Chapter 42: Reveal
"Gu Yuan, I have someone I like now. No, I should say someone I love."
Xiao Moyan looked at Gu Yuan and spoke softly, a deep love showing in her eyes and expression. Gu Yuan did not speak; his slender fingers held the mug and tapped it lightly as he gazed at her thoughtfully.
Xiao Moyan also stopped speaking and crossed her arms, looking out the window. She did not know when it started, but Xia Lingying had already taken up residence deep in her heart. Whenever she thought of her, Xiao Moyan would unconsciously smile foolishly. That feeling of happiness flowing from the bottom of her heart was something she had never experienced in over twenty years of living.
Gu Yuan sat on the sofa, squinting his eyes at Xiao Moyan. After a while, he stood up.
"Xiao, I heard from the secretary that you just rushed back by plane. I did too. I’ve been on a flight all day, and I’m a bit tired. Let's set up another time to talk."
Xiao Moyan nodded.
"That works. It's been a long time since we caught up. I have a lot to say. Let's talk next time we meet."
"Okay."
Gu Yuan responded calmly, glanced at Xiao Moyan, and turned to leave. Xiao Moyan just stood where she was and watched him go without exchanging many pleasantries. This was the understanding they had developed since their university days. But for some reason, seeing Gu Yuan this time, Xiao Moyan noticed a trace of gloom in his eyes. Shaking her head, she stopped thinking about it, picked up her clothes, and hurried out.
At the door, A'Sen was still standing there respectfully. When he saw Xiao Moyan come out, he quickly stepped forward.
"Miss, are we leaving?"
"Mm."
Xiao Moyan nodded and got into the car. A'Sen sighed, closed the door, and took the driver's seat, steering the car toward the British Nursing Home.
Note: correction, turns out it's the name of the establishment, I translated it as a nursing home in the UK in the previous chapter
Along the way, Xiao Moyan thought about many things. Her mind kept replaying bits and pieces of her time with Xia Lingying. Every smile, every frown, every playful teasing, every angry outburst of Xia Lingying's had already flowed like a gentle stream into Xiao Moyan's heart, leaving a deep impression.
What Xiao Moyan wanted was something lasting. Family issues cannot always be solved by avoiding them. Since she could not bear to see Xia Lingying hurt, could not bear to see her tears, and could not escape it, then she would handle everything herself...
The British Nursing Home was on the outskirts of the city, a bit secluded, but the road was relatively clear. After about an hour and a half of driving, A'Sen arrived. Once he parked the car, A'Sen turned to look at Xiao Moyan, who was staring blankly out the window, her eyes seemingly misty. A'Sen gazed at her dazedly, feeling a faint ache in his heart. From the first day he came to the Xiao family, he knew he had the responsibility of protecting Xiao Moyan. Therefore, he was more familiar with Xiao Moyan's matters than anyone else. This woman, who appeared strong on the outside, bore too much suffering that most people could not imagine. She never said anything, never complained, only silently endured everything alone. As for Xia Lingying, A'Sen sighed. Miss Xia always overthought things. When it came to love, she probably wasn't as resolute as Miss Xiao...
After a long while, Xiao Moyan came back to her senses, turned her head, and glanced at A'Sen.
"Wait here. I'll go in alone."
A'Sen nodded and said nothing more.
Xiao Moyan opened the car door and stepped out. After taking another step, she let out a long sigh. With her hands in her pockets, she walked slowly, occasionally glancing around the British Nursing Home. Inside, it wasn't very upscale, but it wasn't shabby either—just ordinary. It was a relatively spacious small courtyard, likely because of the cold weather. The pond in the center of the courtyard was already frozen, and beneath the ice, fish could still be seen swimming happily. The pine trees nearby were covered in white frost, and the snow that had been cleared away was piled neatly to about half a foot high. Occasionally, one or two elderly residents would pass by, glance at Xiao Moyan, and then continue their unsteady steps.
Xiao Moyan quietly observed, her nose tingling with emotion. She looked up at the sky. In the azure blue, white clouds transformed into various shapes, and among them, it was as if she could see her mother's doting smile once more. Tears rolled down her cheeks, but Xiao Moyan didn't say a word. She silently swallowed her tears. After a long moment, she sniffled and walked inside.
At the entrance of the small building sat an elderly man on duty. Seeing Xiao Moyan enter, he gave her a kind smile.
"Whose girl is this?"
Xiao Moyan stiffened for a moment and replied stiffly,
"I'm looking for Qiu Muying."
The old man was taken aback, clearly not expecting such a response from Xiao Moyan. Awkwardly, he pointed across the way.
"She's in Room 103."
Xiao Moyan nodded to him and turned to walk in the indicated direction, her face still devoid of any smile. Following the room numbers, she reached 103. Xiao Moyan stood at the door, took a deep breath, and raised her hand, knocking lightly.
"Come in—"
A pleasant female voice floated out from inside. Xiao Moyan's entire body tensed involuntarily. She stiffly pushed the door open, and with just one glance, she didn't need to ask to be certain that the person before her was Qiu Muying, the one who had caused her family's ruin.
Xiao Moyan stared blankly at her, her feet seemingly glued to the floor, unable to take another step.
Xiao Moyan had expected to be filled with uncontrollable anger upon seeing her, but she was stunned instead when faced with a visage so strikingly similar to Xia Lingying's.
Qiu Muying had been sitting in a rocking chair, holding her phone and staring blankly out the window. When she heard the door, she assumed it was someone just looking for a room and didn’t think much of it. After a while, not hearing any sound, she slowly turned her head. The moment she saw Xiao Moyan, the phone slipped from her hand and fell to the ground with a "pa" sound. Her previously half-open hands clenched tightly, gripping the armrests of the rocking chair with force.
"You—"
Qiu Muying began to speak anxiously, but that abrupt sound snapped Xiao Moyan back to her senses. She stood to the side, staring coldly at Qiu Muying, and remained silent.
Gradually, it seemed Qiu Muying could no longer withstand Xiao Moyan's piercing gaze. She lowered her head, her mind already swirling with turmoil. Once, when she was secretly meeting with Xiao Nian, she had seen Xiao Moyan. Even though she was small then, her eyes radiated a hatred that seemed to see through everything, leaving a deep impression on Qiu Muying.
Now, seeing her again, Xiao Nian was no longer around, and even... even that innocent woman had been buried due to her own foolish actions years ago. How could she face Xiao Moyan now? Qiu Muying gave a bitter smile and turned her head away.
"Qiu Muying."
Xiao Moyan called out her name directly, her eyes blazing with anger. All her calm and composure had vanished. The painful image of her mother’s departure still lingered in her mind. And she? Settling here in peace, waiting for a family reunion?
A'Sen lit a cigarette, standing watch by the door. After a while, a man carrying a stack of blankets hurriedly walked in. He glanced at A'Sen but said nothing, quickly entering the building and heading straight for Room 103.
As soon as he entered the building, a wailing cry pierced the air. The man froze momentarily, then without saying a word, rushed inside. By then, the door to Room 103 was surrounded by a crowd of people, whispering among themselves, but no one dared to enter.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."
Qiu Muying's cries grew more intense, and the man, pushing open the door, was shocked by the scene before him.
A tall, fashionably dressed woman stood to the side, her face streaked with tears. Meanwhile, Qiu Muying was sitting on the cold floor, crying loudly. Her usually meticulous appearance was now disheveled, and she reached out to the woman, begging for forgiveness.
"Auntie, what happened?"
The man placed the blankets on the bed, and without a word, reached out to help Qiu Muying up. He also cast a glare at Xiao Moyan.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?"
Xiao Moyan sneered, ignoring the question. She continued to look at Qiu Muying with a cold, expressionless face, her eyes radiating a chilling coldness that made one shiver.
Qiu Muying still looked at Xiao Moyan, crying as she said,
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. All the mistakes were mine alone. Xiaxia has nothing to do with this. Please, you mustn't, you can't..."
The man hesitated, squinting at Xiao Moyan. After a moment, he whispered,
"Ms. Xiao."
Xiao Moyan looked at him expressionlessly and said,
"Song Yan."
The man was stunned, staring at Xiao Moyan in shock. Xiao Moyan appeared impatient, frowning as she looked at Qiu Muying. She had no intention of saying more and turned to leave.
Qiu Muying slumped on the floor, still gazing in the direction Xiao Moyan had left, unwilling to move despite Song Yan’s attempts to pull her up. It was only when the director brought a few people to persuade her that Qiu Muying finally calmed down, and wiped her tears, but said nothing, sitting blankly on the bed, lost in thought.
Song Yan glanced at her with some concern. Hesitating, he left the room, took out his phone, and dialed the familiar number.
"Hello—"
Xia Lingying's cheerful voice came through. Song Yan sighed, unsure how to begin. He had heard some details about the situation between her and Xiao Moyan, but in the entertainment industry, where truths and lies intertwine, it was hard to discern reality. So he had refrained from probing too deeply, but now...
"What's wrong?"
Xia Lingying, who had just finished work, was in a very good mood. Due to the weather, most people in the crew couldn't handle it; after filming two episodes, four of them had come down with a fever. Director Lin was anxiously watching from the hospital, dealing with big stars, so he dared not neglect anything. He had to revise the script and return to the original location for filming. Xia Lingying was delighted at the prospect of seeing Xiao Moyan soon. Although her happiness came at the expense of others' suffering, she could hardly care. After saying goodbye to Director Lin and booking a flight, she planned to secretly rush back to Tianhuang to surprise Xiao Moyan. Unexpectedly, she received a call from Song Yan at that moment.
“Xiaxia…”
Song Yan spoke slowly, his voice heavy and muffled. Xia Lingying frowned, gripping the phone tightly.
“Did something happen to Mom?”
At that moment, Fang Ruolin, who had just checked in her luggage, walked out with a smile and patted Xia Lingying on the shoulder.
“Xiaxia, it’s time to go. Let’s go.”
Xia Lingying didn’t say anything. Her right index finger was slightly bent, placed at her mouth, and her body was trembling. Fang Ruolin was stunned for a moment, then pressed on her shoulder and turned her around.
Xia Lingying's pale cheeks covered in tears, instantly made Fang Ruolin freeze in place.
What did Xiao Moyan do again?
Author's Note:
Yezi has been lazy recently, so I want to reflect. Speed up, speed up, speed up! \(^o^)/~