“Wanqiu, are you okay?” Xia Jingxuan’s voice came through, filled with apology.
So quickly, he already knew.
“I’m fine. I’m with A’Xun. I’m hanging up.” She didn’t want to say another word. This was the second time she had mentioned Leng Muxun in a phone call with Xia Jingxuan. The first time was a slip of the tongue, but this time she was fully aware of what she was saying.
“Wanqiu, Aunt Liang came to see me tonight.”
“Ah…” Her finger, which was about to press the end call button, immediately moved away, showing her unease. Just mentioning Liang Shuzhen made her break out in a cold sweat, revealing her complex feelings towards her mother.
“She seems… seems to be in some trouble.”
“Did she ask you for money again?” She moved the phone from one ear to the other, frantic with worry. She desperately hoped Liang Shuzhen hadn’t approached Xia Jingxuan for money again.
“Yes, ” said Mr. Bai, ” she is in the hospital after an incident. Possibly… possibly…” Xia Jingxuan stammered, unable to continue.
“Alright, I understand. Thank you for telling me.” She quickly ended the call and dialed Liang Shuzhen’s number. Her mother never called her directly when something happened, probably out of guilt, afraid she would ask for money back. But who else was closer to her than her own daughter?
“Mom.” This time, Liang Shuzhen answered quickly.
“Wah…” She started crying the moment she spoke, her voice trembling. “Wanqiu, your Uncle Bai couldn’t repay his usurious loan and was hunted down. He’s in the hospital now undergoing emergency treatment, and we don’t even know if he’ll make it. We can’t even afford the medical fees…”
“Mom, how much does he owe?”
“Several million, I think. I don’t know the exact amount. Mo Yu said he could get the money, but it’s been a whole day, and we still can’t proceed with the surgery.” Liang Shuzhen was genuinely crying; it didn’t sound like an act. Zhong Wanqiu couldn’t understand why her mother was so fond of Bai Zhanlou, but perhaps it was fate that Bai Zhanlou was her destined calamity.
“Mom, don’t cry. Let me think of something.”
“Wanqiu, if you can help the Bai family through this crisis, I’ll repay you as your ox or horse in my next life.” On the other end of the line, Liang Shuzhen sounded as if she were crying her heart out, her voice choked with sobs.
After all, it was Liang Shuzhen who had taken her out of the orphanage. Listening to her mother’s tears, Wanqiu’s heart ached even more. “Mom, don’t say that. I’ll do my best.” Not for the Bai family, but for her mother.
As she put down the phone, she realized she was still leaning against Leng Muxun.
“Don’t cry, little one,” he said softly, his fingers gently wiping away her tears. “I promise you, the Bai family will be fine by tomorrow.”
“Even if I don’t sign, they’ll be okay?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
When she signed the name “Zhong Wanqiu” on those two documents, she felt a cold emptiness. She knew that at the exact moment she got married, she had already gotten divorced, a silent surrender to her circumstances.
By signing, she would regain her freedom, and so would he.
She could continue her studies or work; she just needed to cooperate in maintaining this marriage until it ended.
“Grandfather will arrive in a few days.” His chin rested against her face, gently rubbing. The fine, stiff stubble tickled her skin. “Qiu, don’t worry. I won’t touch you without your consent.”
Once again, he reassured her, but it made her even more aware that he didn’t truly love her.
He drove into the city center and asked, “Are you hungry? What would you like to eat?”