SYLM Chapter 80

Chapter 80: “What exactly is your relationship with that child?”

Chapter 80 “What exactly is your relationship with that child?”

The car lights cut through the unknown darkness ahead, the white Mercedes speeding along the highway wrapped in the night, like a silver shooting star.

Inside the car, Gu Wan Jun turned her head to look at Chen Lu in the driver’s seat, her thin profile appearing particularly cold in the dim light.

Remembering that this person had been driving all afternoon, and now had to drive her back overnight, Gu Wan Jun felt a twinge of soreness beneath her gratitude, and she spoke softly:

“Let me drive at the next service station, you take a rest.”

The hand holding the steering wheel tightened silently. Chen Lu’s eyes remained fixed on the road ahead, her voice faint:

“No need. If you don’t want your parents and daughter to worry about you, you should see them in the best condition.”

“……”

Gu Wan Jun opened her mouth, wanting to say something more, but seeing Chen Lu’s undeniable expression, she ultimately didn’t speak. She lowered her head, unconsciously twisting the corner of her clothes, but a wave of warmth surged in her heart.

Even with five years of pain and estrangement between them, the young girl still cared for her and thought about her.

At 3:30 in the latter half of the night, the white Mercedes slowly entered the parking lot of Yunjiang City People’s Hospital.

Gu Wan Jun hurriedly got out of the car and walked quickly into the hospital.

In the first-floor lobby, whether it was from sitting for too long or being nervous about being at the hospital, Gu Wan Jun’s legs felt weak after only a few steps. Fortunately, Chen Lu, who had been paying attention to her, grabbed her.

Following the instructions of the nurse at the front desk, Gu Wan Jun found the ward. The moment she pushed open the door, Gu Wan Jun saw Duo Duo lying quietly on the bed, her little face pale, with a needle in the back of her hand.

Gu’s father and Gu’s mother were sitting by the bed watching over their granddaughter. Seeing their daughter come in, Gu’s mother immediately got up, her expression a bit shocked:

“Wan Jun? Why are you back so soon?”

“Chen Lu drove me back.”

“Chen Lu?”

The name sounded familiar.

Gu’s mother peeked at the person behind Gu Wan Jun, just about to say something, but her daughter asked about Duo Duo’s condition first: “How’s Duo Duo doing?”

“She had a small injection an hour ago, and now she’s getting an anti-inflammatory drip. Her fever finally went down, and she just fell asleep not long ago. The doctor said Duo Duo has a viral cold and needs to stay in the hospital for observation for a few days.”

“Okay.”

Gu Wan Jun nodded. Although she heard her mother say Duo Duo was fine, she didn’t dare to be careless. She immediately went to the bedside and gently touched Duo Duo’s forehead. Only after confirming that her temperature had indeed dropped did Gu Wan Jun breathe a sigh of relief and turn to her parents to say:

“She really doesn’t have a fever anymore. Dad, Mom, thank you for taking care of Duo Duo. You’ve worked hard. Go back and rest. Mom’s heart isn’t good, she can’t stay up late. I’ll stay here and watch over her.”

Looking at the faint dark circles under their daughter’s eyes and her bloodshot eyes, Gu’s father and Gu’s mother exchanged glances, clearly still a little worried.

Seemingly sensing the two elders’ worries, Chen Lu, who had been silent at the ward door, walked over and politely nodded to the two elders:

“Uncle and aunt, I’m Chen Lu. Don’t worry, I’ll stay here to help. You should go back and rest.”

The familiar yet unfamiliar name from memory reappeared before their eyes. Chen Lu’s words made the two elders carefully examine the person in front of them from head to toe.

It was true that girls changed a lot as they grew up. The slender, pretty little girl from back then had completely blossomed, both in her features and figure. She was becoming more and more graceful and elegant, with an extraordinary temperament, even half a head taller than Wan Jun. If they ran into her on the street, the old couple would definitely not recognize her.

Gu’s mother looked at Chen Lu, then at her daughter, wanting to say something, but in the end, she didn’t. Looking at Chen Lu’s pretty but reliable face, Gu’s mother finally nodded:

“Alright, thank you for your help. We’ll come again tomorrow.”

Reaching an agreement, Chen Lu helped the two elders leave.

Gu Wan Jun sat by the bed, looking at Duo Duo’s sleeping little face and the back of her hand with a needle in it, and couldn’t help feeling a pang of heartache.

Baby, Mommy’s here.

Gu Wan Jun gently held Duo Duo’s little hand that wasn’t pricked with a needle, quietly accompanying her daughter through every minute and second.

About twenty minutes later, her phone vibrated. Gu Wan Jun received a message from her mother reporting that they had arrived home safely.

Her mother said that Chen Lu had driven the old couple home.

Again, Chen Lu. How could she be so kind?

Gu Wan Jun looked at the message, her nose tingling, and her heart filled with gratitude.

As for Chen Lu’s words in the ward twenty minutes ago, “I’ll stay here,” Gu Wan Jun didn’t dare to take them seriously at all.

It was just a kind lie from the young girl. She was willing to drive her back overnight despite their past grievances, and helped her send her parents home. How could she dare hope for anything else?

However, reality was always unexpected.

About twenty minutes later, the ward door behind her opened again.

Gu Wan Jun was stunned for a moment, turned her head at the sound, and met Chen Lu’s beautiful, clear eyes.

Completely unexpected that this person would come back, Gu Wan Jun’s fingertips digging into the edge of the bed, she looked up at Chen Lu, opened her mouth, and after a long time, made a somewhat hoarse sound:

“Chen Lu, thank you for driving me back, and thank you for taking my parents home. You’ve really worked hard today. Go back and get some rest.”

Chen Lu glanced at her, didn’t answer, just silently walked to a chair on the side and sat down, her eyes filled with tenderness as she looked at Duo Duo on the hospital bed, as if she hadn’t heard Gu Wan Jun’s words.

Gu Wan Jun had been trying to maintain her strong and calm facade, and it wasn’t until Chen Lu sat down that the anxious and uneasy heart in her chest truly calmed down. She felt a tightness in her throat and suddenly felt like crying.

Clearly not a crybaby, but after reuniting with Chen Lu, she seemed to have the urge to cry every moment.

Who could resist being moved to tears by such a gentle, considerate, kind, and soft-hearted person?

Gu Wan Jun didn’t insist on Chen Lu going home anymore. Neither of them spoke again, and they tacitly took turns guarding Duo Duo until dawn.

Early the next morning, Tang Ying, who had received the news of Duo Duo’s illness, rushed to the hospital. She was wearing a blue-gray windbreaker, which didn’t match the floral long dress inside at all. It looked like she had grabbed whatever was handy a second before leaving, but even so, her bright and sharp face was still strikingly beautiful.

Tang Ying ran into Gu Wan Jun at the payment window on the first floor. As soon as they met, Gu Wan Jun noticed that Tang Ying’s complexion wasn’t good, even worse than her own, who hadn’t slept all night. She asked with some concern:

“Why did you come? Didn’t you sleep well last night? Why do you look so bad?”

“……”

Being asked if she looked bad, Tang Ying’s expression visibly stiffened. She didn’t answer, but instead asked:

“How’s little Duo Duo? You’re paying the bill here, is someone watching over her?”

Gu Wan Jun nodded: “Chen Lu is in the ward.”

Tang Ying raised her eyebrows, seeming a little surprised, but didn’t say much.

The two walked together to the ward door. Through the glass window, they saw Chen Lu sitting by the bed, softly telling a story to Duo Duo, who had just woken up.

Although Duo Duo was still a little weak, her eyes were bright and sparkling, clearly captivated by the story. When the story ended, Chen Lu rubbed the little girl’s fluffy head, her tone gentle:

“It’s hard to be sick. Duo Duo needs to get better soon.”

“Then, then after Duo Duo gets better, will Auntie Lu Lu still tell Duo Duo stories?”

“Yes, whenever Duo Duo wants to hear a story, Auntie will tell Duo Duo a story, okay?”

“Really? Auntie Lu Lu can’t lie!”

“Auntie never lies to children, but only if you eat well and get better soon.”

“Okay~ Let’s pinky swear!”

“Pinky swear.”

Duo Duo reached out her little hand and made a pinky swear with Chen Lu, a long-lost smile appearing on her face.

Outside the ward, Tang Ying watched this scene, the corners of her mouth unconsciously rising slightly. But when she turned her head, she found that someone was not only smiling more happily than her, but the tenderness in those affectionate peach blossom eyes was about to overflow in the next second.

Did it have to be so sickeningly sweet?

Tang Ying couldn’t help rolling her eyes. She shoved the large fruit basket in her hand to Gu Wan Jun, her tone cold: “Alright, stop looking, be careful you’ll get stuck in there and can’t get out.”

“……”

Tang Ying’s teasing made Gu Wan Jun a little embarrassed. Holding the fruit basket, she reluctantly restrained some of her smile.

“Little Duo Duo’s condition is stable, don’t worry too much. I’m going out for a bit, I’ll be back later.”

“Okay.”

Gu Wan Jun nodded, watching Tang Ying leave.

Not long after, Chen Lu came out of the ward, and bumped into Gu Wan Jun, who was just about to enter the ward, at the door.

Afraid that Chen Lu would misunderstand something, Gu Wan Jun quickly explained the origin of the fruit basket in her hand:

“Tang Ying just came, the fruit basket is from her.”

The sudden explanation made Chen Lu’s expression change slightly. After a moment of silence, she spoke in a cold tone: “Duo Duo’s awake, go in.”

“Okay.”

“I’m leaving.”

“Chen Lu.”

The movement to turn around stopped. Chen Lu turned back to look at Gu Wan Jun, her expression calm: “Is there anything else?”

“Thank you for your hard work last night, go back and get some rest.”

Being gazed at affectionately by those peach blossom-like eyes, the reluctance and ambiguity in her eyes so strong that it was about to overflow, Chen Lu was a little at a loss. She habitually frowned, didn’t answer, and turned to leave.

When she got to the hospital entrance, out of Gu Wan Jun’s sight, Chen Lu dared to relax her brows. She was just about to breathe a sigh of relief, but the next second she saw Tang Ying leaning against the wall, seemingly waiting for her.

“Chat?” Tang Ying raised her eyebrows and asked directly.

Chen Lu didn’t refuse. The two walked to a stone bench in a small garden outside the hospital.

Knowing that Chen Lu didn’t like the smell of smoke, Tang Ying simply didn’t ask if the other party minded. She directly lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and got straight to the point:

“These years, Gu Wan Jun has been raising this child alone. It hasn’t been easy. Little Duo Duo’s health hasn’t been good. When she was little, she had to go to the hospital every few days. Gu Wan Jun has spent almost all her time on this precious daughter.”

“……”

Chen Lu was silent, her eyes fixed on the distance, not knowing what she was thinking.

Tang Ying didn’t look at her either, and continued on her own:

“I introduced Gu Wan Jun to some guys before, but almost everyone’s feedback was the same answer – Gu Wan Jun didn’t seem to take them seriously at all.”

“Actually, it’s not surprising that others say that. You can imagine, you finally manage to ask someone out to a candlelit dinner you’ve carefully planned for a long time, or you plan to go see a movie you’ve been wanting to see for a long time, but during this time, as long as there’s a phone call, your beautiful girlfriend has to leave in a hurry, because in her heart, her daughter is the most important thing. As long as something happens to her, she’ll drop everything and fly to her daughter’s side. How much love, patience, and emotional stability does the other half have to have to be able to accept such a girlfriend?”

“But from Duo Duo’s point of view, it’s another matter. Love and companionship can’t be bought with money. To be honest, sometimes, I even envy little Duo Duo for having a mother like Gu Wan Jun. I believe you and I should feel the same way.”

The blue-gray smoke that was exhaled was quickly blown away by the wind. Tang Ying turned her head to look at Chen Lu’s seemingly calm profile, her tone unusually serious:

“Chen Lu, maybe you think that Gu Wan Jun abandoned you back then, but to be honest, she abandoned not only you and the feelings between you, but also herself. Since Gu Wan Rong’s accident, Gu Wan Jun has been living for her parents, for her daughter, but not for herself. She can abandon herself, but she will never allow you to abandon yourself for her. Do you know why?”

“Because she loves you.”

The hand resting on her lap trembled slightly. Chen Lu still didn’t speak.

“To be honest, you were just a kid back then. If Gu Wan Jun had really been with you, how would you have faced the future?”

“Do you have 100% confidence and courage to accept Duo Duo, to accept this little girl who is unrelated to you by blood and who brings a series of trivial matters and problems?”

“Can you?”

“Maybe you can in the short term, but what about after a long time?”

“Are you really sure that you won’t break down because of the pressure, that you won’t be annoyed by the trivial and repetitive little things, that you won’t argue with Gu Wan Jun because she keeps talking about Duo Duo and Duo Duo, blaming her for delaying your future, and finally break up and leave each other with nothing?”

“To be honest, I would break down in that situation, let alone you, who were just a child who had just finished the college entrance examination and whose future was uncertain.”

“Love can overcome all difficulties, that’s too idealistic. I believe you like Gu Wan Jun, but liking Gu Wan Jun and liking single mother Gu Wan Jun are different. If you like her, you have to like all of her, including her parents and her daughter. If you want to be with her, you have to accept all of her, whether good or bad. The price of this might be your future, and even the worst-case scenario is endless arguments and disputes, and finally a complete breakdown, with nothing left.”

“Gu Wan Jun doesn’t want to end up like that.”

“Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“To be honest, I hate those preachy people the most, they drone on and on, it’s annoying to death, but today I actually played that role once. If you’re willing to listen, then listen, if you don’t want to listen, then pretend that I was crazy just now and talking nonsense.”

After exhaling the last puff of smoke, Tang Ying stubbed out the cigarette, got up, and left. Before leaving, she turned her head to look at Chen Lu, her tone faint:

“Regardless of whether you want to listen or not, there’s one thing I still want to say. Some things, once you miss them, you miss them. But some people are worth giving another chance to.”

“……”

The sun was warm, the sky was clear, and when the breeze blew, it was actually a little cold.

Tang Ying’s words kept echoing in her ears. Chen Lu sat on the stone bench for a long time without leaving.

On the other side.

After talking with Chen Lu, Tang Ying bought some breakfast and returned to the ward to find Gu Wan Jun.

In order to give Gu Wan Jun some time to rest, Tang Ying specially hired a special nurse to take care of Duo Duo.

The two came to the lounge and sat by the window. Gu Wan Jun was preoccupied and couldn’t eat at all.

Thinking that this person was still worried about her daughter, Tang Ying shook the Americano in her hand, intentionally changing the subject, and asked how Gu Wan Jun’s speech went last night.

Mentioning the speech, Gu Wan Jun sighed and couldn’t help thinking of the young male teacher, Jiang Pengfei, who said he wanted to meet Chen Lu.

“Tang Ying, you’re right, there are plenty of people chasing after young, beautiful girls, they can’t stay single for too long.”

“……”

What goes around, comes around. These words were as familiar as they could be.

As soon as she finished speaking, the plastic cup in her hand was squeezed slightly out of shape, and Tang Ying’s expression became a little ugly.

Thinking of someone who was still sulking at her, how could she not be considered young and beautiful?

Before Gu Wan Jun could continue, Tang Ying, her face so ugly that it was about to drip ice, put down the coffee cup in her hand, her cold tone with a hint of urgency:

“Talk to you later, I have something to do, I’ll go first.”

“……”

The sudden behavior stunned Gu Wan Jun. She blinked her eyes, a little puzzled: “You’re leaving now? I still have something I want to tell you.”

Tang Ying stood up, without turning her head: “Whatever it is, we’ll talk about it next time, see you.”

“……”

Watching Tang Ying’s leaving back, Gu Wan Jun shook her head.

What’s wrong, why is this person being so inexplicably strange today?

After eating breakfast with a heavy heart, Gu Wan Jun returned to the ward and ran into her mother, who had come to see Duo Duo, at the door.

Gu’s mother was carrying a thermal container, clearly porridge prepared for Duo Duo.

“Mom, why did you come so early?” Gu Wan Jun spoke softly, reaching out to take the thermal container.

Gu’s mother smiled, wrinkles of fatigue appearing at the corners of her eyes: “Duo Duo’s sick, how can I sleep? I made some porridge, thinking she can drink some when she wakes up.”

Gu Wan Jun nodded, just about to push the door into the ward, but her mother grabbed her wrist.

“Wan Jun, where’s Chen Lu? I just saw that she wasn’t in the ward.” Gu’s mother’s voice had a hint of probing.

Gu Wan Jun was slightly stunned by her mother’s question about Chen Lu, but she quickly adjusted her emotions: “She just went back, she helped take care of Duo Duo last night, she didn’t sleep all night.”

“I see.” Gu’s mother nodded thoughtfully and asked: “Did you eat breakfast together?”

Gu Wan Jun shook her head and answered truthfully: “No, Tang Ying just came, I ate with her.”

Gu’s mother “Oh”ed, her eyes lingering on her daughter’s face for a few seconds, seemingly deliberating something.

Guessing that her mother had something to ask her, and that it might be about Chen Lu, Gu Wan Jun pursed her lips. Just as she was hesitating whether to change the subject, her mother spoke first, her voice very low:

“Wan Jun, have you and Chen Lu been in contact all these years?”

“……”

The anticipated question floated into her ears. Gu Wan Jun’s fingers tightened slightly, her fingertips a little cold. She lowered her eyes, her voice with a hint of imperceptible bitterness:

“No, she just returned to the country recently. We reconnected at a class reunion.”

Gu’s mother was silent for a while, seemingly digesting this news. Before speaking again, the old woman’s tone was a little hesitant:

“Then this time you asked for leave to go to Ningcheng for a speech… was it to see her?”

“……”

Gu Wan Jun was silent, didn’t speak, and the next second she heard her mother’s soft sigh:

“Yesterday when I went to pick up Duo Duo from school, the little girl told me excitedly that an Auntie Lu Lu told her stories and lulled her to sleep last night, and also said that Mommy and Auntie Lu Lu went to Ningcheng together today, and Mommy must be very happy.”

“……”

Listening to her mother’s complex voice, Gu Wan Jun bit her lip, still not speaking.

Like mother, like daughter, having said this, Gu’s mother, sensing that something was wrong, was silent for a long time. She looked into her daughter’s eyes and finally asked the question that had been bothering her all night:

“Wan Jun, what exactly is your relationship with that child?”

“……”

The question that was bound to come had come.

Gu Wan Jun didn’t answer immediately, her eyes falling on the door of the ward, her throat a little tight, as if something was blocking it. After a long silence, she opened her mouth with difficulty:

“Mom, Duo Duo’s sick now, this matter… can we talk about it later, okay?”

“……”

This almost evasive answer was clearly very different from Gu Wan Jun’s usual style of speaking her mind directly.

Gu’s mother looked at her daughter, a trace of complexity in her eyes. She pursed her lips, and finally didn’t ask any further questions, just gently patted the back of her daughter’s hand, her tone concerned:

“Go in and see Duo Duo, the porridge is still hot, let her drink it while it’s hot.”

“What about you, aren’t you going in to see Duo Duo?”

“No, let her rest well, I’m leaving.”

Watching her mother’s no longer straight, thin back disappear at the end of the corridor, Gu Wan Jun’s heart surged, and the thermal container in her hand suddenly became particularly heavy.

Over the years, Gu Wan Jun had been forcing herself to bury her feelings for Chen Lu deep in her heart, not even daring to touch them easily, and now, Chen Lu had reappeared in her life, and those suppressed emotions seemed to have found an outlet in an instant, no longer able to be ignored.

She knew that her mother must have noticed something too.

Gu Wan Jun sighed, holding the thermal container and entering the ward.

On the bed, the little girl was asleep. She had a fever and got a shot last night, tossing and turning until midnight, and then got up early this morning to listen to Chen Lu tell stories, so she was bound to be sleepy.

After sending away the special nurse, Gu Wan Jun put the thermal container on the cabinet and leaned over to tuck Duo Duo into the corner of the quilt. At this moment, Duo Duo moved and opened her eyes, still groggy.

“Mom…” Duo Duo’s voice was a little hoarse, with a hint of coquetry.

“Mommy’s here.”

Gu Wan Jun responded and asked softly: “Does Baby feel better? Grandma just came to see Duo Duo and also made porridge for Duo Duo, do you want to drink a little?”

“Duo Duo doesn’t want to drink…” The little one shook her head, her pink and chubby face crumpled into a ball.

“How can you not eat anything? Doesn’t Duo Duo want to get better? Be good, listen to Mommy, drink a little porridge, okay?”

“Okay… Alright, I’ll be good and listen.”

Neat little white teeth appeared, Duo Duo tried to cheer up and said, pulling Gu Wan Jun’s hand in a milky voice:

“Mommy, the story that Auntie Lu Lu told me this morning was so good! She said that if Duo Duo gets better, she’ll tell Duo Duo new stories next time!”

“……”

Looking at her daughter’s innocent little face, Gu Wan Jun smiled reluctantly, her heart filled with mixed feelings.

She knew that Duo Duo’s love for Chen Lu was pure, and Chen Lu’s gentleness and tolerance towards Duo Duo also surprised her, but the relationship between her and Chen Lu was far from as simple as Duo Duo saw it…

“Mommy? Duo Duo’s talking to Mommy? Did Mommy hear it?”

The thoughts that were about to drift away were pulled back by the little one’s words. Gu Wan Jun gently stroked Duo Duo’s hair and said softly:

“Okay, when Auntie Lu Lu is free, Mommy will invite her to tell you stories again, okay?”

“Okay!” Duo Duo nodded happily.

“Baby’s so good, if you’re sleepy, sleep a little longer, you didn’t sleep well last night.”

“What about Mommy, isn’t Mommy sleepy?”

“Mommy’s not sleepy, Auntie Lu Lu drove Mommy back last night, Mommy got some sleep on the way.”

“Auntie Lu Lu is so good.”

“Yes.”

“Mommy is also so good.”

“Yes, sleep, Baby.”

Gu Wan Jun sat by the bed, watching her daughter gradually fall asleep, her heart unable to calm down for a long time.

The sunlight shone in through the cracks in the curtains, illuminating the ward, but Gu Wan Jun inexplicably felt a chill.

She didn’t know if Chen Lu would forgive her, didn’t know if her parents would accept it, didn’t know how Duo Duo would react after knowing the truth, and didn’t know where the future would lead…

But this time, she would no longer run away from her heart.