Another summer has come to an end.
Life is not a big deal; everything will pass, and everything will be fine.
On an ordinary, sunny afternoon, Feng Ning returned home.
"Mom, I'm back—"
The house was very quiet, so quiet that Feng Ning froze in place.
Schopenhauer wrote in his book that fate always reveals this truth: everything that happens must happen; it is inevitable.
After seven rounds of chemotherapy, there was still bone metastasis. Qilan collapsed at home.
Qilan had been hiding this from Feng Ning. So she didn't know how serious Qilan's condition had become.
An ambulance arrived and stopped at the entrance of Rain River Alley. After taking her to the hospital, the doctor told Feng Ning that she might need to prepare for the worst outcome.
Looking at her mother connected to a ventilator, she felt a bit overwhelmed and questioned, "If she's this serious, then why didn't anyone tell me before?"
"Your mother said you were still studying."
"So what if I am? I am my mother's family member; why would you help the patient hide this from her family?"
Doctor: "Actually, your mother hasn't been very cooperative with the treatment; she has refused many of our treatment options."
"Why?"
"The patient's exact words were that she didn't want to lie in the hospital wasting money and depleting her family's savings," the doctor said calmly. "Your mother wants to leave you some money so she can feel at ease when she goes. We have no right to interfere with her decision."
"Then..." Feng Ning maintained her last bit of calm. Speaking a single word was exhausting for her; after a long pause, she asked, "If we treat her well now, how long can she live at most?"
"Six months to a year."
The doctor left.
Shuang Yao looked at Feng Ning, who was squatting on the ground with concern. She walked over and said, "Ning Ning..."
Feng Ning trembled slightly, hugging her knees and burying her face. "Don't comfort me, it's fine, it's fine."
It's fine.
Who is Feng Ning?
She is a strong person. When Qilan relapsed for the second time, Feng Ning had already prepared herself mentally.
So, she was not afraid of Qilan's death.
Not afraid.
Just scared.
Afraid of wasting too much time,
afraid that she hadn't spent enough time with her.
Feng Ning took the Transfer Documents and went to Qide to apply for a leave of absence.
She came alone and left alone,
without saying goodbye to anyone.
As she walked out of the school gate, Feng Ning looked back once more.
The sky was blue, the clouds were white, and the autumn air was refreshing. The class bell rang, and the school was still lively, with boys chasing each other in the corridors and girls blushing as they shared secrets arm in arm.
Everything was beautiful.
No one noticed that someone was missing, and no one cared that someone was gone.
Perhaps... someone did care.
Feng Ning thought of Jiang Wen.
She smiled lightly and hailed a taxi to leave.
In the hospital, Meng Hanmo handed her a card. "There is two hundred thousand in here. Focus on your studies and don't worry about money."
Qilan needed treatment and couldn't afford to be without funds, so Feng Ning didn't refuse. She said, "Brother, I will pay you back in the future."
Meng Hanmo frowned slightly. "When will you go back to school?"
Feng Ning repeated her stance: "I want to stay with my mom."
"You’re almost in your senior year. Don’t you regret taking time off now?"
"I don’t regret it."
In the quiet hospital corridor late at night, her voice was clear: "Even if it's a long time from now, if you ask me to choose, I would still do exactly the same thing as I am now."
Perhaps Feng Ning was too greedy.
She still hoped to borrow a few more years so that Qilan could see her grow up safely.
But she couldn't accompany her mother for much longer. So now, even every minute and second had to be cherished.
Even if she would be alone in the future, it wouldn't matter.
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