She always wanted to change, but she was too afraid to take that first step.
She could only stay calmly within the protective shield her daughters had woven for her, until the day she died.
Was such a life truly peaceful for her?
No.
Over these three years, Ming Sasa had watched Ming Li transform from a resilient, vibrant butterfly into something lifeless and listless.
Now, looking at Ming Li, she even felt like she was seeing Zhou Bo on his deathbed. Her daughter was expending everything—including her very life—just to hold the family together. And it was all because of her, this useless mother.
What right did she have to blame Ming Li?
Ming Sasa looked at Ming Li, unable to say a word, as two streams of clear tears slid down her cheeks.
In these three years, she had shed more tears than in her entire previous life combined.
Seeing her cry, Ming Li panicked even more. “Mom, why are you crying? We’re both fine.”
Hearing this, Ming Xi hurried over and squatted beside her. “Aww, Mom, don’t cry. Whatever it is, we can talk it out. You’re making me want to cry too.”
Before she finished speaking, two tears fell from her eyes.
Sadness was contagious, especially among close family.
Ming Xi wiped her tears. “Mom, don’t cry. I’m really okay. Super fine. You should’ve seen how badly I beat that trash yesterday. I’m kidding—I grew up practicing martial arts! I’m awesome!”
But Lady Ming’s tears flowed even harder. Ming Li’s eyes reddened too. “Just say whatever you need to. Don’t keep it bottled up—we can figure it out together.”
Lady Ming let out a long sigh. “It’s me… I’m just too useless.”
“How could you be? You’re Lady Ming!” Ming Xi hugged her. “You’re the best mom in the world.”
Ming Sasa just shook her head. “Let me be alone for a bit.”
As Ming Sasa got up to head to her room, Ming Li stood in her path like a wall, her expression complicated. “Mom…”
That one word carried so many emotions.
But Ming Sasa patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry, A-Li. I won’t do anything stupid.”
Ming Li and Ming Xi watched her enter her room, leaving just the two of them in the living room.
Ming Xi stared worriedly at the door, then heard music start playing from inside, soon mixed with sobs.
“Sis…” Ming Xi said in frustration. “I shouldn’t have come back last night.”
Ming Li patted her arm. “It’s okay. Not your fault. Let Mom calm down on her own. She’ll come around.”
Ming Xi sighed. There was nothing else to do at this point.
She asked why Ming Li had come over so suddenly, and Ming Li pulled a bottle of medicine from her bag and handed it to her. “I bought this at the pharmacy on the way. Remember to apply it on time—it shouldn’t be a big issue, no scarring.”
Ming Xi thanked her and asked about things with Gu Qingshuang, worried that Ming Li had been given a hard time when she went back yesterday.
“She’s not that unreasonable,” Ming Li said.
Ming Li didn’t go into detail about yesterday’s events with Ming Xi. She just briefly mentioned Gu Qingshuang’s morning suggestion. Ming Xi smacked her own face. “It doesn’t even hurt anymore. What would I go to the hospital for?”
“It’s just a checkup.” Ming Li recalled the wound on her scalp. “Better check your head too.”
Ming Xi: “…”
“I’m not going,” Ming Xi said. “I’m fine. I even did a full set of math problems last night, and that last big question? Solved it like I had divine inspiration. No need to run to the hospital. I know my own body.”
Ming Li glanced at her. “You still need a CT scan.”
“I don’t want to bother Sis-in-Law.” Ming Xi said. “I’m still mad at her.”
“I’ll arrange for a friend of mine. You go to them,” Ming Li said. “You’re not going to school today anyway. A checkup won’t hurt, and you can get some bloodwork to check your levels—see if you’re missing any nutrients. This is a critical time; you’ve been staying up late and fighting. Don’t pass out during the college entrance exam.”
“Pah pah pah, don’t jinx me.” Ming Xi bragged. “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely get into Jing’an University.”
“Thought about majors yet?” Ming Li asked.
Ming Xi: “Nah. I’ll decide when I fill out the forms after the exam. Too early now.”
“Alright.” Ming Li patted her shoulder and left her two thousand yuan. “Buy Mom some supplements. The rest is your pocket money.”
Ming Xi: “…?”
She was about to say, Didn’t you just give me pocket money not long ago?
But before she could speak, Ming Li had already grabbed her bag to leave.
“Study hard, don’t overdo it,” Ming Li instructed. “If anything happens with Mom, tell me right away. If you pull that stunt again like last time—waiting till she’s in the hospital to let me know—watch out, or I won’t talk to you.”
Ming Xi: “…”
After Ming Li left, Ming Xi sat at the dining table and took a couple bites of her bun. She heard the music from Lady Ming’s room turn down, and the crying weaken.
She sighed, quickly finished the porridge in her bowl, and knocked on Lady Ming’s door. “Mom, I’m just in my room doing problems. Call me if you need anything.”
For some reason, Ming Xi still felt uneasy. Recalling the look in Lady Ming’s eyes before she went in, she felt scared.
So as she opened her own bedroom door, she turned back and knocked again. “Mom, let me tell you—I’m a senior now. In a little over two months, it’s the college entrance exam. Everyone else will have their parents seeing them off, but it’ll just be me walking in alone. I bet I won’t even be able to hold my pen steady.”
There was no sound from Lady Ming’s room.
Ming Xi kept going. “You should know, right? No one can stay strong forever. Dad wasn’t there for my middle school exam. If you miss my college one too, worst case, I’ll pack up and…”
Before she could finish, Lady Ming’s door opened.
Ming Sasa had just finished crying; her eyes and nose were red. The traces of age on her face didn’t make her ugly—instead, they gave her more charm. Her eyes flashed with anger. “What are you saying?!”
Lady Ming smacked her shoulder. “Nonsense! Absolute nonsense! What do you think you’re doing? Trying to die too?”
Ming Xi: “…”
She couldn’t dodge and took several hits, her back tensing up. But seeing Lady Ming angry made her feel a bit relieved at last. She knew the worries she and her sister had wouldn’t come true.
“I’m not dying,” Ming Xi said. “As long as you don’t, I won’t.”
“Even if I die, you can’t,” Ming Sasa said. “You’re still young.”
“I couldn’t handle losing my parents one after the other,” Ming Xi bickered with her.
Ming Sasa: “…”
At this point, Ming Sasa finally calmed down. She exhaled softly and said, “If I wanted to find a job, what could I do?”
Ming Xi: “?”
