I Wish To Never Leave Your Side - Chapter 12

Mo Lishen hadn’t been to Qingshui Bay for the past few days, having been busy at the company.

Qiu Yan spent most of her days at the hospital with Yuanyuan, but as soon as evening fell, she had to rush back to the Qingshui Bay Apartment. She didn’t know when Mo Lishen would show up, but she had to fulfill her duties.

On Friday afternoon, Qiu Yan packed a few clothes and personal items. She glanced around the apartment, tomorrow would mark exactly two weeks since she had become Mo Lishen’s lover.

Had it only been two weeks? She hadn’t expected her state of mind to change so much in such a short time.

Bai Hua had mentioned that previous lovers usually lasted about two weeks. So, perhaps she, too, would be leaving soon. Mo Lishen hadn’t visited for several days, was she already growing tired of her?

Holding her bag, Qiu Yan stared blankly at the floor for a moment. But she quickly shook her head, dismissing those useless thoughts, and focused on returning to the hospital to be with Yuanyuan.

As she stepped out of the building with her head down, she noticed it had started snowing, a thin layer of white already covered the ground. Maybe she could splurge a little and take a taxi, Qiu Yan thought.

Just as she was heading toward the residential gate, a black business car pulled up in front of her.

Qiu Yan froze for a second, feeling the car looked familiar.

The window rolled down slowly, revealing Mo Lishen’s striking face inside.

“Get in, I’ll take you,” Mo Lishen’s voice was always soft, yet clear enough to be heard distinctly.

Qiu Yan opened the door and settled into the passenger seat. Today, Mo Lishen was driving herself, and the two of them were alone in the car.

“Seatbelt.” Mo Lishen reminded her.

Qiu Yan followed the instruction mechanically, fastening her seatbelt.

“Which hospital?” Mo Lishen started the car.

After Qiu Yan gave the location, she lowered her head again, her hand on the other side tightly clutching her bag.

“What’s wrong?” Mo Lishen glanced at her. “Didn’t expect me to come?”

Qiu Yan nodded, then quickly shook her head.

Mo Lishen chuckled lightly and didn’t tease her further.

Qiu Yan hadn’t expected her to remember, let alone come to give her a ride. Her heart, which had been calm, began to beat wildly again. She pressed herself against the car door, afraid that the sound of her heartbeat would betray her feelings.

Parking wasn’t allowed at the hospital entrance, so Mo Lishen stopped the car by the roadside not far away and turned off the engine.

Qiu Yan knew she was about to turn and look at her, but she didn’t dare meet Mo Lishen’s gaze. Instead, she kept her eyes fixed on the windshield, trying to hide her nervousness.

Yuanyuan was inside the hospital, so close. If Mo Lishen followed her in or asked even a casual question, she might be exposed. Although she was happy that Mo Lishen had brought her, tension and fear still dominated her emotions.

Seeing Qiu Yan shrink into herself like a little quail again, Mo Lishen couldn’t help but laugh softly and reached out to tidy her hair.

As soon as her hand touched Qiu Yan’s hair, she felt her tremble.

Mo Lishen paused, then gently tucked the stray strands behind her ear.

“You can stay with your family for a few more days. Go on.” Mo Lishen withdrew her hand and unlocked the car doors.

Qiu Yan nodded. “Thank you, President Mo.”

After getting out of the car, she waited until she saw Mo Lishen’s car turn around in her peripheral vision before daring to look back.

Mo Lishen hadn’t asked anything, and Qiu Yan couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief in her heart as she hurried toward the hospital.

In the hospital room, Yuanyuan leaned against the window, eagerly searching for Qiu Yan’s figure, muttering under her breath, “Auntie Liu, when will Mommy get here?”

“Soon, she’ll be here soon,” Auntie Liu replied, joining her by the window to look out.

Yuanyuan’s room was on the first floor, and though the hospital was bustling with people, she spotted Qiu Yan instantly. Excitedly, she tapped on the window, hoping to catch her attention.

Qiu Yan did glance toward the window, but not because of the little girl’s tapping. She knew this window belonged to Yuanyuan’s room and instinctively looked that way every time she visited.

Usually, Yuanyuan didn’t know when Qiu Yan would arrive, but today she knew for sure that Qiu Yan would come in the afternoon, so she had been waiting since noon.

When Qiu Yan saw Yuanyuan, she tilted her head and smiled warmly, trying to cheer her up.

Tomorrow was the surgery, and today Yuanyuan needed to have all her hair shaved off.

Qiu Yan held Yuanyuan close, and the little girl wrapped her arms around Qiu Yan’s neck without saying a word. Qiu Yan understood, the child was reluctant to part with her hair. The younger children are, the more they care about others’ opinions, afraid of being teased.

“Yuanyuan, be good. Look what Mommy bought for you?” Qiu Yan set her down and pulled something out of her bag.

Yuanyuan’s eyes widened in disbelief as she gasped softly, “A little yellow duck hat?”

Qiu Yan had noticed Yuanyuan’s fondness for little yellow ducks and bought her this hat a few days earlier, saving it for after her head was shaved.

Yuanyuan couldn’t put it down, immediately placing it on her head to show Qiu Yan. The hat, shaped like a rounded bowler, completely covered her hair.

“So adorable,” Qiu Yan said, kissing Yuanyuan’s head. “Our Yuanyuan is just so beautiful.”

Blushing, Yuanyuan hugged Qiu Yan tightly, burying her face in her chest.

Qiu Yan gently patted her back, soothing her softly, “Don’t be afraid, Yuanyuan. Mommy’s here. Your hair will grow back soon.”

When the doctor came in to shave Yuanyuan’s head, she didn’t make a sound. As the electric clippers moved across her forehead, revealing a strip of scalp, Qiu Yan’s heart ached. She quickly turned away, blinking back tears.

When she turned back, she smiled at Yuanyuan, who, like a little adult, held back tears, forcing a brave smile.

That evening, Qiu Yan let Auntie Liu go home to rest. She held Yuanyuan close as they snuggled together on the small hospital bed, gazing at the sky through the security bars on the window.

Lying in Qiu Yan’s arms, Yuanyuan unconsciously clutched the sleeve of her shirt tightly.

“Sister, do you regret keeping me?” Yuanyuan’s childish voice asked the question, tugging sharply at Qiu Yan’s heart.

Before Qiu Yan’s mother passed away, perhaps feeling guilty toward her daughter, she had taken Yuanyuan’s hand while Qiu Yan was out gathering firewood and gently explained her origins.

At the time, Yuanyuan didn’t understand many of the words, but she grasped that someone had brought her to her sister’s home, and her sister had chosen to keep her.

She knew her sister worked hard and wanted to help, but Qiu Yan wouldn’t allow it. So, she secretly followed her outside, trailing behind to help gather firewood.

Just when life seemed to ease up a bit for her sister, and smiles began to appear more often on her face, Yuanyuan fell ill.

She didn’t understand much else, but she knew she was a burden to her sister. Without her, her sister might not have to struggle so much.

“Never. Your sister is very fortunate to have you.” Qiu Yan gently kissed the round, chubby cheek.

“Sister, can you promise me one thing?” Yuanyuan gazed at Qiu Yan with her dark, clear eyes in the dim light.

“Of course, sweetheart. What is it?”

“If Yuanyuan dies, can you promise not to be sad?” Her voice trembled with tears as she turned over, placing her small hand on Qiu Yan’s face.

Qiu Yan’s nails dug deep into her own palms, tears streaming down her cheeks as if someone were suffocating her, making it hard to breathe.

Yuanyuan wiped away Qiu Yan’s tears with her palm, but her own tears fell silently.

“If Yuanyuan is gone, then I’ll go with you. I want to protect you for a lifetime…” Before Qiu Yan could finish, Yuanyuan quickly covered her mouth with her small hand, stopping her from continuing.

“Sister, you must live well. I wish I could take your sickness for you, so you never have to be sick again.” Yuanyuan’s eyes sparkled, revealing a row of tiny white teeth as she cupped Qiu Yan’s face and smiled at her.

Qiu Yan pulled Yuanyuan tightly into her embrace, showering her head with kisses. “Nothing will happen. Nothing will happen to Yuanyuan or to me. We won’t get sick anymore.”

Yuanyuan gradually fell asleep in Qiu Yan’s arms. Moonlight squeezed through the bars of the security window, casting shadows on their blanket as if locking them firmly in place.

Between them and the moonlight stood two sets of bars.

The next morning, Yuanyuan was wheeled into the operating room. Qiu Yan sat on the cold chair, the chill seeping through her clothes and deep into her bones.

She clasped her hands together, praying fervently, wishing she could share her own lifespan with Yuanyuan.

The surgery lasted six hours, and Qiu Yan prayed outside for the entire six hours.

When the doctor emerged, Qiu Yan hurriedly stood up but lost her balance, falling to her knees. She struggled to her feet, leaning against the wall, and stumbled toward the doctor, her lips trembling and pale. “Doctor, how is Yuanyuan?”

“The surgery went relatively smoothly. But we still need to monitor her closely for a few days.”

Tears streamed uncontrollably down Qiu Yan’s face. Heaven had been merciful, leaving her Yuanyuan by her side.

After the surgery, Yuanyuan’s personality became much more lively. Once she passed the observation period, she was able to get out of bed and move around. She often wore her little yellow duck hat and carried her little yellow duck water bottle, visiting other hospital rooms.

The bright yellow duck brought a lot of vitality to the hospital.

Yuanyuan was sweet-tongued, often making the elderly patients in the other rooms laugh so hard they couldn’t close their mouths, stuffing fruits and candies into her pockets.

Then, Yuanyuan would wobble back to her room, proudly presenting all her rewards to Qiu Yan.

It was already the fifth day since Yuanyuan’s surgery, and the weight in Qiu Yan’s heart finally lifted. She counted the days and felt it was time for her to return home.

As she prepared to leave, Qiu Yan could see Yuanyuan’s reluctance. These past few days had been the longest she had spent with Yuanyuan in a while, and now, just as Yuanyuan was starting to enjoy herself, she had to leave again.

Just as Qiu Yan was about to say something to comfort Yuanyuan, the little girl spoke first: “Mom, you can go and do your work. Just remember to video call me when you have time.”

What Yuanyuan really wanted to ask was when she could take her home.

Qiu Yan knelt down and kissed Yuanyuan’s cheek. “I’ll come to see you as soon as I have time. When it’s time to take you home from the hospital, you must listen to Aunt Liu and the doctors.”

“Okay.” Yuanyuan hugged her little water cup and nodded emphatically.

Qiu Yan returned to her apartment at Qingshui Bay. While waiting for the elevator, two masked men approached from behind.

Instinctively alert, Qiu Yan didn’t press her floor button immediately upon entering the elevator. Instead, she waited for the two men to press theirs first, then randomly selected a floor lower than theirs so she could exit before them.

After getting off the elevator, Qiu Yan quickly walked to the stairwell, climbed up to her actual floor, opened her door, and locked it behind her, all in one fluid motion.