Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
It had become a daily routine for Pei Ge to phone Tang Xiaoyu first thing in the morning, but never once had her call successfully reached her best friend .
Two days had passed like this .
This was worrying for Pei Ge not only on the account of her mother’s sickness but also of Tang Xiaoyu’s safety .
In her frustration, she changed her clothes and walked out of the bedroom .
The moment she walked out, she spotted her mother exiting the toilet with a pale face .
“Mom, are you alright?” she asked worriedly, her face contorting with worry .
Zhang Manhua could see the worry in her daughter’s eyes and shook her head reassuringly . “Don’t worry, I think I accidentally ate something bad, so my stomach…”
Her voice trailed off when it occurred to her that she had gastric cancer . Although she stopped herself in time, Pei Ge still caught her words .
“Mom, let’s go to the hospital,” she anxiously urged .
“My savings is still enough to cover your hospitalization; let’s go to the hospital now . ”
“Hush, you lass . No need to worry as I’m really fine . ” Her mother smiled and waved her concerns away . It might sound strange, but although the doctor said that she had gastric cancer, she really did not feel anything wrong with her body .
“Mom, don’t take your body for granted,” Pei Ge lightly admonished with a frown .
“Alright, alright, I know . Haven’t I already told you? Let’s postpone going to the hospital at a later time; accompany me to all the places I want to visit first,” she smilingly refused before grabbing her daughter’s hand .
Pei Ge could only nod at her request . “Alright…”
“Okay . Quickly take a shower while I go prepare breakfast . ” She patted her daughter’s arm with a smile and headed into the kitchen .
Her eyes clouded with gloom as she watched her mother’s retreating back .
She initially thought that she would not have to worry about cost of the surgery as she could just borrow from her best friend, but the latter was unexpectedly unreachable .
What should she do now? If she could not get hold of Tang Xiaoyu in time, where would she find the money to fund her mother’s surgery?
With a heavy heart, she accompanied her mother for breakfast before heading out together .
Since the medical results were out, her mother had taken to bringing her to those places they had once visited with her father .
“Your father proposed to me in this spot back then . At that time…”
Of course, her mother’s favorite topic was her father .
“Aii, what a pity; this place is completely different from before . There used to be a fountain here . ” She sighed helplessly while standing at a desolate-looking vacant lot .
Pei Ge observed the park, which lay abandoned for so many years . Forget about the fountain, even the flowers were a rare sight . It no longer had the vibrant and beautiful atmosphere it once had .
Rumors had it that this place was going to be rebuilt into a shopping mall soon…
“Mhm, I know . When I was younger, I used to throw a coin and make a wish here with Xiaoyu,” she affirmed her mother’s words with a face full of nostalgia, adding, “As for daddy, he would often buy me cotton candy here!”
“He he! You lass only knew how to eat back then . ” Her mother mirthfully shook her head .
They loitered around the empty park for a long while before visiting a restaurant they used to frequent as a family at lunchtime .
It was only after lunch that they returned home to rest for the day .
Once her mother retired to her room for her siesta, she returned to her bedroom as well .
Though she had woken up earlier than usual, she was not at all in the mood to sleep right now .
All she could think of was the cost of the surgery .
Just as she sat in front of her computer and was about to research on gastric cancer, her phone suddenly rang .
“Sister Pei Ge, why didn’t you come to work these few days? Did something happen?”
Qin Qitong’s worried voice came through the phone the moment she answered the call .
“Mhm… I resigned . ” She hesitated for a bit before admitting it to her .
“Resigned?!” Qin Qitong cried out in shock and disbelief .
“Mhm,” she confirmed .
“But – But… I heard from your colleagues that you’ve taken a week off work,” the girl said in confusion .
“… I didn’t take a leave; I resigned . ” She frowned slightly as she thought to herself, This must be that annoying fellow’s doing .
Was he so sure that she would not resign?
“Ah, Sister Pei Ge, why did you resign? Is it because of my cousin?” the girl asked cautiously .
She was silent for a moment before answering, “No, don’t make wild guesses . It’s because something happened at home . ”
“What happened? What happened at home?” Qin Qitong worriedly probed .
Hearing her worried voice, she hesitated for a bit as she thought of the cost of her mother’s surgery but eventually decided not to ask for help from her officemate friend .
“It’s nothing; don’t worry about it . ”
She had only known her for a few months . How could she dare borrow money from her?
“Sister Pei Ge, am I still your friend?! How could you treat me as an outsider?! What exactly happened at home?” she demanded indignantly .
Pei Ge’s heart warmed at her indignation .
She took a deep breath and haltingly revealed, “Qitong… my mother… she’s been diagnosed with gastric cancer…”
“Ah?! Gastric cancer?!” she exclaimed in shock .
“Mhm…” She shifted uncomfortably and felt abashed . “Qitong… you…”
Before she could finish, the girl asked hurriedly, “Sister Pei Ge, how much is the fee for auntie’s surgery? I can lend it to you!”