103: Chapter 103 Gossiping about the Su Family

Time continued to flow.

Twenty-four hours later.

Inside the Medical Room, the rhythmic ticking of the monitor suddenly changed.

"Heart rate increased to 72, blood pressure is rising..."

Han Qing quickly checked the data, then turned toward the hospital bed.

"Su Yuling? Can you hear me?"

The girl on the bed's eyelashes fluttered a few times.

Su Yuran stood up abruptly and rushed to the bedside.

"Yuling? Yuling!"

After a few more seconds, Su Yuling's eyes slowly opened.

They were eyes very similar to Su Yuran's.

Clear and bright, yet filled with confusion and weakness at this moment.

She blinked, adjusting to the light, then focused her gaze on Su Yuran's face.

"Sis... Sister?"

Her voice was weak and raspy.

"It's me! It's me!"

Su Yuran tightly held her hand, tears streaming down her face.

"Yuling, you're awake, you're really awake..."

Su Yuling looked at her, seemingly not yet fully processed what was happening.

Then, memories flooded back like a tide.

The apocalypse, the cold, parents leaving, waiting alone, getting sick, gradually weakening, and finally losing consciousness...

"Dad... Mom..."

She spoke with difficulty.

"Don't rush, take your time."

Han Qing raised the head of the bed, helped her sit halfway up, and handed her some warm water.

"Drink some water first; you've been dehydrated for a long time."

Su Yuling took small sips of water, her eyes never leaving her sister.

After drinking the water, she seemed to have regained some strength.

"Sis, why are you back? Weren't you at school?"

"I... I came to find you all."

Su Yuran wiped away her tears and managed a smile.

"It's so good to see you're okay. Where are Dad and Mom? Where did they go?"

At the mention of their parents, Su Yuling's gaze dimmed.

She lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously twisting the blanket.

"They... they left."

"Where did they go?" Su Yuran pressed.

"When did they leave? Did they say where they were going?"

"The second week after the apocalypse began," Su Yuling said softly.

"That day was especially cold, with heavy snow outside. Dad said... he said he was going to pick you up."

Su Yuran's heart skipped a beat.

"Pick me up?"

"Mm," Su Yuling nodded.

"Dad said it was very dangerous at school and that he was going to bring you back."

"Mom objected, saying it was too dangerous outside and that you had a full-time driver who would bring you back. But Dad insisted on going."

"And then?"

"They had an argument."

Su Yuling recalled the scene, fear in her eyes.

"I've never seen Dad and Mom fight so fiercely."

"Finally, Dad said: 'I have to go, not just to pick up Yuran, but also to handle some things.'"

"Mom asked him what things, but he wouldn't say."

Su Yuran's heart slowly sank.

"Later Mom compromised and said they should go together. But Dad said it was too dangerous and told Mom to stay and look after me. He said he'd be back in three days at most."

"Then they left together?" Su Yuran asked.

Su Yuling shook her head: "No. Mom finally... finally said: 'Su Zhenyun, I know what you're going to do. You still can't let go of those messy affairs even in the apocalypse?'"

Her voice mimicked her mother's angry and desperate tone at the time.

"Dad didn't say anything; he just packed his things."

"Mom cried and said: 'You don't want your daughter anymore, you don't want this home anymore, are those vixens really that important?'"

Su Yuran closed her eyes.

As expected.

Just as she had guessed.

"What happened next?"

Her voice was trembling.

"Later Dad left alone."

Su Yuling's voice grew softer as she spoke.

"Mom didn't go with him. She stayed behind to take care of me, but she cried every day."

"Two days passed, and Dad still hadn't returned. Mom became increasingly anxious, and on the morning of the third day, she said she was going out to find him."

"And then Mom left too?"

"Yes."

Su Yuling's tears fell.

"She told me to stay in the shelter room and said she would definitely come back. She also warned me not to go out, saying there was enough food and water to last a long time."

"I... I waited and waited, for over a month."

"Then I got sick, felt cold all over, had no strength... after that, I didn't know anything anymore."

The Medical Room fell into silence.

Only the rhythmic ticking of the monitor could be heard.

Su Yuran stood there, her body trembling slightly.

Qin Lin walked over and supported her shoulder.

Han Qing sighed softly and turned to organize the medicine, giving the sisters some space.

"Sister."

Su Yuling spoke timidly.

"Dad... did he really go to pick you up?"

Su Yuran opened her eyes and looked at her sister's innocent and longing gaze.

That look was asking: Dad loves us, right? He went out because he was worried about you, right?

How should she answer?

Tell her that Dad might have just used picking her up as an excuse to save the mistress he kept outside?

Tell her that when the apocalypse arrived and his family was in danger...

...their father chose to prioritize protecting other women instead of his wife and daughter?

Tell her that their mother might have met with misfortune while searching for such a husband?

Su Yuran opened her mouth but ultimately only said...

"Yes, he called me, but I ended up leaving with Qin Lin."

She couldn't destroy the last shred of hope in her sister's heart.

Even if that hope was built on a lie.

"You should rest well first."

Su Yuran forced a smile.

"Don't talk too much right after waking up. Are you hungry? Sister Wanwan made some porridge; I'll go get you a bowl."

"Okay," Su Yuling nodded obediently.

Su Yuran turned and walked out of the Medical Room, her steps a bit unsteady.

Qin Lin followed behind her.

In the living room, she finally couldn't hold it together anymore and collapsed onto the sofa, covering her face with her hands.

"Even at a time like this... even in the apocalypse..."

Her voice leaked through her fingers, carrying a suppressed sob.

"Why did he still go looking for those women? Aren't Yuling, Mom, and I his family?"

Qin Lin sat beside her and gently pulled her into an embrace.

"Maybe... maybe he really had another reason."

"Another reason?"

Su Yuran lowered her hands, her eyes red and swollen.

"What reason could possibly make him abandon his wife and daughters and leave a safe shelter?"

"Aside from those women he kept on the side, I can't think of anything else!"

Her voice was full of pain and anger.

It was the pain of being betrayed by one's closest kin.

Since childhood, her father had always been a towering figure in her heart.

A successful entrepreneur, a family-oriented husband, and a loving father to his daughters.

Even though she knew her father occasionally "played the field" outside.

Her mother had also hinted at it, but she always thought it was a necessity of the business world.

That the most important thing in her father's heart would always be his family.

Until the apocalypse came, and the truth was cruelly laid bare before her.

"He told me: 'Yuran, you are Daddy's pride; everything I do is for you and Yuling.' Thinking about it now, how ironic."

Su Yuran smiled bitterly: "His 'everything' also included buying houses and cars for other women, and risking his life to save them in the apocalypse."

Qin Lin remained silent; he couldn't answer the questions regarding this family scandal.

He just gently patted her back.

Some pains cannot be comforted by words.

"What about my mom?"

Su Yuran looked up at him, her eyes holding a final shred of hope.

"Do you think... is my mom still alive?"