You Are My Omega - Chapter 57

The next visit to Liu Lingyan’s home, and the next time seeing Fantuan, didn’t happen until the end of the semester. Xu Shijiu and Lin Xinyi went the day their final exams finished. They had wanted to visit earlier, but every time they brought it up, Liu Lingyan had gently turned them away, saying they needed to focus on exams. So, it wasn’t until now that they were finally able to go see Fantuan.

Fantuan was still wearing a pretty little dress. The small villa was beautifully and safely designed, with touches of dreamy charm everywhere. The walls were painted pink, just as Fantuan had always liked. It was clear a lot of care had been put into the place.

“You’re here,” Liu Lingyan said as she came downstairs in a hurry to greet them.

“Yes,” both Xu Shijiu and Lin Xinyi answered at the same time, but when they saw Liu Lingyan’s pale and thin face, they fell silent.

Lin Xinyi felt a pang of sadness. These two clearly still cared deeply for each other, yet chose to isolate themselves in their own spaces. Despite still loving each other, they couldn’t bring themselves to be together.

Xu Shijiu felt it wasn’t fair. Should a loving couple really have to end things because of the mistakes of the previous generation? Did her sister and Liu Lingyan truly want this to be the way it ended?

“Don’t just stand there, sit down. The nanny should be bringing Fantuan down soon,” Liu Lingyan said, guiding them to the couch. She didn’t realize how pale and fragile she looked through their eyes.

Lin Xinyi gently patted Xu Shijiu’s shoulder as a reminder to snap out of it, then turned to Liu Lingyan with a smile. “No need for formalities, Sister Liu. We even brought you and Fantuan some nutritional supplements.”

Xu Shijiu quietly reached for the gift bags hanging from the side of her wheelchair and placed them on the table. “You look too thin lately. Please take these and use them to keep your strength up.”

Before she spoke, she had hesitated for a moment, carefully choosing her words. She was afraid that if she slipped, she might accidentally call her “Sister-in-law” again.

“You didn’t need to bring anything. You should take these back with you later. Xiaojiu needs them more, and Xinyi too. You’re an Omega now going through your susceptibility phase. Your nutrition is important,” Liu Lingyan said gently, pushing the gifts back toward them. Her eyes, however, showed clear fatigue.

Ever since leaving Xu Manyue, she hadn’t had a full night’s sleep. Every night, she woke from nightmares—usually the same one, reliving the car accident. Only on a few occasions, with the help of sleeping pills, had she managed a night of dreamless sleep.

“We have plenty at home. Please keep them,” Lin Xinyi said sincerely.

Xu Shijiu lowered her head, her heart heavy with helplessness. Both her sister and Liu Lingyan were clearly suffering, and everyone knew what the solution was. Yet that solution was also the one thing they couldn’t choose.

“Xu Shijiu has regained sensation in her legs. The doctor said that walking again isn’t impossible anymore. As long as she keeps working at it, she’ll be able to recover.” Lin Xinyi’s voice rose slightly as she shared the news.

She had found out about Xu Shijiu’s progress purely by accident.

Xu Manyue had been in poor condition recently, burying herself in work and alcohol. Lin Xinyi had taken it upon herself to pick up Xu Shijiu from her physical therapy sessions whenever she was free.

She would never forget the first time she went to pick her up. What she saw had left a deep impression.

Xu Shijiu, supported by medical staff, had taken her first step. Just one small step. But for her, that one step had meant everything.

Lin Xinyi had never asked about her rehab. It wasn’t because she didn’t care, but because she was afraid of bringing up painful memories. She had worried that any question might hurt Xu Shijiu emotionally. That was why she hadn’t known until the moment she saw her standing up by herself.

After that, she didn’t interrupt the rehab sessions. Instead, she went straight to the hospital’s administration to introduce herself and explain her relationship to Xu Shijiu.

At first, the staff didn’t believe her. It wasn’t until she showed a photo of herself with Xu Manyue and Xu Shijiu that they finally accepted her presence.

One of the doctors had told her, “That girl works incredibly hard. All the previous treatments to stimulate her nerves had failed. Then we tried a new, more aggressive approach. Surprisingly, it worked. But because it was so risky, it was also extremely painful.”

“I honestly didn’t expect her to last this long. Most of my patients have almost no chance of walking again. Many of them give up. Especially with this new method, no one wants to try it, and even fewer can stick with it. But Xu Shijiu did.”

“To reach the nerves in her legs, we’ve used electric stimulation, acupuncture, even more invasive techniques. The pain she endured was unimaginable. But she never gave up.”

“With her level of determination, how could we stop trying? How could we lose hope? Thanks to constant adjustments and development, her recovery has gotten better and better.”

The doctor hadn’t needed to describe what Xu Shijiu looked like during those treatments. Just hearing the story had made Lin Xinyi’s eyes turn red.

She imagined herself in that situation. If she had been in a wheelchair for years and suddenly got a chance to walk again, she would have tried it too. Anyone in her place would have. But what kind of brutal treatments would make even other patients give up?

What kind of strength did Xu Shijiu have to keep going?

The saddest part was, during all of that effort and pain, no one had been there to support her. Her sister didn’t know. No one knew. No family member was by her side to cheer her on when she struggled or stumbled.

Even now, when she thought back on it, Lin Xinyi still felt regret. If only she had found out sooner. If only she had been there with her.

“Really?” Liu Lingyan’s eyes widened with surprise. To her, the news that Xu Shijiu could walk again was absolutely earth-shattering.

“Yes,” Xu Shijiu said softly but firmly, nodding her head.

Liu Lingyan’s eyes instantly filled with tears.

That car accident took lives, and it also left Xu Shijiu’s legs paralyzed. But now, she would soon be able to stand up again. Soon, she would walk like she used to. That was a wonderful thing.

“Don’t cry, Sister Liu. Isn’t this a good thing?” Lin Xinyi comforted her, though she didn’t dare step forward.

Xu Shijiu felt a mix of emotions. What exactly did Sister Liu feel toward the Xu family, toward her sister, and toward her? She couldn’t tell. If Liu Lingyan truly hated the Xu family, why would she care about her legs?

Her attitude toward Xu Manyue had clearly changed. But with her, Liu Lingyan remained as gentle and caring as ever, treating her like a younger sister. Why? Was it because she wasn’t truly part of the Xu family? Because she, too, had been a victim of the accident? Was that why Liu Lingyan still treated her the same?

“Yes, it’s a good thing. I shouldn’t cry,” Liu Lingyan said, wiping away her tears. Just then, she saw the nanny bringing Fantuan downstairs and quickly stood up. “Fantuan is here. Xiaojiu, Xinyi, spend some time with her. I’ll go clean myself up.”

“Thank you, Sister Liu,” Xu Shijiu said sincerely. Just being able to see Fantuan again already filled her with immense gratitude.

But Fantuan didn’t seem interested in them.

Under Liu Lingyan’s care, Fantuan still looked like the chubby little girl they remembered, even if her emotions had been more unstable lately. Still, her smile was clearly less frequent than before.

“Second Miss, Miss Lin, you’re finally here,” the nanny said as she carried Fantuan over, sounding both relieved and a bit annoyed. “Why did it take you so long? Fantuan has been talking about you nonstop, saying how much she misses you, but she’s waited and waited, and you never came.”

Such a small child had been lying on the table, propping up her head, fighting sleep just to see the people she longed for. But every time, what she got instead was disappointment.

“Fantuan, your aunties are here to see you,” Xu Shijiu said gently, watching Fantuan’s back. But all she received in return was a quiet huff.

Fantuan’s cheeks puffed up with frustration. They had promised they would come visit. She had waited so long, and now they finally showed up, which meant they hadn’t truly cared about her.

And Mama too. She only showed up in video calls, never in person for such a long time. Mommy told her it was because Mama had to work. That she was too busy to come home.

But Fantuan wasn’t so easily fooled.

“Fantuan, it’s Auntie’s fault. Please don’t be angry,” Xu Shijiu said softly. She picked up a stuffed bear, Fantuan’s favorite, and held it out to her. “Look, it’s your favorite teddy bear.”

Fantuan didn’t respond, but both Lin Xinyi and Xu Shijiu noticed the small movements of her fingers. She was clearly wavering.

Their hearts eased a little. If she could be comforted, that would be good. It would be so much harder if she couldn’t be.

In the end, it took two stuffed bears to win her back.

Fantuan clutched the plush toys and immediately climbed onto Xu Shijiu’s lap. She grabbed Lin Xinyi’s hand and, unable to hold back anymore, burst into tears.

“You lied to me!”

Her aunties had said that Mama and Mommy were only apart because of work, that they weren’t fighting, that they’d make up soon. But none of it had been true.

They had even promised to come play with her during the holidays, but that hadn’t happened either. All lies, just to fool her, a little girl.

“Is it because I asked for toys that you stopped coming to see me? Is it because I cost too much to raise, so Mama doesn’t want me anymore? She doesn’t want Mommy either?”

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