When Assistant Chen called Leng Yixiu, he had just finished a meeting.
The man’s face remained impassive, and he said lightly, "Okay, I understand. Inform Lin Yixun that she can stay at the hospital to accompany her mother these next two nights."
As instructed, Assistant Chen relayed Leng Yixiu’s words to Lin Yixun verbatim. Lin Yixun was somewhat surprised; the always cold and unfeeling Leng Yixiu was surprisingly "considerate" to give her two "days off."
However, this was good. Although her mother’s surgery had been very successful, she still needed post-surgery observation. She hadn’t spent much time with her mother before, so now she could stay in the hospital and spend more time with her.
Actually, the reason why Leng Yixiu let Lin Yixun stay at the hospital was two-fold: one was considering Lin’s mother’s condition, and the other was because tomorrow was Mother Leng’s birthday, and he wouldn’t be in T City for the next two days.
Leng Yixiu received a call from Cheng Ying right after getting off work. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novelꜰire.net
"Yixiu, are you off work? When will you arrive in A City?"
"The 7 PM flight, arriving at 10 at night."
"I just got to A City. Shall I pick you up tonight?"
The man’s eyes darkened, and he said lightly, "No need."
Even over the phone, Cheng Ying could hear the coldness in Leng Yixiu’s voice. This coldness had become more pronounced recently, making it hard for her to ignore. Even though he had accompanied her to a party at her request last time, from the beginning to the end of the party, the man didn’t take a serious look at her. It seemed he maintained a deliberate distance from her.
Cheng Ying felt increasingly anxious and uneasy, and this uneasiness gave rise to fear. Now, Leng Yixiu was like sand on the shore; the tighter she tried to hold on, the faster he slipped away.
She stiffly forced a smile and, pretending to be casual, said softly, "Alright then, I’ll wait for you at home with Mother Leng."
After hanging up the phone, the casual expression on Cheng Ying’s face vanished instantly, replaced by sadness and confusion. She angrily grabbed at her hair and then seemed to remember something.
Talking to herself, she said, "That’s right, take the medication! Once I take the medication, everything will be better, everything will be better..."
She hurriedly reached for the handbag beside her, struggling several times before she managed to open the clasp. She pulled out a bottle of pills, twisted open the cap with force, poured out several pills, and swallowed them dry.
During the time Leng Yixiu was away, Lin Yixun stayed at the hospital. To her delight, her mother’s surgery had been very successful, and her health was gradually improving.
Seeing her health slowly getting better, Lin’s mother couldn’t help but once again show concern for Lin Yixun’s relationship matters, "Xiao Xun, why haven’t I seen Xiao Ou recently?"
Lin Yixun was peeling an apple. Her hands paused slightly at the words, and she said softly, "Mom, haven’t I told you? He has been very busy with work lately."
"No matter how busy he is, he should still have some time, right? Although my body isn’t in the best shape, my mind is still sound. Tell me the truth, are you and Xiao Ou having a fight?"
"No fight. We just felt it wasn’t suitable and broke up."
"Broke up? How could you break up?" Lin’s mother was so shocked she tried to sit up from the bed but was quickly restrained by Lin Yixun.
"Mom, you just had surgery, you can’t move!"
"My son-in-law is almost gone, how can I sit still? Xiao Xun, how could you break up with Xiao Ou? I could tell he really cared about you, it didn’t seem like he was just playing around!"