"Ling Yunshu, you’ve really gone mad."
"Yes, I’ve gone mad. I’ve been mad for a long time, Xiao Chen. Haven’t you driven me to madness? Tell me, is that not true?" Ling Yunshu’s voice suddenly lowered, laced with a trace of cold laughter.
That laughter, like countless fine needles, pierced straight into Xiao Chen. He gripped his cell phone so hard that his fingers turned white. At last, his voice rose, heavy with resolve, "Give me half an hour; I’ll have the stuff delivered to the hospital entrance."
"That’s more like it." Ling Yunshu laughed, then cut the call off abruptly.
After hanging up, Xiao Chen’s hand fell limply. Now, he watched helplessly as Ling Yunshu took the wrong turn more and more, growing increasingly paranoid, yet he could do nothing about it. He rubbed his face with both hands forcefully, then he pressed the hospital’s intercom.
Over the years, Ling Chuxia and Mrs. Shi hadn’t shared any closeness. Mrs. Shi had always disliked her because Chuxia would always cause her to lose her grace and composure. As a child, Chuxia also disliked Mrs. Shi quite a bit, as she always forced her to do things she didn’t enjoy, far from the freedom she had in the orphanage.
But later, as she grew and became more sensible, she began to feel grateful towards Mrs. Shi. She indeed had given her a home and a life of luxury.
However, by that time, she could no longer get close to Mrs. Shi. So sometimes, Chuxia felt envious of her elder sister, envying how well she got along with Mrs. Shi, just like... a real mother and daughter.
Ling Chuxia sat by the bedside, her hand trembling as she slowly reached out and touched Mrs. Shi’s hand. It was chillingly cold, cold to the core. She held Mrs. Shi’s hand tightly, trying to warm it, her voice choking up as she began to speak slowly, word by word, "Madam, please hold on. You’re so strong; you can certainly endure this, right? God can’t just take you away like that. You’re going to live a long life, so please, wake up. Okay... Mom..."
"I know I might not have the right to call you that, but in my heart... you are my mother, my mom. Please wake up. Give me the chance to call you ’Mom.’"
As she spoke, her voice dissolved into sobs. Sister Hua, standing beside her with tears streaming down her face, reached out and gently embraced Ling Chuxia, her voice hoarse, "Miss Chuxia, the madam will hear you. She will wake up."
It wasn’t long before Ling Yunshu returned with clothes and shoes. Ling Chuxia went to the restroom to change, and after she came out, Ling Yunshu sat her down on a nearby sofa. She took a wet wipe and gently wiped away the tear stains on Chuxia’s face, then smoothed her hair before handing her a cup of water, "Here, have a drink."
Ling Chuxia took the water glass from Ling Yunshu and sipped timidly. Yun Shu said, "Drink a little more; you’ve shed so many tears. You should rehydrate."
Not wishing to refuse, Chuxia drank the rest in one gulp.
Only then did Ling Yunshu smile with satisfaction, "Things are almost settled here. You should go see Shi Che and talk to him. It’s really not his fault about the madam’s situation; he shouldn’t be hurting himself ."
Ling Chuxia set the water glass down and nodded slowly, "Okay, I understand."