Chapter Thirty-Eight: Not Qualified to Interfere in My Affairs

Even though there had often been bickering between Old Madam Shen and Shen Ruizhang before, their relationship had never deteriorated to this point. How could it be that, for no apparent reason, Old Madam Shen had ended up in the emergency room?

“Zhouzhou, stop asking,” Zhou Qingpei stepped forward, gently taking her hand, her willow brows slightly furrowed. “It’s my fault, I’m not good enough. If I could have gained the old madam’s approval, perhaps things wouldn’t have come to this.”

“You…” In an instant, Jiang Yunzhu understood and turned to look at Shen Ruizhang. “Uncle, did Grandma find out about you and Miss Zhou?”

“It’s my fault,” Zhou Qingpei’s eyes reddened. “The old madam hoped Ah Rui could have a proper marriage with a young lady of a respectable family. I understand. It’s my fault for my humble background. And in my youth, blinded by love, I failed to protect Ah Rui’s reputation.”

“Nonsense!” Shen Ruizhang cut her off sharply. “What era are we living in? It’s my mother who’s too old-fashioned—how could you possibly be to blame?”

But Jiang Yunzhu’s expression darkened. She knew very well that Old Madam Shen was not that sort of person. She never cared whether someone had been married or had children, not even about their family background. What she always valued was a person’s character.

Yet, even with the truth before him, Shen Ruizhang would never believe it.

She herself had no intention of helping Shen Ruizhang sort out his trivial affairs.

“Grandma would never think that way.” Jiang Yunzhu spoke coldly. “Miss Zhou, this is just your own assumption.”

Tears brimmed in Zhou Qingpei’s eyes as she lowered her head. “Yes, you’re right, Zhouzhou. Maybe I was being too extreme—it’s my fault.”

“Zhouzhou!” Shen Ruizhang raised his voice, reminding her not to say anything wrong.

Jiang Yunzhu’s lips curled with a mocking smile.

Just then, the doors to the emergency room finally opened. The doctor walked out, and all three hurried over.

“Doctor, how is Grandma?” Jiang Yunzhu asked anxiously.

“She’s been stabilized, but the next twenty-four hours are crucial. Also, when the old lady wakes up, do not upset her again. At her age, with underlying conditions and after this ordeal, another shock could be fatal.”

Upon hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Old Madam Shen was transferred back to the ICU.

For now, none of them could go in—they could only look at the old lady through the glass wall.

A nurse tried to comfort them. “There’s no use waiting here. One person can stay for updates, the others should go and rest.”

Shen Ruizhang had arranged for the old lady to have a VIP room—a private ICU suite. There was also a family lounge.

“Zhouzhou, you should head back for now. I’ll call you when my mother’s condition improves,” Shen Ruizhang said to Jiang Yunzhu.

It was already two or three in the morning.

Jiang Yunzhu knew his arrangement was reasonable, but wasn’t sure if she could still get a car.

“And Qingpei, you should go rest at the hotel as well,” Shen Ruizhang added. “Even with the family room, it’s still a hospital, with people coming and going—not very convenient.”

In a low voice, Zhou Qingpei replied, “Call me when the old lady is stable. I won’t go see her for now, lest my presence agitate her further.”

“I’ll talk to my mother again,” Shen Ruizhang said, after a few minutes of silence.

Through the glass, Jiang Yunzhu gazed wistfully at Old Madam Shen inside.

She hadn’t expected that their last meeting could have been a final farewell.

Seeing this, Shen Ruizhang told Zhou Qingpei to leave first, giving Jiang Yunzhu a little time alone.

“Uncle,” Jiang Yunzhu came back to her senses, “you should rest tonight. I’ll stay here with Grandma.”

After all, she would need to arrange for a car anyway, and who knew how long that would take.

“Zhouzhou,” Shen Ruizhang didn’t reply directly, but instead said, “let’s go talk over there.”

The two of them went to the stairwell.

In the darkness, Shen Ruizhang lit a cigarette. His voice was low. “Zhouzhou, about my mother, I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need to apologize to me, Uncle,” Jiang Yunzhu frowned slightly. “The one lying in that hospital bed right now is Grandma.”

“I know.” Shen Ruizhang turned to look out the window.

From this spot, he could see Zhou Qingpei walking away outside.

“My mother doesn’t like Qingpei.” With the cigarette between his fingers, his face was half in shadow, lit only by the moonlight streaming through the window. “But Zhouzhou, Qingpei has been through a lot. She’s not like you, who was loved by so many people and married Zhao Mingjie at such a young age.”

Jiang Yunzhu frowned slightly. “And what she’s suffered—was that my doing?”

“Of course not.” He raised his hand, wanting to stroke her hair. “I just hope you can be a bit kinder to Qingpei. She’s not like you. She’s traveled a long, hard road to get here.”

Jiang Yunzhu stepped away, her voice cool. “Uncle, I’ve already been very kind to her. If you want to feel sorry for her, that’s your business, but you can’t force others to feel the same. The only person who owes her anything is you, not me. I owe her nothing. Neither does Grandma. So there’s no need for you to say these things to me.”

Shen Ruizhang pressed his lips tightly together. “My mother is stubborn in her thinking…”

“Is it really Grandma who’s narrow-minded, or is it you who can’t judge people clearly?” Jiang Yunzhu could no longer stand to hear him speak of Old Madam Shen that way.

Old Madam Shen had poured her heart and soul into everything for his sake.

And for what?

Only to be so crudely judged by Shen Ruizhang?

“Jiang Yunzhu!” Shen Ruizhang snapped suddenly, his voice harsh. “You’re not a member of the Shen family. You have no right to interfere in my affairs.”

With that, Jiang Yunzhu’s remaining words were caught in her throat.

He was right. Even if she’d lived with the Shen family for ten years, she ultimately wasn’t one of them.

With no blood ties, it was inevitable that one day she and Shen Ruizhang would become strangers.

“I spoke out of turn,” Jiang Yunzhu murmured, biting her lip.

Silence fell in the stairwell.

When his cigarette was finally finished, Shen Ruizhang spoke. “I’ll have someone drive you home.”

He took a few steps forward, then suddenly turned his head, his gaze settling on Jiang Yunzhu. “Whose coat are you wearing?”

Only then did Jiang Yunzhu remember she was still wrapped in Shen Tingxiao’s overcoat.

“A friend’s,” she replied, pulling the coat tighter around her shoulders. A hint of rebelliousness flared in her heart. “My friend will take me home. There’s no need for you to send anyone.”

Before the words had fully left her mouth, she had already pushed open the door and turned to leave.

Stepping out the main entrance, Jiang Yunzhu felt a pang of regret—she had been a little impulsive just now.

No matter how calm and self-controlled a person might be, no one could be completely without temper, especially after hearing Shen Ruizhang’s words. Her anger wasn’t just because of his favoritism towards Zhou Qingpei.

More than that, with one sentence, Shen Ruizhang had erased all the years of affection between herself, him, and Old Madam Shen.

Jiang Yunzhu slowly exhaled, staring blankly at her phone.

What now?

Should she call a car service?

Or ask Sang Bai to send a car for her?

Beep beep.

A car horn sounded, a bright light flashed. Jiang Yunzhu raised her hand to shield her eyes.

Once her eyes adjusted, she saw Shen Tingxiao leaning against the car door, cigarette between his fingers, several cigarette butts scattered at his feet.

Clearly, things with his family weren’t going well.

“Mr. Shen, you’re still here?” Jiang Yunzhu’s thoughts shifted as she walked over. “How’s the person you came to see?”