Chapter 5 / Section 1: Chen Yao is Critically Ill
We made a promise that we would never be separated in this life, no matter how far apart we are, no matter what joys or sorrows we experience, we will never despise each other, and we will never abandon each other and leave alone.
When Xiong Yingguang arrived at the station, she was filled with trepidation and unease. She was afraid that her mother, Chen Yao, would never see her again or hear her call out "Mom" again.
On the way to Yantai, Shandong, Haiyang stayed by her side the whole time, providing support, because she desperately needed a strong spiritual support at that moment.
"Haiyang, what will I do if I lose her? She's my only family, I can't lose her." Xiong Yingguang gritted her teeth, tears silently streaming down her face, her eyes filled with vulnerability, her sorrow overflowing like a tide, unstoppable.
"Xiong Yingguang, don't cry." Cang Ruoxi gently wiped away her tears.
"What do you know? She is my only family. How am I supposed to live without her? Tell me, how am I supposed to live?" Xiong Yingguang broke down in tears.
Suddenly, Haiyang raised his hand and slapped her, saying sternly, "Does crying solve anything? You need to be stronger! Your mother doesn't want to see you so weak. How can you let her down by crying so easily?"
“I…” Xiong Yingguang touched her cheek, her tears gradually stopping. Her eyes were still moist, but she finally came to her senses—she had only been blinded by grief. And now, she had to be brave. When she reunited with her mother, she had to wear a smile, not tears.
That overwhelming sorrow left her unsure how to feign joy when she saw her mother, how to conceal the traces of her tears and the cracks in her heart. She truly didn't know how she could hold back her tears and not crumble into ruins when faced with her mother's frail appearance.
They transferred in Changsha, took the high-speed rail and then a plane, heading all the way to Yantai, Shandong. The vulnerabilities buried deep within them over the years were now as fragile as thin ice, and they had long been blocked from returning home by countless excuses and realities.
"Haiyang, how can I face my mother?" Xiong Yingguang looked into Haiyang's eyes, her voice as soft as the wind.
"In short, don't let her see your sadness. If you are fragile and cry easily, seeing you will only make her condition worse, not better."
Xiong Yingguang squinted slightly, leaning on Haiyang's shoulder. She felt as if she were the only person left in the world, with no one to rely on. The fragile shell that protected her was being peeled away little by little. She gazed at the blurry figure before her, but could no longer get close.
"Xiong Yingguang, my darling daughter has grown so tall! Mom will take you out to play sometime, but you have to be in the top ten of your class, otherwise I won't take you! Today I bought your favorite steamed buns and pig-shaped cakes. Don't cry, little princess, girls aren't pretty when they cry their eyes out."
"Mom, I made it into the top ten. I won't cry. I'll be strong. I won't shed tears easily. I want to be with you, Mom, for the rest of my life."
"Daughter, you're so silly. We can't stay together forever. I'm going somewhere, and I can't take you with me."
"Mommy, where are you going? Why are you abandoning me? Don't leave me! I'm afraid of the dark, I'm afraid of being alone. Stay with me..."
"Mom is just going to a very far away place, a beautiful place. You must live on alone and be strong."
"Mom, I will. Can you stay?"
"Xiong Yingguang, wake up, we've arrived. Wake up, we're in Yantai, Shandong. Put on some more clothes." Cang Ruoxi gently woke her and draped a thick down jacket over her. Xiong Yingguang suddenly opened her eyes, her breathing rapid, as if she had just escaped from a nightmare.
After the plane landed, she immediately ran to the hospital, but Haiyang grabbed her arm and said, "You don't know where the hospital is, let's take a taxi together."
Haiyang hailed a taxi and gave the destination: "Yantaishan Hospital East Campus." Xiong Yingguang was on edge, her mind solely focused on her mother's safety. At this moment, no one else in the world mattered to her; her only concern was her mother, Chen Yao.
"Driver, please go to the East Campus of Yantaishan Hospital."
"good."
Snowflakes fluttered outside the car window. Gazing at the vast snowscape, Xiong Yingguang's only wish was for Chen Yao to be safe and sound. Chen Yao was her only family in the world. She had no father, no brothers or sisters, and once she lost her mother, she would never again experience the pure joy she once had.
When the car reached the middle of the city, the driver suddenly stopped: "There's a traffic jam, you can walk, we won't charge you."
Without a word, Xiong Yingguang pushed open the car door and rushed out, her steps as swift as the wind, without stopping. Cang Ruoxi tried to stop her, but only managed to catch a glimpse of her departing figure.
She ran, constantly asking passersby for directions. Sweat soaked her back, her breathing was rapid, and her body was exhausted, but her steps never faltered. Finally, she arrived at the East Campus of Yantaishan Hospital.
But as soon as she stepped into the hospital, she heard the medical staff talking hurriedly: "Quick, prepare to receive patient Chen Yao for surgery!" She immediately rushed forward and asked, "Doctor, is there a patient named Chen Yao? She's probably in her forties."
"Yes, you are her..."
"I am her daughter, please take me to see her!"
The doctor nodded and led her forward. She felt as if she were approaching that familiar figure step by step, yet she also felt a thick barrier between them, impenetrable and untouchable. They had once been so close, but after that separation, as her daughter, she already knew all the suffering her mother had endured.
As Chen Yao fell critically ill, Xiong Yingguang's steps grew increasingly heavy, as if she were carrying a thousand-pound burden. The person she deeply loved was being slowly pulled away from her life.
Why couldn't she just get better sooner? Get better and look into her daughter's eyes, see how much reluctance and longing her daughter held in her heart. Could she bear to leave her daughter alone, weeping in endless sorrow? The grief overflowed like a river, and her daughter's tears could no longer be held back, gushing forth. Yet her daughter gritted her teeth, trying to stop the emotional dam from breaking, but that vulnerability and sorrow had already permeated her entire being, leaving nowhere to hide.
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