Chapter 68
Lin Yun didn’t work, but she always lived comfortably. Her daughter and husband weren’t her priorities. Her own well-being was paramount.
When her husband died, she simply found another one, the only condition being that he be wealthy and unattached.
Lin Qianqian was the obvious obstacle.
Eager to remarry before the Spring Festival, she had tried to contact Lin Qianqian, but her messages had gone unanswered.
She knew Lin Qianqian didn’t want to see her, but she needed to talk to her, to finalize their separation, to sever the remaining ties that bound them together.
She had tried everything, even going to the art institution, but Lin Qianqian had remained elusive.
On New Year’s Eve, she had added Lin Qianqian as her emergency contact, then deliberately crashed her car into a guardrail.
As she lost consciousness, she heard the shouts of bystanders, someone calling for an ambulance.
She woke up in a hospital bed. The hospital had contacted Lin Qianqian, who was on her way.
She had a minor head injury, a slight concussion, but the doctor insisted on a family member being present.
Lin Yun smiled inwardly, her plan working perfectly. “Thank you, Doctor. Working so hard on New Year’s Eve. Happy New Year,” she said, then lay back and waited.
Lin Qianqian finally found her mother’s room, after asking a nurse for directions.
She stood at the doorway, not entering, not sitting down, her silence a stark contrast to her usual boisterous energy.
“You can’t even call me ‘Mom’?” Lin Yun asked, her usual arrogance replaced by a weariness, the years etched into the corners of her eyes, her gaze sharp and calculating.
“What do you want?” Lin Qianqian asked, her back against the wall. “Just say it, and then I’ll leave.”
“Why are you in such a hurry? Going back to celebrate New Year’s with your sister?” Lin Yun asked, a hint of mockery in her voice. “You share my blood, yet your loyalty lies elsewhere.”
Lin Qianqian had already seen the medical chart, the injuries minor, and she felt a wave of relief, quickly followed by a surge of annoyance.
“If you don’t have anything important to say, I’m leaving. And don’t contact me again.”
“I sold the house,” Lin Yun said, getting out of bed, retrieving a bank card from her bag. “Come sit down.”
Lin Qianqian didn’t move.
“You know me, Qianqian. If I’m not happy, no one is happy,” Lin Yun said, her voice a threat, her gaze cold and hard.
Lin Qianqian hesitated, then sat down.
“There’s ten thousand yuan left. It’s yours.”
“Where did you get the money?” Lin Qianqian asked, not taking the card. It felt like a bribe, a betrayal.
“I told you, I sold the house.”
“That house was worth millions! And it belonged to Auntie Lu!”
The city had changed, the once-desirable neighborhoods now declining in value.
Even so, the house should have sold for a substantial amount, and Lin Qianqian felt a pang of guilt, knowing the source of the money, its intended purpose.
Lin Yun’s anger flared. “I said there’s only ten thousand left! I don’t care who the house belonged to! The deed was in my name! I could sell it if I wanted to! Ask your father in prison if you don’t believe me!”
“You’re always so reckless with money…” Lin Qianqian’s voice trembled. “Have you ever earned a single penny yourself?”
“I didn’t steal it. Call the police if you want. They’ll just bring me back home,” Lin Yun said coldly. “I know you don’t want to see me, and I don’t want to waste my time with you either.”
She got out of bed, her breathing slightly labored, and stood over Lin Qianqian, looking down at her.
“I carried you for ten months! Your father died when you were young! If it weren’t for me, you would have starved to death in that village!”
“If I were truly heartless, I wouldn’t give you a single cent. I’m only here to make things clear. I have a new family now. You’re an adult. You can take care of yourself. Live your own life. Forget about me. I’ll forget about you.”
Even though their relationship had always been strained, Lin Qianqian felt a pang of sadness, hearing those cold, dismissive words.
The woman who claimed to be her mother was discarding her, offering her a paltry sum of money and then severing all ties.
“I know I didn’t give you much money while you were abroad, so this is to make up for it. Just take the card. I don’t want to feel guilty,” Lin Yun said, patting her chest, then gesturing towards the ceiling, as if seeking absolution.
“You never cared about me. It was always Sister who took care of me. When I almost died from food poisoning abroad, I didn’t even have enough money to go to the hospital,” Lin Qianqian stood up, her height now exceeding Lin Yun’s, her voice rising with each word. “You can be heartless towards me, but Sister…she could have studied abroad, but you ruined her chances! You told the school about her relationship! You destroyed her reputation! You made her life a living hell!”
Lin Yun slapped her, the force of the blow turning Lin Qianqian’s head, a bright red mark appearing on her cheek.
“You don’t even respect your own mother! You should change your last name to Lu!” Lin Yun shouted. “You deserve this! You ungrateful wretch! You’ve betrayed me!”
Lin Qianqian’s eyes filled with tears. She shouldn’t have come.
She should have known better than to expect a rational conversation with Lin Yun. She had wasted her time.
A nurse rushed in. “This is a hospital! Keep your voices down!”
Lin Qianqian wiped her eyes, snapping the bank card in half and tossing it in the trash. “Fine! I don’t need you! I’ll be fine without you!”
She stormed out of the room. It was 11:30 PM. The last subway had already left.
She would have to take a taxi.
But it was New Year’s Eve, and it was snowing heavily. There were no taxis available.
Happy families and couples strolled past, their laughter echoing in the night, their cameras capturing the colorful fireworks, their joy a stark contrast to her own despair.
She increased the fare, offering a premium for a ride, but still no one accepted.
Her frustration turned to panic. She called Lu Yin, but her phone was off.
Lu Yin must have guessed she had lied.
Guilt and regret washed over her, her broken promise a heavy weight in her chest.
Still no taxi. She found a shared electric scooter, wiping the snow from the seat, and started the long ride home.
The roads were icy, the scooter unstable, and she slipped several times, the cold pavement scraping her skin, but she ignored the pain, her only thought to get back to Lu Yin, to keep her promise.
As she reached her apartment complex, she ran, her hands and face numb with cold.
Suddenly, the air erupted in shouts and cheers, the countdown to the new year echoing through the streets.
Fireworks exploded overhead, their brightness momentarily blinding her.
She checked her phone. Past midnight.
She had broken her promise.
The lights were on in the apartment, the dining table laden with food, the cake waiting, the candles ready.
Everything was prepared, but Lu Yin was gone.
Lin Qianqian took off her coat and knocked on Lu Yin’s bedroom door. No answer.
She called Lu Yin’s phone, then noticed it on the table, its screen dark, a bottle of oyster sauce beside it.
The same brand she had been holding at the convenience store.
She was doomed.
She opened Lu Yin’s bedroom door and saw her curled up on the bed, the duvet pulled tightly around her, her body small and vulnerable, her silence a heavy weight in the quiet room.
She didn’t move, her breathing shallow, as if she were asleep.
Lin Qianqian tiptoed towards the bed, her own hands and feet icy, her breath misting in the cold air.
She couldn’t wait any longer. She carefully lifted a corner of the duvet and slipped into bed beside Lu Yin, her body shivering, afraid of waking her.
Lu Yin didn’t open her eyes, her body still and unresponsive.
Lin Qianqian watched her, her gaze tracing the lines of Lu Yin’s face, her brow furrowed, her lips pressed together, her expression troubled, even in sleep.
Tears welled up in Lin Qianqian’s eyes, her own guilt and regret a heavy weight in her chest.
She had disappointed Lu Yin, had failed to keep her promise.
The pain from her fall, the sting of her mother’s slap, resurfaced, and she longed for Lu Yin’s comfort, her touch, but she didn’t dare wake her.
She watched Lu Yin’s face, their shared New Year’s Eve, their first in years, now tainted by her own actions, her broken promise.
A sob escaped her lips, and she quickly covered her mouth, her eyes filling with tears, her hand reaching out to gently caress Lu Yin’s cheek.
Lu Yin’s eyes fluttered open, and she looked at Lin Qianqian, her tear-streaked face, her trembling lips, her silent apology, and a faint smile touched her lips. “Lin Qian,” she whispered, her voice soft, “aren’t you going to wish me a Happy New Year?”
Lin Qianqian’s tears overflowed, and she threw her arms around Lu Yin, her voice choked with sobs. “Happy New Year, Sister…”
She buried her face in Lu Yin’s neck, her tears hot against Lu Yin’s skin.
Lu Yin’s hand moved to her back, gently stroking her hair, her gaze softening, her mind piecing together the events of Lin Qianqian’s night, the encounter with her mother, the missed midnight, the frantic dash home.
Her hand moved to Lin Qianqian’s face, gently touching her swollen cheek.
She didn’t ask if it hurt, her brow furrowed with concern, her eyes filled with a silent question.
Lin Qianqian, mindful of Lu Yin’s injured hand, shook her head. “I’m fine, Sister…”
She didn’t want to explain, even though she knew Lu Yin would guess the truth. She didn’t want to burden her with her own pain, her own struggles.
The lonely deer, curled up in the cold, had finally found comfort in the soft grass, though the grass was now bruised and broken.
They held each other close, their shared warmth a refuge from the outside world, the noise and chaos of the New Year celebrations fading into the quiet intimacy of their embrace.
“Happy New Year, Sister. I’m sorry I’m late…” Lin Qianqian whispered, her voice thick with tears, her hands clutching the duvet, her apology a desperate plea for forgiveness.
If Lu Yin didn’t forgive her, she would accept the consequences, the punishment, her actions deserving of whatever Lu Yin deemed fit.
She had chosen her mother over Lu Yin, her past over their shared present.
It was a second betrayal, and she couldn’t imagine Lu Yin’s pain, her disappointment, only her own desperate need to make amends.
“Why are you apologizing?” Lu Yin asked, her voice soft, her gaze meeting Lin Qianqian’s tear-filled eyes. “Don’t cry. You don’t have to cry.”
She wouldn’t comfort Lin Qianqian’s tears, not for this, not for the pain caused by others. If someone hurt Lin Qianqian, her first instinct wasn’t to comfort, but to protect, to retaliate.
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