Shen Nian's eyelids felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, and she could not open them no matter how hard she tried.
After helping her apply the medication, Lu Lingchuan placed the medicine on a small table beside her, then quietly left the room.
His phone, which was placed on the shoe cabinet at the entrance, kept vibrating with non-stop incoming messages.
Lu Lingchuan was very busy.
He came back silently, took the phone, closed the door, and then left as silently as he had entered.
It was not known how long had passed before Shen Nian finally woke up in a daze.
The room was pitch black and exceptionally quiet.
She first opened her eyes a little slit, allowing her brain to wake up, and then fully opened her eyes.
She rubbed her temples, having slept quite soundly.
Recalling that earlier, when she was asleep, she felt someone supporting her feet and spraying medicine on her injured ankle...
It must have been a dream, but it felt so real.
Often, the brain and body do not work in sync; the body may be asleep, but the brain remains alert, so sometimes one can perceive what is happening around them while asleep and even know that they are sleeping, not dreaming, but simply cannot open their heavy eyelids.
She wanted to stretch her legs out, but suddenly realized that one of her legs was sprained, though it was too late to stop the motion.
Unexpectedly, she did not feel the piercing pain she had anticipated; the pain had significantly subsided.
Shen Nian stared at her injured ankle in surprise.
Compared to before she fell asleep, the swelling had reduced slightly, and a faint scent of medication lingered in the air, emanating from her ankle.
She was taken aback.
So... it wasn't a dream?
...
After leaving Shen Nian's place, Lu Lingchuan went to the hospital. As he pushed open the ward door, the bedroom door was surprisingly ajar, with the curtains of both the room and the connected living room windows drawn open, allowing sunlight to stream in and brighten the entire room.
Approaching the bedroom, he heard Liang Jinghe's voice.
"Auntie, your sunflower painting is so beautiful. I even saw your work at an exhibition abroad!"
"Really?" It was Li Mingshi's voice. "My paintings went abroad?"
"Yes, I went with some foreign friends at the time. They stood in front of your work, praising your painting skills and complimenting you to high heavens, so that's why I have such a deep impression."
Li Mingshi chuckled. "My paintings are not as good as they say, I just paint casually."
Liang Jinghe was peeling an apple, her movements a bit clumsy, indicating she didn't do this often, unable to peel the skin in a long strip.
But she sat on a chair, with a small plate on her lap, placing each piece of apple peel onto it, despite the arduous process. She persisted until all the peel was removed.
She wore a disposable glove on one hand while holding the apple, using the other hand to grab a new plate and cut the peeled apple into pieces.
After finishing, she handed the plate to Li Mingshi. "Please have some apple, Auntie. Uncle Lu bought these big and sweet ones."
Seeing how considerate Liang Jinghe was, Li Mingshi smiled faintly. "Thank you."
Liang Jinghe took off the disposable glove and threw it into the nearby trash can, then grabbed some paper towels from the table to wipe the fruit knife. Hearing Li Mingshi's gratitude, she immediately became displeased.
"Auntie, it's no big deal, I'm just peeling an apple for you. If you keep thanking me, I won't dare come here anymore."
Li Mingshi smiled gently, a rare sight.
Seeing her smile, Liang Jinghe also smiled and helped hold the plate for her. "Let me hold it for you, eat slowly."
"Okay."
This was the scene Lu Lingchuan saw upon entering. Although Liang Jinghe was a pampered young lady, she was not arrogant at all, acting in a straightforward manner without pretense.
Her personality was a balance between Shen Nian and Lu Lingrui, a cheerful girl, but not as blunt as Lu Lingrui; she had Shen Nian's gentleness and thoughtfulness, though Shen Nian tended to keep things to herself and bear the burden alone due to her quiet nature, while Liang Jinghe was much livelier.
Lu Lingchuan could sense this from just their brief exchange.
Li Mingshi looked at Liang Jinghe with affectionate eyes, likely recognizing this trait as well.
"Mom." Lu Lingchuan spoke as he approached.
Seeing her son, a glimmer of joy flashed in Li Mingshi's eyes. "You're back."
"Yeah." He walked over and held her slightly cool hands.
The weather was already quite hot, but Li Mingshi was still ill, so she couldn't use the air conditioning. Instead, two fans were placed in the corner to keep the room cool, yet her hands felt chilly.
She appeared even thinner than before, likely due to the chemotherapy.
Seeing her eldest son, Li Mingshi promptly asked, "Son, about Lingrui's case..."
Her biggest concern now was whether Lu Lingchuan had found more evidence. Just thinking about the phone harassment and threatening messages she received made Li Mingshi nearly break down. Although Jinghe had reassured her not to worry, and Lingrui's case had not been made public, the thought of those two families' actions filled Li Mingshi with utter hatred!
Hearing Lu Lingrui's name, Liang Jinghe immediately stood up. "Auntie, now that Lingchuan is here, I can rest assured. You and Lingchuan talk, I'll step out first."
Lu Lingrui's case was a taboo in the Lu family. Even though she and Lu Lingchuan were good friends, she should avoid any appearance of impropriety.
This was a family matter, and as an outsider, it was inappropriate for her to stay and listen.
After saying this, Liang Jinghe nodded and left.
Seeing the agitated Li Mingshi, Lu Lingchuan carefully tended to her, placing a pillow behind her back so she could lean against it comfortably while sitting up in bed.
"Don't worry." His voice was low and solemn. "I've obtained other evidence, and I'm currently searching for more victims. I can assure you, they will not have a good outcome."
If Zhang Yueping, one of the victims mentioned by Lu Lingchuan and Shen Nian, is indeed dead, and it was truly done by Wang Yong and his accomplices, then those scumbags will face the death penalty.
"Really?" Light finally returned to Li Mingshi's eyes.
"Yes."
"That's good, that's good..." Li Mingshi nodded, smiling through her tears. "Next year is your sister's benmingnian. She'll be 24 years old. I want her to have a happy benmingnian in the other world."
"..." Lu Lingchuan tightened his grip on Li Mingshi's hand. "She will."
As scheduled, the doctor and nurse arrived on time to examine Li Mingshi. Lu Lingchuan inquired about her condition.
Although Li Mingshi looked haggard, the results were positive, and the chemotherapy seemed to be working well.
While the medical staff conducted the examination, Lu Lingchuan quietly stepped out.
Liang Jinghe was still waiting outside.
Seeing Lu Lingchuan coming out, she smiled: "Lingchuan."
[One more chapter coming later, let me go eat first]
