novelraw Chapter 212 The Only Chance
Chapter 212 The Only Chance
Wednesday was a gloomy day. A thin mist shrouded the lake, blurring the distant mountains like a wet ink painting. The postpartum care center sat by the lake, its greyish-white building standing quietly like a lurking beast. Lu Xiran sat in the back seat, her hand resting on her slightly protruding belly, watching the lake scenery flash by outside the window. Gu Yanshen couldn't be with her today; he couldn't avoid the hearing for the merger and acquisition deal. Before leaving, he kissed her forehead and said, "I'll be back as soon as possible." She said there was no rush and told him to focus on his meeting.
She wasn't afraid. Bodyguards led the way, followed by another car—it was like a state visit. Sometimes she found it amusing, but she knew he was afraid. Afraid that what happened three years ago would repeat itself, afraid that those people hadn't given up, afraid that something might happen to her where he couldn't see her. So she obediently followed his instructions, letting him make the arrangements and putting his mind at ease.
The car drove into the underground parking garage. The lights were a stark white, illuminating the empty parking lot, and the sound of tires rolling over the ground echoed in the enclosed space. The bodyguards got out first, four of them, standing on either side, their eyes scanning every corner. Only after confirming it was safe did someone open her car door.
"Madam, you can get off the bus now."
Lu Xiran, holding onto the car door, slowly stood up. Her belly wasn't big yet, but she already showed the clumsiness of a pregnant woman, walking cautiously with every step. Bodyguards surrounded her, forming a mobile encirclement; the short distance from the parking space to the elevator, only a few dozen meters, was tightly packed together.
Unbeknownst to her, a black sedan was parked quietly in the corner of the garage. The windows were tinted, obscuring the interior. The engine was running, and faint white smoke was emanating from the exhaust pipe.
Gu Yanxu sat in the driver's seat, his knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel. Through his binoculars, he watched the figure nestled in the center of her body, her slow steps, her hands protecting her belly, and the gentle glow of impending motherhood on her face. His fingers tightened even more. He remembered the day Yinuo was born. He stood outside the delivery room, his legs buckling at the sound of her cries. The nurse brought Yinuo out, saying, "Congratulations, it's a boy." He took the tiny, wrinkled bundle of flesh, his hands trembling. Yinuo opened her eyes in his arms, glanced at him, then closed them again. In that moment, he felt his life had been worthwhile. Now, Yinuo's mother hated him, and Yinuo's family was broken. It was all because of her.
He put down the binoculars and closed his eyes. One voice in his head said: She's not wrong, your mother is wrong, you are wrong. Another voice was louder: It was her, it was her return that caused all this, it was her pregnancy that exposed the truth, it was her refusal to leave that left your mother with no way out. The two voices fought in his mind, giving him a splitting headache.
He opened his eyes and saw Lu Xiran already inside the elevator. The elevator doors slowly closed, swallowing her figure. He started his car and drove out of the garage. He didn't follow; it wasn't the right time.
Gu Yanxu didn't go home; he went to the detention center. Through the glass, Lian Bichen looked even thinner than before, her cheekbones protruding high, her eye sockets deep-set, and her hair so white that almost no black strands could be found. She wore a gray-blue prison uniform, hanging loosely on her body like a tattered flag. When she saw him, she didn't cry; she simply reached out and touched his hand through the glass.
"Yanxu, don't come anymore." Her voice was very soft, as soft as the wind. "Mom doesn't want you to see me like this."
"Mom, wait a little longer." His voice trembled. "You'll be out soon, very soon."
Lian Bichen looked at him for a long time. In her gaze were heartache, worry, and something else he couldn't understand. Then she lowered her head, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly—not a smile, but an indescribable expression, like relief, or perhaps a sense of relief.
"Yanxu, you've grown up." Her voice was soft. "Mom used to think you weren't ruthless enough, too soft-hearted, and afraid you'd suffer in this family. Now Mom is at ease."
Gu Yanxu looked at his mother, at her aged face, her sunken eyes, and the fleeting curve of her lips. He suddenly felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He just held the microphone, his knuckles turning white.
"Mom, just bear with it for a few more days." His voice was low. "Soon, it will all be over."
Lian Bichen nodded. She stood up, turned, and left. Her back was hunched, but her steps were much steadyer than before. Gu Yanxu watched her disappear at the end of the corridor, a sudden, inexplicable chill rising in his heart. He shook his head, suppressing the chill. She was his mother. She wouldn't lie to him.
He walked out of the detention center, the sunlight blinding him. He squinted, stood on the steps, and lit a cigarette. The smoke was blown away by the wind, like things he could never grasp.
Gu Yanxu sat in the empty villa. The lights were off; moonlight streamed in through the windows, casting a pale white glow over the living room. Yinuo's building blocks lay scattered on the carpet; the collapsed castle hadn't been rebuilt. He sat on the sofa, a cup of now-cold coffee in his hand, his gaze fixed on a point in the void. A stack of documents lay open on the coffee table, Lu Xiran's photo on top, her eyes crinkling with a smile in her school uniform. He flipped the photo over, not wanting to look at her face.
My phone lit up. It was a message from Lu Hao.
She has another prenatal checkup next Wednesday. Gu Yanshen has a meeting in another city that day, which will take at least four hours round trip. That's your only chance.
Gu Yanxu stared at that line of text for a long time. Then he typed two words.
【receive. 】
He put down his phone, stood up, and walked to the window. Moonlight fell on him, casting a long, lonely shadow on the floor. He looked up at the full moon on the horizon. The full moon was unbelievably round. He remembered Jin Qiqi saying that wishes made under the fullest moon are most likely to come true. He had made wishes every full moon night. He wished for Yinuo to grow up healthy, for Jin Qiqi to be happy forever, and for his family to be together forever. None of them came true.
He stopped making wishes.