Chapter 186: Chapter 76: I’m Going to Work

Hearing the anger in Qin Mei’s voice, Jie Jingchen let out a sigh of relief. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. ’I have to trust Qin Mei, and I have to trust Jing Qi,’ he thought. ’Qin Mei wouldn’t lie to me, and Jing Qi won’t disappoint.’

Qin Mei’s words made Shen Qing’s body go rigid. She barely dared to breathe, terrified of disturbing Qin Mei.

Faced with a scene like this, even the calmest person would lose their composure.

"Jing Qi, hold on." Qin Mei regulated her breathing. This was the last needle, and the most critical one. There was no room for the slightest error. Qin Mei focused all her concentration, plunging the final needle in with clean, decisive force.

"ARGH!" An irrepressible, agonized scream pierced the air. The moment Qin Mei let go of the needle, she was struck in the chest, and her body, seated by the bed, flew backward uncontrollably.

"Jing Qi," Shen Qing cried out, stunned. ’What did I just see?’ Jing Qi, unable to bear the pain, had kicked Qin Mei.

Thinking something was wrong, Jie Jingchen kicked the door open. Shen Qing reacted in a flash. The instant the door flew open, she yanked the covers over Jing Qi’s body.

The sight that met Jie Jingchen’s eyes was Shen Qing sitting by the bed, Jing Qi lying weakly under the covers, and Qin Mei sprawled on the floor.

"Is Jing Qi okay?" Jie Jingchen didn’t dare enter, instead standing in the doorway with a worried look on his face.

"Fourth Brother, I’m okay," Jing Qi said weakly. Her pale face shone with the joy of having survived an ordeal. She had made it through.

Jie Jingchen sighed in relief and quietly closed the door. He didn’t dare to look at Qin Mei. The look she had just given him was filled with undisguised disappointment.

It was the disappointment of having one’s trust betrayed. He had been so worried about Jing Qi that he hadn’t trusted her.

Qin Mei took a deep breath, suppressing the desolation and disappointment in her eyes. She used the bed for support and slowly got to her feet.

Performing the acupuncture was incredibly draining. She, too, was now exhausted.

She sat on the edge of the bed and rested for a moment. Once she had recovered some of her strength, Qin Mei lifted the covers and began to remove the silver needles.

"Is Jing Qi’s leg healed?" Shen Qing asked excitedly.

Qin Mei shook her head and answered honestly. "No."

"But she just kicked you, and you..."

"That was my fault," Qin Mei said, cutting Shen Qing off. Seeing Shen Qing’s frown, Qin Mei took a breath and put away the silver needles. "That kick just now had no force behind it."

Shen Qing fell silent. ’Qin Mei did say that after today, Jing Qi’s leg would be able to move, but she never said Jing Qi would be able to stand on it. Being able to move it, even without any strength, is a good sign.’ "Qin Mei, you’re incredible."

Qin Mei blinked, looking at Shen Qing with a hint of surprise. Without her usual icy mask, Shen Qing actually seemed quite approachable. "Thanks. I am pretty incredible."

"Qin Mei, I’m not kidding," Shen Qing said, misinterpreting Qin Mei’s reaction as a sign that she thought it was a joke.

Qin Mei chuckled. "You don’t seem like the joking type, either. You praised me for being incredible, and I am, in fact, incredible. There’s no doubt about that."

Shen Qing said no more. Qin Mei untied the cloth strips that had been used to restrain Jing Qi. She noticed Jing Qi was still gripping Shen Qing’s hand tightly, her sharp nails dug so deep into Shen Qing’s flesh that the blood had already congealed.

Qin Mei carefully pried their hands apart and looked at the back of Shen Qing’s hand. "This wound needs to be disinfected."

"I know. You take care of Jing Qi, don’t worry about me," Shen Qing said casually. ’This half-day off was worth it.’ Shen Qing was glad she had taken the time off to be there for the treatment. She would never forget the scene she had witnessed today.

’Treating Jing Qi’s leg wasn’t just a matter of drinking some medicine, taking a medicinal bath, and getting a bit of acupuncture.’

’There was Jing Qi, enduring excruciating pain, and Qin Mei, completely focused. It was only half an hour, but it felt like a century.’

When he saw Shen Qing come out, Jie Jingchen suppressed his complex emotions and called out, "Third Sister-in-law."

"Jing Si, you’re lucky to have her. She’s a good person. Cherish her." It was rare for Shen Qing to say such things to Jie Jingchen.

A flicker of light crossed Jie Jingchen’s eyes, and his low voice was filled with conviction. "I will."

Shen Qing smiled, pleased, and went back inside.

Jie Jingchen stood by the door, waiting for Qin Mei to come out. He waited and waited, but she never appeared. By the time Shen Qing had already left for work on her bike, Jie Jingchen had lost his patience and pushed the door open.

Qin Mei and Jie Jingshan were asleep in the bed together. Construction was underway behind the house, creating a huge racket, yet they were still sleeping soundly.

Jie Jingchen didn’t go in. He quietly closed the door and walked around to the back of the house. The disappointed look in Qin Mei’s eyes replayed in his mind, refusing to fade.

「Three days later.」

The kitchen and bathrooms were built, leaving only the interior finishing. There were three bathrooms and one kitchen. Qin Mei had no special requests for the kitchen, but she wanted to personally oversee the work on the bathrooms. Jie Jingchen told her not to worry, as the materials were still on their way.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com