Chapter 40

◎ Like a walking corpse. ◎

Shen Suhui returned to the bed where she had napped earlier in the afternoon. It was the only place that could give her a sense of safety right now.

Yu Ran carefully arranged things for her, repeatedly telling her, “Just stay here. If anything happens, don’t leave. Leave everything to me, okay?”

“…”

Shen Suhui stared blankly at Yu Ran’s face, blinked, and eventually nodded.

Yu Ran went back to the office, arranged her work, made sure all her patients were taken care of, and clocked out at 5:30 PM.

Shen Suhui lay in bed, wrapping herself tightly in the blankets.

Yu Ran pulled the blanket aside, and Shen Suhui’s calm gaze met hers. She wasn’t sleeping but felt that this method provided her with enough security.

“We’re going home,” Yu Ran said softly.

She gently stroked Shen Suhui’s hair and cheek, speaking in a tender tone. “Lucky is still at home waiting for us.”

“…” At the mention of Lucky, Shen Suhui’s gaze finally showed a hint of emotion.

But she shook her head in the end. “No, I need to go back to the hospital. My brother is still sick. I don’t want to leave the hospital.”

“Your brother has your parents there, and I’ve already spoken with the on-call doctor. There shouldn’t be any problems.”

Shen Suhui remained silent, her eyes red. She stayed hidden under the covers, staring blankly, her eyelashes damp.

She looked like a shattered piece of glass.

“Baby…” Yu Ran squatted down to look at her, her eyes full of pity. “If you have something to say, tell me. Don’t keep it all inside, okay?”

Shen Suhui suddenly buried her face in the pillow, perhaps not wanting Yu Ran to see her. She shook her head, crying uncontrollably. Her voice was choked with emotion.

“I don’t want to leave the hospital. I’m afraid of Shen Dong Ting. I’m afraid he will leave me…”

Since childhood, her brother had always been her only support. After her parents scolded her, and during the lonely and grand youth years, Shen Dong Ting had always smiled and provided her with warmth. He was willing to give her the best things within his ability.

Her brother was never mischievous and had always been obedient, sensible, and knew that their parents often picked on his sister. His feelings for her were both sympathy and family love.

“Then… do you want to keep lying here?”

Tonight was Jian Ming’s night shift. When no one was around, she planned to rest here. Moreover, bringing family members into the on-call room was against the rules. Shen Suhui understood her concerns.

“I don’t want to go back to the ward. It’s inconvenient there…” Shen Suhui still refused to show her face, mumbling, “I’ll stay at the hotel across from the hospital. Yu Ran, can you go home and feed the cat?”

“Okay.”

Right now, Shen Suhui needed affirmation, and Yu Ran was willing to grant all her requests. She pulled Shen Suhui out of the blankets, and as expected, her eyelashes were wet, showing that she had just been crying.

Yu Ran wanted to kiss away the tears from the corners of her eyes but eventually gave up. Perhaps for Shen Suhui at this moment, a kiss would not be comforting but rather disturbing.

She first made sure Shen Suhui was settled at the hotel, then drove home to grab some clothes. Shen Suhui had told her to go home, but Yu Ran planned to stay at the hotel for a while. It was convenient for work, and she could also keep her company.

After putting Lucky in the cat carrier, Yu Ran set off, and even though the journey was only about forty minutes, she drove for only twenty-five minutes because she was worried about Shen Suhui.

When they arrived at the hotel, Shen Suhui had just finished her shower. She was surprised to see Yu Ran, and her expression showed a little shock.

“What are you doing here? I thought you wouldn’t…”

“I had to come,” Yu Ran said. “Did you forget? I’ve run away from home too, so wherever you are, I’ll be there too.”

She shook the cat carrier in front of Shen Suhui. “Look, our Lucky misses you…”

The little tabby cat was peering out of the carrier with curiosity and fear, its bright eyes making it both amusing and adorable.

The sight of the one person and one cat standing in front of her made Shen Suhui’s mood lift considerably. She smiled.

“Let’s let Lucky out!”

“Okay.”

Yu Ran had brought everything they might need. She crouched down to pour some cat food for Lucky. The cat explored the unfamiliar environment for a bit, but then the temptation of the food was too strong, and it returned with its characteristic cat stride.

Lucky hunched over the food and devoured it, occasionally letting out a soft “meow.”

“Wait a little longer, Lucky will be starving,” Yu Ran said, scratching the cat’s head casually.

Shen Suhui looked at Yu Ran and said, “Thank you, Yu Ran.”

“Thank me for what?” Yu Ran smiled up at her. “I’m doing it willingly.”

That evening, Shen Suhui still had no appetite, and Yu Ran didn’t push her. After they showered, they lay on the hotel’s poor-quality bed, with Lucky climbing onto the bed and lying between them.

Yu Ran tucked the blanket around her, gazing at Shen Suhui’s face in the darkness.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Thinking about the future.”

“About your brother?”

Shen Suhui closed her eyes. “Not entirely. A lot of things… about my parents, and about you.”

“…”

For some reason, as Yu Ran looked at Shen Suhui now, she felt a strange sense of distance.

Even though the two of them were lying closely together on the same bed, with their shared little cat lying between them, she felt there was a deep chasm between them.

That was something Shen Suhui was deliberately creating, and Yu Ran couldn’t fully detect it.

Yu Ran held her hand tightly and asked, “What did you do this afternoon? Did you go see flowers or sunbathe?”

“……” Unexpectedly, Shen Suhui looked at her and smiled, “If you weren’t a doctor, would you constantly want to keep me by your side, always knowing what I’m doing?”

Yu Ran looked at her lover’s sad yet feigned strong smile, her heart aching terribly.

She replied, “Yes, how did you know I’m always thinking about keeping you by my side?”

“……”

“Shen Suhui,” Yu Ran pressed closer to her, their foreheads touching.

“Tell me, what did you do this afternoon?”

Did you do anything happy?

Or were you bullied?

Why do you look so upset?

“I was forced by my parents to marry Jiang You.”

Just when Yu Ran thought Shen Suhui wouldn’t say anything, the truth came out unexpectedly, spoken calmly.

Shen Suhui’s eyes were devoid of life, showing the exhaustion of years of struggle and a heartbreaking compromise.

“It’s the same guy from the blind date I had. They said I’m at the right age to get married, and Jiang You has money, he can help my brother with his treatment, and their future will be secure…”

Yu Ran was stunned. Looking at Shen Suhui’s calm expression, the first question she wanted to ask wasn’t whether you agree? What do you think?

It was, back then, did it hurt? How did you feel?

“I don’t agree…”

Shen Suhui continued, “My mom hit me and called me a bitch, a slut…”

Yu Ran began trembling all over. She wasn’t sure if it was due to the pain she felt for her, but she couldn’t control it.

“Do you think a mother would really insult her own child with such words?” Shen Suhui laughed coldly, shaking her head.

“I didn’t believe it, I didn’t want to believe it, but the first time I heard those words was in the first year of middle school. At that time, I didn’t understand, I asked, ‘What does that mean? Why did mom say that to me?’”

“……”

The salty taste in her mouth made Yu Ran realize it was her own tears.

She hugged Shen Suhui tightly, almost using all her strength to hold her. She had once wanted to understand Shen Suhui’s past, but now she hesitated.

She hoped that Shen Suhui would live in a future full of flowers and sunlight.

“Yu Ran, I wish you didn’t like me. I wish we hadn’t been in a relationship…”

“Then you wouldn’t have so many distressing things.”

“……” Yu Ran shook her head, pressing Shen Suihui against her chest.

“Don’t say that Shen Suhui, you can’t say that…”

She kissed the top of Shen Suhui’s head, with the most cautious gesture.

“Lean on me. I only love you, and I will love you for the rest of my life.”

Shen Suhui finally responded, taking the initiative to hug Yu Ran, slowly burying her face in her chest.

Then, let me try to lean on her, even if it’s fake, even if it’s a dream.

—

The next day, the two left the house 20 minutes earlier, leaving Lucky at a nearby pet shop, and then heading to the hospital together.

Shen Dong Ting’s first treatment was scheduled for the next day.

There were many pre-surgery preparations, complicated and mostly reliant on Shen Suhui. Although she didn’t even have the strength to stand, she still forced herself to run errands at the hospital. Yu Ran originally planned to hire a nurse, but Shen Suhui refused.

No matter what, she had to cherish the time spent with Shen Dong Ting.

To make treatment more convenient, Shen Suhui shaved Shen Dong Ting’s hair. Her brother was still the sunny and cheerful person he had always been. When he saw his sister’s weak appearance, he touched his shiny bald head and asked, “Am I handsome now?”

“Hmm,” Shen Suhui forced a smile, “You’re the most handsome in the world.”

After finishing the errands, Shen Suhui finally had time to check her phone. Just then, an unfamiliar number called.

“I’m Du Qiuyan.”

Shen Suhui’s heart skipped a beat. “What do you want?”

“I heard your brother is starting his first chemotherapy tomorrow. How did you think about what we discussed last night? There’s still time before the deadline…”

There was a pause in the voice on the phone, and Shen Suhui immediately imagined a glamorous urban woman, dressed up with exquisite makeup and hair. She sat by a large, luxurious floor-to-ceiling window, holding a glass of champagne and leisurely glancing at her watch.

“Four hours.”

Shen Suhui directly said, “I won’t agree.”

“Not even if I die?”

“……”

Surprisingly, Du Qiuyan didn’t lose her temper but instead gave a disdainful smile.

“Although you’ve given me your answer, I still have to keep my promise. The four hours are still yours, and before they are over, you still have the option to change your mind.”

“However, Shen Suhui, if you still don’t change your mind before the deadline… I won’t show mercy then~”

“……”

Shen Suihui froze, holding her phone, until the cold mechanical voice came through. Only then did she realize and hang up.

“Xiao Hui…” Shen Suhui timidly spoke, “What about the marriage? Have you thought about it?”

Shen Suhui smiled. “I’ve made up my mind.”

“Then you are…”

“If Jiang You is willing, let’s wait until after Dong Ting’s first chemotherapy. If there are no adverse reactions, I’ll get married.”

“Really?”

Shen Suhui was so happy she almost jumped up. “I have to tell Lan Zhi the good news right away.”

Shen Suhui looked at her father’s back, and her smile slowly turned into sorrow.

Reaching this point, she felt as if she had no autonomy left. Every action and thought seemed to be dictated by her body. Whatever her body wanted to do, she just followed along.

Like a living corpse.

Four hours later, Du Qiuyan, who hadn’t received a satisfactory response, timely delivered a fatal blow to Shen Suhui.

The scene from yesterday afternoon in the hospital garden was extensively reported by major media outlets, and at the same time, it took over the trending pages of many websites.

In an instant, Shen Suhui was branded as an “unfilial daughter” and was pushed to the center of the storm within just thirty minutes.