Echoes of the Past (6)

"This is... a hospital?"

Yangyang stared into thought at the pure white surroundings. The pungent smell of various medicines and disinfectants mixed together wafted straight into her nostrils, causing her delicate nose to wrinkle involuntarily.

Suisui observed the bustling crowd, everyone wearing masks. Doctors and nurses moved among the patients, and the sounds of coughing echoed in the pure white medical room. Their appearance seemed out of place here.

"I have a bad feeling..." Watching this scene, the young director of the Zhaoming Chamber of Commerce felt goosebumps all over his body.

"Huh? Sister Yangyang? And Sister Suisui?"

A familiar voice called to the two sisters. They looked in the direction of the voice and saw Xiao Ling wearing a mask. A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, but that surprise quickly turned into deep worry.

"Don't just stand there, here, take this." He ran over in a few strides and slapped the unopened masks into their hands. "I don't know why you're here, but put these on first."

The two did not ask any questions and cooperated by putting on their masks. Xiao Ling then led them towards her ward.

"Is that... Sister Xiao Yue...?"

When Yangyang saw Xiao Yue resting with her eyes closed on the hospital bed, she couldn't immediately connect her with the elegant woman she had seen earlier.

She was thin and pale, and even breathing seemed difficult for her. A ventilator worn on her face was maintaining her basic oxygen needs.

"Yes, it's my mom." Xiao Ling sat calmly on the edge of the bed, and after making sure she hadn't been woken up by the noise, she put on her headphones and started browsing online classes.

"Brother Ling, what are you doing...?" Suisui was a little confused. Shouldn't the family's situation be the priority at this time?

"Ah, don't worry, her most dangerous days are over, so I can finally focus on my classes." Xiao Ling's voice held a hint of relief and amusement. "And the hospital's Wi-Fi is pretty good, I must say."

"Going to class?"

"Okay, class is in session." Xiao Ling nodded. "The pandemic is very serious, so all in-person classes have been moved online. That's why I asked you to wear masks earlier."

"How serious is it...?" Suisui asked tentatively.

"You're asking about this?" Xiao Ling pointed to the empty bed next door. "See that empty bed? When my mom and I came, there was an old man sleeping here. He seemed fine at first, but he passed away a few days later."

Yangyang's pupils contracted sharply, and her heart felt as if it had been squeezed tightly by something.

She sympathized with the old man's family, but was even more worried about Xiao Ling's current mental state. After all, his tone was so calm, almost numb, when he recounted the matter of life and death, that she couldn't help but wonder what he had gone through before.

"Cough cough..."

Whether it was because their conversation was too loud or not, Xiao Yue, lying on the hospital bed, slowly opened her eyes after a violent coughing fit.

"Ah... so it's you two young ladies..." Xiao Yue said in a hoarse voice when she saw Yang Sui and the other girl who had come to visit. She tried to sit up, but Xiao Ling immediately stopped her.

"Don't move around, Mom, you're still not well," he gently advised.

The mother and son argued for a long time, and it finally ended with Xiao Yue giving in.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't expect to meet you again in such an occasion..." Xiao Yue's tone was full of deep apology.

"It's alright, your speedy recovery is the most important thing." Yangyang smiled gently. "Xiao Yu was very worried about you!"

"My son and I are now each other's only support, and our longing for each other naturally grows stronger every day."

"You know I was worried about you, and that's why you stubbornly refused to see a doctor?" Xiao Ling said irritably. "Did you really think this epidemic was like a minor cold that you could just tough it out?"

Faced with Xiao Ling's reprimand, Xiao Yue knew she was in the wrong and could only remain silent.

"Alright, Xiao Yu," Yangyang ruffled his hair, "It's good that things are improving now, so don't be angry with your mother anymore."

"Oh." Xiao Ling nodded honestly.

After chatting with Xiao Yue Xiao Yue a while, Yangyang and Suisui felt exhausted and fell asleep again.

Even breathing sounds came from the hospital bed. Xiao Ling stood up and led the two sisters out of the ward.

"Let's go out and let my mom get some sleep."

After leaving the ward, the three of them fell silent.

"I say, it's getting late, sisters, why don't you leave first? This isn't a place for you to stay," Xiao Ling kindly advised the two to leave.

"And what about you?" Suisui asked in return.

"Me?" Xiao Ling said casually, "There's still a long time before school starts, I have plenty of free time to take care of my mom."

"To be fair, online classes do have their advantages; at least I don't have to go back and forth between school and the hospital anymore."

Yangyang's expression was somewhat unpleasant. After all, her Resonance Ability allowed her to perceive things that others couldn't. No matter how much Xiao Ling pretended, she could still hear his true thoughts.

"So tired..."

He's clearly just putting on a brave face...

Suisui lowered her eyes for a long time, but finally put on a gentle smile, and then said softly:

"Very well, since you've put it that way, then my sister and I won't bother you any longer."

Then, before Yangyang could say anything more, Suisui pulled her away from the ward door.

"Sister!" Yangyang, somewhat angrily, "Xiao Yu is in terrible condition!"

"I did notice, didn't I?" Suisui said with a calm smile. "Is Yangyang worried that Brother Ling will be mentally exhausted because of this?"

"Hmm..." Yangyang's eyes revealed unconcealed heartache.

"Don't worry, we both know what kind of person he is. If this little hardship had made him give up halfway, we wouldn't be where he is today. In the end, this is just a small part of his past experiences," Suisui comforted him softly.

"However, simply standing by and doing nothing is clearly not my style; offering a little help is still necessary."

"What does my sister mean...?"

"Do you still remember Xiao Yue's second sister?" Suisui asked Yangyang in return.

"Sister, you mean Ms. Xiao Ji?" Yangyang replied, then suddenly realized what her sister meant, "You want to gamble that she knows someone in this hospital?"

"Why use the word 'gamble'? As a professor, Ms. Xiao Ji has countless students; it wouldn't be difficult to find someone in this hospital who knows her," Suisui said with a bright smile. "However, I did see a nurse's phone with Ms. Xiao Ji's photo on the back."

"Does my sister want to have that nurse relay the news of Xiao Yue's illness to Ms. Xiao Ji?"

"Of course, although I'm not entirely clear on what exactly happened in their family," Suisui sighed softly, "But the situation is special now, and they, mother and son, need to have a way out."