She watched as the light in those black eyes dispersed, long eyelashes falling and rising again, the sharp cold light comparable to a knife:
“You’re boring to the point of being annoying, Qiao Qingyu.”
To Qiao Qingyu, this sentence was equivalent to a death sentence. Rather than being labeled as an “annoying” or “boring” girl by the school’s popular figure at the start of school, she would prefer to be haunted by rumors about Qiao Baiyu. The frightening thing was, that both came simultaneously.
“She looks quite quiet…”
“Don’t be fooled by her appearance, she’s quite fierce, calling Ah Sheng narcissistic and despicable to his face…”
“They say because her handwriting was good, Ah Sheng let her help with homework, but then…”
“Poor Ah Sheng, he’s never been spoken to like this before…”
“If it were someone else, they probably couldn’t find their teeth by now, but she’s a female classmate, so Ah Sheng just couldn’t be bothered with her…”
“They say she has an older sister who was very loose, and supposedly died of AIDS. We should stay away from Class 5…”
Qiao Qingyu’s hand holding the spoon stopped—she had been stirring the soup in her bowl. Looking up, Jiang Nianyou, who resolutely sat across from her, watched her with concern.
Qiao Qingyu opened her mouth but chose silence.
“Don’t listen,” Jiang Nianyou said, “It’s getting more and more ridiculous. Even if it was AIDS, so what? It’s not like it would spread to you. Absurd!”
Qiao Qingyu remained silent. Finally, it had followed them from Shun Yun, these lingering rumors.
“If I were you, I’d go over right now and flip their food trays,” Jiang Nianyou angrily stared behind Qiao Qingyu, “Letting them gossip so freely! They’re in their third year and still don’t understand biology? Around and around, what nonsense!”
“Jiang Nianyou,” Qiao Qingyu’s nose stung, “It’s fine.”
“The way they talk, anyone with an illness should be avoided. Then shouldn’t all hospital doctors be isolated?” Jiang Nianyou seemed even angrier than Qiao Qingyu, “Let me tell you, my mom works in obstetrics and gynecology, she even performed an abortion for a girl with AIDS before!”
As if struck by something, Qiao Qingyu’s pupils rapidly dilated.
“So that means,” she spoke softly, tentatively, “if someone with AIDS gets appendicitis, they would still get appendix surgery?”
“What else did you think?” Jiang Nianyou asked back, suddenly understanding, horror widening her eyes, “You’re talking about your sister?”
Qiao Qingyu felt cold all over. She certainly knew not to believe rumors, but those people spoke so convincingly, and Qiao Baiyu truly had no self-respect. Associating with lowlifes, selling her dignity—contracting a terrible disease wasn’t impossible. So, Qiao Baiyu dying during appendix surgery was true, and the rumors might also be true.
This was the real reason their family fled Shun Yun. The truth wore the clothes of rumors, weighing so heavily on their parents they couldn’t straighten their backs.
Thinking of Qiao Jinrui’s reaction last Sunday night, Qiao Qingyu further believed that although they didn’t speak of it, every adult in the family probably knew about Qiao Baiyu’s departure while carrying the disease.
Otherwise, why would Qiao Jinrui be so reluctant to speak? That was his soon-to-be wife, his closest person.
Not mentioning it, but secretly giving money. Before going to bed that night, following Li Fanghao’s instructions, Qiao Qingyu divided the fruit Qiao Jinrui brought into two portions—Li Fanghao planned to take one portion to the sports school for Qiao Jinyu the next day. Under a box of dark red, translucent cherries, Qiao Qingyu found a thick red envelope with “To Express Regret” written on the back.
When learning of Qiao Baiyu’s passing, Qiao Jinrui repeatedly blamed himself for not taking better care of his sister. Working in Huan Zhou, he was geographically closest to Qiao Baiyu at the time and naturally shouldered the responsibility of caring for her. However in Qiao Qingyu’s view, Qiao Baiyu’s acute appendicitis had nothing to do with Qiao Jinrui—after all, he had his work and couldn’t constantly watch over the adult Qiao Baiyu.
Seeing the red envelope, Qiao Qingyu was surprised by Qiao Jinrui’s conscience but didn’t think much of it. Now, she suddenly understood.
What Qiao Jinrui blamed himself for wasn’t the appendicitis, but for not stopping Qiao Baiyu, allowing her to fall into hell.
“Let me say something, don’t be upset,” Jiang Nianyou carefully watched Qiao Qingyu, “Although all surgeries have risks, the death rate for appendicitis surgery is extremely low. Your sister was so young—many people wouldn’t believe it if you told them.”
“She’s too stupid to understand such subtlety,” Ming Sheng’s voice suddenly came from above, lofty and superior, “Pitiful and stupid, truly pathetic.”