Criticizing Love - Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The moment the nurse said those words, Lin Xi’s mind went completely blank.

Xing Xiu had been in such good spirits lately. According to Dr. Tao, her condition had stabilized even more after the change in medication. How could this happen so suddenly?

Lin Xi didn’t understand. But the situation didn’t allow her to stand there and try to make sense of it.

She fought to stabilize her emotions, using the experience gained over the entire summer break to make herself look normal. However, as she returned to the spectator stands, her pace was exceptionally fast.

“Xi, did you go to the bathroom?” Zhong Sheng saw Lin Xi coming from a distance and waved to her. “Ting— I mean, the homeroom teacher finished the photos. They look amazing!”

Zhong Sheng enthusiastically called out for her to see the photos, but she watched as Lin Xi walked straight toward Wang Tingxiu.

Confused, Zhong Sheng thought Lin Xi had misunderstood her. “Xi! The teacher already sent the photos to me!”

The calls came one after another, but Lin Xi ignored them. Drawn by the noise, Gu Nianyin looked up toward the direction the girl was moving. On the crowded lawn, the girl’s tall silhouette blocked the sunlight hitting the side of Wang Tingxiu’s face.

Perhaps because of the surrounding noise, she leaned in very close to Wang Tingxiu, her lips moving rapidly as she spoke. Wang Tingxiu didn’t take it seriously at first, but her expression gradually became solemn. She nodded in response to Lin Xi’s gaze. From the movement of her lips, she seemed to be saying: “Go, quickly.”

As soon as Wang Tingxiu gave her permission, Lin Xi bowed slightly and turned to leave.

The afternoon sun, carrying the last embers of summer, beat down directly on the girl’s retreating back. Her ponytail swung messily as she ran. The racing track grew further and further away; she was racing against time now, and it wasn’t for a trophy.

Gu Nianyin sat straight in her seat, her gaze following Lin Xi’s back for a long time. It wasn’t until the girl completely vanished into the crowd that she finally looked away.

The spectator stands were descending into chaotic disorder, with many students swapping seats. In the midst of this confusion sat a solitary chair. Lin Xi had left in such a hurry that her backpack was still there. The long-haired plush toy hanging from the zipper swayed in the wind, its smiling face looking directly at Gu Nianyin.

Leaving the school, Lin Xi didn’t take her bike. She hailed a taxi at the gate and rushed toward the hospital. Her face was tense from the moment she got in. The usually talkative driver fell silent seeing her expression, only offering a few words of comfort—”Everything will be fine,” “Don’t worry, kid”—as he floored the accelerator.

A trip that usually took fifteen minutes was cut down to eight by the helpful driver. Lin Xi paid in advance, jumped out, and sprinted toward the inpatient building behind the outpatient hall. She ran harder than she had during the 4×100 relay.

The elevator carried her straight to the 23rd floor. The nurse at the station caught sight of her immediately. “Lin Xi!”

Lin Xi ran over, unable to catch her breath. “Sister… my mother…”

“Auntie is already out.” The nurse knew what she wanted to hear. “Her vital signs are stable. Dr. Tao said it wasn’t a major crisis; she’ll wake up in a bit. Don’t panic, settle down.”

The nurse handed a cup of water to the girl. Hearing this, the heart that had been in Lin Xi’s throat finally dropped back into her chest. Having run the relay and then raced here without a break, she was parched. She took the water and drained it in one gulp. The water quenched the dry soil of her throat, and her voice was no longer raspy.

“Thank you, sister. I’m going to find Dr. Tao. Please look after my mother for me.”

“Of course,” the nurse nodded.

The hallway lights projected a long shadow of the girl on the floor. A light piece of paper fluttered with her movements—the number bib from the sports meet that she hadn’t had time to remove. In her simple school sports uniform, with her long, toned legs, she looked like a real athlete.

The nurse had seen too much tragedy at this station, yet she couldn’t help but sigh at the injustice of fate. Today was the school sports meet; Xing Xiu had told her this morning about Lin Xi taking first place last year. The girl should have been simply enjoying her glory today; at her age, she shouldn’t have to carry such a burden.

Lin Xi didn’t know about the nurse’s pity, nor did she care. Nothing was more important than her mother. For Xing Xiu, she would do anything.

By the time she reached the doctor’s office, her panic had fully subsided. She knocked politely and entered. “Dr. Tao, do you have a moment?”

“Come in.” Dr. Tao put down his pen.

Lin Xi didn’t beat around the bush. “What happened to my mother? Why the emergency room?”

“She had sudden hemoptysis (coughing up blood) and fainted,” Dr. Tao explained, turning his computer screen toward her. “My preliminary assessment is that the unstable lesion in her body is showing signs of spreading, and at a rate faster than I previously told you.”

Lin Xi’s heart sank as she looked at the report. She forced herself to stay calm. “Is it controllable?”

“Yes.” It was the silver lining. “And because we caught it early, surgical resection can completely contain it. However…” Dr. Tao paused.

Lin Xi understood. “How much money do I need to prepare? Just tell me.”

“Conservatively, 300,000 yuan,” Dr. Tao said. Before she arrived, he had been calculating the costs. No matter how he cut it, it remained a massive figure. “And after this surgery, some of her medications will need to be adjusted. The new prescriptions will be more expensive than before.”

Compared to the lump sum for surgery, the long-term medication was a bottomless pit.

The overhead lights pierced Lin Xi’s eyes, the brightness seemingly swallowing everything around her, revealing a despair deeper than a black hole. Her hands clenched tightly on her knees, then she spoke without hesitation: “I’ll follow your lead. Arrange the surgery for whenever is best; I’ll put the money in the account now.”

Lin Xi’s decision was as decisive as ever. Dr. Tao should have felt relieved, but his heart remained heavy. He had a thousand things he wanted to say, but looking into her eyes, he knew her pride wouldn’t welcome pity. He patted her shoulder. Her frame was tall but thin—so thin he could feel the bone beneath her uniform. Yet, he never worried that he might break her.

Lin Xi thanked him and went to deposit the 300,000 yuan needed for the surgery.

The office door opened and closed. In the silent, sterile hallway, the smell of disinfectant drifted. The dim lights cast her shadow against the wall. A chill seeped through her thin sports uniform, spreading to her limbs.

Resting her head against the wall, her ponytail slightly disheveled, Lin Xi tilted her chin up. Her thick lashes caught the light, hiding her pupils.

Suddenly, her phone screen lit up. It was a bank notification. A large portion of her savings had been deducted for the hospital fees. Looking at the history of recent deductions, she realized that even with a large sum, the current rate of spending wouldn’t last forever.

And she was still waiting for a notification of a deposit from Lin Deyuan. It never came.

Xing Xiu deserved that money.

Lin Xi’s gaze darkened. She gritted her teeth and slammed her fist against the wall behind her. Damn him. Damn him! She cursed his name, her hatred intensifying. But logic pulled her back, reminding her she hadn’t seen her mother yet. She pocketed her phone and hurried to the ward.

Sunlight filled the quiet private room, illuminating the clean white sheets. The monitors beeped rhythmically. Xing Xiu, out of danger, was still asleep. Her grey knit cap gently framed her face. But her jawline could no longer support her skin; her eyes were sunken. Compared to before, her vitality had diminished significantly.

Lin Xi sat by the bed, heart aching as she held her mother’s hand. The dry, rough texture of Xing Xiu’s skin against her palm sent another sharp pang of pain through her. Illness had withered her mother; she had to make her more comfortable.

She needed money.

Her hatred branched in two directions, both intense. She hated her own inability to handle these expenses, and she hated her failure to protect her mother. But mostly, she hated Lin Deyuan—the man who abandoned his wife, the ungrateful wretch who was now three months behind on alimony.

Lin Xi stood up, went to the nurse’s station, and said, “Sister, please watch my mother. My teacher needs me for something; I’ll go deal with it and come right back.”

“Don’t worry,” the nurse nodded. “She’s my patient; I’ll take good care of her.”

Lin Xi left. The nurse watched her back and called out, “Xi, be careful on the road! Don’t rush!”

Lin Xi didn’t turn around. She just raised her arm and gave a high “OK” sign. Her arm was long and pale, the veins visible against the bone—like a masterpiece of a sculptor. A tragic masterpiece.

In the expensive real estate of Nancheng, it was hard to imagine finding such silence. The wind pushed through the greenery of the villa district. Thick floor-to-ceiling windows blocked out all sound. A sparrow outside the glass tilted its head, watching a massive television through the pane.

The sparrow couldn’t hear the deafening volume of the football match broadcast in the living room. On the sofa, a man in a suit sat with his legs crossed, looking quite successful and relaxed. Except for the occasional: “Terrible!” “Dammit, pass the ball!” “Garbage!”

His behavior didn’t match his polished exterior. Not enough “gentleman,” far too much “scoundrel.”

Buzz.

The sound of the front gate opening echoed in the living room. A servant moved to open the door, but the man jumped up. “No, I’ll go.”

He turned off the TV, straightened his clothes, and walked to the foyer with a broad smile. “Nianyin, you’re back! How was the sports meet— Why is it you?”

The smile froze on his face. He stared at the person at the door in utter shock.

Lin Xi didn’t rush. She looked up at the man at Lin Deyuan and asked coldly: “It’s me. Got a problem with that?”

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