112 The Fall
father Lin"s situation is fairly stable. Except for the obvious loss of weight since she saw him last, mentally he is still very alert. Seeing An Ran, he is still able to talk to An Ran enthusiastically. However, compared to father Lin, mother Lin seem to be in worse shape. She seem full of worries and it shows even when she was smiling as she welcome An Ran. Actually the things happening within this period of time is also as much a blow to mother Lin as well. Lin Li has just gotten better but now father Lin"s was discovered to have such an illness, but in Lin Li"s words, the only thing to be thankful for is that it was discovered early, and the treatment was not too late.
When Su Yi Cheng came back in the evening, it was obvious that someone"s mood was wrong. There are fewer words spoken, and even lesser smile on the face.
So after dinner, when An Ran was clearing up absentmindedly, she was gently called by someone, "An Ran."
An Ran responded slowly and refocused, looking at him in a daze, and asked only after a while, "What is it?"
Su Yi Cheng stretched and held her hand, his big hand rubbed against her little hand, a faint smile, very gentle. "It"s me that want to ask you what happened. you have been frowning the whole night, what happened?"
An Ran looked at him and thought of Lin Li. Her heart still feels very uncomfortable and tight. After a long while, she finally said, "Lin Li is back. father Lin got stomach cancer and is now in the city hospital."
Su Yi Cheng frowned, it was indeed not a news that made people happy. He understands the relationship between An Ran and Lin Li, so he can understand her mood at the moment.
Patted her hand and said consolingly, "Do not worry, it will be fine."
An Ran nodded, suddenly thought of something, looked at Su Yi Cheng, said, "The apartment we were in before, can you temporarily lend it to Lin Li to stay in? Before, Lin Li lived with Cheng Xiang, and now they have broken up, this time in Jiang City, she is now still staying in a hotel."
Su Yi Cheng corrected and said, "An Ran, no need to define everything so clearly, it seems too distant. We are husband and wife, the house is not just mine, it is yours too, it is our common property. In addition the house is not being used anyways, an empty s.p.a.ce is just an empty s.p.a.ce, you can lend it to anyone you want to, you have the right to do so, so there"s no need to ask me, got it?"
An Ran smiled at him, nodded, and habitually thanked him, "Thank you."
Su Yi Cheng smiled and squeezed her nose, then caress her face and said, "I will call the Director of the city hospital tomorrow, let them take more comprehensive care for father Lin, everything will be fine. Don"t worry, alright?"
"En En." An Ran nodded hard, reaching out to his big palm, getting more warmth from his palm, faintly said, "Yi Cheng, thank you, I always seem to be bothering you."
"Silly." Su Yi Cheng scolded, but with a tone of indulgent in his voice, took his hand back from her face, pa.s.sed the bar into the kitchen, and held her into his embraces, gently stroking her hair. Softly whispering in her ear. "If you don"t trouble me then who else do you want to trouble. Moreover, I don"t think you are any bother at all. Even if it"s really troublesome. It"s also a sweet trouble."
An Ran leaned into his embrace and gave a low chuckle, the bad mood swept away by just a few of his words, her hand on his chest, her fingers gently playing with the b.u.t.tons on his shirt pocket, and asked, " Our Great Leader Su, have you just been sweet talking?"
Su Yi Cheng also laughed, not answering but instead asked, "What do you think?"
An Ran nodded steadily, "Yes you were." Because she was really sweetened by his words, even now she still feel sweetness dripping in her heart.
The next day An Ran bought fruits when she went to see father Lin, Lin Li happened to accompany him for some tests, while mother Lin was sitting alone in the ward, sorting out some trivial things, and frowning gently. She looked so frail.
"Mother Lin." An Ran came in from the outside with the fruits.
mother Lin turned back and saw her, smiled. “An Ran, you are here.” Looking at the fruits, she scolded with some unhappiness, “It"s good that you came, but why buy these, we can"t finish it all."
An Ran smiled and put the fruits on the counter and asked, "Where"s Lin Li and father Lin?"
"There was a nurse in the morning who said that they have arranged a comprehensive checkup for our old man. Xiao Li accompanied him." mother Lin looked at An Ran and asked, "The nurse said that the Director was the one who arranged this. Lin Li said that it must be your husband who asked this of the Director, is that so?"
An Ran faintly nodded, thinking that this Su Yi Cheng is really efficient, she only told him this last night, this morning the tests has already been arranged. Once again, she is especially grateful to him, thanking him for treating her friend as his own.
mother Lin took An Ran"s hand and said sincerely, “An Ran, thank you so much.”
"Mother Lin, you are welcome, I am friends with Lin Li. These are all nothing. Besides, Lin Li also help me a lot in the past." An Ran held her hand and pulled mother Lin to sit down on the edge of the bed together. She continue to say, "Mother Lin, are you still staying with Lin Li at the hotel?"
"En, Xiao Li hasn"t found a suitable house yet. Now we can only stay in the hotel for the time being." mother Lin said faintly.
"Mother Lin, I have a place that is vacant now. Why don"t you and Lin Li stay there first till you find a suitable place. It is not good to live in a hotel the whole time," An Ran said. She knows that Lin Li will not agree, just because she is afraid of bothering her, so she can only take a chance with mother Lin.
"How can we do so, we have caused enough trouble for you already." mother Lin was somewhat embarra.s.sed. Last time when Lin Li was in need An Ran was the one who was busily taking care of everything, from the ward to the doctors she took care of everything. And this time she only came to see them yesterday, however, this morning someone had already arranged for comprehensive checkups. All of this was because of An Ran"s influence. How could she still bother them further?
An Ran pulled her hand, sighed and said, "Mother Lin, I am a friend of Lin Li for 10 years now. Lin Li regards my parents as her own. I naturally see you as mine too. Now that father Lin is sick, I can only be of a little help, and can only do so little. It"s no trouble at all. Additionally, my house is empty anyways, no one stays there normally. Rather than letting it be empty like now, why not let the two of you stay there instead?"
"This, this is still not appropriate." mother Lin still feels it"s wrong, in fact she just does not want to trouble others further, even if An Ran feels it does not matter, she will still be embarra.s.sed to just accept it.
"Mother Lin, if you are still so distant with me I will really get angry then." An Ran said with an angry look.
Thinking about it, mother Lin said, "That, then I will give rent to you, don"t argue with me on that point, or we will be really too embarra.s.sed to stay there." The tone is very insistent.
An Ran sighed lightly, and helplessly nodded, thinking, since she wants to give, she will just accept some token amount then.
The two sat and talked for a while, at this time Lin Li came in, helping father Lin in from the outside. After all the checkups, father Lin seems tired. He fell asleep in bed quickly.
mother Lin told Lin Li about An Ran"s intentions. Lin Li looked at An Ran and nodded helplessly.
They moved immediately in the afternoon. After lunch, An Ran went to the hotel to collect things. Lin Li asked with some reservations. "Anzi, is it really okay to move in just like this? Have you discussed it with your great leader Su? Also, will your mother-in-law say anything about it?” It is said that the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law is the most difficult. She does not want An Ran to be in a difficult position for their sake.
"You can safely move over. I have already told him, and he agreed. Also, my in-laws do not stay with us. They are usually in the military compound. Yi Cheng and I go back on the occasional weekend. "An Ran said as she folded some clothes.
Listening to her, Lin Li calm down and nodded and said, "That"s good." Suddenly, she noticed something. She turned and with a flirty smile and tone looked at An Ran and said, "Yi Cheng here, Yi Cheng there, Anzi, you must have a pretty~ good relationship with your great leader Su."
An Ran"s face was tinged unnaturally red, and she looked at her exasperated. She said, “He is my husband. If I don"t have a good relationship with him then who else am I to have a good relationship with!”
Lin Li also laughed, suddenly thought of something, and asked, "Anzi, you have been married to your family"s leader Su for a while now, there"s still no news from your tummy?"
Hearing this, An Ran became shy, her face was very red, and she glared at Lin Li. "Where do you find the time to say so much nonsense?" She said, then because of the shyness, she turned around petulantly.
Looking at An Ran"s redden face that"s like a red apple, Lin Li laugh out loud without a care for her image.
Hearing this, An Ran turned her head and looked at her. How long has it been since she last saw such a smile? It seems that since she told Lin Li that Cheng Xiang was with someone else behind her back, this smile has not been seen again. She felt like it has been for a century!
"Lin Li, have you really let go of Cheng Xiang?"
Looking at the smile on her face slowly faded until there was nothing but an icy cold expression only then does An Ran reflected that she had spoken aloud the words in her heart.
"Lin Li, I..." It seems that it is already a little late, and she look at her awkwardly, she wanted to say something several times, but when the words get to her lips, she doesn"t know what to say.
After a long time, Lin Li responded, looked at her, nodded, only faintly said, "I"ve already let go." Bowed her head then put the folded clothes into the bag.
Since she had asked, An Ran might as well asked thoroughly today. She had been afraid of hurting her before, so even the name of Cheng Xiang was a taboo in front of her. Today, she will asked her thoroughly, so at least she could draw a definitive end to this matter and not be so undecided.
Looking at her fixedly, An Ran probed and asked, "If Cheng Xiang turns back, telling you that the person he loves is you, are you willing to forgive him?" Eyes staring at her seriously, not missing the expression on her face.
Holding the clothes in her hand she took a while to react, then she put the clothes in the bag again.
“Lin Li?” An Ran pressed, forcing her to face her own problems.
Talking while placing the clothes in her hand, Lin Li didn"t even look up, only said faintly, "No!" The tone is sure, without any room for confusion.
An Ran looked at her and didn"t speak.
Putting the last piece of clothing in the travel bag, Lin Li looked up at An Ran with a bitter smile. She said, "Me and him, we can never be together again, even if he tells me that it"s actually me who he loves, it"s too late. I can"t love anymore, this decade has taken the courage and strength of all my love, I can"t love anymore.”
"Lin Li..." An Ran looked at her with some worry. Regretting that maybe she was too anxious. Her wounds had not healed yet, and now she immediately asked her to face these things that she didn"t want to face.
Lin Li shook her head and looked at her and smiled. "And we even had a baby between the two of us. Even if it is very small, so small that it is still a small embryo when it left. I still remember him being pulled away off me little by little until finally, it has nothing to do with me anymore. This kind of feeling, I will never forget it all my life." Saying this, Lin Li"s emotions seem to be a little agitated, and her hands are tightly clenched into fists.
An Ran came over to her with some worries, reaching out and holding her tightly, looking at her eyes, a slight apology in her eyes.
Lin Li refocused, gave her a faint look, pressed her lips, lifted the travel bag and said to her, "Let"s go."
An Ran nodded and took another bag from the bed, and both of them walked out of the hotel.
The trip became a bit strange, the two almost did not speak, An Ran seriously driving the car, and Lin Li seriously looking outside the window, the two did not speak in perfect partnership.
Actually, Su Yi Cheng"s single apartment is not far away, it is less than 10 minutes by car.
An Ran parked the car at the entrance. The two carrying things up and going upstairs. When the elevator door opened, An Ran couldn"t help but was stunned for a moment. And Ling Ran in the elevator seemed to be somewhat surprised too. She looked at An Ran and didn"t react for a while.
An Ran only looked at her faintly, pa.s.sed her and was prepared to go in, but was called by Ling Ran while pa.s.sing by her, "Ms Gu."
An Ran stopped and turned to look at her with a lukewarm smile. She only said, "I prefer people to call me Mrs. Su."
Lin Li looked at the two strangely, she can feel that the atmosphere seemed to be wrong. With her understanding of An Ran, she is rarely so mean and aggressive.
Clenching her hand tightly, the expression on her face remains unchanged. Looking at her, Ling Ran said, "I hear that Ms Gu was dismissed. Is this really true?"
It"s fine if she had not spoke, when she did, An Ran feels more angry, if she guessed it correctly, the reason Huang Dexing bribe Chen Cheng to steal the blueprints, and then found someone to ruin the sample room, is only because someone is behind the plot, and the most likely culprit is the Lings, thinking of this, her tone is full of sarcasm, said, "Miss Ling don"t have to worry about me, but I am not like what Miss Ling had said, I had resigned, not being dismissed, these two have some essential differences."
"Is that so?" Ling Ran answer without a care, reached out and grabbed her voluptuous curly hair. She looked outside and answered as if without a care. "But I heard that your design has an error, which leads to the collapse of the sample room, if not for Director Huang who takes into account Ah Cheng"s status, this matter will definitely be pinned onto you." Saying so, she deliberately turned and look at her, "Ms Gu is really lucky."
The eyes fixedly looked at her for a while, and An Ran suddenly chuckled and said, "Oh.... Hehehe..."
Ling Ran frowned and said coldly, "What are you laughing at?"
An Ran said with a smile, "Nothing, what Miss Ling said is correct after all, I am indeed very fortunate to have met Yi Cheng, but I have also to thank you for your blessings for what you did in the past, or I will not be able to become Mrs. Su." The corners of her mouth curl in a smile, and her whole person looks confident and beautiful.
"You!" Ling Ran stared at her with hatred, and the flames of anger sparkled in her eyes.
An Ran turned her head and ignored her. She said directly to Lin Li, "Let"s go up."
Lin Li looked at Ling Ran behind her, nodded, and entered the elevator with An Ran.
When the elevator door slowly closed, An Ran relaxed and leaned against the wall of the elevator, her chest heaving from the anger.
Lin Li looked at her with some concern. "Anzi, are you okay?"
An Ran shook her head and smiled faintly at her.
"Who is that woman?" She can see that the woman was hostile to An Ran, and the hostility was very strong!
An Ran shook her head and said only, "An irrelevant person."
Lin Li still wants to ask further but the elevator arrived at this time, and An Ran took the lead to get out of the elevator.
The apartment has a complete set of furniture, but as there was no one staying in it for a while, now there are some dust in the house. Lin Li is responsible for placing the clothes and toiletries that are brought in, and An Ran is responsible for the cleaning of the whole house. When the two finish, they look at the time to find it is almost 5 o"clock.
Not intending to stay longer, Lin Li is going to go back to the hospital and also to packed some food along the way. They have been eating the hospital food for the past two days. Both her father and mother are almost losing the ability to taste anything anymore.
And An Ran would have to go back to make dinner, and wait for Su Yi Cheng to come back.
The two took the elevator down, and An Ran was ready to drive Lin Li to the hospital and then she would go home. They were just about to open the door when suddenly a small figure behind ran towards her. While running, the small figure called, "Auntie!..."
An Ran refocused and turned her head to looked behind, only to see that Zhou Han"s son Xiao Bin was yelling to her and running closer.
An Ran was surprised. She didn"t expect to meet this little guy here, and it seems she is fated to meet with this little guy multiple times.
The little guy ran over and stood in front of An Ran, and his black doeful eyes fixedly looked at An Ran, he seems to be still a little breathless.
An Ran smiled and bent to caress the little guy"s head, smiled and asked, "Xiao Bin, how are you here, where"s your father?"
The little guy didn"t reply, just staring at her, his mouth slightly pouting, and looked at An Ran with a seemingly reluctant expression.
An Ran looked at him strangely and asked with a smile, "What is it? Did your father scold you?"
The little guy shook his head and turned and looked at the hall of the building, seemingly looking for something.
An Ran didn"t take notice, stood up, smiled and touched his head.
Lin Li at the side asked questioning, "Anzi, whose child is this?"
"A friend"s, it"s quite a coincidence but, I met him several times already." She touched his head and continued, "But the child"s father is not very responsible, several times - Ahh! -"
Without waiting for An Ran to finish, her body was suddenly pushed. She was unable to stable herself and she stepped back a few steps. Then she fell backwards. Instinctively her hand wanted to grab onto something, but the body of the car was too smooth. She was unable to hold onto anything, but the force of rubbing against the car slightly reduced the impact of An Ran as she fell down hard.
Lin Li saw An Ran fell over, screaming, "Anzi!" and immediately ran towards her.
The left elbow was on the ground, bruised and it seemed that the skin was broken, then the burning pain came, so much so that An Ran couldn"t help but scream, "Owwwww-"
Lin Li leaned forward to help her sit up and asked worriedly, "Are you alright?"
An Ran is unable to say anything, because the pain is not just from the elbow, there is a gradually intensifying throbbing pain from the stomach as well.
Seeing her unable to speak, Lin Li turned to look at the "culprit" in front of her and said harshly, "How can you deliberately push others even if you are a child? How did your parents teach you?!" She had seen clearly that at the moment she was talking with An Ran, the child suddenly stepped forward, reach out and pushed An Ran hard.
The little guy bit on his lips, looked at them with an expression of grief, turned his head and looked behind him, but there was no one behind him.
After Lin Li scolded a few words, she did not care to talk with him anymore. Looking at the painful expression of An Ran in her arms, she was a little fl.u.s.tered. "An Ran, how are you, can you stand up?" It is reasonable to say that if you fall then just stand up. But she looked at how An Ran"s expression grew more and more strange.
An Ran clung to Lin Li"s hand very tightly and held onto her stomach with one hand and said with difficulty, “Lin Li, my, my stomach hurts!!”
Lin Li was shocked, as she suddenly link the thoughts together, looked at her, "An Ran, you-"
"What happened?" A deep voice came from behind her.
Lin Li turned around and looked at the person imploringly. She said, "Mister., please help me to call an ambulance."
Zhou Han looked at her and looked at An Ran in her arms. Finally, he looked at Zhou Qiebin who was standing in front of them with a face as if he had done something wrong. He asked sternly, "You did this?!"
Being roared at, the little guy Zhou Qiebin shuddered and looked at him. Tears fell one after the other, but he did not dare to cry aloud, but only in sniffles.
Seeing this, Zhou Han understood. Without saying anything more. he bent over and carried An Ran from Lin Li"s arms. Looking at his son he said to Lin Li, “I will sent her to the hospital, please help me to bring the child along."
Lin Li took a moment to react, then only realize that the man is the child"s father, nodded, pulled the child"s hand, and followed his footsteps.
------End of Chapter------
This and next chapter are special to me because it"s the first meeting plus interaction between XiaoBin, Zhou Han and Lin Li.. but OMG some people are just so.... what"s an appropriate word to describe LR?