Chapter 89 Farewell, Grandmother

"By the way, why didn’t Yixue come over today?" Qin Miaoyu asked.

Xu Xiaoqi’s expression showed a hint of schadenfreude. "Her family dragged her off to a blind date, so she can’t make it today."

"She really went on a blind date?" Qin Miaoyu recalled what Lu Qi’an had said the other day and hadn’t expected it would actually happen.

Xu Xiaoqi nodded and showed Qin Miaoyu her phone screen.

Reading the complaints in the chat, Qin Miaoyu smiled.

But when Chen Xuanyu later came to corner her, asking where Pei Yixue had gone, the smile vanished from her face.

"And may I ask in what capacity you are inquiring about President Pei’s personal schedule?"

Chen Xuanyu was momentarily stumped, then replied, "I’m just concerned about President Pei. I was worried she might not be feeling well, which is why she didn’t come to the studio."

"If President Pei isn’t well, she has her own family and friends to look after her. There’s no need for you to worry." Qin Miaoyu stepped around him, intending to walk on.

But Chen Xuanyu blocked her path again and asked, "President Qin, do you and President Xu have some issue with me? If there’s something I’m not doing right, please just say it. If you don’t, I won’t know what to improve."

Qin Miaoyu thought to herself that if they were to call out his intentions, he’d likely get angry out of embarrassment.

"Right now, your mistake is inquiring about President Pei’s schedule without permission. Since you chose to work in Administration, focus on your duties instead of prying into your superior’s affairs. Understood?"

Chen Xuanyu stepped aside. "Understood, President Qin."

That afternoon, Pei Yixue burst angrily into Qin Miaoyu’s office.

"What’s wrong? Did your blind date go badly? Is that why you’re so upset?" Qin Miaoyu looked at her.

Pei Yixue shook her head. "It’s not the blind date. Granted, it didn’t go well, but that’s not enough to make me angry."

"Then what is it?"

Pei Yixue’s expression was grave. "I think there’s something very wrong with Chen Xuanyu!"

Qin Miaoyu immediately sat up straight, wondering how Pei Yixue had suddenly seen through Chen Xuanyu’s true colors.

"Tell me the details."

"I just walked to the reception, and Chen Xuanyu happened to be there. At first, I was glad to see him, but then he started saying things to sow discord! How did I never notice before that he’s such a petty man?"

"Sowing discord?" Qin Miaoyu raised an eyebrow.

"Exactly! Speaking in that sly way—I understand perfectly well what he meant!" Pei Yixue replied with a touch of pride.

Apparently, Pei Yixue had caught another meaning in Chen Xuanyu’s words: he was quite displeased that Qin Miaoyu had told him not to inquire about Pei Yixue’s schedule.

Qin Miaoyu hadn’t expected Chen Xuanyu’s attempt to stir things up would backfire, making Pei Yixue dissatisfied with him instead.

"If he wanted to know what I was doing, he could have asked me—he has my contact information, after all. Instead, he went to you, got rejected, and then had the nerve to resent you for it. I actually used to think he was competent and nice!" Pei Yixue complained sincerely.

To her, Qin Miaoyu was a very dear friend.

As for Chen Xuanyu, even if she did have a slight fondness for him, they’d known each other only two months; at best, they were still new acquaintances. Yet he’d subtly expressed his displeasure with Qin Miaoyu in her presence, making her opinion of him plummet instantly.

"If you think he’s not a good person, just keep your distance. He works in Administration, so you shouldn’t have much contact anyway," Qin Miaoyu advised.

Pei Yixue frowned again. Their studio was indeed spacious, and unless there was actual business to discuss, it was normal not to see each other for a day.

The visit to see Lu Qi’an’s grandmother came quite unexpectedly.

Originally, Lu Qi’an had planned for them to visit over the weekend, when both their schedules were free.

But unexpectedly, his grandmother slipped and fell at the doorstep.

If it had been a young person, a fall might not have been anything serious; they could get up and walk it off. But Lu Qi’an’s grandmother was elderly—she fractured a bone and had to be hospitalized.

Qin Miaoyu accompanied Lu Qi’an to the hospital.

When Cao Xiuhua heard from her caretaker that her grandson and his wife had arrived, her face blossomed with joy.

As soon as she saw Qin Miaoyu, she urged her to sit down on the stool by the bed.

"Miaoyu, it’s been so long! You’ve become even more beautiful," the old lady said fondly.

Sitting by the bed, Qin Miaoyu began peeling an orange. "Grandma, it’s been a while. I was traveling for quite some time recently, so I haven’t been able to visit you."

Lu Qi’an had told Qin Miaoyu earlier that, the last two times, he had used her travels as an excuse to cover for her absence.

Cao Xiuhua smiled. "Traveling is good. Qi’an is always busy with company matters and can’t spend enough time with you. Instead of sitting at home every day, it’s much better to go out and have some fun. It lifts the spirits."

Qin Miaoyu handed the orange to Grandma Lu. "Grandma, it’s not so bad. When I returned to Nancheng, Qi’an accompanied me for some time. When he’s free, he always takes me out."

Cao Xiuhua put on a stern face with mock seriousness. "Don’t try to fool this old lady. I wasn’t born yesterday—don’t cover for him."

"I’m not! I really like going to amusement parks, and whenever Qi’an has time, he takes me. He’s even taken me to the most famous places in Jing City, like the Fantasy Park and the Magic Cube Water World."

Lu Qi’an, standing nearby, realized she was talking about things from a year ago.

Back then, when they were still together, he’d discovered she loved thrilling rides like roller coasters and giant swings. Whenever he had time, he’d take her to enjoy them. Each time he saw Miaoyu’s radiant smile, he felt deeply content.

But all that was over a year ago now.

Cao Xiuhua could hear the genuine affection in Qin Miaoyu’s words and was naturally delighted.

Her grandson and granddaughter-in-law being close was exactly what she wanted to see. Still, she reminded them, "Qi’an, when you’re not busy, make sure to spend more time with Miaoyu. A couple’s affection depends on togetherness, doesn’t it?"

Lu Qi’an came to the bedside. "Grandma, I will. Did you eat on time today? You shouldn’t eat anything too heavy in your condition."

Cao Xiuhua didn’t look at her grandson. "Of course I did. I’m old enough—you don’t need to remind me about these things."

Lu Qi’an, a little exasperated, turned to the caretaker for confirmation.

The caretaker truthfully reported that Cao Xiuhua had only eaten about half her usual portion.

Lu Qi’an’s face darkened. "Grandma, I’ll have the auntie supervise you. If you don’t eat properly and take care of yourself, you’ll have to stay in the hospital longer."

Cao Xiuhua relented. "All right, all right, don’t worry. I’ll make sure to eat more from now on. This hospital isn’t home—I don’t want to stay here longer than I have to. Once my leg’s a bit better, I’ll go home to recover."