The Vanishing Beauty - Chapter 5 - 11

Chapter 5 - 11

After seventy-two consecutive hours of overtime, Yu Qing suffered a ruptured cerebral blood vessel and collapsed right at his workstation. By the time he was rushed to the hospital, he was already in a coma, and emergency resuscitation efforts yielded little effect. He maintained a high fever throughout. When Yu Shuang and Kang Long arrived, the hospital had just issued a critically ill notice.

Seeing the eldest sister-in-law arrive, Yu Qing's wife burst into tears, grabbing Shuang's hand while shaking uncontrollably. Her mother was there to support her; though not weeping with rivers of old tears, her face was etched with absolute despair. Upon learning of her son-in-law's sudden and critical illness, the elderly mother's blood pressure and heart rate had spiked violently, nearly causing her to pass out, and she was currently receiving an intravenous drip in the emergency room.

Yu Qing's wife was heavily pregnant, her hair disheveled. She was close to giving delivery, and under normal circumstances, such intense emotional agitation was strictly forbidden. She kept repeating, "What do I do? What do I do?" Hearing this made Yu Shuang's skin crawl, and out of sheer anxiety she patted the back of the woman's hand. "It's going to be fine! They can save him! He has to be saved!"

Of course he had to be saved. The trouble was that both treatment options offered by the hospital sounded like walking on the edge of a knife. The first was conservative treatment using medication to try and bring down the fever first, though that was proving difficult at present since Yu Qing's temperature refused to drop. The second option was craniotomy brain surgery, which might offer a glimmer of a chance at survival. Yu Qing's wife could not bring herself to make the final decision. A craniotomy—that meant splitting open a person's skull! Could a person ever truly recover from that? Anxious, Yu Shuang urged, "We have to make a call right now! When a horse is dead, you treat it like a live one—that's our only option!" Sobbing, Yu Qing's wife looked up at her eldest sister-in-law. "Then... what if..."

"There is no what if!" Yu Shuang didn't dare entertain the possibility of that "what if." Truth be told, when her mother passed away, she felt as though her entire world had collapsed. Back then, she hadn't yet realized her younger brother's true importance; she had viewed him as dead weight, a constant burden. But now, standing at the precipice of life and death, a single thought flashed through Yu Shuang's mind: What would she do if her brother was truly gone? In this world, there wouldn't be a single living soul left with a direct, blood tie to her. She would be an absolute, through-and-through orphan. She owed her mother a debt; she hadn't taken proper care of her brother. Yet when faced with a crisis like this, matters of life and death were ultimately up to fate, while wealth and honor rested with the heavens... Yu Shuang hurriedly batted down these chaotic thoughts, refusing to let her mind wander further.

Nearby, the mother-in-law stood with her hands pressed together in prayer, only to momentarily give in to despair, stamping her feet and beating her chest. "If Xiao Qing really goes... I'm going to... I'm going to jump straight into Jinji Lake! I won't live either!" Yu Qing was the pillar of their household; without him, their entire source of food and livelihood would vanish.

A bunch of helpless people.

They couldn't wait any longer. With no other choice left, Yu Qing's wife trembling signed the consent form for the craniotomy. There was no cash on hand to make the upfront deposit. She was poor. Yu Shuang had rushed over in such a hurry that she hadn't brought much cash either—she wasn't in the habit of keeping funds in digital wallets. In the end, it was Kang Long who came to the rescue, advancing the funds out of his own pocket. He then scrambled to make phone calls, reaching out to university classmates stationed in the area, and even ringing up Yuankai to enlist his help in tracking down the absolute best neurosurgery specialist to perform the operation.

Fortunately, Yuankai took the matter to heart, pulling strings through indirect connections to reach the hospital's premier specialist, Director Zhu, who agreed to perform the surgery himself. It felt as though a glimmer of hope had finally appeared, and everyone prayed frantically to the heavens.

Everything was settled. The surgery was scheduled for ten o'clock the following day. Yu Qing's mother-in-law went home to rest, as there was another elderly family member and two children who needed looking after back at the house. Yu Qing's wife refused to leave, insisting on staying right by the hospital bed to keep watch. Yu Shuang urged her, "You need to get some rest. There's another child to think about," gesturing toward her bulging belly. Yu Qing's wife felt a pang of shame; this child had arrived at the worst possible time. Back then, when her eldest sister-in-law had advised them against having another baby, Yu Qing had stubbornly insisted on going through with it. Now look where they were—how were they supposed to manage this mess?

She could only cry, attempting to pay off the cruel hand dealt to them with her tears.

Unable to bear the sight of her breaking down like this, Yu Shuang instructed Kang Long to go book a hotel room at a nearby lodging for her sister-in-law so she could get some rest while she herself stayed behind to guard her brother.

By the time everything was arranged, night had fallen. Kang Long returned and squatted down beside Yu Shuang. "You must be exhausted... Thank you... And about the money..." She finally found a moment to offer her gratitude.

"Don't talk about that right now," Kang Long cut her off.

Yu Shuang took a deep breath, her eyes welling up with tears. "I kept telling them not to have another kid... they just wouldn't listen... having two wasn't enough of a burden... and now look at this mess," she sniffled. Kang Long reached out and grabbed her wrist. "Worked right down to the bone..."

Yu Shuang's heart ached fiercely for her brother.

A long, heavy silence stretched between them.

Yu Qing lay flat on his back, his expression appearing entirely devoid of pain. Yu Shuang gazed down at her brother, her heart feeling as though it were being roasted in oil.

"You're wrong," she blurted out suddenly.

Not quite catching her drift, Kang Long let out a questioning murmur.

"You're wrong," she repeated, fixing her gaze on him.

"Oh."

"Your fortune-telling is inaccurate."

Kang Long took a deep breath. Was this really the time for this?

"Didn't you say he was destined for wealth and prosperity?" she asked, her voice laced with bewilderment. "Where is it, then?"

"That's not... look... there's still..." Kang Long fumbled for an explanation.

"You're a liar," Yu Shuang murmured sorrowfully.

"Xiaoshuang..."

"What are we going to do?" Yu Shuang asked in absolute despair.

With no other options, Kang Long could only offer feeble comfort, assuring her that everything would be fine, that it would all be okay.

Haoyu was headed to Singapore to receive a major youth innovation award in science and technology. It was the first truly significant accolade of his life.

He had invited both of his parents to attend and witness this milestone in his growth. Yu Meng had no intention of missing such a vital moment in her son's life, yet she was deeply worried about running into Luan Chengyun. Once she went, crossing paths with him would be completely unavoidable. When her beauty salon opened, she had no idea where he had managed to dig up the information, but he had brazenly sent over a floral basket. Was he trying to mock her? Or just trying to stay relevant? A toast he refused only to be forced to drink a forfeit. After much deliberation, Yu Meng ultimately decided to make the trip anyway. For the sake of her son, enduring her ex-husband for a few minutes was entirely worth it.

Before departing, she notified Liangcai. Liangcai rarely pried into such matters; he also had a daughter whom he rarely mentioned, noting only that she was currently living in the United States. They hadn't yet had enough of their two-person world. In Yu Meng's view, all these tedious, complicated entanglements could be sorted out right before they officially walked down the aisle; there was no need to stress over them prematurely.

She firmly believed that when conditions were ripe, success would naturally follow.

Upon checking into the hotel, she found herself on the eighth floor, while Luan Chengyun was staying up on the thirty-eighth. The hotel was situated right next to the convention venue—a detail Haoyu had shared with her, casually mentioning that his father was staying just upstairs.

Yu Meng took the opportunity to inquire about Zhengyu. Haoyu replied that Zhengyu had an important examination coming up and was currently cramming for it. She then pressed Haoyu about his studies, romantic life, and daily routine. Haoyu handled her inquiries with ease, parrying every question smoothly. Once the practical matters were out of the way, Yu Meng put on a serious maternal air and said, "Son, your father and I currently stand in this kind of relationship. Moving forward, you need to make sure you pick a side."

Haoyu immediately declared, "Don't worry, Mom, I'm definitely on your side."

"Oh?" Yu Meng beamed with delight. "Does that mean when you're talking to your dad, you tell him you're on his side? When it comes to throwing money around, I certainly can't compete with your successful father."

Haoyu offhandedly remarked, "He's broke now."

Yu Meng's spirits lifted instantly. "Did he cut off your living expenses?"

"No."

"Then what nonsense about being broke."

"He sold his apartment."

"Serves him right!" Yu Meng sneered. "With ambitions higher than the heavens, look what happened—he punched a hole right through the sky and now he's bending over trying to plug it with his bare hands. The river flows east for ten years and west for the next ten; the poor and the rich trade places over a lifetime. You shouldn't be so arrogant, people."

"He's looking for a stepmother for me, apparently," Haoyu dropped another bombshell.

Yu Meng's mind flashed back to the "chicken" she had spotted at the roast duck restaurant last time.

"Not surprising at all. That's right up his alley."

"He says he's still shopping around. Has quite a few candidates lined up."

"Such a foul character."

"Mom, if you're going to find me a stepfather, you're going to have to let us vet him first."

Yu Meng bristled as if facing a formidable enemy. "Let's hear it, what are your standards?"

"He has to make me genuinely respect him. He has to be truly exceptional."

Yu Meng's mind instantly put her worries to rest. Who could fail to respect Liangcai? Where on earth could she ever find someone more exceptional than him? Powerful, influential, and possessing a magnificent presence—in her eyes, aside from no longer being a spring chicken, Liangcai had virtually zero flaws. Oh wait, his age was actually an asset. In that specialized arena, Liangcai was still considered a young man, and the height of his glory was only just beginning.

She slept poorly that night. Three separate calls came in, all from landline numbers. When she answered, nobody spoke on the other end. Were they haunted? Finally, she unplugged the phone line and lodged a complaint with the front desk the following morning.

Even the front desk staff couldn't track down the source. It hadn't come from an external line.

Yu Meng figured nine times out of ten that Luan Chengyun was up to his old tricks. Standing in the hotel lobby, she attempted to argue with the receptionist in broken, halting English.

A figure glided past.

Head held high, face set.

Luan Chengyun was decked out in dress trousers and a button-down shirt, fitted with suspenders and a bowtie at his throat, styling himself up like some elderly foreign gentleman. What on earth was he playing at?! It wasn't like he was heading off to play the violin! He looked sickeningly radiant and full of vitality.

Refusing to be outdone, Yu Meng hurried back to her room to overhaul her appearance. Beautiful, she had to look stunning! She absolutely could not let Luan Chengyun overshadow her.

Sitting in the audience, she applauded politely as Haoyu took the stage to receive his award. Yu Meng and Luan Chengyun sat at opposite ends of the auditorium—east and west. It was a deliberate maneuver by Yu Meng to distance herself, projecting an aura of vast, unbridgeable separation. Once the award ceremony concluded, the group photo session arrived, and there was no escaping it; their son invited both mom and dad onto the stage. Starting from opposite ends, Yu Meng and Luan Chengyun converged at center stage.

Their son stood right in the middle, flanked by his mother on one side and his father on the other, as everyone was told to say cheese. The event photographer snapped a rapid-fire sequence of shots. Finally, it was time to leave the stage. As Yu Meng carefully picked her way down the steps, she glanced back and saw Luan Chengyun trailing right behind her.

Damn it!

The audience hadn't completely dispersed yet. The crowd was a dense mix of fellow students' parents and local students who had come to observe. The sea of people was packed tight, leaving Yu Meng with nowhere to run for the moment. Luan Chengyun pressed in close beside her. Shrinking away in utter disgust, she pulled her arm back. He tilted his head, leaned in, and murmured in Mandarin with a chuckle, "You've been keeping busy, haven't you?"

Yu Meng was taken aback. What was that supposed to mean? Keeping busy? Was he referring to her launching a business, or insinuating that she had found a new boyfriend? Since when did he have any right to butt in? Such a random, out-of-nowhere remark.

She snapped back, "You've been quite busy yourself, haven't you?"

Luan Chengyun burst into a loud laugh.

Yu Meng jumped in fright.

This man must have lost his mind.

"Mengmeng," he called out once his laughter subsided.

Feeling physically sick at the sound, Yu Meng lowered her voice and said with stern severity, "Please show some self-respect!"

"We are the only ones truly suited for each other."

"Bullshit!" Furious, she completely abandoned any pretense of composure.

This constituted sexual harassment!

"You seriously think he's going to marry you?" he added.

Yu Meng's mind spun into a daze. Did he know about that too? His intelligence network was terrifyingly efficient. What was he trying to pull? Was he plotting against someone? Did he even dare? What manner of figure was Liangcai—Luan Chengyun was purely driven by jealousy! He couldn't stand seeing her do well! He simply couldn't bear watching her shake him off and find happiness on her own!

"Go find your little chicken!" Yu Meng spat unceremoniously.

The event host walked over looking for people to interview, trailed by a camera crew, and stopped right in front of Yu Meng and Luan Chengyun. As the parents of the distinguished award recipient named "Luan," they were the prime subjects. The microphone was thrust toward Yu Meng. With her rudimentary English, she couldn't articulate a single coherent thought; after struggling in place for ages, the only thing she managed to choke out was, "My son is very good." To prevent his ex-wife from making an even bigger fool of herself on camera, Luan Chengyun had no choice but to step in, take the microphone, and accept the interview in fluent, standard American English.

To anyone who didn't know him, he certainly cut the figure of an elegant gentleman.