"There's no need for you to worry about that, little sister," Ling Yue said, rolling her eyes. She was not the original Ling Yue, so she naturally knew that Ling Meng did not come to see her out of kindness.
Ling Meng was a little surprised by Ling Yue's reaction but did not take it to heart. "Sister, you know that the Zhou family has called off their engagement with you, right?" Her purpose in coming to the hospital today was to deliberately provoke Ling Yue. She was so obsessed with Zhou Mucheng - she must not be able to accept that the marriage contract had been cancelled. She just wanted to see Ling Yue fall apart.
Ling Yue glanced at Ling Meng as she reached for the glass of water on the bedside table and took a sip before slowly opening her mouth, "Does my sister think I would be heartbroken? No, I'm not, on the contrary I'm very happy. Three-legged toads are hard to find in this world, it's not difficult to find a two-legged man. Why would I give up a whole forest for a crooked tree?"
At the door, Zhou Mucheng, who was about to push the door open, retracted his hand. He had been annoyed by his mother's nagging these past few days and had only agreed to come to the hospital after she pestered him. He did not expect to hear such words.
Ling Meng looked at Ling Yue in surprise - this was not the reaction she had anticipated. Ling Yue should not have reacted like this, "Sister, I know you're just putting on a brave face. If you're upset then have a good cry, don't keep it bottled up inside."
Granny Xu looked sympathetically at Ling Yue, "Miss, you can cry it out if you're hurting."
Ling Yue glared at Ling Meng, impatiently waving her hand, "You can leave now, stop wandering around in front of me, it's affecting my recovery."
Ling Meng's eyes flickered in thought. "Sister, just now you said you wanted to be discharged right? I'll go and process the discharge procedures for you." It had only been a week, surely Ling Yue's injuries were not yet healed. Once she left the hospital, she would get her mother to make a call to ensure that hospitals across the city refused to admit Ling Yue. She wanted those wounds to fester until Ling Yue died from the agony.
Ling Yue raised an eyebrow, "Since my sister is being so kind, I'll have to trouble you with that. Oh yes, could you cover my medical fees first? I'll pay you back once I have money." She felt no psychological burden at all over scamming Ling Meng.
"It's just a small amount, don't worry about it," Ling Meng smiled casually and left the ward. She'd like to see Ling Yue try and get herself admitted once she realized how difficult it was, with wounds on the verge of festering but nowhere to even change her dressings.
Zhou Mucheng hid himself as Ling Meng walked past before emerging from the corner and heading towards Ling Yue's ward. But he decided against going in, thinking that Ling Yue would probably burst into tears and cling onto him if she saw him, begging him not to leave. It'd be better not to meet, less trouble that way.
"Miss, why is Miss Ling Meng suddenly being so kind?" Granny Xu found it rather puzzling.
Ling Yue smiled without answering. She knew exactly what Ling Meng was scheming.
Ling Meng went to the doctor's office first to ask about Ling Yue's condition. She was told that her injuries were still very serious, and would definitely fester the moment she left the care of the hospital. What's more, they would leave permanent, hard-to-cure scars.
Feeling delighted, Ling Meng helped process Ling Yue's discharge papers and headed towards the ward.
"Miss, are you sure you want to be discharged? What about your injuries?" Granny Xu's worried voice drifted out from the ward.
"It's fine. I just need to come back regularly after I'm discharged for dressing changes, don't worry," came Ling Yue's reassuring reply.
As Ling Meng listened to their conversation, she was even more gleeful. For Ling Yue to insist on leaving the hospital despite her condition, she was practically seeking death! Although, Ling Meng understood why Ling Yue wanted to be discharged - she could no longer afford the medical fees. The Ling family had completely abandoned Ling Yue this time, unwilling to pay a single cent of her expenses. Still, Ling Meng looked forward even more to seeing Ling Yue tortured to death by those festering wounds.
Pushing open the door to the ward, "Sister, I've settled your discharge procedures. Granny Xu, please help my sister pack up to leave."
Granny Xu looked to Ling Yue, who nodded, then sighed reluctantly as she started gathering Ling Yue's belongings.
"Cough cough cough..." Ling Yue coughed weakly, her eyes brimming with tears from the violent coughing fit, looking extremely pitiful.
"Miss!" Granny Xu hurried over and gently patted Ling Yue's back to soothe her coughs. "Maybe we should stay a while more, you're clearly not well enough to leave."
Ling Yue looked up at Ling Meng, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
"I have other matters to attend to, I'll take my leave first," Ling Meng was on the verge of laughing gleefully to herself. Insisting on being discharged in such a state, Ling Yue was plainly courting death! Though, she understood why Ling Yue wanted to leave - she could no longer afford the hospital fees. After all, the Ling family had completely abandoned Ling Yue this time, unwilling to pay even a cent of her medical expenses. Still, Ling Meng looked forward even more to seeing Ling Yue tortured to death by festering wounds.
"Miss, I'll go get the doctor." Seeing that Ling Yue's coughs showed no signs of stopping, Granny Xu hurriedly made to fetch the doctor.
Ling Yue grabbed Granny Xu's arm, "I'm fine now, don't worry." She had to put on an act, or Ling Meng wouldn't feel like the money she paid was worthwhile.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Granny Xu was still anxious.
"I'm sure," Ling Yue nodded firmly. She guessed that over the next few days, someone from the Ling family would show up at the hospital. That's why she deliberately prevented Granny Xu from paying the fees - after all, Zhao Yu had left word that the hospital dared not do anything to her.
"But..."
"Alright, let's get discharged," Ling Yue sat up and took a set of clean clothes out from the cupboard before heading to the bathroom to change.
After leaving the hospital, the two called for a taxi to take them to a small house that Ling Yue had previously asked Granny Xu to rent. She had Granny Xu go house hunting the day after she was warded - she certainly wasn't going to live in the Ling family home.
The small compound was situated deep inside a lane. Pushing open the doors revealed three single-storey houses enclosing a small yard of about a dozen square meters. A banyan tree grew in the yard, and there was also a well. Stepping into the house, a thick layer of dust covered all the furniture from having been unoccupied for an extended period.
"Miss, have a seat here while I go tidy up. It won't take long," Granny Xu wiped a chair clean and had Ling Yue sit down before hurrying off to fetch water for cleaning.
She had come to view the house previously so she knew what condition it was in. Though it was rather outdated, the place was peaceful and affordable - they would just have to make do. Especially since the savings she had now could only afford such housing.
"I'll help you clean too," Ling Yue felt the house was perfectly fine. A bit aged perhaps, but very quiet, and the little yard outside would be great for absorbing starlight energy at night.
"No, Miss. Your injuries haven't healed yet, don't exert yourself. I can manage the cleaning on my own," Granny Xu quickly stopped her.
While Granny Xu was out fetching water, Ling Yue took out a handkerchief and started dusting the furniture.
"Aiyoh! My dear girl, come sit down this instance!" Granny Xu hurried in with a basin of water just as Ling Yue was wiping away the dust. She immediately snatched the handkerchief from Ling Yue's hands.
"Granny Xu, I'm really fine. Just let me help you clean up a bit, please?" Ling Yue pleaded with a cute pout. She knew exactly how her injuries were healing - a few more days of cultivation and she'd be good as new.
"No!" Granny Xu refused no matter how Ling Yue cajoled.
In the end, Ling Yue could only take a seat and watch Granny Xu do all the cleaning.
After a morning's worth of cleaning, the little compound sparkled, with two rooms perfect for Ling Yue and Granny Xu to occupy separately.
"Do you know where the library is, Granny Xu?" Ling Yue's knowledge of this world came solely from the original owner's memories. But the original owner rarely ventured out so there were still many things she didn't know about the outside world.
Granny Xu racked her brains before replying, "I'm not sure about the library. But I know there's a used book store right across from our lane." She remembered passing by it while house hunting previously.
Hearing that, Ling Yue decided to visit the used bookstore that afternoon. They were in the late 1990s of this plane, so she wasn't familiar with this world at all. In order to earn money here and change her current circumstances, she needed to understand more of this plane.
