âDo you have any plans to change your studies?âXu Yuan placed the empty bowl aside and took a tissue to wipe the corner of Zuo Yueâs mouth.ââOr go back to Los Angeles to continue studying medicine? Although there arenât as many universities here as there are in Boston, and the one with convenient medical facilities isnât as good as the one in Boston, you can still be with us and go back to the Zuo family every day.â
âOr, you can have a foothold in the Zuo Corporation and the Xu Corporation in the future. Do you want to transfer to the business management major? It was only delayed for a few months, so it was not too late.â
Zuo Yue looked up.â Mom, do you really want me to leave Boston now?ââ
Xu Yuanâs voice paused. She looked into Zuo Yueâs eyes and did not speak for a long time.
Zuo Yue leaned against the bed and looked in the direction of the ward door.ââYouâve been taking care of me these past few days without sleeping or resting. Youâre already so tired, but youâve still been watching over me. It feels like youâve been by my side for more than a year.ân/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Xu Yuanâs eyes slowly lowered as she sighed.ââZuo Yue, itâs Mom who has often neglected your feelings. She always thought that you were the eldest daughter of the Zuo family who did not have to worry about food and clothing. She never thought about how important parents âunderstanding and companionship are. If I had known about this earlier, perhaps your brother wouldnât have been so distant from his family, and you wouldnât have almostâ¦â
âItâs all in the past, Mom. What happened when we were young is all in the past.âZuo Yue smiled. Although her face was pale, at least she was much livelier than when she was rushed to the hospital that day.
âThe snowmen you built that nightâ¦â Xu Yuan looked at Zuo Yueâs fake smile.
Zuo Yueâs eyes paused because of her motherâs probing question. She hesitated for a moment and did not answer.
âWhatâs going on? Why was he suddenly so agitated? I didnât ask you about it these few days because I didnât want you to have too many emotional fluctuations. Now that I see that youâve regained your senses, Zuo Yue, tell Mom, what happened to you in Boston? What exactly happened?â
â..âZuo Yue silently clenched her fists but did not answer.
âOrâ¦â âIâm asking you this way.â Xu Yuan looked at her.â
Zuo Yue turned to look at Xu Yuan. There was confusion in her eyes. She did not know what she wanted to ask.
âWhat happened between you and your uncle in Boston?âXu Yuanâs voice was very, very soft. She kept looking at Zuo Yueâs eyes.
When Zuo Yue heard the words â little uncle â, she could not say that she was completely unaffected. However, every word Xu Chengfeng said that night was like a knife cutting into her heart. She did not know how long she thought about it that night in the snow. She did not know what happened at that time, but that terrifying despair and sadness covered all her rationality.
However, during the time she was unconscious, she realized that she did not want to chase blindly anymore.
Zuo Yueâs eyes were very calm. She was silent for a while before she said softly,ââThereâs nothing between Uncle and me. Itâs just a little misunderstanding that caused our relationship to be sometimes hot and sometimes cold. Mom, you might have misunderstood, but nothing really happened between us.â
Xu Yuan had been observing her expression. She saw that Zuo Yue had been very calm. Her eyes did not flicker, nor did she dodge.
Xu Yuan looked at her for a while before saying,ââYour uncle said that you fell in love with a man.â
âHe said that?â Zuo Yue suddenly raised her eyes.â
âHe said that the man was a bastard, a cold-blooded and heartless scumbag.ââIs that so?â Xu Yuan was still staring into her eyes.â
Zuo Yueâs heart suddenly felt bitter, and it took her a long time to recover. Then, she smiled bitterly,ââYouâre not thinking too much just because of that, are you? Isnât it normal for me to fall in love with a man at my age? And Iâve explained it to you, but you never believed me.â
âThat night, you suddenly became like that after you left your uncleâs room. Itâs impossible that anything else happened during that time. Iâve checked your phone, and there were no other numbers in your phone call records that night. This means that when you left his room, you did not receive any calls that were enough to make you break down. The crux of the problem lies with your uncle. He did not say anything, and you did not say anything either. Zuo Yue, do you know how Mom has been feeling these few days?âXu Yuanâs expression was a little serious at the moment.
Zuo Yueâs expression tightened. She pursed her lips.âIâm just⦠She had only heard some things from her uncleâ¦About that personâ¦You said some heartless words to meâ¦â
Her answer was vague, but Xu Yuan looked at her suspiciously.âReally?â
Zuo Yue looked up.â Otherwise, Mom, do you want something to happen between me and Uncle?â Heâs so much older than me and heâs my uncle. What do you think will happen between us?â
Xu Yuan was rendered speechless by her question.
After a long time, she gently pulled Zuo Yueâs hand and sighed softly,ââForget it. Weâll talk about it after youâre discharged. You still need to recuperate for a while. Iâll go back to the Zuo Corporation later. Iâll ask Wang Ma to come over and accompany you. She hasnât seen you for a few days and has been worried about your condition.â
Zuo Yue nodded. After thinking for a while, she suddenly said,ââMom, youâre actually very good to us. Compared to Grandpa and Dad, who we canât see for many days at home, youâre really a very good mom. Itâs just that my brother passed away a few years ago, so he doesnât know about the changes in the family and doesnât seem to want to participate in the Zuo family anymore. You and Dad are both old now, so you donât have to worry about us anymore.â
âGirl, why do you always become more sensible after experiencing a great disaster?âXu Yuan grabbed her hand.â I think you shouldnât go back to Boston in the future. I donât have to ask you anymore. Iâll just arrange your studies properly.ââ
Xu Yuan stood up and turned to leave.
âMom, you wantâ¦â When Zuo Yue heard this, she immediately looked up at her.
âItâs almost time. Iâll ask Wang Ma to come over and bring you some favorite food.âXu Yuan picked up the phone as she spoke. When she walked to the door of the ward, she looked at the nurses who were coming and going outside the door. She thought that Xu Chengfeng had indeed not come to the hospital for the past few days, but no matter how Zuo Yueâs words made her believe it, she still felt that it was true.
However, some feelings would never come out of thin air.
It was not until Mother Wang rushed to the hospital that Xu Yuan left with relief.
Zuo Yue sat on the hospital bed and kept talking to Wang Ma. In the end, Wang Ma had just sat in the ward for less than half an hour when she suddenly received a call. She panicked and hurriedly apologized to Zuo Yue and said that she would be back soon. Then, she ran out in a hurry.
Zuo Yue sat in the empty and quiet ward. She turned around and looked at the heavy snow falling outside. The snow fell silently. It was as quiet as her heart now, cold and quiet.