章 30: But Not Discouraged Part 2
Qing Yue blinked.
Never walk again? Disfigured for life?
This must've been what Li Feng meant when he said she could regain her original appearance.
Sigh. I wonder how long the process will take...
Seeing her expression remain as impassive as before Long Hongwu revealed the news, the three men in the room tensed up.
It couldn't be the news was too huge of a blow for her to react, right?
At this thought, they felt even more anxious.
"Qing Qing, don't worry. Uncle Long will find all the best medical doctors in the country to help you. You'll be better in no time."
"Yes, Yue'er. If necessary, we'll even fly in a foreign specialist to treat you. So don't feel depressed. You'll be better in no time."
"You'll probably feel hopeless and discouraged because the treatment will not be easy. It will even be painful. But we'll be with you. As long as you don't give up, there's hope."
Qing Yue returned to her senses and swept her violet eyes over the three anxious men. Then under their intense stare, she innocently blinked.
"Who said I was discouraged? Do I look depressed?"
"Huh?"
The three men were stunned.
Wasn't she depressed?
They looked over her bandaged face, but since she was all bundled up, they could only look in her eyes to gauge her feelings.
In the violet depths, there was only amusement.
"Do I look depressed? It must be the bandages. If one didn't know, they'd think I'm being mummified." She smirked then winced in pain.
"Yue'er, are you okay?"
"Qing Qing, are you okay?"
The two friends asked at the same time, causing Qing Yue to stare in amazement.
"Uncle Long, Dad, no wonder the two of you are best...friends." Such a great rapport can only develop between close people.
"Hahaha! That's because we've known each other for years." Long Hongwu delightfully crossed his arms and laughed.
"Hmm! I've known your Uncle Long since my teenage years." Li Chen replied.
"But are you okay?" Hearing the conversation stir off-topic, Long Tian took a step forward and repeated the question.
"Sigh. Do I look okay to you? I'm bundled up like a dumpling and this bed is too stiff for comfort." Qing Yue rolled her eyes.
If he was in her place, he wouldn't have asked such a dumb question.
"That...I meant, are you okay after hearing the news about...your disfigurement and...disability?"
Long Tian frowned.
He didn't feel comfortable mentioning her disfigurement and disability.
On the other hand, the concerned party Qing Yue wasn't worried, and neither did she feel discouraged.
After all, Li Feng told her she could regain her original appearance with the knowledge she acquired, so what's there for her to be depressed about?
And as strange and hateful as he was, she trusted the spirit.
He had no reason to lie to her.
But the men in the room weren't aware of this, so their anxiety and nervousness were understandable.
"I'm fine. Isn't it just a disfigurement? Compared to being alive, what is a mere disfigurement?" She said nonchalantly.
Huh?
The men were stunned once again by the ease with which she spoke. Their gaze held her eyes and, failing to find any other emotion other than amusement again, they gave up.
Li Chen hesitated for a second, then took a deep breath and spoke without beating around the bush.
"Yue'er, your face will no longer be the same. Because of the burns, there are horrible scars, not only on your face but on the rest of your body as well. Your legs are dead and we don't know when you'll get better."
"Hmm. I know."
"Then...you're...not sad?" What was this? Was his daughter too traumatized to feel anything else?
Or were the medications too heavy for her to understand the implication of his words?
Thinking that must be it, Li Chen looked at Long Hongwu for help.
He hoped the Commander would be able to better communicate the severity of her situation to her.
As he watched the girl, a flicker of interest flashed through Long Tian's eyes.
She wasn't devastated by the news of her disfigurement? Her disability?
Long Hongwu nodded to his friend and stepped closer to her.
"Qing Qing, it's okay to cry if you're sad. There's no need to hole up your emotions. As long as you don't fall into depression, crying isn't a bad thing." He stretched his big hand and enveloped her tiny one.
"You have us to support and take care of you."
Qing Yue's eyes filled with tears.
Uncle Long didn't visit the Li Mansion much, but on every holiday, birthday, or celebration, he always sent her a gift.
His attentive care and obvious love for her were one of the reasons she felt relieved on hearing her father's announcement.
Because she knew the Great Commander, Long Hongwu, loved her like a daughter.
"Uncle Long, I'm really not sad. What's there to be sad about? Looks are nothing more than a figment of illusion. Because once we age, we'll end up looking the same; wrinkled and sunken with sagging skin. And when we die, we're nothing more than bones and skulls with maggots and worms feasting on our corpses. So for such an illusionary beauty, what's there to be sad about?"
The words, though harsh coming from her injured throat, were like a flash of light that lit up the three men's eyes.
Wrinkled and sunken with sagging skin...
Bones and skulls with maggots feasting...
This was a fact everyone knew. But in a world of superficial beauty and materialistic values, why would anyone even remember, let alone mention, such things?
After all, if one had beauty and wealth, why wouldn't they show it off?
Why would they care about how it's all going to fade away with time? Or rot with death?
Long Tian's heart throbbed when he heard the words. His gaze subtly changed as he looked at the bandaged girl.
Such profound words, he couldn't help but wonder if she'd said them to make herself feel better or if they'd truly come from the bottom of her heart.
Either way, she'd fully piqued his interest.
Long Hongwu felt pleased on hearing Qing Yue's words. But once he thought about the vileness of society and the people dwelling in it, he couldn't help but tense up again.
His future daughter-in-law was exactly as he expected. But fate was cruel and merciless.
"Qing Qing, do...do you really mean that? Don't you care about what everyone will say when they see you in the future? Their comments and words aren't going to be nice and pretty. In fact, you can expect them to act nastily, speak nasty words, and gave you nasty stares."
"Don't worry Uncle Long. Qing Qing isn't the type to care about others' thoughts and opinions. Besides, people will talk when they want to talk. It's their own mouth so they can say whatever they want, whenever they want." At this Qing Yue sighed.
In her previous life, it took her a while to realize this.
"But Uncle Long, I'm not obligated to give their words any importance. At the end of the day, no matter what they say, it will only be words. If I consider them as air blowing through my ears, they won't have any impact on me. But if I treat them like gold and hang onto every sentence, then they will become the poison that will wreck my life, extinguish my light."
"And I'm not stupid enough to give strangers words the power to snatch my life." She firmly declared.
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