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墨書 Inktalez
The next day, Xu Ruyun woke up. Heart disease is something that, to some extent, everyone experiences as they age; it cannot be completely cured, only managed. Xu Ruyun had been diagnosed with heart disease during a health check last year but did not tell Liu Shuhan about it for fear of worrying her. Unfortunately, just after the New Year, she had an episode.
"Xiaoxu, you finally woke up," Liu Sen said with concern as he held Xu Ruyun's hand. "At your age, why do you still have such a temper? You... never mind, I'll go call Shu Han over."
Xu Ruyun pulled her hand back and stubbornly said, "I don't want to see her. Tell her to go away; it's as if I never had this daughter."
"Don't say such things!" Liu Sen scolded. "Shu Han is your child whom you carried for ten months and raised with great effort. We can talk things out as a family; what can't be resolved?"
"I can't control her. Do you know what kind of person she is with? She, she..." Xu Ruyun found it hard to express herself and could only say again, "In any case, I can't control her."
"Isn't it just Cheng Qiuyi? I've seen that kid; he's quite good," Liu Sen said as he helped Xu Ruyun sit up and brought her a cup of water. "Every generation has its own blessings. Shu Han is already twenty-six; she knows how to handle herself."
"What blessings!" Xu Ruyun swatted Liu Sen's hand aside. "If those two really get together, we might as well give up on having grandchildren!"
After sulking for a while, Xu Ruyun suddenly realized, "Wait a minute, Old Liu, why are you defending your daughter? Did you know they were fooling around all along?"
Liu Sen was at a loss for words, which only made Xu Ruyun angrier. "Oh, so you all knew and kept it from me, huh?"
Xu Ruyun's anger flared up again, causing her breathing to quicken. Liu Sen hurriedly tried to calm her down. "I didn't know about their situation, Xiaoxu. Don't rush; take it easy."
Xu Ruyun took several deep breaths and slowly leaned against the headboard, sighing heavily. "Just tell me when you found out. We're already at this point; there's no need to hide anything."
Liu Sen took a sip from Xu Ruyun's cup of water and replied slowly, "It's not that I knew for sure. When Shu Han was in her teens, I vaguely suspected something."
"I didn't dare tell you because I wasn't certain and also didn't want to upset you. I never expected it would come to this," Liu Sen said as he took Xu Ruyun's hand again. "I was afraid Shu Han would go down the wrong path and didn't dare ask anyone else about it. I feared that if others found out her secret, they would treat her like a monster. Later on, with the internet becoming more developed, I learned some things online. The path Shu Han is on is incredibly difficult; many people spend their whole lives trying to navigate it without success. So many good kids have taken their own lives because their families didn't support them. Xiaoxu, Shu Han is only twenty-six; do you really want to watch her walk down this road?"
"You mean Shu Han... since she was a teenager..."
Liu Sen nodded, "Over the years, I've seen it all. Our Shu Han... has suffered quite a bit. She has no one to confide in when she's feeling wronged. There was one New Year's Eve when Shu Han sat alone in the middle of the night staring at an old photo, with not a hint of anger in her eyes. That look hardly resembled what a twenty-year-old girl should have. At that moment, I thought, no matter what kind of person Shu Han finds to spend her life with in the future, at least we as parents should stand by her side."
Xu Ruyun had a carefree personality, and Liu Shuhan inherited her traits. With so many years of guidance from her, Liu Shuhan was usually cheerful, able to laugh and cry, full of energy. However, deep down, she still resembled Liu Sen; when it came to matters close to her heart, she wouldn't dare say a word to anyone. Otherwise, she wouldn't have silently harbored feelings for Cheng Qiuyi for so many years, only for Cheng Qiuyi to confess first in the end.
"Xiaoxu, think about it. You raised that daughter all by yourself; did you do it just to force her not to be with the one she loves?"
"I didn't force her!" Xu Ruyun was agitated. "If she found a spirited young man, I would be overjoyed! But she shouldn't..."
"Do you remember before we got married when I first went to your house?" Liu Sen suddenly interrupted Xu Ruyun.
"What’s the point of bringing this up?"
"I was poor back then, and your mother didn't want you to be with me because she feared you'd suffer. As it turns out, she was right; after all these years with me, there have been more tough times than good ones."
"Stop talking nonsense! What suffering or enjoyment? Being with you is enjoyment even if it means suffering."
Liu Sen smiled, "Yes, Shu Han and Qiu Yi are just like us back then. Xiaoxu, why can't you see it clearly?"
"How can it be the same? Cheng Qiuyi is just a young girl! How can one young girl take care of another? Besides, their relationship has no guarantees; I’m worried."
"What guarantees? A marriage certificate? How many young couples get divorced just months after marrying? If feelings are gone, that piece of paper guarantees nothing."
"But... but..."
"No buts. The two kids are waiting outside; I'll go call them in."
"Absolutely not!" Xu Ruyun was emotionally charged. "I don't want to see them right now; let them go!"
She is such a stubborn old lady.
Liu Sen shook his head and left the ward.
Outside the ward, Liu Shuhan and Cheng Qiuyi had been waiting. Liu Shuhan anxiously asked Liu Sen, "Dad, how is my mom?"
"She has already woken up and seems to be in better spirits than I am, so you don't need to worry." Liu Sen had stayed by Xu Ruyun's side all night, his eyes bloodshot and his beard unkempt, looking quite disheveled.
"Then I want to go in and see her."
Liu Sen blocked the door. "Shu Han, give your mother some time."
Liu Shuhan lowered her head and said softly, "I understand."
"You both haven't slept all night; you should go home and rest. I'll take care of your mom here."
"Dad, then I'll come back to see Mom tomorrow."
Liu Sen really wanted to know who decided that love must be between a man and a woman. How many children like his daughter were burdened by these outdated frameworks, unable to hold their heads high for a lifetime?
On the way back, Liu Shuhan and Cheng Qiuyi were both silent. They had imagined this situation countless times before, but experiencing it for real was still unbearable.
"Don't think too much. Get a good night's sleep. At least Auntie has Uncle taking care of her, so don't worry," Cheng Qiuyi comforted Liu Shuhan.
Cheng Qiuyi envied Liu Shuhan from the bottom of her heart; she had a good father. This father always stood behind Liu Shuhan, shielding her from the storms of life. Cheng Qiuyi felt grateful for him and admired him. Thanks to him, when Cheng Qiuyi found Liu Shuhan again, she was just like she was ten years ago—her temperament and personality unchanged, still the Liu Shuhan that Cheng Qiuyi remembered. Cheng Qiuyi once thought she would be the one who loved Liu Shuhan the most, but now she realized that her love could never compare to that of Liu Shuhan's parents. The bond of family is the deepest connection among three closest individuals; no one else can replace it.
In the following days, Liu Shuhan went to the hospital every day, hoping Xu Ruyun would soften. But Xu Ruyun was as unyielding as ever, refusing to see her without any explanation. Each time Liu Shuhan went, she returned empty-handed.
“Xiaoxu, you will be discharged in a couple of days, why bother?” Liu Sen advised Xu Ruyun. “Shu Han comes over every morning around six, checks on your condition, and then rushes off to work. Her dark circles are getting more and more pronounced day by day. She has been your precious daughter since childhood, don’t you feel a bit heartbroken?”
Just hearing Liu Sen say this made Xu Ruyun feel heartbroken, yet she stubbornly replied, “Then she shouldn’t come. Did I ask her to come?”
“You! How can you be so stubborn!” Liu Sen said angrily. “Your daughter is so exhausted every day. If something really happens, I’ll see where you hide to cry!”
“Puh puh puh, is there anyone who curses their own daughter like that?”
Xu Ruyun was sulking and refused to see Liu Shuhan, but there was one person she saw every day, and that was Cheng Qiuyi.
Cheng Qiuyi came over every afternoon around three. After arriving, she would report to Xu Ruyun about Liu Shuhan’s situation from the previous day, clearly and concisely. She didn’t ask Xu Ruyun to accept them or for forgiveness; after reporting, she would leave without delay.
Lying in the hospital for several days, Xu Ruyun understood Liu Shuhan’s every move even better than when she was well.
Xu Ruyun didn’t want to see Cheng Qiuyi. Every time she saw Cheng Qiuyi, she thought of how this person had lured her obedient daughter away. Even now, Xu Ruyun still couldn’t believe it. “Do you really like women?”
“Yes.”
“But there are so many good boys in the world, why…”
Cheng Qiuyi seemed to have heard a joke. “Auntie, there are even more good girls in the world. Why don’t you like women?”
“Anyway, I don’t agree with your relationship. Soft persuasion and hard pressure won’t work on me; just give up on that.”
Cheng Qiuyi nodded. “Auntie, I’ll come to see you again tomorrow.”
Today is Friday. Cheng Boming shouldered his backpack after school and rushed toward the subway station without looking back, eager to go to Cheng Qiuyi’s house to learn martial arts from her and also check on Sister Shuhan. Of course, the latter was the main reason.
Cheng Boming had already turned eleven after the New Year. He was starting to grow taller, his body stretching out, and he was no longer as chubby as before. Although he still had some meat on him, at least he wouldn't shake the flesh on his face with every step he took. He was quite satisfied with his growth; it wouldn't be long before he would be taller than Sister Shuhan, and then she could no longer see him as a child. As for Cheng Qiuyi, even though she seemed more capable than him now, he was determined to defeat her one day. Recently, Cheng Boming had read quite a few web novels about underdogs leveling up and firmly believed that he was also a hidden genius waiting to be discovered.
Cheng Boming would be starting middle school in the second half of the year, and with the heavy workload of his graduating class in elementary school, he could only visit Cheng Qiuyi once every two weeks to remember the training methods she taught him and find time to practice at school.
In the past, he had been aimless, but now with the dual goals of impressing Liu Shuhan and defeating Cheng Qiuyi, he practiced diligently. His progress pleased Cheng Qiuyi; at least now he could hold a stable horse stance and wouldn't fall over from a simple sweep kick from her.
However, when Cheng Boming arrived at Cheng Qiuyi's place today, he sensed that something was off in the atmosphere.
Had Master quarreled with Sister Shuhan? Why did both of them look so grim?
Cheng Boming wondered to himself but didn't dare to ask. He put down his backpack and stood in front of Cheng Qiuyi, hands behind his back, reporting on his learning progress over the past two weeks.
"Not bad. Find an open space and show me that set of punches I taught you last time," Cheng Qiuyi instructed.
Cheng Boming immediately moved the coffee table in the living room aside and performed the set of punches. His movements were fairly smooth, though his postures were not quite right and lacked power. Cheng Qiuyi corrected a few of his moves and told him to practice on his own.
"Master, what happened between you and Sister Shuhan?" Cheng Boming couldn't help but ask.
"Call her 'Master's Wife,'" Cheng Qiuyi tapped him lightly on the forehead.
"Master, what exactly happened between you and Master's Wife?" Cheng Boming complied, though he didn't quite agree with calling her that.
"Don't ask what you shouldn't. Go practice," Cheng Qiuyi replied.
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