Shen Qingqing ignored them completely, her gaze fixed on the emergency room doors.
Fu Tingyi, feeling disregarded, grew even more furious. "Shen Qingqing, I know you're upset about the broken engagement, but you can't do this. It's illegal!"
Fang Ruo's eyes welled up. "Yes, even if you're unhappy, you could have taken it out on us. How could you lay a hand on the Old Madam who loved you most?"
While the couple pressed their accusations, Fu Jingshu stood behind them, his eyes fixed on the emergency room, filled with worry.
Shen Qingqing hadn't expected him to defend her. She was used to handling things herself. But seeing the man who had promised to cherish her for a lifetime just days ago now standing in silence, she found it incredibly amusing.
Her mood was already sour, and coupled with her concern for the Old Madam, their incessant buzzing felt like that of flies. A surge of anger rose within her, and she retorted sharply.
"If you have so much to say, why not wait for the Old Madam to come out and ask her herself how she got sick."
The couple's faces flushed with a mixture of shame and anger, looking utterly displeased.
Only Fu Jingshu noticed the change in her address.
"You, you disrespect your elders and commit such an ungrateful act, and you think you're in the right!" Fu Tingyi sneered. "Fortunately, you're not engaged anymore. If someone like you had married into our family, you would have turned our household upside down!"
Shen Qingqing scoffed, "I never intended to marry in the first place."
Fu Jingshu's gaze snapped up to her, his eyes flickering with an unreadable intensity.
But Fu Tingyi and Fang Ruo were pleased. Their confrontation was merely to force Shen Qingqing to utter such a resolute statement.
A sudden silence fell upon the corridor, but the atmosphere grew even more heavy.
Shen Yaoyao arrived in a rush, her face etched with concern. "I heard Grandma had an accident. How is she? What did the doctor say? Is she going to be alright?"
Fu Tingyi, unwilling to face her, ignored her.
The other two were no different. Only Fang Ruo offered her a semblance of a smile. "She's still in surgery, the doctor hasn't come out yet. We don't know how she is."
As she spoke, she cast a sidelong glance at Shen Qingqing, her words laced with a veiled threat.
"If anything truly happens, my Fu family will never forgive the person who caused Mother to fall ill."
Shen Yaoyao immediately sensed something was amiss. Her eyes glinted, and she opened her mouth with a sarcastic tone, "What's the use of being beautiful if one has a wicked heart? That's truly frightening."
Fang Ruo chimed in, "You speak the truth."
Shen Qingqing seemed not to hear. Shen Yaoyao, intentionally provoking her, grew displeased when her words were ignored. "Sister, you were with Grandma before she collapsed. What exactly happened? Did you say something to upset her? Was it about the engagement?"
"Sister, I couldn't help it. It was Father... If you have any grievances, take them out on me. I won't fight back if you hit or scold me, but how could you upset Grandma?"
Unfortunately, Shen Qingqing had no mood to appreciate her tearful act, nor did she want to waste her breath on her. She raised a hand and massaged her slightly aching temples.
"You'd best shut your mouth."
Shen Yaoyao, determined to annoy her, deliberately provoked further, saying indignantly, "Did I hit a nerve?"
Shen Qingqing, unable to bear it any longer, raised her hand and slapped her!
The force of the blow made Shen Yaoyao stagger. She clutched a nearby chair to steady herself, covering her cheek and looking at Shen Qingqing in disbelief.
How dare she strike someone in public!
This slap stunned Fu Tingyi and Fang Ruo. They preferred to scheme in secret; openly slapping someone was something they truly couldn't bring themselves to do.
Shen Qingqing shook her slightly red palm. "If you speak again, I'll hit you until you shut up."
"You!"
Shen Yaoyao wanted to continue her taunts, but seeing Shen Qingqing's cold, piercing gaze, she suddenly felt a flicker of fear. This crazy woman was definitely capable of it!
She could only turn her pitiful gaze towards Fu Jingshu. Since he had agreed to continue the engagement, he must have feelings for her.
But Fu Jingshu treated her as if she were invisible, his eyes fixed intensely on Shen Qingqing.
Fu Tingyi and Fang Ruo also sensed the wrongness and quickly stepped to block Fu Jingshu's gaze. Fang Ruo went forward to help Shen Yaoyao up. "This is a public place, how could you hit someone?"
"This is a lack of upbringing," Fu Tingyi said with a look of contempt.
"What do you want?"
Shen Qingqing was already extremely impatient.
Fang Ruo seized the opportunity. "Apologize to Shen Yaoyao, or I'll call the police. I wonder how long you'll be sentenced for intentional assault?"
A few days of detention wouldn't be the problem; it was the public exposure that would ruin her reputation.
Shen Qingqing let out a cold laugh. She clenched her fist and slammed it forcefully against the glass of a nearby patient room door. With a crash, shards of glass scattered across the floor.
Her hand, however, remained completely unharmed.
This feat stunned the other three, especially Shen Yaoyao, whose face was filled with terror. With such strength, if it had landed on her head...
Her face turned pale with fear.
Shen Qingqing flexed her fingers, watching as the emergency room light extinguished. The doctor who emerged removed his mask, his expression relaxed.
She knew then that the Old Madam was out of danger.
Having no desire to linger with this group, she turned and walked away briskly.
As she brushed past Fu Jingshu, she didn't spare him a single glance nor did she pause, as if he were mere air beside her.
Fu Jingshu's body stiffened, and he couldn't help but fix his gaze on her retreating back.
Once the Old Madam was moved to a regular room, Shen Yaoyao impatiently rushed in to see her, outpacing both Fu Tingyi and Fang Ruo.
A group of people surrounded the bedside. Only when the Old Madam slowly regained consciousness did they let out a sigh of relief.
"Mother, you're finally awake. Your son was so worried," Fu Tingyi said, sitting by the bed and taking his mother's hand. However, the Old Madam pulled away.
He was taken aback. "Mother?"
"Where is Qingqing?" the Old Madam asked weakly.
"She left," Fang Ruo answered. "Mother, don't ask about her. If it weren't for her, you wouldn't have fainted. We were all so worried."
"Yes, it's a good thing the engagement was broken off. You won't have to see her anymore. She left before you even woke up, which shows she doesn't care about you at all."
"My fainting had nothing to do with her," the Old Madam explained. Then, as if a thought struck her, a bad premonition filled her mind. She quickly looked at Fu Jingshu. "Did you help Qingqing explain?"
Fu Jingshu's eyes flickered, and he pursed his lips, remaining silent.
"You, you scoundrel!" The Old Madam, seeing his expression, knew he hadn't, and in her anger, she didn't know what to do. She turned and saw the cane leaning against the bedside table. She grabbed it and struck it against her grandson's forehead!
Fu Tingyi and Fang Ruo cried out in alarm, but they couldn't stop her.
The Old Madam said indignantly, "You rotten boy, you drove away a good daughter-in-law, and now you're just causing trouble!"