Chapter 175 Helplessness
Finally, he poured her a cup of warm soy milk, the milky white liquid gently swaying in the cup.
He sat down, looked at her, and asked gently, "What are your plans for today?"
She picked up a slice of toast, slowly spread jam on it, took a bite, and said while chewing, "I haven't decided yet...maybe I'll reply to a few work emails, they've been piling up for days."
She paused, slowed her chewing, and became more serious, adding, "I still need to go to the hospital to see my uncle this afternoon."
She only went there once this week, but she's been thinking about it ever since.
My uncle's recovery since the surgery hasn't been very fast; he still gets fevers occasionally, and I don't know if his condition has improved.
As she thought about it, her brows furrowed slightly involuntarily.
Sheng Tingzhou nodded without saying anything more.
After all, Zhou Yuze's current state is indeed inseparable from her, and she knows this very well.
If they don't even go to the hospital for a check-up, that would be too cold-hearted and really unacceptable.
"Remember to send me a message when you get there, and tell me how he is doing now."
Sheng Tingzhou stood in the entryway, putting on his coat while softly giving instructions.
"Um."
She responded with a soft but earnest voice.
She picked up her bag, put her phone and keys inside, and did so quickly.
After finishing breakfast, he cleared the table of dishes and utensils, put them in the sink, and rinsed them briefly.
He then sat down next to her and watched TV with her for a while. The two didn't talk much, and the atmosphere was calm and silent.
He only got up and went back to his room to change clothes and prepare to go out after checking the time and confirming that it was getting late.
Song Zhiwei remained nestled on the sofa, covered with a thin blanket, holding her laptop and intently typing away at the keyboard.
Her hair fell to either side of the screen, her eyes were focused, and she occasionally frowned in thought.
She recently took on several new cases. Although the formal trial will not begin until after the new year, she has always disliked procrastination and wants to use this time to prepare all the materials so as to try to close the cases ahead of schedule.
That way, I can have more free time after the New Year to take on more projects and avoid being so busy that I can't attend to everything.
She was busy until 3 p.m., and her fingers were getting sore from typing on the keyboard. Just as she was about to get up to make a cup of coffee and take a break, her phone suddenly rang.
The caller ID read "Uncle Zhou".
She swiped to answer the call and held the phone to her ear: "Uncle Zhou."
Zhou Huaiqing's voice came from the other end of the phone, his tone quite polite, even with a rare hint of caution: "Zhiwei, your mother and I have a business dinner to attend this afternoon, so we won't be back until later. Yu Ce is alone in the hospital, and I'm a little worried about him. Could you spare some time to go and keep him company for a while? Just a few hours."
She closed her laptop almost immediately and replied crisply, "Okay, I'll be right there."
"Thank you, Zhiwei."
Zhou Huaiqing sighed on the other end of the phone, his tone unusually gentle, even carrying a hint of gratitude and apology.
She didn't respond, just gave a soft "hmm," and then hung up the phone without any further pleasantries or asking for more details.
She stood up, straightened her coat, picked up her bag, grabbed her car keys, and went straight out the door.
By the time she arrived at the hospital, it was already around four o'clock in the afternoon.
The ward entrance was quiet, and the only sound in the corridor was the soft footsteps of the nurses.
Zhou Huaiqing and Qin Yunshu had already left; their signatures and departure times were clearly written in the nurses' station register.
Pushing open the ward door, she immediately saw Zhou Yuze lying alone on the hospital bed, his hands folded in front of his chest, his head turned to the side as he looked out the window.
Outside the window was a row of bare old trees, their branches still covered with remnants of snow, trembling slightly in the winter wind.
The sunlight streamed in sparsely, illuminating his pale face but failing to reach his empty eyes.
He seemed to have lost his soul; he was so quiet that he almost blended into the ward, and even his breathing was so light that it was hard to detect.
Song Zhiwei only glanced at it, and her heart clenched suddenly, as if she had been stabbed hard by a thin needle, sharp and painful.
She suddenly realized that even the proudest person couldn't withstand falling into such an abyss.
The torment of feeling powerless is more devastating than physical injuries.
She walked over slowly, her steps very light, as if afraid of disturbing the deathly silence.
She stopped in front of the hospital bed, bowed her head, and softly said, "Hello."
Zhou Yuze's body stiffened abruptly, as if he had been awakened, and he slowly turned his head.
His gaze was initially blank, but the moment he recognized her, his previously dull eyes seemed to be ignited, gradually brightening and reflecting a faint light.
“Zhiwei…”
He called her softly, his voice hoarse, yet carrying a hint of tender dependence.
Song Zhiwei's nose suddenly stung, and her eyes welled up with tears, but she forced herself to suppress the emotion and forced a relaxed smile: "Uncle, want to play some games? I brought my handheld console."
She looked at the man in front of her, who was once spirited and walked with a confident stride, but was now emaciated and tormented by illness and setbacks, and needed help to even sit up.
Her heart felt like it was being squeezed tightly by something, the pain almost suffocating her.
But she knew that she couldn't show weakness at this moment.
Zhou Yuce stared at her for a few seconds, then suddenly a slight smile appeared on his lips—a very faint smile, yet undeniably real.
He said gently, "Back when you were in high school, you stayed up all night playing games and got scolded by your mom. I was the one who stayed up all night with you. Now, it's your turn to stay up with me."
Song Zhiwei was stunned for a moment, and memories flooded back—that summer night, she was secretly playing games in her room when he sneaked in, holding two cans of cola, and said with a smile, "Little girl, I'll keep you company," and then they stayed up all night together until dawn.
Her heart ached, and her eyes welled up with tears, but she still forced a smile and asked in a low voice, "Uncle, how's your rehabilitation going lately?"
Zhou Yuce looked at her quietly, his gaze as calm as a deep pool of water.
He shook his head slightly, his tone as light as if he were discussing the weather: "Not much improvement."
The air seemed to suddenly sink.
The ward was so quiet that the only sound was the faint hum of the air conditioner.
Song Zhiwei lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously clenching the hem of her clothes, her knuckles turning slightly white.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something comforting, but found that any words seemed so pale and powerless.
She ultimately said nothing, simply sitting quietly beside him, keeping him company.
Mr. Chen's birthday banquet was held at Xinghai Lake Manor.
Nestled against the mountains and beside the water, the lake shimmers, and white mist swirls around its surface in the early morning, creating a scene resembling a traditional Chinese ink painting slowly unfolding.
Red lanterns hung high on both sides of the manor gate, and the golden "longevity" character shone brightly in the sunlight. Servants in uniforms shuttled back and forth, busy welcoming guests and guiding them.
The entire courtyard was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, exuding a festive yet solemn atmosphere. One after another, luxury cars of the guests drove into the manor entrance, as if to indicate the extraordinary significance of this birthday banquet.
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