After delivering food to her son, Han Yulan returned home with a heavy heart. Her two granddaughters were still immersed in their carefree childhood, completely unaware of the changes that had occurred in their family. Their mother was lying in a hospital bed, and their father had quietly returned home; they were still kept in the dark about all of this.
The two little ones are full of energy every day, and as soon as they get home from school, they immediately start doing their homework. Today, the younger one, Gu Yuanzhi, came home with her eyes sparkling with anticipation. She ran up to Han Yulan and said, "Grandma, I want to call Mom. She hasn't called us for several days."
Hearing this, Han Yulan's heart tightened, and a hint of panic flashed in her eyes: "Your mother called this morning. She said she's been very busy lately and will call back in a few days." She tried to keep her voice calm, attempting to hide her inner anxiety.
Disappointment showed on Gu Yuanzhi's face. She lowered her head, her little hands unconsciously fidgeting with the hem of her clothes. Not wanting to disturb her mother's work, she could only silently accept the explanation, turn around, and dejectedly return to her room to continue doing her homework.
Han Yulan watched her granddaughter's retreating figure, her heart filled with guilt and helplessness. She knew that this lie was meant to protect her, but it was also a heavy burden. She silently prayed that things would improve soon, and that her family would be filled with laughter again.
Han Yulan hurriedly went into the kitchen under the pretext of helping with cooking, but actually she wanted to avoid her two granddaughters. She was afraid to face their innocent eyes and worried they would ask her questions she couldn't answer again. Seeing Han Yulan's worried expression, Aunt Wu asked with concern, "How is Xia Xia? Has she gotten any better today?"
Han Yulan sighed heavily, her voice filled with helplessness and anxiety: "It's still the same, he hasn't woken up yet, and I don't know how to tell the children." Her heart was filled with confusion and helplessness, and she didn't know what to do.
Aunt Wu couldn't help but sigh and said softly, "I hope she wakes up soon!" Her words were full of sympathy for Xia Liang and support for Han Yulan.
Suddenly, a soft noise broke the silence of the kitchen. "Snap!" The unexpected sound startled Han Yulan and Wu Ma. They turned around and saw their eldest granddaughter, Gu Yunxi, standing in the doorway. Tears streamed down her face like broken pearls, and her voice trembled and stammered, "Grandma, what happened to my mother? Is she sick? Where is she now?"
Gu Yunxi's tears and trembling voice were like a sharp knife, piercing Han Yulan's heart. Looking at her granddaughter's helpless eyes, an indescribable pain welled up in her heart.
Yulan felt a wave of helplessness wash over her; she knew she could no longer hide it from her granddaughters. She stepped forward and hugged Gu Yunxi tightly, her voice carrying a hint of firmness and tenderness: "Don't be afraid, I'll take you to see your mother." Her words revealed a determination, despite the worry and unease that filled her heart.
Without hesitation, she immediately called her granddaughter, and the family set off for the hospital. The hospital corridor seemed exceptionally long, each step feeling like crossing an unknown abyss.
When they entered the ward, Gu Yunxi saw Gu Yanxiao with red eyes and an unshaven beard. Her heart tightened, and she rushed forward to hug him tightly, her voice trembling with tears and confusion: "Dad, when did you come back? Why is Mom lying in the hospital bed? What happened to her?" Every question she asked was like a heavy hammer blow to Gu Yanxiao's heart.
Gu Yanxiao felt a pang of heartache, and tears streamed down his face uncontrollably. He hugged his daughter tightly, his voice hoarse and trembling, "Daddy's back, Mommy... Mommy's just sick and needs to rest." His words were filled with endless sorrow and helplessness; he didn't know how to explain everything to his children.
The air in the ward seemed to freeze, broken only by the children's cries and Gu Yanxiao's sobs. Han Yulan stood to the side, her heart filled with pain and helplessness.
Enveloped in the gentle embrace of her dream, Lin Xia finally saw her long-lost grandparents again. They had passed away more than a decade ago, yet had never appeared in her dreams. Today, they came, bringing with them their familiar kindness and warmth, appearing in her once-familiar home. Lin Xia busied herself preparing food for her grandparents, and the three of them sat around the table, enjoying the long-lost warmth and happiness of family. This kind of happiness, for Lin Xia, was already a distant memory.
However, behind this happiness, Lin Xia felt a void deep inside, an indescribable sense of loss. She felt as if her heart had lost something important, empty and unfillable.
After the meal, her grandparents looked at her with loving eyes and said gently, "Come with us. The three of us will live happily together and never be apart." Lin Xia felt an overwhelming joy. She had always longed to see her grandparents again and take good care of them.
Just as she was about to leave with them, a sharp and desperate cry pierced her dream: "Mommy, Mommy, don't die! We don't want to be without a mother!" The cry struck Lin Xia's heart like a bolt of lightning, waking her from the dream.
Lin Xia's consciousness began to blur; she felt herself being pulled back to reality, back to that cold hospital ward. Her heart was filled with contradictions and struggles: on one hand, she missed her grandparents and longed for their happy past life; on the other hand, she loved her children and clung to life.
Inside the hospital ward, everything seemed to be immersed in a quiet yet somber atmosphere. Xia Liang lay on the hospital bed, surrounded by stillness, with only the steady, rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor accompanying the passage of time. This sound seemed to be a symbol of Xia Liang's vitality, faint yet continuously proving her existence.
However, this tranquility was suddenly shattered. The beeping of the heart monitor began to accelerate, abruptly changing from a gentle rhythm to a rapid pounding, each beep seeming to pound on the heart of everyone present. This change instantly created tension in the ward, as if foreshadowing some major shift that was about to occur.
Doctors and nurses rushed into the ward, their expressions grave and focused. The flickering lines and accelerating rate on the monitors were the last thing they wanted to see, but also the challenge they had to face. They began urgently checking the equipment, adjusting the treatment plan, and doing everything they could to stabilize Xia Liang's condition.
At this critical moment, everyone was filled with anxiety and anticipation. They knew that Xia Liang's vitality was racing against time, and that every decision and action they took could be crucial in influencing her fate.
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