To My Dear Mr. Huo

Su Qingsang changed as soon as she came out of the operating theatre. When she returned to her office, she noticed that she had a few missed calls on her mobile phone—and they were all from Li Qianxue.

She raised her eyebrows in surprise because Li Qianxue rarely called her during her working hours.

Su Qingsang tried calling back but when she couldn’t get through, she realized that Li Qianxue must have turned off her mobile phone. She became even more confused about the situation.

Su Qingsang was unable to reach Li Qianxue until it was her lunchtime.

Su Qingsang had to perform surgery right after that, in the afternoon. She thought for a moment and then sent a message to Li Qianxue, telling her the time that she should be out from the operating theatre.

When the surgery was over, Su Qingsang tried calling Li Qianxue again, and finally it got through this time.

“Mother?”

Su Qingsang heaved a sigh of relief when Li Qianxue picked up her call.

“Were you busy just now? I have been tried to call you back, but you turned off your phone. What did you say? You are in Rong City?”

Taken aback, Su Qingsang thought she must have been mistaken about what she just heard.

“Where are you now? Outside my hospital? Wait for me. I am leaving the office soon. I’ll come out now.”

Su Qingsang ended the call quickly. She talked the nurses through the condition of the previous patient that they should take note of. Then, she rushed out of the hospital quickly with her handbag and mobile phone.

Li Qianxue was sitting at a bench on the hospital lawn. She sat rigidly upright, staring at an invisible point, with a grim expression on her face.

“Mother!

“Mother?”

Su Qingsang came forward. She called out for Li Qianxue twice before she finally looked up at her.

“Qingsang?”

“Mother? Why are you here? Why didn’t you—”

What Li Qianxue did next shocked Su Qingsang really badly. After seeing Su Qingsang, Li Qianxue stood up and hugged her tightly.

Su Qingsang tensed up at the spot where she stood and almost dropped her handbag onto the ground.

Li Qianxue had hugged her rather tightly, and Su Qingsang was still in a bit of a daze.

“Mother?”

Su Qingsang tried to call out for her again, but Li Qianxue did not respond again.

Li Qianxue hugged her possessively. She had no words to explain how she felt when she saw the video that had been sent to her last night.

At first, she was angry, and she felt fury overwhelm her. But then she watched the video again when she was slightly calmer.

That’s when she realized that she shouldn’t be angry at all.

Li Qianxue knew that Su Qingsang and Xiang Caiping used to think that they were mother and daughter. But what she didn’t know about was that, after Su Qingsang reunited with her, she still kept in contact with Xiang Caiping.

She had never seen Xiang Caiping and Su Qingsang getting along with each other before. She had never asked about it, and so she never thought about it.

Now, she knew what they were like when they were together.

In the video, she had seen Su Qingsang smile and learn how to wrap rice dumplings in bamboo leaves. She saw Xiang Caiping standing behind her, guiding her slowly like she was her own daughter.

Su Qingsang was very serious about learning and she would raise her head to ask Xiang Caiping occasionally if she was doing it right.

There were emotions in the look she gave Xiang Caiping. The same emotions were present when Xiang Caiping smiled at Su Qingsang as well.

She still cared for Xiang Caiping.

That was something that Li Qianxue could not tolerate.

Li Qianxue’s emotions went through a roller coaster ride and what seemed like a fear of losing someone precious to her shook her again. She had thought of Su Chenghui.

Su Chenghui had not forgotten about Xiang Caiping for over a decade. The existence of that woman was like a living nightmare for Li Qianxue.

She had remained on Su Chenghui’s mind even after so many years. Is she going to occupy Su Qingsang’s thoughts the same way as well?

There was something else that made Li Qianxue feel this anxious. She had met Su Chenghui on the plane to Rong City as well.

“Qianxue?”

Su Chenghui had been surprised when he noticed Li Qianxue. They were both in the first-class cabin, so there was only an aisle in between them.

She glanced at Su Chenghui coldly, and then looked away.

She hated Su Chenghui and did not want to look at him any longer than necessary. But Su Chenghui seemed to be very interested in having a conversation with her.

“Qianxue, are you going to Rong City too?”

Li Qianxue did not respond to his question. There was a flash of disappointment that passed over his face—just for a quick moment.

“What a coincidence. I am going to Rong City too—”

“Su Chenghui.”

Li Qianxue interrupted him with a sharp look. She examined the deliberately pleasant expression on his ironic face.

“This flight is for Rong City. Don’t you know that?”

“…” Su Chenghui was speechless. He wanted to say something else, but Li Qianxue did not give him any chance to answer.

“I know that you are going to visit Xiang Caiping in Rong City, so you don’t need to explain yourself anymore.”

“Qianxue, I am not going to visit Xiang Caiping. I—I am going on a business trip. It’s the truth. Actually—”

Su Chenghui’s company had started improving and making quick progress recently.

This rise in his career gave him a little more confidence in his abilities. He thought that this had brought him one step forward, one step closer toward Li Qianxue.

“Business trip?” Li Qianxue laughed. “Yes, of course. You’re going so far to Rong City—just for business. I understand. You don’t have to explain yourself to me.”

There was an edge of sarcasm in the smile on Li Qianxue’s face. She also had a disdainful look in her eyes.

On one hand, Su Chenghui had talked about reconciling with her, but the hand behind his back was meeting up with Xiang Caiping.

Tsk. Su Chenghui’s hypocrisy really had no limits.

“Qianxue, you have to believe me. I—”

“Stop.” Li Qianxue felt terrible. Her eyes turned sharp instantly. “We are divorced. You can go wherever you want, and you can visit whoever you want. What you do is none of my business. Okay?”

“Qianxue—”

Li Qianxue responded by putting on her sleep mask and ignoring him completely.

Su Chenghui wanted to explain, to keep talking, but now the other passengers were boarding the plane, so he did not manage to say what he wanted to.

When Su Chenghui alighted from the plane, he missed Li Qianxue who had gone to the airport restroom as soon as she could.

When Li Qianxue divorced Su Chenghui, she knew that he would end up with Xiang Caiping.

The woman he had loved for so many years suddenly came back one day. Why wouldn’t he? He never forgot about her.

As for what Su Chenghui had said to her, he only said that because of Li Family, or the Li Corporation.

Su Chenghui’s appearance in Rong City had confirmed her assumptions.

Su Chenghui did not love her and the one he wanted to be with was Xiang Caiping. Li Qianxue had nothing else to say to him.

They were divorced, so they were no longer related. It would be none of her business, even if Su Chenghui ended up together with Xiang Caiping, and eventually married her.

But she didn’t feel like letting go of Su Qingsang.

Xiang Caiping had always been in between her and Su Chenghui all these years. And she had already been loved by Su Chenghui for over a decade.

Was she also going to take her daughter away from her now? Was that what she was trying to do?

Li Qianxue felt very horrible just thinking about that.

Why was such a thing happening to her?

Why should she allow that to happen? If Su Qingsang ultimately loved Xiang Caiping more, what would happen to her in the end?

Would Su Yuxin end up going with Xiang Caiping as well?

Su Chenghui and Xiang Caiping could still start a new family together. And there was even a father, a mother and three children to complete this family.

Was that how it was going to turn out?

Li Qianxue had never been a pessimist, but she couldn’t bring herself to be optimistic when it had to do with Su Chenghui.

Li Qianxue hugged Su Qingsang tightly like she was holding on to a drifting wood in the waters. Is she going to lose her daughter again when she had finally got her back?

“Mother?”

Li Qianxue was not particularly strong but right at that moment, Su Qingsang felt like she was being strangled.

“Mother? You—”

“Qingsang! Don’t leave me, alright?”

“Mother…what?”

“Qingsang, don’t abandon me, please?”

Su Qingsang was a little confused about these two requests. Her lips moved haltingly as she raised one hand to pat Li Qianxue’s back gently.

“Mother, what are you talking about? I am your daughter, why would I do that?”

“No! You got to promise me. You have to make a promise first! You cannot leave me, and you cannot abandon me. Do you understand?”

Su Qingsang could feel the curious stares from the people walking past. It was late evening now even though it was still very bright outside.

It was going to be dinner time soon so many people were going in and out of the hospital. Many family members of the hospital’s patients were visiting at this hour.

“Mum, can you let go of me first?”

“No! You have to promise me first. Then I’ll let go of you.”

The overwhelming emotions that came with losing someone precious to her made it difficult for Li Qianxue to let go. Su Qingsang had to reassure her first for her to relax from all the anxiety that had built up since she watched the video.

“Alright. I promise you, Mother. I will never abandon you, and I won’t ever leave you either.”

“Really?” Li Qianxue finally retreated a little. But she continued to stare intently into Su Qingsang’s eyes, hands gripping her arms firmly.

“Of course!”

Su Qingsang had no idea what made Li Qianxue say all this so suddenly. But from the past few months of interacting with Li Qianxue, Su Qingsang got to know her mother’s personality better.

“You are my mother, and I am your daughter. Why would I ever abandon you?”

They were related by blood. They were a mother and a daughter, they had the closest relationship in the world, didn’t they?

“But—” Li Qianxue looked at her, and she stopped herself from saying what she had come to her mind just then.

“But what? Mother, what’s going on?”

“It’s nothing.” Li Qianxue started to become aware of the people around them, and the way they were staring.

She smiled and she tamped down all her emotions.

She cleared the desperate expression she had on her face within a few seconds.

“Look at me. I got muddled from the flight. Have you eaten?”

“Not yet. I am just about to go home. You have not eaten as well, have you?”

“No. The in-flight meals were not very good.”

“Let’s go home. Ms. Yu cooks quite well.”

“Okay. I have heard you say that several times. Let’s go.”

Li Qianxue took a step back and Su Qingsang saw a suitcase behind her.

That was how she realized that Li Qianxue came to look for her as soon as she reached the airport.

She didn’t know how to feel about that. Where they were right then was not the right place to talk, so she took over wheeling the suitcase from Li Qianxue.

“Come, Mother. Let’s go.”

By the time they had reached Su Qingsang’s car, no one could tell that Li Qianxue just had a mental breakdown.

She was back to her usual confident and elegant self.

“Qingsang. How have you been recently?”

“Mother, don’t you get to see me when we video call every day? Why are you still asking me that? I am doing well, going to work and getting off work as per usual. You know well about my relationship with Huo Jinyao too. Anyway, everything’s good.”

“I know. I just wanted to ask you something. Recently, did you meet up with Xiang—”

“What?”

Su Qingsang was putting the suitcase away and slammed the trunk shut.

Li Qianxue’s gaze was intense and probing. “It’s nothing much. I just wanted to ask if you met—”