Chapter 215: Fear After the Incident
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
An ambulance drove into a neighborhood.
When the chaotic rescue operation ended, it was already 2 o’clock in the wee hours.
Xiang Wan was standing outside the ICU ward with a blank look in her eyes as she gazed at her mother who was still in a coma. She realized she had broken out in cold sweat earlier, dried up and now, she could feel her blood turning cold.
A terrible illness was like a tiger that had pounced. It was simply too frightening!
Everything that happened felt like a nightmare.
It was sudden and without warning, not allowing any time for her to make any preparation—leaving her helpless and powerless.
It was acute cerebral hemorrhage. If they were any slower, Xiang Wan and her mother would probably be separated forever. If that happened, she would not be able to hear her mom’s nagging or scolding anymore.
Xiang Wan felt a sense of fear after this incident.
Once again, she felt how uncertain and fragile life could be.
Humans are just tiny little ants in the sands of time…
Xiang Wan did not know when her Youngest aunt walked up behind her. Her voice was so low and creepy it sounded a little frightening.
“Are you satisfied now?”
Xiang Wan turned her head slowly and saw her Youngest aunt had an ashen complexion similarly as hers. Xiang Wan’s lips twitched a little at her remark, but she didn’t know what to say.
Youngest aunt stared at Xiang Wan with a poker face.
“I almost lost my sister.” Tears slowly formed in Youngest aunt’s eyes. “You almost lost your mom. Wanwan, in this world, there is nothing more precious than your family. Love? That thing is too illusory. If you say it exists, it exists. If you say it doesn’t, then it doesn’t exist at all…”
Xiang Wan puffed a sigh, her arms hanging on both sides of her body. She didn’t want to argue about this, yet she couldn’t just stay silent.
“Youngest aunt, humans have feelings. Love… is the last thing humans can control.”
Youngest aunt did not rebuke her. Instead, she returned a smile with a hoa.r.s.e voice. “And here I thought after what we went through today, you will mature a little more.”
Xiang Wan kept quiet.
Youngest aunt: “Love is the most worthless of all things… it can’t even be used to pay your mom’s surgical fees. What use does it have? Can you save your mom with love? Wanwan, money is the one that can do that, not love.”
Xiang Wan’s face instantly drained of color.
They were too poor.
Just one night alone, they had incurred expenses of a five-digit sum. It was like sc.r.a.ping meat from a bone…
When there was no serious illness, no hospitalization, no staying in ICU—the purpose of money would be insignificant…
There were many instances of people who had gone into poverty because of serious illnesses, not to mention Xiang Wan and her mom was poor, to begin with.
“Think it over carefully. Youngest aunt’s not someone who will do you harm.” Tan Yuechun was also exhausted. She sat down, slumped in one of the lounge chairs in the corridor. Her head was leaning against the wall, her voice sounded weak as though she was murmuring.
“Which woman does not yearn for love? I have my fair share of foolishness too. Let me tell you this with my decades of experience, the love between a pair of lovers will eventually turn sour and plain, no matter which guy you are with. At the end of the day, it’s all about your daily needs and necessities. Even if you are a fairy, there will be a time that he will get tired of you…
“There’s no such thing as true love that will last forever.
“If men will eventually change and love cannot be relied upon, why don’t we find someone who’s a relatively safer choice?
“In this way, even when there’s no more love, you’d still have money!
“You said that I’m selfish as I did this for myself… I admit I wanted you to choose Cheng Zheng as I do have something to gain, but Wanwan, you have to know my main consideration is still you. I feel Cheng Zheng’s a really good partner for you. He’s got a good character, disciplined, doesn’t drink, doesn’t go clubbing, doesn’t smoke and doesn’t gamble. I believe you agree with what I’ve said right?”
She kept talking, Xiang Wan kept listening.
She was unable to refute that.
Youngest aunt took a glance at Xiang Wan’s face. “Cheng Zheng comes from a good family. Not only is he wealthy and from an influential family, but his family would also not allow him to mess around either. Even if in the future, both of you wanted a divorce, if you had been behaving yourself, I’m sure they would not mistreat you and give you a fair share of the inheritance…
“Yes, I wanted to find myself a backer, so our family has another option to fall back on…” Youngest aunt closed her eyes when she finished saying this. A while later, she spoke again. “Maybe I’m too tired. All these years, I really feel worn out… I can only depend on myself for everything… There’s no one else who can help me out in my family… How strong do you think my shoulders could be? I’m only a woman after all…”
Her voice sounded as though she was about to cry again and she stopped talking.
Her eyes were tightly shut, maybe she had used too much strength in closing her eyes that deep lines of wrinkles appeared around her eyelids.
Youngest aunt has aged , thought Xiang Wan.
She’s no longer the youthful beauty she used to be…
Xiang Wan was standing before her Youngest aunt. As she looked at her, Xiang Wan tried to recall the day when her Youngest aunt got married…
Tan Yuechun was at the center of attention amongst the crowds. She looked dazzling that day in her wedding gown. Xiang Wan was just a little girl back then. Her little heart had contained a lot of envy when she looked at her Youngest aunt smiling so radiantly that day.
Back then, the three sisters of the Tan Family were beautiful women in their prime. However, as Youngest aunt was very smart and had received the most education, she was the most elegant amongst her sisters. It could be said she was the type of woman who would receive men’s attention as well as their courtship.
This could be the reason why Xing Yuanhang chose her. After all, besides having good looks, Tan Yuechun had nothing else but a degree from a famous university.
Alas, beauty fleets… Ultimately, she succ.u.mbed to fate.
The husband who was once in love with her… was now being suspected of cheating on her.
Xiang Wan felt as though there was a lump in her throat as she sat beside her, holding her bag tightly.
Youngest aunt took a glance at her. “You shouldn’t have agitated your mom by just going off like that. Why don’t you know when you’ll be coming back? Hur, you didn’t even give her time to think it over. Why can’t you use your brain first before you speak?”
After she said this, as Xiang Wan did not rebut her, she started to soften her tone.
“Your mom’s blood pressure has always been on the high side. Your words shocked her too much… Didn’t you notice her health has been quite poor lately?”
Xiang Wan hang her head in shame. “I don’t know. She never told me about it.”
“Of course she won’t tell you! She didn’t want you to worry,” snorted her youngest aunt, “besides, what’s the use of telling you?”
“…”
She was right, there was nothing she could do even if she knew.
She could do nothing at all.
Xiang Wan thought of the promises she made to her mother of a better future and felt she had experienced a nightmare.
“I won’t force you. You use your brains to think it over,” snorted the youngest aunt, “now that your mom’s hospitalized, where’s your boyfriend? Where is he? Shouldn’t he be here to show his concern for his future mother-in-law? Did he help to chip in for your mother’s operation expenses? Is he here for you when you needed him?”
Youngest aunt seemed unable to contain her emotions as she looked at Xiang Wan. As though she was angry with Xiang Wan for not knowing what was good for her.
“Wanwan, let me tell you, you should be with someone who is willing to make concessions for you, willing to spend money for you! For a man who even wanted to share the rent with you while both of you are living in the same rented apartment—listen to youngest aunt, don’t think about him anymore, break off with him!”
“… Youngest aunt,” Xiang Wan frowned. “There’s some misunderstanding here.”
Even at this moment, her mind was still clear. She did not want Bai Muchuan to suffer injustice.
“Firstly, I have not told him about what happened to mom. He returned to the Capital two days ago to attend to a very important work matter. Even if I told him, it would only become a fool’s errand and instead make him worried about my situation and affect his work. As for the rent, he’s not the one who wanted to split the rent. I’m the one who insisted on that arrangement.
“After all,” Xiang Wan paused for a while. “I have a living example before me. I don’t want to be dependent on men, so I can’t let myself develop such a habit.”
Youngest aunt was a little confounded by her remark.
She looked at Xiang Wan for a good while before closing her eyes.
“Fine! I’ve misunderstood him. You better hurry up and inform him to come to visit your mom.”
“…”
At this time, she had decided not to disturb Bai Muchuan.
For the past two days, Bai Muchuan did mention to Xiang Wan about what he was busy with for the past two days.
Just one word could be used to describe his work—busy. He needed to make the decision for too many things. There was also the need to visit various departments to get work done.
How can I ask him to come back to Jin City? She thought to herself, he’s not a doctor. Is there really a need for him to come, take a look, and go?
“Youngest aunt, I’ll see how it goes tomorrow. If mom’s condition stabilizes…”
“Stop giving excuses!”
It was true she wanted to find an excuse for Bai Muchuan. Youngest aunt, however, interrupted her as she did not want to continue hearing her out.
“I’ve seen too many instances of men deceiving women. They have plenty of ways and tricks up their sleeves to fool women. Wanwan, you’re too naive and inexperienced. If his girlfriend’s mother is sick and did not make an effort to come back, then everything is fake. I’ll give him a chance to prove himself. You tell him to come.”
“…”
This was destined to be a sleepless night.
Fang Yuanyuan came over with her parents as well, but Xiang Wan persuaded them to go back earlier to rest as they had work in the morning.
It was three in the morning. Youngest uncle-in-law, Xing Yuanhang, had received news and came to the hospital as well.
They were not sure where he came from but it was rather obvious from his appearance he had rushed to the hospital.
He hugged his wife, there was heartache in his eyes. He also comforted Xiang Wan with words of consolation, telling her not to worry about the surgical and hospitalization expenses. He would ask for the best treatment for her mom as long as they were beneficial to her.
When faced with problems, he was a man not afraid to take up responsibility. Xiang Wan saw the attachment her Youngest aunt had for her husband and concluded that although Youngest aunt kept claiming “love doesn’t exist”, she had an unlimited amount of love for her man… The harsh words she had told Xiang Wan and the compromises she wanted her to make were all because of love.
Such a scene triggered those memories of how Youngest aunt and her husband helped Xiang Wan and her mom out during their difficult times…
In short, she and her mom owed them too much.
…
Youngest aunt and her husband went back together.
Xiang Wan was the only one there.
She stroked her mobile phone repeatedly. She tried her best to stay awake for the whole night till daybreak, and opened the chat with Bai Muchuan.
“Are you up? What’s your schedule like today? Will you be busy?”