Chapter 9: The Belated Gift

When Ran Xing arrived at the hospital, Xu Xin had already been wheeled into the operating room.

Xu Xin, the mother of Xu Ting.

Since Xu Ting’s death, Xu Xin had developed Alzheimer’s disease.

Her memory fluctuated—sometimes clear, sometimes foggy.

Usually, she was just sleepy or sat there absentmindedly.

But in these past three years, she had never attempted suicide as severely as today.

Seeing the operating room lights still on, Ran Xing clenched her fists tightly and paced anxiously outside.

Soon, the door opened, and a chief surgeon in blue scrubs stepped out.

She stopped the person and glanced inside the operating room, then urgently asked, “Doctor, how is Auntie?”

The doctor removed her mask, sighed softly, and politely said, “Miss Ran, let’s go inside and talk.”

——

Inside the consultation room,

The doctor handed Ran Xing the diagnosis.

“The patient has shown self-harming behavior, indicative of depression. She is now in the moderate stage of cognitive decline. Going forward, she may experience difficulties with eating, loss of speech, and in severe cases, could become vegetative. Thankfully, the caregiver discovered this in time, saving her life.”

Ran Xing held the diagnosis, her hands suddenly numb and trembling as she asked, “So, doctor, will Auntie continue to have these episodes?”

“That’s hard to say. It mostly depends on whether the patient cooperates with treatment and their mental state.”

Hearing this, Ran Xing lowered her gaze, silently accepting the reality, replying mechanically like an unfeeling machine, “Okay, I understand.”

In the intensive care ward,

She looked through the door window.

The woman lay motionless on the bed, connected to a ventilator.

Ran Xing’s heart ached as tears streamed down her face.

Afraid of being seen, she lifted her head slightly, sniffed, and stubbornly wiped away her tears with her hand.

——

Before leaving the hospital, she went to see the caregiver.

The woman was in her fifties, of average build, with a sallow complexion, always smiling at everyone.

At the first sight of Ran Xing, she timidly apologized, “I’m truly sorry, Miss Ran. I didn’t take good care of Ms. Xu. But I swear, from now on, I will stay by her side every moment. Please don’t fire me.”

Ran Xing smiled warmly. “The doctor said it’s thanks to your timely discovery that Auntie survived. So, I should be the one thanking you.”

——

Hearing this, the woman’s face instantly flushed with warmth. “Miss Ran, you’re too kind. It’s just my duty.”

“Well, then I’m entrusting you to continue taking care of Auntie,” Ran Xing said, giving a final instruction before preparing to leave the hospital.

On the third floor, she caught sight of a familiar figure rushing past.

Seeing the person’s panicked walk, she was sure of her suspicions.

Smiling slightly, Ran Xing watched the figure leave the hospital, then took out her phone and dialed a number.

After the phone rang for nearly a minute, the other end finally answered with a gentle voice, “Hello? Who’s this?”

Hearing hurried footsteps in the background, her brow relaxed, a playful smile curving her lips.

“It’s me, Ran Xing.”

Hearing the voice she despised, the tone on the other end turned cold and mocking, “Oh, it’s Sister Ran Xing. I was just thinking of visiting you. How have you been?”

Ran Xing snorted, smiling alluringly.

“Thanks to you, this surprise is quite to my liking.”

The other party laughed maliciously, then raised their voice, adopting a coquettish tone.

“Sister Ran, I’m glad you like it. I’ve been preparing this gift for a long time.”

Ran Xing clenched her teeth, suppressing her anger, and replied sullenly, “Is that so? You’ve really gone to some trouble.”

Just as she finished speaking, she raised an eyebrow and smiled slyly. “By the way, I have a gift for you as well, as a return present.”

Before the other had a chance to refuse, Ran Xing added in a slightly threatening yet playful tone, “I’ll be waiting outside your house in twenty minutes. Of course, if I don’t see you, this gift might just end up being sent to the director.”

With that, she hung up without giving the other a chance to respond.

——

Night gradually fell, the towering buildings on both sides of the river lit up, shining brilliantly in the darkness.

Vehicles sped down the streets.

Ran Xing drove toward Wen Xiaoning’s home.

At a traffic light, her phone rang.

She swiftly put on her headset and quietly said, “Hello.”

“How’s it going? Did you sign the commercial?”

At the first word, Ran Xing immediately recognized the caller.

She smiled lightly, “Of course, thanks to President Yang.”

“I’ve already helped you. What about the photos…”

There was a hint of pleading in the gruff voice.

Ran Xing’s smile vanished instantly, her brows knitting tightly as she replied firmly, “President Yang, you haven’t forgotten, have you? You promised to introduce me to Zhang Tong. What, changed your mind?”

The other quickly denied, “No, no, I’ve already helped you land an international ad with President Wang. You didn’t know? President Wang is Zhang Tong’s cousin. If you meet President Wang, you won’t have trouble meeting Zhang Tong.”

Ran Xing’s pupils contracted sharply, her grip on the steering wheel tightening unconsciously.

Gritting her teeth, she said, “I really didn’t know that. That’s good news.”

After speaking, she hung up, yanked off the headset, and tossed it onto the passenger seat, her eyes burning with anger.

……

Wen Xiaoning had been watching from upstairs through the window.

As the car’s headlights drew nearer, she crossed her arms, a wicked smile playing on her lips.

When the car finally stopped, she leisurely made a call.

Eyes fixed on the person getting out of the car, she casually said, “The person’s here. I’ll hand them over to you soon.”

Then she hung up, put on a professional fake smile, tidied herself up briefly, and went out to greet the visitor.

Perhaps because autumn had arrived, the wind outside had grown stronger, causing Ran Xing’s head to throb.

She took a deep breath and tightened her coat around her.

“Sister Ran, it’s windy outside. Come on in,” Wen Xiaoning hurried over, sounding unusually polite.

Ran Xing sneered coldly, “No need. I’m here to deliver a gift to you.”

Wen Xiaoning forced a smile, “It’s just a gift. You can give it to me on set. No need to come all the way here.”

Leaning against the car, her shadow stretched long by the streetlight, Ran Xing’s expression was aloof and proud.

“That won’t do. I wouldn’t dare send gifts to you openly on set like you do. By the way, I want to ask where you bought that projector. I have to say, it’s really good quality. I want one too.”

Wen Xiaoning’s smile stiffened, and she cleared her throat to cover her embarrassment.

“If you like it, Sister Ran, I can give you one. But the man in that photo is very radiant, very fitting for you. It’s a pity he died young.”

With a forced calm, Ran Xing followed up on her words, dragging out the last syllable, “So, I have to thank you for letting me see him again. But I’m curious—where did you get that photo?”

Wen Xiaoning, pleased by the compliment, sounded a bit smug.

“That’s something Sister Ran doesn’t need to know. By the way, where’s my gift?”