Shi Che’s hands, hanging by his sides, clenched unconsciously. In the past, he would naturally have been able to just say no, unwilling to be involved with any woman other than Ling Chuxia.
But this was his mother. Even though they were never close, she was still his mother, the one who had given birth to him, raised him, and nurtured him.
Now, she lay seriously ill, perhaps not making it past this year. She looked at him with such hopeful eyes that when he tried to speak, his throat felt blocked by something, and he just couldn’t open his mouth.
He couldn’t bear to see the hope in his mother’s eyes shattered again, nor did he want to see her furious over this matter, potentially hindering her recovery.
But to openly acknowledge that he was willing to get engaged to Ling Yunshu, he equally couldn’t bring himself to say it.
His promises were made only to Ling Chuxia.
Shi Che’s eyebrows knitted tightly together, the expression in his eyes complex, as if he had struggled slightly before finally coming to a calm. He looked at Mrs. Shi and parted his thin lips, his voice as cold as ever, "Mom, your complexion still doesn’t look good. Don’t worry so much about our matter, you should rest well. I’m heading to the company for a while, I’ll come back to see you later."
He neither confirmed nor denied, speaking these words indifferently before stepping out of the ward. After taking a few steps, he slightly turned his face, his dark eyes glancing coldly at Ling Yunshu, causing her heart to tremble violently once again, and she instinctively lowered her eyes.
She knew that Shi Che must be very dissatisfied with her, but so what? For Mrs. Shi’s sake, hadn’t he also not denied it?
Even if he wouldn’t admit it now, one day, she would make this falsehood a reality!
Mrs. Shi had many people taking care of her, so Shi Che still sent Sister Hua back to take care of Ling Chuxia, who was alone.
After being away for a night, Ling Chuxia couldn’t help but be curious, so she asked, "Sister Hua, where did you go last night?"
Throughout these quiet days of recuperation, Ling Chuxia’s recovery was slow, but her body was no longer as weak as before, and her cheeks had gained a hint of color. Though her spirit was still somewhat dejected, she no longer looked as lifeless as she had in the previous days.
Seeing her , Sister Hua was happy, albeit a bit angry that Ling Chuxia had aborted the child and upset Mrs. Shi. However, after living with her for a few months, she had grown quite fond of Ling Chuxia and just couldn’t stay mad at her.
She spoke truthfully: "I went to take care of Madam."
"Madam?" Ling Chuxia’s eyebrows furrowed, a flash of concern in her eyes, "What’s wrong with Madam?"
It was then that Sister Hua remembered, Ling Chuxia knew nothing yet. Thinking of Mrs. Shi’s illness, she sighed softly, her face suddenly filled with deep worry, and her voice unconsciously lowered, "Madam has been diagnosed with liver cancer; the doctors say she may only have six months to live."
The news was too shocking, leaving Ling Chuxia stunned, her mind a blank void. It took her a while to regain her voice, "How... how is this possible? Wasn’t Madam always in good health? How could..."
As her words trailed off, something flashed through her mind. Last night, that voice that echoed in her ears, she couldn’t make out what was being said no matter how hard she tried, but now it seemed to become a little clearer...