Billionaire's Long Journey of Chasing His Love-Chapter 719 - 606 Don’t Play the Deep Game with Me (Third Update)
After finishing her call with Marcus, Yi Luowa turned her head and looked at Tong Airui, "How should we tell Mom about this? Once she’s discharged, there’s no way we can hide everything from her."
"Sweetheart, tell me, between this and Danton’s disappearance, which do you think would hit Dad and Mom harder?"
Yi Luowa’s eyes dimmed slightly. She silently walked to the sofa and sat down.
"Sweetheart, so many days have passed. It’s not that there’s no hope, but the hope keeps growing dimmer. You’re afraid to think about it, and so are Dad and Mom. But just because you avoid thinking or talking about it doesn’t mean any of you have truly forgotten—it’s simply the deepest, most untouchable pain in your hearts.
Think about it. Any other issue, no matter how troubling, you can still easily bring up and discuss. What I’m trying to say is, for you and your parents, apart from Danton’s situation, everything else pales in comparison. Whatever needs to be done, just do it. Give Mom a conclusion, and that’s enough."
Yi Luowa wrapped her arms around her head, curling up on the sofa. The most vulnerable place in her heart had been torn open, and the pain left her unable to breathe.
Tong Airui walked over slowly and gently embraced her, "You’ve been living with a mask for so many days. Now that I’m here, you can drop all pretense. Cry if you want to cry, laugh if you want to laugh..."
"Wuuu..." Yi Luowa let out a suppressed, aggrieved sob.
Tong Airui gently patted her back, comforting her like soothing a child.
After she cried her heart out, Yi Luowa grabbed Tong Airui’s shirtfront, wiping her tears and snot all over it.
Seeing his look of disgust, Yi Luowa broke into a fit of giggles.
"Feeling better?" Tong Airui pursed his lips, then peeled off his outer shirt and tossed it aside.
Yi Luowa giggled and nodded, "As long as someone’s by my side, I’m fine."
"Troublemaker!" Tong Airui chuckled and ruffled her hair.
"Go get some sleep. You haven’t had a proper rest in days, have you?" Yi Luowa reached out to help him with his shirt buttons.
"Can’t do without you by my side." Tong Airui pinched her cheek, "Should we call Mom and ask how the kids are doing?"
Yi Luowa’s hand froze briefly. "No, it’s fine. I already told her not to call unless there’s a problem. Mom said the kids might act up more if they hear my voice."
Tong Airui sighed, "Once Dad and Mom are better, we’ll go back. Spend more time with the twins, and they’ll settle down."
Yi Luowa looked up at him, "But if I leave, how will my parents manage this life..."
Seeing her on the brink of tears again, Tong Airui quickly patted her head, "Don’t cry. I won’t pressure you. Whether we go back or not, it’s your call."
"If I don’t leave, what about the kids? And what about you?"
"..."
"Honey, what if we let Dad and Mom take care of either Ziyan or Sanyu? Having a child around might stop them from missing Danton so much... No, it’s no good. Ziyan and Sanyu can’t be separated, and Dad can’t do without Sanyu... What do we do? Honey, say something!"
Yi Luowa shook Tong Airui’s arm vigorously.
Tong Airui let out a long sigh, "There’s another option. We could have another child. Until Danton comes back, this one could stay with your parents. If Danton does return, we’ll bring the child home. The question is, could you bear it?"
Yi Luowa looked at him with wide eyes, "Could you?"
Tong Airui frowned slightly, "Of course not. But if it’s a trade-off for your parents’ wellbeing and peace of mind, it might be the only way."
Tears welled up in Yi Luowa’s large, glistening eyes and fell like beads. "Honey, do you think Danton will ever come back?"
"... I can only say, the chances are growing slimmer. It’s been so long without any word. Think about it—if he were still around, wouldn’t he have come back with such a big incident like Haotian happening?"
"Maybe he’s injured and hasn’t woken up. Or maybe... maybe he’s still in a shark’s belly? Or—with the most dramatic twist—he’s lost his memory? These could all be possible, right?"
"I’d like to believe that, too." Tong Airui lifted his hand to wipe the tears from her face. "Don’t overthink it. Get cleaned up and rest."
"You go wash first. I’m going to check on Mom and Dad." Yi Luowa said as she quickly stepped out of the room, leaving Tong Airui shaking his head helplessly.
Yi Luowa stood outside her parents’ hospital room for a while. Seeing that both had finished their medication and were now resting with their eyes closed, their expressions appearing peaceful enough, she turned and headed to the doctor’s office.
"Dr. Bai, how are my parents doing? Can they be discharged tomorrow?"
"The Queen’s surgery was a success—she’s fine to be discharged. As for King Randy, his fluctuating blood pressure is worrisome and needs to be closely monitored."
"If that’s the case, should we keep him hospitalized for a few more days?"
"Hospitals don’t offer much solace. At home, he might feel better emotionally, which could aid his recovery. I’ll come by tomorrow after their discharge."
Yi Luowa pursed her lips. "Thank you, Dr. Bai, for going through the trouble."
"Princess, there’s no need to be so polite. It’s my duty. But I must say, you don’t look great yourself. How about taking some time for a check-up before heading back to the palace tomorrow?"
"I’m fine—just sleep-deprived," Yi Luowa said with a smile. "I’ll make up for it as soon as I get back."
Dr. Bai chuckled knowingly. "Take care. Come to me if you feel unwell. Avoid delaying things."
"Of course. And don’t worry—we’ll be relying on you more in the days ahead."
With her mind somewhat at ease, Yi Luowa’s steps felt lighter as she returned to her room. Tong Airui was still sitting on the sofa when she arrived.
"You haven’t taken a shower yet?"
"I was waiting for you."
"Why wait for me? Don’t tell me you haven’t bathed in days since I left."
"What do you think?" Tong Airui stood up with a playful smile. "Go now. I even ran the bathwater—it’s getting cold."
Yi Luowa smiled as she followed him into the bathroom. As soon as she stepped in, Tong Airui eagerly began helping her out of her clothes.
Shooting him a bemused look, Yi Luowa swatted at his hand lightly. "What’s the rush?"
"The sooner you’re done, the sooner you can rest. Just look at how sunken your eyes are."
"No ulterior motives?" Yi Luowa narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him.
"Oh, I have plenty! But seeing you like this, I can’t bear to push you. Once you’ve recovered, though, you’ll owe me a backlog to make up for," he teased with a grin.
Yi Luowa looked at him apologetically, "The more you care for me, the guiltier I feel..."
"No more useless talk—take your bath and get some rest. I’m tired too."
Yi Luowa was filled with gratitude as she sank into the bath, initially planning to repay his kindness somehow. But the warm water soon took away her resolve, and before long, she was dozing off in Tong Airui’s arms.
Tong Airui noticed her fast asleep, shook his head, and muttered, "You—always like this."
He gently cleaned her up, carried her to bed, and tucked her in.
For the first time in days, Yi Luowa slept soundly, waking only when Tong Airui called her.
"Time to pack up. We need to head back," Tong Airui said, stroking her cheek affectionately.
"What time is it? How are my parents?" she asked groggily.
"It’s seven o’clock. Dad’s blood pressure has stabilized after resting, and Mom is fine—she even took a stroll in the hallway this morning."
"You saw them? How’s their mood?"
"Much calmer than last night," Tong Airui said as he grabbed some clothes and began helping her into them.
"I can do it myself."
"Fine, but hurry up. Dad and Mom said they want to have breakfast back at the palace."
"Hmm, where are my socks?" Yi Luowa leaned to look around the floor, but the sudden motion made her vision black out, and she gripped the bedframe in alarm.
Tong Airui noticed immediately and scooped her up. "What’s wrong?"
"Just lightheadedness. I’ve been sleeping too little..."
"Don’t move—I’ll call the doctor over for a look."
"No need. I’m fine now. Let’s head back quickly. Once we’re there, I’ll sleep for three days straight to make up for it, and I’ll be fine."
"You sure?" Tong Airui still seemed skeptical.
Yi Luowa nodded resolutely. "This has happened to me once before too. After resting for just two hours, it didn’t happen again."
"This isn’t the first time?!" Tong Airui was alarmed. "Why didn’t you tell me earlier?"
"Shh! Keep your voice down! Don’t let Dad and Mom hear. If they do, they’ll only stress out worse. Look—if you’re worried, we’ll find some pretext to leave the palace this afternoon and get me checked, okay?"
Tong Airui frowned slightly. "You slept last night, but your complexion hasn’t improved. This afternoon, we’re definitely going for that full check-up."
"Alright. Now give me my socks—I’m getting out of bed," Yi Luowa said, reaching for the socks in his hand with an annoyed huff.
"I’ll put them on for you," Tong Airui replied, lifting her small foot onto his lap.
"I’m a grown woman—you don’t need to put my socks on! I bet you haven’t even helped your own kids with theirs!"
"I used to, when you weren’t around. But those two little brats—they look down on me when you’re home. When you weren’t here, though, they’d stick to me like glue."
"And that’s how you repay them—with insults?"
"Don’t think I don’t know their ulterior motives. They know we’re always inseparable, and by buttering me up, they’re hoping I’ll take them to see you."
Yi Luowa’s heart ached at his words, the sentiment piercing her deeply.
Tong Airui finished putting on her socks and helped her out of bed. "Why so quiet all of a sudden?"
"Silence is golden."
"Please don’t give me the silent treatment—it scares me!"
Yi Luowa chuckled lightly. "You’ll have to get used to the new me. Let’s go check on Mom and Dad."
Hand in hand, they stepped out of the room, only to encounter Marcus striding toward them with a manila envelope.
"Princess, these are the overnight interrogation records for Xiang Zuo. I’m not sure how to proceed—you should take a look."
