Whenever she thought of Rong Shaoze, Lin Xinlan felt it hard to breathe, her heart flustered and troubled.
She took out the medicine that Tao Hua had given her and swallowed one pill, which made her feel a bit more at ease.
This body, it had truly aged, the slightest emotional fluctuation was more than it could bear, and she guessed that in a few more days, it would become even more fragile.
Early the next morning, when Yang Ming and Yang Shan left their room, they were greeted with the fragrance of porridge.
Lin Xinlan was setting the table and, upon seeing them, invited them over for breakfast.
Yang Shan helped Yang Ming over to sit down. Seeing him struggle to walk, Lin Xinlan asked with concern,
"Brother Yang, is your leg still hurting? If it feels uncomfortable, you must go to the hospital to have it checked, and don’t worry about the expenses, I’ll cover them for you."
Yang Ming expressed his gratitude, "Thank you, young lady. Anyway, I’m already old, and it doesn’t matter if this leg isn’t treated. But now my legs are inconvenient; I can hardly walk. I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you for a few more days..."
Lin Xinlan understood what he meant. She smiled and said, "It’s okay, if you don’t mind, just stay here for the time being. After all... I won’t live much longer, so if you stay, consider it keeping me company for the last part of my journey."
Yang Ming and Yang Shan were stunned.
"Granny Mu, what’s wrong with you? Are you sick?" asked Yang Shan, her brows furrowing with concern.
Lin Xinlan nodded with a smile, "Mm, it’s a terminal illness, incurable. My body is getting weaker each day, and it won’t be long before I die."
She spoke so calmly, so easily.
As if she were talking about someone else rather than herself.
Yang Ming’s eyes flickered slightly, as he smiled faintly, "Young lady, you seem quite optimistic. Some people facing this would have been disheartened by now, but your attitude is very good, as if you don’t care at all."
"Of course, I care about my body, but caring won’t change anything. It’s better to accept the fact and let myself be happy. Since my time on this earth isn’t long, I should treasure every day and live each one well."
Yang Shan asked, her voice filled with sorrow, "What kind of terminal illness do you have? Is it really incurable?"
"It’s just a health issue. It can’t be cured." She answered ambiguously.
Deep in thought, Yang Ming asked, "Do you have any other relatives? Your time is running short, why aren’t they with you to spend these last moments?"
Lin Xinlan cast her gaze downward, her eyes dimming, and she managed a faint smile:
"I left them quietly because I didn’t want my death to cause them immense pain. Though my leaving them will make them sad, it’s better than them knowing I’m dead. As long as they think I’m still alive, they will naturally wait for me to return and live their lives happily every day."
Upon hearing her words, Yang Ming’s eyes darkened a bit more.
He spoke in a low voice, "Young lady, you truly are a kind-hearted person. You care so much about your family’s feelings, they must have been very good to you as well."
Lin Xinlan nodded, a gentle smile on her face, "Mm, they’ve been very good to me, and they’re the reason I know that I am the happiest person in the world. Having their love is the greatest happiness of my life."
"But if you die... wouldn’t that be a great regret?"
"Of course, it’s regrettable that I can’t accompany them forever, to watch over them. Life is short to begin with, and my time is even shorter. If I could stay healthy and continue living, that would be the best."