Chapter 405 They Shouldn’t Have Lost Their Father
However, when Shangguan Fuling's innocent smile and Shangguan Jiuze's tired but worried eyes when he mentioned his father flashed through Mu Nanyan's mind again, another emotion quietly grew.
The man lying on the hospital bed dying, even though he has thousands of faults and mistakes, is also the pillar of another family and the respected father of Fuling and Shangguan Jiuze.
His departure will bring a devastating blow to the family that she does not like but cannot deny its existence.
Her hatred was real, and the reluctance that came from deep in her blood seemed real as well.
These two extreme emotions were tugging at her heart, causing her to fall into unprecedented pain and confusion.
What should she do?
Lu Yiran felt her trembling gradually subside, but he hugged her even tighter.
He didn't interrupt her, but told her with his steady heartbeat and warm embrace:
No matter what choice she ultimately makes, he will be here.
After a long silence, Mu Nanyan finally raised her head from his arms very slowly.
Her eyes were still red, but the confusion and struggle in them had gradually subsided, replaced by a determination that was tinged with pain but extremely clear.
She took a deep breath, her voice still a little hoarse, but she no longer hesitated:
"I'll save you."
Lu Yiran stared at her without responding immediately, waiting for her next words.
Mu Nanyan looked past Lu Yiran, as if looking into some empty space, and repeated in a complex yet resolute tone:
"I saved him not because he is my father, nor because I forgive him for what he did in the past."
"I just..."
She paused, as if choosing the right words.
"I just can't let myself become another perpetrator who watches people die without helping. I've experienced too much coldness and despair, and I know what it feels like."
Her choice was not based on a desire for fatherly love or a compromise with blood ties, but rather on a compassion that became even purer after going through hardships, and an adherence to her own bottom line.
She didn't want to let the grudges of the past distort her kindness at the moment.
She added softly, with a hint of indescribable melancholy,
"Besides, Fuling and Jiuze... they shouldn't have lost their father."
At least, it shouldn't be lost in this way.
Lu Yiran listened to her quietly, looking at the resolute light in her eyes that was tinged with pain but unusually clear.
He didn't try to persuade or analyze her, but simply looked deeply into her eyes and asked the most crucial question in a deep voice:
"Have you thought it through? Once you make a decision, there's no turning back. This process can be very difficult."
Mu Nanyan met his gaze without dodging, and nodded slowly and affirmatively:
"I've thought it through."
Her voice was not loud, but it carried a quiet power that broke through the fog.
"I'm not doing this for him, but for myself. I want to be worthy of the kindness my mother taught me and be worthy of my own heart."
She chose to put aside past grudges temporarily, not to forgive anyone, but to prevent herself from being consumed by hatred and becoming the kind of cold-hearted person she once hated.
Lu Yiran understood.
He saw her transformation after her struggle. Her kindness was not extinguished by suffering, but became more resilient and transparent after being tempered.
He respected her choice, whether it was the previous humanitarian decision or the more complicated decision at this moment after going through the inner storm.
He held her hand tightly, his tone full of support:
"Okay, since this is your choice, I will always be with you. I will arrange everything."
He paused, his eyes becoming sharp and protective:
"But, Nan Yan, don't tell anyone about this for now, especially the Shangguan family. Don't let them know the true relationship between you and Shangguan He until the donation is completed."
Mu Nanyan was slightly startled, then she understood.
Once the Shangguan family, especially Song Yajun, knows the truth, the situation will become extremely complicated, and may even lead to complications that affect treatment.
What she needs most now is a peaceful environment to complete this task.
"I see."
She responded softly.
Just then, a burst of cheerful laughter came from Chenchen's room, breaking the heavy atmosphere in the living room.
That pure and innocent laughter was like a ray of sunshine penetrating the haze, reminding them of the simple beauty that still exists in life.
Mu Nanyan took a deep breath, as if she drew strength from the laughter.
She turned to look at Lu Yiran. Although there was still a trace of fatigue on her face, she tried to raise a faint, relieved smile:
"Let's talk about this matter after everything is over."
Mu Nanyan's gaze involuntarily turned to the window again, her eyes distant and complicated.
She knew better than anyone that Fuling and Shangguan Jiuze were innocent.
Like her, they were passive victims of the grievances and disputes of the previous generation, and they might not even know the truth.
It is unreasonable and unfair to transfer the resentment towards their father to them.
However, this does not mean that the doubts and resentment in her heart will disappear.
One thought became increasingly clear and firm in her mind—she must save Shangguan He.
It's not just for Fuling and Shangguan Jiuze to survive their parents, but also for herself.
She wants him to get better.
She wanted him to give her an answer soberly and face to face.
She wanted to ask him in person what exactly happened that year?
Why did he treat her mother like that? Since they had started, why did he let go so easily, leaving her mother to bear everything alone, casting a shadow over her life from the very beginning?
She even calmly and cruelly deduced a fact that chilled her even more.
She is older than Shangguan Jiuze.
This means that Shangguan He most likely married Song Yajun shortly after he met her mother, or even shortly after her mother became pregnant with her, and established a new family and had legitimate children.
This speculation was like a cold poisonous thorn, deeply piercing her heart.
This is not just irresponsible, it's a betrayal.
These questions and pains that have been lingering in my heart for more than 20 years need to be resolved.
The only person who could give her the answer was Shangguan He.
So, he must live.
Only when he is alive and awake can the past buried by time see the light of day again, and she can truly face the past and decide how to move towards the future.
Mu Nanyan slowly turned her head, her eyes settled on Lu Yiran calmly, her voice calm but with a subtle firmness:
"Tomorrow morning, I want to go to the hospital."
She wanted to see the man lying on the hospital bed again.
Although her heart was filled with mixed emotions - resentment, confusion, and perhaps a trace of worry that even she herself did not want to delve into, but no matter what, the dying man was her biological father.
This unchangeable fact of blood relationship made it impossible for her to truly ignore it.
In addition, she also wants to see a doctor to find out when the transplant surgery will be performed.
Lu Yiran just looked at her deeply. Without the slightest hesitation, he nodded immediately, his voice steady and reliable:
"Okay, I'll make time tomorrow morning and go with you."
————
The next morning, Mu Nanyan and Lu Yiran came to the hospital.
They walked through the quiet corridor with ease and stood in front of the huge glass window again.
In the sterile ward, Shangguan He was still lying on the hospital bed, connected to various monitoring devices.
He was awake at the moment, half leaning against the pillow, looking somewhere with a slightly empty look in his eyes.
Mu Nanyan stood quietly outside the window, her eyes passing through the transparent glass, staring at the man inside so intently and unobstructedly for the first time.
Her eyes were complex and difficult to read. She no longer had the polite smile she had before, nor the simple sympathy she had for the patients. Only a deep, almost scrutinizing calmness remained.
Perhaps because of some indescribable induction between blood relatives, Shangguan He lying on the hospital bed seemed to notice this unique gaze.
He turned his head slowly and subconsciously and looked out the window.
In an instant, the two people's eyes penetrated the glass, met in the air, and collided directly.
Shangguan He's weak expression was slightly startled.
His chaotic thoughts were working with great effort, and he vaguely felt that the way Mu Nanyan looked at him this time was... very different.
The previous few times when the girl stood outside the window, there was always a gentle and encouraging smile on her face, which was a kindness towards the elderly stranger.
At this moment, she just looked at him quietly, without any obvious expression on her face. Her clear eyes seemed to contain thousands of words, yet were as calm as a deep pool.
This unusually calm gaze made Shangguan He feel a sense of inexplicable uneasiness and confusion.
His cracked lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just blinked weakly, still staring silently at the unfathomable girl outside the window through the glass.
A piece of glass separates two worlds, as well as more than twenty years of time and unspoken blood ties.
At this moment, a voice that sounded slightly surprised, even with a hint of barely perceptible panic, came from behind:
"Why...are you here?"
Mu Nanyan and Lu Yiran turned around at the same time when they heard the voice, and saw Song Yajun standing a few steps away with an exquisite thermos in her hand. She was obviously here to deliver food to Shangguan He.
This was the first time Mu Nanyan met her in the hospital after many visits.
I heard Shangguan Jiuze say that she was ill before, but now it seems that she is no longer seriously ill, but her energy and spirit seem to have been drained away. Her usual arrogance and fierce aura have disappeared, and there is fatigue and haggardness between her eyebrows, and her aura has weakened a lot.
Hearing this, Lu Yiran frowned subconsciously, and said in a slightly cold tone:
"Madam Shangguan, are you saying you don't welcome us?"
Song Yajun was startled by the coldness in Lu Yiran's words, and quickly waved her hands to explain, her tone even carrying a hint of cautious flattery:
"No, no! Mr. Lu, please don't misunderstand me. I definitely didn't mean that! I just... I just didn't expect you to come so early."
She turned her gaze towards Mu Nanyan, her expression complex, a mixture of past embarrassment and awkwardness, as well as an unprecedented, genuine gratitude:
"I...I also have to thank Miss Mu. Thank you for putting aside past grudges and being willing to save my husband."
She said this with some difficulty, but it was extremely clear.
Mu Nanyan had never expected to hear thanks from Song Yajun.
Seeing her lower herself to Shangguan He and even showing her sincerity, Mu Nanyan was not moved at all. Instead, she felt an extremely sour and sarcastic disgust.
They have a really good relationship as a couple.
It was so good that the woman who once wished she would disappear could now bow her head and thank her, the "thorn in her side", for the sake of her husband.
What about her mother, the forgotten woman who had gone away alone?
A sharp pain and anger suddenly rushed into my heart.
Mu Nanyan's expression instantly turned cold, her eyes swept over Song Yajun coldly, and there was no warmth in her voice:
"I saved him, and it has nothing to do with you. There's no need to pretend to thank me."
After saying that, she didn't give Song Yajun any chance to speak. She took Lu Yiran's arm, turned around and left resolutely, leaving her and her suffocating gratitude behind.
Song Yajun opened her mouth in vain, and in the end she could only stand there holding the thermos, staring at their departing backs, her face turning red and white, with a complex expression that was hard to describe.
Mu Nanyan did not leave the hospital directly with Lu Yiran, but turned and walked towards the office of Professor Li, the attending physician.
When Professor Li saw the two people pushing the door open, a hint of surprise flashed across his face. He quickly stood up from behind his desk and greeted them respectfully:
"Mr. Lu, Miss Mu."
He hadn't expected their sudden visit.
Mu Nanyan looked at Professor Li and explained her purpose politely and directly:
"Professor Li, excuse me. I'm here mainly to learn more about when Mr. Shangguan's surgery can be performed."
Upon hearing this, Professor Li immediately explained professionally and thoroughly:
"Mr. Shangguan is currently in the critical stage of chemotherapy. The goal of this stage is to completely eliminate the remaining diseased hematopoietic and immune systems in his body, preparing for the subsequent transplant."
"You can think of it this way: you need to 'break' before you can 'build'—completely clear out the original 'soil' that's been eroded by cancer cells. Then, like 'sowing seeds,' you can inject the healthy hematopoietic stem cells you provided, allowing them to 'take root and sprout' in his body, regrowing a brand new, healthy, cancer-free hematopoietic and immune system. Only in this way can Mr. Shangguan have a chance of a complete recovery."
He paused, and added with a slightly more optimistic tone:
"But please rest assured, Mr. Shangguan is currently responding quite well to chemotherapy, and his physical indicators are developing as expected. If all goes well, one more cycle of consolidation chemotherapy will probably bring him into the optimal window for transplant surgery."
Mu Nanyan listened carefully and then asked the question that concerned her most:
"When it comes to the surgery, what exactly do I need to do? Will the process be complicated?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
