The Person I Love Who Has Been Missing For Three Years - Chapter 61

Chapter 61: Was It Ming Jin Who Said It? (5k…)

“Blind date?” Hearing those two words, Song Xiangwan nearly choked on her breakfast.

Song Xiuyun emerged from the kitchen, took off her apron, draped it over the back of the dining chair, and sat down next to Song Xiangwan: “Yes, a blind date.”

“Look at you, you’re not getting any younger. You’re thirty. I know young people aren’t rushing into marriage nowadays, and thirty isn’t old.”

“But think about it: it takes a year or two to get to know someone, two or three years to date, and another two or three years to get married and have children. When you tally it up, time waits for no one.”

“I’m not rushing you to get married right now, but you need to meet a few people and try dating.”

“If you’re not satisfied, there’s still time to choose slowly. In a few more years…”

“In a few more years, I still won’t go on a blind date,” Song Xiangwan quickly interrupted her, sipping her soy milk to soothe her throat.

“Mom, why do you think I can’t find someone? With my looks and my status, the people who chase me could circle Haicheng three times. Don’t worry about this.”

Song Xiangwan really wanted to say that she had someone she liked, that she was in a stable relationship, but given Ming Jin’s attitude… she chose a different excuse to deflect Song Xiuyun for the time being.

“Besides, dating is a scandal for a female celebrity. If I get exposed, my career will be ruined.”

“Let’s drop this matter right here, stop, stop.”

After her string of words, Song Xiangwan suddenly realized something: “Mom, you didn’t come here… just for this ridiculous thing, did you?”

She hadn’t told her before coming, and there was no special reason to come to Haicheng recently.

In previous years, she had suggested they move to Haicheng, but they had always refused, saying that their hometown was better, they had friends there, and the community spirit was strong.

Now, they’d rushed all the way to Haicheng just for this?

“Yes, it’s for this matter,” Song Xiuyun’s expression became slightly serious. She stared at Song Xiangwan and sighed. “Wanwan, what they say online… is it true?”

“What is true?” Song Xiangwan felt confused, unable to follow her mother’s train of thought.

“It’s like this,” Teacher Zhou quickly stepped in to mediate. “The other day, when your mother went out to play mahjong, she heard some old sisters chatting. They said everyone online is saying you’re dating in Haicheng, and it’s a woman, a rich woman at that…”

“For years, your mother has worried constantly about this—your industry is unsettling… Did you, by any chance, get kept?”

“No, you two are…” Four eyes stared at Song Xiangwan. Song Xiangwan was speechless. It was true, in a way, and she didn’t know how to defend herself.

“If it’s not true, then you go on a blind date for me. Then I can go back and rightfully shut the mouths of those gossips,” Song Xiuyun said earnestly.

The matter of being “kept” would absolutely be a scandal if it spread in the relative circles. In a small county town, people would relish the gossip. In the eyes of elders, this was humiliating.

“Mom, let them talk if they want to talk. Can you really stop their mouths?”

“If you really can’t stand listening to them, move to Haicheng. Then the neighbors won’t know who your daughter is, and you can enjoy some peace.”

“Why are you tormenting me? The logic that I must go on a blind date to prove I’m not being kept just doesn’t make sense.”

Song Xiuyun didn’t speak. She just looked quietly at Song Xiangwan, her eyes faintly filled with sadness, making Song Xiangwan feel uncomfortable: “W-What’s wrong?”

“Wanwan, are you… affected by your mother’s affairs…” Song Xiuyun said softly, her eyes turning red.

“Your father and I didn’t have a good relationship, and I didn’t give you a happy home, which is why you fear marriage and don’t want a boyfriend.”

“Why bring that up?” Song Xiangwan hadn’t heard her mention this in years.

As far back as she could remember, she never had a father, relying only on her mother.

Her mother was very good to her, giving her double the love. Despite the family’s poverty, her mother sold everything she could to let her study dancing. Art was a luxury for poor children.

Song Xiangwan had always been happy and had never proactively asked why she didn’t have a father.

When she was twelve, that man returned, and the first thing he asked for was money.

After ten years of divorce, he had lived a carefree life outside. Finally, chased by creditors and desperate, he remembered that he had a wife and daughter.

For three years, Song Xiangwan’s life was chaotic, constantly pursued and intercepted by this man. She was even slapped a few times, and she went to school feeling apprehensive every day.

She knew her mother took more beatings because she refused to give the man Song Xiangwan’s tuition money, often ending up bruised and swollen.

Song Xiangwan even heard the man say: “This girl is my seed. She’s so pretty. Why go to school? Marry her off to a rich boss’s family, and the money can pay off my debts, right? Why insist on raising this money pit, learning to dance, what’s the point of dancing? She’s just meant to be married off anyway.”

Even after being put in jail, it wasn’t long before he got out, clinging to them like a ghost.

Song Xiangwan was afraid to walk alone at night, always feeling like someone was watching her back, terrified of being knocked out and sold into some mountain village.

But ultimately, Heaven had eyes. The man got drunk, rode his motorcycle, and drove straight into a ditch by the road.

His injuries weren’t severe, but he was drunk and didn’t know to call for help. The overgrown weeds meant no one noticed him. He lay in the ditch for a day and a night and died.

Upon hearing the news, Song Xiuyun held her and cried heartbreakingly. After that, she never mentioned the man again.

And now, she was suddenly bringing it up.

Song Xiuyun wiped her tears with the back of her hand, her voice slightly nasal: “Wanwan, Mom knows I failed you. I wasn’t a good mother.”

“I couldn’t protect you, watching him hit you and bully you.”

“I thought everything was over, but now how could you…”

“When I heard you say in an interview that you hate men, I started to think it must have been your parents’ issues that affected you.”

“Getting married, having children, that’s the natural progression of life. I chose the wrong person, but you can’t let that ruin your whole life.”

“Mom, I’m not avoiding it. I just don’t think I need to go on a blind date,” Song Xiangwan couldn’t say anything harsh.

Song Xiuyun had dedicated her life to her. Now, she was still causing her worry, which wasn’t what a daughter should do.

“I’ve always lived in a small place and haven’t seen the world. There are many things about you young people I don’t understand.”

“Being kept is not a long-term solution. When you get old and lose your looks, you will eventually be discarded.”

“Especially if it’s another woman. How, how can that be a normal relationship? What will you do when she gets tired of playing?”

“What those gossips say is secondary. It’s just seeing you like this… I won’t be able to rest even after I close my eyes…”

In small county towns, that’s how it is. A little gossip starts, and everyone begins wagging their tongues.

Same-sex relationships are no longer a rarity in big cities, but in small county towns, they are almost as scandalous as being kept.

Song Xiangwan seemed to understand why Ming Jin had been so hesitant yesterday.

When Ming Jin visited her home last time, she must have heard something.

Confessing their relationship at this time would put Song Xiangwan in a conflict between Ming Jin and her mother. That’s why Ming Jin preferred to bear the injustice herself.

“Alright, alright. It’s early in the morning. Stop crying here. It’s not good,” Teacher Zhou quickly stepped in to mediate between the two.

“Didn’t you hear Wanwan say? It’s all nonsense circulating online. No, she hasn’t been kept. There’s nothing messy going on. You’re overthinking it.”

…

When Song Xiangwan left home, her head was pounding. Sitting in the car, she sighed several times.

Cheng Cheng listened, worried: “What’s wrong, Sister Wan? Did something bother you?”

Song Xiangwan didn’t doubt Cheng Cheng’s discretion, so she briefly explained everything.

Cheng Cheng frowned too: “Sister Wan, they really set up a blind date for you tonight? What are you going to do?”

“Nothing,” Song Xiangwan opened the window. The business card she was fidgeting with floated out through the gap.

She had no desire to meet some corporate prodigy or a paragon of success.

“We’ll see later. Bring me today’s script. I want to look over it again,” Song Xiangwan’s worries seemed to fly away with the business card. She didn’t dwell on it.

She could just find an excuse to postpone it.

Something like ‘too busy with work,’ ‘last-minute emergency,’ ‘can’t make it this time, definitely next time,’ and then repeat the cycle next time.

She could only stall for now. What else could she do?

Today’s script content wasn’t extensive. It was a product launch event for OG Motors, and she was participating as the brand ambassador.

She had a short interview segment on stage about her experience test-driving the new electric vehicle. The words were written by the client, so she just had to memorize them and read them out. She reviewed them a few times on the road, and by the time she was getting her makeup done, she knew them by heart.

She woke up early. It was only about eight o’clock as she was getting her makeup done.

Song Xiangwan: Good morning (Little Rabbit Morning Greetings Emoji)

As usual, she stole Zhou Xintong’s emoji.

My Beloved Ah Jin: Good morning. I slept very well last night.

Song Xiangwan: Did you have breakfast? Dr. Lin said yesterday that you could eat a slightly thicker rice porridge or rice paste today. Did Qiu Jie prepare any?

My Beloved Ah Jin: Ayan brought it this morning. I’m eating it now.

This was followed by a photo of a bowl of pumpkin millet porridge.

Song Xiangwan: This porridge definitely isn’t as delicious as the one I make. (Little Rabbit Hands-on-Hips)

My Beloved Ah Jin: Where do you get all your emojis?

Song Xiangwan: Hehe, don’t ask. Aren’t they cute?

My Beloved Ah Jin: I have a cuter set. I’ll send them to you.

Then, she sent over a complete set of emojis—a cartoon image of a cat, a long-haired calico cat, a plump, proud calico madam.

The first emoji was the cat rolling on the floor, looking pitifully with wide eyes, its fluffy white belly exposed, four paws up in the air, showing four pink toe beans.

Song Xiangwan: Beautiful, beautiful. I’ll take them. I’ll take them.

Song Xiangwan: This looks like an original design. Could it be the cat you used to own?

My Beloved Ah Jin: Yes.

Song Xiangwan: Don’t worry. I won’t share them randomly. I’ll only use them when chatting with you. (Little Cat Rolling)

Ming Jin couldn’t help but smile slightly. Looking at the image of the little cat rolling on the floor, her eyes softened. She tapped the cat’s belly on the screen with her finger.

“Oh, what’s so funny?” Lin Rong walked in from outside, placing the dessert she was holding on the table nearby.

“Nothing,” Ming Jin said faintly, but the smile in her eyes clearly hadn’t faded.

Lin Rong undid the waist brace on Ming Jin, carefully examined the wound, disinfected and changed the dressing, and then tied it back on: “No signs of inflammation so far. It’s recovering well.”

“Thank you, Dr. Lin.” Ming Jin turned over, a thin layer of sweat on her forehead.

The anesthesia from the surgery had completely worn off. The pain medication was limited now, so the pain was quite noticeable.

But Ming Jin had become accustomed to enduring pain over the years.

It made Lin Rong click her tongue in amazement. From beginning to end, aside from the slight sweat on her forehead, she didn’t utter a single sound of discomfort.

“My senior sister is returning to Germany today. There shouldn’t be any major issues going forward. I’ll be handling the recovery follow-ups.”

“I’m going to the airport to see her off shortly.”

“Mhm,” Ming Jin nodded, then mused, “Dr. Lin, do you need a favor?”

“Ahem…” Lin Rong cleared her throat awkwardly, her eyelashes fluttering slightly. “It’s nothing too big…”

“Well, could you give this to Xu Zhiyan,” she pointed to the dessert cake, “and tell her I apologize. I was a bit out of line recently.”

“Can’t you give it to her yourself?” Ming Jin’s eyes narrowed slightly in assessment. Out of line… what happened between these two?

“If I give it to her, she’ll probably throw it away immediately,” Lin Rong waved her hand. “I’m leaving now. I’ll leave this to you, CEO Ming.”

Ming Jin shook her head slightly, resignedly, and looked at the phone screen.

Wanwan: How is your recovery today? I’ll come see you when I have time.

Wanwan: But I have an interview this afternoon. So much to do. (Little Cat Distress)

Wanwan: The product launch is about to start. I’ve given my phone to Cheng Cheng. I’ll chat with you when I’m done. (Little Cat Obedient)

Ming Jin: Okay. Got it.

Song Xiangwan had taken the two elders back to her residence at Yujing Mountain Villa, which was quite far from Haicheng Hospital.

Clearwater Bay… Song Xiangwan dared not take the two elders there. It was full of photos and evidence of her life with Ming Jin, which would expose everything immediately.

They didn’t have much time to chat today. Song Xiangwan had a busy schedule.

After lunch, she took a nap. When she woke up groggily, she read a book for a while as dusk was falling.

Their conversation had stopped when Song Xiangwan said she was going for an interview and didn’t know when it would end.

Ming Jin stared at the phone screen for a long time, eventually sending a message: Are you finished?

Ming Jin: Are you still coming to the hospital today?

She waited another half hour. The page of the book in Ming Jin’s hand hadn’t turned. It stayed open.

The sun had set, and the dusk was heavy. The whole world was enveloped in darkness. She was alone in the ward, only hearing the beeping of the heart monitor. A nurse came in halfway through to turn on the light, left quietly without conversation.

Ming Jin closed the book in her hand, leaned back against the pillow, and let out a long sigh. A faint flicker of light danced in her pale, light-brown eyes.

Her long fingers stroked the edge of the book, which was turning white, gently brushing it, causing the slight fuzz on the white edge to rise.

Finally, she grabbed her phone. Her fingers hovered for a moment, and she sent a message.

Ming Jin: I don’t feel very well. Could you come to the hospital?

…

The host was dragging things out, asking many questions that were outside the interview outline. Song Xiangwan had been restless for a while, but the host was a senior veteran, so she couldn’t lose her temper.

After finally dealing with it, it was already dark. Song Xiangwan shook hands with her: “Thank you, Teacher. You worked hard.”

She had a smile on her face, but no joy in her heart. She was already extremely anxious.

Seeing Ming Jin’s message when she picked up her phone made her heart pound even harder. She ran all the way to the car and repeatedly urged the driver: “Go, go, go! To the hospital!”

Cheng Cheng also rushed over: “Sister Wan, Teacher Chen said she wants to treat you to dinner…”

Teacher Chen was the host who just interviewed her, a highly respected veteran in the entertainment industry, known for her intellectual and in-depth interviews.

It was rare for her to humble herself and invite someone to dinner, which showed she was very satisfied with Song Xiangwan’s interview.

“No dinner. Tell Sister Cao to apologize to Teacher Chen for me. Say I have an emergency.” Forget Teacher Chen; even a celestial being wouldn’t stop her.

After saying this, Song Xiangwan didn’t even have time to apologize to Teacher Chen herself. She immediately called Ming Jin on a video call.

It rang for a while but wasn’t answered.

Song Xiangwan was frantic with worry.

Ming Jin was usually someone who disliked showing vulnerability. How uncomfortable must she be to say something like this?

No one answered, so she hung up and immediately called Lin Rong.

She urgently instructed Lin Rong several times to go to the ward immediately and stay there, her tone anxious and serious. Only after Lin Rong repeatedly agreed did she hang up the phone.

A moment later, Ming Jin called back on video.

The background was the ward. Her hospital gown looked slightly large on her, the neckline faintly exposing her delicate collarbone. She looked clearly ill, her face pale, and her light-brown eyes looked through the camera.

“How are you?” Song Xiangwan’s voice was soft with distress. “Don’t panic. Dr. Lin will be there right away, and I’m on my way now.”

Looking at the navigation on the car screen, Song Xiangwan said: “It will take me forty minutes to get there now. I’ll ask the driver to speed up—thirty minutes…”

“Slow down,” Ming Jin interrupted, her tone very serious. “Don’t be reckless about this. Forty minutes is forty minutes. I’ll wait for you.”

“Okay…” Song Xiangwan only gave a brief instruction. The driver eased off the gas, and the car’s speed immediately slowed down.

Song Xiangwan stared anxiously at the person on the screen, continuing her conversation with Ming Jin: “Did you eat dinner? Where does it hurt? Is it your wound or your heart? Did you read for too long and get tired?”

A string of questions that gave the other person no chance to answer.

Ming Jin smiled helplessly, but her tone softened: “It’s fine. I’m alright.”

“You always say you’re fine. Can you please stop always enduring it alone? I worry so much, Ah Jin~” She slightly elongated the end of her sentence, a hint of coquetry in her voice.

“Did you finish all your work today?” Ming Jin changed the subject.

“I finished all of it! And I don’t have much planned for tomorrow, so I can spend time with you,” Song Xiangwan said with a smile.

“Do you not need to accompany your aunties?” A faint shadow flickered across Ming Jin’s eyes. The fingers grasping the phone subtly tightened.

Asking this question, she wasn’t even aware of the momentary fluctuation in her emotions, which caused the numbers on the heart monitor to jump up.

She was nervous.

“No need. I booked them a one-day tour of Haicheng. I told them to go on a guided tour to see the sea,” Song Xiangwan didn’t want to be pressured further.

“Is there something they need? Do they need my help?” Ming Jin continued to ask.

“No… not at all…” Song Xiangwan’s eyes curved with a smile. “They just missed me and came to see me. They might stay for a short while.”

“Don’t worry about all that. Focus on recovering.”

Thump, thump, thump. A knock on the door. Ming Jin looked up and saw the person. She said: “Dr. Lin has arrived.”

Lin Rong had been exhausted for days and was determined to sleep early today. She had already taken her medication and gotten into bed. The sedative effect was setting in, making her feel groggy.

Song Xiangwan’s voice was extremely anxious: “Dr. Lin, please, Ah Jin said she doesn’t feel well. What exactly is the problem? Please check for me.”

“Doesn’t feel well?” Lin Rong yawned, her tone composed and relaxed. “Where? Wound pain, or heart discomfort?”

“I’m fine,” Ming Jin said flatly.

“Did you hear that? She said she’s fine,” Lin Rong said loudly, yawning deeper.

“I’m leaving now.” Lin Rong only wanted to dive headfirst into bed.

“Wait, Dr. Lin.” Song Xiangwan didn’t want to let her go so easily. “Please check her thoroughly. I’ll be there soon.”

Lin Rong: “…” What game are these lovebirds playing now?

As a doctor, she resigned herself to fate. The blood pressure on the monitor was low, but within the normal range for Ming Jin. The heart rate was slightly irregular but within an acceptable range.

She opened the waist brace to check the wound, and performed a tactile examination. Everything was normal. There were no problems.

It was definitely uncomfortable after surgery, uncomfortable everywhere, but was that something Ming Jin would say?

This person was a literal King of the Underworld who wouldn’t utter a sound even if she fainted from pain.

Lin Rong was dazed. She looked at Ming Jin suspiciously: “CEO Ming, is this…”

“I said I’m fine,” Ming Jin interrupted Lin Rong.

She told Song Xiangwan: “Don’t rush. Take your time. Dr. Lin will guard the place.”

She was afraid Song Xiangwan would worry and make the driver speed up again.

Lin Rong: “…” Did I say I would guard the place?

Meeting CEO Ming’s gaze, the words of protest failed to come out. She pulled up a chair and sat down by the bed.

She only managed to sit for five minutes before resting her head on the table. She just wanted to nap for a moment, but she immediately slipped into a deep, unconscious sleep.

When Xu Zhiyan arrived, she saw Lin Rong asleep by the bed.

She was tall, and sleeping like this looked cramped. Her long arms and legs had nowhere to rest. The lower part of her white coat was sat on, the upper part stretched tightly across her back, outlining a toned physique. Her long, straight legs were casually crossed, emphasizing her mature, statuesque figure even while sitting.

But this large person took up a third of the bed. Ming Jin, the patient, had to give her space.

No response.

Xu Zhiyan kicked her again: “Hey, wake up.”

“She didn’t die, did she?” Xu Zhiyan’s heart skipped a beat. She bent down to check her face, brushing aside the strands of hair near Lin Rong’s temple.

The sleeping mad dog lacked some of her usual aggression, replaced by a quiet serenity. Her features were broad and deep-set, very defined. Her eyelashes were thick and long. A slight red mark was pressed into her fair cheek. She looked like elegant winter plum blossoms covered in snow, her smoky eyebrows exuding sophistication—a traditional Chinese beauty.

Xu Zhiyan’s eyes involuntarily twitched slightly, but she instantly snapped back to reality. This was a mad dog, not a beauty.

Just as she was momentarily stunned, the eyes beneath the smoky brows groggily opened.

With sleepy confusion, Lin Rong reached out and pinched Xu Zhiyan’s cheek: “Little girl, you’re so beautiful…”

“You…” Xu Zhiyan’s face immediately flushed red, including her entire neck and earlobes, turning as red as a cooked crab.

It had been years since anyone had pinched her cheek.