Chapter 117 - 117 A Storm of Love Letters
117 A Storm of Love Letters
Qiao Yue pouted unhappily, “How could you say that? I’m being sincere!”
Qiao Jing continued with his work. “I heard from Qiao Yu that you’ve been receiving love letters.”
Qiao Jing’s sudden change of topic caught her off guard, but the contents soon elicited an eye roll. “Has Fourth Brother been telling on me? He’s received as many love letters as I have—no, more than me!”
Qiao Jing asked because Qiao Yu had told him about Qiao Yue’s popularity at school, pointing out how the many love interests were distracting Qiao Yue from her studies.
Although he had not reacted then, it was still concerning news to Qiao Jing.
Qiao Yue seemed to have plenty to say about Qiao Yu, complaining, “Brother, you don’t know how many bees Fourth Brother attracts with his honey! Guys and girls, they’re all the same. They flock to him in droves. Fourth Brother is publicly acknowledged as the school idol, and he’s received tons of love letters from his fans and suitors. Brother, you have to discipline him!”
“Many like him?” Qiao Jing asked. Seeing Qiao Yue nod, he clarified, “What about you?”
Qiao Yu was her fourth brother. Although she did not particularly like him, she could not say she hated him, could she?
Not understanding Qiao Jing’s meaning, Qiao Yue answered, a strange expression on her face. “Fourth Brother is alright.”
Qiao Jing looked up at Qiao Yue, who still looked confused. Qiao Yue could not understand why her brother was behaving so strangely.
Quiet soon returned, and only fluttering pages could be heard as Qiao Jing leafed through several documents. Qiao Yue fell into a peaceful sleep.
Qiao Yue felt a gentle hand caressing her face as she lay half-asleep. Feeling the warmth against her skin, she could not help but lean into the touch.
When Qiao Yue woke later that afternoon, she discovered she was alone. She tried stretching, but as she did so, a sharp pain lanced through her chest.
“Hiss!” Qiao Yue sucked in a cold breath.
It took a while, but the pain passed. Qiao Yue looked at her phone.
Tapping on its screen, she saw a backlog of messages. Some were from her colleagues, while others were from her classmates, asking about her condition.
The most recent message was from Qiao Yu, asking her to text him when she woke up. Qiao Jing must have told him that she was sleeping, so he would not come knocking.
Qiao Yue sent a message to Qiao Yu, and soon after, she heard someone at the door.
“Come in.”
A nurse pushed Qiao Yu into the ward. He was in a wheelchair.
“Little Yue.” Qiao Yu called out to Qiao Yue, his eyes betraying his guilt.
Qiao Yue offered him a small smile. “What’s with your expression? My injury isn’t as serious as you think. Don’t worry!”
“I heard from the doctor that your ribs are broken. You brought that girl and me back despite the pain you must have been experiencing… I’m sorry. I should have done more; I should have protected you as your older brother!”
Qiao Yu spoke openly, without any hint of guile. His only thoughts revolved around his inadequacy as Qiao Yue’s big brother. How could he let his younger sister get hurt?
Seeing Qiao Yu so distraught, Qiao Yue could not help but sigh. “Fourth Brother, what happened wasn’t your fault. Why do you insist on blaming yourself? By the way, what happened to those kidnappers?”
Qiao Yue knew it was pointless to comfort Qiao Yu in his present state, so she changed tactics, leading the conversation elsewhere.
Qiao Yu frowned and said, “They were arrested. I don’t know whether they were sentenced to life in prison or death.”
Qiao Yu was not exaggerating. Those kidnappers had provoked more than two influential families with their actions, and now they were reaping their just desserts.
With or without Qiao Yu and the girl, Qiao Yue was confident in her ability to dispose of those kidnappers. They had planned to escape abroad but did not know that it was easier for Qiao Yue to end them outside of the country than from within.
“Isn’t that good? They’ll have to suffer in prison.” Qiao Yue’s smile may have looked harmless, but her words carried an unmistakable chill.
“Fourth Brother, what’s with that expression?”
Qiao Yu sighed. “Don’t worry about those kidnappers; I’m more concerned for that girl we saved. She doesn’t look like she’s having a good time.”
Qiao Yu did not have a good impression of that girl. How would they have landed in all this trouble if not for her? She had caused him and Qiao Yue these injuries, even if not directly.
According to the doctors, he and Qiao Yue would need at least three months of rest before regaining some modicum of mobility. How could he not hate that girl? That changed when he caught word from over the grapevine. Now, he did not blame her as much, merely resigning himself to his ill fortune.