jingchen wrapped an arm around Qin Mei’s waist and introduced her to them. "Grandpa Zhang, Grandma Hua, this is my wife, Qin Mei."
