Shen Xi was certain that she never met Yu Qiubai’s mother before, be it in her previous life or present, or even in the many dimensions she transmigrated to.
Yet, the woman seemed to gaze at her, looking as though bearing familiar, yet self-blaming and guilty eyes.
Picking up on Shen Xi’s doubt, Yu Qiubai solemnly said, “My mom, she often confuses people for someone else as if looking for a person. I don’t know who she is looking for. Ever since the attack, she would lock herself in the room in darkness, refusing to e out.”
He thought Shen Xi had offered his mother some sort of fort, but that turned out untrue. His mother had mistaken Shen Xi for someone else. It had been a while since this happened though.
“With the condition she has, you have to get to the root of the problem. I can’t do much.” Shen Xi fixed her eyes on Yu Qiubai. “Do you know what set her off in the past? Anything of a great impact on her?”
“I don’t.” Yu Qiubai smiled bitterly and shook his head. Mom’s illness would not progress to this state if he knew.
He took her around the world and saw every trusted doctor, only to be told the same.
Mom had never revealed to anyone, including him, the catalyst.
Yu Qiubai had been digging for clues to Mom’s past and gotten some leads lately. Nevertheless, it was not something he could tell Shen Xi.
Shen Xi tried to engage in conversation with Mother Yu, but the latter was in her own world at this point – sobbing and mumbling inexplicably.
Unable to hide the pain in his eyes, Yu Qiubai pulled the covers over her before nodding his gratitude at Shen Xi. “My mother hasn’t been this calm for a while. Thank you.”
It had been five months. Mom who initially quietly locked herself in a pitch-dark unventilated room suddenly went mad.
She turned manic, smashing things, screaming in hysteria, and hurting herself. Bit by bit, the self-harm became suicidal attempts.
At a dead-end, Yu Qiubai gave her sleeping pills to calm her down since sedation could not do much.
However, even the sleeping pill was losing its effect once her body built resistance to it. She would freak out as though her soul had left her in moments of consciousness, and the vicious cycle continued.
“I can only prescribe two medications to regulate her present condition. Let’s see how she reacts to it.” Shen Xi sighed to herself, looking at the poor lady in bed.
She always thought that a heartless and sly fox like Yu Qiubai must be brought up in a similarly shrewd environment. It was quite surprising of the dreary life he had led.
It made sense on second thought. Yu Qiubai was cast away and left in the cold by the rest of the family. He would probably be eaten up alive had he not built walls around him. Moreover, Yu Qiubai had a mother who needed his care.
“Thank you.” Yu Qiubai nodded before turning to the restraints on the bed. He was in two minds whether to tie his mother up.
He would feel bad if he strapped her in.
Yu Qiubai also dared not imagine the consequence of keeping her off the restraint.
“Keep her pany. I should get going.” Shen Xi got up and excused herself.
The situation was direr than what Yu Qiubai described.
Surely, the doctors had given the same diagnosis to Yu Qiubai as she did. It all boiled down to the root of her problem. However, with Mother Yu disoriented, confused, and unable to recognize her son, what were the chances of her talking about her issues?
The root cause must be so devastating and horrifying to push her off the edge and shut herself out of it.
“Let me walk with you.” Yu Qiubai pressed on the paging system by the bed and uttered, “Mrs. Wang, could you e up?”
It did not take long.
The door was pushed open and in walked a middle-aged woman. She nodded politely at Shen Xi before turning to Yu Qiubai. “Young Master.”
“Watch over Mom.” Yu Qiubai then followed Shen Xi out.
Since the prescription was pretty straightforward, Shen Xi wrote it out and handed it to Yu Qiubai. She looked at him and said, “You need to find out what caused her to bee like this if you want her to be cured pletely. I can only heal the body, not the heart.”
“Okay,” Yu Qiubai replied and saw her to the door.
April had weled the warm spring. The blossoming flowers in the yard released a faint fragrance in the air.
The afternoon rays could not be more apt in providing warmth.
By the corner of her eyes, Shen Xi swept a glance at the shielded room behind her before looking at Yu Qiubai. “You should go back to your mother. I can see myself out.”
A middle-aged man had opened the car door parked at the entrance. Waiting by the side was Yu Qiubai’s housekeeper, Mr. Wang.
“Mr. Wang, please be careful on the road,” Yu Qiubai urged as Shen Xi got into the car.
The car soon disappeared out of sight. Yu Qiubai stood at the door, staring at the empty driveway for long. His eyes spoke of profound plexity.
He uncovered a single clue about Mom but could not bring himself to let Shen Xi know. Would all his efforts go up in smoke if he told her?
Shen Xi knew Li Yuan, and Yu Qiubai’s guess was right, the frequent talks about Toffeecito’s dad within the International Class circle must be referring to that person.
Yu Qiubai could forget about Shen Xi providing Mom any medical attention if she were to find out that Mom had something to do with the Fifth Family’s oppression against Li Yuan. Most importantly, that person would make Mom’s life a living hell.
When it came down to business, that person spared no one.
Shen Xi had a feeling that Yu Qiubai was hiding something from her, but on second thought, it was unlikely. As a filial son, he would jump at the opportunity to save his mom and not choose to withhold any information.
…
The twelfth of April was the day National Idol began its recording.
It was like the New Year’s over at the International Class. ing together, they were happily gossiping while checking their phones.
“Sister Xi, look at the group chat. Song Wenye posted a photo of her acmodation. The place looks good.” Chu Ying bolted over to give Shen Xi the rundown.
Shen Xi glanced at the picture, thinking to herself. ‘Of course, the set’s going to look good with that huge funding. It’s Thousand-Isle Castle in T Town we’re talking about! The quarters are elaborately designed.’
As the program’s mystery mentor, Shen Xi was only going to make an appearance in the following week’s elimination.
However, it would not be long till then.
Song Wenye was not having it. She blew off in the chat with a cuss word, having been assigned to the same room as Su Ruowan. The girl was bombarding the cat with raging emojis.
At last, Shen Xi fished out her phone to look at the spammed group chat.
Song Wenye quickly followed up with a photo.
Tapping on the picture, Shen Xi zoomed in to find Su Ruowan’s name on the headboard. However, the name next to it caught her eye.
He Lu!
Was this not the name of the prettiest girl at Shen Feng’s school or just someone with the same name? If it were really her, then it appeared that showbiz was a place where everyone wanted to be.
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