On the way to the hospital, Yu Wanli’s mood had clearly sunk to rock bottom. She sat half-reclined in the back seat, arms wrapped around herself, her baseball cap pulled low to cover her entire face. An invisible, suffocating black haze seemed to press in around her.
As the capital of Dongguo, Shengjing was bustling everywhere one looked on the streets, with cars flowing like a winding dragon, exceptionally lively and crowded.
But this psychiatric hospital located in the southern suburbs was one of the rare exceptions. The road before the white fence gate was wide yet desolate, with wildly overgrown weeds spreading along the roadside. At a glance, under the blazing sun, the road surface shimmered as if covered in a layer of water, not a single car in sight.
The hospital director, having received advance notice, stood at the main entrance with the attending physician to greet them.
Chi Nian parked the car and looked back at Yu Wanli, pursing her lips and deliberately lowering her voice. “Wanli, we’re here.”
After a moment of silence.
Yu Wanli softly replied, “Mm,” then sat up, lifting her cap to reveal her bare, makeup-free face.
As they got out of the car, the director strode forward to greet them, about to speak when Qiao Ling raised a hand.
“Uncle Li, how is my mother today?” Yu Wanli asked calmly.
Director Li hesitated for a moment before replying truthfully, “Not well. She’s been sleeping since taking her medication this morning.”
He paused briefly before continuing, “Miss Yu, just as I mentioned to you on WeChat, Mrs. Luo’s sleeping hours have been increasing since last week. Her waking time each day is about… an hour.”
Yu Wanli’s eyes darkened slightly, and she gave a bitter smile. “And when she’s awake, is she still just staring blankly?”
“No! The night before last, after waking up, Mrs. Luo asked the nurse for paper and pen. It seemed like she was writing something,” Director Li replied quietly.
Hearing this, Yu Wanli frowned, feeling somewhat surprised.
Stepping through the gate, they saw no one along the way. Two old poplar trees in the courtyard stood with thick trunks and lush foliage, their verdant leaves casting a dense shadow on the red brick ground.
The group walked straight into the lifeless white building. The elevator went directly to the sixth floor. The long corridor was dimly lit, with an eerie, cold, and desolate atmosphere.
The white door opposite the elevator was slightly ajar. A solemn-faced guard stationed at the entrance silently bowed to the three approaching figures.
The bright, tidy hospital room lacked the usual antiseptic smell of hospitals. Instead, it was filled with the refreshing fragrance of gardenias.
Qiao Ling sat down by the hospital bed, clutching the vintage-style lighter she had taken from Chi Nian. Her clear, dark eyes rested on the pale face of the woman lying quietly in bed.
The marks left by time and illness were strikingly evident on her face.
The wrinkles gathered at the corners of her eyes, deeply sunken cheeks, pale lips—her frail, emaciated appearance resembled a piece of paper that might vanish with a gust of wind.
The woman lying in the hospital bed was Yu Wanli’s mother, Luo Chunya, who had treated Qiao Ling as her own daughter—the fairy who once shone brightly on the ballet stage, with little wings.
Now,
The fairy had lost her wings and her legs, unable to fly or stand ever again.
She viewed the world through a pink filter, but the world had wrapped her in a reality of darkness, devoid of even a sliver of light.
Qiao Ling’s eyes grew slightly sore. She shifted her gaze to look out the window at the sky, clear as ice.The clamorous chirping of a bird came from the poplar branch outside the window. It seemed injured, its head repeatedly burrowing under its wing. When it lifted its head, a layer of bloodstains was clearly visible on its sharp beak.
Qiao Ling watched it, her mind unconsciously drifting back several years to when Luo Chunya lifted her hospital gown, revealing the crisscrossing scars on her body. With red-rimmed eyes, she smiled and said those words to her.
The sky back then was just like now, filled with the sound of cicadas and the chirping of birds.
Luo Chunya leaned against the headboard, her beautiful eyes clear and bright—a rare moment of lucidity. Her smile was gentle. “Lingling, Auntie’s dream used to be to stand on the world-class stage of ballet. But alas, I met your Uncle Yu at the peak of my career.”
“After having Wanli, Auntie’s dream was to watch her grow up. Now… it seems like half of that dream has come true.”
Her body was weak, and she coughed violently, but when she spoke of the past, she couldn’t stop. “Do you remember when you and Wanli were little, you told Auntie you would help her fulfill her dream of standing on stage?”
“I remember,” Qiao Ling replied. When she visited, she deliberately wore the white dress Luo Chunya loved, her hair tied in the high ponytail she favored. Her delicate, beautiful face rarely showed such tenderness. “Not just back then, Aunt Luo. I still remember now.”
Luo Chunya laughed, her beautiful fox-like eyes curving into crescents. “But Lingling, Auntie doesn’t want you and Wanli to fulfill my dream for me anymore.”
She had spoken too much, and her body couldn’t bear it. After a long pause, she whispered softly, “Lingling, you and Wanli must stop dancing ballet. Never again. How about dancing jazz instead?”
“Okay.”
Later, she and Yu Wanli gave up ballet and began learning jazz.
…
“Lingling?” Chi Nian’s gentle, deep voice sounded beside her ear.
Qiao Ling snapped back to reality and turned to look at him. “What is it?”
“Aunt Luo is awake.”
Hearing this, Qiao Ling glanced toward the hospital bed. Seeing those cloudy eyes, she pursed her lips slightly, her heart sinking.
The ward was silent, the atmosphere unusually oppressive.
The doctor and the hospital director standing at the door hurried over. But before they could take more than a few steps, Luo Chunya suddenly let out a scream. Her withered hand clutched Yu Wanli’s arm tightly as she glared at her viciously. “You want to kill my child, don’t you? You want to kill my child, don’t you?”
“Don’t even think… don’t even think…”
Yu Wanli pressed her lips together, unmoving, letting Luo Chunya’s nails dig into her flesh.
“Aunt Luo! This is Wanli! This isn’t Xing Hui!” Chi Nian grabbed her hand, careful not to use too much force, and spoke soothingly. “Aunt Luo, don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. Have you forgotten Wanli? She’s your child.”
“My… child?” Luo Chunya quieted down, her fingers gradually loosening. She lowered her head and murmured, “Child… my… Wanli… child… Lingling… my child…”
Suddenly, she seemed to regain a bit of clarity. Slowly raising her head, her eyes looked slightly clearer. “You… Xiao… Xiao Nian?”
“Yes, yes, it’s me, Xiao Nian.” Chi Nian gently moved Yu Wanli’s arm away, his heart heavy.
Luo Chunya’s eyes brightened. She tilted her head and looked toward Qiao Ling and Yu Wanli standing behind her.She smiled, very happily, “Wanli, Lingling, you came to see me?”
“Yes, Mom, Lingling and I came to see you.” Yu Wanli took off her baseball cap, arms behind her back, a smile on her face.
Qiao Ling signaled for the director to leave first, poured a cup of warm water, and gently brought it to Luo Chunya’s lips, softly saying, “Aunt Luo, have some water.”
Provided by the great author Boluonian, “The Wild Rose’s Tempting Kiss, The Sickly Big Brother Clings to Me Addictively.”