A Master of Playing Dumb

Every time Zhou Qiao'er's father got drunk, he would mutter about how he had wronged his elder brother and his family. Over the years, Zhou Qiao'er's family had tried to send large sums of money to Zhou Ling'er's family through various channels, but...

Zhou Ling'er's mother was strong-willed, and Zhou Ling'er was even more so!

The money sent to them was never touched by either Zhou Ling'er or her mother. To make their stance clear, they even burned the bank card that received the funds!

Over the years, that card had accumulated billions. Even if the money was just left in a savings account, the interest alone could have supported dozens of families for a lifetime!

This incident showed just how deep the resentment between Zhou Ling'er's family and Zhou Qiao'er's family ran.

When Zhou Qiao'er noticed Zhou Ling'er's gaze, her heart skipped a beat.

In that moment, a strong intuition led Zhou Ling'er to an almost fantastical thought—

Could it be... that Zhou Qiao'er, like herself, could also hear Tang Ao's inner voice?

Otherwise, why hadn't Zhou Qiao'er paid any attention to her before Tang Ao's thoughts surfaced? Why did Zhou Qiao'er suddenly focus on her right after?

Zhou Qiao'er nodded at Tang Ao, then slowly approached Zhou Ling'er.

"Who are you, and what is your relationship with Tang Ao?"

Zhou Ling'er studied Zhou Qiao'er for a long time, unable to discern any emotional fluctuations in her gaze. She shook her head, dismissing the strange thought from her mind.

After all, it was just the three of them here—Zhou Ling'er, Zhou Qiao'er, and Tang Ao.

Since Tang Ao had risked his life to save Zhou Ling'er, it was only natural that Zhou Qiao'er would be curious about her. It made sense that she would notice her.

She must have been overthinking things.

If Tang Ao had known about Zhou Qiao'er's thoughts, he would have given her a big thumbs-up:

As expected of the main female antagonist, truly a master at pretending to be clueless!

But Zhou Ling'er was different. Being naive and inexperienced, she didn't consider such things. She took a step back and called out to Tang Ao:

"I will repay you for the medical expenses!"

Tang Ao froze for a moment and quickly shook his head.

"Medical expenses? What medical expenses? Don't be ridiculous. I, Tang Ao, am not running a charity. You can check for yourself—I'm not the one who paid your bills!"

Tang Ao secretly congratulated himself:

[I'm so clever! I specifically had them change the payer's name to Ye Chen's. Otherwise, this part of the plot might have fallen apart too.]

[Once Zhou Ling'er investigates and finds Ye Chen's name, she'll surely develop a favorable impression of him, smoothly advancing the storyline!]

[This really is the best of both worlds. In the original plot, Ye Chen was supposed to bring the money two days later, but Zhou Ling'er's mother would miss the optimal treatment window because of it. Now that I've covered the costs, I can ensure the plot stays on track while also saving Zhou Ling'er's mother.]

Zhou Qiao'er suddenly understood.

So the important matter Tang Ao had mentioned after the class reunion, before asking Zhou Qiao'er to take Lin Ruoxue home, was this!

No wonder she was so drawn to Tang Ao!

At this moment, Zhou Qiao'er felt like Tang Ao was glowing.

"I will definitely repay the five hundred thousand, with interest!" Zhou Ling'er shouted louder, her eyes brimming with grateful tears. Apart from her mother, this was the first time anyone had treated her so kindly.

"Oh, come on! Why are you shouting? Can't you understand what I'm saying? That medical bill has nothing to do with me..."

Tang Ao really wanted to open Zhou Ling'er's head and see what was inside.

Such a good girl, why couldn't she understand what he was trying to say?

Zhou Ling'er gave Tang Ao a deep look, glanced at Zhou Qiao'er from the corner of her eye, and left without looking back.

Tang Ao helplessly spread his hands. "What a strange girl."

Watching Zhou Linger's retreating figure, Zhou Qiao'er frowned. "Is she really that short on money? Is her mother sick? Seriously ill?"

Zhou Qiao'er wanted to follow Zhou Ling'er and check on her.

It was Zhou Qiao'er herself who had handled the compensation payments to Zhou Ling'er's family.

She had verified multiple times that the receiving account was indeed under Zhou Ling'er's mother's name. Five hundred thousand...

After all these years, the interest alone from that account would far exceed five hundred thousand every day!

Could something have gone wrong?

It shouldn't have!

Tang Ao noticed Zhou Qiao'er's intentions and quickly grabbed her arm.

"How would I know... She's not related to you, so why do you care so much? Come home with me!"

[What's the point of asking? Zhou Ling'er might not know you, but her mother would recognize you at first glance.]

[With all that resentment built up over the years, it's not surprising if her mother jumps out of bed and slaps you across the face.]

[Based on my understanding of the plot, Zhou Ling'er's family will never forgive yours. If it weren't for her mother's sudden illness, they would be living just fine on their own. Sending them money isn't just a warm gesture; it's practically an insult to their dignity. It would be a miracle if they were willing to accept it!]

Zhou Qiao'er frowned even more deeply.

She rarely shrugged off Tang Ao's hand, but she did so now and hurried after Zhou Ling'er before she could disappear completely.

"What the... This isn't right. Zhou Qiao'er is supposed to be obedient to me now, isn't she?"

"What's going on? Why did she just brush me off? This doesn't fit her character!"

Afraid that something might go wrong, Tang Ao followed her with a head full of questions.

At the hospital room door, Zhou Qiao'er stopped, not daring to enter.

Through the semi-transparent door, both Tang Ao and Zhou Qiao'er could see Zhou Ling'er's mother lying in bed, hooked up to an IV.

Zhou Ling'er was carefully peeling an apple, while her mother stared blankly at the empty bed next to her, the light in her eyes dimming further.

"Mom, have an apple."

When Zhou Ling'er offered her mother the peeled apple, her mother grabbed her arm tightly:

"Did Dr. Chen say... the medical fees are covered?"

Zhou Ling'er nodded vigorously.

"Yes, they're all covered. You can have your surgery tomorrow, Mom. Once it's done, you'll be completely healthy, just like a normal person!"

But Zhou Ling'er's words only made her mother angry. With a tight grip on Zhou Linger's arm, her lips trembled, and the apple in her hand fell to the floor.

Her mother hoarsely shouted:

"Did you forget what I told you? A person lives with dignity! You must have self-respect! After all these years, did you throw your education to the dogs? I'm not having that surgery. Take me home. Even if I die, I'll die standing, not kneeling. Otherwise, your father will curse me for the rest of my life!"