0p0 Chapter 168: Mystery of Life (1)
Chapter 168: Mystery of Life (1)
Two days had passed since Gu Yan slowly woke up. During these two days, her ward had been bustling with patients.
As if they had made an appointment, Ge Yu, Huo Bingci, and Ming Luoluo came to visit her one after another, asking about her well-being and showing her the utmost care. However, in stark contrast to them, Gong Jin remained by her side the entire time, practically never leaving her side, providing her with meticulous care and companionship.
However, the man who had left a deep mark on her life, He Li, had since vanished from the face of the earth, completely disappearing from her world. She searched everywhere for him, but could never find even the slightest trace of him, as if he had never appeared in the first place.
On this particular morning, just as the sun was rising, the hospital began its daily checkup as usual. Gong Jin carefully pushed Gu Yan, who was sitting in a wheelchair, to the examination room. As they passed the corner of the corridor, they suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure.
It was Ye Shuang! Ye Shuang was standing there furtively, as if trying to spy on something. But when she realized someone was noticing her, her expression changed drastically, and she turned around and prepared to leave without hesitation.
In the blink of an eye, Gu Yan's clear voice rang out: "Wait a minute!" Ye Shuang's footsteps stopped abruptly when she heard the call, but she lowered her head and did not dare to turn around to face Gu Yan.
In fact, Ye Shuang had been silently waiting outside Gu Yan's ward for the past few days. Although she had a thousand words to say, she knew that Gu Yan was in poor health at the moment and was afraid that her rash appearance would cause her irritation and harm.
Now, Gu Yan has learned her true life experience. She is very calm about the fact that the woman in front of her is her nominal mother, and she naturally accepts this reality.
"I'll get you a blanket. Please wait here for a moment." Gong Jin knew very well that he needed to give them some time alone at this moment, so he said softly. Gu Yan nodded slightly in agreement.
After Gong Jin turned and left, Ye Shuang mustered up the courage and slowly approached Gu Yan. Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar face before her, she had a thousand words in her heart that she wanted to express, but when those words came to her lips, they ultimately turned into just three simple words—"I'm sorry."
Gu Yan stared at Ye Shuang's face, tinged with guilt and unease, a mixture of emotions swirling within her, difficult to describe. It was a complex mix of loss, regret, and confusion, like a light feather brushing against her heart, leaving behind a lingering sense of melancholy. She parted her lips, hesitating several times before finally uttering, "I still can't forgive you."
Yes, if it weren't for Ye Shuang's mistake, perhaps Gu Yan would have been able to snuggle up to her biological parents since childhood, enjoying the warmth and love she deserved. In this way, her life trajectory would surely be completely different, full of sunshine and laughter, right? However, now, everything has changed, and the past is like a shattered mirror, impossible to reconstruct.
For a moment, the two of them were speechless, the air filled with suffocating awkwardness and silence. Just then, the crisp sound of high heels could be heard from not far away...
"Ye Shuang, it's really you!"
A cry of surprise broke the silence. The person who appeared before them was actually Gong Jin's mother, Ouyang Li. She stared ahead with eyes wide open, her face filled with astonishment.
At first, when she caught a glimpse of Ye Shuang from afar, she still had a trace of doubt in her heart, wondering if it was just someone who looked similar.
However, as she walked closer, the familiar face and figure gradually became clearer, and finally made her certain without a doubt - this person was Ye Shuang.
At this moment, Ye Shuang was looking at Ouyang Li walking towards her with a confused look on her face.
In this brief moment of eye contact, she had no impression of the woman who suddenly appeared. At this moment, Ouyang Li stepped forward without hesitation and grabbed Ye Shuang's hands tightly, with such force that it seemed as if she was afraid that she would escape again.
"I finally found you. Tell me! Where did you take Xixi? Tell me clearly!"
Ouyang Li's voice trembled slightly with excitement, her eyes burning with anger and anxiety. Back then, Xixi had mysteriously disappeared, and the last surveillance footage showed Ye Shuang leading Xixi away from the scene.
Since then, Ouyang Li has been frantically using all means to search for Ye Shuang all over the country, just to find her beloved daughter.
However, after so many years, I still have nothing to show for it. I didn't expect to meet Ye Shuang here by such a coincidence today. It really fits the old saying: You can find it even after searching everywhere, but it comes without any effort.
Faced with Ouyang Li's harsh questioning, Ye Shuang's face instantly turned as pale as paper.
Her eyes widened in terror, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably. Under the pressure of Ouyang Li's powerful aura, she felt her legs weaken, unable to support her weight any longer, and she collapsed to the ground.
Then, she shook her head desperately, waving her trembling hands, and shouted incoherently: "I don't know you, I really don't know you... Please let me go..."
"Even if you turn into ashes, I will recognize you, Ye Shuang!" Ouyang Li's eyes were wide open, and her voice was trembling with anger, "Tell me quickly, where is Xixi?" Her usually dignified and quiet face became a little distorted because of excitement, and her eyes were burning with rage.
Seeing this, Gu Yan hurried forward to persuade her, "Aunt, don't be impulsive, let her go first. Ye Shuang's mental state has been really bad recently, and I'm worried that she will get sick if this continues." In fact, Huo Bingci had revealed Ye Shuang's situation to her when they were chatting before.
Hearing this, Ouyang Li's gaze finally shifted from Ye Shuang to Xiao Xiao, who was standing beside her. Only then did she realize that her actions might have frightened the child, and she reluctantly loosened her grip on Ye Shuang's clothes. However, she continued to stare at Ye Shuang fiercely, gritting her teeth and saying, "Since you're here today, don't even think about getting away from me again!"
Time slipped away like the sand in an hourglass, minute by minute. Before he knew it, a long half hour had passed. Just then, He Li, who had never appeared, finally hurried to Gu Yan's ward.
When He Li heard that Ye Shuang was forcibly detained by Ouyang Li, he was shocked, but no matter what, he had an obligation to go. He had clearly made up his mind not to see Gu Yan again, but at this moment, he was secretly grateful to God for giving him such an opportunity.
No matter what, he had personally brought Ye Shuang to Beihuai. It was logical and reasonable for him to shoulder the heavy responsibility of ensuring Ye Shuang's personal safety.
At this moment, seeing He Li finally appear, Gu Yan's gaze was drawn to him like a magnet, unable to move away from him. Her bright eyes stared straight at He Li, as if trying to see through his appearance and the secrets hidden deep in his heart.
"What is going on? Ye Shuang is not only my aunt, but also her mother. No matter what, I hope you can give a reasonable explanation." For the first time in his life, He Li did not call Gu Yan's name directly, but spoke in a more formal and serious tone.
After hearing He Li's words, Gu Yan couldn't tell for a moment whether she was feeling more joy or sadness.
Although she still couldn't recall the lost memories of the past, she knew that there must be many past experiences between her and He Li that were unknown to outsiders. These experiences might be sweet and beautiful, or perhaps full of twists and turns... However, what the truth was, perhaps only when her memories were restored could the answer be revealed.
Ouyang Li straightened her back, staring straight ahead with a determined gaze. Without the slightest hint of fear, she spoke directly and without hesitation, "This lady, Ye Shuang, was once a close friend of mine and another close friend! However, unexpectedly, when my friend was seriously ill and in need of care, she heartlessly took away my friend's cherished daughter, Xixi! Now I only want to ask her where Xixi is and how she's been doing these years."
Ouyang Li's resounding words were like a huge, heavy stone dropped into a previously calm lake, instantly stirring up waves and causing a huge uproar. Everyone present was stunned, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense and solemn.
He Li, standing nearby, pondered for a moment. Within seconds, his sharp mind, like lightning, pierced through the layers of confusion and grasped a startling truth. His brow furrowed slightly, a hint of disbelief in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and blurted out, "Perhaps that child is Gu Yan."
At the same time, Gong Jin, who was standing not far away, had actually already guessed it in his mind, but He Li's reaction speed was too fast, and he was the first to say out the tacit idea that everyone knew.
Facing everyone's questioning gazes, Ye Shuang suddenly closed her lips and said nothing.
Her face was pale, and beads of sweat even oozed from her forehead, clearly due to extreme nervousness and panic. She racked her brains to fabricate some excuse to defend herself, trying to cover up the truth of the matter; but the more anxious she became, the more confused her mind became. She had no idea where to start, let alone how to explain the complicated reasons to everyone.
Seeing Ye Shuang's silence, He Li had already made up his mind. He stared at Ye Shuang, his eyes gleaming with anger and disappointment, as if he was trying to use this invisible pressure to force her to admit the truth.