Against the Light - Chapter 172
Chapter 172: Trump Card
When Yu Hua regained consciousness, she felt an unbearable pain all over her body. For a moment, she couldn't even feel her left hand, which scared her so much that sweat immediately beaded on her forehead and she snapped her eyes open.
She was a little surprised to see her surroundings, taking a long moment to realize she was in a hospital as the events of the previous day slowly came back to her.
Yu Hua raised her right hand to touch her left arm and glanced down. As she did, she froze, noticing Gu Xinran slumped over the side of the bed, one hand still clutching hers.
Yu Hua tried to bend the fingers of her left hand, but they didn't seem to obey. After a moment, the effort made her break out in a cold sweat from the pain.
Gu Xinran's body twitched, and she woke with a start. She sat up, let out a breath, and turned her head to see Yu Hua with a fierce expression, struggling against herself. Startled, she quickly held her down.
"Hey, Teacher, what are you doing?" She pressed down on her left arm and began to gently massage it, just as the doctor had instructed.
"You can't use this arm right now," Gu Xinran added. "But the doctor said that as long as you do your physical therapy and cooperate with the treatment, you can make a full recovery. You mustn't rush it."
Hearing this, Yu Hua relaxed a little and stopped struggling.
Gu Xinran got a tissue and wiped the fine beads of sweat from her forehead.
"Where's the cub?" Yu Hua asked suddenly.
"Don't worry, Xiao Ye is fine. You protected her very well." As she said this, Gu Xinran's eyes filled with gratitude.
Yu Hua's expression softened. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Are you hungry?" Gu Xinran asked.
"A little."
Gu Xinran adjusted the bed to a sitting position, picked up the fish congee that had been prepared earlier, stirred it, blew on it gently, then brought a spoonful to Yu Hua's lips.
Yu Hua flinched back, looking at her with a puzzled expression.
"What's wrong?"
"I'll do it myself."
"No." Gu Xinran refused firmly, insisting on feeding her.
The corner of Yu Hua's eye twitched. She was a little uncomfortable with this sudden display of concern.
"Be good. After you eat, I'll let Xiao Ye come keep you company, okay?" Gu Xinran said softly.
Yu Hua's face stiffened, feeling even more awkward.
"Talk to me properly."
"?"
"What's with that weird tone? Do you think I'm a three-year-old?" Yu Hua grumbled, glaring at her and insisting on eating by herself.
Seeing she couldn't win, Gu Xinran handed her the spoon and held the bowl for her.
Bai Yilan pushed the door open quietly. When she saw that Yu Hua was awake, her expression immediately relaxed.
"Teacher, you're finally awake."
"Mm." Yu Hua glanced behind her.
"Are you looking for Xiao Ye? She just woke up and is eating now. We'll bring her to see you in a little while." Bai Yilan sat by the bed, naturally took the spoon from her hand, and offered her a spoonful of congee.
Seeing this, Gu Xinran pursed her lips into a smile.
Yu Hua's face stiffened.
"Can you two stop treating me like an old lady who can't take care of herself?"
"Huh? We didn't mean that. We were just worried your hand would be inconvenient. Don't overthink it," Gu Xinran quickly explained.
Yu Hua shot them a look.
Bai Yilan immediately and obediently handed the spoon back, letting her eat by herself.
Yu Hua took a couple of bites, then looked up. The two were still staring intently at her.
"What? What scheme are you two cooking up now?"
Gu and Bai exchanged a look.
"Teacher, there's something we'd like to discuss with you," Gu Xinran said softly.
"What? You have designs on these old bones of mine again?"
"Ahem."
"Teacher Yu, at your age, you can't always be fighting on the front lines. Would you be willing to come to Heart Entertainment? Help me train some successors, and you can live a more relaxed life."
"You think I don't know if I'm old? I can still work for another ten years!" Yu Hua's eyes widened.
"And after those ten years?"
Yu Hua paused. "After ten years, I'll go wherever I want and do whatever I want."
"With your health, what do you think you'll be able to do in ten years?" Gu Xinran widened her eyes too, holding out a blood test report in front of her.
"I'm not looking. Take it away." Yu Hua's stubborn streak flared up, and she turned her head to the side.
Gu Xinran was taken aback. Heh, this woman!
"Teacher, don't be angry. Xinran means well." Bai Yilan gently patted Yu Hua's chest.
"She's worried about your health, but she also knows that filmmaking is your lifelong passion and career. That's why she thought of asking you to come to Heart Entertainment to mentor newcomers. It would be less strenuous than being on set, but would still satisfy your passion."
"You say you don't like being taken care of, but I know it's because you don't want to trouble us. I've been by your side for so many years; how could I not understand you?"
"Don't flatter yourself." Yu Hua glanced at her and swatted her hand away.
Bai Yilan chuckled. "Alright, alright, I was flattering myself. In that case, could you do me another favor?"
"Xinran's mother passed away early, so she never experienced a mother's love growing up. That's a kind of affection I can't give her. Would you be willing to accept her as your daughter?"
Yu Hua looked shocked. "What?"
"No." She refused instantly.
"You dislike me that much? You won't even consider it?" Gu Xinran was starting to question her life choices.
Yu Hua glanced at her but said nothing.
In the next room, Xiao Ye, having just finished her bath, was carried out by Shi Qing. The first thing she saw was Lin Yuqing standing by the sofa, waiting anxiously.
"Auntie Lin~" Xiao Ye called out in her milky voice.
Lin Yuqing quickly stood up and walked over. She glanced at Shi Qing and gave a slight bow.
Shi Qing's falcon-like gaze was incredibly piercing. She swept a glance over Lin Yuqing, but when she turned back to Xiao Ye, the sharpness in her eyes vanished instantly, replaced by extreme gentleness. "So this is the Auntie Lin you're always talking about?"
"Uh-huh! Grandma, isn't Auntie Lin so pretty?"
"Yes, very pretty."
Hearing Shi Qing praise her Auntie Lin, Xiao Ye's eyes curved into a smile. "Auntie Lin, can you hold Xiao Ye?"
Hearing this, Lin Yuqing looked at Shi Qing. Shi Qing was a little surprised but went along with the little one's wishes and handed her over to Lin Yuqing.
Xiao Ye wrapped her arms around Lin Yuqing's neck and hugged her tightly for a moment.
"Do your cuts still hurt?" Lin Yuqing asked softly.
Xiao Ye nodded, pouting her little lips with an unhappy expression.
Lin Yuqing gently stroked her back. She had only found out this morning. When Fang Yi told her Xiao Ye was injured, she had been terrified and rushed over immediately.
Xiao Ye held out her little paws for her to see. When Lin Yuqing saw the scrapes on her palms, her heart ached. Not daring to touch the wounds, she could only hold her little hands and blow on them gently.
Xiao Ye suddenly looked left and right. "Where's Mommy?"
"Mommy went to see Grandma Yu," Shi Qing said.
"Ah! How is Grandma Yu? Xiao Ye wants to see Grandma Yu too!" Xiao Ye's little brows furrowed at once.
"Let Grandma take you." Shi Qing called Ye Nan over to take Xiao Ye to see Yu Hua, then glanced at Lin Yuqing, signaling for her to stay behind.
"Huh? What about Auntie Lin?" The little one, now in Ye Nan's arms, was a bit confused. She scratched her head and looked at Lin Yuqing.
"You go on ahead, Xiao Ye. Auntie Lin will come find you in a little bit." Lin Yuqing gave her a beautiful smile that put the little one at ease, and she nodded.
In Yu Hua's room, the little one gently pushed the door open and peeked her head inside. Upon seeing that Yu Hua was awake, she immediately cried out excitedly, "Grandma!"
The moment she heard that, Yu Hua's face lit up with a smile, all her temper gone. She waved to Xiao Ye. "Good girl, come let Grandma give you a hug."
Just as Xiao Ye was about to run over, Gu Xinran scooped her up first.
Gu Xinran glanced at Yu Hua with a half-smile. "Xiao Ye, you can't just call anyone 'Grandma'."
Yu Hua: ?
"Huh?" Xiao Ye scratched her head.
"'Grandma' is your mama's mama, and Teacher Yu isn't that. She's Mommy's teacher, so if you want to call her something, it should be…" Gu Xinran frowned in thought and looked at Yilan.
"How about Mentor Mama?" Yilan suggested after a moment's thought.
"??" Yu Hua was completely bewildered. Doesn't Mentor Mama sound awful?
"How about Grandmaster?" Gu Xinran offered a different opinion.
The two of them fell into deep thought.
The little one looked from one to the other, then back at Ye Nan behind her, her face a picture of confusion.
"Isn't it Grandma? But Xiao Ye has always called you Grandma. Why can't I now?"
"Is it because Grandma doesn't like Xiao Ye anymore?" The little one's lips trembled as she looked pleadingly at Yu Hua.
"Because Xiao Ye made Grandma get hurt, Grandma doesn't want Xiao Ye anymore…"
The more Xiao Ye spoke, the sadder she became. Her eyes blinked rapidly, and tears were about to fall.
"Waaah—Grandma doesn't want Xiao Ye anymore—"
Gu Xinran patted Xiao Ye, then looked at Yu Hua. "Look at the trouble you've caused. You fix it." With that, she deposited the little one into Yu Hua's arms.
"!?" Yu Hua froze completely.
The trouble I caused???
Looking at the child in her arms, clutching the corner of her clothes and crying her heart out, Yu Hua instantly surrendered. "Cub, don't cry. Grandma likes Xiao Ye, she really does. Grandma doesn't blame Xiao Ye, and getting hurt had nothing to do with you. Don't cry, be good."
"Sob…"
Yu Hua had no idea how to comfort a child. She just held Xiao Ye, patting her gently, her tone softening. "There, there, don't cry, don't cry."
"She only knows two lines to comfort someone," Gu Xinran commented mercilessly.
Yu Hua's eyelid twitched, and she shot her a fierce glare.
Bai Yilan chuckled, watching with great interest as Teacher Yu endured the little one's 'torment'.
"Sob… Can… can Xiao Ye still call you Grandma?" After a while, Xiao Ye stopped crying and looked at Yu Hua, sniffling.
"Yes, of course you can." Without a half-second of hesitation, she agreed at once.
Xiao Ye kept her serious little face. "For how long?"
"You can call me that for as long as you want, cub." Yu Hua smiled kindly and patted the little one's head, her expression clearly warmed by the child.
"Really?" Xiao Ye hiccuped.
Yu Hua nodded, wiped her tears, and patted her little head.
Gu and Bai exchanged a look, both wearing expressions of relief. Thank goodness they had Xiao Ye, their trump card.
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