220: New life?

Chen Mengyao stayed at the hospital a little longer.

She took a deep breath, calmed her emotions, walked to Mother Chen's bed, forced a smile, and said softly, "Mom, let's be discharged."

Mother Chen looked at her daughter, her eyes full of heartache, but still nodded, "Okay, I've wanted to be discharged for a long time." Her voice was filled with longing for home and also contained support for her daughter.

After completing the discharge procedures, the mother and daughter returned to their rented house.

In the cramped room, a familiar and old atmosphere permeated, with every corner carrying memories of the past.

Chen Mengyao put down her mother's luggage, tidied up the room a bit, and looked around, feeling a complex mix of emotions.

Soon, it was almost time for Chen Xuening to finish school.

Chen Mengyao composed herself, trying to make herself look more energetic, and went out to pick up her sister.

At the school gate, people were coming and going.

Parents were chatting with each other, and children were playing nearby.

Chen Mengyao stood in a corner, her eyes drifting, looking at the familiar scene, but feeling out of place.

Before long, Chen Xuening ran out of school, hopping and skipping like a happy little deer.

She saw Chen Mengyao at a glance, a brilliant smile instantly bloomed on her face, and she shouted excitedly, "Big sister!" As she spoke, she ran towards Chen Mengyao.

Chen Xuening ran to Chen Mengyao's side, grabbed her hand, her face full of joy, "Big sister, you came to pick me up from school today! Previously, Brother Lu Chen always sent the housekeeper to pick me up. I missed you so much!" Her eyes were bright, full of innocence and happiness, and she didn't notice Chen Mengyao's abnormality at all.

Chen Mengyao looked at her sister's cute appearance, and a wave of bitterness welled up in her heart.

She forced a smile and touched Chen Xuening's head, "Big sister missed you too." Her voice was a bit choked, trying hard not to let tears fall.

Chen Xuening held Chen Mengyao's hand and said while walking, "Big sister, are we going back to Brother Lu Chen's house today? His house is so big, and there are so many fun things." She looked up, her eyes full of expectation, recalling the novel toys and spacious rooms at Lu Chen's house in her mind.

Hearing this, Chen Mengyao's eyes dimmed instantly, her nose felt sore, and her eyes turned red again.

She lowered her head, not daring to look into her sister's eyes, was silent for a moment, and said slowly with a trembling voice, "We won't be going back there in the future."

Chen Xuening stopped, a puzzled expression appeared on her face, and she tilted her head to look at Chen Mengyao, "Why? Does Brother Lu Chen not like us anymore?" Her eyes were full of confusion. In her small world, Lu Chen had always been a big brother who was very good to them.

Chen Mengyao squatted down, looked at Chen Xuening at eye level, looked into her sister's eyes, and tried to make her voice calmer, "Xuening, Brother Lu Chen... he has his own things to be busy with, and we cannot disturb him anymore in the future." She gently stroked Chen Xuening's cheek, tears swirling in her eyes.

A trace of disappointment flashed in Chen Xuening's eyes, the corners of her mouth drooped slightly, and she whispered, "But I like Brother Lu Chen, he even bought me so many delicious things." As she spoke, her eyes also turned red, and her voice carried a sobbing tone.

Chen Mengyao hugged Chen Xuening tightly, "Be good, Xuening. Big sister will always be with you. In the future, big sister will buy you delicious things and take you to play fun games." Her voice was gentle yet firm, trying to comfort her sister.

Chen Xuening leaned in Chen Mengyao's arms, sobbing softly, "Big sister, I don't want to leave Brother Lu Chen. Does he not want us anymore?" Her small hands tightly gripped Chen Mengyao's clothes, as if searching for a sense of security.

Chen Mengyao gently patted Chen Xuening's back, "It's not that, Xuening. It's just that our fate with Brother Lu Chen has come to an end. In the future, we will have a new life and meet better people." Her eyes were filled with helplessness and sadness, but more than that, it was love and protection for her sister.

Chen Xuening looked up, looked at Chen Mengyao, and wiped away her tears with her small hands, "Big sister, then don't cry. I will be obedient." Her eyes showed firmness. At such a young age, she seemed to understand that she needed to protect her big sister.

Chen Mengyao looked at her sister's sensible appearance, feeling a warmth in her heart, and nodded, "Okay, big sister won't cry. Xuening is truly a good girl." She tried hard to squeeze out a smile, held Chen Xuening's hand, and walked in the direction of home.

The sunset glow spilled on them, stretching their shadows long.

Along the way, neither Chen Mengyao nor Chen Xuening spoke again.

Chen Mengyao had a thousand thoughts in her heart. She knew that from this moment on, life would change completely, and what she had to do was to take her sister and walk forward bravely.

...

...

The sunset dyed every corner of the manor in a faint golden hue. Lu Chen stood alone on the villa's balcony, his figure stretched long by the setting sun. His hands were casually stuffed into his trouser pockets, his eyes looking into the distance, not knowing what he was thinking. A light breeze blew, fluttering the corners of his clothes.

The sound of high heels came from behind, with a somewhat hurried rhythm. Gao Xuewei walked over quickly. Her soft, long hair was draped casually over her shoulders, and a few strands were blown to her cheeks by the wind. Today, she was wearing a light blue dress, simple yet elegant, but at this moment, her face was full of anxiety and worry.

"Lu Chen," she stood still beside Lu Chen, her tone carrying undisguised concern, "Where are Chen Mengyao and Xuening? I haven't seen them for the past two days." As she spoke, she raised her hand to tuck the strands of hair by her cheek behind her ear, her gaze fixed tightly on Lu Chen, not missing any slight change in his expression.

Lu Chen withdrew his gaze, his expression calm to the point of indifference, and spat out a few words lightly, "I let them leave."

Gao Xuewei's body stiffened abruptly, her eyes widened instantly, and her face was full of disbelief. She took a step forward, her voice raising involuntarily, "What did you say? You let them go? Why?" Her eyes were filled with confusion and shock, and her brows were tightly knit into a " river" shape.

Lu Chen frowned slightly, feeling a bit impatient with Gao Xuewei's reaction, and said in a stiff tone, "No special reason, I just don't want them to stay here anymore." He turned his head away, no longer looking at Gao Xuewei, and his eyes looked into the distance again.

Gao Xuewei, however, didn't seem to notice Lu Chen's impatience. Her eyes were slightly red, and her voice carried a hint of a sob, "How could you do this? Chen Mengyao is alone with her younger sister and still has to take care of her sick mother. Life is already hard enough. Do you know what it feels like to be abandoned and helpless?" Her emotions were a bit agitated, and her hands were unconsciously clenched into fists.

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen was slightly stunned, a flash of imperceptible emotion flickering in his eyes, but he soon returned to indifference, "This is my decision, don't worry about it." Although his voice remained cold, it seemed to have lost its previous harshness.

Gao Xuewei, however, did not intend to let it go. She took a step forward, blocking in front of Lu Chen, and looked straight into his eyes, "Lu Chen, I know you are not a heartless person. Chen Mengyao trusted you so much and relied on you, how could you treat her like this?" Her eyes were full of questioning, and her voice trembled slightly due to excitement.

Lu Chen avoided Gao Xuewei's gaze, was silent for a moment, and his tone softened slightly, "Some things, you don't understand."

Gao Xuewei looked at Lu Chen, tears finally streaming out of her eyes and sliding down her cheeks, "How do I not understand? I have also been hurt and abandoned like her. I know that kind of pain, so when I see her, it's like seeing my former self. Treating her like this is too cruel." As she spoke, she raised her hand to wipe the tears from her face, her shoulders trembling slightly.

Lu Chen looked at Gao Xuewei's crying appearance, and a complex emotion welled up in her heart. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't say anything. His eyes were no longer indifferent, but filled with some helplessness and guilt.

Gao Xuewei took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, "Lu Chen, bring them back. They need a pillar of support, and you have the ability to help them." Her eyes were full of expectation, staring tightly at Lu Chen, hoping to get a positive answer from his mouth.

Lu Chen was silent for a long time, and finally shook his head, "Some things are already beyond redemption." His voice was very low, carrying a hint of a sigh, then he walked around Gao Xuewei and walked slowly into the house, leaving Gao Xuewei standing alone on the balcony, watching his departing back, her tears blurring her eyes again.

...

...

Gao Xuewei stood on the balcony, watching Lu Chen's departing back, her heart filled with complex emotions.

Anger, disappointment, sadness, various emotions intertwined, like a tangled mess, tightly wrapping around her heart.

She really couldn't understand how Lu Chen, who used to be so caring towards Chen Mengyao and Xuening, could suddenly become so ruthless and easily kick them out.

The wind was still blowing gently, but Gao Xuewei couldn't feel any comfort at all.

Chen Mengyao's face involuntarily appeared in her mind, a face full of helplessness and sadness. Every time she thought of it, Gao Xuewei's heart felt like it was being pricked by needles.

She knew the taste of being abandoned, that kind of loneliness, helplessness, and despair, like a maggot on the tarsal bone, lingering and impossible to shake off.

Now, Chen Mengyao was experiencing these, and she was powerless to stop it. This feeling made her extremely painful.

She slowly closed her eyes, took a deep breath, trying to calm the waves in her heart, but tears still flowed down uncontrollably. She kept asking herself in her heart, was there really no way to help Chen Mengyao? She was unwilling, really unwilling.

After a long time, Gao Xuewei walked back to her room with heavy steps. In the room, the warm light spilled into every corner, but it could not disperse the gloom in her heart.

At this moment, her daughter Xiao Xi ran over, hopping and skipping like a happy little rabbit. Xiao Xi was eight years old this year, with two cute braids, her round face flushed, and her eyes sparkling with innocent and pure light.

"Mom, you're back!" Xiao Xi grabbed Gao Xuewei's hand, her face beaming with a brilliant smile.

Gao Xuewei forced a smile and gently touched Xiao Xi's head, "Be good, Xiao Xi, Mom is a little tired."

Xiao Xi blinked her big eyes, tilted her head, and asked with a puzzled face, "Mom, what's wrong with you? Are you unhappy?"

Gao Xuewei shook her head, not wanting to let her daughter worry, "Mom is fine. Xiao Xi, did you have a happy day today?"

Xiao Xi nodded, suddenly remembering something, her eyes lit up all of a sudden, "Mom, where is Big Sister Xuening? I haven't seen her for a long time, I still want to play with her."

Hearing the words "Xuening", Gao Xuewei felt a pain in her heart, and the smile on her face vanished instantly. She opened her mouth, but didn't know how to answer Xiao Xi's question.

Seeing her mother not speaking, the smile on Xiao Xi's face gradually disappeared, replaced by worry, "Mom, why aren't you talking? Did something happen to Big Sister Xuening?"

Gao Xuewei took a deep breath, squatted down, looked at Xiao Xi at eye level, hesitated for a moment, and said softly, "Xiao Xi, Big Sister Xuening and her sister have gone home, and might not come again in the future."

"Why?" Xiao Xi's eyes were full of confusion, "Didn't Big Sister Xuening say she would play with me? Why is she leaving?"

Gao Xuewei looked at Xiao Xi's innocent appearance, and a wave of bitterness welled up in her heart. She gently held Xiao Xi's hand and explained patiently, "Big Sister Xuening has her own life, they have to be busy with their own things, so they can't play with Xiao Xi anymore."

Xiao Xi's mouth drooped, and her eyes also turned red, "I don't want that, I miss Big Sister Xuening, she was so good to me, and even told me stories. Mom, can you ask Big Sister Xuening to come back, okay?" As she spoke, Xiao Xi's tears rolled down like broken beads.

Gao Xuewei hugged Xiao Xi into her arms with heartache, gently patting her back, "Be good, Xiao Xi, don't cry, don't cry. Big Sister Xuening also misses Xiao Xi very much, but some things cannot be changed. We have to learn to accept it, you know?"

Xiao Xi sobbed in Gao Xuewei's arms, "But I really miss Big Sister Xuening, Mom, I can't bear to part with her."

Gao Xuewei's eyes also turned red. She hugged Xiao Xi tightly and said softly, "Mom knows Xiao Xi can't bear to part with her, and Mom can't either. But we must believe that Big Sister Xuening will also live very happily in her own home."

Xiao Xi looked up, looked at Gao Xuewei, and said chokingly, "Mom, can we still see Big Sister Xuening in the future?"

Gao Xuewei hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "Maybe, if we are fated, we will meet again in the future."

Xiao Xi wiped her tears and sniffed, "Then I want to pinky swear with Big Sister Xuening, it's a promise that we will definitely meet again in the future." As she spoke, Xiao Xi stuck out her little finger.

Gao Xuewei looked at Xiao Xi's serious appearance, feeling a warmth in her heart. She stuck out her little finger and hooked it with Xiao Xi's finger, "Okay, we will pinky swear with Big Sister Xuening, it's a promise that we will definitely meet again in the future."

Xiao Xi then broke into a smile, and a brilliant smile bloomed on her face again, "Mom, since we pinky swore, we must not go back on our word."

Gao Xuewei nodded, looking at Xiao Xi's innocent smiling face, and secretly made up her mind that no matter what, she would find a way to help Chen Mengyao, and not let them be defeated by the hardships of life just like that.