Upon receiving Jiang Zhixun's call, Madam Jiang learned that Shen Qingqing had gone to the Northwest.
She thought Qingqing had finally come to her senses, prioritizing marriage and family, and was overjoyed.
"Since she's gone to your side, you should quickly apply for housing. It'll be more convenient for you two to live together as a couple."
Jiang Zhixun had no intention of keeping Shen Qingqing here.
Leaving aside their awkward marital situation, the conditions here couldn't compare to Beijing.
Shen Qingqing also had her translation job, and coming here would make everything inconvenient for her.
He asked, "Before she came to the Northwest, did you see her?"
"I did."
Madam Jiang's tone was indifferent, "If you count the days, it should've been the day before she went to the Northwest. She returned home to bring supplements to your grandfather, along with eggs and meat, but left after less than half an hour."
Madam Jiang knew her request for Shen Qingqing to give up her job was somewhat unreasonable.
But, given the circumstances, someone had to compromise, didn't they?
It's not as if a couple could live apart for a lifetime; what kind of nonsense would that be?
Later, seeing Shen Qingqing had such a stubborn streak, she took a step back and only asked them to have a child.
Since Shen Qingqing hadn't made any moves, Madam Jiang felt deeply disappointed and started to believe Qingqing was going to refuse this request too.
Unexpectedly, without a word, Qingqing had actually gone to Zhixun's side.
After all, she was a girl Madam Jiang had watched grow up, and if it weren't for the fact that her son hadn't returned home in three years, she wouldn't have harbored resentment toward Shen Qingqing.
She had even let Qingqing move out and rent a place on her own.
Now that Shen Qingqing had made a concession, Madam Jiang's grievances diminished considerably.
Over the phone, her son asked again, "When she went home, was she injured?"
Madam Jiang was puzzled but still carefully recalled the events of that day.
"She cleaned your marital home and took her belongings when she left. She didn't seem injured."
At the time, Madam Jiang thought Shen Qingqing wanted to sever ties with them and wouldn't even return to the compound.
She had another round of sulking because of it.
But it turned out Qingqing had gone to the Northwest, and everything started to make sense.
Madam Jiang spoke earnestly, "Qingqing is well-educated, beautiful, and has a good temper. As a mother, I can see that she has feelings for you. Stop being stubborn. No matter the reason for your marriage, since you've already registered, treat the relationship seriously."
"She's a young lady who chased all the way to the Northwest for you. If you keep pushing her away, you might as well get divorced to stop wasting each other's time."
Divorce?
Jiang Zhixun hadn't thought about that.
He even felt that maintaining their separate lives, as before, wasn't so bad.
"If you want us to divorce, why don't you persuade Shen Qingqing instead? If she agrees, I wouldn't oppose it."
Madam Jiang responded angrily, "If she wanted a divorce, would she have waited three years? Now she's already lowered her stance, don't go overboard."
"Alright."
Jiang Zhixun leaned back against the wall, his face showing indifference. He didn't take his mother's words to heart.
His mind was still occupied with thoughts of Shen Qingqing's injuries.
If she had been fine when she returned to the compound, then chances were her injuries occurred while on her way here.
All kinds of people could be found on trains. With Shen Qingqing being a delicate young woman, it wasn't impossible she might be bullied.
Jiang Zhixun straightened up and said, "I'm hanging up."
"I haven't finished talking."
Madam Jiang quickly interjected, "Ask Qingqing to call me back. I have something to say to her."
"Whatever you want to say, wait until she returns to Beijing."
Hearing this, Madam Jiang immediately exploded, "She's already taken a first step forward, and here you are pushing her away again. Why can't you just get it?"
"This place isn't suitable for her."
"Then figure it out and request a transfer back to Beijing!"
Although Shen Qingqing was an orphan, her parents had been intellectuals, and she had been meticulously nurtured from an early age.
She knew multiple foreign languages, had elegant handwriting, and wrote excellent essays.
Professor Shen and Father Jiang had been good friends, and Madam Jiang had seen Shen Qingqing as a child.
Back then, she could sing, play the violin, and paint.
She was not an exaggeration to call her a talented woman.
This was also the reason Madam Jiang agreed to Shen Qingqing marrying Jiang Zhixun three years ago.
Objectively, setting aside emotional biases, such an excellent young woman would be a gain for any family she married into!
Fearing her son might really send Shen Qingqing back, Madam Jiang softened her tone.
"It's rare for her to make the trip to the Northwest, and the train ride must have been tough. She's not like you, with your thick skin, able to withstand all the back-and-forth. Let her stay there for a while longer. When New Year's comes, you both can return home to visit relatives."
The person on the other end of the phone didn't respond, and Madam Jiang grew anxious again.
"She's just a young woman; what if something happens to her on the way?"
Jiang Zhixun lifted his eyelids slightly and replied, "Okay," leaving Madam Jiang uncertain about which issue he was agreeing to.
"I can't talk sense into you. Have Qingqing call me back—I'll speak with her."
"Alright."
This time, the call truly ended.
Jiang Zhixun returned to the hospital room. Shen Qingqing was still hooked up to the IV, but her emotions had stabilized.
The woman in the neighboring bed wasn't there, so Jiang Zhixun seized the moment to ask Shen Qingqing.
"How did you get hurt?"
Shen Qingqing didn't hide it. "I ran into a pervert on the train."
She had encountered quite a bit of trouble during this trip.
Swallowing grievances wasn't her style.
Considering the hardships she'd endured, she thought Jiang Zhixun might decisively agree to a divorce.
Going forward, she wouldn't come to the Northwest again.
At last, his cold and distant expression showed a ripple of emotion.
"Why didn't you mention this earlier?"
There was a hint of urgency in his voice, mixed with anger.
If this had been during their initial meeting, Shen Qingqing might have cried, but now her feelings were calm as still water, with not even the slightest ripple.
She looked at Jiang Zhixun and retorted, "Did you give me a chance to speak properly?"
From the moment they met in the cafeteria, he'd looked eager to send her straight to the train station.
Later, they ended up at the hospital.
Even when Mrs. Li went to the restroom, they still didn't get a chance to talk privately.
Jiang Zhixun's deep, dark eyes locked onto Shen Qingqing.
Shen Qingqing wasn't willing to back down and stared right back.
She was half-reclining on the hospital bed, with a pillow supporting her back. The scarf around her neck had been removed.
Jiang Zhixun, tall in stature, had to raise his chin to meet her gaze.
Her swan-like neck was exposed to the air—slender and pale.
Fragile yet exuding an air of pride.
Jiang Zhixun thought to himself, Who said she had a good temper? Right now she seemed quite rebellious.
"Now isn't the time to act petty. Tell me what happened then. Did you notify the train crew? Where's the pervert now? Have you reported it to the police?"
Jiang Zhixun fired off several questions in a row.
He was calm and rational.
Shen Qingqing suddenly felt deflated, her chin gradually lowering.
At that moment, Mrs. Li returned, carrying her IV bottle.
Shen Qingqing gave Jiang Zhixun a long, deep look and lay back down on the bed, turning her back to him.
This refusal to communicate made Jiang Zhixun furious.
He believed his emotions were controlled, yet Shen Qingqing had a way of constantly getting under his skin.
In just a few hours since meeting, he had lost count of how many times she had irritated him.
Jiang Zhixun moved to stand in front of Shen Qingqing.
"I asked you a question. Did you hear me?"
Shen Qingqing pulled the blanket up and covered her head.
Jiang Zhixun's chest heaved twice as he stared at the blanket, as though trying to bore a hole into it.
His sharp, handsome face had a visibly dark expression that looked intimidating.
Seeing this, Mrs. Li shook her head repeatedly.
"You shouldn't be harsh when talking to your wife, Captain Jiang. This isn't the way to do things."