HSS Chapter 78
Translated by Novice Translations
Proofread by Yserieh
Extra 1: Previous Life
The Bai family’s villa.
As soon as Bai Zheng returned from the company and got out of the car, he received a call from Assistant Lu Yang.
"President, the SAIMEI Group agreed to our agreement, and their regional manager in China will come to Yuncheng next week."
"What about Mu Xiaoya?" Bai Zheng asked.
"She’s one of the designers." Lu Yang added, "I checked, Mu Xiaoya's flight will arrive at Yuncheng Airport at 11am three days later. After returning, she will rest for a while, then directly report to the company after three days."
"Continue to follow up." Hanging up the phone, Bai Zheng entered the living room. He had been working overtime in the company today and it was past seven o’clock when he returned home. The Bai couple were waiting in the living room, when they saw Bai Zheng enter, they asked Uncle Li to prepare dinner.
The family sat down in the dining room and the food was quickly served, but the spot beside Bai Zheng was always empty.
Li Rong glanced at it and sighed habitually: "Uncle Li, Xiao Chuan didn't eat much today, prepare something light and bring it up."
"Yes." In fact, Uncle Li had already prepared it without Li Rong’s order. Because second young master often forgets to eat, his stomach has always been bad, so the kitchen prepares food for stomach aches all year round.
After a while, Uncle Li took a bowl of carefully prepared tasteless food to the second floor.
Looking at the bowl of food specially prepared for Bai Chuan, Li Rong suddenly lost her appetite. There were so many dishes in front of her, how many of these dishes been eaten by their family’s Xiao Chuan?
"I'm full." The plate in front of Li Rong was still clean and hasn’t been touched at all.
"You need to eat." Bai Guoyu stopped his wife. In recent years, as long as Bai Chuan doesn’t come down to eat with them, Li Rong doesn’t eat anymore.
"I can't eat anymore."
"I know." Bai Guoyu said that he knew and put the chopsticks back into his wife's hand.
Li Rong had no choice but to look at the table full of dishes, and finally picked a piece of lettuce.
Compared with his parents' detachment of food, Bai Zheng's appetite is very good. He quickly ate a bowl of rice in front of him, filled a bowl of soup for himself, drank the soup, and wiped his hands with a napkin. Only then can I pay attention to my parents.
"I have something to tell you." Bai Zheng said.
"What is it?" Bai Guoyu asked curiously.
"I got Mu Xiaoya back."
Bai Zheng's words just fell when he heard a ka cha, his mother was too shocked and overturned the spoon in her hand.
"What did you do?" Compared with his wife, Bai Guoyu was relatively calm.
"I invested a lot of money, some time ago, and cooperated with the SAIMEI Group to establish a new brand independent of SAIMEI. Their headquarters sent a group of designers to come, Mu Xiaoya is one of them." Bai Zheng simply replied.
"You… what do you want to do?"
"Don’t worry, I won't mess up." Bai Zheng's eyes sank, although he already felt he was reckless, “I will set up an online retail store for the newly established studio as a major shareholder. I will appoint Mu Xiaoya to be the person in charge, then… let Xiao Chuan be in charge of the website. If she’s really Xiao Chuan’s second window, then she should know how to cooperate with Xiao Chuan.”
If she doesn’t know how to get along with Xiao Chuan, it can’t be worse than how it is now.
"I’ll discuss with you about this matter in the future. If you always invest so casually, the shareholders will have opinions." This matter wasn’t even known to him and he was the chairman, so Bai Zheng certainly didn’t inform the other shareholders.
"No, I used Xiao Chuan's shares for this investment." Bai Chuan owned 15% of the Yifeng Group’s shares, but after so many years, he hasn’t spent a penny. As his elder brother, he will use his investments to help him.
"Is it..." Li Rong finally calmed down and asked with hope, "As long as Xiao Chuan and Mu Xiaoya meet again, he will recover."
Recovery? What is recovery? As long as Xiao Chuan can talk again and eat on time, it’s okay.
At this time, Uncle Li came downstairs carrying a tray. Li Rong saw him and looked at the tray in his hand and found that it was the food delivered at noon and suddenly felt uncomfortable again: “He didn’t eat?”
“Second young master hasn’t touched it and hasn’t eaten in a day.” Uncle Li was also distressed. “Hopefully, second young master will eat dinner.”
“I’ll go.” With that, Bai Zheng wiped his hands, got up and left the dining room and went to Bai Chuan’s room on the second floor.
Bai Chuan's autism became more severe after Grandma died, and he would often immerse himself in his world and ignore everyone. Hunger, thirst and even pain, he didn’t know how to call for help. If he knew how to call for help, then that wouldn’t have had…
Thinking of that accident, Bai Zheng's eyes turned red. He took a deep breath and waited until his emotions calmed down before he pushed open the door and went in.
Bai Chuan was sitting at the only desk in the room, reading a book. He was wearing light-colored cotton pajamas. He seemed to have no idea that someone had entered his room and was still reading the book seriously. He reads the book very quickly, turning over several pages in a short amount of time. His hands were full of scars, every time he swipes under the halo of the desk lamp, Bai Zheng’s eyes would tingle from pain.
It wasn’t only his hands, but also his face, his scalp, around his ears. The mottled area on his scalp could no longer produce hair, it looked bald and shocking. No matter how many times he seen it, Bai Zheng couldn’t get used to it. This is his younger brother. He treasured and protected this younger brother since childhood, but in a blink of an eye, he became like this.
Bai Zheng has hated autism since he was a child. Because of this disease, his younger brother became a stranger. But in that accident, he was very grateful for autism. Because his younger brother didn’t seem to know the pain, nor have a psychological shadow, because his wife left him and ran away when the fire broke out. He just wholeheartedly lives in his own world, the beautiful world that he created that only he can enter and leave freely.
"Eat." Bai Zheng reached for the book in his younger brother’s hand and forcibly placed the plate in front of Bai Chuan.
Bai Chuan didn't move. He kept reading and looked at the food that suddenly appeared in front of him. He didn’t eat or make any noise.
"Mu Xiaoya~~"
In only those words, Bai Chuan raised his head successfully, his expression face giving a response for the first time.
“You eat the meal, then I’ll tell you.”
"Eat, Xiaoya?" Bai Chuan stuttered when he speaks because he hasn’t spoken in a long time.
"En." Bai Zheng nodded.
Finally, Bai Chuan picked up the spoon and ate it one mouthful at a time.
Bai Zheng dragged a chair to sit in front of Bai Chuan. He looked at Bai Chuan who just communicated and talked so much. For the 1,000th time he regrets that he couldn’t become a bad person for once and force Mu Xiaoya to stay at the Bai family’s home in the beginning.
He was really afraid, as their mother said, if she doesn’t want to stay: Mu Xiaoya will become the second Wang Jing.
"I’m finished." Bai Chuan doesn't eat fast, but he was very focused. When people are focused on doing a task, they always finish fast and well.
Bai Zheng looked at the shiny clean bowl, which almost was the same as being washed, and met Bai Chuan’s expectant eyes. He said: “Mu Xiaoya is returning to China and will arrive in three days.”
"I~ want to see." Bai Chuan said.
"I'll take you to see her later."
"I see... immediately." Bai Chuan thought Bai Zheng didn't understand what he meant.
"...Okay." Bai Zheng compromised. "I'll take you to the airport."
Bai Chuan was immediately satisfied, the face full of scars made an effort to twitch, and eventually Bai Zheng saw a smile-like expression.
=
Three days later, Yuncheng Airport.
Bai Zheng was waiting at the airport with the tightly bundled up Bai Chuan. He was afraid that the crowed would run into Bai Chuan, so he even transferred several security guards from the company over to separate the crowd from them.
Suddenly, Bai Chuan excitedly took two steps forward. Bai Zheng was stunned and almost couldn’t hold him back. When he looked back, he saw a young girl in a white dress with curly hair coming out of the passage.
As she walked, it wasn’t known who she was talking to, but her black eyes were full of joy and her steps were hurried, soon she passed by them.
"Xiao... Xiao... ya." Bai Chuan struggled forward a few steps, but he stuttered when he speaks. When he finished the word Xiaoya, Mu Xiaoya had already walked two meters away.
Bai Chuan was anxious. Xiaoya didn’t see him and he waved away Bai Zheng’s arm and shouted again, “Xiaoya~~”
The girl seemed to have heard it as she finally turned her head back. She looked blankly at him, then it wasn’t known what the person said on the phone, but she suddenly showed a bright smile, turned around and continued walking forward.
Bai Zheng knew that Mu Xiaoya didn’t recognize Bai Chuan, but Bai Chuan has regarded Mu Xiaoya’s smile a response to him.
"Xiaoya, Xiaoya... gone." Bai Chuan hurried to chase her.
"Don't worry. She’s going to take a taxi at the exit in a while. I’ll take you there." Bai Zheng signaled to the security guards to open up a passage. He took Bai Chuan to chase after Mu Xiaoya, however, the flow of people was too dense and Bai Chuan was afraid of others, so several people chased the entire way until finally they saw Mi Xiaoya stopping a car at the airport’s gate.
Bai Chuan excitedly opened his eyes to Bai Zheng and wanted to run forward, when…
Mu Xiaoya suddenly fell without warning.
The crowd suddenly exploded, and subconsciously dodged, then surrounded her in curiosity. At this time, Bai Chuan seemed to have overcome the psychological barrier of fear and pushed the crowd out of the way and even squeezed himself to Mu Xiaoya’s side without the security guards’ help.
"Xiaoya, Xiaoya~~" Bai Chuan didn't know what happened to Mu Xiaoya. Why did she suddenly fall asleep? Why was her body suddenly so hot? Was she sick?
"Big Brother~" Bai Chuan helplessly looked at Bai Zheng, who also followed him. The panic and fear he showed was never seen when he was surrounded by fire.
"To the hospital."
There were too many cars at the airport and the private car wasn’t as mobile as the airport cars. Therefore, Mu Xiaoya was finally sent to the hospital by the airport. But five minutes later, he also took Bai Chuan to the hospital.
Bai Chuan stayed outside the emergency room, and his pair of eyes were locked onto Mu Xiaoya, but didn’t hear the doctor’s words.
But Bai Zheng heard it.
"Rapid heart failure, she is dying. Please quickly contact her family."
"What is this disease? Why is it so strange?"
"Notify the department for consultation."
Bai Zheng didn’t care about Mu Xiaoya’s life and death, but he couldn’t bear Bai Chuan’s disappointment. Despite the negative emotions, wasn’t his brother finally emotional?
After six consecutive hours of surgery, Mu Xiaoya’s condition was temporarily stable, but the doctor couldn’t specify a cause, and wasn’t sure if Mu Xiaoya would wake up.
“I’m sorry, we’ve tried our best, but your daughter’s life is still in danger. We have invited experts from all over the country for consultation, but don’t know if they will come in time?”
Bai Zheng looked at the grief-stricken and helpless Mu couple. Bai Zheng took out his cellphone and called his good friend in the medical industry, asking for experts to come.
Two days later, Professor Rong’s arrival completely established the cause of the illness, it was a sudden genetic disease and there was no cure.
At the moment when the news was known, Bai Zheng walked to Bai Chuan, who had been sitting in the corridor for two days, forcibly pulling her up, and wanted to directly take Mu Xiaoya away.
"Don't go, don't go..." Bai Chuan resisted fiercely, holding the back of the chair with the same strength as when he had an outburst, unwilling to leave.
"Come back with me." Bai Zheng shouted.
"I won't go, I won't go~" Bai Chuan shook his head frantically.
“What has she done for you, that you miss her so much and for so long? She didn’t even know you have been standing here for so long. Even her parents haven’t noticed you are here.” In fact, Bai Zheng was clear about the Mu parents’ mentality in his heart; how could they pay attention to other people?
But he was angry. Why was his family’s Bai Chuan like this? He silently likes a person for so long, only when he hears that she has come back, was he happy to eat. It wasn’t easy to see her, but before saying a word, she was gone again.
What if Bai Chuan saw Mu Xiaoya die with his own eyes? Bai Zheng didn't dare to think about it, so he wanted to take Bai Chuan away.
"Go!" Bai Zheng signaled the security guard to break off Bai Chuan's hands from the chair and forcibly took him out of the hospital.
Bai Chuan struggled desperately, but he couldn't resist the strength of two people alone, and was eventually tucked into the car and forced to leave the hospital.
Bai Chuan, who was taken home by force, was frightened, anxious, uneasy, and repelled. He smashed things everywhere in anger and screamed ‘ahhh’ continually. His red bloodshot eyes made him look crazy. The Bai family had no choice but to go up and hold down Bai Chuan to give him a sedative to calm him down.
However, after sleeping for only a few hours, Bai Chuan woke up and went to the hospital. Bai Zheng still refused to let him go, so Bai Chuan went into crisis again.
I can’t give you another tranquilizer. Li Rong loves her son so much that she stopped Bai Zheng and sent someone to invite Professor Feng over. Professor Feng shut himself in the room with Bai Chuan and after chatting for about two hours, he gave the Bai family a suggestion: “It’s not good for you to stop him from seeing Mu Xiaoya.”
“It's already like this, even if he doesn’t see her. But if you let him see Mu Xiaoya die with his own eyes…” Bai Zheng wanted to stick to his decision.
"Then let him understand slowly, just like how Grandma Bai left, let him accept Mu Xiaoya's departure. Let him decide according to his wishes, it will never be worse than now." Professor Feng said.
After Professor Feng left, the Bai family discussed it for a long time, and finally decided to adopt Professor Feng's suggestion. Bai Zheng took Bai Chuan back to the hospital again, but this time, instead of taking Bai Chuan to the ward, they went to Professor Rong’s office.
"Professor Rong, can you please explain to us Mu Xiaoya's illness?"
"Yes." Prior to their arrival, Bai Zheng had already spoke to him beforehand. Professor Rong then found a copy of Mu Xiaoya’s medical records and handed it to Bai Chuan to read while he explained, “In short, this genetic disease is very rare. Although the occurrence rate isn’t high, but once onset occurs, the human body will deteriorate in a very short amount of time, with the current medical methods…it’s very difficult to cure."
Although Bai Chuan has a smart brain, he doesn’t understand medicine. With Professor Rong’s detailed explanation, he barely understood the medical records, but he didn’t understand how to treat Mu Xiaoya.
"How to cure?" Bai Chuan asked Professor Rong.
"This..." Professor Bai Rong knew about Bai Chuan’s autism. Before he came, Bai Zheng repeatedly asked him not to stimulate Bai Chuan, so Professor Rong politely replied, “We still need to study it.”
"The research... we... study together... you... can you teach me?"
Professor Rong looked at Bai Zheng, and Bai Zheng nodded slowly. Let him learn, let him learn, let him know that this is an irreversible thing.
Professor Rong gave Bai Chuan a lot of literature and information on hereditary diseases. Bai Chuan read day and night in the office, absorbing medical knowledge with amazing learning capabilities and speed, but during this period, Mu Xiaoya woke up for a short amount of time. When Bai Chuan got the news, he rushed to her, but Mu Xiaoya fell into a coma again.
After a few more days, Professor Rong told Bai Zheng in private: “She won't last much longer. The next time she wakes up, it will probably be her final time.”
"When will she... wake up?" Bai Zheng asked.
"Day after tomorrow."
"Don't tell my younger brother." Bai Zheng was still afraid, afraid to let Bai Chuan see Mu Xiaoya leave.
Bai Chuan, who was unaware of this, was still studying the data carefully. He made various notes on Mu Xiaoya’s medical records. Bai Zheng didn’t understand those notes, but he understood Bai Chuan’s intention and his urgent need to cure Mu Xiaoya. But the more he was like this, the less he dares to take risks.
Two days later, Mu Xiaoya woke up. Professor Rong told Bai Zheng that when she wakes up this time, she will be gone at any time.
Bai Zheng hesitated. He stood outside Mu Xiaoya's ward and watched her ask the nurse about her parents' whereabouts, watched her find a nurse to borrow a power bank to say goodbye to her friends. He looked at the girl who was about to die with a polite smile on her face.
Bai Zheng didn't know what to do. Should he tell Bai Chuan? Bai Zheng suddenly wanted to smoke a cigarette to calm himself down.
At this time, a nurse went to Professor Rong’s office to deliver information and accidentally saw the medical record in Bai Chuan’s hand and couldn’t help but sigh: “Ai, Mu Xiaoya is only 24, she’s so young, just a moment ago she just woke up and asked to borrow things from us, it’s a pity…”
"Awake?" Bai Chuan looked up.
"Awake, just woke up, it’s estimated..." This will be the last time.
Before the nurse finished her words, Bai Chuan had rushed out of the office with a pile of materials. He quickly ran along the corridor to Mu Xiaoya’s ward.
"Bai Chuan?"
Xiaoya recognized me, and she recognized me at a glance. But, I’m so useless ...
“I, I studied all your medical records, but I have no way to save you.” Bai Chuan's scarred face was full of anxiety. His arms shook, along with her medical records. He stammered when he spoke, and the preface didn’t match the dialect.
Mu Xiaoya was a little surprised: "Are you a doctor?"
“I’m not.” Bai Chuan shook his head angrily. For the first time, he had strong remorse. Why didn’t he study medicine in the beginning? Grandma said he was a genius, so if he studied medicine, there would have been a way to cure Mu Xiaoya.
Mu Xiaoya couldn’t help but wonder, “Why do you want to cure me?” She asked herself, the relationship between Bai Chuan and herself didn’t seem particularly special.
Bai Chuan: "I want to marry you."
“If you married me, you would have soon become a widower.” She smiled and joked.
"I want to marry you." I just want to marry you, want to marry you, ah.
“Thank you.” Besides thank you, Mu Xiaoya didn’t know what else to say.
Xiaoya still didn't agree to it, but she said thank you to him. Grandma said that people who say thank you were people who like you. So, if I try harder, I will succeed.
"I..."
"Xiao Chuan?! Are you okay." At this time, Bai Zheng, who didn't find his younger brother in the office, came over, interrupted Bai Chuan's words, and took him away.
Bai Chuan wanted to break free from Bai Zheng's restraint, but he hasn’t slept for several days in a row and had no strength at all. During the struggle, he was still taken away by Bai Zheng, and the medical records that he worked hard on also spilled onto the ground.
Spill away, it’s useless anyway, but he doesn’t want to leave here. He still has a lot to say to Mu Xiaoya.
"Xiao Chuan, let's go back and continue our research." Bai Zheng coaxed Bai Chuan.
"I… I'm going to talk to Xiaoya... let her wait for me more, I still haven't found a… way." With that, Bai Chuan was going to go to Mu Xiaoya’s ward again. Bai Zheng still wanted to stop him, but at this time, a sharp beep suddenly rings out. Then the nurses, doctors and Mu couple all rushed into Mu Xiaoya’s ward.
Bai Zheng knew that Mu Xiaoya was gone.
"Xiaoya... what's the matter?" Bai Chuan seemed to feel something and struggled more and more. But how could Bai Zheng loosen his grip, he clung onto Bai Chuan tightly and imprisoned the person outside the ward.
"Let go, let go!" Bai Chuan just struggled at the beginning, then he heard crying. He saw Professor Rong shake his head towards him and Bai Chuan understood. He began to struggle violently and hit the wall with his head which forced Bai Zheng to release him. He staggered into the ward and hugged the motionless Mu Xiaoya.
=
Mu Xiaoya's tombstone was in the same cemetery as Grandma Bai. The Bai family took Bai Chuan to the funeral.
It was only after their daughter died that the Mu couple knew that the Bai family had helped a lot during this period of time. When they saw the Bai family, they went to thank them.
"We didn't do anything to help." Li Rong sighed as Mu Xiaoya ultimately died.
"No, without you, we probably wouldn’t have met Xiaoya one last time."
"We..." Li Rong turned to look at Bai Chuan but didn’t know when Bai Chuan stood in front of Mu Xiaoya’s tomb. Afraid that Bai Chuan would be stimulated, she hurried over.
"Xiao Chuan, why are you here?" Li Rong asked softly.
"Where did Xiaoya go?" Bai Chuan asked.
"Went... went to a place far away, the same place as Grandma." Li Rong replied.
"I want to go too."
"Let's... let's not go first, let's go later..." Li Rong went to pull her son, "Go... let's go home."
Bai Chuan didn’t listen to her or resist. He went home with Li Rong and never said a word again. Bai Zheng sometimes looks at him in a daze and occasionally sees a smile on his face, imagining that maybe in Bai Chuan’s world, Grandma and Mu Xiaoya was still there.
—
Author’s Notes:
Fat extra~~~