Chapter 398: Help Me Take Care of Her
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Qiao Xi stood rooted to the ground, unable to understand why those women criticizing her changed their attitude. Those women who lived next door always tried to take advantage of her. Yet they held her hand kindly and even looked as if they understood her misery. “Wang Wentao is a university student! He is rubbish! Qiao Xi, you did well. You should have told him that you are not to be messed with long ago! He even wants to dump you and marry another girl? In his dream!”
Those women gathered together and gave Qiao Xi some advice. They not only wanted her to teach Wang Wentao a lesson but also asked her to make a scene at the university and scold that girl who Wang Wentao dated. They surrounded Qiao Xi, dumbfounding her. Shen Hanxing pulled Qiao Xi out of the crowd and took her, still in a daze, to the police car.
In the police car, Qiao Xi was still puzzled. “How… how did they manage to change their attitude so abruptly?”
The police officers on duty watched the entire process and chuckled when they heard this. “That’s human nature. They are conflicted.”
Were those women bad? Yes, they were. Qiao Xi’s boyfriend planned to sell her to another man. They were curious and came to watch the scene. They casually gloated at Qiao Xi to satisfy their curiosity and mocked her in public. They even used Qiao Xi’s gossip as a topic of conversation with others, telling them about the things that Qiao Xi had experienced repeatedly.
Many women committed suicide because of similar rumors and gossip.
That was why gossip was a dangerous weapon. However, the women were compassionate, especially when they knew Wang Wentao had cheated on his girlfriend. As women, they stood on Qiao Xi’s side and scolded the scumb*g. They even cheered her up.
Although Qiao Xi was still in a daze, the heavy burden on her heart seemed to have dissipated a lot.
“I didn’t want to explain anything to them,” Qiao Xi sneered. She muttered, “I’m long used to these gossipy women. They could say whatever they wanted. I’ll move to another place if I can’t take it anymore.” Although she didn’t have a degree, she was hardworking. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to afford Wang Wentao’s expenses. In the future, she wouldn’t have to support Wang Wentao anymore. She could save money and rent a small room somewhere else, far away from this place.
“Even if you want to leave this place, you must leave clean and innocent.” Shen Hanxing held Qiao Xi’s hand and sighed. “You aren’t born in this world to suffer grievances. You must believe that you came to this world to live your bright future.”
Bright future? Qiao Xi looked at her hand that was shaking Shen Hanxing’s. One was fair and tender, while the other was rough and covered with bloody marks, like ugly old tree bark. She subconsciously shrunk her fingertips, afraid she might accidentally hurt Shen Hanxing’s hand. However, she missed the warmth of Shen Hanxing’s palm. No one had ever told her that she should live a pure and innocent life, and no one had told her that she did not need to suffer when she came to this world. But she doubted if she could live a bright future. It was like a seed was slowly sprouting in the bottom of her heart. There was a young seedling called ambition taking root and growing.
Qiao Xi’s eyes were red, but they had hope in them. She would never want to live like before again. She nodded hard, and tears kept rolling down her cheeks. But she smiled as she wept and said, “Thank you, Mrs. Ji. Thank you so much.”
Before Shen Hanxing entered Qiao Xi’s house, she sensed something was wrong. She turned on the recorder in her phone to record the conversation in advance. The witnesses and evidence were all in place. Brother Zhao confessed soon for some unknown reason. In the end, Brother Zhao and Wang Wentao were sentenced to fifteen days in detention. Wang Wentao also had to compensate Qiao Xi a sum of money.
After giving their statements, Shen Hanxing walked out of the police station with Qiao Xi. “If you have nothing to do recently, can I trouble you with one thing?”
“Sure,” Qiao Xi was already grateful to Shen Hanxing and did not know how to repay her. Now that she heard that Shen Hanxing needed her help with something, she nodded without hesitation. “If there’s anything you need me for, feel free to ask, Mrs. Ji!”
“Well, my grandmother lives on the west side of the city,” Shen Hanxing clasped her hands together. She said sincerely, “I have to go to school now, and I still have things to deal with at the company. I’m usually busy. Can you stay at my grandmother’s house for some time, help me spend more time with her, and take care of her?”