A wave of overwhelming sorrow washed over Lan Hai as he silently wept within his heart.
Mom…
why did you hide such a terrible truth from me?
Why didn’t you tell me?
If only I had known sooner, I would have moved heaven and earth to save you…
Dr.
Kim Lee slowly rose from his chair and placed a reassuring hand on Lan Hai’s slumped shoulder.
Dr.
Kim Lee: “Lan Hai… modern medicine has reached its limits. Spend every remaining moment by your mother’s side. Keep her heart at peace. These are moments that life will never return to you.”
With those final words, the doctor quietly left the office, leaving Lan Hai alone in the dimly lit room.
Gathering what little strength he had left, Lan Hai slowly stood up and made his way down the silent corridor toward his mother’s room.
As he gently pushed open the door, he saw her frail figure resting peacefully on the hospital bed.
Hearing the door open, Lan Xiuan slowly opened her eyes.
Lan Xiuan: “Lan Hai… is that you, my son?”
The moment he heard her weak voice, Lan Hai could no longer hold back his tears.
He dropped to his knees beside the bed, his entire body trembling.
Lan Hai: “Mom… why? Why did you hide such a terrible illness from me? Why did you choose to suffer all alone?”
Lan Xiuan slowly raised her frail hand and gently stroked his hair.
A faint, peaceful smile appeared on her pale face.
Lan Xiuan: “My precious child… some burdens are never meant to be spoken of. They are simply meant to be endured.”
Lan Hai broke down completely.
Lan Hai: “Mom… are you really going to leave me behind?”
Lan Xiuan looked at him quietly.
Lan Xiuan: “How many days?”
Lan Hai looked at her in confusion.
Lan Hai: “Mom… I don’t understand.”
Lan Xiuan’s gentle smile never faded.
Lan Xiuan: “How much time did the doctor give me?”
Lan Hai’s tears flowed even harder.
Lan Hai: “Fifteen days…”
Lan Xiuan closed her eyes for a brief moment before speaking softly.
Lan Xiuan: “My son… the doctors are only trying to keep me alive for those fifteen days because I begged them to give me just a little more time. I wanted to see you one last time… and now, I finally have.”
Tears streamed endlessly down Lan Hai’s face.
Lan Hai: “Mom… please don’t say things like that.”
Lan Xiuan gently shook her head.
Lan Xiuan: “Listen to me carefully, Lan Hai. I know you love Xia Qinue with all your heart, yet you keep pushing her away because you believe you aren’t worthy of standing beside her. You think you lack the wealth and power needed to be with her. But true love has never been measured by status or influence.”
Lan Hai remained silent, listening as every word sank deep into his heart.
Lan Xiuan: “Do you know who your father was? He was the son of a powerful and influential family. Yet the moment he fell in love with me, he willingly abandoned his wealth, his family name, and his position to build a simple life by my side.”
A warm smile appeared on her face as memories of the past filled her eyes.
Lan Xiuan: “My son, true love never holds you back, nor does it make you feel small. True love gives you the courage to stand alone against the entire world if that’s what it takes to protect the person you cherish.”
With trembling fingers, she reached for the beautiful jade pendant hanging around her neck.
After removing it, she gently placed it in Lan Hai’s hands.
Lan Xiuan: “This is the ancestral jade pendant of the Lan Family. It has been passed down from generation to generation. Keep it with you… and let it protect you.”
She slowly closed his fingers around the pendant.
Lan Xiuan: “After I’m gone, promise me one thing.”
Lan Hai nodded through his tears.
Lan Hai: “Anything, Mom.”
Lan Xiuan smiled peacefully.
Lan Xiuan: “Don’t let sorrow consume your life. I’ll always live on in your memories.”
Her eyes slowly drifted toward the ceiling.
A faint whisper escaped her lips.
Lan Xiuan: “Vasudev… I’ve fulfilled my promise. Our Lan Hai has finally grown into a fine young man.”
A tear rolled gently down her cheek.
“…I’m coming to join you now. At last… we’ll be together again.”
The moment those final words left her lips, the strength in Lan Xiuan’s hand faded away.
Her fingers slipped gently from Lan Hai’s grasp.
Her breathing ceased.
The peaceful smile remained on her face…
But the light in her eyes had vanished forever.
For a single, endless moment, Lan Hai simply stared at her in silence.
His mind refused to accept what had just happened.
Then—
A heart-wrenching scream erupted from deep within his soul.
Lan Hai: “MOM!!!”
His anguished cry echoed throughout the entire hospital, leaving everyone who heard it frozen in place.
The following afternoon, Lan Xiuan’s coffin was carried slowly through the streets of Beijing.
Lan Hai walked at the front of the procession, holding his mother’s photograph tightly against his chest.
His eyes were swollen from endless tears, yet he continued forward in silence.
Behind him walked Mu Chen, Feng Hui, Qin Shen, and Xia Qinue, quietly accompanying him on his mother’s final journey.
When they arrived at the cemetery, Lan Xiuan was finally laid to rest.
A solemn silence settled over the graveyard.
One by one, the mourners paid their respects before quietly leaving, until only five people remained.
Lan Hai…
Mu Chen…
Feng Hui…
Qin Shen…
And Xia Qinue.
The four friends stood silently around Lan Hai like unwavering pillars, unwilling to leave him alone even for a moment.
Slowly, Lan Hai knelt before the freshly covered grave.
His trembling hand rested gently upon the cold earth.
Lan Hai: “Mom… everyone came to see you today. But you’re so quiet now…”
His voice began to crack.
“I miss you so much. I honestly don’t know how I’m supposed to keep living. Without you… our home doesn’t feel like home anymore.”
Tears streamed down his face once again as he lowered his head before his mother’s grave.
Seeing Lan Hai break down, Xia Qinue slowly stepped forward.
Her own eyes were red with tears as she gently spoke,
Lan Hai slowly lifted his head.
Though he didn’t understand why she had said those words, he instinctively looked toward his mother’s grave and whispered,
Lan Hai: “Mom… please guide me. How am I supposed to live from now on? Should I take the first step toward a completely new life?”
At that very moment, a gentle breeze swept quietly across the cemetery, brushing against the faces of the five friends before rustling the flowers resting upon the grave.
Lan Hai stood frozen.
Deep within his heart, he understood.
His mother had never been able to bear the sight of him crying.
Slowly, he wiped away his tears and bowed his head before the grave.
Lan Hai: “I understand, Mom… I hear you. From this day forward, I’ll walk the path you’ve shown me.”
The group quietly returned to Lan Hai’s house.
Refusing to leave him alone, Mu Chen, Feng Hui, Qin Shen, and Xia Qinue stayed with him for the next several days, doing everything they could to ease his grief.
After entering the house, Lan Hai carefully hung his mother’s portrait on the main wall.
He lit two sticks of incense, bowed respectfully before the portrait, and silently offered his prayers before joining his friends.
The atmosphere inside the house remained heavy.
Breaking the silence, Qin Shen spoke first.
Qin Shen: “Lan Hai… don’t carry all of this by yourself. We’re here with you. No matter what happens, call us immediately.”
Mu Chen nodded in agreement before looking at Qin Shen.
Mu Chen: “For once in your life… you’ve actually said something intelligent.”
Even in the middle of their grief, Qin Shen couldn’t help rolling his eyes.
Xia Qinue stepped forward and looked at Lan Hai with unwavering sincerity.
Xia Qinue: “Lan Hai, never think you’re alone because Auntie is gone. We’re your family now… and we’ll always stand beside you.”
Feng Hui smiled gently.
Feng Hui: “Exactly. Stop carrying everything on your own.”
Lan Hai looked at each of them in silence before forcing a faint smile.
Lan Hai: “Thank you… all of you. But you’ve already stayed here for several days. Please go home and get some rest. I… I need a little time to be alone.”
Understanding what he needed, his friends reluctantly agreed.
Before leaving, Mu Chen turned back one last time.
Mu Chen: “Take care of yourself, brother.”
Lan Hai silently nodded as he watched the door close behind them.
For the next seven days, Lan Hai never stepped outside his house.
His phone remained switched off, and he shut himself away from the rest of the world.
Every day, he drowned himself in alcohol, surrounded by memories of his mother.
The house, once filled with warmth and laughter, now felt unbearably empty.
The one person he had dreamed of making proud was no longer there to witness his future.
Late one night, after returning home in a drunken state, Lan Hai staggered toward the dining table.
His vision was blurred, and his steps were unsteady.
Then, he froze.
His mother was standing by the table, smiling at him exactly as she always had.
Lan Xiuan: “You’re home late again. Go wash your hands. I’ll bring the food.”
For a brief moment, Lan Hai forgot everything.
A joyful smile spread across his face as he rushed toward her.
Lan Hai: “Mom!”
The next instant…
The illusion disappeared.
The room was empty.
There was no warm meal waiting on the table.
No gentle smile.
No mother.
Only silence.
Lan Hai stood motionless before collapsing onto the dining table.
Burying his face in his arms, he wept uncontrollably until exhaustion and alcohol finally pulled him into a deep sleep.
Sometime during the night, he began to dream.
Once again, his mother appeared before him.
She looked at him with gentle disappointment.
Lan Xiuan: “Lan Hai… look at yourself. What have you done?”
Lan Hai lowered his head.
Lan Hai: “Mom… I don’t want to do anything anymore. I don’t even want to keep living in a world without you.”
Lan Xiuan walked toward him with a loving smile.
Lan Xiuan: “My son, the river of life never stops flowing. No one is meant to remain in this mortal world forever. My journey simply came to its natural end, and I leave with peace in my heart because I know I’ve raised you well.”
She gently touched his forehead.
Lan Xiuan: “Now… you have a reason to keep moving forward. A purpose that will give meaning to your life.”
The moment those words faded…
The face of Xia Qinue suddenly appeared in his mind.
Lan Hai’s eyes flew open.
He woke with a sharp breath, his heartbeat echoing loudly through the quiet room.
The following morning, Lan Hai woke with a newfound sense of clarity.
He washed his face, changed into clean clothes, and began cleaning the house from top to bottom.
During the past week, grief had turned every corner of the home into a reflection of his broken state.
By the time he finished, the house finally looked the way his mother had always kept it.
Walking over to her portrait, he lit two fresh sticks of incense and bowed respectfully.
Lan Hai: “Mom… I won’t disappoint you.”
With renewed determination, he made his way to the food stall.
For the first time since her passing, he stood behind the familiar counter alone.
Though the emptiness in his heart remained, he worked tirelessly throughout the day, honoring the life his mother had built with her own hands.
By the time he closed the stall and returned home, it was already 1:00 a.m.
Feeling exhausted, he walked into the kitchen and prepared to cook himself a simple late-night meal.
Just then…
The doorbell rang.
Lan Hai frowned in confusion.
At this hour?
He walked over and opened the front door.
Standing outside was Mu Chen, carrying several large travel bags.
Lan Hai blinked in surprise.
Lan Hai: “Where on earth are you going at this hour?”
Mu Chen casually adjusted one of the bags on his shoulder.
Mu Chen: “Move aside first. Let me get inside.”
Still confused, Lan Hai stepped back and let him enter.
After closing the door, he looked at the mountain of luggage scattered across the living room. You are reading on g.com, the official source.
Lan Hai: “Alright… now tell me. Where are you going with all this?”
Mu Chen calmly placed the last bag on the floor before looking straight at him.
Mu Chen: “Nowhere.”
A grin slowly spread across his face.
“I’m moving in.”
Lan Hai stared at him in disbelief.
Lan Hai: “Have you completely lost your mind? Since when did you become my wife that you’re suddenly moving into my house?”
Mu Chen rolled his eyes.
Mu Chen: “Trust me, your face isn’t nearly handsome enough for me to marry you.”
Lan Hai couldn’t help letting out a small laugh.
Seeing that faint smile return to his brother’s face, Mu Chen silently breathed a sigh of relief.
Then he shrugged casually.
Mu Chen: “Besides, my old man has been forcing me to take over the Mu Family business. I wasn’t interested, so we had the biggest argument of our lives.”
Right on cue, Lan Hai’s phone began to vibrate.
Glancing at the screen, he saw the caller ID.
Mu Tian.
Lan Hai answered immediately.
Lan Hai: “Hello, Uncle.”
Mu Tian: “Lan Hai, my boy. How are you holding up?”
Lan Hai: “I’m managing, Uncle.”
Mu Tian paused briefly before asking,
Mu Tian: “Has that worthless son of mine reached your house yet?”
Lan Hai glanced at Mu Chen before replying,
Lan Hai: “Yes, Uncle. He’s here with me.”
Mu Tian snorted.
Mu Tian: “Good. Tell him he’s officially been thrown out of the house. He doesn’t need to come back.”
Lan Hai was taken aback.
Lan Hai: “Uncle, please don’t be angry. Let me talk to him. I’m sure we can work this out.”
Mu Tian interrupted him immediately.
Mu Tian: “No, Lan Hai. That ungrateful brat deserves it. Don’t you dare send him back.”
Before Lan Hai could respond, the call ended.
He slowly lowered the phone, utterly confused by what had just happened.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Mu Tian quietly placed his phone on the table.
A faint smile appeared on his face as he let out a soft sigh.
Mu Tian: “Helping a son fulfill his silent wish… is no easy task.”
The truth was far different from what Lan Hai believed.
There had never been a real argument.
Mu Chen had gone to his father and begged him to stage the entire confrontation.
He refused to leave Lan Hai alone during the darkest period of his life, fearing his brother might lose himself in grief.
Not knowing any of this, Mu Chen casually looked at Lan Hai.
Mu Chen: “Who was on the phone?”
Lan Hai: “Your father.”
Mu Chen shrugged.
Mu Chen: “Looks like the old man has finally lost his temper. Forget about it. I’ve already taken a shower. Let’s eat something.”
Lan Hai shook his head.
Lan Hai: “You idiot… I still have to cook.”
Mu Chen walked toward the refrigerator and opened it.
Mu Chen: “Do we have any pork belly?”
Lan Hai: “Yeah.”
Mu Chen grinned.
Mu Chen: “Perfect. Move aside and let a master chef handle dinner.”
Lan Hai laughed softly.
Lan Hai: “Forget it. I’ll cook.”
Mu Chen: “Didn’t you hear me? Tonight, I’m cooking. You go take a shower.”
Without giving Lan Hai another chance to argue, Mu Chen marched straight into the kitchen.
A few minutes later, Lan Hai returned after showering and froze in place.
The dining table had already been set.
Freshly cooked pork belly rested beside two steaming bowls of noodle soup, filling the room with a familiar warmth.
Mu Chen proudly folded his arms.
Mu Chen: “Come on. Sit down and tell me how a meal cooked by this genius tastes.”
The two brothers sat across from each other.
Without thinking, Mu Chen instinctively called toward the hallway,
Mu Chen: “Mom! Come quickly! I cooked dinner today!”
The words lingered in the silent house.
Both of them froze.
A wave of realization crashed over Mu Chen.
Lan Xiuan…
…was gone.
His eyes instantly filled with tears.
A painful sob escaped his chest as he broke down completely.
Mu Chen: “Mom… that’s not fair. You promised you’d stay long enough to see my children one day. How could you leave your boy behind?”
For Mu Chen, Lan Xiuan had never been just Lan Hai’s mother.
She had loved him like her own son, taught him how to work at the food stall, scolded him when he made mistakes, and cared for him with endless warmth.
Unable to hold back any longer, he buried his face in his hands and wept.
Lan Hai quietly stood up, took a box of tissues from the counter, and gently placed it in Mu Chen’s hands.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Lan Hai: “Mom is still here with us, Mu Chen. She may no longer be able to speak… but I’m sure she can still hear every word we say.”
At that very moment, a gentle breeze drifted through the open window, softly brushing past the two brothers.
Neither of them said another word.
They simply smiled through their tears before quietly picking up their chopsticks.
That night, the dining table held three neatly arranged chairs…
And three carefully prepared bowls of noodle soup.
The third chair remained empty.
Not because someone was missing…
But because, in their hearts, Lan Xiuan would always have a place at their table.