Chapter 29: Expulsion.

Grandpa Wú had been pacing back and forth inside the studio. He'd occasionally look out the doors then carried on pacing again when the doors stayed closed.

Suddenly the doors unlocked and opened, grandpa Wú looked towards the doors and a sigh of relief escaped his lips.

"How . . How was it?"

He stuttered as he asked. Qin Qianyu scowled at the old man not caring for his worried look.

She said nothing and just took him by the hand and led him to his room.

Once there, she still didn't say a word, she only pointed to the bed and waited till he was done.

Qin Qianyu took a stool and placed it by the bed. She pulled up grandpa Wú's sleeve and placed three fingers on his wrist.

"At the hospital, how was it?"

Grandpa Wú couldn't take the silence anymore and enquired.

"Not being talked to by a woman is far scarier that being yelled at!"

He thought to himself. He watched the girl's face looking for any changes.

The frown on her face loosened and evened out as she replied.

"No idea, I left it all for the silver wolf and the military to deal with since it involved things from Shenlong."

"That guy turned up!?"

Qin Qianyu looked at grandpa Wú's worried look. She understood this look. He was afraid that her identity could be exposed the more the two interacted with each other.

"Don't worry, the Fox will leave for another city after seeing one more client."

" . . . "

"You'll have to conduct yourself differently for each identity, so while you're not the fox it'll be best to dumb down your fighting abilities and such so that no one could draw any kind of distinction between the two."

"Mhm, I understand. Okay hush now and let me concentrate."

As she diagnosed grandpa Wú, she was utterly surprised at what she found.

"How could his body be in such a condition!? Could it be that his training is the only thing sustaining his life!?"

She looked at grandpa Wú with both awe and frightfulness, pain and fear.

"Grandpa . . . Ho . . How are still alive?"

Qin Qianyu managed to stammer out after a prolonged silence.

Grandpa Wú got comfortable on his bed and closed his eyes while he slowed his breathing as he contemplated and reminisced.

"If I had to put my unwavering trust into any one thing, it would be the breathing exercise that my master gifted to me."

Qin Qianyu understood as much, the breathing technique she had been using since coming back from her former life was truly magical.

If this could be implemented into medicine it would truly be a groundbreaking, world defining wonder.

"She must have truly cared for you!? Tell me, back then, were you as dirty minded as you are now!?"

" . . . "

"Oh so it was something developed over time? Wait! . . Wait, wait, wait! Old man! Is this a sign of what I should expect from being a single dog for life!? Will it turn me into some kind of lewd pervert!? . . No, no, this can't be! Right?"

"This is just you overthinking things again, it's unhealthy so stop it!"

"Oh!? . . "

"Alright, you've checked me over. Go home and get some rest it's been a busy day for you."

"Mhm, I'll come over in the morning,"

"No need, spend time with your family, besides I've got something to do and won't be back till late anyway."

Qin Qianyu said nothing more seeing the old man's resolute face on the matter.

"Well, I'll come later that night then, I have one more client to see and the time set is around midnight so I'll come here before heading there alright?"

"Mhm, alright, go, go get some rest but don't neglect the breathing exercise in the morning got it?"

"Mhm, goodnight grandpa Wú."

"Goodnight Xiaoyu."

Qin Qianyu headed home being more mindful of herself and her Phantom Fox identity.

She made it to her room and washed up. She put the pill from Jing Hospital away in a safe place, if it were to be ingested by anyone the consequences would be dyer.

She lay in bed thinking about grandpa Wú's body and the horrible condition it was in.

"I'm going to take him to the capital for a more comprehensive check up, as long as I know the range and extent of the damage, I should be able to figure out something."

Soon after she drifted off to sleep.

Once morning came she got up as she had always done and started off the day with her breathing exercises.

She didn't head to the joggers park or the studio as she had only left there a few hours ago, so after breakfast she headed straight to school.

However, while she sat in her home room going over notes for her up coming math class, Qin

Qianyu noticed the odd looks she was getting from everyone.

Most of them were sneering at her, others, had looks of judgement and disgust. She cast them off to the side and paid no attention to them.

Just before her class was about to begin the teacher pulled her aside and told her to head to the deans office.

The dean said nothing only handing her a signed and sealed letter of expulsion.

"Dean! What's the meaning of this?"

The dean snorted at Qin Qianyu's query and said with righteousness in his tone.

"This school will not associate itself with such a scandalous, wretched, cretinous, sugar baby like you. Now get out of this school."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, but if it's gone this far it would mean you've clearly investigated the matter and collected all of the evidence yourself correct?"

"Hmph! Clearly! If that's all you've got to say then take your shameless self and get out."

Qin Qianyu only shook her head. It seemed that the teen stalker really had set up a little something in the event that something were to happen to him.

"A trump card!"

Qin Qianyu thought. This meant that he was either still in custody or after being released he decided to put everything out and "expose" all these things as retribution for his sufferings.

She wasn't worried, she had done absolutely nothing wrong, she had done nothing immoral shameless or scandalous.

"Oh!? So where's this so called evidence!?"

"Where is it you say!? It's everywhere!"

Qin Qianyu nodded and then she went to the schools forums and sure enough there was another post about her, just under 6 weeks and she was back online again.

She looked at the "evidence" that was enough for the school to expel her. The photos were of her mainly, a luxury vehicle, that same luxury car at Jing Hospital, her at joggers park prior to the incident with the jogger park stalker and a heated and hate filled testimonial from the person that posted everything.

The dean watched Qin Qianyu's face but soon became puzzled,

"Why doesn't she seem fazed or panicked about all of this?"

Qin Qianyu looked at the dean once more willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and stated,

"Dean, this isn't evidence, this is someone's one sided accusation. I see it as slander. I'll ask once more, have you clearly investigated this matter and incident?"

"Clearly! I and this school have! So that's the end of that! Seeing that you are no longer a student at this school please leave this school immediately."

"Don't regret Dean, and don't come find me afterwards,"

"Heh! Why would I come find you?"

Qin Qianyu said nothing more and left the Deans office before returning to her home room and collecting her belongings.

Once home she unpacked everything away and waited in the lounge for her parents to arrive home.

In her hands were cremes and lotions that she had made for her mother. This self made pack contained many expensive medical herbs and flowers to make, but she did so for the medical properties they contained and the benefits it'll have on Ouyang Zihan's body and mind.

Ouyang Zihan was the first to arrive, the pair chatted for awhile about nothing in particular. Qin Qianyu decided not to tell them about her being expelled, instead, she'll wait out the next 6 weeks and after she gets a placing in the SIC competition it wouldn't matter.

"Xiaoyu, please stop worrying over everything you're only 15, so just be 15."

" . . . "

Qin Qianyu said nothing but she was thinking how, if she combined both her current age and her mental age she would be 43 right now.

But she also understood her mother's point of view as she listen to her saying that she should be out playing or shopping with her friends, hanging out at amusement parks eating junk foods and talking about boys and stuff.

Qin Qianyu looked up at her mother's gentle smile and lamented how she treated this wonderful woman unfairly in her former life.

Her guilt worsened when she though about her from back then. At this time in her former life Qin Qianyu was getting harassed by Lu Mingxi and her cronies, and Murong Meimei's devilled tongue manipulation was also working against her and she reached a point where she took it out on both her parents.

She also remembered that it got so bad that Ouyang Zihan ended up bedridden from being sick. Qin Qianyu didn't care, but, from that day onwards the relationship with her father took a drastic changed.

Suddenly her eyes widened as a soul sapping, shocking truth slapped her mind wide awake and turned that guilt she was feeling into pure self loathing and horror.

"I . . Did I cause mother to miscarry!?"

Qin Qianyu's mind went blank, the answer was right there in her memories from her past life, her mother, Ouyang Zihan bedridden, her fathers constant looks of utter loathing and profound disappointment.

Qin Qianyu slapped herself hard.

"Yu'er! . . Why did you do that!?"

"Oh it was a mosquito,"

"Still . . "

"It's fine, haha,"

Qin Qianyu excused herself and went into the bathroom. She looked at herself in the mirror and started slapping the other cheek just as hard.

Tears started flowing from her sadden eyes causing the slapped cheeks to sting.

They weren't tears from the self discipline, but, rather it was from the reminder of what Song Zhaoge and Murong Meimei did to her and the painful humiliation coupled with all the other emotions and pain she had experienced herself when they made her miscarry.

She washed up and reentered the lounge with a bowl of warm water and a hand towel.

Qin Qianyu looked over at the blissfully smiling woman rubbing the lotion that Qin Qianyu had made for her all around her ever growing small belly bump.

The aroma was calming and the lotion was silky smooth to the touch. The combination of all the ingredients that Qin Qianyu added into the lotion worked in harmony with each other making Ouyang Zihan extremely happy for no reason.

Ouyang Zihan loved this gift from Qin Qianyu so much.

Qin Qianyu took the bowl and towel in hand and sat down at Ouyang Zihan's feet.

She removed her mother's slippers and socks and with a damp cloth she wiped them clean then taking the lotion she started massaging her feet.

As she did so Qin Qianyu started singing an old lullaby.

"Mother I've thought of a nickname for our baby,"

Qin Qianyu added after finishing off her lullaby. Ouyang Zihan grew excited for two reasons, one was because of the nickname, she had spoken with Qin Haoran about this.

The reason she really had wanted Qin Qianyu to nickname the baby was so a connection would be formed and that she and her sibling wouldn't feel estranged from each other regardless of the age gap.

The other reason Ouyang Zihan was excited was because she now felt closer to Qin Qianyu when she uttered the words "our baby" just then.

"I wanted to wait for your father to be here for this, but, I'm so excited! Tell me quick, don't worry, I tell your father when he gets back."

Qin Qianyu looked up to see the expectant look on Ouyang Zihan's beaming face,

"轻轻,"

Qin Qianyu muttered, softly.

"QingQing? Qing as in Light? . . QingQing, Xiaoqing!"

Ouyang Zihan asked of Qin Qianyu, before she muttered then cleared her throat and gave her mother the meaning of the name in return.

"Mhm, In our darkest time, Xiaoqing would be the light that drowns out that darkness. They will be the guiding light to show us the way to go whenever we lose our own way. Xiaoqing, QingQing, our little light."

Ouyang Zihan was beaming happily as she placed both Qin Qianyu's and her own hands on her belly and spoke softly to the life slowly growing inside.

"Be a good child and don't you ever let your big sister down. Please cherish this name your sister gave you and stay true to its meaning, our little light."

Qin Qianyu smiled along with her mother. The darkness slowly dissipated from her own heart and mind that had come from her realisation when she thought about the events of her former life.

Qin Qianyu had thought of other names for the baby, cute names, proud majestic names, even embarrassing names, but, she had eventually pushed them to the back of her mind as she went out moonlighting.

But while she was in the bathroom reflecting on herself the name came to mind. Maybe it came to be due to her current state of feeling and thinking and her own selfish need for redemption for the actions in her former life, but she still liked it anyway and decided to run with it seeing as this was also a responsibility granted to her by her parents.

"I can't wait to tell your father the name you gave and it's meaning. Thank you very much Yu'er, it really means a lot to all of us."

"Do we even need thanks between us, have a rest now, I'll go prepare dinner."

"Mhm, let's do as you say then, I won't object."

That didn't last long however.

Although Ouyang Zihan loved being pampered today by Qin Qianyu, she just couldn't lay about. She was still feeling quite active and wasn't at that stage where even washing herself would become a chore.

The pair ended up making dinner together and soon after Qin Haoran returned, washed up and joined them all at the dinner table.

The meal was nutritious, delicious and filling. During the meal Ouyang Zihan couldn't wait any longer and told him about the name and meaning Qin Qianyu gave the baby.

He of course was ecstatic. He thought about how both of these woman have had their fair share of ups and downs, mostly down, hearing the meaning resonated well.

When everyone went to bed that night, Qin Qianyu snuck out and headed to grandpa Wú and Bai Saan.

Qin Qianyu flashed into the yard and gave a low whistle.

Suddenly, a white blur soon became a white amble as it excitedly rubbed its head into Qin Qianyu. Wordlessly she cuddled, stroked and hugged the tiger for all its worth drawing much needed positive energy into herself.

"Ah my big fluffy blessing, you truly are my healing."

Qin Qianyu mumbled into its furry neck.

She took out a few slabs of beef steak for Bai Saan to snack on as she went and into the courtyard to find grandpa Wú.