At noon, Lu Xiangyang made a few simple dishes. Although the flavors were quite ordinary, Lu Ning kept praising them.
During this period, she had also talked with peers at the bakery and had shared her frustrations about not being very close to Lu Xiangyang.
"Children, you just need to encourage them more," one of them shared from experience. "We were all taught from a young age to be humble and to educate our children that way. But sometimes, simply praising them more can make a child happy for a long time."
Lu Ning clumsily tried to apply this method with Lu Xiangyang.
Sure enough, Lu Xiangyang, feeling embarrassed, said, "No, Mom, you're exaggerating too much."
Even though he said that, it was clear that he was happy.
"No exaggeration," Shen Kuangye added. "It really is delicious."
Lu Xiangyang silently grumbled in his heart, thinking that even if he hadn't put any salt in the dishes, Shen Kuangye would probably still praise them like that.
"Yangyang, are you guys going on break soon?" Lu Ning asked.
Lu Xiangyang nodded. "It's the off-season now; it should last until the end of February."
"That's good, a chance to rest," Lu Ning said. "During the last match, I saw sweat all over your faces."
Although she didn't fully understand the game, it was simple enough for her to grasp. She knew that to win, her son's character had to catch the four little figures, so by the final round, Lu Ning's heart was in her throat.
During the pre-match preparation, she saw Lu Xiangyang's forehead covered in sweat, and even Shen Kuangye, who always seemed calm and composed, was the same.
Lu Ning could feel the pressure they were under at that time.
Lu Xiangyang nodded obediently.
Lu Ning then asked Shen Kuangye, "Xiao Ye, where are you from?"
She didn't notice that as soon as she asked, the atmosphere around them suddenly grew quiet.
Lu Xiangyang slowed his eating, eyes flicking between them.
Shen Kuangye answered, "City A."
"That's good, close to home. Come visit more often, so Lu Xiangyang doesn't always have to stare at his phone," Lu Ning said.
Shen Kuangye nodded, not even daring to look Lu Ning in the eyes. "I will, Aunt Lu."
Lu Xiangyang hadn't forgotten the real reason they came. He continued, "Mom, can we go see Xu Wen this afternoon?"
Lu Ning's smile faded, her tone growing cold. "I still have things to do. I won't go."
"Mom—" Lu Xiangyang dragged out the word.
Lu Ning, still unable to accept it, spoke firmly: "Let's not talk about this."
Lu Xiangyang had no choice but to remain silent.
At that moment, Shen Kuangye's phone rang. He picked it up and answered, "Hello?"
After hearing something on the other end, Shen Kuangye's brow furrowed. "Okay, I'll be there right now."
"What's wrong, brother?" Lu Xiangyang asked, momentarily forgetting to hide the term of address. Lu Ning glanced at him.
Shen Kuangye's expression darkened. "The hospital said Xu Wen just had a sudden episode. She may not make it."
Xu Wen's emergency contact had been fabricated by her, and the hospital couldn't reach her, so they contacted Shen Kuangye, who had been covering her medical expenses.
"What?"
Lu Ning raised her voice. Her chopsticks dropped in shock, her fingers trembling slightly, knuckles whitening from gripping too tightly.
She didn't care about anything else now and hurriedly rushed out.
Shen Kuangye quickly booked a car. As they went downstairs, it arrived just in time.
The three of them rushed to the hospital.
Along the way, Lu Xiangyang's expression also looked bad, but he kept trying to comfort Lu Ning. "Mom, don't worry. She can definitely be saved."
Even though they all knew that with Xu Wen's current condition and the sudden deterioration, it was highly possible she wouldn't make it.
Lu Ning bit her lip, holding back tears.
Shen Kuangye could only stay silently by her side, offering quiet support.
When they arrived at the hospital, they ran straight to the emergency room.
Someone else had arrived before them.
From the back, Shen Kuangye recognized her—Xia Zhan.
She was still wearing her neat school uniform. Her dark, straight hair fell over her shoulders, but her face was pale and her eyes completely red.
Shen Kuangye also noticed she was holding a workbook.
Xia Zhan sat quietly outside the emergency room, doing problems. Looking closely, her hands were shaking badly, and the workbook pages were soaked with tears.
"Xiao Zhan."
Lu Ning sat beside her and gently hugged her.
Xia Zhan buried her head in Lu Ning's shoulder, choking on her sobs.
"Aunt Lu," she said, "I regret it so much. I should have stayed with her today."
Earlier, when she was about to leave, her parents had stopped her. Her mother, with eyes full of anger, pointed at her and scolded, "Why do you still go see her every week? You're in your senior year! Your future is most important! Now that you've come to our house, forget those friends you couldn't show your face to!"
Xia Zhan coldly said, "Let go."
Then, her usually gentle father slapped her. "We've provided for you all these years, giving you the best education. What are you dissatisfied with? A girl like you, if we hadn't adopted you, would have been sold into the mountains to bear children!"
Xia Zhan had long been accustomed to this violence. From the time she was adopted, she had been frequently beaten.
She raised her cold eyes. "Satisfied? Do you think I don't know? You only adopted me so I'd marry someone beneficial to you later. You only adopted me because I looked the most suitable to your standards."
Her mother slapped her again in anger. "Say that again! If you can, repay all the money we spent raising you!"
Xia Zhan slowly wiped the blood at the corner of her mouth, eyes cold. "I will."
Though she had come to this home, she never considered it a home. She earned her living and Xu Wen's medical expenses through secret art sales. She never touched the money they gave her.
Her father laughed. "Repay it, then. Three million, to be paid within five years."
He had quietly started recording. Xia Zhan looked at him and said, "Don't worry about that. You should worry about the little mistress who's about to come looking for you since you're already pregnant."
At this, her mother froze, then glared at him. "You cheated?"
The previously model couple now fought viciously.
Xia Zhan slung her backpack over her shoulder and silently left this so-called home.
When she arrived at the hospital, Xu Wen was already gone. Xia Zhan, panicked, asked the doctor and found out Xu Wen had been taken to the emergency room.
At that moment, she felt the world spinning.
Why did all the unfairness always have to target Xu Wen?
Is fate really fair?
"Don't be afraid, Xiao Zhan."
Lu Ning, also panicked, gently patted her back to comfort her.
Shen Kuangye felt uneasy as well. He looked at Lu Xiangyang, pale beside him, wanting to hold his hand in silent comfort, but refrained because Lu Ning was still there.
Lu Xiangyang remained silent for a long time before asking, "Brother, did Xu Wen make it through?"
Shen Kuangye didn't tell him that Xu Wen from the past had died months ago. He said softly, "Yes, she made it through."
Lu Xiangyang finally exhaled, but he still didn't relax, knowing that in this life, everything could be different, and Xu Wen's condition might change.
Shen Kuangye looked at Lu Ning, holding a tearful Xia Zhan, and at the emergency room, unsure what to think.
Xu Wen was in surgery for a full six hours. After 7 p.m., the doctor came out exhausted, sweat covering his head.
Shen Kuangye stepped forward. "Doctor, how is she?"
The doctor sighed heavily. "Not very optimistic. I came out to speak with the family."
At that, Xia Zhan's workbook completely fell from her hands.
Lu Ning, eyes red, asked, "Speak about what? The follow-up treatment plan?"
The doctor said, "Whether to continue life support."
Lu Ning almost couldn't stand.
Xia Zhan couldn't hold it in any longer. She sobbed the name Xu Wen, her hoarse cries reverberating through the emergency room, striking everyone's ears and hearts.
Lu Xiangyang tried to help her up, but Xia Zhan was inconsolable, repeatedly muttering, "Xu Wen, you're a liar. You tricked me before to leave you, and now you trick me again. Didn't you say you'd get better? You liar."
By the end, she couldn't tell whether she was blaming Xu Wen or herself for her own helplessness.
The doctor said to Shen Kuangye, "This patient still has a chance, but the follow-up medical costs will be very high. Just ICU alone costs 20,000 yuan per day. We don't know how long recovery will take."
"20,000 yuan…" Lu Ning murmured, feeling helpless. She quickly searched her mind for someone to borrow money from.
Xia Zhan, wiping her tears, pleaded with the doctor, "Save her, please. She's only 18."
Shen Kuangye softly said, "We'll save her."
Lu Xiangyang also said, "The medical costs aren't an issue, doctor. Please do everything you can."
The doctor looked at them and solemnly nodded. "Okay."
Lu Ning looked at Lu Xiangyang's determined face and suddenly felt that her child had truly grown up.
What they didn't know was that Xu Wen, on the brink of death, suddenly stirred violently upon hearing Xia Zhan's crying through the slightly open door.
By 11 p.m., Xu Wen's surgery was finally completed.
Xia Zhan, covering her mouth so as not to startle her, silently cried.
Shen Kuangye held Lu Xiangyang nearby, watching Xu Wen, covered in monitors and tubes, being moved into the ICU.
Once Xu Wen was inside, Xia Zhan completely lost strength and sank to the ground on her knees.
"Good, at least she's been saved, at least she's been saved," Lu Ning whispered.
She now realized her own foolishness—why had she despised Xu Wen before just because of her sexual orientation?
Life is long; one cannot sever relationships over such prejudices.
If she had stayed with Xu Wen today, maybe she would have discovered her condition earlier.
Had she hurt Xu Wen's heart deeply over the past few days?
Lu Ning fell into endless self-blame.
Finally, after Shen Kuangye quietly coaxed them for a long while, they agreed to rest temporarily in Xu Wen's ward.
Shen Kuangye and Lu Xiangyang went out to buy them some food. On leaving, they instinctively held each other's hands tightly.