Ye Xingguang sat on the edge of the bed: âDad, I didnât tell him about your condition before I left. If he had known, he would certainly have come with me. He wouldnât have let me travel alone in the middle of the night. After my flight, he even called me.â
âIs that so? Show me your call history on your phone. If that wretched boy doesnât genuinely care about you, Iâm not interested in having him as my son-in-law.â
Song Chuanqi was bothered by the fact that she had traveled all the way from the capital city by herself, and despite his weakness from being ill, he persisted in verifying it.
With teary eyes, Ye Xingguang showed Song Chuanqi her call history on her phone. He only looked satisfied when he saw it but was unhappy with her.
âNext time you travel alone, tell him first. You should share everything with your partner. Otherwise, whatâs the point of having a partner?â
âI got it, Dad. How are you feeling now?â
Song Chuanqi answered without directly answering her question: âYou spent your first monthâs salary on gifts. Do you still have enough money left? If not, have your mother send you some. Youâve only been seeing each other for a short time, donât ask him for money, understood? Donât make my daughter look bad.â
âI know, I know. But how are you really feeling now? Donât worry about me, I can definitely take care of myself.â Ye Xingguang started crying.
Song Chuanqi forced a weak smile: âDonât cry, Iâm not dead.â
Unable to stop the tears, Ye Xingguang retorted: âI am not crying! Of course, you wonât die, Dad, you have to live a long life and grow old with Mom. Otherwise, Iâll feel bad for her. Why would she get married if she canât grow old with you?â
Bai Lanwu placed her hands on Ye Xingguangâs shoulders, unable to hide the tears welling up in her eyes.
As Song Chuanqi set his gaze on his wifeâs face, his eyes filled with guilt.
He had no idea how he would fulfill the promise of growing old together with her, nor could he imagine her living on her own in the future. He felt an overwhelming sense of failure.
Yet, he was helpless. In the end, he could only revert the topic back to Ye Xingguang.
âXingguang, you havenât eaten tonight, have you? Lan Wu, go downstairs in the hospital and see if thereâs a wonton shop. Xingguang loves eating wontons.â
Ye Xingguang stopped Bai Lanwu: âMom, Iâm not hungry, I just want to stay with Dad.â
âYour mother hasnât eaten either. Why donât you go and buy some, Xingguang, and bring back a portion for your mother?â Song Chuanqi quickly changed his suggestion.
Only then did Ye Xingguang ask: âMom, havenât you eaten either? Are you hungry?â
âIâm not⦠Iâm a little hungry. Go and get it, bring back a portion for your mother,â Bai Lanwu said, worried about her daughter going hungry.
Only then did Ye Xingguang get up: âThen Iâll go and buy it for you, Iâll be back soon.â
Instead of leaving right away, she first went to the doctorsâ office to ask Dr. Bo about Song Chuanqiâs condition.
Dr. Bo told her: âYour fatherâs uremia has worsened, leading to a variety of complications. His heart and liver functions have failed. Miss Ye⦠You should spend more time with your father. Given his current condition, you should prepare yourself.â
Upon hearing this, Ye Xingguang felt a chill: âCanât he undergo a kidney transplant? If thereâs no kidney donors available, use an artificial one for my dad.â
âArtificial kidneys are still in the experimental stage. We currently donât have any clinical trial cases. Youâre asking me to use your dad as a lab rat.â
Ye Xingguang pressed her lips into a thin line.
Dr. Bo didnât want to deliver the harsh news, yet he felt obligated to do so: âEven if your father were willing to be my lab rat, his current physical condition isnât suitable for surgery. His illness came on very rapidlyâ¦â
âEnough,â she interrupted. Any more, and she would lose control of her emotions.
She didnât want to accept this reality. Why are doctors so brutal? Patientâs families donât really want to hear the truth. Couldnât they just tell a comforting lie instead?