"How is Sheng Ning?" Meng Ping asked with no expression on his face.
"What?" Meng Ping tried to sit up eagerly, the movement jolting his rib injury, causing heart-wrenching pain, as cold sweat covered his forehead. "Hiss..."
"Do you want to end up in the operating room again?" Meng Xingzhi hurriedly helped him lie down. "Behave yourself, look at yourself. I never expected the Meng family to produce someone as infatuated as you."
His words were full of surprise and disdain. Over the years, Meng Ping’s carefree and unruly behavior had been a headache, but never a concern.
His son wasn’t a fool—he would likely succeed in other fields too. But the events that had transpired had infuriated both the old man at home and his sister.
Romantic obsession wasn’t something desirable, he would rather his son continued his carefree life and eventually married someone of equal social status to have children.
"I think I’m finished," Meng Ping felt utterly hopeless.
"I promised Su Jiang that you will never appear in front of Sheng Ning again," Meng Xingzhi looked at his son, a flicker of sympathy in his eyes, quickly replaced by a stony hardness. "Since you’re destined not to be together, it’s better to let go early."
"I can’t do it, I really can’t. Every time I think about her not being mine, it tears me apart. She... she should be mine." Meng Ping placed his hand on his waist where he had constantly felt a searing pain for a while, but the doctors couldn’t find anything wrong.
"You must do it," Meng Xingzhi said sternly, irritation on his face. "If you don’t let go, you’ll eventually destroy her."
"How... how could I destroy her? I just want to treat her well, to see her, to be by her side all the time," Meng Ping didn’t understand. Where had he gone wrong? Was he really inferior to Xu Qigang? Why would she rather end her own life than accept him?
"Let it go!" Meng Xingzhi’s voice was icy. "Stop disgracing our Meng family; we can’t afford to lose this face. Isn’t it clear enough that she would rather end her own life than be with you?"
His visit was meant to awaken his foolish son.
"Let her go! Give her a way out, and give yourself one too."
Meng Ping’s eyes, filled with despair, were wide open. It felt as though invisible threads were tightly wrapping around his heart, both painful and suffocating. He lay on the bed in silence for a long time, unaware of when Meng Xingzhi had left.
Sheng Ning was injured and hospitalized, and the women from the General Union Song and Dance Troupe also came to visit in batches. Actually, Sheng Ning was quite happy because their willingness to come meant she hadn’t failed utterly in her relationships.
Lu Dabao and Wu Youli were the last to visit. The drama troupe had received a new script, and they were extremely busy. Lu Dabao might seem a bit silly, but he was very adaptable to various roles, so he had also been borrowed by the drama club.
Lu Dabao brought some fruit, and Wu Youli picked out two books—a collection of Tagore’s poems and the novel Ordinary World.
Upon entering the hospital room, both were astounded by the stacks of books everywhere, including many foreign magazines that weren’t available for sale. Even without understanding English, the flashy covers and pictures inside were quite impressive.
"Sheng Ning, what is this..."
"Sheng Ning, what is this..."
"Are you planning to open a library?"