FMTL~Chapter 165: Worry

 

Chapter 165: Worry

Not wanting Lin Xiaofen to worry, An Ran made the excuse that she had a cold and didn't go to the hospital, needing to rest at home for two days. In reality, she had returned to the military compound with Su Yicheng. Because the incident was still a hot topic, there were always a large number of reporters waiting at the door in the neighborhood, and the phone at home was always ringing again after being hung up. So, Su Yicheng decided to take An Ran directly back to the compound. At least there would be peace and quiet there for her to recuperate.

Dad Su didn't say much about the incident. He simply called Su Yicheng into the study, where the two of them talked for over two hours. When An Ran asked him about it when they came out, Su Yicheng just smiled and said nothing more.

Despite his injured hand, Su Yicheng went to work as usual the day after the incident. An Ran, on the other hand, stayed in the compound, feeling a remarkable sense of peace as she listened to the repetitions of training chants.

After dinner, An Ran sat in the living room with Qin Yun, chatting. They chatted ramblingly for a while. Qin Yun, looking at An Ran, asked cautiously, "An Ran, has Ah Cheng told you about him and Ling Ran?"

There had been so much going on lately, and it had been so much going on. She was truly worried that these trivial matters would upset the girl. If Ling Ran affected their relationship, it would be completely unnecessary. Although it was clear that her relationship with Ah Cheng remained the same, she seemed somewhat glum with her son.

Alas! She sighed silently inwardly. Being a parent is like that, constantly worrying about this and that. She had thought Yi Jiao was enough to worry her about, and that her son, A Cheng, was mature and steady enough that she didn't need to ask any more questions. But she hadn't expected so many things to happen recently. While it's natural for An Ran to feel resentful and dissatisfied, she hoped it wouldn't affect their future relationship.

An Ran was slightly stunned. She looked at Qin Yun, nodded, and said, "Yi Cheng told me." She was grateful for his honesty. Now she thought, perhaps it was his initial confession that brought their initially awkward relationship closer.

Hearing this, Qin Yun finally felt relieved. She nodded and said, "That's good, that's good." It was better to be frank than to hide these things. Looking at her, Qin Yun asked, "An Ran, I see you've been unhappy lately. Are you feeling uncomfortable about Ling Ran's situation? If so, just say it out loud. Don't bottle it up and feel bad. I know it's easy to feel uncomfortable when encountering these things."

An Ran was confused, completely unable to understand what Qin Yun meant. She quickly shook her head and said, "Mom, did you misunderstand something? I don't mind Ling Ran's situation." Su Yicheng had told her everything about Ling Ran and Su Yicheng, and she understood the reasons. Besides, both incidents were intentional on Ling Ran's part; Su Yicheng couldn't be blamed.

"Then I see you're feeling rather depressed." Qin Yun frowned in confusion. Then, thinking of something, she looked at her nervously and asked, "An Ran, are you feeling unwell?"

"No," An Ran shook her head, looking at her with some concern. "I'm just worried. I'm worried about Mom's health." Mom's eyes were practically blind now, and surgery was urgently needed. If the optimal time for surgery was missed, there might be complications.

Qin Yun finally realized that these past few days, she'd been completely bewildered by Yi Jiao. She hadn't even realized when she'd gotten together with the Ye family kid, and now the Ye family kid had come to her and proposed marriage to Yi Jiao! She hadn't even had time to sort out their murky situation when Ling Ran's incident occurred. She'd momentarily forgotten that Lin Xiaofen was still in the hospital with a brain tumor. But now that she thought about it, An Ran's melancholy made sense. She'd been so busy lately, and now she had to worry about her mother's illness. Anyone would be upset.

"How's my mother-in-law? Is she feeling better? I've been so busy lately that I haven't found time to go to the hospital," Qin Yun said with a hint of self-blame.

An Ran shook her head. "The tumor has shifted, and now it's completely pressing on her optic nerve. She can barely see people standing in front of her. We need surgery right away."

Qin Yun nodded, her face filled with genuine worry. She knew the risks of the surgery, and considering Lin Xiaofen was already quite old, she was terrified if something went wrong during the procedure. It was truly unthinkable.

With a soft sigh, she reached out and took An Ran's hand, gently patting it. Looking at her, she said reassuringly, "It'll be fine, don't worry." That seemed to be all she could say in such a situation.

An Ran smiled brightly and nodded at her. "Yeah, I'm fine, don't worry, Mom."

"What were you talking about?" Su Yicheng came in from the courtyard, his briefcase in one hand, the other still tightly wrapped in white gauze. Because the wound on his hand was quite deep, Secretary Zheng had been driving him to and from get off work for the past few days.

Seeing him return, before Qin Yun, the mother, could say anything, An Ran, who was sitting next to him, asked, "Have you eaten yet? Auntie made your favorite braised eggplant today. I'll go heat it up for you."

Qin Yun, who was sitting next to her, smiled and stood up. "An Ran, you can't do this with your big belly. I'll go heat up the food." Without waiting for An Ran's reply, she headed straight for the kitchen.

Su Yicheng went into the room first, put down his briefcase, and changed into the clothes he'd been wearing all day. When he finished changing and washed up, An Ran was standing by the window, on the phone. Judging from her tone, it must be Lin Xiaofen.

"I'm fine. I'm feeling much better now. Don't worry about me. How are you? Are you feeling any discomfort?" An Ran asked Lin Xiaofen, holding the phone, a little worried.

Su Yicheng silently stepped forward and pulled her into a hug from behind, his arms wrapping around her belly, enveloping her in his embrace.

"Okay, Mom, I'll come see you tomorrow. Yeah, I know it's not serious, so don't worry." An Ran hung up the phone, sighed softly, and turned back to Su Yicheng with a hint of resignation. She said, somewhat dejectedly, "Mom knows what happened that day." Knowing she was Lin Xiaofen's daughter, and seeing she hadn't been home for the past two days, the nurse, while delivering medicine, happened to run into Mrs. Zhang in the bathroom. Seeing Lin Xiaofen alone, she casually asked about An Ran's situation and then brought up what happened that afternoon. Lin Xiaofen finally learned three days after the incident that the commotion downstairs had nearly cost her her daughter. So, as soon as the nurse left and Mrs. Zhang returned, she threatened to call An Ran.

Su Yicheng hugged her, kissed her hair, and simply said, "It's okay. I'll go to the hospital with you tomorrow."

An Ran nodded and leaned into his embrace.

"I went to the hospital on my way back," Su Yicheng whispered softly in her ear.

Hearing this, An Ran turned excitedly and asked, "Did you see Mom?"

Su Yicheng shook his head. "I went to see Doctor Zhang and got to know the situation."

"What did Doctor Zhang say?" An Ran asked, clutching his hand, feeling a little nervous.

Su Yicheng patted her, urging her to calm down. "Doctor Zhang said Mom doesn't want to go abroad and wants to stay in China for the surgery."

"Why?" An Ran was puzzled. She had already contacted hospitals and doctors in the United States, and the medical standards there were much higher than in China.

Su Yicheng sighed softly, reached out and touched her face, and said, "You should know that sometimes, when people age, they're like this. Even if they appear optimistic and strong on the surface, they're still fragile inside. They always prepare for the worst-case scenario. From what Dr. Zhang can tell, he thinks Mom is worried about the risks of surgery."

"Then why not go to America?" The equipment and quality there are far superior to those in China. If you're worried about the risks of surgery, then America is definitely the right choice!

Su Yicheng explained, "An Ran, sometimes as people age, they have more concerns. Some people who were once thousands of miles away choose to return home as they age. Why? Because their roots are here, like fallen leaves returning to their roots. Mom herself knows the risks of this surgery. She's not worried about what would happen if something went wrong, but what if something did go wrong while she's thousands of miles away."

"No accidents!" An Ran looked at him firmly, saying, "No accidents!" As she spoke, her eyes suddenly turned red, and then moisture filled her pupils, blurring them completely.

Su Yicheng reached out and pulled her into his arms, stroking her hair repeatedly as he whispered soothing words in her ear, "All right, all right, nothing will happen. There definitely won't be any."

Leaning in his arms, An Ran nodded repeatedly. The moisture in her eyes suddenly transformed into tears, which rolled down her face, one by one. The tears landed on Su Yicheng's shoulders, burning his skin.

She lay in his embrace for a while before slowly withdrawing. She looked at him firmly and earnestly, saying, "Yicheng, I want to go to America with Mom." She wanted to be by her mother's side, to hold her hand tightly as she was wheeled into surgery, to assure her that she would always be waiting outside, that the baby inside her belly was still waiting for her to love.

Su Yicheng could see the determination in her eyes and understood her current feelings. He simply nodded and said, "Okay."