Chapter 08
Half a month ago, Old Mrs. Liang had suffered a sudden myocardial infarction and was hospitalized. Fortunately, it wasn’t severe, and a few days of observation were all she needed.
Come to think of it, this was already the third time Ye Jin had come to pick up the old lady to discharge her. At the beginning, the old lady had refused to stay in a VIP room and insisted on crowding into a regular ward. Now that the observation period was over, she refused to leave the hospital no matter what.
She claimed that the hospital was lively and she had company here, making her reluctant to leave…
“I’ve moved. The new place is much more suitable for recuperating,” Ye Jin said as she helped the old lady back into the ward, shielding her from the intense heat outside. “Wanwan is at home every day saying how much she misses her great-grandmother and wants to hear you tell stories.”
“Really?” Hearing that her little great-granddaughter missed her, Old Mrs. Liangās resolve finally wavered a bit. She looked around. “Why didn’t the little one come over today?”
“She has kindergarten classes today. Once school is out, I’ll have Aunt Zhou pick her up and bring her over.” When Ye Jin first brought Ye Wan home from the welfare home, the girl was less than two years old. Now, she was already old enough to attend kindergarten.
“Oh right, Wanwan is already in kindergarten. How could I have forgotten again…” Old Mrs. Liang patted her own head lightly and mumbled to herself with her head down for a while. As she mumbled, she suddenly raised her head again and asked Ye Jin with a heart full of joy, “Jinjin, youāre getting married in a few months, aren’t you?”
Ye Jin was left speechless.
This month alone, the old lady had already asked this question for the fourth time. Ye Jin had explained it three times, but it was still in vain. Just as the doctor had said, the symptoms of the old lady’s Alzheimer’s disease were becoming increasingly apparent.
Ever since her mother passed away, the old ladyās health had been deteriorating daily; the blow of a white-haired elder sending off a black-haired child was undoubtedly monumental. Now, her heart was failing day by day. With her age and physical condition factored in, the risk of surgery was too high, so they could only rely on conservative drug treatment for now.
Old Mrs. Liang was well aware of her own body and knew she didn’t have many days left. She was actually quite open-minded about it; after all, everyone has to go through birth, old age, sickness, and death in this world. Being happy for one more day was all that mattered.
She only ever worried about Ye Jin.
Back then, her daughter had passed away at a young age, leaving behind such a granddaughter. She had watched Ye Jin grow up day by day, pouring so much of her own life’s blood into her. Naturally, the person she cared about most now was Ye Jin.
Old Mrs. Liang had always looked forward to Ye Jin getting married, to the point where it had almost become an obsession. Yet Ye Jin, of all people, had never once intended to marry.
“Jinjin, you still haven’t brought your girlfriend over for Grandma to see…” Old Mrs. Liang stubbornly pressed on.
Ye Jin sat down by the hospital bed and fell into deep thought for a moment. This time, instead of explaining, she changed her tune to comfort the elderly woman, “I’ll bring her home in a few days for Grandma to have a look, alright?”
“Now that’s more like it, you should have brought her long ago.” Hearing Ye Jin say this, Old Mrs. Liang beamed with joy, her eyes narrowing into slits, though the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes were etched as deep as knife cuts.
The phone in her bag began to vibrate. Ye Jin took it out to glance at it, then stood up and walked outside the ward to answer the call.
“How is your grandmother doing?”
“She’s in good spirits. She finally agreed to be discharged today.”
“Her temper is just so stubborn.” The weight in Ye Zhenās heart finally lifted. “Jinjin, it’s been hard on you during this period. I’ll return to the country next week after I finish up my work.”
“It’s fine, I’ve got things covered here.”
“You and Weimin should have met by now, right?” After just a few words, Ye Zhen started worrying about her niece’s lifelong happiness again. “You two really are a good match, you can start by dating a bit…”
Ye Jin pinched the bridge of her nose and interrupted Ye Zhen, “Aunt, please stop arranging these things for me. I’m quite busy with work.”
“You child…”
Ye Jin hung up the phone and gazed into the distance.
The weather was wonderful, with a clear, cloudless sky of deep azure. Yet, thinking about the large and small matters of life and work, she still felt a suffocating sensation.
A female doctor with a ponytail walked by not far away. Ye Jinās gaze locked onto her, but when the other person drew slightly closer, Ye Jin realized she had mistaken her identity.
It was close to dusk.
After finishing up the medical records, Xia An checked the timeāit was already 5:40 PM. She still had to head back to school for a class at 7:00 PM.
She had long since adapted to such a tight and hectic rhythm.
If it were just being busy, it would be fine, but what she was facing right now was far more than just a busy schedule.
There was still half a bottle of soda water sitting on her desk. Exhausted, Xia An slumped over the table, staring at it blankly for half a minute or perhaps a bit longer.
“You’re a doctor?”
Xia An propped up her head. While resting, these words suddenly drifted into her mind, and she let out an inexplicable smile.
She prepared to clock out.
When passing by Room 1201, Xia An subconsciously slowed her pace. Whenever she passed by in the past, she would always go in to see that adorable grandmother and greet her.
Speaking of President Ye…
She must be Grandma Liang’s family member, Xia An thought, recalling their encounter this afternoon.
Sometimes, she felt that this world was truly small. And when Xia An ran into Ye Jin again in front of the exact same vending machine, she felt that way even more…
The setting sun reflected against her tall figure, coating the silhouette of her nearly perfect profile in a gilded border. Ye Jin always gave off a calm and indifferent impression, one that radiated from her very bones.
Xia An stopped her steps involuntarily, standing quietly to the side. Her gaze swept from the other woman’s delicate bridge of her nose down to her soft lips…
She could barely tear her eyes away. Even though this was only their second meeting, Xia An was still stunned by this woman’s aura.
Although she herself was no stranger to being praised for her beauty, standing in front of Ye Jin, Xia An felt that she paled in comparison. This had nothing to do with low self-esteem; she simply believed it to be a fact.
Ye Jin turned her head and caught sight of Xia An, who was holding a medical record booklet and standing in the corridor. The setting sun washed over her profile, her lips curving upward into a gentle smile.
It was a very beautiful scene; the clean, simple smile on the girl’s face made one feel at ease.
Ye Jin, who had always minded her own business, suddenly felt a trace of curiosity: just what kind of person was this Miss Xia?
“Let me pay.” Xia An stepped forward and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Ye Jin. When she turned her head to look at her, her smile was bright and generous. “President Ye, what are you drinking?”
Ye Jin turned her head at that exact moment. “No need.”
As the two of them turned their heads simultaneously, they stood face-to-face, incredibly closeāso close that they could almost feel each other’s breath.
