Chapter 414: Chapter 372 Nightmare_2
She raised her hand gently and touched the little boy’s head, secretly vowing in her heart that to give Niannian a complete family, she must stay strong and keep living.
After finishing the handcraft, a small hand suddenly rested on her forehead, then touched his own head, pondering seriously like an adult: "It seems there is no fever."
"Mom is fine."
"Then you should go to sleep." Mu Qinian pushed her outward, "Don’t kick the covers off at night."
Gu Qili smiled. That seemed like her own line, she said goodnight and returned to her room.
She took a simple bath, not in the mood to do skincare, and couldn’t fall asleep no matter how she tried. She lightly pressed on the position of her liver, feeling a slight pain that she used to ignore.
Actually, she should have gone for a medical check-up long ago. When her mother had surgery four years ago, she should have thought that she might also get this disease.
She still remembered that time her uncle called her to borrow some money, because Cheng Menghong was diagnosed with liver cancer. She had borrowed the money from Mu Shuoqian to help her uncle. Later, she heard that the surgery was very successful, last time she saw Cheng Menghong, she was recovering well. So, cancer isn’t necessarily a death sentence, Dr. Lu was right, it’s all about the mindset.
Thinking of Cheng Menghong, Gu Qili felt a complex array of emotions. After tossing and turning, she finally called Cheng Jinyang. No matter how wrongful she had been, she was still tied to her by blood, and Qiu Lan must have also discovered the truth of what happened back then. She wasn’t sure how they would treat her.
It took a while before Cheng Jinyang picked up. His voice was somewhat cold: "What’s the matter?"
Gu Qili knew that the past incidents had put Cheng Jinyang in a difficult position, so she could understand his attitude.
"Uncle, is she, is she alright?" Gu Qili still couldn’t call her ’mother.’
"Your sister passed away half a month ago." Cheng Jinyang’s tone was somber, "Her death was tragic, she practically died in agony."
Gu Qili was unspeakably shocked. Dead? Cheng Menghong is dead?
"Uncle, what exactly happened?" Last time she saw her, she seemed fine, no different from a normal person when not having a psychotic episode.
"The cancer cells spread and didn’t receive timely treatment, no hospital would take us in, and even hiring a private doctor was impossible. I watched helplessly as she was devoured by the disease and died," Cheng Jinyang said his voice trembling, "Although my sister made mistakes when she was younger, she was now a cancer patient with severe mental illness, she wouldn’t have lived long anyway, why be so cruel to her? If you hadn’t insisted on finding out the truth, Mu Shuoqian wouldn’t have found out about the past, and Qiu Lan wouldn’t have known either. Your mother’s death, you are indirectly the murderer."
Gu Qili was speechless, what Cheng Jinyang said was right. If she hadn’t insisted on uncovering the truth, the events of that year would have remained forever hidden in a dark corner, slowly rotting and vanishing over time, but how could she not pursue it? It concerned her father’s lifetime of innocence, Qiu Lan’s deep-seated grudge, and her and Mu Shuoqian’s future.
"If there’s nothing else, don’t call me again," Cheng Jinyang said and abruptly hung up.
Gu Qili slumped on the bed, Cheng Menghong was dead, her mother was dead, yet she couldn’t shed a single tear, feeling only desolation. She had suffered immensely in her last days, but compared to the ordeal of Qiu Lan and her child, it was truly nothing, and perhaps it was her due retribution.
But still, she was her mother. Even without emotional attachment, it was hard for her to bear.
Gu Qili lay in bed with many thoughts and finally drifted into a dazed sleep.
She didn’t know how long had passed when her bedroom door turned from the outside, and a tall figure walked in.
Mu Shuoqian still carried the dusty scent of travel, having driven for over three hours, his legs were numb.
He hadn’t planned on coming home tonight, as he had a briefing to attend tomorrow, but he suddenly received a call from Mu Qinian saying that Gu Qili had caught a cold, hadn’t eaten much at night, and even her voice sounded off during today’s call.
Although it was just a common cold, he dropped his work and rushed back. To him, a cold was a serious illness, especially as she rarely got sick.
Mu Shuoqian took off his coat and hung it up, then lightened his steps towards the bed. Using the light from the bedside, he found the person curled up in the bed, clutching his pillow tightly as if to protect herself, her face half buried in the covers.
Mu Shuoqian bent down, his hand reaching out to her forehead, feeling that her temperature was normal. He was about to go wash up when the person who had been deeply asleep suddenly frowned, her mouth starting to mutter panickedly in her dream: "Mom, mom...".
Her speech accelerated, and she suddenly started crying.
Mu Shuoqian quickly knelt down, softly calling: "Qiqi, Qiqi, wake up, you’re having a nightmare."
He called several times before Gu Qili woke from her dream. She had dreamt that Cheng Menghong covered in blood walked into a fog. When she turned around and smiled sinisterly at her, blood flowed from her eyes, saying, "I will take you with me, don’t rush, it will be soon."
Gu Qili opened her eyes, saw Mu Shuoqian crouching in front of her, and threw herself into his arms, holding him tightly.