Xie Youlin waited for a while in the car before the school bus slowly arrived at the station.
After Mo Qingyun had seen off all the students, Xie Youlin got out of the car.
Xie Youlin took the suitcase from Mo Qingyun's hand and said, "Thank you for your hard work today."
Mo Qingyun replied with sign language, "At first, the students were very timid and unwilling to practice in public..."
Mo Qingyun's eyes were a little dim. She knew that psychological barriers were far more difficult to overcome than fluency in sign language.
She thought that letting more people accept these special children would make their lives easier, but if they didn't accept themselves, how could they truly open up to society?
Xie Youlin seemed not to be listening, "Xiao Yun, are you and Ou Yunchen very close?"
Mo Qingyun nodded, but she was not sure if their relationship was friendly in Ou Yunchen's heart, as Ou Yunchen had always been very mysterious.
If they were friends, then she had never truly understood such a friend.
Mo Qingyun signed, "He is a very good person, he has helped me many times, and I am very grateful to him."
Xie Youlin breathed a sigh of relief, "Just gratitude?"
Mo Qingyun raised her hand, but hesitated. She thought of the accidental kiss in the car. If there were no other feelings, why would her heart pound like a deer, and why would she not dare to look into Ou Yunchen's eyes again?
Xie Youlin grabbed Mo Qingyun's shoulder and warned her, "Don't be deceived by his sweet talk, he's a man who works in a bar!"
Mo Qingyun quickly waved her hand and continued to express, "He has resigned from his job as a bartender and is now running an investment company. He is very capable."
Xie Youlin frowned, "Investment company? Anyone can start a company nowadays."
Mo Qingyun signed, "No, it seems to be registered in Swartz."
Xie Youlin looked at Mo Qingyun defending Ou Yunchen, and his heart felt even more blocked!
Mo Qingyun's feelings for Ou Yunchen were more than just gratitude. Whenever she talked about this man, she couldn't help but say a little more, her eyes even filled with admiration!
The more Mo Qingyun praised Ou Yunchen, the more displeased Xie Youlin became!
A man who had been frequenting bars all his life, how could he compare to him?!
Ou Yunchen just had some dirty money! And it was all dirty money! What did he know?!
Just wait and see, when the education group goes public, Mo Qingyun will admire him, not that lowly scoundrel who hangs around women!
At this moment, Xie Youlin's phone rang. Mo Qingyun saw that he couldn't take his phone out of his pocket, so she took the suitcase from his hand.
—Xie Youlin on the phone—
Xie Youlin: "Dad..."
Xie Hongtian: "Go back to the hospital immediately!"
Xie Youlin: "I have something here and can't..."
Xie Hongtian: "Who permitted you to leave the hospital! No matter what you're doing, stop it immediately. Do you want me to come and pick you up?!"
—Call ends—
Xie Hongtian hung up the phone without giving Xie Youlin a chance to explain.
Xie Youlin felt a suffocating chest tightness. "I'm sorry, Xiao Yun, I wanted to have dinner with you tonight, but I have to go back to the hospital to take care of my mother..."
Mo Qingyun nodded. As she turned to walk back to the education center, she tilted her head up, signaling Xie Youlin to hurry.
Xie Youlin clenched his phone, and with great reluctance, got back into the car and drove towards the hospital.
***
When Xie Youlin rushed back to the ward door, he heard bursts of laughter from inside the room!
His mother's voice was among them, as well as another woman's voice. That voice was very familiar, it sounded like...
Xie Youlin knocked on the door, pushed it open, and walked in to see Shen Yuxuan sitting by Mrs. Xie's hospital bed, peeling an apple.
Seeing Xie Youlin enter, Mrs. Xie's face lit up with joy. Shen Yuxuan immediately put down the apple and greeted Xie Youlin gently.
"You're back," Shen Yuxuan said with a smile.
Xie Youlin looked at this fake blind date with confusion. He scanned the ward but didn't see Xie Hongtian.
Xie Youlin asked her, "How come you're... here?"
"You're really something, Auntie is sick and you didn't tell me. Of course, I came to see Auntie," Shen Yuxuan complained.
Just as Shen Yuxuan reached out to take Xie Youlin's arm, Xie Youlin instinctively dodged.
Xie Youlin asked coldly, "Then how did you know?"
"I..."
At this moment, the ward door opened again, and Xie Hongtian walked in with a doctor.
Doctor: "Mrs. Xie, according to your examination report, we recommend that you stay in the hospital for further observation."
Mrs. Xie looked displeased. She had only been hospitalized for a maximum of three days after her previous episodes. She thought she would be able to go home soon, but the doctor told her she had to stay. She was tired of the smell of disinfectant in the hospital.
Xie Hongtian comforted her, "Listen to the doctor. Think of it as a thorough check-up at the hospital."
After the doctor listened to the nurse's report on the day's medication, he gave a few more instructions and left the ward. Now, only Xie Hongtian, Mrs. Xie, Shen Yuxuan, and Xie Youlin remained in the room.
Seeing Xie Youlin's coldness towards her, Shen Yuxuan wisely kept quiet.
Mrs. Xie reached out and pulled Xie Youlin to her bedside. "Son, you're really something. Since you decided to try dating, why haven't you replied to the girl's messages?"
"Dating?!" Xie Youlin was stunned!
Xie Youlin glanced at Shen Yuxuan, who was sitting by the bedside. She nervously avoided his gaze.
Mrs. Xie continued, "Xuanxuan, my son has no experience in dating, please don't be angry."
Shen Yuxuan replied without any confidence, "Auntie, I'm not. I know he's busy with work."
Xie Youlin interrupted, "Yes, I have to work late every day. I don't have time to go on dates or watch movies with you, and I don't have time to reply to your messages. Don't look for me when you're sick, I won't take care of you or accompany you to the hospital. Don't look for me, and don't call me to harass me..."
"Enough!"
Xie Hongtian roared, startling everyone!
Xie Youlin fell silent, but Shen Yuxuan's eyes turned red. She had never felt so humiliated.
Xie Hongtian forcefully ended the conversation, "Yuxuan, your aunt needs to rest. It's getting late, I'll see you out."
Shen Yuxuan nodded. Xie Hongtian walked Shen Yuxuan to the elevator and took an envelope from his pocket.
"This is today's expenses, including the money for the fruits you brought," Xie Hongtian handed the envelope to Shen Yuxuan, hoping she would accept it.
Shen Yuxuan pushed it back, "Uncle, you don't need to give me the money for the fruits..."
Xie Hongtian's tone was very firm, "Take it. You're just an actress I hired to appease my wife."
After speaking, Xie Hongtian pressed the elevator button for Shen Yuxuan and walked back to the ward without looking back.
Xie Hongtian pushed open the door, pointed at Xie Youlin, and called him out. The two walked into the emergency stairwell one after another.
"Slap!" Xie Hongtian slapped Xie Youlin!
Xie Youlin remained silent, lowering his head and waiting for his father's scolding.
"You're getting more and more outrageous, completely disregarding my words! I didn't allow you to leave the hospital, and you actually ran out secretly!"
"There was an urgent matter at school, it was an open class today, I had to be there..." Xie Youlin defended himself.
Xie Hongtian raised his hand as if to slap his disobedient son again, but Xie Youlin blocked it, his reaction swift as he grabbed Xie Hongtian's hand.
Xie Hongtian: "You!!!"
Xie Youlin: "I will manage the education center very well."
Xie Hongtian: "Don't have any inappropriate thoughts, and don't forget your identity!"
Xie Youlin: "I don't want to... be your fake son for my whole life!"
Xie Hongtian: "Say that again?"
Xie Youlin: "Besides being your son, I want to have my own career too!"
Xie Hongtian: "Play your role well, and the Xie family will naturally not mistreat you. You will get what you deserve!!!"
Seeing Xie Youlin fall silent, Xie Hongtian was about to leave, but after taking a step, he seemed to remember something.
He turned back and added, "If I hadn't called Shen Yuxuan to stabilize your mother's emotions, she would have had an episode when she woke up and didn't see you. I don't want to see such a thing happen again today, or I'll shut down your education center early!!!"
Xie Hongtian dropped a harsh threat and changed his expression the moment he pushed the door open. Shen Yuxuan, who had returned from the elevator and was preparing to take the stairs, overheard the entire conversation between the father and son.