Appearing on a Marriage Show Before Getting Divorced - Chapter 21

Ever since Nian Nian retreated into her room, Chu Qing had been worried.

The girl had been used to hiding her emotions since childhood, but having lived together for so long, Chu Qing sensitively sensed that something was wrong. After waiting for a while, Chu Qing looked at Zhengzhi, who had finished her meal and resumed building her Legos. Chu Qing stood up to knock on Nian Nian’s door. After a few knocks with no response, Chu Qing was about to call out, but Zhengzhi, who had been quietly playing, suddenly seemed to realize something. Like a startled bird, she jumped up, ran to the door, and pressed a blue button. Then she dashed back to the living room, bent down, and pulled a set of keys from the coffee table drawer.

This series of actions was so fast it didn’t seem like something a child of her age should be capable of. Chu Qing watched, dumbfounded, as Zhengzhi’s small hands moved as if by magic, quickly sorting through the ring of keys to pick out the right one.

Almost instantly, the front door was pushed open and Lilo rushed in. Zhengzhi stood up and handed the key to Lilo. The entire process was swift and agile, as if… it was a routine they had practiced many times.

Lilo used the key to open the bedroom door. The moment it swung open, Chu Qing snapped back to reality. She gasped and rushed forward to press on Chu Nian’s philtrum.

It was already afternoon when Chu Nian woke up.

Zhengzhi, Lilo, and Chu Qing were all watching her anxiously. She had just been given oxygen. Chu Qing and Lilo both agreed that the episode was caused by emotional distress combined with a lack of rest over the past few days.

Adults have their own endurance, but Chu Qing’s heart ached for Zhengzhi. This child was sensible to a heartbreaking degree; she stayed silently by her mother’s side, refusing to leave for a single step. Her large eyes were brimming with tears, and her small, thin frame made her look even more pitiable.

Seeing Nian Nian awake, Chu Qing breathed a sigh of relief. Lilo was less tense, having grown used to this over the years. “Nian Nian, I told you, you cannot get too excited.”

Chu Nian’s face was pale, her gaze hollow. Usually, when Lilo lectured her, she would smile and say nothing, her eyes full of a will to live. But now, after whatever had happened, she seemed completely empty.

“I want to be alone for a while…” Chu Nian said slowly.

Lilo and Chu Qing exchanged a look, nodded, and stepped out. Zhengzhi did not leave; she was clearly shaken, her small hand clutching Chu Nian’s bedsheet, refusing to let go.

Chu Nian managed a weak smile. She pulled Zhengzhi close and kissed her forehead. “Zhengzhi, Mama is sorry.”

Back then, Chu Nian herself was born without being given a choice. Now, she had forced this life upon Zhengzhi.

Zhengzhi didn’t speak, her tears falling like pearls. Chu Nian’s heart was already riddled with holes, and at this moment, she felt her will to live slipping away. She softly kissed Zhengzhi’s hair.

Mother and child were linked. Years ago, when she thought about giving up the baby, the call from her heart had stopped her.

Now, Zhengzhi looked up at Chu Nian, her two small hands cupping her mother’s forehead. “Mamma.”

The milky voice trembled. Zhengzhi rarely spoke so proactively, even to Chu Nian. Chu Nian looked down at her.

Zhengzhi tilted her head up and kissed her forehead. “Don’t die. You said… we would be a family together.”

A family together… When a person is fragile, a single sentence can cast them into hell or save them from the abyss. Chu Nian looked at Zhengzhi, swallowed her tears, and pulled the girl into a fierce embrace, tucking her deep into her arms.

The road is forged by one’s own feet. When she took the first step, she had anticipated this outcome and the pain she would have to bear. But when her faith truly started to crumble… Chu Nian had still been afraid.

That evening, Chu Qing and Lilo discussed Chu Nian’s condition in hushed tones. Lilo’s tone was tactful. “Nian Nian has already created a miracle. Zhengzhi’s issues are manageable now, but as for her…”

The success rate of heart surgery was already low. Moreover, a donor heart was hard to find. They had been optimistic at first, hoping for a heart from a donor of similar age, but several opportunities had fallen through.

Chu Qing was a decisive woman. “What is the earliest estimate for how much longer she can wait?”

“Six months,” Lilo replied. “We planned to do another repair surgery in the third month.”

Chu Qing shook her head. “I’m afraid she can’t wait that long.” She thought for a moment. “I’ll send Nian Nian’s records to my colleagues in China to see if we can find a solution there.”

Lilo didn’t know Chu Qing’s full status, but she could guess from her demeanor and speech. She nodded, a spark of hope in her eyes. “Good. Actually…” She hesitated, and Chu Qing motioned for her to speak.

Lilo said slowly, “In a surgery like this, she might go into the operating room and never come out. At the edge of life and death, a strong psychological pillar is crucial. The reason I’ve allowed Nian Nian to delay this long is because of that.”

Chu Qing closed her eyes. As a doctor, she understood perfectly. She wanted Jianjian to be by Nian Nian’s side when she underwent such a critical surgery.

How could she not want that? But…

During dinner, Lilo conveyed her and Chu Qing’s thoughts to Chu Nian. Nian Nian remained silent.

Lilo said, “We understand you want to win your wife back, but this surgery is too important. My opinion, along with your mother’s, is that you need to stabilize your body as soon as possible. Most importantly, you must avoid extreme emotional swings. This is for your—”

Before she could finish, Chu Nian met Lilo’s eyes. “Tomorrow, I’m going back to China.”

Chu Qing put down her chopsticks and stared. Lilo’s eyes widened. “You… your body…”

“I won’t die.”

Chu Nian’s eyes were filled with determination. She turned to Chu Qing. “Mom, I chose this path myself. No matter the result, I will bear it. If… this is to be my last surgery, please give me one more chance. Let me see her. Let me spend just a little more time with her. A moment—even just a moment—is enough.”

Chu Qing stared at her for a long time. She knew Nian Nian’s character; once she decided on something, there was no changing it.

And after this episode, Chu Qing felt she had changed. Most people think death only occurs when the body takes its last breath, but after years in the hospital, Chu Qing had seen many “living dead.” Some people are alive, but they died a long time ago.

Chu Qing and Chu Nian had planned to return together, but Chu Qing had just met her granddaughter. That blood bond, combined with the guilt for all the years Zhengzhi missed out on, made her reluctant to leave. She wanted to stay for a few more days.

As dinner time approached, Chu Qing prepared a fruit salad for Zhengzhi. Children love sweet and sour foods. Zhengzhi put on her bib herself, sat in her little chair, and ate with a fork, bite by bite. While other children her age had to be chased by parents to eat, she was already independent.

Nian Nian packed her bags. Seeing this scene, her heart felt a mix of bitterness and pride. “Zhengzhi, what do you say to Grandma for making you fruit?”

Zhengzhi stole a glance at Chu Qing, then lowered her head to keep chewing. But Chu Qing smiled with deep satisfaction; she had actually seen a hint of shyness in the little girl’s eyes. This was a huge step forward, wasn’t it? Zhengzhi was still a child; many habits could be changed slowly. The urgent matter was the “knot” in the hearts of the two mothers.

While Chu Qing was busy doting on the child, she slightly neglected her “old spoiled wife” back home.

Ruan Qiu had a temper like a hedgehog—touch it and it flares up. When Chu Qing left, she promised she’d be back in three days. Now that it had been over a week, Ruan Qiu couldn’t sit still. She arranged to track Chu Qing’s phone, intending to barge in and see if her wife was really hiding someone abroad.

When Ruan Qiu arrived in the US, someone was already there to pick her up. On the way, she called Chu Qing. At that time, Chu Qing was busy mixing formula for Zhengzhi and didn’t see or answer the call.

This was the final straw. Ruan Qiu’s gaze turned cold. She looked at the city streets through the window and sneered.

Fine. I want to see what games this woman is playing with me. When Ruan Qiu saw the GPS location wasn’t a hospital or an institution, her anger surged. Combined with Chu Qing’s coldness over the past few days, she felt like a fireball stuffed with explosives, waiting to detonate the moment they met.

Of course, after so many years of marriage, she trusted Chu Qing. she knew there must be a reason she couldn’t speak yet. But her heart was still stifled. She ordered the driver to stop and started a video call with Jianjian.

Ruan Youran was surprised to see her mom’s serious face. “What? Did you guys fight again?”

Ruan Qiu sighed. “No. I’m just calling to say I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what? What are you up to now? Don’t tell me you got caught drinking with girls by my other mom?”

Youran adjusted the camera to show off her white dress. “How do I look in this?” She moved the camera up. “Do I look like a high school senior?”

She was about to meet Chu Nian. She had specifically chosen the dress Chu Nian loved to see her in back in high school.

Ruan Qiu: “…” Why is she being so ‘extra’ all of a sudden? Ruan Qiu sneered and turned the camera on herself. “What about me?” Today, she was on a mission to catch Chu Qing and charm her back, so she was wearing a provocatively elegant black dress.

Youran’s eyes widened. “Isn’t that my dress?”

Ruan Qiu shook her shoulders. “Are you blind? This is your mother’s.”

“Why are you cursing at me?” Youran grumbled.

Ruan Qiu also felt a bit off. “It’s mine!” It was a youthful dress, chosen specifically to seduce her wife.

Youran rolled her eyes. “Shameless. Wearing such a short skirt at your age. Why don’t you just show your butt?”

Ruan Qiu: “…” You just can’t give this brat a moment of warmth. Ruan Qiu ignored her. “Anyway, Jianjian, Mom has neglected you these past few years. I’ll talk to your other mom. We’ll push our work aside and spend more time with you.”

Her intelligence network was already closing in. Although she hadn’t fully uncovered what happened with Chu Nian, she knew the basic outline. That’s why she felt for Jianjian. She had only been kept in the dark by Chu Qing for a few days and was already frantic enough to fly to the US to catch her—what about Jianjian? All those three years…

Ruan Qiu was close to tears, but Youran just yawned. “Don’t bother. I’m begging you and Mommy—go do whatever it is you do. Don’t worry about me. I’m a beautiful young woman with dreams and work to do. I don’t have time to hang out with two old ladies.”

Ruan Qiu: “You…” It had been a long time since Youran spoke to her in such a lighthearted, bratty tone. Youran looked at her. “Mom. The world is cruel. You need to accept reality and stop clinging to Mommy like a baby. Who can’t live without whom? Is it really necessary?”

Ruan Qiu: “…………” The CEO was nearly driven to a blood pressure spike of 250. Hanging up, Ruan Qiu wanted to curse Jianjian, but ended up shaking her head with a helpless laugh.

When she reached the house, Ruan Qiu pounded on the door. The moment Chu Qing heard it, she knew it was Ruan Qiu. Good. She was bad with words and hadn’t known how to explain anyway. Since the person had barged in, there was no need for explanations.

The nanny went to open the door, but Chu Qing waved her off. She looked at Zhengzhi, bent down, and said with a smile, “Zhengzhi, how about you come open the door with Grandma?”

Zhengzhi looked at Chu Qing with confusion.

“Will you?” Chu Qing asked patiently.

Zhengzhi hesitated, then whispered, “Is it the Big Bad Wolf?”

Chu Qing laughed, a brilliant smile lighting up her face. She couldn’t help but stroke Zhengzhi’s soft hair. “Of course not.”

Zhengzhi had built up trust with Chu Qing over the past few days. Hearing this, she allowed Chu Qing to lead her toward the door.

The door opened.

A faint scent of mint wafted in. Ruan Qiu stood there with her arms crossed, her “angry wife” pose ready. She raised an eyebrow. “So? Trying to hook up with some old man or lady out here? Refusing to come home? If I hadn’t come, were you going to have a child with them? You—AH!”

When Ruan Qiu saw Zhengzhi, her legs went weak. She stumbled, nearly falling.

Zhengzhi’s eyes lit up when she saw Ruan Qiu. She was terrified of strangers, but the moment she saw Ruan Qiu, she thought: Isn’t this the other mother Mamma always shows me in the photos? Zhengzhi rushed forward and hugged Ruan Qiu’s leg. She looked up with her grape-like eyes and asked in a milky voice: “Mamma?”

Chu Qing: “…” Ruan Qiu: “…??!!!”

At the same time, on the playground of ** High School, Ruan Youran stood in her white dress. The breeze caught her skirt. She looked at Chu Nian, who was walking toward her from a distance, with a smile.

At this moment, her heart was surprisingly calm, as if the love and hate were no longer tangled.

Chu Nian was also dressed youthfully today. As if by mutual agreement, she was also wearing a long white dress. Her willow-like brows arched as she looked at Youran, her long lashes trembling slightly. Her eyes still overflowed with a deep, unshakeable affection.

For a moment, time seemed to blur, and the two truly felt as if they had returned to those carefree days of their youth.