Chapter 60: A Marriage Alliance
On the way back, Meng Yi’er sat in the taxi, recalling how last night Yu Mingxin had hurriedly left after receiving a phone call.
Meng Yi’er wondered, “I wonder how Aunt Yu is doing now?”
The thought made her a little anxious.
“Driver, please turn around. We’re not going to Riverside Garden anymore…”
—
A ward in a hospital in Haishi.
A middle-aged woman with a slightly pale complexion lay in bed. Although she wore an ordinary hospital gown and looked somewhat weary, she was still well maintained; her skin remained firm and smooth, and she carried an air of elegance and gentleness.
Her hands clasped Meng Yi’er’s tightly, her gaze filled with warmth and affection.
“Yi’er, I’m already so happy that you came to see me. You didn’t have to bring so many things.” Her gentle voice carried a trace of exhaustion.
Glancing at the supplements placed on the table, Meng Yi’er smiled and replied, “Aunt Yu, it’s only right. Are you feeling any better?”
“Much better—”
“Auntie, you need to rest well and recover quickly.”
Madam Yu nodded, a soft light warming her face. She glanced at Yu Mingxin, who was quietly peeling an apple, and said, “Yi’er, Mingxin and her father have been at odds lately. You’re her good friend, please try to talk to her for me.”
Meng Yi’er immediately nodded with a smile.
Madam Yu hesitated for a moment, a slight furrow between her brows, before continuing, “Her spirits are low. Yi’er, why don’t you take her out for a walk…”
Meng Yi’er looked up at Yu Mingxin. Her hand, which was peeling the apple, paused briefly, but she neither looked up nor spoke. Although Meng Yi’er couldn’t see her expression, she could sense the turmoil in her heart.
Meng Yi’er returned her gaze to Madam Yu and offered a comforting smile. “Auntie, focus on your recovery and don’t worry. I’ll do my best to talk to her.”
The crease between Madam Yu’s brows eased, and she nodded gently.
—
The hospital’s rear garden.
Though it was the height of summer and the heat oppressive, the dense trees here provided a welcome shade.
Meng Yi’er and Yu Mingxin found a secluded spot—a bench beneath a large tree—and sat down together.
Yu Mingxin stared blankly at the flowerbeds not far ahead, letting out a soft sigh.
Meng Yi’er patted her gently on the shoulder and called, “Mingxin—”
“…”
Yu Mingxin cast her a distant glance, saying nothing, and quietly rested her head on Meng Yi’er’s shoulder.
“Don’t want to talk about it?”
Seeing Yu Mingxin so downcast worried Meng Yi’er; she had always been cheerful and rarely in such low spirits.
Yu Mingxin stared blankly ahead, lost in thought. After a while, she spoke in a desolate voice, “Yi’er, do you think I should really give up on Gu Yunchen?”
“Mingxin, my brother…”
Meng Yi’er paused. She knew all too well that with Gu Yunchen’s temperament, if he didn’t like someone, he simply didn’t. Mingxin’s deep feelings and years of waiting would, in the end, amount to nothing. Yet, looking at her now, Meng Yi’er could not bear to shatter the last sliver of hope in her heart.
“You know I want nothing more than to see the two of you together. You’re both so important to me. But Mingxin, after all these years, if you still haven’t gotten the answer you want, why keep tormenting yourself and wasting your youth? Is it really worth it?”
Yu Mingxin shook her head, her gaze unfocused as she stared ahead. “I don’t know, Yi’er. I can’t let go; I can’t forget him. But my father is suffocating me, forcing me to marry Hua Zhaoxiang, the second son of the Hua family, to secure his business.”
“A marriage alliance?”
Meng Yi’er was taken aback, finally understanding the reason behind Yu Mingxin’s despondency. She tightened her arm around her friend’s shoulders. “Mingxin…”
Yu Mingxin lowered her eyes and sat motionless, her voice suddenly drifting out softly, “Yi’er, am I being unfilial? My mother’s health is so poor, yet I still make her worry about me.”