After she got up, Bao Er changed the bed sheets that they’d soiled yesterday night. There was a red plum flower on the top, signifying that her first time was gone.
Bao Er didn’t feel anything strange, and her heart also felt calmer than yesterday. At most times, when she’d seen through some things, she would never feel bothered about it anymore. Otherwise she would find herself in a dead end. Wouldn’t she just harm herself more than what she received? There were also some thoughts that her dorm mate usually taught her that made her realize that, in this society, virginity wasn’t a big deal or had much use.
Bao Er didn’t want to continue being troubled by the fact that she lost her virginity. So she hastily cooked herself some food to eat before she changed into high-collar clothes. She grabbed her big backpack and gathered some stuff before heading to the airport.
It was the first time she took the plane. She hadn’t felt the full flight experience yet when she reached her destination. The short ten minutes flight was the most luxurious spending she’d ever had in this lifetime. In the past, even if it was just one dollar and fifty cents, she would be careful with her expenditure, but now she has become so abnormal that she would rather take a plane. H city was a city that was rather falling behind, or basically like a poor hilly area. But it didn’t apply to every place in H city. For example, the city center of H city had more modern infrastructures and advancements, so there was also an airport. After she got off her plane, Bao Er was secretly happy that the hospital was not that far away from the airport. She continued to spend her money, taking the rental car instead of the public transport.
After fifteen minutes, Bao Er arrived at her destination.
Holding a bag full of supplements, she headed straight to the ward.
The pungent smell of disinfectant found exclusively in the hospital came pouring onto her face. Bao Er walked forward slowly with a frown.
She didn’t like the hospital. The smell was one of the reasons, but it was also because she opposed being in the hospital. She was previously warded in the hospital and during this time, she saw too many illnesses and deaths in the hospital. The doctors were used to it, but she was just a normal person. A person like her who didn’t like the hospital would think about those who became old, sick and died, and families that were separated by death. It was a painful image to think of.
When she arrived at the hospital bed, it was already two o’clock in the afternoon. The person she was visiting – her father, had his back facing her and was deeply asleep. Beside him was Bao Er’s mother, who was also asleep.
She didn’t know how to describe the feeling. Not happy but not sorrowful either.
Bao Er put down the supplements slowly, and sat on another empty bed. This was a normal ward with four beds. There were only two patients inside now. Besides her father, there was another elderly in the ward who was also sleeping. So she sat on the hospital bed, waiting patiently for them to wake up.
Her father turned around. He was still deep asleep but his aging face was facing her this time.
His gradually loosening skin, the age spots that began to appear on his face, and the gradually whitening hair, were all hinting towards her father’s aging, as well as her mother.
There was an obvious exhaustion on his weather-beaten face. Perhaps it was because he hadn’t yet fully recovered after the surgery, so he was sickly pale. Combined with his already aging features, he looked like he had grown older by a few more years.
As if he’d sensed something, her father who had been sleeping with his eyes closed suddenly opened his eyes, and met Bao Er’s eyes.
“You’re here? How long have you been here?” His tone was plain like how it used to be, and his voice was low and hoarse.
“I’ve just arrived.” Bao Er walked to his bedside with a nice smile on her lips, then poured him a glass of water. After he finished drinking it, she felt more relieved after seeing that his initially broken lips looked better.
Chapter 8. She’s actually not an amicable person
When she was talking to him, their voices woke her mother up.
Opening her eyes, she looked at her in surprise with an obvious accusation in her eyes, as if she came at the wrong time.
Bao Er acted like she didn’t see it, and called her ‘mum’ in a tone she always did to please her.
“You still remember that you have a mum? How much time has passed since your father’s accident, and you only arrived after the surgery? What kind of attitude is this? Did I teach you to leave your family on their own when they need you to focus on improving yourself?” Her mother glared at Bao Er with a tense face, speaking in an unkind tone.
Bao Er lowered her head slowly, and her nose turned slightly sour when she suddenly thought of Tan Jingmo. There was an abnormal emotion stuck inside her, unable to spit it out or to swallow it in. She felt truly agonizing.
She was silently glad that her elder brother was not here, or else he might say more hurtful words.
The same words would have different effect when it came out of different people’s lips, for example, her family. If her family used this hurtful tone to talk to her, even if she comforted herself again and again, there was already a hole in her heart that she couldn’t forget.
Bao Er shook her head, then raised her head to meet her mother’s eyes. “No, I’m too busy all this while so I can’t leave.” Her words were really interesting, because she wasn’t busy at all. That day after she met Tan Jingmo, only ten days had passed. The first day, she was in the hospital for the whole day. On the second and third day, she was in her dorm, then the next week she was in Tan Jingmo’s house.
No, it was actually her house, because he had given it to her. He was really rich and generous.
The fire in her mother’s eyes seemed to grow bigger, as she looked at Bao Er in disappointment and unhappiness. “Busy? Your job is more important than your father’s health? What have I done to raise such an unfilial girl like you?”
These words sounded so hurtful but Bao Er had to maintain her expression. She looked partially shocked. “Yeah, my job is important. If not then where can I get the two hundred thousand dollars surgical fees? I’m still hoping to do that job to pay off my debts, so don’t get angry, mum.”
It wasn’t actually the truth but Bao Er spoke in a serious tone. Some things she said were correct, like how she needed to please her master Tan Jingmo. Or else she would feel guilty if he gave her five hundred thousand and she didn’t give anything back in return.
Bao Er upheld a strong principle. If she already promised to do something, she would do her best to achieve it.
When her mother heard her words, she paused and looked at Bao Er a little differently. Perhaps it was because she remembered that it was Bao Er who helped to pay off such a huge amount of surgical fees for her father.
She didn’t say anything else and sat down beside her father’s bed without giving Bao Er another glance, leaving her alone at one side as if she planned to ignore her for the remaining time.
Bao Er continued to maintain her not-that-angry face, then lowered her head to care for her father who kept quiet the entire time.
“How do you feel?” She looked at his slightly muddy eyes.
“I’m fine, nothing too serious. You better go back if you still need to work. There won’t be much problems here with your mum around. It’s enough that you came to see me.” Her father’s tone was colder than plain water when he was talking to his daughter. There was some closeness but also distant, and this was exactly what Bao Er was used to as well.
She didn’t particularly want to visit her own father in the hospital, because her family wasn’t too happy about her visit. Although she agreed to be Tan Jingmo’s lover because of her father’s surgical fees, it was only because he was her father and she wanted to be filial.
“You…” Her mother looked at her father with an unsatisfied expression, obviously disapproving of him trying to take her side.
Bao Er nodded to show that she understood, but her face was still a little blanked out, as if she’d always been this way in front of her family ever since she was young. “It’s fine, I’ve applied for two days leave from the company, and I’ll go back tomorrow.”
Her father didn’t say anything else after he said ‘okay’. The ward returned to the initial silence. It was so quiet that they could hear each other’s breathing. Her mother saw Bao Er’s blank expression, which only increased her dislike for her.
It could be seen from here that she was actually not an amicable person. Even her parents gave her such distant treatment, not to mention the others?