TLDMDTBS Chapter 40

Chapter 40 Publish

Early the next morning, Ji Ruan knocked on Cheng Zizhang’s ward door.

It was Cheng Yunxiu who opened the door, wearing a simple light-colored long dress, her hair pinned up at the back, exuding grace. Seeing Ji Ruan, she smiled gently, “You must be Xiao Ruan. It’s great to finally meet you. I am Zizhang’s mother. I often hear Zizhang talk about you.”

Her features were soft and quite approachable. Ji Ruan smiled and said, “Hello, Teacher Cheng. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“There’s no need for formalities,” Cheng Yunxiu kindly ushered Ji Ruan into the ward. “Come in quickly. Zizhang still can’t be discharged, but I appreciate you coming over.”

Ji Ruan handed the flowers he brought to Cheng Yunxiu, “It’s nothing. I was planning to come see my senior anyway.”

The single room was not large, but it had good lighting, and the whole room was filled with the warmth of sunlight.

Cheng Zizhang was leaning against the head of the bed, sipping noodle soup and smiled warmly at Ji Ruan. Even when sick, she was still a breathtaking beauty.

“——Ji Ruan?”

Ji Ruan turned around and saw Lin Qing emerging from the bathroom.

His eyes were a bit red, looking quite haggard, a stark contrast to his elegant demeanor from yesterday on stage, exuding a sense of fatigue that came from suffering.

He stopped in his tracks, his gaze flicking between Cheng Yunxiu and her daughter, his expression gradually becoming somewhat awkward. “Why did you call him here?”

Lin Qing felt a mix of resentment and confusion. Given the current situation, did they need to bring in an outsider to witness his humiliation?

Ji Ruan raised an eyebrow, realizing that despite the night that had passed, Lin Qing still hadn’t come to terms with anything.

Cheng Zizhang nonchalantly swallowed a mouthful of soup without addressing him, her mother was present; there was no need for her to speak.

Cheng Yunxiu poured a glass of water and walked directly past Lin Qing, still using a friendly tone with Ji Ruan, “Come, Xiao Ruan, you sit first. Let’s drink some water and discuss things slowly.”

Ji Ruan thanked her and sat down on the chair beside the bed.

Cheng Yunxiu remained silent for a couple of seconds as if contemplating where to start, then looked at Lin Qing, her expression became much more serious, “Do you know what you did wrong?”

This was quite a gentle question, yet Lin Qing seemed to have anticipated it. Calmly, he replied, “Teacher, where do you think I went wrong?”

Cheng Yunxiu sat down beside Ji Ruan, “Okay, since you don’t want to say it yourself, let me ask you, was that piece of work at the promotion event created by you?”

Lin Qing tugged at the corner of his mouth, “Teacher, you know very well that you asked me to work on it together with my senior; we were just following your instructions.”

Cheng Zizhang scoffed softly.

Cheng Yunxiu watched Lin Qing silently for two seconds and sighed, “Go and bring the items from the table over.”

Despite her gentle demeanor, when she became serious, her gaze was quite sharp.

Lin Qing felt a shiver at her glance, and after a moment of daze, he moved as instructed, his movements stiff.

It was a rectangular object wrapped in cotton cloth, about half a meter long, feeling like a wooden picture frame, and Lin Qing vaguely guessed what it was.

He brought the item to Cheng Yunxiu but she didn’t take it, saying simply, “Open it and take a look.”

Lin Qing swallowed hard, his fingers slightly trembling as he pulled off the cotton cloth.

He had guessed right; it was indeed the piece they exhibited at the event yesterday, titled “A Corner of the Courtyard.”

Cheng Yunxiu’s gaze fell on his face, seeming determined not to miss any of his expressions: “Now that you see it, point at it and clearly tell me which parts you embroidered and which parts Zizhang embroidered?”

Lin Qing’s hand trembled violently, nearly dropping the object on the floor.

“…I embroidered the pond, the fish, water, and the path was done by my senior…” He stopped when indicating the plum blossoms, his lips moving but no sound came out.

Cheng Yunxiu’s gaze was piercing: “Who embroidered them?”

Lin Qing’s lips turned white as he refused to say a word.

Cheng Yunxiu looked at him for a long time, and when she finally didn’t get a response, she shifted her gaze away, appearing very disappointed: “Do you remember what you said on stage yesterday? Do you need me to help you recall?”

Lin Qing’s chest heaved twice before suddenly looking up, “Do you trust Cheng Zizhang so easily?”

Cheng Yunxiu met his gaze: “What do you mean?”

“Cheng Zizhang told you the flowers were her embroidery, and you believed her directly, so you thought I was lying, right?”

He laughed lightly, pointing at Ji Ruan, “To appear impartial, you even brought in an outsider for testimony. Is that really necessary?”

Cheng Yunxiu’s expression suddenly turned unfamiliar as she looked at Lin Qing: “So you still refuse to admit it, right?”

“Then why do you insist I’m the one lying?” Lin Qing blurted out. “The embroidery techniques for the plum blossoms are not exactly the same as Cheng Zizhang’s; why can’t I have done it? Why do you choose to believe her without even asking?”

He paused for two seconds and saw Cheng Yunxiu shake her head without saying a word and thought he had hit the mark, moving a step closer.

“Is it because the pear blossom was changed to a plum blossom at the last minute? She’s loved doing this sort of thing since she was young, so you thoughtlessly assumed I was lying? It’s always been like this; you’ve been partial since we were kids!”

Lin Qing’s eyes gradually reddened, as if a long-repressed resentment found its outlet at this moment, and his dissatisfaction with Cheng Zizhang escalated.

Cheng Zizhang was always like this, never following the agreed plan when embroidering; she did things on a whim as if she were the only one with such imagination. Yet, teachers always praised her, thinking she was smarter.

“But I didn’t embroider the plum blossoms.” Cheng Zizhang, who had been quietly drinking her soup, suddenly spoke.

Lin Qing froze.

Cheng Zizhang put down her soup bowl and met his gaze: “I never said such things.”

Cheng Yunxiu sighed, “You say I made decisions without listening to your explanation, but I asked you, and you still haven’t told the truth! You’re still lying at this moment!”

Lin Qing’s color gradually drained from his face as he stammered, “It wasn’t her… who else could it be? This is our work—”

Suddenly, he stopped.

“Could it be you?”

Ji Ruan returned him a faint smile.

Lin Qing stumbled back half a step, seemingly unable to believe what he was seeing.

“That’s right, it was Xiao Ruan who did it.” Cheng Zizhang said, “That day I was sick, and you couldn’t reach anyone; just then, Xiao Ruan came to help me out when he saw me struggling.”

She continued under Lin Qing’s changed expression, “Changing the pear blossom to a plum blossom wasn’t intentional; it was because Xiao Ruan pricked his finger and bled onto it, so he had no choice but to change it.”

“As for why the embroidery technique is very similar to mine,” Cheng Zizhang cast a mocking glance at Lin Qing, “It’s simply because he didn’t want to stand out, considering the overall harmony of the piece.”

“——It’s that simple. I’m really surprised you didn’t figure it out sooner.”

Lin Qing’s face turned blue, then red, then pale, seemingly finding it even harder to accept that the piece came from Ji Ruan than if it had come from Cheng Zizhang.

“How could he possibly do it?” He laughed absurdly, “He has never learned, how could he possess such skills… and even mimic you? Are you trying to deceive me, Cheng Zizhang?”

He stepped closer: “Your technique is so easy to mimic? If it were that easy, no one would take ten or twenty years to learn!”

“You don’t believe it, right?” Cheng Zizhang, tired of the back-and-forth, shoved the handkerchief Ji Ruan had given her in front of Lin Qing, “Take a look for yourself.”

“Xiao Ruan’s plum blossoms intentionally tried to learn from me but also incorporated a lot of his own style; if you can’t even tell the difference between these two when placed side by side, my mother has wasted her years teaching you.”

Lin Qing stared blankly at the two embroidery pieces in front of him, one wild cherry blossom and one plum blossom. They indeed looked very similar, with fine stitching and solid finishing—quite the basic skills.

He finally understood, so he felt even more like a fool.

The water in his hand had gone cold, Ji Ruan took a small sip, and seeing Lin Qing look dazed, he said lightly, “So now you know why I didn’t believe you in the operating room that day, right?”

Lin Qing’s gaze moved slightly, turning somewhat sluggishly towards Ji Ruan.

“Because no matter how much you embroidered and the details you worked on, you really didn’t need to rely on my senior to tell me,” he shrugged, “I figured it out myself; you just didn’t believe it at the time.”

Lin Qing’s expression was almost turning ashen.

His jaw tightened, and after a long time, he finally looked at Cheng Yunxiu, his voice hoarse:

“So you saw through it at first sight. You kept it a secret from yesterday until today just to wait for him to come? To have him come and confront me face-to-face, make a fool of me?”

His current state showed no respect for Cheng Yunxiu as his teacher, but she didn’t care much, coldly commenting:

“No one intends to make this difficult for you. You passed off someone else’s work as your own; an apology is the bare minimum. But I didn’t expect you to be so stubborn.”

“Ha.” Lin Qing let out a laugh. He didn’t speak, but his eyes were full of reluctance.

Cheng Yunxiu closed her eyes: “I know you’re sensitive and thoughtful, which is why I’ve always cared for you. Although Zizhang is my biological daughter, I dare say I’ve never mistreated you. I even worried you might think I was biased, thus treating you with leniency everywhere. Over the past two years, how much has Zizhang helped you since you’ve neglected your studies and practice? If I hadn’t been strict in punishing you, would you really think I’m easy to trick?”

Lin Qing’s expression was stiff: “After everything you’ve said, isn’t it still about bias? Since we were little, you’ve praised Cheng Zizhang more than you have praised me—it’s always encouragement for your own daughter while knowing only to make me practice, practice, and practice. Am I just that inferior to her?”

Cheng Yunxiu shook her head: “I don’t understand why you think this way, but you’ve always had a proud and restless mindset since childhood. If I don’t keep you grounded, should I let you float up into the sky?!”

Lin Qing let out a laugh through his nose, his gaze vacant, he didn’t know if he had taken it in.

Cheng Yunxiu waved her hand, seemingly unwilling to continue debating the matter: “It’s pointless. Apologize to Xiao Ruan, sincerely and genuinely!”

Apologizing sounds easy, but for someone like Lin Qing with a pride that was higher than the sky, it certainly wasn’t that easy.

He stood still, his spine straightened, remaining silent.

Cheng Yunxiu waited a long time for him, but each second of silence turned into a sigh.

Lin Qing watched as Cheng Yunxiu stood up, walking step by step to Ji Ruan and slowly bowed:

“I’m sorry, Xiao Ruan. Lin Qing is a disciple I raised, and it’s my responsibility for not teaching him properly. I apologize to you on his behalf.”

Lin Qing’s eyes suddenly turned bloodshot.

Ji Ruan quickly supported Cheng Yunxiu, “Teacher Cheng, please, you don’t have to do this.”

Cheng Yunxiu patted Ji Ruan’s hand, “Taking someone else’s work is a grave taboo, it must be addressed.”

But Ji Ruan still couldn’t allow a teacher of Cheng Yunxiu’s level to bow to him; he couldn’t bear it: “Really, it’s not necessary, Teacher.”

Cheng Zizhang on the bed reached for Ji Ruan’s sleeve, shaking her head: “Xiao Ruan, let it go.”

Ji Ruan hesitated for a long time, seeing it was utterly stuck, he reluctantly let go of his support for Cheng Yunxiu.

Only then did Cheng Yunxiu turn to him and gently smile, deeply bowing.

At that moment, Ji Ruan felt a bit of sweat in his palm.

Cheng Yunxiu noticed Ji Ruan’s discomfort, patting the back of his hand to get him to sit down, then took a few steps toward Lin Qing.

She looked at Lin Qing, the heartache in her eyes gradually turning into deep fatigue: “This is the last time I will speak to you as your teacher. The road ahead… you have to walk it yourself.”

Lin Qing was stunned for a moment, seemingly not understanding her words. He stood frozen, not even blinking.

“Wha-what do you mean? You… you want to abandon me? Are you kicking me out?” His eyes were filled with disbelief.

Cheng Yunxiu kept her eyes closed, not looking at him: “If you still want to maintain some face, then apologize sincerely to him, and then leave.”

“What are you saying, Teacher?!” Lin Qing exclaimed as if he had heard some absurd joke, his expression contorting: “I’ve been with you since I was twelve! Even if I’ve made mistakes, I—I have sinned, but you can’t just abandon me!”

He pointed at Ji Ruan: “…you can’t just cast me aside over this person. He isn’t even an embroiderer!”

“Do you still remember you are an embroiderer?” Cheng Yunxiu asked. “And do you remember what I said on the day you became my disciple? Although we eat with our skills, the character of an embroiderer far exceeds the technique. It is the soul of your work! It’s something we are to pass down through generations, not something you can steal casually from others. Do you understand, Aqing?”

Tears welled in Cheng Yunxiu’s eyes, as if she was utterly disappointed. Lin Qing had never seen this kind of emotion in his teacher’s eyes.

He remained stunned for a long time, realizing that this time she was being serious.

But being expelled from the clan was a great humiliation; Cheng Yunxiu virtually represented the entire industry of Han embroidery. If he was expelled today, everyone would know what he had done, and all would scold and mock him. Lin Qing didn’t want to be subjected to the scorn of thousands.

Tears streamed down his face: “I apologize, I apologize, will that be enough?” He rushed in front of Ji Ruan: “Ji Ruan, I’m sorry! I should not have taken your work; I should not have done that. I’m sorry…”

“——Teacher, Teacher, I apologize!” He grabbed Cheng Yunxiu’s sleeve: “I was wrong; please don’t expel me! I beg you!…”

Cheng Yunxiu stared at him deeply, her gaze profound. Finally, she gently brushed his hand away: “Aqing, there’s no need. Besides, your thoughts have long been elsewhere, haven’t they?”

Today the weather was truly beautiful; beams of sunlight pierced through the tender buds on the branches, spilling onto Cheng Zizhang’s white bed and illuminating Lin Qing’s pale face.

The grip Lin Qing had on Cheng Yunxiu’s sleeve gradually weakened, and suddenly he fell onto the ground like a puppet without perception.

Cheng Zizhang tilted her head to look at him, her delicate brows lightly furrowed: “Honestly, I never understood why you would do this when you clearly know what it means to substitute someone else’s work in our line of work. It was just a small event; it offered you no advantage. Why would you still do this?”

“Why don’t you understand?” Lin Qing let out a soft laugh, looking at Ji Ruan, a mixture of unwillingness and reluctant acknowledgment on his face.

“Because it was done too well.” He said: “…so good that I wanted to claim it as my own.”

He wiped his face, steadying himself against Cheng Zizhang’s bed, his gaze sweeping over her beautiful face inch by inch: “Then I would surpass you, and the teacher would no longer continuously praise you but only say I’m not working hard enough.”

Cheng Zizhang seemed puzzled: “Then why don’t you just work hard yourself?”

Lin Qing’s body swayed slightly.

Ji Ruan noticed his eyes suddenly becoming vacant.

Now that the conversation had reached this point, Ji Ruan had received the apology he deserved. Although it was hard to tell how sincere Lin Qing was, at least he spoke out openly, and Cheng Yunxiu had made a very sincere apology on his behalf.

The current atmosphere evidently involved their internal matters, and Ji Ruan was not particularly concerned about whether Lin Qing would be expelled.

But since his family had been engaged in Han embroidery for generations, he understood very well how devastating it would be for a disciple trained by a prestigious master for ten years to be ousted for substituting a piece.

If that person had a bit of pride, they would wish they were dead.

Let alone someone like Lin Qing, who considered himself incredibly noble.

If this was the result Cheng Zizhang was pleased with, he would indeed like to see it.

However, he really disliked this oppressive environment and didn’t intend to linger any longer, standing up to take his leave: “Teacher Cheng, senior, I still have some matters to attend to, so I’ll head back now.”

Cheng Yunxiu, knowing that it had turned into such a scene, wiped her face and smiled apologetically at Ji Ruan: “I’m truly sorry, Xiao Ruan. I’ve caused you so much trouble. I’ll come and apologize to you another day.”

“Really, it’s unnecessary, Teacher Cheng,” Ji Ruan pursed his lips, “it’s fine, you still have things to discuss here, so I won’t disturb you. I’ll come back to visit you another day.”

Cheng Zizhang, unable to get out of bed, looked embarrassed: “I’m sorry for making you witness this.”

Ji Ruan smiled and shook his head, gently closing the door behind him.

It wasn’t until he left the ward that Ji Ruan finally breathed a sigh of relief and sent a message to Gu Xiuyi indicating that he was finished here.

He walked slowly out of the hospital building and waited for Gu Xiuyi at the hospital entrance. Spring had arrived, and many small flowers bloomed in the flowerbeds along the road—blue and purple, names that he couldn’t recall but were beautiful nonetheless.

He took a few pictures with his phone and, without much thought, sent them directly to Gu Xiuyi.

A quick response came back: [Do you like it?]

[Isn’t it pretty?]

[You love flowers so much, yet you complained when I gave you some yesterday?]

Ji Ruan: “…”

A normal person wouldn’t choose to give such a huge bouquet, enough to crush someone.

He pressed his lips together, unconsciously intensifying the force on the keyboard: [Yesterday’s flowers were beautiful, just if they weren’t so heavy and overwhelming!]

Gu Xiuyi didn’t reply.

Ji Ruan waited for two minutes without any response. Just when he thought he might be angry, his phone finally buzzed twice.

[Gu Boss: Understood.]

Ji Ruan: “…?”

What did he understand?

Given that it would take a while for Gu Xiuyi to get to him from his company, Ji Ruan kicked at the small stones by the roadside, but he was the first to see Lin Qing.

Lin Qing looked worse than when he was in the ward. Ji Ruan didn’t know what they had said after he left, but he now appeared dazed and lost.

He collided with several pedestrians while walking.

Ever since Ji Ruan met him in the villa that day, he knew Lin Qing was an incredibly proud person who valued face, his back always intentionally straightened.

He had never seen Lin Qing lose composure like this in public.

Lin Qing seemed to be waiting for a taxi, slowly walking up next to Ji Ruan.

Ji Ruan glanced at him and immediately looked away, not planning to chat.

However, Lin Qing spoke up expressionlessly: “Are you feeling pleased with yourself?”

When Ji Ruan didn’t respond, Lin Qing stepped closer, saying softly: “On the day Cheng Zizhang had her surgery, you deliberately didn’t tell me the plum blossom was your embroidery, just to see my embarrassment, right?”

His gaze was hollow, like a deep hollow nest, vaguely revealing a bloody hue mixed with an indescribable gloom.

Ji Ruan frowned and looked at him, subtly shifting a step away.

Lin Qing’s state was clearly off; reason told Ji Ruan not to engage with him.

After almost being beaten by Gu Xiuyi’s cheap brother at home, Ji Ruan gained a new understanding of the uncontrollability of human behavior, knowing they could go on a rampage in any environment.

But this was the street; if Lin Qing truly intended to strike, wouldn’t it be embarrassing for Ji Ruan if he couldn’t defend himself?

Ji Ruan’s gaze drifted to the passing vehicles before casually saying, “It’s almost noon; are you hungry?”

“……What?”

Lin Qing seemed to be puzzled by why he suddenly brought this up, stunned for a moment.

Ji Ruan licked his slightly dry lips: “If you’re hungry, you might as well go home for lunch.”

Don’t bother me.

Lin Qing: “…?”

A low-key black sedan drove around the corner, slowly parking at the roadside. Ji Ruan recognized the familiar license plate and quickly took a few steps forward.

Gu Xiuyi emerged from the back seat, holding a bouquet of flowers as he walked towards Ji Ruan. Naturally, he took Ji Ruan’s hand, his warm grip gradually soothing Ji Ruan’s anxious emotions.

This bouquet was a relatively normal size compared to yesterday’s—a moderate, beautifully packaged bunch of blue and purple hydrangeas.

Gu Xiuyi smiled and said, “I checked the flowers in your picture, they’re blue dandelions, but the nearby flower shops didn’t have them, so I bought a few hydrangeas. Is that okay?”

Ji Ruan hugged the flowers to his chest, a small dimple showing on his cheek: “Mm, they’re so beautiful…”

Gu Xiuyi pinched his cheek and opened the car door, inviting him to get in, but out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Lin Qing behind him.

He paused for a moment, looking at Ji Ruan: “Do you have anything else to say to him?”

“Oh right.”

Ji Ruan nearly forgot about that person.

With Gu Xiuyi present, he was no longer afraid of Lin Qing’s potential movements. Leaning against the car door, he waved the hydrangeas in his hand: “You were right. I did it on purpose by not telling you the plum blossom was mine.”

“But it wasn’t to see you embarrassed, nor did I feel pleased about it,” he said, his eyes curving in a playful way. “We weren’t familiar anyway, right?”