Hospital
In the days that followed, Chu Yiran and Su Jing continued filming in Hengdian, drifting through the old days of "The Dream of the Past," maintaining a tacit, fragile calm.
This week, Su Jing had to take leave to attend a brand event in Jiangcheng. Chu Yiran was filming his solo scenes when Sun Xiaoxiao rushed over anxiously with his phone in hand.
"Excuse me, Director..." Sun Xiaoxiao greeted the director, then ran to Chu Yiran and handed him her phone. "Brother Ran, the Jiangcheng City Hospital just called to say that Auntie suddenly fainted—"
Before he could finish speaking, Chu Yiran grabbed his phone and rushed out.
"Sorry, Director, something happened at Ran's home, so we need to ask for leave..." Sun Xiaoxiao bowed to the director and then ran out of the film set.
Without a second thought, Chu Yiran hailed a car and headed to Jiangcheng. He was still wearing his brown suit costume, and his clenched hands were slightly sweaty.
"Brother Ran, don't worry too much. The hospital said that although Auntie hasn't woken up yet, her condition has stabilized. It might be something like low blood sugar, but we still need to do a full check-up to find out the exact cause..." Sun Xiaoxiao looked at his tightly pursed lips and comforted him in a low voice, "Everything will be alright."
The shadow of his past life loomed over him. Chu Yiran closed his eyes. He really couldn't accept any more mistakes made by Zheng Shuyi.
The two-hour drive felt incredibly long. As soon as he arrived at the hospital, Chu Yiran rushed into the inpatient department. When he finally reached the ward door and pushed it open, a strong smell of disinfectant hit him.
On the hospital bed, Zheng Shuyi lay with her eyes closed, an oxygen mask on her face, and various monitoring cables wrapped around her body. A white bandage was also wrapped around her head. And sitting by her bedside was none other than Su Jing, who was supposed to be attending a brand event.
Su Jing's hair was a little messy, his shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, he leaned forward slightly, his eyes were fixed on the monitor screen, and his furrowed brows showed a hint of fatigue and worry.
"How did you get here?!"
Chu Yiran's voice was hoarse and cracked from fear and thirst from the long journey. The immense panic and the stress response to the past made him lose his mind in an instant.
He lunged forward, and before Su Jing could even get up to explain, he grabbed his collar tightly, his eyes filled with hatred and despair: "It's you again, Su Jing! You haven't hurt me enough, why did you go after my mother too? What do you want from me?!"
Su Jing was caught off guard by the sudden violence and his face turned pale instantly. He did not resist, but his eyes were filled with complex and indescribable emotions, including pain, understanding, and a deep sense of powerlessness.
Sun Xiaoxiao, who was following behind, was terrified. After a few seconds of stunned silence, she immediately grabbed Chu Yiran's arm: "Brother Ran, what are you doing? This is Teacher Su! Let go!"
Just then, Zhao Wei pushed open the door and entered, carrying a bag of newly purchased household items. Upon seeing the scene before him, he was so shocked that he almost dropped what he was carrying. He rushed forward and tried to pry Chu Yiran's hand off.
"Are you crazy, Chu Yiran?!" Zhao Wei was both anxious and angry, his voice rising, "Even if you've always disliked Brother Jing, you can't be this ungrateful! If Brother Jing hadn't brought your mother to the hospital, who knows what would have happened!"
Zhao Wei's shout snapped Chu Yiran out of his daze. His eyes widened in surprise, and his grip loosened slightly. Sun Xiaoxiao and Zhao Wei quickly pulled the two apart.
Seeing Chu Yiran's bewildered expression, Su Jing couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache. Only the two of them understood why Chu Yiran was so agitated. He forced a wry smile: "It's alright, Yiran. The doctor said that Auntie fainted because of insufficient blood supply to her heart and a temporary lack of blood to her brain. She bumped her forehead and needed five stitches. She'll wake up soon..."
Just then, a faint groan came from the hospital bed.
Everyone's attention was instantly drawn to her. Zheng Shuyi's eyelashes fluttered a few times, and she slowly opened her eyes. Chu Yiran quickly surrounded her.
"Mom, how are you?" Chu Yiran's eyes were full of anxiety, and she hurriedly said, "I... I'll call the doctor." As she spoke, she pressed the call bell by the bedside.
Zheng Shuyi's consciousness was still somewhat hazy. She slowly spoke, "Aran... how... did you come back? What happened to me..."
"Let's go."
Su Jing spoke in a low voice and led the way out of the ward, followed by Zhao Wei and Sun Xiaoxiao.
The doctor came to check and said there was nothing wrong. Chu Yiran thanked him repeatedly. After seeing the doctor off, he sat down and frowned as he looked at Zheng Shuyi.
"Mom, what happened? Why did you suddenly faint?"
Zheng Shuyi smiled somewhat embarrassedly: "Oh, it's nothing serious... I was just turning over some soil in the garden and covering it with a layer of plastic film. I probably wasn't paying attention when I got up, and then everything went black and I collapsed..."
Ever since Chu Yiran brought Zheng Shuyi from her hometown to Jiangcheng, Zheng Shuyi has occasionally planted some fruits and vegetables in the garden. Chu Yiran's original intention was to give Zheng Shuyi something to do. Upon hearing this, he frowned even more deeply: "Mom, how many times have I told you, just take care of the garden casually, don't overwork yourself. And this time you fainted! I suggested finding a nanny to come and take care of you and keep you company, but you weren't happy about it. This time I have to find someone to come to the house. What will you do alone if this happens again?"
"Alright, Mom's fine, isn't she? You're starting to sound more and more like Dad these days..." Zheng Shuyi patted Chu Yiran's hand. "Why bother hiring a nanny? What a waste of money! I'm perfectly fine on my own; I don't feel comfortable with strangers around! Mom's really alright, how about we just go home now—"
Zheng Shuyi was used to being frugal her whole life. When Chu Yiran suggested hiring a nanny, she absolutely refused. She wouldn't even let Chu Yiran hire a part-time worker. Since Chu Yiran's job often required him to travel around, the huge house was left with only Zheng Shuyi at home.
Seeing that Zheng Shuyi was about to get out of bed, Chu Yiran quickly reached out to stop her: "Please don't move! The doctor said you need to stay in the hospital for observation for a week. I will take the next few days off to stay with you at the hospital. You have to listen to me this time!"
Zheng Shuyi couldn't refuse Chu Yiran, so she could only smile reproachfully: "You child..." As she spoke, she seemed to remember something and then asked: "I think I saw Xiao Jing just now, was he the one who brought me to the hospital?"
Upon hearing this name, Chu Yiran's lips tightened: "Mom, how do you know Su Jing?"
Zheng Shuyi smiled upon hearing this, her eyes softening as she recalled, "It happened a few months ago. I wanted to go to that big market in the east of the city to buy some seeds, but several new subway lines had just opened. I stood on the platform for ages, unable to figure out how to transfer..." As she spoke, she gestured with her hands, "Just when I was getting anxious, a young man wearing a hat and mask came up to me and asked if I needed help. I was initially wary, with so many scammers these days. But the first thing he said was, 'Are you Aunt Zheng? I'm Aran's friend...'"
Chu Yiran frowned slightly: "He just said he was my friend?"
“Yes,” Zheng Shuyi nodded. “He took off his mask and pointed to a large poster next to him that looked exactly like his. He said that he and you were friends in the entertainment industry. He said he was just passing by and was going to a nearby studio. Later, he not only gave me directions, but also accompanied me on the subway to Chengdong Market.”
At this point, Zheng Shuyi's eyes lit up with a warm smile, "That child was so thoughtful. He supported me the whole way, and insisted on carrying my shopping bags when I got out of the car. From then on, he would come to see me every few days, bringing a lot of things each time, and he would often chat with me..."
Chu Yiran was silent for a moment, then asked in a low voice, "Mom, why have you never mentioned these things to me?"
“Xiao Jing specifically told me to,” Zheng Shuyi said softly. “He said you’re busy with work and under a lot of pressure, so he didn’t need to tell you about this little thing so as not to distract you. He said it’s only right for friends to help each other out, and he didn’t want us to feel burdened.”
Looking at her son's furrowed brows, she added, "I also think you're so tired every day that you haven't mentioned these little family matters much. Besides, Xiao Jing's arrival is always so timely; he always comes shortly after you start working out of town, as if he's timed it perfectly."
Chu Yiran lowered his eyes, his heart filled with mixed feelings.
Zheng Shuyi doesn't use the internet and doesn't know that he and Su Jing are "rivals" online, but he knows all too well why a popular star would suddenly appear at the subway station near his home.
Zheng Shuyi fell asleep quickly after taking her medicine. Chu Yiran gently tucked her in and quietly left the ward.
The corridor was silent, the cold incandescent light casting shadows on the polished floor. He sat down on the bench outside the door, burying his face in his hands, feeling a deep weariness wash over him.
Just as he closed his eyes to rest, a warm aroma suddenly approached, and a steaming cup of coffee was handed to him.
Chu Yiran looked up and saw that Su Jing had returned sometime earlier and was standing in front of him. Su Jing had changed out of his previous wrinkled shirt and was wearing a soft gray sweater, making him look much gentler.
"It's cold, have some coffee," Su Jing said softly, handing the coffee forward again.
Chu Yiran hesitated for a moment, but still took the cup of coffee. The warm touch from her fingertips dispelled some of the chill.
"Is Auntie asleep?" Su Jing sat down beside him, keeping a just-right distance.
"Hmm." Chu Yiran took a sip of coffee, the sweet taste spreading on his tongue, and he wondered how much sugar he had added.
The two fell silent for a moment, with only the aroma of coffee lingering in the air.
Finally, Chu Yiran broke the silence first: "Thank you for taking care of my mother." His voice was soft, but clear enough.
Su Jing shook her head slightly: "No need to thank me, I really enjoy spending time with Auntie."
Like it? Chu Yiran recalled that in his previous life, Su Jing had almost no interaction with his mother.
Chu Yiran asked, "Why did you run into my mom at the subway station?"
Su Jing was silent for a moment. “I checked your schedule and know you were filming in Hengdian that week… I was thinking that your aunt might be bored at home alone, so I made up an excuse to go and check on her.” He raised his head, his gaze honest and restrained. “But I never intended to disturb your life, Ran. I just… hoped to do something for you.”
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