The taxi stopped outside the orphanage, where a teacher was anxiously waiting by the entrance.
As soon as Mo Qingyun got out of the car, she gestured, asking, "Where's Pingping? Is she okay?"
Tears streamed down the teacher's face as she shook her head repeatedly.
"She's not doing well," the teacher choked out. "The doctor said she's holding on by a thread. We think Pingping must be waiting for you."
As they hurried towards Pingping's special care room, other teachers were already gathered outside the door.
Mo Qingyun stepped inside. The room was still adorned with countless star hangings, which Mo Qingyun had painstakingly folded for Pingping.
Pingping was remarkably quiet now. She no longer greeted people with a vacant smile or excitedly patted her head upon seeing Mo Qingyun.
Lying in bed, Pingping's gaze remained fixed on the star chains hanging from the ceiling. Perhaps her memories were still held captive by the days and nights when Mo Qingyun was by her side in her childhood.
Mo Qingyun stood beside Pingping, leaning down to look at her face. She desperately wished Pingping could see her, but alas, she lay there, still and motionless.
Mo Qingyun gently shook Pingping's arm, making soft sounds in an attempt to attract her attention. But Pingping's pupils gradually dilated, until death finally claimed her.
Mo Qingyun's tears fell onto Pingping's face. She seemed to smile, or perhaps not…
The breathing monitor finally blared an alarm. Pingping had passed away, holding onto her last wish to wait for her dear friend who used to be by her side.
The teacher walked behind Mo Qingyun and gently patted her shoulder.
But Mo Qingyun seemed unable to accept the outcome. She continued to shake Pingping's arm.
It wasn't until another teacher slowly closed Pingping's eyes and covered her pale face with a white sheet…
that Mo Qingyun finally broke down. She fell to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably, yet unwilling to let go of Pingping's hand.
After what felt like an eternity, only when Pingping's body was taken away by the undertaker's vehicle could Mo Qingyun finally believe that her best friend was truly gone.
"Xiao Yun," the teacher said softly, "Pingping was very strong. You need to be strong too."
Mo Qingyun, tears welling up, repeatedly signed with her hands, "Why didn't you tell me sooner!"
"Pingping had Down syndrome," the teacher explained. "She had many complications. She fought every day, and we were prepared for her condition to worsen at any time."
"Like you, I didn't want to accept her sudden decline."
Mo Qingyun signed the question again. Out of desperation, the teacher finally revealed the truth: "We saw the news online. We didn't want to give you more bad news at this time."
Mo Qingyun gestured emphatically, expressing her frustration. The more she signed, the more distressed she became, her tears flowing incessantly.
Mo Qingyun's signs read: "Pingping is my family, and you are also my family. I have the right to be the first to know when she is sick!"
"Xiao Yun…" the teacher began.
But Mo Qingyun couldn't listen anymore. She pushed the teacher away and ran straight towards the hill behind the orphanage!
She desperately needed an outlet. The events of the past few days had left her utterly exhausted.
Starting with Ou Yunchen's abrupt breakup, her first wholehearted love had ended without a trace.
Then came the online abuse that cost her the top spot in the public service rankings. She could comfort herself through those hardships, even pretend everything was fine.
But Pingping's sudden death was the last straw that broke her spirit. She could no longer bear the pressure and completely collapsed.
Mo Qingyun ran, crying, replaying the hurtful people and events in her mind.
She ran until she reached the beach, where she picked up stones and hurled them forcefully into the sea. One wasn't enough, so she threw two. If two weren't enough, she'd grab a handful.
The waves swallowed the stones carrying her emotions, but they couldn't wash away a single trace of her sorrow.
After throwing stones for a while, Mo Qingyun finally collapsed on the sand, utterly spent.
She let the seawater soak her body, gradually calming her. The tears on her face were soon dried by the sea breeze.
Ou Yunchen had been watching Mo Qingyun from behind for as long as she had been sitting in the ocean.
If in love, there's always a distance that needs bridging, and one person must make the first move, then that person must be the one who loves more.
Ou Yunchen sighed. He couldn't bear to see Mo Qingyun sitting in the frigid water. But just as he was about to approach, his phone rang at an inopportune moment.
— Ou Yunchen on call —
"Hello?" Ou Yunchen answered.
"Hello, may I speak with Mr. Ou?" came the voice on the other end.
"This is he."
"This is the DNA testing center. You previously purchased a paternity test from us. Do you recall?"
"Yes, have the results come back?"
"That's correct. The comparison of the two samples yielded a 99.99% match, meaning they are biologically related."
"Okay."
"So, Mr. Ou, where would you like us to mail the test report?"
Ou Yunchen provided an address. Beyond his own curiosity, Fan Zhijie was the one who truly needed this report!
— Call ended —
Ou Yunchen hung up the phone. This was arguably the best news he had received in a long time.
A celebrity had a love child? And refused to acknowledge it?
Bai Mingyu was surely going to face public condemnation. Even with his powerful entertainment company, it would be difficult to protect this celebrity.