Chapter 17: Since everyone says she leaked the video, she might as well shoulder the blame

"Secondary injury... how did it happen?" he asked impatiently.

The nurse quickly said, "The Madam said she was pushed by someone."

Thinking of how Qin Xingwan looked when she arrived, she added, "The Madam also has several bruises on her body."

Bruises?

Chu Li's heart gave a violent jolt; what on earth had happened?

"President Chu, if you know where the Madam is, please have her return as soon as possible. We need to proceed with the second treatment; her foot cannot be neglected." The nurse pushed the treatment cart away.

Chu Li stood in the corridor, looking around. How fast could someone with a foot injury like that possibly go?

But the corridor was empty; there was no sign of Qin Xingwan.

Chu Li had someone check the surveillance footage.

But the surveillance system in this building was being upgraded and hadn't been enabled at all today.

She was not at the Yiyuan, nor had she gone home.

Chu Li's expression grew increasingly grim. He couldn't help but think of the time she was kidnapped, and his heart hammered wildly.

"Send more people to keep looking," he ordered in a hoarse voice.

He kept calling Qin Xingwan's phone, but all he got was the mechanical female voice saying it was "unable to connect."

Chu Li sat on the sofa, his eyes red. On his phone, a surveillance video was playing, which Guan Jing had given him not long ago.

Guan Jing's exact words were: 【You should want to know why the Madam went back on her word and left.】

In the video, Qin Shen was dragging Qin Xingwan with great force.

Even when she was thrown against the wall by Qin Shen, one could hear the dull thud from the surveillance footage.

And the things Qin Shen said all struck Chu Li's heart like muffled thunder.

The moment he thought about how coldly he had told her to leave the Yiyuan, regret surged like a raging sea.

He had known nothing, yet he had once again suspected her of faking an illness.

Closing his phone, he rubbed his temples wearily.

Xingwan, where are you?

Two hours later.

Qin Xingwan did not know that Chu Li's people were turning everything upside down looking for her. She crouched at the stairwell, her eyes wide, feeling a stinging sensation and wanting to cry, yet unable to shed a single tear.

She looked down at her swollen ankle and finally turned on her phone.

One's own body, after all, must be cared for by oneself.

She called Lin Qingya and asked her to come pick her up.

"Where are you?" Lin Qingya's tone was somewhat strange.

Qin Xingwan told her her location and stood up slowly.

Lin Qingya was silent for two seconds, wanting to say something, when the call was suddenly hung up.

Before Qin Xingwan could understand what was happening, the door to the emergency stairwell was pushed open.

Chu Li stood at the doorway, expressionless. His impeccably pressed suit now had several wrinkles, and two buttons were undone, giving him a disheveled look that didn't match his status.

Beside him, Lin Qingya looked guilty and worried.

Chu Li took a step forward.

Qin Xingwan took a step back.

Her heel hit the step, bringing another wave of piercing pain.

She simply gave up and sat down, her voice muffled: "My foot hurts too much; I can't walk for now."

Chu Li's throat felt terribly dry.

"Xingwan."

He crouched down in front of her and gently rolled up her pant leg; the swollen ankle was a shocking sight.

His heart constricted.

Her injury was much more serious than he had imagined.

"Don't worry, I'll leave as soon as I'm a little better," Qin Xingwan said, gripping the railing, her indifferent gaze landing on the top of the man's head. "We were married for three years, after all; you can surely tolerate this much time."

"No need to leave." Chu Li smoothed out her pant leg, his eyes dark. "I'll take you to see a doctor."

Qin Xingwan moved to the side, avoiding Chu Li's hand. "No need to trouble President Chu, Qingya..."

Chu Li pressed his lips together and picked her up.

Qin Xingwan lowered her eyes, her fingernails digging into her palms. "Sorry for the trouble."

Chu Li's footsteps faltered, his heart giving a slight, sharp ache.

In the ward, the nurse came to perform the second treatment on Qin Xingwan. The ankle was excruciatingly painful at the slightest touch, but Qin Xingwan didn't make a sound; only the thin sweat on her forehead and her increasingly pale face revealed how much pain she was in.

Chu Li's brows furrowed tighter and tighter, his voice strained: "Be gentle."

The nurse felt a bit aggrieved; her movements were already very gentle.

Qin Xingwan smiled at her reassuringly. "It's okay, I can take it; it won't be any more painful than before anyway."

Chu Li's heart trembled with regret.

After the treatment, Qin Xingwan leaned against the bed, watching Chu Li quietly.

Chu Li held a wet towel, silently wiping the thin sweat from her face bit by bit.

"About the press conference, I wronged you," he said on his own initiative, filled with heartache and regret.

Only then did Qin Xingwan understand why he had changed his mind and let her continue staying here.

It was just that an apology after the fact could not make up for the harm he had caused.

Especially since it had happened time and time again.

"Then can you agree to a divorce?" Qin Xingwan's eyes were misty with tears.

All she asked for was simply to end this relationship.

But because Chu Li inexplicably refused, she had no choice but to continue suffering in this relationship.

Last time, because of him, she was kidnapped and lost her child.

This time, also because of him, she was pushed down and sprained her foot, unable to get out of bed.

What about next time? What kind of torture will it be then...

Thinking this way, the pain and grievances in her heart piled up layer upon layer, and the tears surged even more violently.

Her eyes turned red.

"Chu Li, in these three years, I haven't enjoyed the glory and wealth brought by the status of Mrs. Chu for nothing."

She said slowly, her voice desolate.

The Twenty-Four Solar Terms Perfume Series saved the entire Perfume Division of the Chu Group and brought in impressive revenue; this was her contribution, which could not be erased by a single word from Chu Li.

Chu Li's Adam's apple bobbed, and he leaned over to brush a strand of hair sticking to her cheek away, "It's my fault, I shouldn't have said such angry words."

Qin Xingwan turned her head; she did not like his gentle touch like this.

Behind every instance of gentleness was unbridled suspicion and harm.

"Chu Li, I don't even want the Twenty-Four Solar Terms anymore; can we get a divorce?"

In this relationship, she was tired and weary.

As long as she could get a divorce, she was willing to give up everything.

Chu Li did not answer this question, only asking gently in a low, hoarse voice: "Does your foot still hurt badly?"

Qin Xingwan raised her eyes to look seriously at her handsome and gentle husband; every time they talked about divorce, he always changed the subject.

Yet he clearly wanted a divorce too, otherwise he wouldn't always be making things difficult for her as his wife.

"Chu Li, have you ever liked me even a little bit?"

In their three-year marriage, this was the first time she had asked this question.

A contractual marriage shouldn't have such questions, but they had once been affectionate for a year or two.

She wanted an answer.

Chu Li stroked her hair and said in a low voice, "I'm going to ask the doctor about your treatment plan."

He put down the towel and left the hospital room.

Qin Xingwan raised her hand to cover her eyes, and soon, tears fell into her hair.

His departure was the answer.

She had known this would be the answer, yet her heart still felt a tearing pain.

She slowly curled herself into the quilt, biting her lip to swallow all her sorrow.

Lin Qingya came in, her eyes red, "I'm sorry, it was Chu Li's people who brought me to the Yiyuan; he was right there when you called."

Because of this, Chu Li was able to find Qin Xingwan quickly after that phone call.

Lin Qingya felt guilty.

"It's okay." Qin Xingwan still had tears hanging at the corners of her eyes, and she said softly as if finding humor in her misery, "At least this foot of mine can be healed."

Lin Qingya chuckled, but her heart was full of heartache for her good friend.

That scumbag Chu Li, how much more is he going to hurt Wanwan...

Not long after, Qin Xingwan had Lin Qingya go back.

She still had very important things to do.

That was to obtain the video of Qin Shen dragging her and demanding she take the blame for Qin Yunshu, and send it to the reporters.

Since everyone said she was the one who released the video, then she would take the blame.

Within just over an hour of the video being released, the heat it generated was no less than the heat from Chu Li's affair.