Gu Qili felt as if there were many people talking around her, yet she couldn’t distinguish who it was. Soone was calling her na, and there were even soft sobs.
The sensation was like her soul had started to float away, and she could do nothing but listen to these voices, sotis near, sotis far.
Her wish wasn’t a grand one; she simply wanted to see the vineyard produce its first bottle of wine, and she had said the first bottle she made would be nad after Mu Shuoqian.
Was Heaven so impatient that it wanted to summon her before this small wish could be fulfilled?
Just a little more ti, that would be enough.
When Gu Qili opened her eyes again, the first thing she saw was the stark white ceiling; before her gaze could shift, a handso face lood closer to her.
"You’re awake." Mu Shuoqian watched her with a mix of shock and joy, pressing the call button.
She didn’t know, when she suddenly fainted, how terrified he had been, nearly carrying her as he ran through the hospital corridors.
During those unconscious hours, he stood motionless outside the ergency room, like a statue.
"It’s okay." Gu Qili smiled to comfort him, his pained look in his eyes also piercing her heart. The last thing she wanted was for him to suffer, yet it was unavoidable.
Two chubby hands rested on her arm, and Gu Qili turned to see Mu Qinian looking worried. She smiled at him, "Mommy is fine."
Mu Qinian’s eyes were a bit red, and fearing she’d notice, he awkwardly turned his face away, "I’m not a kid."
She must be seriously ill, otherwise, her dad wouldn’t be so panicked, and she heard all the things that the doctors said very clearly.
"Niannian, go and get Mommy a glass of water with Aunt i Zi," Gu Qili said, intending to send him away.
i Zi hurriedly nodded and spoke gently, "Mommy is thirsty, shall we go get so water?"
Mu Qinian thought for a mont, let go of the arm he had been clutching, and followed i Zi out of the ward.
"What did the doctor say?" As soon as Mu Qinian left, Gu Qili couldn’t wait to ask.
Thinking of the doctor’s words, Mu Shuoqian’s heart still palpitated with fear, but at this point, there was no need to hide it from her; she had the right to know her dical condition.
"The doctor said the cancer cells have started to spread. If a transplant isn’t perford soon, once the cancer spreads to other tissues, even a transplant will be futile. And it must be a full liver transplant."
Futile, that probably ant her ti was short.
Gu Qili sighed softly, yet consoled him instead, "If in the end we really can’t find a suitable donor, then it’s fate, so, Shuoqian, let’s leave everything to destiny."
Mu Shuoqian stared at her, silent for a long ti.
Doctor Lv said there were actually several potential donors recently, but none were a match for Gu Qili, particularly in her current condition. If the liver ca from a body that had been preserved for too long, the transplant outco might be far from ideal. Thus, they could only wait, as such things were beyond their control.
"Oh, Tang Tianyou ca to see you."
"Did he leave?"
"Yeah, not long ago."
"Shuoqian, I don’t want to stay in the hospital. Take back to the vineyard." She detested the sll here, which made her think of death. It was in a similar place that she had accompanied Gu Dezhong on his final journey with both despair and hope.
She thought he would refuse, but to her surprise, Mu Shuoqian did not hesitate, "Okay, I’ll take you back."
Now, any wish of hers, no matter how unreasonable, he would fulfill unconditionally.
In April, the vineyard was already bursting with life, and the spring in Aus City felt like sumr, with the stealthy onset of the heat.
This was the twenty-third day since Gu Qili left the hospital.
Waking up early today, she felt particularly good and suddenly wanted to walk down to the foot of the mountain. There was a small river there that flowed all the way to the sea.
She walked for a while but soon beca too tired to continue. While she maintained a positive attitude, the physical changes were beyond her control.
Mu Shuoqian squatted down in front of her and said softly, "Get on."
She gave a light smile and climbed onto his back gently, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck as he supported her thighs and lifted her up.
Gu Qili had beco so thin that carrying her on his back was like carrying a child, exceptionally light.
She lay obediently on his back, while he took each step deliberately, every footprint pressed into a dent called heartache.
He carried her to the foothills and kept walking until they reached the bank of the small river.
The river water was crystal clear to the bottom, and the pebbles underneath were worn into strange and bizarre shapes.
Gu Qili climbed off Mu Shuoqian’s back and cheerfully walked to the riverbank. She sat down, took off her shoes, and dipped her feet into the water. Although the river water was no longer cold this season, it was still a bit chilly. Although Mu Shuoqian advised against it, seeing her happy, he sat beside her and removed his shoes to stretch his feet into the water too.
Gu Qili kicked the water with her feet, splashing layer upon layer of ripples, playing happily, yet her body was clearly overburdened.
She rested her head against Mu Shuoqian’s chest, her toes gently swirling in the water.
"Ah Qian, after the first bottle of wine is brewed, it should be nad after you. I have already chosen a spot for it in our wine cellar at ho."
"From now on, don’t be so harsh on Niannian. Though he appears strong, he is actually a very fragile child at heart. You need to learn how to get along with him, to be his friend, not just his father."
"You need to take care of those two grapevines and the lavender. Make sure to send the fruits they produce each year."
"You must take good care of your stomach, eat regularly, and quit smoking and drinking."
"Also, all my certificates, I want to take them with . They represent my hard work. Over there, I can use them to show off."
She narrated each matter one by one, afraid of missing any detail. Mu Shuoqian held her, listening silently, until gradually,
"Ah Qian, do you hear ? You have to take care of all these things, okay?"
"Mhm." Mu Shuoqian gently responded, "I will take care of everything."
"After I’m gone, you can be sad, but don’t linger on it for too long. You need to take good care of Niannian, the vineyard, and if you miss , go to the mountains to see , talk to , chat with , otherwise, I’ll get very bored." Gu Qili said with a smile, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably, "Ah Qian, it’s really not the end of the world. You still have plenty of ti to live well. I will watch over you from there, bless you, so that you have a safe life. You have to accompany our son as he grows up, watches him get married and have children. I’ll wait forever, just wait, until you grow old, until you leave this world peacefully, and then we’ll et in heaven."
"Ah Qian, this is our last promise to each other, so it must be kept."
If possible, I never want to say goodbye to you.
Mu Shuoqian’s hair had grown out a bit, becoming a sowhat prickly crew cut. Gu Qili leaned into his embrace, gently stroking his newly grown short hair.
"Ah Qian, sing a song for ."
"Okay." Mu Shuoqian paused slightly, his magnetic and pleasant voice slowly starting.
Listening to his voice filled with deep emotion, hearing this song they both knew so well, Gu Qili contentedly closed her eyes in his embrace.
After Mu Shuoqian finished singing, he looked down at the person in his arms. She looked peaceful, her eyes tightly shut, a warm smile lingering at the corner of her eyes.
"Qiqi." Mu Shuoqian suddenly panicked, vigorously shaking her shoulder, "Qiqi, wake up, Qiqi."
But no matter how he shook her, there was no response from the person in his arms.
At that mont, his heart seed to skip a beat, lost its rhythm. His face was pale from shock,
He had thought of this mont countless tis, but he found that he couldn’t even bear the thought; if she really left him, and his world was devoid of her laughter and voice, that feeling was like descending into hell, never to return in this lifeti.
Gu Qili was once again rushed into the ergency room, the nth ti since her illness began.
The corridor outside the ergency room was filled with people, all anxiously waiting.
Mu Qinian also ca following the wishes of Fan Bin, because everyone knew that Gu Qili’s condition was very serious and potentially life-threatening at any mont, so it may be the last ti, and Mu Qinian couldn’t miss seeing his mother for one last ti.
Mu Qinian had a premonition of what was to co. He sat next to Mu Shuoqian, his little head hanging low, both hands tightly clutching the hem of his clothes.
He had never been so scared before, not even during thunderstorms. He knows what death ans, and that in this world, he would truly have no mother anymore.
With his head down, his shoulders twitched,
Suddenly, Mu Qinian turned and buried himself in Mu Shuoqian’s arms, crying. His crying was not loud, he tried hard to restrain himself,
Patting his back, he said nothing. All words seed pale and weak at this mont.
Half an hour later, the red light outside the ergency room still hadn’t gone off. Mu Shuoqian’s phone suddenly rang urgently. At this ti, he had no inclination to answer the phone, but upon seeing the caller ID, he still picked up the phone and went to a secluded corridor.
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