Chapter 22 Dean's mother is gone
On New Year’s Eve, fine snowflakes began to fall.
Gu slowly packed the dumplings into an insulated box, ensuring that they would remain warm when they arrived at the hospital.
The taxi moved slowly in the snow. The world outside the window was covered with white snow, and red lanterns were hung on both sides of the street.
She looked out the window at the people hurrying home, their faces filled with anticipation and joy, holding gifts and New Year's goods in their arms, eagerly rushing back home to reunite with their loved ones.
The elevator slowly rose, and Gu Manman's mood became heavy.
Every time she stepped into the hospital, the pungent smell of disinfectant would remind her of a cruel fact: no matter how reluctant she was to accept it, the director's mother's life was indeed slipping away day by day.
When I opened the door of the ward, I was greeted by unexpected warmth.
The ward was newly decorated. There was a pot of blooming daffodils on the bedside table, several New Year pictures drawn by children were posted on the wall, and a small potted peach tree stood by the window, its pink buds seemed ready to bloom at any time.
Dean Wu was leaning against the head of the bed, his face pale but expression peaceful. When he saw Gu Manman come in, his eyes immediately lit up.
"Manman is here." Her voice was weak but warm, and a relieved smile bloomed on her old face.
"Dean Madam, I made dumplings for you with your favorite leek filling." Gu Manman said softly, carefully opening the thermal box. The steaming dumplings gave off an enticing aroma.
The door of the ward was opened again, and Li Xu walked in holding a bouquet of red plums, followed by two nurses pushing a trolley.
"Dean, President Feng asked me to come and spend the New Year with you and Miss Gu."
Gu Manman glanced at the dishes on the cart. Each one had the taste of her hometown that the director's mother had once mentioned.
This was Feng Mingzhou's arrangement, so she didn't need to guess.
In the ward, Director Wu ate the dumplings that Gu Manman had made herself in small bites.
"Manman, this year's dumplings are much better than last year's." She said softly, with approval and satisfaction in her eyes.
Gu Manman's eyes couldn't help but become moist: "Dean Mom, I will definitely wrap it better next year."
It was difficult for her to say this because she knew that for the dean's mother, there might not be a "next year".
The snow outside the window was falling heavier, the sky was getting darker, and the sound of fireworks could be heard in the distance.
Gu Manman was scrolling through her phone out of boredom. The only sounds in the ward were Dean Wu's steady breathing and the ticking of the ECG monitor.
Her fingers slid mechanically across the screen. The social platform was filled with festive red and family reunion photos. Gu Manman's fingers paused - Lin Jinyun's Instagram was updated.
She knew she shouldn't click it, but she couldn't control her fingers.
Lin Jinyun's photo came into view, with the snow-white mountains as the background.
In the photo, Lin Jinyun is wearing a pink ski suit, and Feng Mingzhou next to her is wearing a black ski suit. A rare relaxed smile appeared on his handsome face, and his arms were around Lin Jinyun's waist, showing their intimacy.
"New Year, the first snow in the Alps, spending time with my loved ones #Switzerland #skiing#"
Her fingers trembled as she unconsciously clicked on the next photo.
This is a selfie. Lin Jinyun is half leaning in Feng Mingzhou's arms. Feng Mingzhou looks down at her with gentle eyes.
Walking to the window, she looked at the snowflakes falling outside. Each snowflake was like hope falling from the sky, beautiful but short-lived, melting before touching the ground.
Just like her love for Feng Mingzhou, which was once so passionate, but now it is cold.
The hospital was exceptionally quiet in the middle of the night.
Outside the window, the city lights gradually went out, the snow had stopped, leaving only the silver-white ground illuminated by the moonlight.
She had a dream in which Snowball and Mother Dean were in a sunny garden, and Snowball was circling around Mother Dean's ankles, purring with pleasure.
The director's mother squatted down and stroked Snowball's hair with her old but warm hands. There was a long-lost smile on her face, free of any pain.
"drop--"
Gu Manman suddenly opened her eyes.
On the ECG monitor screen, the originally jumping green line turned into a straight horizontal line.
"No, no, no, no..." She rushed to the bed and held Dean Wu's cold fingers with trembling hands.
The old man on the hospital bed had a peaceful face and a faint smile on his lips.
Gu Manman shook her skinny hands vigorously.
"Dean's mother, please wake up, you can't leave, you can't leave me..."
At 3:18 in the morning, the line between life and death was drawn forever.
The nurses rushed over upon hearing the noise and the doctors performed emergency treatment hastily.
Gu Manman stood there, staring at the bed with lifeless eyes, and only one voice echoed in her ears: "I'm sorry, the patient is gone."
There were no tears, no hysterical cries, only a feeling of being hollowed out, like ice water pouring into the chest in the dead of winter.
The daffodils in the room are still fragrant, the peach blossoms by the window are still in bud, everything is normal, yet everything is different.
She thought of the last meal the dean's mother had the night before, a bowl of dumplings stuffed with chives. She had said, "Manman, you will definitely make better dumplings next year."
But there is no next year.
Gu Manman stood in front of the window, looking at the faint dawn in the distance. The person who loved her the most in this world was gone.
She recalled that whenever she had a nightmare when she was a child, the director's mother would gently pat her on the back and tell her, "Manman, don't be afraid, your mother is here."
And now, no one will comfort her like this anymore.
The phone screen lit up, it was a New Year's greeting from Su Yu.
Gu Manman looked at the cheerful words and expressions, and suddenly realized that this was the first day of the new year.
The new year is a year without Dean Mom.
She dialed Su Yu's number with trembling hands, and the other party was still sleepy when she answered the phone.
"Manman? So early..."
"The Dean's mother is gone."
There was silence on the other end of the phone for a few seconds, and then a suppressed sob: "I'll be right there."
After hanging up the phone, Gu Manman walked back to the bed, knelt on the ground, and gently leaned her head on the director's mother's hand.
At this moment, the first ray of sunlight penetrated the clouds and fell on the windowsill of the ward.
Gu Manman finally shed the first tear, then the second, the third... The tears were like a flood that broke through the dam, washing away her tense emotions.
"Dean Madam, you left so quietly, without even a goodbye..."
She recalled every detail of Dean Wu's life.
These memories flash back in my mind like an old movie, every frame so vivid, yet so distant.
The world outside the window began to wake up and a new day arrived, but for Gu Manman, time seemed to stand still at this moment.
She knew that from then on, an important piece of the puzzle would be missing in her life forever, the person who taught her how to love and be loved, the person who supported her unconditionally, and the person who held up the sky for her.
No longer here.
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