Waterbound Love - Chapter 48

Waking up again, it was still the white ceiling above. Having stared at pure white for so long, Du Bai suddenly recalled a saying she had once read: in their final moments, everyone sees the ceiling. After seeing it so many times, none had been the last; was this cruelty or mercy bestowed upon her?

She shook her head and saw Shen Yan by her side, which calmed her down. But observing the scene made Du Bai want to laugh. Her face patched up with both deep and shallow OK strips, her hands wrapped in bandages, and perhaps due to the cold of winter, a suit jacket thrown over her shoulders. The sight made her look like an old general from a battle scene, stubbornly refusing to retire and fighting on despite injuries. She really thought she was in a TV drama!

Shen Yan quietly watched as Du Bai laughed with a twisted expression, puzzled.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I’m fine. We-” How we got here seemed too sentimental to bring up. Shen Yan knew in her heart, “Chief An’s people arrived later, found us, and brought us here.”

Du Bai smiled faintly, just like in the movies, where help only arrives after the mishap, busy with some perfunctory aftermath work. It really seemed like art imitates life. She then noticed Shen Yan lost in thought and furrowed her brow. “Go on, what else don’t I know?” It seemed she had come to understand her without even realizing it.

“Wei Wen and Lin Mumu have both been here. I kept them outside,” Shen Yan glanced at Du Bai, poured a cup of water with her uninjured hand, walked over to the bed, and gently adjusted the bed to a comfortable angle. Then she walked to the table and handed the water to Du Bai. Watching Shen Yan’s fluid movements softened Du Bai’s heart momentarily, “Thank you.” Perhaps unaccustomed to such slightly awkward situations, Du Bai coughed lightly, “It’s normal for Wei Wen to come. But as for Lin Mumu, I can’t believe she just came to visit me, her Senior Sister, that simply. She would forsake our past camaraderie to follow Wei Wen across mountains and seas. This does make me suspect something, though.”

“What is it?” Shen Yan appeared to be soliloquizing, her brows tightly knit-a feeling of foreboding in her heart, as if a storm of bloodshed was looming.

“I’m wondering what role Lin Mumu plays in all this drama.” Or what tactics she might have employed, “What does she know?”

Shen Yan looked at Du Bai, pain evident in her eyes, but more so, there was a sense of relief. “Du Bai, you lost your child.”

Du Bai paused, then burst into laughter, gradually growing louder and more intense, eventually leaning forward and back in her amusement. Shen Yan simply watched quietly.

“Cough, cough. Isn’t it good this way? It’s better this way, isn’t it? I never planned to keep him, now it’s just icing on the cake, right?”

Sighing inwardly, Shen Yan walked over and gently embraced Du Bai. “If you want to cry, just cry. It might make you feel better.”

Startled, Du Bai pushed Shen Yan away abruptly. “I’m not going to cry. He wasn’t worth it,” she declared, her words trailing off as she saw Shen Yan pushed to the ground, struggling.

“Cough, cough, cough,” Shen Yan tried to stand up, but it was difficult. A sharp pain surged in her chest, her face turning red with the effort to suppress her coughs.

Struggling to get up, Du Bai rushed to Shen Yan’s side and opened her hospital gown, revealing the bandages wrapped around her chest. Clearly, she was also severely injured, probably waking up before Du Bai because of her miscarriage. Yet, she said nothing, quietly staying by Du Bai’s side.

Du Bai felt utterly unreasonable, her eyes filled with remorse. “I’m sorry,” she said hoarsely. After a moment, Shen Yan caught her breath, calmed her breathing, and slowly raised her hand to stroke Du Bai’s hair. “It’s okay.” Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a halo around them, a scene of serene beauty.

Their peaceful moment was observed by a pair of resentful eyes. “Cough, cough.” Wei Wen cleared his throat softly as he entered the room.

Shen Yan looked back but made no comment, slowly withdrawing her hand and silently watching Du Bai, who paid no attention.

Wei Wen frowned and looked at them impatiently. “Ruoruo, I would like to talk to you alone.”

At the sight of him, Du Bai dropped all pretense of tenderness and raised an eyebrow. “Sure.” As if daring him. She glanced at Shen Yan.

A hurt look flashed across Shen Yan’s face, but she showed no other reaction. She stood up, pressed Du Bai back onto the bed, and covered her properly. Holding herself upright, she walked out quietly, shutting the door behind her and leaning weakly against the wall as her strength failed her, flowers falling around her. The corridor was silent.

“Ruoruo.”

“Stop.” Du Bai raised her hand to interrupt Wei Wen. “I think it’s time we discussed the issues among the three of us. Call Lin Mumu.”

Seeing Du Bai’s resolute expression, Wei Wen sighed resignedly, agreeing.

The sunlight still filled the room, yet it could no longer warm the chill of ensuing pain and mourning.