“She isn’t lucid for very long. At night, she’s always restless, complaining that her bones ache. The CT scans didn’t show anything, though. The doctors say it might be psychological…” Ming Xi couldn’t finish the sentence. She went quiet and resumed eating her pancake.
Ming Li listened, her expression unreadable. She had always known her mother was at the end of her rope. Even before her father died, her mother had been frail and sickly, like a delicate tragic heroine who would blow away in a strong wind.
But because her father had been ten years older and the family had been wealthy—with a staff of fifty or sixty people ranging from bodyguards to maids—her mother had never had to lift a finger. She hadn’t even boiled her own water. Her father had shielded her with absolute devotion. For as long as Ming Li could remember, she had never seen them argue once.
So, when the news of the bankruptcy and her father’s suicide reached her mother’s ears, her health plummeted instantly. She had been drifting in and out of consciousness in this ward ever since. The fact that she had held on this long was a testament to a mother’s sheer will.
Since their mother was still asleep, the sisters didn’t dare speak loudly. They huddled together, whispering about mundane things. Ming Li asked about Ming Xi’s grades. The hundred-day countdown to the Gaokao—the college entrance exam—had already begun. Soon, it would be her turn to take the stage.
Ming Xi’s school was a top-tier high school in Jing’an, with a prestigious university acceptance rate of over eighty percent. Ming Xi hadn’t been a “good” student in the past; people used to say she lacked Ming Li’s natural brilliance and couldn’t excel at everything she touched. Her middle school grades had been average, but she had performed miraculously during the entrance exams, scoring only five points lower than the city’s top scholar.
Now, Ming Xi’s mock exam scores consistently ranked near the top. She had become a key focus for the school’s administration. Furthermore, she hadn’t cost the family a cent for her three years of high school; her various scholarships and competition prize money covered all her expenses.
Ming Li wasn’t asking about her grades to pressure her; she only wanted to make sure she wasn’t overworking herself.
Ming Xi laughed, revealing a row of neat, bright teeth. “I’m not tired. There are people at school who study way later than I do. You have no idea how competitive it is. People are up at five in the morning to memorize vocabulary.” Ming Xi started venting. “My desk-mate, Wang Xinji, can finish two entire English mock exams in an hour—at midnight!”
Ming Li was speechless.
The sisters hadn’t seen each other in a while. Even though most of the conversation revolved around Ming Xi’s school life, Ming Li showed no signs of impatience. She listened with quiet focus.
When Ming Xi finally ran out of breath, her eyes darted around. She bit her lip, looking a bit bashful. “Enough about me. What about you? Are you… truly doing okay?”
“Quite well,” Ming Li said. “I haven’t had much to do lately, so I’m preparing to submit my resume and audition for the Jing’an Grand Theater.”
“You’re really going to start dancing again?!” Ming Xi’s voice rose instinctively. She quickly covered her mouth, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
“I never gave up on it,” Ming Li replied.
Ming Xi leaned in and whispered, “Will the Gu family allow it? The one Gu Qingshuang used to love… didn’t they break up because she chose dancing over—”
Catching Ming Li’s stern look, Ming Xi pouted. “Fine, my sister-in-law.”
“I won’t talk about her business, okay?” Ming Xi’s voice softened. “I’m just really happy you can dance again.”
“I haven’t received a reply yet. It might not work out,” Ming Li warned. “Don’t get your hopes up.”
“It’ll work. You’re Ming Li,” Ming Xi said, patting her shoulder. “Oh, by the way, Sister-in-law is on duty in the ER today. Are you going to see her later?”
“We’ll see.”
At the mention of Gu Qingshuang, Ming Li’s expression remained neutral.
Ming Xi hesitated before adding, “Lately, Sister-in-law has been getting very close to an intern in her department.”
Ming Li was about to respond when the woman on the bed slowly opened her eyes. Her hollow gaze suddenly brightened when she saw Ming Li. “A-Li.”
Her voice was raspy, and after those two syllables, she began to cough. Ming Li immediately stepped forward to rub her back, while Ming Xi poured a glass of water.
Their mother had been hospitalized for half a month this time. Ming Li had only visited on the first day; the rest of the time, she was cared for by three rotating nurses, with Ming Xi visiting after school.
Having not seen her for a while, Ming Li noticed how much weight her mother had lost. The first thing her mother asked about was Gu Qingshuang. “Did Miss Gu not come with you?”
“She’s on duty in the Emergency Room.” Ming Li used the information Ming Xi had provided without a hint of guilt. “The hospital is very busy. I’m not a child; she doesn’t need to escort me everywhere.”
Her mother lowered her eyes, looking somewhat displeased. “But she hasn’t visited once.”
“You’re being unfair to Sister-in-law,” Ming Xi interjected. “She came by the day before yesterday while you were sleeping. And isn’t this suite paid for and arranged by her? She cares about you.”
“What’s the use of her caring about me?” her mother sighed. “She needs to be good to A-Li.”
“She is good to me,” Ming Li coaxed. “Mom, don’t always think I’m being mistreated in the Gu house. Gu Qingshuang is just cold on the outside and warm on the inside. She’s a few years older than me, so she looks out for me.”
Her mother’s greatest fear was that Ming Li’s life in the Gu family was miserable. After her husband’s death, her favorite daughter had taken the burden of the family on her shoulders, paid off the debts, and rushed into marriage with a virtual stranger to save them. Her mother had heard long ago that the Gu family was difficult to deal with. Since the wedding, she had only met Gu Qingshuang’s parents twice. Perhaps because the Ming family had fallen, or perhaps because they saw them as nothing but a widow and her orphans, their attitude had been incredibly arrogant.
Every time she met the Gu parents, Ming Li’s mother would cry the entire night. Lately, she had been dreaming of Ming Li being bullied, but she didn’t dare call her daughter to visit, fearing it would make things harder for her in that household.
