Time passed, and circumstances changed, but how did it come to this?
Lu Lingchen brought back takeout food from outside and placed it on the dining table. He pushed open the bedroom door.
"Dad."
"..." Lu Yanhua held Li Mingshi's hand, unmoving.
"I bought some food. You should eat something. The doctor said Mom won't wake up so soon." Lu Lingchen's voice was soft.
"..." Lu Yanhua still didn't move.
Lu Lingchen felt a pang of bitterness in his heart.
Today was the court hearing, and his parents had woken up early without even eating breakfast, only to encounter this...
"Dad." Lu Lingchen spoke again. "The doctor said earlier that people aren't defeated by cancer, but by their own hearts. We're Mom's closest family, we should hold her hand and accompany her to overcome the disease."
"If you don't eat or drink now, and keep looking so gloomy, how can Mom not worry when she wakes up? Overthinking won't help Mom's condition. So you must stay healthy and have the energy to accompany Mom, right?"
"..." Lu Lingchen's words touched Lu Yanhua's heart.
Yes, he couldn't wallow in despair now. He needed to eat properly and take care of his body so he would have the energy to care for his wife.
He tightened his grip on Li Mingshi's cool hand, lifted the corner of the blanket, and placed his hand underneath. After checking that the IV drip was working properly, he stood up and followed Lu Lingchen out, carefully closing the door behind them.
After convincing his father to come out, Lu Lingchen looked towards Lu Lingchuan, who was standing by the living room window. "Brother, you should eat something too."
"Mm." Lu Lingchuan dropped the cigarette in his hand and crushed it under his shoe, then strode over.
It was rare for just the three of them—father and sons—to sit together for a meal. The atmosphere at the dining table was very quiet, with only the sound of Lu Lingchen opening the disposable meal boxes.
"There's nothing much going on at my school. For now, I'll come and take care of Mom. You and Dad can focus on work." Lu Lingchen spoke as he handed chopsticks to Lu Yanhua.
"No need." Lu Lingchuan's tone was flat. "I've already arranged my work. You focus on your studies, and don't worry about things here."
"Brother." Lu Lingchen frowned. "I have more free time than you."
He also worked at Lingrui Group, so he knew how much work Lu Lingchuan had every day.
With the company in a growth phase, meetings, social engagements, collaborations, and business trips kept Lu Lingchuan's every minute packed to the brim.
Even the time for today's court hearing had been cleared only after Lu Lingchuan had worked through three consecutive nights to finish his tasks in advance.
"Brother, there's no need to argue. You and Dad have to manage the company, while I'm still in school with much more free time. Besides, you know that at A University, I only need to complete the credits to graduate, without daily attendance. So my time is quite flexible."
He continued, "Mom's condition isn't bad, but it's not great either. We'll definitely need to give her the best medication and treatment. Currently, I don't have the means to earn millions overnight, so you'll have to take care of the financial aspect. How will Mom's medical expenses be covered if you don't go to work?"
Lu Yanhua, holding his chopsticks with his head lowered, spoke up, "You go to work or school as usual. I'll take care of your mother."
"Dad..."
"No matter how much time you have, you don't have the experience of caring for your mother like I do. I've taken care of her for so many years and am more adept at it in every aspect. And... I want to be by her side constantly."
In the past, she was afraid of insects and pain, even cowering behind him at the sight of a sharp-beaked chicken.
Now faced with the terrifying demon of cancer, how could he bear to let her face it alone?
He would accompany her, no matter the outcome. He had to be with her.
"Don't worry about the company. For the past two years, I've hired professionals to manage it. Not going to the office won't affect operations, and I can handle important matters online or over the phone."
Lu Yanhua's tone left no room for argument. "That's how it will be arranged. Your mother is still asleep, and I can't leave her. When she wakes up, I won't be able to leave her side at all. After you finish eating, go home and bring the housekeeper here. Your mother doesn't like takeout, so let the housekeeper come and take care of her meals."
"Okay." Lu Lingchen nodded.
The conversation between the father and sons ended there, and silence fell again.
Lu Lingchuan sat in the chair, his untouched meal box of rice in front of him. Lu Lingchen and Lu Yanhua were eating with their heads down, their food tasting bland.
With Lu Lingrui's situation unresolved and Li Mingshi's illness on top of that, the pressures kept piling on, leaving them gasping for breath and with no appetite.
Lu Lingchen picked at his rice, mechanically swallowing it.
"The first time I saw your mother was in a field of sunflowers..." Lu Yanhua began, his voice laced with weariness.
"..."
"Tap." Lu Lingchuan lit another cigarette, the smoke obscuring his face, hiding his expression.
From the moment they confirmed Li Mingshi had cancer until now, Lu Lingchuan had already smoked nearly a whole pack.
Lu Lingchen had already lost his appetite, but he looked up when his father spoke.
Lu Yanhua kept his gaze lowered, speaking one word at a time.
"She was wearing a light yellow sundress, standing among the sunflowers with a beach hat on her head, more beautiful than the flowers."
"I approached her and introduced myself, 'My name is Lu Yanhua, and you?' She looked dazed for a moment, then smiled at me warmly, her face turning red."
Van Gogh once said:
[Everyone has a fire burning inside them, but passersby only see the smoke.
But there will always be that one person, that one person who can see the fire, and then walk over and keep me company.
In the crowd, I saw his fire, and quickly walked over, fearing that if I was too slow, he would be engulfed by the dust of time.
With my passion, my coldness, my wildness, my gentleness, and my unreasonable belief in love, I walked breathlessly towards him.
I stammered, 'What's your name?'
From 'What's your name?' onwards, everything followed.]
Lu Yanhua's gaze lowered, and his voice grew quieter. "If she's not here anymore, what will I do..."
When their daughter had her incident years ago, no matter how painful it was, he had mustered his strength, because he was the pillar of the family and couldn't fall.
If he fell, the whole family would collapse.
But now...
Lu Yanhua didn't dare imagine what he would do if his wife wasn't there anymore, what he could do...
Some say that a father's love is subtle. They may not be as meticulous in showing care like a mother would, but as long as you turn around when you're tired, you'll find your father has always been standing behind you.
They may not be eloquent, but they express their love through actions. They may not have much time to spend with their wives and children because they are the pillars of the family, toiling tirelessly for their loved ones.
But now... the pillar of the Lu family was bent over, struggling to control himself, his shoulders shaking as he wept quietly.
