Saturday
She didn’t have to go to the office today. She had set her alarm the night before, and at exactly seven, she woke up.
Lying in bed, Wen Yu stared blankly for a while at the sunlight filtering through the gap in the heavy curtains.
Gu Huaizhi hadn’t come over last night.
Usually, whenever he needed her to satisfy his physical needs, he would take the initiative to find her. If he didn’t need her, he generally wouldn’t come looking for her.
In a way, that saved her the trouble of having to deal with him, and she had slept exceptionally well.
She got up slowly, made herself a simple breakfast, and sat at the dining table, eating slowly and savoring every bite.
Suddenly, she remembered how, a long, long time ago, before her family had fallen into misfortune, weekend mornings had been just like this.
The sunlight had been warm, her mother would bustle around in the kitchen, and the aroma of fried eggs would fill the entire house…
Wen Yu pulled herself back from her memories. Lowering her lashes, she finished the last sip of milk.
After clearing away the dishes, she went into the bedroom and changed into a simple, comfortable cotton dress. With no makeup on, she casually tied her long hair into a low ponytail.
The woman in the mirror had shed the polished, aloof appearance she wore at work and looked much softer and more down-to-earth.
Today, she was going to visit her mother at the hospital.
She bought a bouquet of flowers and took a taxi to a quiet private hospital on the outskirts of the city.
After her mother’s condition had stabilized, Wen Yu had gritted her teeth and transferred her there for easier rehabilitation and recuperation.
Although the cost was high, seeing the increasing color return to her mother’s face made Wen Yu feel that every penny was worth it.
When she pushed open the door to the hospital room, her mother was leaning against the headboard, wearing reading glasses and holding a book.
Sunlight fell gently upon her graying hair, making her look especially peaceful.
“Mom.”
Wen Yu called out softly, an involuntary smile appearing on her face.
“Xiao Yu, you’re here!”
The moment her mother saw her, she immediately took off her glasses. Her face blossomed into a loving smile as she reached out her hand.
Wen Yu quickly walked over, took her mother’s somewhat thin but warm hand, and sat down beside the bed.
“How are you feeling today? Did you sleep well last night?”
“I’m fine. Everything’s fine. The doctor came by during rounds this morning and said I’m recovering quite well.”
Her mother patted her daughter’s hand.
Yet her eyes carefully examined Wen Yu’s face, a hint of worry in them.
“What about you? Why do you look a little tired? Is work too exhausting? You look like you’ve lost some weight again.”
“No, Mom. I’m perfectly fine.”
Wen Yu’s heart warmed, though at the same time, she felt a little ache inside.
She forced her smile to appear more relaxed.
“There have been a lot of projects at work lately, so I’ve been a little busy, but I can handle it. Don’t worry about me.”
“How could I not worry?”
Her mother sighed and refused to let go of her hand.
“You’re a young woman working at such a big company, having to deal with so many things. It must be exhausting. And my illness… I’ve only been a burden to you…”
“Mom!”
Wen Yu interrupted her, her tone carrying a hint of reproach.
“What are you talking about? As long as you’re well, that’s the greatest blessing I could ask for. I can earn money and take care of you. I’d be happy to do it.”
Her mother looked at her daughter’s stubborn yet sensible expression, her eyes growing slightly warm.
The person she felt most sorry toward in this life was her daughter.
After her husband passed away, he had left behind a mountain of debt. Then she herself had fallen seriously ill, leaving all the burdens on the shoulders of her daughter, who had been barely in her twenties at the time.
She didn’t dare imagine how her daughter had managed to get through all those years.
“Xiao Yu…”
Her mother hesitated for a moment before finally speaking, her voice soft.
“Your mom’s illness is almost completely recovered now. Have you… ever thought about your own future?”
“My own future?”
Wen Yu didn’t understand at first.
“Your marriage, of course.”
Her mother looked at her, her eyes filled with both anticipation and concern.
“You’re twenty-six now. It’s time to think about finding a boyfriend and starting a family. You can’t keep working yourself to the bone all alone. You should find someone who knows how to care for you, someone you can rely on and who can rely on you. That way, even if Mom isn’t around someday, I can leave this world with peace of mind…”
Wen Yu’s heart felt as though it had been pierced by something.
Starting a family…
That was something impossibly distant from her.
For the past five years, her life had been bound to Gu Huaizhi by nothing more than a cold contract.
All she had thought about was how to earn money and protect her mother.
As for a normal romantic relationship or marriage, those things were as extravagant and unreachable to her as the stars in the sky.
Looking into her mother’s hopeful yet worried eyes, Wen Yu felt as though something had lodged itself in her throat.
She couldn’t tell her mother the truth.
She couldn’t let her know that the capable and independent daughter she was so proud of had spent the past five years exchanging her body and freedom for her mother’s medical expenses and a seemingly stable life.
That would be too cruel.
She forced a smile and, with a slightly coquettish tone, slipped her arm around her mother’s.
“Mom… Look at you, bringing this up again. I’m in the middle of my career right now, and I’m so busy I can barely keep up. Where would I find the time to date? Besides, all I want to do right now is earn more money so that I can take you traveling everywhere someday and let you enjoy your life. As for marriage, there’s no rush. Really, there’s no rush.”
“How can there be no rush?”
Her mother gave her an exasperated look.
“Work is important, but you can’t let it interfere with something as important as marriage. A woman’s youth only lasts so long…”
She paused before asking tentatively,
“Is there… someone you like? Are you just too embarrassed to tell Mom?”
“Someone she liked?”
Gu Huaizhi’s cold, handsome face flashed through Wen Yu’s mind.
She immediately forced the image away.
“No, there’s no one.”
Her answer came too quickly and too firmly, as though she were afraid that even a moment’s hesitation might reveal something.
“Mom, all I really want right now is to work hard and take good care of you. As for everything else, we’ll just let nature take its course.”
She lowered her head and pretended to adjust the flowers beside the bed, avoiding her mother’s probing gaze.
Her mother looked at her lowered lashes and quietly sighed.
Her daughter had grown up. She clearly had something weighing on her heart.
Although she was ill, she wasn’t foolish.
Every time her daughter came to visit, she always smiled, but beneath that smile was an exhaustion and heaviness that seemed impossible to hide.
She always felt that her daughter was keeping something from her.
But she didn’t press any further.
If her daughter didn’t want to talk about it, she must have her reasons.
She simply reached out and gently stroked her daughter’s hair.
“All right. We’ll let nature take its course. Mom won’t pressure you. But, Xiao Yu, you must always remember this: no matter what happens, Mom will always be on your side. Don’t push yourself too hard. If the sky falls, Mom will bear it with you.”
Wen Yu’s nose instantly stung.
She desperately held back the tears welling in her eyes and rested her head against her mother’s frail shoulder, just as she had when she was a little girl, drawing in the only warmth in this world that came without conditions.
“Mm, I know, Mom. You have to stay healthy too. Live to be a hundred. Later… later, when I find a less demanding job, we’ll leave this place together. We’ll go somewhere warm, somewhere with the sea. I’ll stay by your side every day.”
Her voice was muffled, thick with emotion.
She meant every word.
It was also the only thing keeping her going.
She wanted to leave this cold city.
Leave Gu Huaizhi behind.
Take her mother somewhere no one knew them and start over.
Grow flowers, plant grass, and live the simplest, most peaceful life.
Wen Yu stayed with her mother for most of the day, having lunch with her and taking a walk together.
It wasn’t until evening that she finally got up to leave.
As she walked out of the hospital, the evening breeze carried a chill that brushed against her skin.
She turned back and glanced at the window of her mother’s hospital room.
The resolve in her heart to leave had never felt stronger.