The next morning, Lin Jianqing woke up very early.
The curtains in the dorm room weren’t fully drawn, and thin morning light seeped through the gaps, falling on his somewhat pale face. He had gone to bed late last night, yet he still opened his eyes as soon as dawn broke.
The first thing he did upon waking wasn’t to check the time or wash up—it was to pick up his phone.
There were no new messages on the screen, and the hospital hadn’t called. What happened yesterday felt like a dream.
‘He… had really gotten rid of the debt, both the bank loans and all kinds of online loans.’ Lin Jianqing checked one by one, making sure everything was completely paid off before he finally let the stone in his heart drop.
No… wait. ‘It felt like he was forgetting something.’
The moment he thought of this, Lin Jianqing quickly opened the chat interface with Shen Huaixue.
Luckily, Shen Huaixue hadn’t sent any messages either. Seeing that, the nerves that had been tense all night relaxed just a little.
He sat on the bed, dazed for a few seconds, then suddenly remembered something else and sharply looked down at the suitcase under the bed.
The suitcase was still there, quiet and undisturbed. Everything that had happened last night wasn’t a dream.
Lin Jianqing was silent for a moment, then let out a soft sigh and got out of bed. His roommates were still asleep; the dorm was filled only with the faint sounds of breathing and the low hum of the air conditioner.
Moving as quietly as possible, he quickly washed up, changed into ordinary clothes, grabbed his backpack, and left.
He had no classes this morning, so he planned to go to the hospital first to see his mother. Although not receiving any calls from the hospital all night was a good sign, Lin Jianqing still felt uneasy in his heart.
Ever since his mother had been hospitalized, he had developed this habit. Whenever he had time, he had to see her with his own eyes. Even if he couldn’t do anything, just standing by the ward door for a few minutes calmed him down slightly.
On the bus to the hospital, the morning rush hour was crowded.
The carriage was packed with office workers and students, the air mixing with the smells of breakfast, perfume, shampoo, and the damp cold unique to a city morning. Lin Jianqing stood by the window, one hand gripping the handrail, the other holding his phone.
The screen lit up and dimmed several times. He thought about opening the chat with Shen Huaixue several times, but in the end, he held back.
Since the contract was already signed, Shen Huaixue should take care of his mother’s matters.
But how exactly she would handle it, Lin Jianqing had no idea. He didn’t dare fully trust her either. After all, Shen Huaixue always spoke too calmly and too confidently, as if everything in the world could be casually placed on her chessboard.
Lin Jianqing didn’t like that feeling, but now he had to admit that he had already been placed there by her.
Half an hour later, the bus stopped near the hospital. Lin Jianqing got off and walked straight to the inpatient department.
The hospital in the morning was busier than he had imagined.
The outpatient building was crowded with people coming and going; an ambulance was parked outside the emergency entrance, and a few doctors in white coats hurried past him. The air was filled with the cold, pungent smell of disinfectant.
Lin Jianqing was all too familiar with that smell. Every time he caught it, his stomach tightened.
When he reached the front desk, the nurse gave him a gentle smile.
“Mr. Lin, you’re here?”
Lin Jianqing paused mid-step. The form of address made him uncomfortable.
The nurses hadn’t been impolite before, but every time they saw him, there was always a hint of complexity in their eyes—sympathy, embarrassment, helplessness, and a certain unspoken urging. But today they were being overly polite.
A strange feeling arose in Lin Jianqing’s heart.
“How is my mother now?”
“Ms. Lin is much more stable now. She’s been transferred to a new ward. The caregiver is also there with her. You can go directly.”
“A new ward?”
Lin Jianqing was taken aback.
The nurse nodded, then, as if she had anticipated his confusion, added proactively, “The hospital has adjusted Ms. Lin’s treatment plan. A dedicated doctor will be in charge from now on. You don’t need to worry too much.”
Don’t need to worry too much? The words sounded light, but to Lin Jianqing’s ears, they felt like some kind of unreal illusion.
These past few days, all he’d heard about was his mother’s mental confusion and all kinds of fees. Lin Jianqing stood there, momentarily at a loss for how to respond. Finally, he just said softly, “Thank you.”
The nurse pointed him to the new ward’s location. Lin Jianqing followed her directions and walked deeper inside. But the further he went, the more something felt off.
His mother’s original ward wasn’t bad, but due to long-term treatment and cost issues, many things were kept at a basic level. This time, however, the new ward the nurse mentioned was clearly different.
The corridor was quieter, the floor so clean it almost reflected shadows. There wasn’t even the noisy chatter common in ordinary wards—only the occasional nurse pushing a treatment cart, the wheels making a soft sound against the floor.
Lin Jianqing stood at the ward door and glanced at the room number. After confirming he hadn’t gone the wrong way, he reached out and pushed open the door.
As soon as the door opened, a faint scent of flowers mixed with disinfectant hit him.
The room was very quiet. Sunlight streamed in through the window, making the white curtains look almost transparent.
A fresh bouquet of flowers sat beside the bed, tiny droplets of water still clinging to the petals. The bedside table had been neatly arranged—the scattered medicine boxes, tissues, and medical records were all sorted and placed in order.
Lin Anping lay on the bed, her face still pale but much calmer than in previous days.
An IV needle was still in the back of her hand. Her breathing was light, but no longer carried the alarming rapidness it had before.
Sitting beside the bed was a woman in her forties, dressed in a clean caregiver uniform, tidying up a towel. When she heard the door open, she looked up and gave a warm smile.
“You must be Mr. Lin?”
Lin Jianqing nodded instinctively.
“I’m the new caregiver, Zhou. Miss Shen has already explained everything. From now on, I’ll be in charge of looking after Ms. Lin. There will be shifts during the day and night, so you don’t have to tire yourself out.”
Miss Shen? So it was her.
Lin Jianqing’s fingers tightened slightly on the doorknob. He had vaguely guessed as much before coming, but actually hearing that name from someone else’s mouth still made his heart sink.
Shen Huaixue had moved faster than he expected, as if she had already prepared everything.
All these things had solved Lin Jianqing’s most urgent problems, yet he couldn’t feel simply relieved.
“Has my mother woken up today?”
Lin Jianqing walked to the bedside, his voice unconsciously softening.
Zhou Hugong nodded.
“She woke up once this morning. Her mood was fairly stable, but the doctor said it’s best not to stimulate the patient right now, so she didn’t stay awake long and fell asleep again soon.”
“Did she…”
Lin Jianqing started to say something, then stopped.
Zhou Hugong seemed to understand what he wanted to ask, and her voice remained gentle.
“She hasn’t shown any self-harming behavior again. All dangerous items in the ward have been removed, the windows have been safety-proofed, and the nurses will check in regularly.”
Hearing that, the stone that had been hanging in Lin Jianqing’s heart finally dropped a little.
He looked down at his mother’s face. Lin Anping was sleeping quietly.
She had lost a lot of weight; her cheeks were almost bloodless. He sat down beside the bed, gently reaching out and taking Lin Anping’s hand.
His mother’s hand was very cold—so cold it made his heart ache.
But the person in the bed didn’t respond. Still, Lin Jianqing held her hand for a long time without letting go.
The room was so quiet that only the soft beeps of the instruments could be heard.
After a long while, Zhou Hugong spoke softly. “Mr. Lin, there’s someone waiting for you outside.”
Lin Jianqing froze. He looked up.
“Who?”
The moment he asked, he already knew the answer.
Zhou Hugong looked at him, her tone still polite. “Miss Shen.”