Chapter 7: What a Coincidence

"Oh, what's wrong with you, child? You must have been wronged at Hugh Pei's. Tomorrow, I'm going to the Pei family to demand an explanation. How dare they bully my daughter..." My mom was startled and quickly sat on the bed, holding me.

"Mom, Pei... Hugh Pei didn't bully me. I'm just so touched that you're so good to me..." I hugged my mom's waist, sobbing.

Hugh Pei really hadn't bullied me. Everything was my own one-sided, self-inflicted doing.

He was a straightforward villain, and I was a foolish admirer.

My mom gently patted my back and sighed deeply. I was her only daughter, and she knew me best. How could she not know how much I'd been wronged by Hugh Pei?

I wasn't a crybaby. If I wasn't holding in some grievance, I wouldn't be shedding tears.

"So, are you still going to eat the sticky rice chicken?" she asked me.

"Yes, I've been craving it..." I wiped my tears, climbed out of bed, and, still sniffling, linked my arm with my mom's to go downstairs and eat.

My dad must have been asleep. It was just my mom and me in the dining room, chatting. The sticky rice chicken was fragrant, and I ate most of one in a single go. I hadn't eaten much in years, and this sudden binge made my stomach bloat, almost making me throw up.

My mom patted my back. "Why are you eating so much? Your stomach will be so full you won't be able to sleep."

"I was just so hungry," I said with a silly grin. The last time I had eaten with such gusto was at my graduation. After our graduation dinner with Ginny and the others, I married Hugh Pei and began my life as a resentful wife.

"Even if you're hungry, you should eat slowly. Eighty percent full is enough," my mom said softly.

I linked my arm with hers and whined, "Mom, sleep with me tonight. Tell me about the art of healthy living!"

My mom agreed without a second thought.

Waking up the next day, I felt an unprecedented sense of ease. I had eaten well and slept well. After breakfast at home, I headed to the hospital.

Julian Qi was playing on his phone. He hadn't broken any bones, but the flesh wound was quite severe. He'd had stitches and his leg was wrapped in thick gauze, unable to move freely.

"Miss, what are you doing here?" Julian Qi was a bit surprised and embarrassed to see me. "You really don't have to worry about me so much, and you don't have to visit so often."

That wouldn't do. I smiled gently and amiably, then turned to Leo Li. "Leo Li, bring them in."

Leo Li carried in a pile of nutritional supplements and placed them by Julian Qi's bed.

Julian Qi was clearly flattered by this grand gesture, a hint of embarrassment on his face. "Miss, it's just a flesh wound. It's not that serious."

"Your body is a gift from your parents. Even a flesh wound is still an injury," I said, sitting down by his bed with a smile.

"By the way, miss, I still don't know your name," Julian Qi suddenly asked.

"My surname is Xu. You can call me Sis Zoe," I answered frankly, not at all feeling that the title made me sound old. I was indeed six years older than him.

Julian Qi nodded. "Okay, Sis Zoe."

I stayed in the hospital room, chatting with Julian Qi about everything under the sun. The mind of a college student is often simple and naive. Julian Qi was a junior, majoring in civil engineering, and was currently on summer break, a diligent student working to support himself.

He talked about his future and his beautiful, lovely girlfriend. His dream was to find a stable job after graduation and marry the girl he loved.

I let out a small, somewhat rude chuckle, then quickly stopped myself.

Julian Qi asked hesitantly, "Sis Zoe, what are you laughing at?"

I gently rubbed the tip of my nose, my voice still as gentle as a spring breeze. "Nothing, it's just... seeing you reminds me of my own college days, a time of such beautiful aspirations."

"Which university did you graduate from, Sis Zoe?" Julian Qi asked curiously.

I gave him a deep look. "A-University."

Come to think of it, Hugh Pei and I were alumni to Lila Wei and Julian Qi.

Julian Qi was predictably delighted. "Sis Zoe, we went to the same university! You're my senior!"

I also feigned happiness. "Yes, what a coincidence, isn't it?"

There were several universities in A-City, but A-University was one of the top three in the country. Anyone who could get in, even if they didn't come from a wealthy family, was at least very smart and had a bright future ahead of them. Even if they didn't become rich, they could still live comfortably.

If Lila Wei hadn't met Hugh Pei, Julian Qi's dream would most likely have come true.

So Julian Qi and I chatted animatedly about A-University. He was very talkative, and I was no slouch either. As we were laughing and talking, someone walked in, their voice crisp and pleasant. "Julian, I'm here to see you!"

Hearing that sentence, the custom ringtone from my past life echoed in my ears again.

The same voice, the same tone.

I turned my head. Lila Wei was wearing a pure white chiffon dress, her raven hair loose and naturally curled at the ends. She looked pure with a touch of femininity,pretty and beautiful.

I wasn't jealous of her physical beauty. But seeing her in the prime of her twenties, her youthful body radiating vitality, made my heart sour a little.

When I was twenty, I had already been secretly in love with Hugh Pei for three years. I had spent my best years on that fatal, one-sided love.

Why, at the same age, did Lila Wei receive Hugh Pei's passionate love, while I was stuck writing page after page in my diary?

"Lila!" Julian Qi's face lit up with joy upon seeing her, but then a hint of guilt appeared. "Ah, if I had known you were coming, I wouldn't have told you. I didn't want you to worry."

Lila Wei, carrying a bag of fruit, walked over as gracefully as a little swan. "Silly, how could you not tell me you were hurt?"

I stood up and offered the only chair to Lila Wei.

I was calm. I would have to give up Hugh Pei to her soon enough, so what was a mere chair?

"Miss, it's you!" Lila Wei suddenly recognized me, looking at me with surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Because I hit your dear boyfriend.

I gave an awkward smile. "Sorry, I accidentally hit Julian. I came today to see if he's feeling better."

Lila Wei looked at me, then at Julian Qi, but she didn't blame me or him. Instead, she smiled. "What a coincidence! Julian, this lady has been a frequent customer at our shop recently. She's a very nice person, I'm sure it was an accident."

Her understanding left me speechless. For anyone else, it might have been an accident, but I was different. I had timed it perfectly before hitting him.

"I know, Sis Zoe definitely didn't do it on purpose. She even over-compensated me. I feel so bad," Julian Qi said, scratching his head in embarrassment.

"No, that won't do. You should only be compensated for what's appropriate," Lila Wei said, immediately taking out her phone. "Sis Zoe, please give me your payment QR code. I'll refund you the extra money."

It was probably this dignified, unmaterialistic attitude that attracted Hugh Pei.

A girl without a trace of the stench of money, her eyes full of clarity.

I gave up. Every time, she managed to make my designer clothes feel worthless.