SYLM Chapter 68

Chapter 68 “My surname is Han, and I’m your mother’s friend.”

The sudden change was devastating news for everyone in the Gu family.

Her older sister’s accidental death and her brother-in-law being arrested for using a gun left Gu Wan Jun’s mind blank from the moment she received the news until she took leave and rushed back to a hospital in Yunjiang City.

It wasn’t until she saw the police and doctors outside the morgue supporting her emotionally distraught parents that Gu Wan Jun accepted the fact that she wasn’t having a nightmare.

Gu Wan Jun was allowed to see her sister, Gu Wan Rong, one last time.

It was the first time she had faced death directly, and the deceased was her closest sister.

The moment she lifted the white cloth, her throat and nose felt as if they were blocked by clumps of vinegar-soaked cotton. Tears she had been holding back blurred Gu Wan Jun’s vision, and her reddened eyes seemed about to bleed. In an instant, large teardrops fell to the ground like broken beads, shattering into pieces.

Just last month, she and her sister were celebrating the birth of Duo Duo, but today it had turned into a final farewell, separated by life and death.

How could this be?

How could this happen?

Gu Wan Jun couldn’t accept this outcome.

Sister, I still have so much to say to you.

Even if you don’t think of me, you clearly said before that you would resign and spend time with Duo Duo as she grows up. How could you break your promise like this? Didn’t you teach me from a young age that one must keep their promises and do what they say?

Gu Wan Rong, how could you not keep your word?

No matter how Gu Wan Jun pleaded, her sister, pale as paper and seemingly about to shatter at the slightest touch, would never smile and respond to her gently as she used to.

Her ears were ringing from crying, as if something had exploded. Gu Wan Jun couldn’t even stand steady. At the same time, a nurse’s scream came from outside the morgue, and Gu’s mother, heartbroken, suffered a sudden rush of anger and fainted.

Every corner of the hospital was filled with a heavy atmosphere, the air thick with the smell of disinfectant. In the corridors, patients’ families paced anxiously back and forth, while doctors and nurses busily moved between the wards.

In the ward, from seeing her sister’s last face to her mother collapsing in grief, Gu Wan Jun’s face was streaked with tears, and her slightly trembling lips were devoid of color.

After a thorough examination, the doctor said that Gu’s mother had a heart condition and that her emotional state caused a surge in blood pressure, leading to fainting. What she needed now was rest, and she couldn’t withstand any more stimulation.

Gu Wan Jun raised her hand to wipe the half-dried tears from her face, nodded in agreement, thanked the doctor, and saw him out.

Walking out of the ward, after hesitating for a moment, the young male doctor who had treated Gu’s mother took off his mask and repeatedly instructed Gu Wan Jun:

“Auntie’s condition isn’t very optimistic. Miss Gu must pay close attention to Auntie’s situation at all times. If anything is wrong, notify me immediately. Also, you must not stimulate her in any way.”

“Okay, I understand. Thank you, Dr. Zhao.”

The doctor, Zhao Lei, was a colleague of Gu Wan Rong in the same department, and graduated from the same university as her. Years ago, when Gu Wan Jun came to the hospital to see her sister, Zhao Lei was still an intern, and they had met a few times.

Her peach blossom eyes, red from crying, looked as if they had been burned by fire, and anyone who saw them would feel sad. With a feeling of compassion, Zhao Lei reached into the pocket of his white coat and took out a pre-prepared envelope, handing it to Gu Wan Jun:

“We all know about Dr. Gu’s situation. Miss Gu, this is a small token of our department’s appreciation. They asked me to represent the entire department and ask you to accept it.”

“No, I can’t accept it. I thank you all for your kindness on behalf of my sister. Please take it back.”

“Miss Gu, please accept it. This money was voluntarily donated by everyone. Everyone in our department has been helped by Dr. Gu in one way or another. Now that this has happened, this is the only way we can help.”

At those words, Gu Wan Jun paused, suppressing the urge to cry.

Her sister was a kind person, and Gu Wan Jun knew this better than anyone.

But where there are people, there is society, and being kind often leads to being hurt.

Gu Wan Jun knew exactly how much suffering and hardship her sister had endured when she first came to this hospital. Now, to receive such feedback from her colleagues could be considered genuine appreciation.

Looking around to make sure no one was paying attention, Zhao Lei reached into the other pocket of his white coat and took out a second envelope. He stacked the two envelopes together and handed them to Gu Wan Jun, lowering his voice:

“This is a small token of my appreciation, representing only myself. I hope Miss Gu will accept it.”

“No, I can’t—”

“Miss Gu.”

Zhao Lei interrupted Gu Wan Jun, his voice somewhat choked:

“When I first came to the hospital, I was just a rookie who didn’t know anything and offended people everywhere. Sister Wan Rong was the one who always guided me and helped me, otherwise I wouldn’t be where I am today. I consider her like a sister, and you will need a lot of money later. I can’t help with anything else, but this is what I can do. I hope Miss Gu will grant my wish.”

As he said this, the man, who was two heads taller than Gu Wan Jun, pushed up his glasses, almost tearing up.

After saying that, without waiting for Gu Wan Jun’s agreement, Zhao Lei stuffed the two envelopes into Gu Wan Jun’s hand, then put on his mask and went to another ward.

In the corridor, the white walls were cold and desolate, solemn and silent. The sound of footsteps and the prayers of families never stopped, and the bitter smell of disinfectant drilled into everyone’s noses, choking everyone’s eyes.

Gu Wan Jun, who had already cried, was no exception.

The aftermath: her sister’s funeral, her brother-in-law’s lawsuit, her mother who couldn’t withstand any more stimulation and whose hair had turned white overnight, her father, and her newborn niece, Duo Duo, who had lost both parents overnight…

Each and every event came like an overwhelming avalanche, suffocating Gu Wan Jun, leaving her with nowhere to escape.

Overnight, everything changed, her family was ruined, and Gu Wan Jun went from being the carefree youngest daughter of the family to the pillar who had to support the entire household.

—

Ningcheng.

With one week left until the college entrance exam, all work related to exam permits, student files, and everything else was being carried out in an orderly manner, and the school announced a holiday for all senior students.

The string that had been taut for three years had finally reached its breaking point, and they were just one week away from entering the “battlefield.”

More than a week had passed since Gu Wan Jun had taken leave. In the past week, Chen Lu had sent messages to Gu Wan Jun almost every day, but she never received a reply.

During this time, Tang Ying often mentioned Gu Wan Jun’s situation to her, intentionally or unintentionally. Tang Ying said that Gu Wan Jun was doing well, but she was too busy with family matters and was afraid of distracting Chen Lu and delaying her college entrance exam at this critical time, so she hadn’t replied to WeChat.

Chen Lu had always been skeptical of Tang Ying’s words.

She believed Tang Ying because, from a rational point of view, she couldn’t find fault with what she said each time, and Chen Lu had always felt that Tang Ying was a person who wouldn’t bother to lie.

As for her suspicion, from an emotional point of view, Chen Lu always felt that apart from when it was necessary to avoid suspicion, Gu Wan Jun wouldn’t not reply to her messages for any other reason. Even if she was afraid of distracting her and delaying her college entrance exam, according to Gu Wan Jun’s style, she would have gently comforted and advised her, rather than simply not replying.

What was the problem?

With this conflicted feeling, on the afternoon when the school announced that senior students were on holiday and leaving school, Chen Lu came to the liberal arts office for the last time and found Tang Ying, who was packing up.

Chen Lu asked Tang Ying if Gu Wan Jun would be back for the college entrance exam and if she would be there to see them into the exam venue.

After asking the question, Chen Lu kept staring at Tang Ying’s face, but other than beauty and aloofness, Chen Lu didn’t notice anything wrong. Tang Ying immediately said that she didn’t know either, and that she would call Gu Wan Jun when she had time.

Jiang Zhen Zhen’s parents came to pick her up, and Fu Yi Wen stayed in the liberal arts office to help Tang Ying clean. After saying goodbye to her two friends, before stepping out of the school gate, Chen Lu looked back at the three teaching buildings and the entire campus where she had spent her time.

The campus was small, but it held too many deep and unforgettable memories from the past three years. Whether it was happiness or sadness, ease or hardship, at this time, all the beautiful memories floated in Chen Lu’s mind. She had figured out many things and grown in all aspects during these three years at Ningcheng No. 1 High School. At the same time, she had made many friends and classmates and had the honor of being taught by many outstanding teachers.

The luckiest thing was that she had met Gu Wan Jun.

In early June, the summer cicadas chirped, the sun was just right, and a gentle breeze caressed her face. A bright future was enthusiastically beckoning to everyone.

After leaving the school, she took off her autumn school uniform and tied it around her waist. Her fair and firm arms glowed white in the sun. Chen Lu raised her hand to shield her eyes from the sun and stopped to wait to cross the street when she saw a quartz white Lexus parked diagonally across from the school gate that was very conspicuous, with a group of “car enthusiasts” surrounding it, their eyes shining.

Perhaps the sun was too dazzling, or perhaps she was attracted to the luxury car like everyone else, Chen Lu paused and squinted, watching carefully.

This car seemed to have been at the school gate two days ago.

The day before yesterday morning, she also saw this car parked in front of the Rose Garden residential complex.

The probability of a luxury car like a Lexus appearing in a small county was like winning the lottery and becoming a billionaire. At least Chen Lu, who had lived in Ningcheng for nineteen years, had never seen one.

The school and her home. Was it a coincidence?

Chen Lu withdrew her gaze, turned around, and walked quickly towards home.

As the sun set in the west, large swathes of orange and red sunset glow painted the sky like an oil painting of molten gold and blood red ink, becoming the final masterpiece before the sun dipped below the horizon.

Chen Lu came out of the residential complex, carrying her small schoolbag and swiping her card. She looked around and saw the quartz white Lexus that had appeared at the school gate at noon parked in the parking space diagonally opposite the main entrance of the residential complex. The spotless car body was coated with a faint golden light, making it look even more expensive.

She glanced at the license plate, retracted her gaze, and walked to the nearest bus stop. In less than two minutes, she boarded a bus she often took.

In summer, the days are long and the nights are short. Even though the sun had already set, the sky was still dimly lit.

An hour and a half later, Chen Lu got off at the terminal station.

After getting off the bus, Chen Lu didn’t rush into the old residential complex behind her. Instead, she kept staring in the direction the bus had come from.

Two minutes later, a quartz white Lexus turned out from the corner of the street.

It wasn’t an illusion. This car was following her.

Before the car reached the residential complex, the driver noticed that the young girl he had been following was standing at the entrance of the complex, staring at their car. He quickly turned around to ask for instructions:

“Sister Han, the kid seems to have noticed us. What should we do next?”

“The little girl is quite bold. Pull over.”

“Yes.”

The Lexus slowed down and finally stopped by the side of the road, about twenty or thirty meters away from Chen Lu.

Through the car window, Chen Lu couldn’t see the situation inside the car, but she was sure that the people inside were there to find her.

Maybe it was related to Chen Qing Yu.

Thinking of that face that was nine-tenths similar to her own, Chen Lu felt a lump in her throat. She first took out her phone and pressed 110 just in case, then walked step by step towards the white car parked by the side of the road.

Chen Lu slowed down as she approached, but there was no movement from the car.

She tentatively tapped on the driver’s side window. A few seconds passed, but there was no movement from the driver’s seat. Instead, the window of the back seat of the car went down.

The strong, expensive perfume from the car window was blown by the wind straight into Chen Lu’s nose, making her cough twice. She looked into the back seat of the car window and saw a heavily made-up, glamorous face.

“So alike.”

The woman smiled noncommittally, and her husky voice made Chen Lu confused. The girl subconsciously asked, “What?”

“You look just like your mother.”

The woman replied, her black eyes under the bright gold eyeshadow were filled with obvious satisfaction, and even a hint of smugness.

Chen Lu, who didn’t want to have anything to do with Chen Qing Yu, naturally didn’t have anything nice to say to this suddenly emerging figure:

“I don’t know Chen Qing Yu, and I don’t know what you’re talking about. Stop following me.”

“My surname is Han, and I’m your mother’s friend.”

As if she hadn’t heard Chen Lu’s words, the woman introduced herself, taking out her wallet, opening it, and showing Chen Lu a photo in the inner layer.

In the photo, two women were sitting side by side on a sofa. The woman on the left was glamorous and dazzling, while the woman on the right was gentle and charming. The background of the photo seemed to be a bar.

“This is a photo of me and your mother. This one on the right is her. Can you recognize her?”

“I don’t know her. If you follow me again, I’ll call the police.”

Chen Lu’s attitude was firm. As soon as she said that, the driver swallowed subconsciously. He secretly glanced at the woman in the back seat of the car, afraid that she would lose her temper in the next second.

But the woman didn’t.

As if looking at the shadow of another person through the girl in front of her, the woman was not anxious or angry. After putting away her wallet, she continued with a smile that wasn’t a smile:

“We returned to China a few months ago. Your mother was afraid of affecting your college entrance exam, so she hasn’t met you yet. These days, she only dares to seize every opportunity to take a look at you from afar. She has always been thinking about you these years.”

“…”

Forget it, talking to this woman was like talking to a brick wall.

Chen Lu bit her back teeth and decided to call the police, but in the next second, the woman’s slightly hoarse voice drifted over from the car window:

“I know you hate her, but before you call the police, don’t you want to know what happened to her abroad all these years?”

“…”