It was still Wen Rong who drove. First, she dropped Wang Ning off at the nursing community. Xia Weige was still worried about Grandma Zhang. Wang Ning’s phone number was left with the hospital, and they said they would notify her immediately once she was out of danger.
So, Xia Weige and Wen Rong simply didn’t go back; they both stayed at the community.
However, the conditions in the community were not very good, and there weren’t many beds. Two beds were cleared out, but because the room was very small and the two beds were close together, Xia Weige and the other woman had to make do for the night.
Being so close to Wen Rong, how could Xia Weige dislike it? She was practically ecstatic.
The two stood by the beds, having just finished washing up, their bodies still carrying dampness.
“Do you want the left side or the right side?” Xia Weige asked, leaning closer to Wen Rong.
She didn’t really like to blow-dry her hair. Water droplets from her hair fell onto her skin, which was a bit cold, making her frown and feel a little uncomfortable.
“The side by the door,” Wen Rong answered softly.
Then, she reached out naturally and swept up Xia Weige’s wet hair draped over her shoulder, speaking with a hint of helplessness, “Dry it properly.”
Xia Weige initially felt indifferent upon hearing this, but then suddenly thought of something. She turned to face Wen Rong, her eyes brightening, “Sister, help me dry it.”
Her tone was light, and a smile played on her face, but her heart was already incredibly nervous.
She was afraid Wen Rong would refuse, knowing that her emotions were always affected by Wen Rong. If the other person showed even the slightest hint of reluctance at this moment, it would definitely make her deeply disappointed.
Wen Rong looked at her upon hearing this, her slightly lowered eyelids concealing the emotions in her eyes, making it hard for Xia Weige to see clearly. She waited for a long time but didn’t hear a reply.
Just as Xia Weige was about to step back and give up in disappointment, Wen Rong reached out again and brushed past the strands of hair that hung by her cheek.
It was very light, very light. If the movement of her hair hadn’t caused a slight itch on her cheek, she might not have even noticed.
“Then sit on the edge of the bed,” the gentle voice softly drifted into her ears. Following the fingertips that had just grazed her cheek, Xia Weige saw a bead of moisture clinging to them.
It turned out Wen Rong had wiped away a drop of water for her.
Xia Weige obediently sat on the edge of the bed, but her gaze was still fixed on Wen Rong’s fingers.
She watched as the fair fingertips, after passing through her hair, naturally dropped. The damp sensation made Wen Rong subconsciously lightly rub her index finger and thumb together.
The gentle motion wiped away the water droplet that was now completely invisible, but the tensed knuckle with the movement made Xia Weige think of other things.
Wen Rong’s curved fingers always fascinated Xia Weige back then. The bent knuckles showed the clear veins on her hand.
But unlike a man’s, they weren’t rough or filled with dangerous strength. On Wen Rong’s excessively fair skin, they were like a beautiful piece of art.
Xia Weige would even leave bite marks on the other person’s knuckles, not hard, but enough to make Wen Rong feel a distinct pain.
Xia Weige’s eyes darkened. She unconsciously bit her lip, and a faint itch seemed to surge in her heart.
However, Wen Rong had no idea about the fantasies running through Xia Weige’s mind. Holding the hairdryer in one hand, she slowly brushed through Xia Weige’s hair with the other.
Her movements were so gentle that Xia Weige, who hadn’t rested much since the previous night, gradually began to feel sleepy.
Xia Weige didn’t want to miss the physical contact with Wen Rong, but her body’s fatigue had probably reached its limit, and she soon fell asleep.
Her body unconsciously slumped downward. Wen Rong seemed to have anticipated this, and her arm firmly caught her.
She looked down at Xia Weige’s face. The girl in her memory had long changed her appearance.
Wen Rong put down the hairdryer, gently and quietly laid her on the bed, and carefully tucked her in.
They both had changed. They could never go back to the past after all.
In the silent room, a faint, almost imperceptible sigh seemed to resonate.
…
The next morning, when Xia Weige woke up, the sky was just faintly starting to brighten.
Perhaps because she was too tired, she slept very soundly, without dreams.
But when she opened her eyes, Wen Rong’s figure was already gone from beside her, which immediately made her fully awake.
Xia Weige quickly got dressed and washed up. After tidying herself, she was about to go out and look for the other woman when she bumped into Wen Rong, who was also opening the door.
Both were momentarily stunned. Wen Rong smiled slightly, “I was just about to call you. Perfect. Let’s go have breakfast first.”
Xia Weige scratched her head awkwardly.
Arriving at the cafeteria, the two served themselves some porridge. Wen Rong poured a cup of water and placed it next to Xia Weige, saying, “Drink this first.”
Xia Weige had a habit of drinking a cup of warm water before eating breakfast.
It couldn’t be too hot, just the right warmth. Her stomach wasn’t very good, and drinking a cup of hot water in the morning would make her stomach feel warm, and her whole body would warm up.
“Thank you.” Xia Weige’s heart felt as if it were coated in candied fruit, sweet and refreshing.
The fact that Wen Rong still remembered her small habit was enough to make her happy for a long time.
But just then, the two saw Wang Ning and Granny Wu hurrying toward them, with Wang Ning supporting Granny Wu.
Their steps were messy and anxious, and their faces, against the light, seemed to blend into the shadows.
Xia Weige considered a few possibilities, and her heart suddenly trembled.
She subconsciously held her breath. When Wang Ning and Granny Wu reached her, the sadness on their faces felt like a sharp dagger piercing her heart.
“Xia Xia, we need to go to the hospital.”
Xia Weige abruptly grabbed Wen Rong’s arm beside her. She used a lot of force, and Wen Rong felt a little pain, but she didn’t struggle. She reached out with her other hand and gently patted the back of Xia Weige’s hand as a gesture of comfort.
Xia Weige didn’t answer, just nodded, stood up, and her lips were already pulled into a cold straight line as she looked at Wang Ning.
The four of them went to the hospital together. At the emergency room, the doctors and nurses, along with her husband and son, were standing by Grandma Zhang’s bed.
“The elderly person has passed away,” the doctor explained to them somberly when they arrived.
Xia Weige had a guess on the way, but her mind still went blank when she truly heard and saw it.
She walked forward a few steps, her gaze passing through the gaps in the crowd to see Grandma Zhang’s face.
The elderly woman was connected to various tubes, surrounded by instruments. A nurse was removing these cold, hard objects from her. Xia Weige’s vision was a bit blurry, and she couldn’t clearly see if the elderly woman had passed away peacefully.
Her breathing was trembling. She truly couldn’t understand. They had asked the doctor last night before leaving.
Although Grandma Zhang was seriously injured, the success rate of the surgery was not low, and she was brought to the hospital relatively quickly. All vital signs were stable; otherwise, they definitely wouldn’t have left last night.
Could it be because of money? Because there was no money for the surgery?
Xia Weige shook her head. When a person is in the emergency room, even if the family has no money, the hospital will proceed with rescue first, and certainly wouldn’t watch the person die in the hospital bed.
Afterward, they would wait for the family to raise money or recommend social fundraising.
Xia Weige’s mind was too chaotic. She subconsciously blurted out the speculation she had earlier.
“Is it because there was no money for the surgery?”
As soon as she said it, she bit her lip hard, having already denied it in her heart.
But to her surprise, Grandma Zhang’s husband actually picked up on her words.
“Exactly because there was no money, she should have just waited to die. Anyway, she has brain problems too. It’s better that she died.” The man, who looked simple and honest with a kind face, was now standing behind the doctor, turning sideways, his eyes looking askance.
Just like Xia Weige had seen the previous night, his cold eyes were full of indifference.
The dead person in the hospital bed seemed to have nothing to do with him.
“Last night, just as this grandma was a little awake, he kept verbally abusing her, calling her a ‘money pit’ and telling her to hurry up and die, not to expect the family to pay for her life. The grandma struggled and fell out of bed herself. The doctor came to rescue her, but couldn’t save her. She probably didn’t want to live anymore either.” It was the voice of a family member of a nearby patient. She looked to be in her twenties, recognized Xia Weige, and deliberately said it out loud.
“Even as an outsider, I couldn’t stand it. How can there be such a disgusting person?”
Xia Weige bit her lip hard, staring intently at the man. The image of Grandma Zhang in the bathroom on the first day suddenly flashed in her mind.
The large and small scars on her body could not possibly have been from falling.
Those were clearly marks from a long stick or heavy object, traces that appear from long-term exposure to violence.
At that time, the elderly woman was turned away, her small voice saying thank you was so sincere and grateful.
Xia Weige was close to suffocating. She had clearly sensed the man’s strangeness yesterday. She should have stayed at the hospital.
“I’m sorry.” The doctor apologized to Xia Weige and the others. The words that should have been addressed to the family were now being said to them.
The nurse had already removed the instruments from Grandma Zhang. The matter of the remains should also be handled by the family, and it had nothing to do with outsiders like Xia Weige, whose names were unknown.
Xia Weige didn’t know how she walked out of the hospital. Her pale face couldn’t warm up even in the morning sunlight.
Granny Wu was so angry that she almost fainted on the spot. Wang Ning supported her on a long bench to rest. Xia Weige and Wen Rong went to the underground parking lot to drive back to the community.
The two got into the car, but Wen Rong delayed starting the engine. Her fingers rested on the steering wheel, and she hadn’t said a word.
The underground parking lot was very quiet at the moment. The two sat in the car for a long time until Xia Weige’s murmur abruptly broke the silence.
“If we hadn’t left last night, if we had given a sum of money, she would have been saved, wouldn’t she?” Her voice was unusually calm, like still, dead water in a deep pool.
She kept her head down, her long hair hiding her face, making it impossible to see her expression.
But her tone carried conviction. She wasn’t asking Wen Rong; she was accusing herself of a sin.
“I earned so much money, enough money to save her life.”
Wen Rong heard these words and her eyes briefly fluttered shut.
Then she opened them again, turned sideways, reached out her hand, and forcefully lifted Xia Weige’s chin, looking straight into Xia Weige’s eyes.
Her gaze, usually gentle and graceful, was now almost ruthless in its calmness.
“You couldn’t save her, Xia Weige.”