The next day.
City A Welfare Home.
Everything looked exactly as it had when Xu Rendong left: young children were playing in the yard, and volunteers were weeding the flowerbed with the older children. Ivy covered the small villa, and the white-haired dean stood at the entrance of the building, smiling and waving at him.
"Honeysuckle, come quick, I've prepared your favorite cookies."
Xu Rendong approached her, looking at the kind woman with a full head of silver hair. His usually indifferent and aloof expression softened, and his voice became gentle: "Teacher Xu."
Dean Xu led him upstairs. Xu Rendong slowly looked around at the scene. Everything was so familiar, as if nothing had changed since he left. The whole building looked old, but the furniture was spotless, and the walls were covered with children's doodles, giving the orphanage a warm atmosphere. He recalled his childhood, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
In the dean's office, the bookshelves were still filled with the same many books. Sunlight streamed in, and the hanging plants on the windowsill cast long, green vines, filling the air with a faint, sweet fragrance. The dean invited him to sit at the reception table and poured him some tea. Xu Rendong noticed a plate of bear-shaped cookies on the table and said with a smile, "It's been so long since I've had these. The cookies you buy outside just don't taste right."
Dean Xu smiled, even the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were full of gentle smiles: "Then you should try it, see if this cookie still tastes like it did when you were a child."
Xu Rendong stared at the cookies on the plate but didn't reach for them. He sighed, "Teacher Xu, I don't want to disappoint you. But I really don't want to visit her."
Director Xu's smile held a hint of helplessness: "I understand, that's understandable. After all, you grew up in an orphanage, and suddenly learning the whereabouts of your biological mother is bound to be hard to accept for a while. But now her condition is getting worse, and her only wish..."
Xu Rendong interrupted her: "Why should I fulfill her wish?"
Dean Xu looked surprised. Xu Rendong realized he was getting a little emotional and quickly regained his composure. He looked at Dean Xu and said calmly, "What kind of mother would be so heartless as to abandon a newborn baby in the freezing cold? If you hadn't found her in time, I would have frozen to death at the gate of the orphanage. Now she has a terminal illness and doesn't have long to live, and she finally remembers the mistake she made and only now wants to repent?"
Even though he tried to suppress it, the emotions in his heart surged ever more fiercely. Xu Rendong narrowed his eyes, his voice growing colder: "But why should I forgive her? What does her dying wish have to do with me?"
Dean Xu had already anticipated this outcome. She sighed heavily, her expression showing considerable reluctance, as if she was still hesitating whether she should speak up.
Xu Rendong said, "Teacher, you don't need to persuade me anymore. I won't see her. She is not my mother."
Dean Xu looked out the window and sighed again. After a long while, she asked softly, "For so many years, no one has adopted you. Do you know why?"
Xu Rendong's heart sank: "What do you mean by that?"
Dean Xu gazed at the spider plant on the windowsill, his expression wistful: "Back then, the orphanage wasn't well-off. Your favorite bear-shaped cookies were only available on your birthday each year. There was only one share for you, and I was afraid the other children would be envious, so I would wait until everyone was asleep and then secretly wake you up to eat them. The way you wolfed them down by candlelight was so adorable, yet so heartbreaking..."
The dean's words stirred up Xu Rendong's memories. Bear-shaped biscuits were one of the few comforts of his childhood, something he could only eat on his birthday each year. He still remembered the feeling of holding a biscuit in his mouth, drooling with desire, yet reluctant to swallow it. But why was the dean bringing this up now?
Xu Rendong suddenly didn't want to listen anymore. He stood up decisively and said goodbye, "My thoughts will not change. Teacher, I have something to do and must go back first."
He walked quickly to the door as if fleeing, only to hear a heavy sigh behind him.
"Honeysuckle, do you know that your mother was only thirteen years old when she gave birth to you?"
Thirteen years old.
These three words struck Xu Rendong like a heavy hammer blow. He froze, slowly turned around, and looked at the dean in disbelief.
The dean, his eyes filled with pity, walked up to him and stroked his hair: "I know it's cruel for you to tell you this. But if you still hold a grudge against her until the very end, then it's also too cruel for her."
...
When Xu Rendong returned from the orphanage, he saw that both his house and Lian Qiao's house had their doors wide open, and Lian Qiao was carrying a large box from one side to the other.
"Let me help you." Xu Rendong went over and lent a hand, and together with Lian Qiao, they carried the boxes into their house.
"That's about it. We can leave the rest there for now; it's close by, we can always go back and get it." Lian Qiao put down the suitcase, rubbing her hands excitedly. "So... which room do I stay in?"
His eyes kept glancing towards Xu Rendong's bedroom, but Xu Rendong reached out and pushed open another door beside him, saying, "This is the side bedroom."
Lian Qiao peeked inside and found that the side bedroom was fully furnished and very clean, ready to move in at any time. There was nothing to complain about, and no excuse for him to squeeze into the master bedroom and sleep in the same bed with Xu Rendong.
He pulled his head back and said "Oh" in disappointment.
Xu Rendong said, "Don't be shy, just make yourself at home. I'm a little tired and want to take a nap."
Seeing that he didn't look well, Lian Qiao asked, "Are you feeling unwell?"
"No." Xu Rendong was in a bad mood, but he didn't want to vent his negative energy on Lian Qiao, nor did he want him to worry or suspect anything, so he said frankly, "Some things happened today, and I'm not in a good mood. I want to be alone."
"Okay." Lian Qiao nodded, then gave a gentle smile. "Go to sleep. I'll wake you up when dinner is ready."
Xu Rendong felt a warmth in her heart, smiled at him, and went back into the house.
When Lian Qiao came to call him, it was already dark. Several dishes were laid out on the table, all home-style cooking. Xu Rendong felt quite uncomfortable looking at it, since he never cooked himself, and his table had never had any food except takeout and fruit. Now, three dishes and a soup were steaming hot on the table, with two bowls of white rice at either end, exuding the aroma of home. The scene was so warm and inviting that he almost didn't recognize it.
After finishing their meal, the two cleaned up the dishes. With more than an hour to go before Lian Qiao's live stream, they decided to go downstairs for a walk.
It was dusk, and the sunset was a beautiful blend of gold and red. Elderly people and children strolled through the neighborhood, creating a peaceful atmosphere. Xu Rendong and Lian Qiao walked side-by-side; both were tall and strikingly beautiful, attracting the attention of passersby.
This was the first time Lian Qiao had walked side by side with him like this. There was no threat of death, no ghosts or monsters pressing in, only peace and tranquility. He was in a great mood, frequently turning his head to look at the person beside him, openly admiring his profile, looking at his clean facial features, his fair earlobes and neck, his long eyelashes that could swing on a swing, and his slightly pursed thin lips.
The thought of this man and their mutual affection made Lian Qiao feel like she could fly with joy.
He desperately wanted to announce to everyone that this man belonged to him, but since they were in public, he had to be more discreet. So he casually reached out and put his arm around Xu Rendong's shoulder, pretending to be a brotherly friend.
The moment he touched Xu Rendong's shoulder, Xu Rendong suddenly spoke: "Lian Qiao."
Lian Qiao was startled and guiltily withdrew her hand: "...What's wrong?"
Xu Rendong raised her light brown eyes and looked up at the sky, a hint of melancholy in them. "I've been thinking about something for the past two days. I'm hesitant and can't make a decision. Can you listen to me?"
Lian Qiao thought to herself, "You've finally decided to talk," and smiled, her eyebrows curving upwards. "Go ahead," she said.
Xu Rendong: "There is someone who once hurt me. She is dying now and wants to see me one last time before she dies. Should I go?"
Lian Qiao was stunned, and a thousand "Holy crap" thoughts flashed through his mind.
What a soul-crushing, deadly question! We just got together yesterday, and today an ex is already causing trouble!
He steadied himself and asked, "Is it a man or a woman?"
Xu Rendong: "A woman."
Lian Qiao: "..." Damn it, it would have been better not to ask at all. She felt even more frustrated.
Lian Qiao was silent for a moment, then asked, "And what about you? What are you thinking?..." He paused, then added, "Without considering my opinion."
Xu Rendong gave him a strange look, as if wondering why he had added the phrase "not considering me." After thinking about it carefully, Xu Rendong said, "I don't know."
The setting sun cast its warm golden rays on the street, bathing the figures of pedestrians in a golden glow. Xu Rendong gazed at the passersby, her eyes filled with confusion.
Looking at him like this, Lian Qiao thought: Screw ex, what's the point of seeing him! He's clearly still hung up on his ex!
Despite feeling aggrieved, Lian Qiao remained understanding: "Go ahead. But I'll go with you."
Xu Rendong looked at him in surprise, a subtle expression on her face: "...It's a bit too early for you to see her now..."
Seeing his strange expression, Lian Qiao was displeased and pouted, "What do you mean too early? Aren't you about to die?"
"..." Xu Rendong pondered this delicate situation alone, then suddenly laughed, "That's true. She really doesn't have much time left."
The next day, as Lian Qiao walked into the hospital, she was still wondering if her ex was just playing the victim to gain sympathy. After all, her Ren Dong was so adorable; anyone who broke up with him would be begging him to come back. Then, as Xu Ren Dong pressed the elevator button for a certain floor, Lian Qiao glanced at the floor plan next to him: Oncology Department.
Holy crap, cancer? Then maybe she's not just pretending to be innocent; she really is dying.
Lian Qiao suddenly felt very embarrassed and even thought about going downstairs to buy a fruit basket.
The former patient was staying in the emergency room of the ward, separated from the doctor's office only by a transparent glass partition, allowing the doctor to observe the patient's condition and provide emergency care at any time. Xu Rendong entered the ward, but Lian Qiao waved her hand, indicating that she would wait for him outside.
There were five beds in the emergency room. Xu Rendong went straight to the middle bed and sat down with her back to the window. Lian Qiao saw a thin woman lying on that bed through the glass. Her thinness wasn't the slender thinness most people perceived, but a morbid, pitiful, and somewhat frightening thinness.
Even though she suffered greatly from illness, it was still evident that she had once been a beauty. Her features and demeanor possessed a refined and ethereal quality, making her stand out immediately from the ordinary people around her. In this respect, she was somewhat similar to Xu Rendong.
Lian Qiao leaned against the windowpane, thinking with a hint of jealousy: "Hmph! She and our boss look quite like a married couple."
That said, if she weren't good-looking, our big boss wouldn't have fallen for her, let alone have a past with her. After all, I'm his current girlfriend, and with someone as outstanding as me, his ex couldn't have been that bad!
Lian Qiao felt a little better and decided to stop peeking. He turned his back to the transparent glass and started playing on his phone when he suddenly noticed that two nurses at the nurses' station were also secretly glancing at the woman.
"Finally, someone has come to see her," said Nurse A.
"You mean Zhong Xiu? Sigh, she's so pitiful. She's only in her early forties and she's already got this disease. From the time she was diagnosed until now, she's been hospitalized alone for every round of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. A few days ago, when she was critically ill, no family members came to sign the consent form. Sigh," said Nurse B.
"Is this her family member today? He's really handsome, like a celebrity."
"I hope so. It's really too tragic to be without family members by your side. You have to bear any discomfort alone. When you vomit during chemotherapy, you have to hold a trash can to catch it yourself. You're too embarrassed to ring the alarm when you wake up in the middle of the night in pain. Sigh, he's a good person, how come he's so miserable?"
Where are her husband and children?
"Doesn't it say on the medical record that you are unmarried?"
"Huh? She's so beautiful and young, how could she..."
"I don't know. Don't ask too many questions, it's bound to be another tragedy."
"Alas, what a tragedy..."
Even Qiao couldn't bear to listen anymore. This woman was truly pitiful; even he, as her rival, felt a pang of sympathy for her.
He glanced unintentionally through the glass, and what he saw almost made his eyes pop out.
Xu Rendong was sitting in front of the woman's bed, his head bowed deeply. And the woman was actually touching Rendong's face!
Lian Qiao immediately got angry. So what if you're miserable? You can't be arrogant just because you're miserable!
He rolled up his sleeves, intending to go in and reason with the woman, but suddenly heard an alarm sound behind him. At the same time, the woman's hand slid limply off Ren Dong's face and fell heavily onto the edge of the bed.
Xu Rendong stared blankly at her hand, as if he hadn't yet realized what had happened, but the other patients around him exclaimed first.
Even Qiao was shocked and quickly turned to call the nurse. The nurse reacted even faster, already getting up to call for help. Within seconds, several doctors rushed out of the office, and the nurses, wearing masks and gloves, rushed into the emergency room.
Lian Qiao followed him inside and saw the medical staff push Xu Rendong aside, draw the bed curtains, and begin emergency treatment. Xu Rendong stood outside the blue bed curtains, staring blankly in the direction of the bed. He stood there silently, his fists clenched, like a person walking alone in the dark who had suddenly been struck on the head, feeling pain and anger, yet having nowhere to vent his frustration.
He looked so helpless.
Lian Qiao felt sorry for him and walked over to him, wanting to hug him. But when she suddenly caught sight of his eyes, she was taken aback.
His eyes were filled with pain and resentment. The emotion was so intense that his eyes were red.
Lian Qiao had never seen him with such an expression. That look of extreme pain and hatred pierced Lian Qiao's heart like a needle. So his outstretched hand froze in mid-air.
The emergency room was in chaos; the doctor was giving orders, and the nurses were busy carrying them out. Lian Qiao was lost in thought when a sharp alarm blared, drawing everyone's attention.
The alarm was coming from the electrocardiogram monitor. Through the gap in the curtains, Lian Qiao saw that the monitor had become a straight line.
Xu Rendong opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something. He took a step forward, but ultimately didn't rush into the bed curtains. Lian Qiao felt a pang in his heart; he turned his face away in discomfort, suddenly feeling the air around him catch in his throat.
All sounds vanished in an instant, and everyone stopped moving. Even the IV drip stopped flowing.
Lian Qiao turned around in shock, and a silver-white metal elevator appeared before her eyes!
He glanced back at Xu Rendong, who had also noticed the unusual surroundings and was staring at the elevator with a complicated expression. Soon, the bed curtains behind them were pulled back. They both turned around simultaneously and saw a frail, thin woman stepping off the bed.
Zhong Xiu.
As she lay dying, the elevator that belonged to her opened.
Zhong Xiu looked at the two people in front of her and said in surprise, "How come you... could it be..." Her eyes widened.
Xu Rendong took a deep breath, having accepted the fact. He nodded to Zhong Xiu and said, "Yes. We went in too."
Zhong Xiu asked, "How many times?"
Xu Rendong: "Many times."
Their eyes met, and a hint of pity flashed in Zhong Xiu's eyes, while Xu Rendong turned her face away. Zhong Xiu looked at Xu Rendong, then at Lian Qiao, and sighed, "I'm sorry for dragging you two into this."
Lian Qiao was conflicted and didn't know what to say. Xu Rendong had already stepped into the elevator: "Let's go."
After the three entered the elevator, the car emitted a low hum of movement. Zhong Xiu kept looking at Xu Rendong with a complex and affectionate gaze. Xu Rendong occasionally met her eyes, but quickly looked away.
Lian Qiao felt increasingly envious of being cuckolded. Overwhelmed with jealousy, he couldn't hold back any longer and stepped forward, extending his hand to say, "Hello, I didn't have a chance to say hello earlier. My name is Lian Qiao, and I'm his current girlfriend."
Zhong Xiu was taken aback. Xu Rendong was startled and looked up abruptly, quickly correcting him, "My current roommate!" As he spoke, he quietly moved to the side, as if to draw a line between himself and Lian Qiao.
Lian Qiao was shocked and heartbroken: "That's not what you said yesterday! You heartless man who dumps his lover!"
Zhong Xiu: "What heartless thing are you talking about?"
Xu Rendong angrily retorted, "Don't listen to his nonsense!"
Xu Rendong was caught between his biological mother and his lover. He was unwilling to admit that this woman, who looked to be only in her thirties, was his mother, but he also did not want to come out as gay in front of his biological mother whom he was meeting for the first time. He was extremely embarrassed.
Seeing Xu Rendong in a dilemma, Lian Qiao felt even more jealous. Blinded by jealousy, he forgot all about manners and provoked Zhong Xiu with hostility: "And you? What's your relationship with him? He's never mentioned you to me before."
Zhongxiu: "I am him..."
Xu Rendong's heart was in his throat. Zhong Xiu gave him a deep look, then lowered her head and smiled, "I am him, his former teacher."
Xu Rendong finally breathed a sigh of relief, but he didn't notice that when Lian Qiao heard the word "teacher," the muscles at the corner of her mouth twitched slightly.
At the same time, a walkthrough message appeared in the elevator:
"Three men can make a tiger."
Xu Rendong quickly changed the subject: "Alright, the most important thing now is to clear the game. We can talk about the rest later."
Lian Qiao glanced at the walkthrough hint, then looked at Zhong Xiu, then at Xu Rendong, and said coolly, "This hint isn't very auspicious."
Author's Note:
Lien Chiao: Next, I'll perform a skit for you all, which is about being jealous of one's mother.