The girl froze. Refusing to give up, she continued to grope around under the bed in the dim light. When she couldn’t find anything, she pulled her phone from her backpack, turned it on, and spent a long time navigating the control panel before finally switching on the flashlight. The space under the bed was instantly illuminated by the bright light.
“No…” she murmured blankly.
Had it been taken out? Thrown away as trash? Why was it gone? Why, why…
A dark premonition grew rapidly in her heart. She abandoned her search under the empty bed and turned her gaze to the rest of the room. She checked the corners, the piles of furniture, and every nook and cranny. She found the backpack that used to hold the teddy bear, but it was empty. She turned her small bed upside down, yet she still found nothing.
In that moment, she felt a wave of despair.
She remembered Lin Ziyan’s unusual behavior today — her silence and her cold, malicious gaze. At that moment, she realized the truth.
She had thought Lin Ziyan had finally stopped targeting her, but…
“She didn’t let me go after all…”
Closing her eyes, she stood up stiffly. She put on her backpack; only by keeping her precious belongings with her could she feel at ease. At least then, she could protect them. If left in the bedroom, even a hiding spot like the one under her bed would be discovered. She no longer had any hope for privacy or security in this place.
‘So what now? What am I supposed to be? Am I here to offer a formal apology?’
‘Ridiculous.’
She mocked herself in her heart. Everyone knew it was unnecessary to invite humiliation over a mere teddy bear, but to the girl, it wasn’t just a toy. It was the treasure where she placed her longing for her mother, the thing that kept her hopes alive. It was also her most precious gift.
She had to go and get it back, even if the price was her worthless dignity. She hadn’t had any of that for a long time anyway, had she?
‘As long as… my adoptive parents don’t find out and don’t kick me out of the house. That would be enough…’
The girl tightened her clothes to block out the cold wind. She turned the doorknob, and the old wooden door let out a harsh, grating sound. Supporting herself against the wall in the darkness, she walked down the stairs. She arrived at Lin Ziyan’s door and knocked softly.
*Knock, knock, knock…*
—
The person inside opened the door; it was a nurse wearing a white coat. She looked up at the woman standing in the doorway. With the bitter wind blowing tonight, why was a patient staying outside for so long?
“It’s too cold out. The cold wind isn’t good for your body. Come in quickly,” she said, holding the door open and gesturing for the woman to enter.
“Thank you.” Although her face was a bit pale, Ye Zhiyun’s lovely features made up for it. She smiled and walked inside.
The hospital was heated. She wore an old coat over her patient gown, and her frozen, red fingers gripped her phone. There was no telling how long she had been out there. Her eyes were slightly red, as if she had just been crying. Following her memory back to her ward, she found a nurse looking around anxiously at the door. Seeing her, the nurse hurried over.
“You’re Ye Zhiyun, right? Where did you run off to? You just woke up; you can’t go running around. What if you faint again — “
“It’s fine. I just went out to take a call.”
“Taking a call takes over 2 hours?!” The nurse clearly didn’t believe her; her brows furrowed deeply.
“I’m sorry.”
However, Ye Zhiyun only shook her head. She felt much more awake, but the aftereffect of being in the cold for so long was a lingering headache. She held her forehead with one hand, bypassed the nurse, and returned to her hospital bed.
“Um, could you help me with the discharge procedures now? I have to go to work tomorrow…”
“You… in your condition, it’s best to stay for more observation. And if necessary, you’ll need surgery. Do you know why you suddenly fainted?”
“I know. Arrhythmia.”
“And you’re still joking with your body?!” This nurse was clearly inexperienced; facing such a patient, she immediately grew angry. She lectured Ye Zhiyun, using many incomprehensible professional terms that made Ye Zhiyun’s head spin.
After a moment of silence, Ye Zhiyun spoke up hesitantly, “Do I need to contact my family for the surgery?”
“Of course. What else?”
“I… I don’t have the money, and I’ve already cut ties with my family.”
“Then what about your child? Don’t you have an adult child? Also, even if you’ve cut ties, don’t you remember your parents’ phone numbers?”
“No… don’t tell him.”
“Who are you talking about?”
“Don’t… tell my son…” She spoke with some hesitation, seeming uncertain.
“Hah, why? Is he still in school?”
“Yes…”
“What about your husband?”
Ye Zhiyun’s eyes dimmed. “Him? He’s still in prison. And he’s not my husband — he’s a beast!”
“Oh, well, your life story is certainly colorful.” The nurse didn’t comfort her; instead, her tone was somewhat sarcastic. Ye Zhiyun looked up at her blankly, suddenly realizing that this nurse was not her emotional garbage can.
“I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize. If you want to go through the discharge procedures, I’ll go speak with the chief. Remember to take your medicine on time and get plenty of rest.” She took out a notebook and wrote something down. “You should be able to be discharged by tomorrow at noon.”
“Okay…” Even though she had requested it herself, the result was as she expected, and Ye Zhiyun’s heart felt a bit empty. She thought of the brief call with Ye Xingmian just now; despite her best efforts to endure, she couldn’t help but cry after it ended.
It was so helpless, so painful. She began to doubt if her decision to give birth to Ye Xingmian back then was correct. That tiny, cute child had come into this world and was forced to bear the pain of separation, the hardships, and the suffering that she both knew and didn’t know about. It was all her fault; it was caused by her obsession and her incompetence. She felt guilty and blamed herself, but she was powerless.
Her heart was full of regret, as if a giant boulder were pressing down on her, making it hard to breathe. If it were just that, it might be manageable, but now she had fallen ill — what was she to do?
To maintain their lives and pay for Xingmian’s tuition, she had to keep working hard. However, her body was already struggling to hold up.
The nurse didn’t leave immediately. She stayed for a moment, her tone a bit more sympathetic when she spoke again. “Here is the bill. You’ve paid for medical insurance, right?”
“Ah… I have… it shouldn’t have expired yet…”
Medical insurance in this country wasn’t cheap; she was no longer sure if her payments had lapsed. Fortunately, they hadn’t. Even after the insurance deduction, the amount she had to pay was still quite large.
Her wallet was tight; there was probably only enough left for this month’s food. She still owed money to her coworkers, though she could delay that for a while. Until she fell asleep, her mind was still filled with thoughts about money.
The night was still long, and the bitter wind occasionally brushed against the window, carrying a terrifying whistling sound.