If You Could Hear My Heart

Chapter 225: Being Kept (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Translator: 549690339

After the barbecue, Shen Shihan suggested going for a walk with Xu Chaomu, and the two of them visited the park and zoo together.

Xu Chaomu had a lot of fun; she laughed and shook his arm, “Shihan, you really are the best to me.”

“Actually, I’m not good,” Shen Shihan said with a faint smile.

His eyes were deep and dark, impenetrable at a glance, as if harboring countless worries. When he looked at Xu Chaomu, a long sigh escaped from the bottom of his heart.

I’m sorry, Chaomu.

All along the way, Shen Shihan was almost at Xu Chaomu’s beck and call, buying her whatever she wanted.

Xu Chaomu was also very well-behaved and did not make any unreasonable demands, just walking along with Shen Shihan.

It wasn’t until she was too full to walk that she began to groan while holding her stomach, wanting to go back to school.

“Shihan, I need to get back to school; I can’t walk anymore, I’m tired. You’re really good to me!”

“You must be exhausted, then let me take you,” he offered.

“No need, Shihan, you go back, I can take the bus by myself!”

Having said that, Xu Chaomu hopped and skipped towards the bus stop.

Halfway there, she bounced back, stood on tiptoe, and hugged Shen Shihan.

After hugging him, she let go with a triumphant smile, “Shihan, thank you for spending the day with me. Listen, next time we have barbecue, you should bring a girlfriend. I don’t mind being the third wheel, remember, bring a girlfriend, okay? You are so outstanding, Shihan, your girlfriend is surely gorgeous.”

She waved and laughed while walking backwards towards the bus stop.

“You little imp, be careful walking,” he said.

“Shihan, promise me you’ll find a gentle and virtuous girlfriend soon, it has to be a girlfriend, not a boyfriend, hmph,” Xu Chaomu laughed after saying this.

“Look at you, not being serious,” Shen Shihan laughed as well.

The sunlight poured down, lighting up Xu Chaomu’s beautiful and innocent face—a sight of pure and simple beauty. Eighteen years old, free of worries.

Shen Shihan thought, if not for the entanglement of interests, he truly wished Xu Chaomu could remain naive forever.

“I’m going now, I’m really going, Shihan, don’t miss me…”

Xu Chaomu laughed mischievously and waved goodbye to Shen Shihan.

Shen Shihan waved back at her, his lips slowly curling into a knowing smile.

Just then, a bus to the school passed by the stop, and Xu Chaomu leapt onto it.

Through the bus glass, she waved goodbye to Shen Shihan again and again.

Some people, once parted, are gone forever.

If one day she quietly leaves, then all people, all things, will have become the past…

As the gentle breeze passes through, the dust settles, and everything no longer appears as it once did.

One day, they each will rush to their separate corners of the world…

Shen Shihan watched her leave and stood by the roadside for a long time, like a statue.

The sunlight scattered on the ground, and time lamented the fleeting greenery and sad passing of years.

Back then, it was thought of as nothing special.

Not knowing how much time had passed, Shen Shihan finally got back into his car and drove away from the place.

When he arrived at a hospital entrance, he suddenly stepped on the brake and slowly drove through the hospital gates.

The hospital wasn’t big, but Shen Shihan had learned something—that Mo Shuifu’s mother was admitted there.

Since that night, he had found out everything about Mo Shuifu: her mother had suddenly suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and was now a semi-vegetative person in the hospital, in need of a large amount of money for treatment.

He stopped the car and walked to the third floor of the hospital.

The ward was very quiet; he quietly opened the door.

The four-person ward was especially crowded and very messy.

The environment was poor; upon entering, he was greeted with unpleasant smells. Aside from Mo Shuifu’s mother, the other patients were chatting quietly.

Shen Shihan frowned and walked to the bed at the far end.

Mo Shuifu’s mother was sleeping; according to the doctors, her brain was fuzzy, and she was nearly unable to recognize anyone.

“Auntie Mo.” Shen Shihan sat by the bed and called out softly.

There was no response.

Instead, several other patients started whispering, “Who is this man? Why have we never seen him before?”

“Right, we’ve never seen him, and he is quite handsome.”

“He looks rich.”

“Could he be her son-in-law? I haven’t heard of that.”

“Mo Shuifu is quite pretty. Finding a rich man shouldn’t be hard for her.”

“Last time a nurse said that Mo Shuifu suddenly paid off all the money she owed the hospital. Could it be this man who gave her the money?”

“Hard to say, how could Mo Shuifu, a young girl, earn so much for medical expenses, hundreds of thousands!”

“Oh, these young ladies are quite open these days. But there’s no choice, her mother is in this state, it’s an act of filial piety.”

“Indeed, how much can a girl earn? Relying on a man isn’t a shameful thing.”

“If he’s a boyfriend, that would be fine, but what if she’s become a mistress, being kept by someone.”

Shen Shihan heard these words, turned around, and gave them a cold glance.

This look was as cold as ice, silencing the chattering patients immediately.

Just then, a young nurse walked in.

She went to the bedside of Mo Shuifu’s mother, skillfully straightened the bed, then hung a new IV bag.

“How serious is it?” Shen Shihan asked.

“She still doesn’t have much consciousness, occasionally mutters a few words, but only Miss Mo can understand her,” the nurse shook her head.

“They don’t have any other relatives?”

“Yes, it has been so long, and I haven’t seen anyone else visit. Sir, you are the first.”

“How much do they owe in medical expenses?”

“They owed four to five hundred thousand before. The hospital was about to discharge them due to the debt, but Miss Mo suddenly paid it off a couple of days ago. However, the ongoing cost of life-sustaining medical care is too expensive, I’m afraid…”

“How much is needed per day?”

“By a conservative estimate, it’s about eight or nine thousand a day.”

Shen Shihan’s brows furrowed even more, and he was silent for a long while.

After some time, he finally took the pen from the nurse’s hand and wrote down a string of numbers on a piece of paper.

“If they can’t afford the medical bills in the future, call me. Of course, don’t tell Mo Shuifu that I have been here.”

The nurse took the number, nodded, and said, “Okay, I understand.”

A curious patient in the room asked, “Sir, what is your relationship with the Mo Family’s Miss?”

“A friend,” answered Shen Shihan indifferently.

“Friend? Boyfriend, right!”

No sooner had she spoken than the others laughed, “Don’t be embarrassed to admit it. Let me tell you, the Mo family’s young lady is indeed pretty and has a gentle temperament. She’s always very polite to us when she comes by. Alas, it’s just too sad.”

“Yeah, exactly, if you are really her boyfriend, you should be good to her. The girl is only in her twenties, it’s not easy for her.”

Shen Shihan slightly curled his lips, “Mhm.”

“But hey, kid, if you already have a family, then don’t mess with our Mo girl, or you’ll be bringing her harm.”

“Mhm.” Shen Shihan simply responded in his usual cool manner.

Just then, someone walked into the ward from outside.

As luck would have it, it was Mo Shuifu.

Mo Shuifu arrived in a fluster, her hair slightly disheveled. Upon entering, she loosened the scarf around her neck.

“Ladies, what nonsense are you talking about, he’s just a regular friend,” Mo Shuifu chided.

“Young lady, we don’t buy it. He is the first one to visit your mother,” they said.