The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 211. Awake (first watch)

Chapter 211: 211. Awake (first watch)

Chu Yunrong felt she had had a long dream where Shen Qinglan had never gone missing and had always been by her side. She accompanied her daughter as she grew up, sent her to kindergarten, and watched her play with friends in a pretty dress.

In the spring, she took her daughter out to enjoy the outdoors and have picnics. In the summer, they swam together in the pool. In the autumn, they went to the orchard to pick fruits. In the winter, they built a snowman together in the garden.

As her daughter gradually grew up, she began to learn piano from her. Her small fingers pressed on the black and white keys, playing discordant tunes. She sat gently beside her, guiding her hands until smooth melodies eventually flowed from her daughter’s fingers, and they looked at each other and smiled.

Her daughter started elementary school and was about to graduate. Looking at her daughter on stage, already taking on a bit of a young girl’s appearance, she smiled tenderly.

Her daughter participated in a piano competition and won first place. Holding the trophy in her hands, she thanked her dearest mother in front of the audience. Sitting in the audience, her eyes brimmed with tears. When her daughter came off the stage, she embraced her deeply.

Her daughter entered middle school and played the piano even better. She took her daughter to visit a famous teacher and began the daily routine of dropping off and picking up her child from the teacher’s place. However, her daughter’s smile became less frequent until one day when she suddenly lost her temper, saying she no longer wanted to live such a dull life, filled only with studying and piano practice. Feeling life had no joy, she put down her camera and took her daughter traveling far and wide, showing her the beautiful scenery of life.

Then her daughter told her that she wanted to continue learning the piano to express the joy in her heart. She smiled, relieved.

Her daughter entered high school, becoming even more graceful but experiencing her own little troubles, telling her she had fallen for a handsome boy. She told her daughter to enjoy her youth.

Her daughter went to college and got into the music school she liked, dating a boyfriend she liked, living happily every day.

Together, they went out to eat, shop, and watch movies, occasionally traveling together and smiling brilliantly for the camera.

After her daughter graduated from college, she noticed a few white hairs and more wrinkles around her eyes and lamented that she was getting old. Her daughter leaned her head on her shoulder and said with a smile, "My mom is the most beautiful mother in the world, not old at all."

Her daughter started working, making a name for herself on the world stage and winning countless awards, outstanding and dazzling.

Her daughter was getting married, entering into matrimony with the boyfriend she had dated for many years and had a lovely child...

Chu Yunrong’s lips curved in a smile; in her dream, her daughter was just as excellent and always her pride. They were the closest mother and daughter.

Shen Qian held his wife’s hand, "Yun Rong, what did you dream about that made you so happy?"

Regrettably, no one answered him, and his words eventually faded into the air.

The door to the hospital room was knocked. Shen Qian got up to open it and frowned upon seeing the person outside, "Why are you here?"

Shen Xitong seemed at a loss, her head bowed, "Dad, I heard that mom was sick, so I came to see her. How is she?"

She had found out that Chu Yunrong was hospitalized, by chance, when she overheard two nurses gossiping that day. Moreover, her mother was just upstairs.

"She’s fine; you can go back," Shen Qian noticed the bandage on Shen Xitong’s head but said nothing; she had seen the news online.

"Dad, I just want to see how mom is," Shen Xitong whispered earnestly, truly wanting to see Chu Yunrong since she had always treated her well from childhood, giving her a warmth she had never felt before.

"She hasn’t woken up yet, so you should leave," Shen Qian didn’t let Shen Xitong enter and his gaze towards her was cold.

Shen Xitong knew that after the incidents blasted online, whether they were true or not, the Shen Family would blame her, and she had braced for their attitude. Shen Qian’s cold reception only deepened her sadness, "Dad, I really didn’t harm my sister; I’m innocent in that matter."

"It doesn’t matter now whether you did it or not. Now that you have reunited with your birth parents, it’s good news. I mean, since you’ve found your real parents, you should revert to your birth surname too; it would also help quell the rumors online."

Shen Xitong looked up suddenly, disbelieving, "Dad, I am your daughter. You personally took me out of the orphanage. Are you disowning me now?"

Mentioning the orphanage made Shen Qian regret his past decision even more, "Lanlan reverted to her real name when she returned. Since you’re with your birth parents now, naturally you should change your surname too. Let’s go and formalize the procedures someday."

Shen Xitong’s face turned pale, "Dad, are you trying to sever ties with me?" She already had injuries on her head, and her tear-rimmed, pale face looked pitiful.

"If that’s how you understand it, then yes," Shen Qian said coldly. His wife had fallen ill, and Shen Xitong had played a role in that, blaming her was inevitable.

Shen Xitong stepped back, "Dad."

"Go back, and don’t come again." After Shen Qian spoke, he shut the hospital room door. Shen Xitong, looking desolate, left the room hurriedly without even changing her clothes, panic finally showing on her face.

When Shen Xitong appeared at the hospital entrance, the security did not stop her, but their gazes were strange, given the huge scandal online.

"Grandpa, please, don’t force me out of the Shen Family, I don’t want to leave the Shen Family," the moment she entered the Shen Family, Shen Xitong knelt before Old Sir Shen with a smack.

The instant Old Sir Shen saw it was her, his expression turned cold, "What are you doing here?"

"Grandpa, I’m begging you, I was wrong. I don’t want to leave the Shen Family, I have lived here for over ten years, treating you all as my closest kin. If I leave here, then I really won’t have a home left." Shen Xitong cried recklessly, her appearance utterly disheveled.

Shen Qinglan had just come out from the kitchen and saw Shen Xitong’s state; she handed Old Sir Shen the item in her hand, having just gone to the kitchen to pour him a cup of tea, returning only to witness this intriguing scene.

She sat down on the sofa, and upon seeing her, Shen Xitong choked on her words, unable to spit them out or swallow them.

"Your parents have found you and they are willing to live with you. The matter is decided, you may leave, and don’t come back to the Shen Family ever again," Old Sir Shen turned a blind eye to Shen Xitong’s desperate plea.

"Grandpa, are you really kicking me out of the Shen Family just because I did something that didn’t actually harm Shen Qinglan at all? Or is it because you think I’ve tarnished the Shen Family’s name and that’s why you’re so eager to get rid of me?" Shen Xitong challenged Old Sir Shen, who effectively ruled the Shen Family. If it weren’t for this old man’s word, Shen Qian would never have suggested reverting her surname.

"Shen Xitong, this is the Shen Family, and Shen Qinglan is the true granddaughter of this house. We adopted you, but that doesn’t mean you can covet things that aren’t yours. If you had always been obedient and well-behaved, since we adopted you, we would have taken care of you. But your ambitions are too great, and our Shen Family cannot harbor someone with malicious intentions," Old Sir Shen said coldly.

Shen Xitong sneered, "I’m cruel? Is Shen Qinglan’s heart not cruel? These past few days, all the negative information online, do you dare ask your dear granddaughter if she really didn’t participate in it, that she has nothing to do with it?"

"Did what I did initially cause her any harm? But what about her, what she’s doing now, she’s trying to drive me to death. This granddaughter, whom you think so highly of, has a heart even more ruthless than mine."

Shen Qinglan arched an eyebrow, her expression unchanged. Facing Shen Xitong’s accusations, she made no attempt to defend herself.

Old Sir Shen looked inscrutable, "Shen Xitong, do you still not realize where you’re wrong?"

"Me, wrong? What have I done wrong? My biggest mistake is that I am not a born daughter of the Shen family, that I have no blood relation to you all. If I were my mother’s biological daughter, would you still treat me this way?" Shen Xitong laughed and cried simultaneously.

She had regretted countless times in her heart, wishing she had been born from Chu Yunrong.

"Shen Xitong, you still fail to see," Shen Qinglan said indifferently.

"Shut up," Shen Xitong yelled, the person she hated most was undoubtedly Shen Qinglan, without equal, "All of this is because of you, if you hadn’t come back, I wouldn’t be in this situation now. Why didn’t you just die outside!" Wasn’t she said to have been taken by human traffickers? Why didn’t the traffickers sell her far, far away, let her never come back? As long as Shen Qinglan wasn’t here, she would be the only daughter of the Shen Family, she would behave obediently and earn the affection of her family; she wouldn’t have to do any of those things, it was all because of Shen Qinglan.

"Enough!" Old Sir Shen chided sharply, "Shen Xitong, the Shen Family raised you, and we have fulfilled all obligations, you may leave, you are no longer a part of this family. I will personally issue a statement in the newspaper later."

"Grandpa, are you really that ruthless? Won’t you leave me any leeway?" Shen Xitong looked at Old Sir Shen intensely, her face somber.

Old Sir Shen did not look at her but waved his hand, "You may leave."

"Fine, very well," Shen Xitong stood up from the floor, looking down at Old Sir Shen, "I will leave the Shen Family and never return, but I will remember everything the Shen Family has done to me, from now on, we are strangers."

Shen Xitong left. Shen Qinglan looked at Old Sir Shen and slightly lowered her eyes, "Grandpa, Shen Xitong’s parents were actually found by me, and I had the video and recordings put online." She admitted crisply.

"Grandpa knew," Old Sir Shen sighed lightly, he had guessed it already, meeting Shen Qinglan’s gaze, Old Sir Shen smiled affectionately, "Actually, this matter was wrong from the start, initially, grandpa agreed to your daddy adopting Shen Xitong, so naturally, it should also be grandpa who puts an end to everything."

"Grandpa, aren’t you going to scold me?" Shen Qinglan asked.

"Scold you for what? If my granddaughter were being bullied and still kept silent, then I would be disappointed," Old Sir Shen said smilingly.

After all, having been through many trials and tribulations, Old Sir Shen saw many things very clearly; his granddaughter was very measured in her actions and had a clear sense of gratitude and grievance. She wouldn’t trouble anyone unless they troubled her first.

He admitted, because she was his own kin, he was biased, but for the actions of Shen Xitong, Old...

Qinglan nodded, "Yes, I know."

Fu Hengyi had taken leave on short notice, so he rushed back to the Military Region early the next morning. After breakfast, Qinglan went to the hospital and brought breakfast for Shen Qian.

"Dad, have some breakfast first," Qinglan said, putting down the breakfast.

Shen Qian hadn’t slept all night, and due to his age, he couldn’t bear it like the young, looking extremely haggard. He hadn’t eaten much the previous night either and was hungry, so he didn’t refuse.

"Mom...has she still not woken up?" Qinglan glanced at Chu Yunrong.

Shen Qian finished the breakfast in a few bites, "Not yet, it’s hard to say when she’ll wake up."

"Dad, why don’t you rest for a bit? I’m here."

"Okay." Shen Qian didn’t refuse. Fortunately, this was a high-class ward with a sofa where he could lie down. He lay down, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

Qinglan walked to the bedside, looked at the person on the bed, sat down, and held her hand, "I’ve never blamed you for the past, nor have I held any resentment. When I was little, I was the one who wandered off. It’s not entirely your fault. Moreover, although I grew up in an orphanage, the head of the orphanage treated me very well, I was happy there, and the other kids didn’t bully me. I am now a well-known painter and have a loving husband. Everything is happy now, let the past be the past."

Qinglan didn’t know if Chu Yunrong could hear her words. She just laid next to her ear, gently speaking what she wanted to say. Eden had said that Chu Yunrong’s condition was a form of self-numbing. As long as she was willing to accept external stimuli, she could wake up. As for her mental state after waking up, that would be another matter.

"When I was little, I had a high fever once. After recovering, I forgot many things. I only remembered having a father, a mother, and grandparents, and a brother, but I couldn’t remember your faces. So, as a child, I often wondered what my mom would look like and if she would look similar to me? Whether she was gentle or stern..."

Shen Qian didn’t know when he had woken up, but he didn’t get up. He lay on the sofa with his eyes closed, listening to Qinglan’s soft words.

"People say a mother’s love is strong. You are my mother, and I can bravely face the past, so why do you choose to flee? Do you want to lie in bed forever and never look at me again? Everyone says you hold deep guilt in your heart for me, and that you love me. Shouldn’t you wake up and make up for it? There’s so much time left in our lives, are you sure you want to waste it here?" Qinglan’s clear voice entered Chu Yunrong’s ears. Her eyelids trembled, and a tear rolled down.

Qinglan, with her head down, didn’t notice and continued softly, "Since the age of five, I have never again felt a mother’s touch. I don’t want this regret to follow me all my life, so can we give each other a chance?"

"Okay." A hoarse voice erupted in the quiet hospital room, startling Qinglan, who looked up and met Chu Yunrong’s tear-filled eyes.

"Do I still have a chance?" Chu Yunrong asked cautiously, her voice hoarse from days without speaking.

Qinglan nodded firmly, "Yes, my future child will need her grandmother to take care of her."

Chu Yunrong suddenly embraced Qinglan and sobbed loudly, "Qinglan, mama was wrong, mama was truly wrong." Her cries were heart-wrenching, tears dropping onto Qinglan’s neck, carrying a burning warmth as she gently reciprocated, just as Chu Yunrong used to comfort her tenderly when she cried incessantly as a child.

"It’s okay now, everything is in the past, we can start anew."

Shen Qian sat up, having opened his eyes when Chu Yunrong started speaking, watching his weeping wife and the daughter comforting her, his aged eyes filled with warmth and a smile.

"Enough, crying like this in front of your daughter, isn’t it embarrassing?" Shen Qian teased his wife, his voice laced with laughter.

Chu Yunrong was a bit embarrassed, the last time she had lost composure like this was over ten years ago when Qinglan had disappeared.

"Qinglan, mama..."

"You’ve just woken up, you should rest a bit, I’ll go find the doctor." Qinglan stood up and walked out.

Chu Yunrong stared blankly at Qinglan’s retreating figure. Shen Qian held his wife’s hand, "Alright, our daughter said it, to give each other a chance. We have time to make it up to her slowly, the most important thing right now is for you to recover from your illness."

"Does everyone at home know already?" Chu Yunrong looked at Shen Qian, who paused before nodding, "Jun Yu brought you to the hospital."

Chu Yunrong bowed her head, "Aqian, did we make a mistake back then?"

"Yes," Shen Qian confirmed, "so now we need to correct it. We still have a long life ahead, we have a chance."

"Okay," as if she had made a decision, Chu Yunrong looked seriously at Shen Qian, "I want to get better quickly. Qinglan just said that I still have to help her take care of her children."

"That’s the right way to think. You must cooperate with the doctor’s treatment in the future and not think about those messy thoughts, understand?"

"Yes, I know."

The doctor came in for the check-up; actually, Chu Yunrong really had no physical issues, her problem was psychological. Once it was confirmed that there were no issues, Chu Yunrong was discharged from the hospital.

Old Sir Shen was very happy to see Chu Yunrong return, but Chu Yunrong, facing Old Sir Shen, felt somewhat uneasy. "Daddy."

"Yun Rong, my attitude that day was wrong, please bear with me," Old Sir Shen apologized first, not feeling it beneath him to apologize to a younger family member.

"Daddy, please don’t say that, I was the one at fault."

"Grandpa, Mom, how long do you both want to keep apologizing to each other?" Shen Junyu parked the car and walked in, amused by the sight of his grandpa and mother apologizing to each other.

Junyu is right, we’re all family here, there’s no need for apologies, let’s put the past behind us, and just avoid making the same mistakes," Old Sir Shen said.

After being discharged from the hospital, Chu Yunrong knew her illness wouldn’t be cured overnight, so after discussing with Shen Qian, she sent him back to the military, as he had given up too much for her, and she couldn’t keep holding him back.

The first time Chu Yunrong returned for a follow-up after being discharged, Shen Qinglan accompanied her. Looking at the familiar hospital, Shen Qinglan’s eyes shimmered slightly, realizing that she must have seen Chu Yunrong coming for her treatment last time.

Doctor Zhou saw the young woman accompanying Chu Yunrong and naturally knew that this was her daughter. "Miss Shen, I am your mother’s psychiatrist, my surname is Zhou."

"Doctor Zhou, I entrust my mother’s treatment to you."

Doctor Zhou asked Shen Qinglan to wait outside and took Chu Yunrong inside. This time, Chu Yunrong was more cooperative than ever.

After the treatment ended, Chu Yunrong opened her eyes, and Doctor Zhou gently asked, "How do you feel this time?"

"Much better than before. My heart doesn’t hurt as much," Chu Yunrong’s face carried a faint smile.

Doctor Zhou slightly smiled, "It must be that you and your daughter have cleared the air? In the past, it was either Shen Qian accompanying her or Chu Yunrong coming alone, but this time Shen Qinglan came, Doctor Zhou knew that they must have talked things through."

"Mm," Chu Yunrong smiled and nodded, then looked a bit worriedly at Doctor Zhou, "Doctor Zhou, can my condition be fully cured?"

"Your depression is quite severe, but your schizophrenia is mild. As long as you keep a joyful mindset, take your medication properly, and cooperate with the treatment, you can be cured."

Relieved by these words, before leaving, Doctor Zhou pulled Shen Qinglan aside and spoke to her privately. "The cause of your mother’s illness is actually you. As long as you cooperate well, your mother can be cured."

"What do I need to do to cooperate?"

Doctor Zhou gave Shen Qinglan detailed instructions and finally said, "Try to care for her more in your daily life, but also don’t treat her as a patient."

"Alright, I understand, thank you, Doctor Zhou."

Watching the mother and daughter leave, Doctor Zhou smiled.

"Mom, there’s still time, how about we go shopping? I haven’t bought clothes in a long while, and I’d like to buy some," Shen Qinglan suggested halfway through their drive, remembering what Doctor Zhou had told her that her mother regretted not having had the chance to shop properly with her and buy her a variety of clothes.

Hearing this, Chu Yunrong smiled gently, "Sure, there’s a large mall up ahead, let’s go there. There are a few stores that have very nice clothes, you should like them."

Upon arriving, Chu Yunrong took Shen Qinglan on a shopping spree, showing her what a true shopping frenzy was by comparison to what they had experienced at year-end.

"Mom," looking at the mountain of bags at her feet, Shen Qinglan was somewhat helpless; these clothes would be enough for her to wear a different outfit every day for a year without repeating.

Chu Yunrong was somewhat embarrassed. How could she have known she would buy so much? No wonder one of the credit cards was maxed out. "No worries, the mall offers home delivery. We just need to leave them our address."

Since they had bought them, they couldn’t really return the items. After leaving the address, Shen Qinglan took Chu Yunrong for a meal near the company where Shen Junyu worked, and simply called Shen Junyu to join them. Shen Junyu, knowing that his sister and mother were nearby, was about to leave.

"President Shen, President Wen of Xinhe International has invited you to lunch," Yu Bin dutifully reminded Shen Junyu.

Shen Junyu paused; he had actually forgotten. "Help me cancel it, I have other plans this afternoon." After taking a few steps, he added, "Never mind, I’ll call and explain myself."

"What other plans do you have, such that you’d stand me up?" Wen Xiyao’s voice came from the direction of the elevator doors, and as Shen Junyu looked over, Wen Xiyao had already approached him. "President Shen, standing someone up is not something a gentleman would do."

Wen Xiyao had just remembered an important document she hadn’t yet given to Shen Junyu, that’s why she had come personally; they could have lunch together, but she ended up overhearing Shen Junyu planning to stand her up.