Translator: 549690339
Shen Shihan nodded, covered Mo Shuifu with the blanket, and then tiptoed out of the room.
After closing the door to the hospital room, the nurse led him to a quiet place.
âSir, Doctor Zha has just sent a message through his assistant,â the nurse said with a grave expression.
Seeing her face, Shen Shihan braced himself, âWhat is it?â
âDoctor Zha said to prepare the patientâs family for the worst, as the situation is not optimistic,â the nurse whispered gravely.
Shen Shihan pursed his lips, remaining silent.
âSir, I see Miss Mo is also very tired; it would be best to tell her gently and to avoid agitating her,â she advised.
Shen Shihan nodded, âI understand. Is there anything else?â
The nurse shook her head, âNo, thatâs all. Doctor Zhaâs assistant said the surgery might be over in half an hour, soâ¦â
Shen Shihanâs heart skipped a beat; he already had an inkling of the outcome of the surgery.
âAlright, I understand.â
âThen sir, Iâll go help out elsewhere. Call me if you need anything,â she said.
âHmm.â
Shen Shihan slipped a hand into his pocket and stood by the window, silent.
After a long while, he lit a cigarette and silently watched everything outside the window.
In the springtime, countless willow catkins fluttered through the air. Shen Shihanâs chest felt hollow as he smoked one cigarette after another.
Life and death.
How was he going to tell her?
In the group, even with making countless major decisions, he had never hesitated like this, but at this moment, his heart was torn.
How was he going to tell her?
Just as Shen Shihan was about to leave the room, suddenly, the door to the operating room opened.
Across the long corridor, Shen Shihan looked up.
From there, it seemed like a century away, with dust obscuring the view, blurring the shape of the present world.
The doctors who had finished the surgery came out, removing their gloves and masks, silently washing their hands with sanitizer by the sink.
There was no smile on anyoneâs face; the mood was very somber.
Shen Shihan recognized Doctor Zha and walked over to him.
âDoctor Zha, the surgeryâ¦â
The bespectacled man leading the group looked up, saw that it was Shen Shihan, and gestured, âLetâs talk over here.â
The two of them walked to a secluded corner where the doctor then shook his head and sighed, âWe did everything we could, but the patientâs brain injury was too severe, and given the head impact from the fall, there was nothing more we could do.â
Shen Shihanâs heart still throbbed violently, even though he was fully prepared.
As composed as he was, he felt an immense desolation in his heart⦠n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
He truly didnât know how Mo Shuifu would react when she found outâ¦
âDoctor Zha, thank you for your efforts,â he said.
âNo need to thank me, I couldnât save the patientâs life,â Doctor Zha apologized with regret.
âHas the patient stopped breathing?â Shen Shihan asked.
âYes, there are no signs of life left,â Doctor Zha replied truthfully.
âI see.â
âThen, Mr. Shen, Iâll take my leave first.â
Shen Shihan nodded and Doctor Zha left, heading back to his team.
Shen Shihan slowly entered the operating room and immediately saw Mo Shuifuâs mother lying on the bed.
She lay there just as he had seen her before, quiet and still, as if she had never woken up.
She had left this world quietly.
Shen Shihan slowly crouched down near the bed.
âYou can rest in peace, I will take good care of Shuifu. All my life, I will cherish her as my own life,â Shen Shihan said softly.
Of course, no one would respond to him, and the operating room remained just as quiet.
Shen Shihan knew that Mo Shuifuâs motherâs suicide was entirely to alleviate Shuifuâs suffering, not wanting to be a burden to her any longer.
She must have seen the astronomical medical bills upon waking and knew that Shuifuâs tender shoulders couldnât bear it.
She had fulfilled her daughter in her own way.
Of course, she also fulfilled herself.
As the clock ticked on slowly, after staying a long time in the operating room, Shen Shihan finally stood up and decided to go find Mo Shuifu.
No matter what, it had become a reality, and he had to make it clear to her.
In the high-level ward, an IV bag of glucose was almost empty. Mo Shuifu was still in a coma, not awakened.
Shen Shihan sat by her bed, waiting until all the glucose had been administered.
He removed the IV needle from her hand.
Maybe he hurt her, her fingers trembled slightly as she slowly opened her eyes.
âWhy did I pass out⦠Shen Shihan, is the surgery over?â She supported her head, trying to sit up.
Shen Shihan held her shoulders, his eyes fixed on her intensely.
His expression was solemn as he quietly watched Mo Shuifu.
âShuifu, I have something to tell you, and you must stay calm,â he said.
Upon hearing this, Mo Shuifuâs heart skipped a beat, and she instantly understood what was going on.
âHas something happened to my mom? Was there a problem with the surgery?â She pushed Shen Shihanâs hands away and tried to get out of bed.
âShuifu, be calm, listen to me,â Shen Shihan held her back.
âLet me go see if the surgery is finished. Why didnât you wake me? Shen Shihan!â
âShuifu! Listen to me, the surgery wasnât successful, so your aunt has⦠already left us.â
Mo Shuifu froze, her vision blank, her mind echoing with Shen Shihanâs last few words âyour aunt has already left usââ¦
âShen Shihan, why didnât you wake me? Why?â she asked.
âShuifu, donât be impulsive, wait a moment, Iâll take you to see your aunt, but you must accept this reality.â
âMy mom must have had something to say to me. Shen Shihan, why didnât you wake me? Did you do it on purpose?â
As she spoke, Mo Shuifu began to cry, her tears falling like a broken dam.
She was on the verge of collapse, and without even putting on her shoes, she ran barefoot on the cold floor towards the doorâ¦
Shen Shihan, afraid of her impulsive actions, quickly took a large step forward and grabbed her arm.
âShuifu, donât be impulsive. Your aunt passed away suddenly, and she didnât wake up during the entire surgery process. Itâs a fact that cannot be changed now. Iâll accompany you to the operating room,â he said.
âShen Shihan, let go! Why didnât you wake me? Why didnât you let me see my mom for the last time?â
âYour auntâs departure was very sudden,â he explained.
âLiar! Donât lie to me anymore! You could have woken me, you could have taken me to the operating room, but you didnât.â
âNo, Shuifu, calm down, listen to me. Your motherâ¦â
âLet me go, can you let go? Shen Shihan, we never had any relationship to begin with, not even as friends! Now, my mother is gone, Iâve repaid my debt to you, and if you feel itâs not enough, I will slowly repay you the money. But please, keep your distance from me, will you?!â