Attention Sir, I Have Your Heart Handcuffed!-Chapter 311 - 5. Looking for one person, but never letting another go (2 updates in 1).
On the weekend, Shi Nian went to "Deep Valley" to visit her mother.
It was already early winter, and all the mountains surrounding the valley where Deep Valley was located wore white snow caps. The air in Deep Valley was even more frigid.
Entering her mother’s ward, Mrs. Liu greeted her with a smile, saying, "Mr. Xiang just left."
Shi Nian was taken aback: "Xiang Yuan still comes often?"
Mrs. Liu also paused for a moment: "Oh, Mr. Xiao Xiang also comes frequently. But the one who just left was Mr. Xiang."
Xiang Jingsheng?
Shi Nian furrowed her brows.
She understood that Xiang Yuan still had feelings for her, so if Xiang Yuan used his days off to visit her mom, she could understand it. What’s more, Xiang Yuan’s feelings for her mother weren’t only because of her, but also due to his promise to her dad. However, according to Mrs. Liu, it was Xiang Jingsheng who had just left.
In truth, Shi Nian was quite apprehensive about her former father-in-law, Xiang Jingsheng. Perhaps because Xiang Jingsheng had worked in finance for many years, like Guo Zhengmei, he was a serious person who rarely smiled. Whenever she faced him in the past, she always felt an involuntary tension.
"What did he do when he came?" Shi Nian asked calmly.
Mrs. Liu, after all, was an outsider. Even though she had been taking care of her mother for the past few years and was as close as family, some emotions were inconvenient for Mrs. Liu to be made aware of.
Mrs. Liu said, "Mr. Xiang came to pay your mother’s hospital fees. After paying, he came in to sit for a while. Your mother still doesn’t recognize him and didn’t speak to him, but he didn’t seem to mind. He just sat on the sofa watching me talk to your mother."
Shi Nian slightly furrowed her brows: "Just sitting and listening to you talk?"
Mrs. Liu nodded and smiled: "Yes, Mr. Xiang is truly a good person. Even though you and Xiang Yuan are divorced, he still comes and cares the same way."
Shi Nian quickly signaled Mrs. Liu to stop, realizing she had misspoken, but it was too late to retract her words. Sure enough, Xu Xinzhen suddenly looked up: "Divorce? Who’s getting divorced?"
Shi Nian walked over with a smile, took out a wet wipe to help her mother wipe her mouth: "Mom, do you like my candied hawthorns?"
As the weather turned cold, she bought some red fruits to make candied hawthorns, using online recipes — it wasn’t difficult.
However, Xu Xinzhen wasn’t so easily fooled and continued to stare at her directly: "Who got divorced?"
For a moment, Shi Nian even thought her mother wasn’t ill. Of course, this was just wishful thinking, just like when she first learned of her mother’s illness and refused to believe it. So she smiled: "No one, Mom, I was talking about a TV show. I told Mrs. Liu about the heroine in the drama I watched last night who got divorced."
"Oh." Xu Xinzhen lowered her head again, focusing on eating her candied hawthorns.
In this state, she looked less like a mother and more like a child. She required a lot of patience to be cared for and loved.
Shi Nian lowered her head, "Mom, how about I take you home?"
Since she was already divorced, and since Xiang Yuan left such a big house for her, maybe it was time to take her mom home, instead of leaving her here alone.
Mrs. Liu was taken aback.
Shi Nian hurriedly said, "It’s not about dismissing you. Even if I take my mom home, I’ll continue to hire you."
Mrs. Liu shook her head: "Shi Nian, that’s not what I meant. I know given your current financial situation, it would be very difficult to afford Deep Valley’s fees. But since Mr. Xiang continues to pay the fees as usual, you can temporarily not worry about this problem."
Shi Nian smiled bitterly: "How can I not worry? He was my father-in-law before, so when he helped me, I could accept it. But now we no longer have that relationship, and the fees at Deep Valley aren’t insignificant, so I can’t continue accepting help from the Xiang family."
Mrs. Liu looked up at her, seemingly hesitating to speak.
Shi Nian then asked: "Please, feel free to say it."
Mrs. Liu reached out to pick a piece of red fruit that was stuck to Xu Xinzhen’s mouth: "...Maybe it’s just my feeling. I always think Mr. Xiang often comes here, not necessarily because of you and Xiang Yuan. He almost never talks about you and Xiang Yuan when he’s here, he just sits, looks at your mom, and listens to us talk."
Shi Nian was startled: "You...must have misunderstood, right?"
Mrs. Liu quickly withdrew her earlier words, blushing as she apologized: "I’m sorry, Shi Nian, I think I might be overthinking."
.
Shi Nian left the ward and stood in the long corridor to call Xiang Yuan.
Mrs. Liu’s words lingered, making her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"...A Yuan, please ask Uncle Xiang to stop. I’m very grateful for your family’s goodwill, but we are divorced now, and how can I let your family continue to bear such heavy expenses. Especially since Huatai Hall still needs to get through the financial crisis, how can I have the nerve to keep using your family’s money."
Xiang Yuan listened patiently and then said: "Shi Nian, what are you talking about? Even though you and I are divorced, your mom is still my teacher’s wife. I promised Teacher Shi to take care of you all my life. Even if Huatai Hall faces financial crises, coming up with such an amount is not a problem. Moreover, this money is from my dad, not from Huatai Hall’s expenses. Once I get through this period, I’ll repay my dad."
Hearing this, Shi Nian felt a bit more at ease, knowing Xiang Yuan was aware of Xiang Jingsheng bearing the expenses.
But she couldn’t help frowning—Xiang Yuan still called her "mom."
"A Yuan, I can’t let you spend anymore. I want to take my mom home. After being in M Country for over four years, it’s time I personally take care of her."
Xiang Yuan was immediately anxious upon hearing this: "Shi Nian, don’t do anything rash! If it’s about the expenses, I told you I can help. Your mom is still in the treatment stage. Who will handle her follow-up treatments if you take her home? Don’t you want her to break free from her nightmares and recover?"
These words made Shi Nian’s heart ache.
Of course she wanted her mom to recover, of course she wished to have her mom by her side in this unfamiliar country.
But she still sniffled, trying to smile: "A Yuan, over four years have passed. Do you think my mom can still wake up?"
Xiang Yuan remained silent on the other end of the line.
The cold wind outside blew in, making Shi Nian’s nose turn sour. She tried to smile: "Since my dad passed away, my mom’s heart went with him. My dad won’t come back, and my mom’s heart won’t return...Sometimes I think it’s better this way. If my mom woke up, only to find no dad in this world anymore, she couldn’t bear it."
On the other end of the line, Xiang Yuan closed his eyes tightly and said gently, "Shi Nian, I’m sorry."
"No, the one who should apologize is the one responsible for all this. I will never let him go... I will personally catch him," Shi Nian said softly yet firmly, gripping her cell phone.
Xiang Yuan was shocked and quickly said, "Shi Nian, don’t do anything rash! Leave this matter to the police to handle!"
"The police?" Shi Nian let out a sorrowful laugh: "But the Chinese police have already closed the case, the culprit died in that big fire, and the case is already concluded."
Xiang Yuan took a deep breath: "Or, there’s still Yanqing."
Shi Nian laughed and shook her head: "A Yuan, you’re confused. That was a case for the Chinese police, what would I hand over to the M Country police? They have no jurisdiction."
.
Xiang Yuan still worried about her, advising her at length. She didn’t want Xiang Yuan to worry, so she agreed with a smile.
However, Xiang Yuan’s words could not change her mind.
She was her dad’s daughter; she couldn’t leave his passing unclear, nor her mom living a fate worse than death.
After hanging up with Xiang Yuan, she sought out her mom’s attending doctor for a talk.
The doctor didn’t support bringing her mom home either, saying although Deep Valley’s fees were high, he guaranteed the medical conditions there were worth her investment.
The doctor showed Shi Nian the latest medical records: "...Though the regular records show no significant improvement in your mother’s condition, there are detailed aspects where your mom’s behavior almost mirrors that of a normal person. This means her treatment is having some effect. Under the right triggering conditions, she might suddenly wake up."
Shi Nian was taken aback, gazing at the doctor in disbelief: "Are you serious?"
The doctor nodded: "Since your mother’s condition doesn’t involve physiological changes, it’s an emotional stress response. Sudden joy or sorrow can deviate someone psychologically, but similar conditions might bring them back to the right path."
.
Xiang Family.
After hanging up, Xiang Yuan knocked and entered his father’s study.
Xiang Jingsheng was practicing calligraphy and paused: "Do you need something?"
Xiang Yuan took a deep breath: "Dad, thank you. Covering Shi Nian’s mother’s medical fees, I didn’t expect you to remember. That sum isn’t small, and I didn’t want to add to the family burden. I’ll find a way to return the money once I get through this period."
Xiang Jingsheng slightly frowned: "Oh, it’s nothing. With Shi Nian’s current salary, she can’t yet afford Deep Valley’s fees, and since you lost the case against Mark, Huatai Hall’s financial status has also been affected... Our family still has our financial firm after all, I can afford it."
"Jingsheng, who are you paying money to?"
Guo Zhengmei stood at the door holding a bowl of fruit, having arrived unnoticed.
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[Morning second update~]
