Waterbound Love - Chapter 62

Du Bai was lying on her bed, quietly napping, the daffodils by the window emitting a tranquil, cozy fragrance that soothed the chaotic energy in the room. Her mother probably hadn’t given up yet. Du Bai felt a profound sadness, observing how others meticulously planned their lives for her, yet she could never truly engage herself. Although disappointed, she was at least not deceived by any false pretenses.

Du Bai sensed a burning gaze and slowly opened her eyes to see An Qinqin. She had met her three times-once in the parking lot, once at Somn, and another time on the street with Shen Yan-but had never really gotten a clear look at her. An Qinqin had a slightly chubby baby face, fair and pure, with sparkling eyes that were indescribably cute. From her intelligent gaze, Du Bai knew this girl was no simple character, certainly not as harmless as she appeared.

An Qinqin continued to scrutinize Du Bai unabashedly, her gaze landing on Du Bai’s wrist, causing her eyebrows to furrow slightly. Du Bai looked away, letting her stare, and closed her eyes again, ignoring her.

Seeing this, An Qinqin bit her lip and broke the silence first. “You should go see Shen Yan.”

Hearing that cherished name, Du Bai opened her eyes slightly, filled with confusion.

An Qinqin bit her lip again, uncertain whether to speak, but she did anyway. “Shen Yan has bone cancer, and he doesn’t have much time left. Please, go see him.” After saying this, tears uncontrollably started streaming down her face.

Du Bai’s chest tightened painfully, making it hard for her to breathe, the pain spreading throughout her body. The person she had thought she had emotionally buried was still profoundly in her heart.

“I don’t know what happened between you two, why you tried to end your life, but please, go see him. I don’t want him to be so lonely, he doesn’t have much time left,” An Qinqin said in broken sentences, tears falling heavily, her voice choked with sobs.

“I won’t go.” Du Bai feigned calm, barely finding her voice. But her pale face betrayed her sorrow. She needed to wrap herself up, to think things through quietly. Don’t blame her; this was her cowardice.

“You, how can you do this?” An Qinqin had imagined countless scenarios before coming in, but she hadn’t expected a rejection. “She has been so good to you, and you-”

“I’m tired, please leave,” she said calmly, her voice devoid of much emotion.

An Qinqin clenched her fists, rushed forward, and with a “slap,” her slender hand struck Du Bai’s pale face. Perhaps due to the force, her face quickly reddened, resembling the delicate red on a hibiscus.

After the act, An Qinqin was somewhat stunned. “This, this is me hitting you for Shen Yan.”

Du Bai chuckled lightly, gently wiping her mouth corner with her thumb, thinking how fitting it would be if blood were to spill now.

“Slap,” she retaliated with a backhand slap to An Qinqin’s stunned face, then pressed the alarm. “This is between her and me. It’s not your place to lecture me; you’re not worthy.”

“You-” An Qinqin’s nascent sense of guilt vanished instantly. Having been indulged by even her father, the Chief, all her life, she had never been subjected to such humiliation. She wanted to rush forward but was stopped by the nurses who entered following the alarm. Seeing the situation, they quickly held An Qinqin back.

Du Bai showed no sign of panic. “Nurse, if strangers appear again without my permission, I trust you know the consequences.”

Though the nurse didn’t know Du Bai’s background, she recognized Director Wen and naturally knew she had the clout. “I’m sorry, it was our oversight,” she said, then turned to An Qinqin, “I apologize, miss, this is a private room.”

Trembling with anger, An Qinqin stammered, “You, you, you-” unable to find the words, she stamped her foot and stormed out.

When the room returned to calm, Du Bai slowly opened her eyes, gazing at the daffodil swaying in front of her bed. Her eyes unfocused, her thoughts seemed to drift far away.

As the setting sun struggled to stain the pristine daffodil with hues of red, layering it with a glow of emotions, Du Bai pulled her thoughts back.

“Hey, brother, I want to see you.”

After hanging up, Du Bai closed her eyes. She needed to rest well, to gather all her strength for what was to come.