Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
He Ming left the ward quickly, thinking that once his mom was discharged, he could go find Xiaomeng. He hastened his steps towards the hospitalâs billing counter.
In the ward, Mother He was chatting with Yao Ning, holding her hand.
âYao Ning, youâre such a good girl. Do you have a boyfriend?â Mother He asked directly, without beating around the bush. If she was going to introduce a potential partner to her son, she needed to know all the details.
âAuntieâ¦â Yao Ning blushed shyly.
Being experienced, Mother He understood the implication right away.
âYao Ning, what do you think of my son?â Mother He asked tentatively.
âHe Ming is great,â Yao Ning, being clever, wouldnât miss Mother Heâs a hint. She quickly expressed her stance.
After admiring He Ming for so long, would she finally have a chance?
âHehe, thatâs good then,â Mother He chuckled. It wasnât self-praise; her son was indeed so outstanding that there were few who wouldnât like him.
âAuntie, youâve been in the hospital for so long. Why havenât you seen He Mingâs girlfriend come to visit you?â Yao Ning asked casually.
After all, she had always heard about his girlfriend but hadnât seen any other women come to visit.
Wasnât it strange? Even if she was busy, shouldnât she have made time to visit her boyfriendâs mother who was ill?
Upon hearing Yao Ning mention He Mingâs girlfriend, Mother He immediately thought of Xiaomeng, and her expression darkened.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
âThey probably broke up. I havenât seen them in contact recently anyway. Besides, I didnât approve of her,â Mother Heâs tone was firm.
Yao Ning was stunned. She hadnât expected this situation. Did He Ming and his girlfriend break up?
âAuntie, what He Ming likes, outsiders canât interfere with,â Yao Ning seemed to be stirring up trouble.
âHow can they not interfere? Iâm his mother. If he marries Xiaomeng, it would mean cutting off our familyâs future. I wonât allow it,â Mother He said indignantly. She didnât want to meddle in her sonâs relationships, but seeing him so blindly obsessed, she felt responsible for waking him up.
Yao Ning felt conflicted. So it was Auntie Heâs opposition, not He Mingâs relationship with his girlfriend, that caused the issue. Hearing this, she suddenly felt very disappointed.
Just then, He Ming returned.
âItâs all sorted out, Mom,â He Ming efficiently helped pack things up.
âGood,â Mother He nodded.
âYao Ning, thank you for everything during this time,â He Ming expressed his sincere gratitude.
âYouâre welcome. Weâre friends after all,â Yao Ning smiled gently, her lips forming a long arc.
âThen tonight, when you finish work, Iâll come pick you up for dinner,â He Mingâs thoughts were straightforward. He just wanted to quickly repay the favor and not owe anyone anything.
Yao Ningâs heart skipped a beat when she heard this. Was he asking her out on a date? That would be wonderful.
âOkay,â Yao Ning nodded shyly.
Mother He watched quietly, smiling inwardly.
Great, her wish to hold her grandchild might not be far off now.
After settling Mother He at home, He Ming stepped outside and impatiently dialed Xiaomengâs number.
But no one answered after several tries.
He was getting anxious. Had something happened since they hadnât been in touch for days?
No, he decided. Tomorrow, he would go to Xiaomengâs house and check on her.
He then called Shu Pan, wanting to inquire about Xiaomengâs situation.
âIsnât Xiaomeng at home? We havenât been in touch for a few days. Is everything okay?â Shu Pan received He Mingâs call, sounding worried.