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墨書 Inktalez
After an unknown amount of time, Shu Ran finally stopped. Exhausted, she sat down beside the flower bed on the first floor and wiped away all her tears.
Once she adjusted her mood and concealed all her sadness, she made an effort to ensure her voice sounded normal. She then took out her phone from the pocket of her coat and answered the call that had come through over forty times. "Hello?"
The person on the other end seemed surprised that the call connected and paused for a moment. Then, his voice turned serious, tinged with a hint of anger, "Shu Ran!"
"Hmm? What's wrong? I just woke up," Shu Ran sniffled, pretending to sound groggy as she said, "I might have caught a cold today; I went straight to sleep when I got back. I completely forgot to call you; please don't be mad."
Sure enough, Qin Xian's anxiousness and anger dissipated instantly, and he softened his tone, expressing concern, "Have you seen a doctor?"
Before she could respond, she heard Qin Xian's voice drop as he instructed someone on the other end.
After a moment, she heard him say, "Chen Jin has already set off; he will take you to the hospital in fifteen minutes. Be good; since I'm not there with you, you need to take care of yourself."
Upon hearing this, Shu Ran immediately felt anxious and protested, "No need for that; I'm already at the hospital."
As soon as the words left her mouth, Shu Ran realized she had slipped up. One moment she claimed to have just woken up, and the next she said she was at the hospital.
Before Qin Xian could question her, she hurriedly covered up her mistake, "Uh, I meant I'm about to head to the hospital. My brother is taking me; there's no need to trouble Mr. Chen at this late hour."
"Okay." Qin Xian responded doubtfully in a low tone, as if he saw through something but chose not to say anything.
His demeanor made Shu Ran feel even more flustered. She didn't want him to know about her mother's situation; she was afraid it would worry him. He still had work to do, and Shu Ran didn't want to disrupt his plans because of her issues.
Some things were better handled quietly on her own.
"It's late; you should go to bed. I'll message you on WeChat after I see the doctor, okay?"
Qin Xian replied softly, "Okay."
But at the moment she hung up the phone, she dialed another number, "Lina, help me book a ticket to S City."
Qin Xian cared deeply about Shu Ran; she could sense every word, every tone, and even the slightest hint of abnormality.
Just a little bit was enough for Qin Xian to notice, let alone such a significant flaw.
...
Shu Ran spent the entire night in the hospital, tightly holding Shu Mother's hand, watching over her, fearing that she might disappear at any moment.
Early in the morning, the outpatient services in the hospital began their shifts, and nurses started their rounds, creating a busy atmosphere.
Shu Yi had gotten up early and was now heading downstairs to buy some breakfast and light porridge nearby, hoping that Shu Mother could eat a little when she woke up.
At some point, Shu Mother on the hospital bed moved her fingers and slowly began to awaken.
Opening her weary eyes, the first thing she saw was Shu Ran sleeping with her head resting on the bedside.
In her sleep, Shu Ran seemed restless, her brows slightly furrowed. It appeared as if she were murmuring in a dream or experiencing a nightmare, her lips moving as she quietly spoke something.
Shu Mother wearily propped herself up and looked around at her surroundings. The pure white hospital room was everywhere; a table, a chair, and curtains all permeated with the smell of medicine that lingered in the air.
It was truly unappealing.
As she surveyed the room, Shu Ran slowly opened her eyes and gradually came to consciousness.
Seeing Shu Mother sitting up, she immediately straightened herself, grasped Shu Mother's hand tightly, and anxiously exclaimed, "Mom, you're awake!"
Shu Mother had just woken up from a coma, her lips pale and her face looking very weak. She replied weakly, "Hmm, I must have scared you last night."
Shu Ran shook her head. Seeing her mother in such a fragile state made tears uncontrollably fall from her eyes. "Mom, why didn't you tell me you were sick?"
If it weren't for the medical records showing Shu Mother had been running around various hospitals for tests, she would have doubted that Shu Mother was unaware of her condition.
However, the densely packed medical reports indicated that Shu Mother had intentionally concealed the truth. From the moment she returned to S City, she had already been diagnosed with malignant brain cancer.
Why hadn't she said anything? Why had she kept it from her?
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Shu Mother smiled bitterly, the wrinkles around her eyes deepening with the curve of her smile, making her look particularly old. She gently patted Shu Ran's hand and comforted her, "Don't cry, Shu Ran."
She shook her head helplessly, despair and defeat filling her expression. "Since being diagnosed with brain cancer, I've tried to cooperate actively with the doctors for treatment. But the situation... you should have heard what the doctor said."
Shu Ran covered her mouth with her hand, desperately forcing herself not to cry out loud. Yet large tears streamed down from between her fingers, flowing down her delicate white wrist.
Shu Mother sighed deeply and continued, "I know I don't have much time left."
"In this life, I have no regrets. I don't regret marrying your father, nor do I regret having you and your brother, even though you both can be quite troublesome."
"Back then, Your Grandmother, Your Grandfather, and even relatives and friends were all firmly against my marrying your father. They said he was too career-driven and neglectful of family, not a suitable man for marriage."
"But I insisted on marrying him, not for any other reason but because I liked how serious he was when he devoted himself to his work."
"After marriage, we were always very happy. Sometimes my personality was too strong-willed. But your father never minded; instead, he would comfort me when I was upset and let me be. However, in his work matters, he always adhered to principles and was selfless. He has his own set of standards, and while executing them, he sometimes overlooked the thoughts of his family."
"Your father is that kind of man, always incredibly serious about work, sometimes even too serious. That's why before he left, he reminded you to take care of the kindergarten for him."
"But I disagree with this view. I believe everyone should choose the path they want to take. If you care too much about what others think, your life will lose its meaning."
Shu Mother gazed at her seriously, her eyes shimmering with tears.
"Did you understand everything I said?"
How could she not understand? Shu Mother was telling her not to confine herself to others' opinions, to pursue what she truly wanted.
Just like how she felt about Shu Father, disregarding everyone's objections. She insisted on what she wanted and stayed true to her heart; if she liked someone, she would be with them.
This was a subtle comparison between Shu Ran and Qin Xian. Shu Ran liked Qin Xian, and Shu Mother could see that.
But she cared too much about others' perceptions and hid her feelings of admiration out of insecurity; Shu Mother noticed that too.
That's why she said these words to her.
She needed to learn to be independent and make choices.
But habits are hard to change, and people's natures...
With tears in her eyes, Shu Ran nodded and said, "I understand."
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