The sudden change in Gong Yi’s tone made Bai Beibei stiffen and stand up straight.
She was a delicate girl and as she stood by the car door, her two small hands folded back into her sleeves and she looked at him timidly.
“I’m sorry,” she said as she closed the car door and proceeded to leave.
Gong Yi stared at her back. She had seemed like a little kitten that had been kicked to the curb by its owner and her retreating figure made him feel really hurt. He cursed and grew increasingly frustrated.
Why did he constantly feel like he was the one bullying her?
Gong Yi pondered over this for a moment. He opened the car door swiftly and walked into the hospital lobby. Upon getting the information he needed at the nurses’ desk, he headed straight for the third floor. He spotted a petite figure in the corridor and it belonged to a girl who was talking to a doctor.
“Doctor, how’s my grandmother doing?” she asked.
“Unfortunately, the situation is not ideal. While the heart surgery she had a month ago was successful, she has demonstrated signs of extreme organ rejection after the surgery,” the doctor replied.
“What? Wouldn’t that mean that my grandmother…” she trailed off.
“Well, the only thing we can do right now is to try to extend the time that you have with your mother-in-law. That being said, you must be mentally prepared that she may pass on at any moment,” the doctor warned.
Bai Beibei closed her eyes momentarily. The tip of her nose turned red and big fat tears rolled down her face.
A weak and frail voice came from the ward, “Beibei, is that you?”
Bai Beibei wiped her tears hurriedly with her small hands, “Thank you so much, Doctor.”
She turned around and entered the ward, “Yes, Grandma, it’s me.”
The doctor turned and walked away with the nurse. The nurse, said sympathetically, “Beibei is really pitiful. Beibei and her grandmother only have each other to rely on. Her grandmother’s collapse last month due to a heart attack was so unexpected.”
“The most pitiful thing is that they don’t have any money to pay for any further treatment,” the doctor said as he let out an audible sigh, “The patient is really old and heart surgery itself requires a large sum of money. She may still suffer from organ rejection again even if the surgery succeeds. I’ll let Beibei weigh the pros and cons of the surgery – she might just appear tomorrow with a large sum of money, ready to pay for the surgery.”
“The daily medical fees are so expensive now. Beibei has not paid for half a month.”
Gong Yi listened to the conversation between the doctor and the nurse. He walked slowly to the door of the ward in large strides. Bai Beibei’s grandmother laid on the hospital bed in the ward. Her face was pale and she did not seem to be in good spirits. However, she held Bai Beibei’s hand tenderly with a loving and peaceful expression on her face.
It was at this moment that Gong Yi realized she did not have the ability to see anymore.
“Beibei, I’m feeling much better. In fact, I don’t have any major pains. It’s so boring to stay in the hospital everyday. Let’s leave the hospital tomorrow,” she said.
Bai Beibei sat by the bed and held her grandmother’s hand tightly. Her hand was very rough and there was a layer of calluses running across that scraped her skin. These were a direct testament to how hard her grandmother had worked to raise her. Her grandmother was her only real family member in the world now. She could not let her leave.
“Grandma, we’ll stay for a few more days. We’ll listen to the doctor and only leave when he says it’s fine to do so.”
She hadn’t told her grandmother about the truth behind her illness nor the heart operation she had undergone.
“But, we’ll end up spending a lot of money just staying in the hospital,” her grandmother protested.
“Grandma, my father promised that he would give us the money.”
She nodded her head in relief, “Is your father treating you well then? Does your stepmother bully you? Have you gotten used to living with the Bai family?”
“Yes, they treat me really well. No one bullies me and I can wear beautiful dresses, eat delicious food and on top of that, I don’t have to work. There are so many servants at home,” Bai Beibei closed her eyes as she felt tears roll down her cheeks.
“That’s good to hear. Did your father let you attend university? Your results have always been the best in the province. The village chief even said that you would be guaranteed admission to a first-class university.”
Bai Beibei’s pink lips trembled. She tried to hold back her tears and clenched her fist. Biting lightly on it to prevent her tears from flowing out, she said, “I went to a top university and the students in my class were really nice to me. Grandma, don’t worry about me.”
Her grandmother let out a sigh of relief and caressed Bai Beibei’s hair lovingly, “My poor child! It’s only natural that Grandma worries about you. It’s so great that you’re being taken care of. If I leave, at least there will still be someone caring for you.”
“Grandma,” Bai Beibei reached out her small hands and hugged her mother-in-law’s waist. She buried her small face into the warm embrace.
“I don’t want anyone else to take care of me except you, Grandma. You will live till you’re a hundred.”
She stroked Bai Beibei’s soft hair lovingly. She knew her own body very well. She did not have much time left. However, she felt heartened that Bai Beibei was being cared for by others and knew she could leave in peace.
Gong Yi watched the scene between Bai Beibei and her grandmother in the ward. They were really pitiful.
He thought back to the night Bai Beibei had sold her body. It must have been for her grandmother’s sake since they didn’t have the money to pay for her surgery. His gaze focused on Bai Beibei’s delicate body. After watching for a little while, he turned around and left.
Bai Beibei let go of her grandmother, “Grandma, you should rest. I won’t be leaving your side at all tonight. I’ll stay here to accompany you.”
“Alright,” her grandma nodded. She felt a sharp pain in her heart but she chose not to say anything. She lay down and closed her cloudy eyes.
Bai Beibei tucked her mother-in-law in and left for the nurses’ station.
“Miss, has my grandmother’s bills been paid yet? How much is it?”
“Beibei, the bill has been paid. It worked out to 76,000 for half a month.”
76,000? Beibei was shocked. It was a large sum.
“Miss, I don’t have that much money on me. Can you give me two more days? I’ll think of something.”
“Beibei, don’t worry. Someone has already settled the bill for you.”
Bai Beibei was stunned. She had never thought that someone would pay for her medical bills.
She had never experienced such kindness in her life. She had felt the coldness and warmth that relationships had to offer but other than her grandmother, there had been no one who had been genuinely kind to her. It seemed now that there was, in fact, such a person.
“Miss, who paid for my medical bills?”
“Mr Gong.”
Mr Gong? Her brother-in-law?
Bai Beibei recalled his impatient tone when she’d wiped the chair. He probably hated her, just like the Bai family.
“That’s right, Beibei. It was Mr Gong who helped you pay your bills. Oh my god, how do you know him? This is the first time I’ve had the chance to meet him. He is really handsome. His voice is so nice, I feel like I could get pregnant just from listening to him.”
The nurse started to swoon.
“Miss, just give me the bill.”
While she didn’t know exactly why he’d paid for her medical bills, she knew she couldn’t take his money for free. She would return it to him.
The next day, Bai Beibei arrived at the entrance of the Gong family house. She stood by the flower bed, wearing a white dress, white round-headed leather shoes and socks that reached her knees. Her silky hair fell down her back and she carried a school bag on her shoulders. She was dressed as a student.