That evening, Li Qiang waited at home for Ye Cifen. By past eight o'clock, she still hadn't returned. He kept murmuring his mother's name, a sense of unease gripping his heart, as if something was about to happen. Suddenly, he remembered that in his previous life, around the time of the college entrance exams, his mother had once returned home very late, her eyes severely swollen and her clothes covered in mud.
At the time, she had claimed she had taken a fall. But now, thinking back, it didn't add up at all. The moment this realization struck him, Li Qiang dashed out the door and sprinted toward the school.
In 1992, Hangzhou had little nightlife to speak of, and the streets were mostly empty of pedestrians. Lost in thought, Li Qiang quickened his pace. Judging by the distance, after rounding the next corner and passing through a narrow alley, he would be just ten minutes away from school.
Just as he anxiously turned the corner and entered the pitch-dark alley, Li Qiang suddenly heard a scream from the darkness ahead.
"Is that... Mom's voice?" A chill ran down Li Qiang's spine, and he hurried forward. The alley used to have a streetlight, but for some reason, it had gone out that night, forcing him to navigate through the darkness.
After groping his way forward for about ten meters, Li Qiang heard the sound of tearing fabric. By now, he was certain that less than ten meters ahead, someone was struggling!
Holding his breath, he quickened his pace and moved closer, straining to see through the gloom. Finally, he made out a tall, masked man pinning a woman against the wall, tearing at her clothes. Though the light was dim, he could tell from the woman's silhouette that it was his mother, Ye Cifen!
"I've already given you the money, please... please don't do this! Ah..." she cried out in pain. "No! Let me go, you brute! No..."
"Shut up! You dress so plainly, but who knew you had such a figure? I love women like you—big breasts and a big ass!" the man sneered lewdly. "What a lucky find tonight, just passing through here! Your struggling is useless! Save your energy for later when you serve me properly! Haha... Oh! You sure know how to squirm. You'd be great at riding, haha... Stop twisting, you slut. Let me feel you up properly! Haha..."
"No! No! Don't touch me there... Ah..."
Hearing this, Li Qiang understood exactly what was happening. Blood rushed to his head.
"Stop! Let her go!" he roared, lunging forward.
"Huh?" Startled by the voice, the masked robber turned around and saw an 18-year-old boy standing before him.
"Kid? What the hell are you doing? You looking to die?"
"Qiangqiang?" Ye Cifen, who had been struggling desperately, now realized it was her son. "Run! Run, you silly boy! Get out of here..."
Before she could finish, Li Qiang leaped forward, throwing himself at the masked man.
Perhaps it was the robber's first time committing such a crime—he didn't dare use his knife and instead swung his fists, grappling with Li Qiang.
Li Qiang had already tackled him, and the robber, caught off balance, was shoved hard against the alley wall.
"You dare hurt my mom? I'll kill you! I'll kill you!" Li Qiang wrapped his arms around the man, screaming hysterically while repeatedly kneeing him in the stomach.
"Stop fighting... please stop!" Seeing her son locked in a struggle with the robber, Ye Cifen rushed forward as well.
Facing two people at once, the robber panicked. In the chaos of the scuffle, he stumbled and fell to the ground. Frantically, his hand brushed against a brick lying by the wall.
"Let go, you little bastard!" Enraged and afraid the boy's shouts would attract more people, the robber kicked Ye Cifen away and raised the brick high above his head, shouting at Li Qiang.
"You... you let go right now, or I'll smash your head in!"
Li Qiang paid no heed to the threat. All he knew was that in his past life, this very robber might have been the one who assaulted his mother, leaving her with deep psychological scars. At this moment, he only wished to beat the man to death.
"Ah... son, don't do it..." Ye Cifen, who had fallen to the side, struggled to get up, but she was too late.
With a loud thud, the brick bottle in the robber's hand struck Li Qiang squarely on the forehead.
Li Qiang staggered, instinctively clutching his head with both hands. Seizing the opportunity, the robber broke free from his grip and stumbled backward several steps.
Even the masked robber was frightened by his own actions. He had only intended to rob them on a whim and never expected to strike so hard in his panic. Such a blow could easily have been fatal.
A dark red trail of blood trickled from Li Qiang's head, yet he didn't collapse. Instead, he steadied himself as best he could and, swaying unsteadily, continued to slowly advance toward the robber.
"Murder! Murder! You... you stop right there..." Suddenly filled with courage, Ye Cifen shouted as she struggled to her feet.
"No, no! It wasn't me... I... I didn't mean to..." The robber had never experienced such a bloody scene before.
"No, it wasn't me! It wasn't..." With that, he turned and fled, stumbling toward the mouth of the alley.
"St-stop! You... ah... ah..." Disheveled and leaning against the alley wall for support, Ye Cifen barely managed to stand upright. But the masked robber had already vanished from the alley, disappearing without a trace.
"Qiangqiang... are you alright? Qiangqiang! Qiangqiang!" Shaking off her panic, Ye Cifen rushed to Li Qiang's side, calling his name loudly while grabbing his collar and shaking him desperately.
"I... I'm... fine... don't worry, Mom... Did that robber get away?" Li Qiang opened his eyes, struggling to take two labored breaths. His head throbbed with excruciating pain, and warm blood streamed down his face to the ground—a terrifying sight.
"He ran away, chased off by Qiangqiang." Ye Cifen gazed at Li Qiang's face with tender concern, her hands trembling as she gently touched his cheek. She tore a strip of cloth from her shirt and wrapped it around his head, from his forehead down to his chin.
"Silly child! Why did you risk your life like that..." Kneeling beside him, tears streaming down her face, Ye Cifen pulled Li Qiang up from the ground and hoisted him onto her back. Without a second thought for her own disheveled appearance, she ran toward the hospital.
"You could have died! Silly child... If something happened to you, what would I do... You scared me to death... scared me to death... Qiangqiang..."
"I... I'm really fine..." Enduring the intense pain in his head, Li Qiang felt waves of dizziness and spoke weakly, "Anyone who tries to hurt my beloved mom... I'll fight them to the death..."
"Do you know how reckless you were? You could have died!" Though she tried to sound scolding, Ye Cifen couldn't manage it. Her heart felt as if it had been slashed by a knife.
"Silly child... Why... why did you fight so desperately..." Ye Cifen repeated the words over and over, panting heavily as she spoke. She just wanted to talk to her son, afraid of losing him.
"Mom... you're the person I love most and the one who loves me most. If I can't protect you, then what use am I!"
"But... but I... I'm not worth you doing this... You still have a very, very long road ahead. Mom will only harm you, hold you back." Ye Cifen shook her head with guilt and shame.
"No! No! It's not like that! For Mom, I can give everything. Mom is worth it, Mom wouldn't harm me... Every time I hug Mom, I feel like the happiest person in the world! Mom, don't leave me..." Li Qiang spoke haltingly before losing consciousness. He only felt waves of coldness washing over his body—a sign of excessive blood loss.
Before passing out, he faintly heard his mother's soft, gentle voice: "Qiangqiang, Mom loves you too. Mom won't leave..."
...
"Mom! Mom!" Li Qiang tried to sit up, but as soon as he lifted his head, a buzzing noise filled his ears. He let out a groan and fell back onto the bed.
"Qiangqiang, are you awake?" Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded by his ear. Ye Cifen's weary face broke into a radiant smile, like a flower blooming in an instant.
"Thank goodness, you're finally awake!" Ye Cifen, who had been leaning over Li Qiang's bedside, was overjoyed to see him wake. She threw herself forward and grasped his shoulders tightly.
"Mom..."
"It's wonderful! You're all right! You have no idea—you've been unconscious for two days. You scared me half to death..." Forgetting the exhaustion from staying up all night to care for him, Ye Cifen held Li Qiang's shoulders tightly, her voice trembling as she said, "If anything happened to you, what would I do?"
As she spoke, her eyes reddened, and tears welled up, shimmering in their corners.
"Mom, don't worry, I'm fine now..."
"Qiangqiang! My silly child! Waa..." Tears streamed down Ye Cifen's face like broken pearls. She pressed her cheek tightly against Li Qiang's, trembling with emotion.
"Promise me you won't be so foolish again, okay? Mom absolutely won't allow anything to happen to you! My silly child, my silly child, waa..." Li Qiang held his mother's delicate frame close, listening to her tender sobs while wiping away his own tears that threatened to spill. They embraced each other tightly, deeply experiencing the meeting of their hearts and the warmth of their affection.
This time, Ye Cifen had truly been terrified. Her son had lost so much blood. By the time she rushed to the hospital, he was already in critical condition due to excessive blood loss. She hated herself—hated her own beauty, for if she weren't so beautiful, her husband wouldn't have been persecuted, and her son wouldn't have been injured. She hated herself for not knowing how to care for and cherish her son properly before. If he wanted her body, she should have just given it to him.
She hated her incompetent husband, who only knew how to escape, who was never there when it mattered most. How many times had she fallen ill, and he knew about it?
When was he ever by her side when she was sick?
When had he ever cared about family matters?
When had he ever cared about her?
He would disappear for months at a time, rarely even calling. Every time she needed him, he wasn't there. The only one who stayed by her side was her son.
And now, her son was critically ill, yet she couldn't even reach her husband. Did he even care about this family at all?
It was precisely because Li Qiang was in critical condition that Ye Cifen clearly realized how much her son meant to her. She thought of all the little things Li Qiang had done for her. Though many seemed insignificant, it was often these small, everyday gestures that touched her the most—especially the kind of unwavering devotion that persisted year after year.
At some point, Ye Cifen's heart had gradually replaced her husband's shadow with that of her son. And the scene of her son risking his life to fight off the assailant became the final straw that broke the camel's back.
"Mom, aren't you at work today?" Sensing that his mother's emotions had calmed, Li Qiang asked.
Ye Cifen sat up and smiled. "Silly child, of course I took the day off."
"Mm, what about Dad? Hasn't he come back yet?" Li Qiang was momentarily stunned—this scene was exactly the same as in his memory.
Upon hearing her son mention her husband, Ye Cifen felt a surge of grievance and anger. "Don't bring him up again. He hasn't even come to see you despite your serious injuries. Just focus on recovering. Once you're discharged, Mom... Mom has a surprise for you."
By the end of her sentence, Ye Cifen's face was flushed with embarrassment.
"What kind of surprise, Mom?" Li Qiang asked eagerly, sensing something from his mother's expression.
"Not now. You'll find out when you're discharged."
"Then can Mom give me a kiss first?" Li Qiang looked expectantly at his shy mother.
Ye Cifen froze for a moment, her face turning even redder. She glanced toward the door, and seeing no one, she quickly leaned down and brushed her lips against Li Qiang's before pulling away. Even so, a wave of intense pleasure surged through her body.
"That's not enough. It should last longer at least."
"No, there are people coming and going here. If someone were to walk in, it wouldn't matter for me, but it would ruin your life."
"Please, Mom..."
"Then wait until tonight!" After that, no matter how much her son pleaded, Ye Cifen refused to give in. She took out a thermos and began feeding him soup, though her mind was elsewhere. She, too, was eagerly awaiting the arrival of night.
...