Probably because she had been caught in the rain and then stayed in the cold bathroom for too long. That night, Xu Tingyu caught a fever.
And Qi Shifeng never returned to the room.
The next day, when she got out of bed groggily in search of medicine, she learned from Aunt Zhang that he had gone on a business trip.
Upon hearing this, Xu Tingyu's hand holding the pills trembled slightly.
He really didn't care at all.
He could sleep with her as usual and go on business trips for work as normal.
The collapse of the Xu family didn't affect him in the slightest.
Aunt Zhang noticed her pale face and comforted her cautiously.
"Madam, call a doctor. Otherwise, Mr. Qi will be worried."
Last time, the madam had stumbled and hit her waist on the railing, leaving a large bruise.
When Mr. Qi found out, his face had remained gloomy for several days.
Xu Tingyu also recalled this incident and suddenly let out a low, cold laugh.
That day, she had first seen Xie Yu and Qi Shifeng in the news.
The paparazzi had captured Xie Yu being picked up by a mysterious man in a luxury car after her performance.
They hadn't managed to get a clear shot of the man's face, only his hand holding an umbrella for her.
Xu Tingyu recognized that hand. It had been all over her body the previous night.
Even the Patek Philippe on his wrist was the one she had put on him herself that morning.
Qi Shifeng, how did he know Xie Yu?
And be so intimate with her?
In her panic, she had stumbled and bruised her waist.
When Qi Shifeng came back in the middle of the night and pulled her out of the covers, trying to take off her pajamas, she had shown resistance for the first time.
But the man had only thought it was a new trick of hers until he saw the bruise on her waist.
Before he could ask, she had trembled and asked him first, "What's your relationship with Xie Yu?"
Qi Shifeng had clearly been a bit surprised, and then he immediately knew that she had seen the news.
He showed no trace of embarrassment at being caught. Instead, he lowered his head, his eyes dark and unfathomable.
She had been stripped of her pajamas. Apart from the bruised waist, her whole body was as white as the finest porcelain, with the marks he had left on her chest the previous night.
His eyes darkened even more. He hooked his lips and laughed lowly as he pressed towards her, his voice hoarse and deep, tinged with a hint of disdain.
"Do you really think you're something?"
That night, he hadn't touched her waist, which he usually liked the most. And in her tears, he hadn't been satisfied.
Perhaps he thought she had crossed the line, so he had kept a gloomy face for several days.
...
Xu Tingyu quickly pulled herself out of the memories and said to Aunt Zhang, "Please help me call a doctor, Aunt Zhang."
She still had many things to deal with. She didn't even dare to be sad now, let alone fall ill.
Sure enough, after the doctor came and gave her a fever-reducing injection, Secretary Qian called.
"Miss Xu, the bank is here to seize the old mansion. Madam is a bit emotional. Could you come over?"
The Xu family's old mansion was the place where she had grown up.
She had just renovated it before her marriage. It held all the happy memories of the family.
She gritted her teeth and got up, changing her clothes.
When she came downstairs, Aunt Zhang, who was making soup, saw her about to go out and quickly came over to show concern.
"Madam, you've got a fever of 39 degrees. The doctor said you should stay in bed and rest."
But she shook her head. "I have some things to deal with. Don't worry."
This was the upbringing engraved in her bones - even with a fever that made her face flush, she still comforted others first.
Aunt Zhang hesitated but finally just saw her out.
The servants in the Qi family were all like this.
They were extremely discreet and observant. They usually did more and talked less, never gossiping about the master's affairs.
When Xu Tingyu rushed to the old mansion, she saw her mother, Zhang Qiu, standing at the gate, firmly blocking the people who were about to enter and seize the property.
Zhang Qiu came from an ordinary family. When she was young, she had stood out among many competitors with her looks and successfully married into the Xu family.
Over the years, the couple had a deep affection for each other. Nurtured by great wealth, she had developed an air of elegance and nobility.
At almost fifty, she looked like she was in her thirties.
But now, with her hair in a mess, she looked a bit disheveled.
"This is my home. You're not allowed to enter! Not allowed!"
"My husband is at the company working overtime. When he comes back, he'll teach you a lesson!"
She waved the thing in her hand, telling those people to back off.
Xu Tingyu got closer and only then saw that it was a family photo.
Her heart ached, and her eyes turned red. But she clenched her fists and held up her tottering body.
"Mom, go inside first. I'll talk to them."
Zhang Qiu had been spoiled by Xu Jianmin over the years and had only cared about being a carefree rich lady.
In the face of such a major upheaval, she could only bluster to put on a show of strength.
Xu Tingyu actually wasn't sure herself, but she had to hold on.
When she saw her daughter come back, Zhang Qiu had a moment of clarity. She grabbed her hand and cried, "Tingyu, they all said your father jumped off a building. Is it true?"
She had clearly attended the funeral, but now it was as if she had forgotten everything.
Before Xu Tingyu could say anything, her expression suddenly changed. She pointed at those people again, her tone turning fierce.
"Your father is working overtime at the company. They're taking this opportunity to try to cheat us out of our house. Hurry up and drive them away."
Xu Tingyu looked at her crazy mother and felt her heart shatter.
But there were still the bank people around, so she could only grit her teeth and hold on. She said gently to her mother, "Mom, go inside with Secretary Qian first."
At first, Zhang Qiu refused and stubbornly stood at the gate.
It was as if as long as she guarded this gate, their Xu family wouldn't fall apart.
Xu Tingyu bit the soft flesh inside her mouth hard to force herself to calm down.
Then she tidied up her mother's hair and said softly again, "I'll protect our home, Mom."
Only then did Zhang Qiu nod randomly. "Okay, okay. You're the second young mistress of the Qi family. You surely can..."
Only then did Secretary Qian help Zhang Qiu inside with a worried look on his face.
After her mother's figure disappeared from sight, Xu Tingyu turned to look at the bank people and then bent down to bow.
"Everyone, could you please give me some time? I'll raise the funds as soon as possible."
She had been born with a silver spoon in her mouth, was intelligent, beautiful, and elegant.
As long as she frowned slightly, someone would offer her what she wanted with both hands.
So she had never been tempted by interests, had no vulgar desires, and had never begged anyone.
Even when she bent down and lowered her head now, there was no hint of humble flattery. It only made people's hearts tremble slightly.
The several staff members exchanged glances with each other.
Then the leading one spoke.
"Mrs. Qi, actually, it's not that we want to come. We're just following the rules and regulations."
"Here's what we'll do. We'll go back and apply for it. You also raise the money as soon as possible. What do you think?"
The address of "Mrs. Qi" was enough to show that what they cared about wasn't her plea but the Qi family behind her.
Xu Tingyu realized this, and a look of sadness flashed across her eyes.
Then she straightened up and looked up, forcing a smile at the people.
"Thank you all. I'll do it as soon as possible."
Every move of hers showed the temperament of a famous socialite and rich lady.
Those people smiled warmly at her, but after turning around, she heard them whispering.
"Her Xu family has gone bankrupt, and the second young master of the Qi family has someone he likes. Can this marriage last long?"
"I don't know if it'll last. But at least for now, the Qi family won't allow her family to end up on the streets. Otherwise, what will others think of the Qi family?"
"That's right. Even if they don't like her, they still have to save face for the sake of their noble status."
...
The voices of the discussion faded away. Xu Tingyu lowered her head and silently smoothed out a wrinkle on her skirt.
It turned out that everyone knew that Qi Shifeng didn't like her.