Chapter 17: Tugging at the Heartstrings

Arriving at the hospital, she inquired with the nurse and learned which ward Zhang Qian’s mother had been admitted to.

The ward contained four beds. In the innermost bed, an elderly woman with a kind face lay on her side.

A police officer quietly questioned those nearby to understand the situation. Seeing someone approach, he asked, “Are you relatives of Zhuang Huilan?”

Zhang Qian quickly replied, “Zhuang Huilan is my mother. Is she alright?”

“She should be fine,” the officer answered.

Turning to Lu Liang, naturally assuming he was her husband, the officer said, “Sir, please come with us for a moment.”

Zhang Qian was about to speak, but Lu Liang gently tapped the back of her hand with a smile and said, “I’ll go check on the situation.”

The elderly Mrs. Zhuang looked at Zhang Qian in puzzlement, then at Lu Liang.

Zhang Yun held her grandmother’s hand, crouching by the bedside, tears streaming down her face. “Grandma, are you okay?”

Mrs. Zhuang’s eyes were full of love. “Sweetie, don’t cry. Grandma is fine. Tell me, were you well-behaved at school today?”

Zhang Qian glanced toward the door where Lu Liang was speaking quietly with the police officer. She bit her lip and said, “His name is Lu Liang. He’s my boyfriend.”

“Qianqian, you’ve finally come to your senses. It’s time you found a boyfriend,” Mrs. Zhuang said, surprised, then smiled warmly. She was so happy that she accidentally tugged at her wound, gasping in pain.

“Mom, be careful. What did the doctor say?” Zhang Qian smiled bitterly, not wanting to dwell on the topic.

Outside the door, after Lu Liang had talked with the police, he returned to the ward to share the news. It was a baffling case without a clear culprit. Although there was surveillance footage, the crowd made it impossible to identify who had knocked her down.

“As long as my mother is okay, that’s all that matters.”

Zhang Qian felt residual fear but had no desire to assign blame.

She was about to thank Lu Liang and find a chance to clarify to her mother that the two of them were just friends.

Unexpectedly, Lu Liang crouched by the bedside and said softly, “Auntie, hello. My name is Lu Liang.”

Mrs. Zhuang nodded, gripping Lu Liang’s hand with both excitement and sincerity. “Little Lu, Qianqian has had a hard life. From now on, I’m counting on you.”

For so many years, her daughter hadn’t pursued another relationship. She had even said she only wanted to raise her child and didn’t need a man.

Now that she had finally brought a boyfriend home, she asked for nothing more than someone who would treat them both well.

“Mom, why are you saying this? Sweetie is right here,” Zhang Qian blurted out anxiously, fully aware of the true nature of her relationship with Lu Liang.

Lu Liang paused, then smiled. “Auntie, don’t worry. I’ll treat Qianqian well.”

He gently patted the little girl’s head beside him. “And of course, sweetie too.”

Zhang Qian lost herself in thought. Though she knew Lu Liang was just playing a role, she couldn’t help but harbor a faint hope that it might be real.

At that moment, a nurse came in to inform them that the doctor wanted to discuss the treatment plan with the family and that the deposit needed to be paid.

“Qianqian, you go talk to the doctor and find out the details. I’ll go pay at the front. Sweetie, stay here and keep Grandma company.”

Lu Liang made the arrangements, then took the documents with a nurse to the outpatient department on the first floor to pay the deposit.

Following the nurse’s advice, he topped up the deposit with fifty thousand yuan and requested a private room.

After completing the formalities, Lu Liang went outside to buy several dinners before finally returning to the ward.

Zhang Qian waited for him at the door. Lu Liang gestured that he had something to say later and suggested they eat first. Even if she wasn’t hungry, the little girl surely was.

“McDonald’s! Thank you, Uncle. Mom never let me eat this before.”

The little girl’s mood was as bright as a June day. Knowing Grandma was alright, she had regained the liveliness befitting her age.

“You make it sound like I’m abusing you. Kids should eat less fried food, but having it occasionally is fine.”

Zhang Qian opened the dinner packages, her eyes soft with tenderness.

Lu Liang was thoughtful—he bought not only a kid’s meal but also plain congee for the elderly woman, considering her frail health.

“Sweetie, look what Uncle Lu got you! Ta-da!”

Lu Liang seemed like a magician, producing from his pocket an exquisite small box containing the latest children’s smartwatch from BBK.

“Thank you, Uncle,” the little girl said excitedly, clutching it tightly. She must have seen this watch at school.

“Tomorrow, I’ll have your mom get a supplementary card for it, but you have to promise Uncle not to play with it during study time.”

“Okay~” The girl glanced slyly at her mother and nodded quickly, pecking like a little chick.

“Then let’s pinky swear.”

Lu Liang, playful as a child, hooked his pinky with hers. Together they shouted, “Pinky swear, never change for a hundred years! Whoever changes is a little dog!”

Zhang Qian sighed. It wasn’t that she couldn’t afford it; she just didn’t want her child exposed to electronic devices too early.

Mrs. Zhuang’s face was full of affection and smiles. “Little Lu gets along well with sweetie. You should feel relieved now.”

Zhang Qian smiled bitterly but said nothing.

Night fell. Zhang Yun and Mrs. Zhuang had fallen asleep, and the hospital attendant they hired had arrived.

Outside the ward, Zhang Qian turned to Lu Liang. “Liang, thank you. How much was it in total? I’ll transfer the money to you.”

“Would it be rude for me to be your boyfriend?” he joked.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Just consider it a gift for the elderly. Besides, I quite like sweetie.”

Lu Liang looked at the little girl lying by the bed, warmth flashing in his eyes.

If his life plans hadn’t gone astray, his own children would be about that age.

Lu Liang added, “You should really consider changing jobs. As the child grows up, she’ll find out sooner or later. She was just quietly asking me what her mom does outside.”

Zhang Qian hurriedly asked, “What did you say?”

Though she had bought a house in Shanghai, she always lived in the company dormitory to keep her work a secret from her daughter.

“I told her Uncle is a big boss and that her mom is helping me.”

Lu Liang chuckled recalling the scene. “She also asked me to give you more days off so you can spend more time with her.”

Zhang Qian remained silent for a long while before bitterly saying, “What else can I do?”

“Don’t belittle yourself. You speak so well and have high emotional intelligence. I think opening a beauty salon would be great.”

“But I know nothing about it.”

“You can learn, and it doesn’t have to be in beauty. You can observe and find what suits you.”

Lu Liang gently rubbed her earlobe. “When the time comes, we’ll open a shop together. I’ll invest the money, you manage it.”

“I’ll think about it.” Zhang Qian’s body trembled slightly. After days of interaction, Lu Liang knew exactly which spots were her most sensitive.

Her cheeks flushed crimson as she lightly scolded, “Let go. This is a hospital.”

Lu Liang laughed. “Sorry, I’m used to it.”

“Mom, when are we going home?”

Just then, the little girl woke up, rubbing her eyes and looking up at them. “Mom, your face is so red. Are you sick?”

“Sweetie, you go ahead to the parking lot with Uncle Lu. Mom needs to talk to Grandma and the nurse for a bit.” Zhang Qian quickly turned her head away and shot Lu Liang a fierce glare.

“Sweetie, grab your backpack. Let’s go.” Lu Liang grinned and took the girl’s hand as they left the hospital.

Passing by the pediatric clinic, the little girl glanced secretly, noticing other children had their fathers carrying them. Envy flickered in her eyes.

Lu Liang noticed and knelt down, whispering, “Sweetie, come up. Uncle will carry you.”

The girl brightened, excitedly climbing onto his back, murmuring, “So wide, not like Mom or Grandma.”

“Hold tight, let’s go.” Lu Liang smiled, deliberately quickening his pace to give her the thrill of a speedy ride.

In the dim, quiet underground parking lot, the little girl’s laughter rang out clear and bright like a bell.

Zhang Qian, rushing after them, froze at the scene. She watched quietly for a long time, her eyes moistening, whispering, “You bad guy.”

Knowing it was impossible, yet why did it still tug so deeply at her heartstrings?