Before long.
All the dishes and rice had been served.
"Try it. Does it still taste the same as before?"
Uncle Li asked expectantly.
Tang Chen picked up a piece, put it in his mouth, and nodded in praise. "Exactly the same. Still as delicious as ever!"
Uncle Li broke into a broad grin, then turned his gaze toward Shen Qingyan.
Shen Qingyan also picked up her chopsticks, took a bite, and nodded approvingly.
Uncle Li beamed at last, seeming to let out a sigh of relief as he plopped down in a nearby seat.
"Uncle Li, Auntie Li, how has business been lately?"
Tang Chen asked as he ate.
In truth, there was no need to ask.
It was mealtime.
Yet there were not many customers in the restaurant.
How business was doing was obvious at a glance.
But Tang Chen had his reasons for asking.
After all, they were among the few old acquaintances he had left in this world.
If they were having a hard time, he would help them however he could.
"Business hasn't been great, but it doesn't really matter."
Auntie Li said, "This street is going to be turned into a pedestrian area for tourists soon. All of our shops are being demolished, and the compensation is substantial. It'll be enough to buy our child a home and let us live comfortably for the rest of our lives."
"That's good!"
Tang Chen nodded with a smile.
"Alright, alright, we won't disturb you two lovebirds while you eat. Little Chen, let's add each other on WeChat. We won't be able to keep this restaurant open anymore, and we don't want to anyway. We want to take a break. But if there's anything you want to eat, just message me. I'll fire up the stove and make it for you right away!"
Uncle Li took out his phone and somewhat clumsily opened his QR code.
"Add mine too. If there's anything you want to eat, just contact me. That old fool's phone is practically decoration. All day long, he only contacts other people—no one ever contacts him!"
Tang Chen laughed and took out his phone, scanning their codes one after the other.
The couple had no idea.
The WeChat contacts they had added so casually...
Were something countless wealthy businessmen in Magic City would fight tooth and nail to obtain...
"Alright, we won't disturb you two lovebirds while you eat."
After adding each other on WeChat, Uncle Li and Auntie Li returned to the kitchen.
Shen Qingyan lowered her head a little.
Being mistaken for Tang Chen's wife made her cheeks flush slightly.
Yet deep down, she did not dislike the misunderstanding at all...
Shen Qingyan did not eat much, though she still had quite a bit. After Tang Chen swept up the leftovers like a whirlwind, they bade Uncle Li and Auntie Li farewell and left.
After walking out of the restaurant, Tang Chen was just about to ask whether Shen Qingyan had anything to do next when she beat him to it. "Do you have anything to do this afternoon?"
She Was So Sensible That It Broke One's Heart!
"No."
Tang Chen shook his head. "Do you have something to do?"
"Yes."
Shen Qingyan nodded. "Today is the day I'm supposed to visit the sanatorium."
"My mother became vegetative five years ago. I visit her every week at this time."
"You can go take care of your things first. We can come pick up Yaoyao together in the evening..."
Tang Chen shook his head right away. "No need. I'll go with you..."
Shen Qingyan pressed her lower lip together. After hesitating for a moment, she finally nodded.
The two got into the Mercedes-Benz S-Class waiting at the end of the street and soon arrived at the sanatorium where Shen Qingyan's mother was staying.
"Miss Shen, you're here!"
The middle-aged female caregiver nodded when she saw Shen Qingyan.
"Auntie, how is my mother?" Shen Qingyan asked.
"Still the same. She hasn't gotten worse, but she hasn't gotten better either." The caregiver shook her head.
"Thank you for your hard work, Auntie." Shen Qingyan said, "I'll go in and see her first."
"It's no trouble! It's part of my job!" The caregiver shook her head and stepped aside from the doorway.
But when she saw Tang Chen following Shen Qingyan inside, a trace of surprise flashed across her face.
Having cared for Shen Qingyan's mother for so many years, this was the first time she had seen Shen Qingyan bring someone along—and a man at that...
On the hospital bed.
A middle-aged woman who did not look particularly old lay there.
Her eyes were closed, but the resemblance between her and Shen Qingyan could still be seen in her features.
Devices were clipped to each of her fingers and toes, while the machines beside her displayed her stable vital signs.
A vegetative patient...
It might have been the luckiest, yet also the unluckiest, condition in the world.
Lucky, because she had been only a step away from death, yet had ultimately survived.
Unlucky, because she might never regain consciousness for the rest of her life...
"How did Auntie end up like this?" Tang Chen asked.
"My father's death and my unwed pregnancy dealt her too many blows. She gritted her teeth and kept caring for me, but then she suddenly suffered a cerebral hemorrhage..." Shen Qingyan took a deep breath.
Tang Chen frowned and fell silent.
It seemed...
He owed Shen Qingyan even more than he had imagined!
"Mom, I'm here."
Shen Qingyan sat down beside the bed.
Taking hold of her mother's wrist, she said softly, "Mom, it's been five years already. Yaoyao is four now. Aren't you going to open your eyes and look at her?"
"Mom, haven't you always asked who the child's father is?"
"Now, he's here..."
"His name is Tang Chen. He's the same age as me..."
Shen Qingyan did not cry.
Yet her voice was filled with endless sorrow...
"Auntie, I'm sorry."
Tang Chen said in a heavy voice, "I came too late."
Shen Qingyan had not shown too much sadness even while saying those heartbreaking words.
But after hearing Tang Chen's words.
Her body trembled, and her eyes instantly reddened.
Did she blame Tang Chen?
That question had had an answer from the very beginning.
She had never blamed or resented Tang Chen in the slightest...
"I don't blame you."
Shen Qingyan sniffed and shook her head. "At first, you didn't know Yaoyao existed either..."
Tang Chen looked at Shen Qingyan's frail, slender figure, his eyes flickering.
She was too sensible...
Just like Tang Yao.
So sensible that it broke one's heart...
A Subsidiary of Tianyuan Group! An Astonishing sanatorium!
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