Shen Qianshu felt queasy. It was as if her heart had been pricked by needles.
The only person who knew the truth in this world might only be Fang Hongxiu. Their real daughter had not died.
Second Old Master Gu’s eyes were watery, and he looked really sad.
“She has been in a vegetative state for twenty-six years. She has seen countless doctors. The best doctors here and even from abroad have seen her. They all said that there is no hope. The probability of her waking up is very small. The children in the family have been persuading me to put her on euthanasia. They said that if she relaxed, I would also be, but I just can’t bear to. Your mother always had a strong will. She is always breathing. She must have her concerns. Now, I finally know why she refused to go. She wants to see you.”
Second Old Master Gu felt a really strong heartache. The sad vibes affected Shen Qianshu.
“Second Old Master…”
Second Old Master Gu did not require her to call him ‘Pa.’ He understood that this was too sudden. She would not find it easy to acknowledge him so soon. Gu Yuanli had already given him the evidence from years ago that she was indeed his daughter. He did not suspect it. This was Gu Yuanli’s plan.
“I have let you down,” Second Old Master Gu said. “If I had investigated more thoroughly back then, you would not be roaming around for all these years. Back then, after the tragedy, I turned wanton for years… When I finally got back to my senses and got my stuff together, it was hard to be powerful again… If I had checked more clearly, you could have been by my side. Fangfang would have got to see you sooner.”
“I have been doing well all these years,” Shen Qianshu said.
In her first eighteen years, the Shen Family had treated her well and never deprived her of anything. In her later years, she went through hard times for some years, but they were eventful and well-spent. Be it through her own hard work or through Gu Yuanli’s help in silence, she got through life very well. In comparison to most people, she was way luckier.
She thought, That must be the thing that parents would love to hear most.
I’m doing really great.
So you don’t have to feel guilty.
“Even if you had searched thoroughly, you might not even have found me back then,” Shen Qianshu said. “Back then, you might have found Shen Lin. If you had not done a DNA test, she could have mistaken Shen Lin as their biological daughter.”
Just like Gu Yuanli.
He had always treated Shen Lin as his sister.
He supported her privately but never went near her.
Until the day the Shen Family exposed that their daughter was fake, Gu Yuanli decided to do a DNA test. He was afraid that he was wrong, so he took tests of Shen Lin and Shen Qianshu to compare with Second Old Master Gu. That was proof for him on deciphering which one was his real sister.
“Could you come over and touch her hand?” Second Old Master Gu looked in anticipation with his eyes full of hope.
Shen Qianshu walked over, feeling rather hesitant.
She could tell that Second Old Master Gu really really loved Fang Hongxiu.
There were not many people in the world who loved so hard.
When his biological daughter returned, he was excited, grateful, and joyful. It seemed to be for Fang Hongxiu. He wished her daughter would get closer to Fang Hongxiu. He wished Fang Hongxiu would not have any regrets and that he could rest in peace.
Just like… Ye Ling.
Shen Qianshu thought that if one day she were to lie in bed in a vegetative state, she would not bear to leave her child behind. However, if it were Ye Ling, he might not even care about his children. He would have been worse than Second Old Master Gu.
He would never care about his children’s feelings.
Fang Hongxiu’s hand was cold and soft. For over twenty years, it never touched anything. She had been well taken care of. Even the roughest hands would turn soft and gentle.
This was her mother.
Biological mother.
If she opened her eyes and saw her, what would she say?
Would she love her and dote on her?