Elsewhere, Ye Xingguang had finished brewing a fever-reducing medicine, poured it into a large thermos, and delivered it to the infusion hall. Just then, Bai Peiluan happened to visit.
Bai Peiluan came alone; Ye Junqing received a call halfway from his company that required his immediate attention, so he left for the office.
With her son not accompanying her, Bai Peiluan gained what she had desired;
Knowing that Xingguang was not there and that there was only Bai Lanwu in the villa, Bai Peiluan felt even more relieved.
Arriving with bags of supplements, Bai Peiluan felt guilty and nervous. As though she was a convict about to receive her sentence, on seeing Bai Lanwu, Bai Peiluan almost kneeled down. âSis, Iâm sorry. Iâve not had the courage to come to confess until now while youâve been in the capital for such a long time.â
Bai Lanwu, seeing Bai Peiluan in this state, was taken aback. She quickly helped Bai Peiluan up before she could truly kneel down. Her voice was gentle: âWhat are you doing? Donât act like this.â
âSis, Iâm sorry. I took everything that shouldâve been yours. I felt like a thief and didnât have the courage to face you. Yet, by not visiting you, I felt even more despicable. I took everything that was yours and, in the end, didnât even have the courage to see youâ¦â
Bai Lanwu probably guessed already why her daughter-in-law had been reluctant to visit.
âPeiluan, letâs sit down. Your words leave me at a loss of what to do.â
But Bai Peiluan felt guilty like the wicked stepsister in fairy tales: âSis, originally the name Peiluan shouldâve been yours.â
Bai Lanwu, possessing refined elegance: âNow it belongs to you and isnât that good? Letâs sit down and talk.â
âYou donât blame me? If it werenât for me, you would be the Family Headâs wife, the mother of two talented sons, mother of the future President⦠Everything shouldâve been yours. I usurped everything that was rightly yours. I shouldâve been the one living in the isolated fishing village.â
Bai Lanwu replied: âWhy would you think like this? Youâre being unreasonable. If you continue to act this way, I really might get mad.â
After saying that, Bai Lanwu helped Bai Peiluan to the living room sofa to sit down and then brewed two cups of grapefruit lemon tea. She gave a cup to Bai Peiluan, held her own cup, and peacefully sipped the tea.
Bai Lanwu looked at Bai Peiluan holding a glass cup, her face full of guilt and remorse, and smiled gently: âDonât be like this. I ran away from marriage myself, it has nothing to do with you. Besides, I never regretted running away from my marriage. Those glories and riches you speak about mean nothing to me. Iâve experienced them since childhood and do not desire them. Besides, I havenât lived a tragic life these years. You should relax.â
âBut Xingguang told me that your husband was sick for ten years. You lived in an isolated fishing village, and even your child⦠â Bai Peiluan didnât know how to continue.
Mentioning the child definitely pricked Bai Lanwuâs heart. Her only regret in life was her prematurely deceased child.
Fortunately, heaven gave her another child as a consolation for the pain of losing her daughter.
âIâm sorry, sis. I didnât mean to bring up your painful past.â
Bai Peiluan, being a mother herself, understood what it felt like to lose a child.
Bai Lanwuâs eyebrows furrowed: âNo, itâs okay, itâs all in the past. Xingguang is a good boy.â@@novelbin@@
Bai Lanwu drank a few sips of the tea, then went to fetch some fruits.
âI heard from Junqing that your husband underwent kidney transplant surgery. Was it successful?â Bai Peiluan attempted to steer the conversation towards a different topic.