MQSP - Chapter 87
Chapter 87
Her surroundings were silent and utterly dark; she couldn't see her hand in front of her face. Gu Xinran stood at a fork in the road, lost and unsure which way to go.
Suddenly, a figure in white appeared at the crossroads ahead. She stood there quietly, her eyes dancing, radiant with every glance. A gentle smile graced her lips as she occasionally raised a hand to brush a strand of hair from her forehead, her gaze toward Gu Xinran filled with an endless, profound affection.
The two of them looked at each other for a long time. The corners of Gu Xinran's mouth lifted into a faint smile. It had been so long since she had seen Yilan. She hadn't changed at all—still gentle and serene. No beautiful word felt like an exaggeration when used to describe her.
Just as she was about to walk over, she heard a voice from nearby…
"Mother!"
Gu Xinran froze, her smile gradually fading. Yilan was still standing there, motionless. Although her gaze was fixed in this direction, it felt as if an invisible barrier separated them. She was clearly so close, yet utterly unreachable.
When she took a step forward, Yilan retreated a step. No matter how she chased, Yilan always maintained that same distance from her—a distance that could not be crossed.
"Mother!"
The familiar voice called out again. Gu Xinran stopped in her tracks. The vision of Yilan before her smiled, then turned and left without a hint of reluctance.
Watching her graceful figure recede into the distance, Gu Xinran felt an urgent need to follow, but her consciousness began to blur.
"Auntie Jiang, how is she? Is Mother awake yet?" Baiye and Lin Yuqing pushed the door open and walked to the hospital bed, glancing at Gu Xinran, who was still in a coma.
Jiang Boyan, her face etched with fatigue, shook her head.
"We'll take over. You should go home and rest."
"Okay, I'll just rest in the outer room. Call me if you need anything." Jiang Boyan had been watching over her all night and was clearly exhausted.
"Alright, go on."
Baiye sat by the bed and sighed. She wrung out a towel and carefully began to wipe Gu Xinran's body. "Auntie Lin, the doctor clearly said Mother only has a mild concussion and no serious injuries. Why isn't she waking up?"
Lin Yuqing's face was also clouded with worry. It had already been half a month since Xinran was hit by the rock. Everyone had been terrified at the time. They had rushed her to the hospital, but the town's clinic was overflowing with patients. After a quick dressing of her wound, she was transferred overnight to the Yu Yang city hospital. Scans and tests showed nothing critical, just a mild concussion from the sudden blow. Logically, she should have woken up long ago, but for some unknown reason, she remained unconscious.
"Maybe she's just too tired and needs a good, long rest." Everyone was worried about her. They had been taking turns watching over her these past few days, hoping she would wake up soon.
"Mm…" Baiye nodded. She used the towel to wipe her mother's cheeks. She had finally gotten her wish to see her mother's face. Although the burns on her cheeks were severe, she could still tell from the uninjured parts that her Mother Xinran was a great beauty!
"Sigh…" Every time she wiped Xinran's face, Baiye couldn't help but sigh. If only her mother hadn't been disfigured.
"Let me." Seeing her looking a little down, Lin Yuqing took the towel and continued to wipe carefully.
"Mother, you've been sleeping for so long. It's about time you woke up. Everyone is so worried about you, especially Auntie Fang and Auntie Jiang. I saw them secretly wiping away tears by your bed."
"Mother, I only just found you. I want to live with you and make up for the dozen or so years we missed. Do you really want to just lie here forever?"
"Don't you miss me? Don't you dream of me when you sleep?"
Xiao Ye held Gu Xinran's hand, pressing her cheek against the back of it. "Mother, open your eyes and look. Auntie Lin is bullying me again. Without you here to keep her in line, she's running wild. Can you bear to see your precious daughter get bullied?" she pouted, tattling to Xinran.
"That's right. If you don't wake up, there'll be no one to stand up for her," Lin Yuqing chimed in.
"Look how arrogant she is now. She's not even afraid of you anymore."
The two of them took turns speaking to Xinran, but the person in the bed remained unresponsive.
Baiye pressed her lips together, feeling a little deflated as she listlessly fiddled with Xinran's fingers.
Seeing her like this, Lin Yuqing knew how upset she was. She walked around to the other side of the bed and stroked the little one's head. "Don't worry, she'll definitely wake up."
"Mhm. Mother, I still want to hear you tell me stories about when you and Mother Yilan were falling in love. You have to…" Baiye was in the middle of speaking when she suddenly paused. She looked down at Xinran's hand. She thought she had felt her fingers move slightly, but she wasn't sure if it was real.
"What's wrong?" Lin Yuqing asked.
Baiye stared at Xinran's hand. "Yilan… Mother Yilan."
"Bai Yilan?"
She tried calling the name a few more times. Just as she was about to give up, she saw Xinran's fingers twitch slightly.
Lin Yuqing saw it too. The two exchanged a look, overjoyed.
"Bai Yilan! Bai Yilan!"
Xiao Ye excitedly squeezed Gu Xinran's hand and continued to call Bai Yilan's name. She felt her mother's hand gently squeeze back and excitedly tugged on Lin Yuqing's sleeve. The latter, also beaming with joy, quickly pressed the call button by the bed.
"Mother? Mother, can you open your eyes and look at me? It's Xiao Ye!"
Xinran's throat moved slightly. She wanted to speak, but no sound came out.
Seeing this, Baiye quickly leaned close to her ear. "Mother, what are you saying?"
"Yilan… won't let me… follow her…"
Baiye paused for a moment. "That must be because Mother Yilan doesn't feel at ease leaving me alone, so she wants you to stay and be with me. You have to pull yourself together, or Mother Yilan will be very worried!"
"Mmm…"
As they were talking, the door was pushed open. The doctor's arrival startled Lu Qing and Jiang Boyan, who were resting in the outer room. They saw several doctors rushing in and thought something terrible had happened. Their hearts nearly leaped out of their chests as they scrambled to follow.
"Leave this to us. Please wait outside."
Everyone was ushered into the outer room. Upon learning that Xinran had woken up, Lu Qing immediately called Fang Yi.
The little one cried tears of joy, the heavy stone in her heart finally lifted.
"Mother, I made some congee. The doctor said your body is a little weak right now, so you can't have anything too rich. I just added a little minced meat. It should taste pretty good. Auntie Lin secretly tried some."
"Hey, how did you know?" Lin Yuqing followed the little one into the room and had just closed the door when she heard someone tattling on her.
"Hmph." Baiye shot her a look and raised the head of Xinran's bed so she could sit up. Lin Yuqing promptly placed a pillow behind her back.
"Are you feeling any better today?" Baiye brushed the stray hairs from her forehead, picked up the bowl of congee, scooped up a spoonful, blew on it by her lips, and tested the temperature before offering it to her.
"Mhm." Xinran nodded, a smile appearing on her face the moment she saw her daughter.
Lin Yuqing sat on the other side, massaging her arms and calves as part of a simple rehabilitation therapy.
"How does it taste?"
"Mhm, it's delicious," Xinran nodded, feeling gratified and content.
"Even if it's delicious, you can't eat too much. It has to be portioned," Lin Yuqing added from the side, craning her neck to check how much was left in the bowl.
"Feed her about a third more. Small, frequent meals are easier to digest."
Baiye and Xinran exchanged a look. While Lin Yuqing was looking down, Baiye stuck her tongue out at her.
Xinran chuckled softly.
"Alright, that's enough, that's about right." Lin Yuqing had been watching closely from the side.
"One more bite, just one." Baiye quickly scooped another spoonful and fed it to Xinran.
The moment she finished, Lin Yuqing snatched the bowl away.
"See, Mother? She even dares to bully you now. You have to get better quickly and teach her a lesson!"
Lin Yuqing shot her a look. What a wife she had!
"Mhm, okay. How are things at home?"
"Post-disaster reconstruction is underway. Your manor has temporarily become a shelter for the villagers. The wooden house on the mountain was crushed by falling rocks." Lin Yuqing sighed. She had made a special trip back a few days ago, hoping to find Xiao Miao at the wooden house, but it had already collapsed. However, she didn't find Xiao Miao's body, so it was possible it had run into the mountains to hide when the earthquake hit.
"Xinran, from now on, come live with us. Don't be alone anymore."
"That's right, Mother. If we live together, it'll be easier to take care of you."
"You won't find me annoying?"
"What are you talking about!" Baiye chided gently, using a tissue to wipe her mouth.
After the meal, the two of them pushed Xinran into the courtyard for a walk. Worried she might get cold, Baiye draped a blanket over her and put a mask on her. The warm sunlight fell on her body, and a gentle spring breeze blew against her face. Gu Xinran took a deep breath, feeling as if she had been reborn.
Lin Yuqing followed closely beside them, pushing the wheelchair. Seeing the mother and daughter getting along so harmoniously filled her with relief.
Because she hadn't moved for so long, her legs felt a bit unresponsive. She was tired after walking just a few dozen meters. Baiye quickly waved Lin Yuqing over, who immediately came forward to help Xinran sit down.
Baiye pulled her mask down a little to uncover her nose and mouth, making it easier to breathe. Xinran still felt a bit uncomfortable; it had been a very long time since she had shown her real face to anyone. She raised a hand to cover the scars on her cheek, but Baiye pressed her hand down. "No matter what Mother looks like, you'll always be the most beautiful person in my heart. Don't worry about what other people think."
Gu Xinran was silent for a moment. "I'm afraid I'll scare people."
Just as she said that, she saw Fang Yi walking toward them.
"How are you feeling today?" Fang Yi crouched in front of the wheelchair.
"Much better. I was just practicing walking," Baiye answered with a smile.
"Mhm, that's good." Fang Yi nodded, stood up, and shot Lin Yuqing a meaningful look, motioning for her to step aside.
"What's wrong?"
"I went back to the mountain a few days ago and heard some news. Someone is asking about the Flower Witch," Fang Yi said.
"Asking about the Flower Witch?"
"Yes. She was the one who organized everyone for an orderly rescue during the disaster. Many villagers have been looking for her afterward, and the matter has attracted the attention of reporters."
Lin Yuqing was silent for a moment. "It's fine. Xinran rarely interacted with people on the mountain, and no one has seen her face. No one should know her identity. Besides, Xinran has already agreed to live with us from now on. She won't be going back."
"Is that so? That's wonderful!"
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