Deceased Mother's Inheritance - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: I Can Like Her, So Why Can’t You?

Yun Zhixue finally realized what had happened. She had been drugged, and many things in her mind were jumbled, but she was certain of one thing: Meng Zhengyue was her mother’s girlfriend.

So… how dare she? How dare she remove her appendix!

Yun Zhixue’s body moved, and her lower abdomen throbbed with severe pain.

“I thought you might mind, so I asked the doctor to save your appendix for you. Do you still want it? Shall I show you?” Meng Zhengyue turned to get it. It was sealed in a small medical bag, and she held it between two fingers for Yun Zhixue to see.

“No!” Yun Zhixue snapped excitedly. Meng Zhengyue said “Okay” and explained that the organ had to be sent for immediate testing and couldn’t be kept.

Yun Zhixue was very upset. Meng Zhengyue was so mean, but her head was dizzy and uncomfortable, and she felt nauseous. She turned her face away, and her eyes welled up again. Meng Zhengyue had a smile on her lips. “It was just a festering, rotten thing. There’s no need to be sad about it.”

She wasn’t sad about the appendix; she was just…

Meng Zhengyue pressed the call button. The doctor and nurse entered together. The nurse expertly checked the IV and the monitoring equipment. The doctor asked a few questions and said, “Just tell me what’s wrong with you right now.”

Meng Zhengyue’s tone was serious as she scolded Yun Zhixue. “It’s fine if you don’t talk to me, but it’s unacceptable not to talk to the doctor.”

“It hurts… I feel nauseous…”

As soon as Yun Zhixue opened her mouth, tears started to fall.

“That’s normal. Pain after an appendectomy is to be expected,” the nurse said, adjusting the IV drip rate. “Your sister brought you in just in time. Any later, and there would have been a risk of peritonitis. The surgery went very smoothly. You’ll have a tube in for the next few days. Are you feeling short of breath?”

Yun Zhixue couldn’t really understand what she was saying, only that it had been very dangerous. Her confused mind could vaguely recall fragments of the memory: she had been in so much pain she couldn’t stand, her head had been burning with fever, and Meng Zhengyue had picked her up. She shook her head, indicating that she could breathe.

The doctor pulled down the sheet covering her a bit to quickly check the small laparoscopic incision. “No bleeding. It’s healing well. You can’t sleep for the next two hours. No food or water yet. Someone will have to help you go to the bathroom. It’s best to handle it in bed.”

When she heard that last sentence, Yun Zhixue’s pupils shook. As the doctor was leaving, he said, “Don’t hold it in. The family member should remember to help with the catheterization. Don’t forget how to use the pain pump.”

Meng Zhengyue said, “Okay, I’ve noted all of that.”

After the nurse left, the room fell into silence. Moonlight filtered through the blinds, casting mottled shadows on the hospital room floor. Yun Zhixue counted the drops of medicine in the IV tube, her cheeks burning. Her memory was like a shattered mirror, only able to piece together fragmented moments—Meng Zhengyue’s tense profile as she sped to the hospital, her carrying her out of the car at the hospital entrance and urging the doctors to hurry, the glaring overhead lights of the emergency room, and the warm hands that had never left her face.

The pain in her abdomen was a stark reminder that she had almost died. Meng Zhengyue had saved her.

Meng Zhengyue was sitting by the hospital bed, her hair loosely tied up, with a few unruly strands sticking up. Only then did Yun Zhixue notice that she was wearing her school uniform jacket—the cuffs were still stained with dampness, which looked dark in the moonlight.

Meng Zhengyue crossed her arms and called out to her, “Hey, warrior.” Her voice became very soft, and there was a smile in her eyes. “It’s all over now.”

Yun Zhixue’s heart skipped a beat.

“Just two more hours and it will all be completely over.”

Yun Zhixue didn’t respond. Her throat was still very sore. She had been feverish for a while and was extremely thirsty.

“You’re quite tough,” Meng Zhengyue said abruptly. “The doctor said you would have gone into shock if it had been any later.”

Yun Zhixue’s lips were pursed, and she was trembling a little.

“Next time you don’t feel well, you have to tell me.”

Yun Zhixue gave a low, hoarse hum.

Meng Zhengyue said, “Such a good girl.”

Yun Zhixue didn’t like that tone. It made her feel like she was being pricked with needles all over. She wanted to explain, but Meng Zhengyue picked up the nearby cup, dipped a cotton swab in water, and dabbed it on her lips little by little.

They were close enough to feel each other’s breath. Yun Zhixue instinctively tried to pull away but was gently held in place by Meng Zhengyue’s fingers on her chin.

“Don’t move.” Meng Zhengyue’s fingertips had the scent of disinfectant.

Yun Zhixue’s chapped lips trembled slightly, and she finally gave up struggling. She was too thirsty, and it was hard for her to even swallow.

After two gentle wipes, Meng Zhengyue got up and opened the blinds. The sound of the rain immediately filled the room, pattering against the windowpane. The night was still dark, making Meng Zhengyue’s purple nightgown stand out against the hospital’s white walls, looking so out of place in the solemn room.

Silence spread between them until Meng Zhengyue’s phone suddenly rang. She went into the hallway to answer it. Yun Zhixue stared at the door, thinking she wouldn’t come back. But soon, Meng Zhengyue pushed the door open and turned on the TV.

“Do you want to watch?” she asked.

Yun Zhixue didn’t answer. So Meng Zhengyue put on “Tom and Jerry,” and the comical images of Tom chasing Jerry flickered on the wall. Whenever Yun Zhixue was about to fall asleep from the dizziness, Meng Zhengyue would wake her up. After a few times, Yun Zhixue frowned in frustration. Meng Zhengyue’s hand rested on her shoulder, patting it gently.

Two hours later, the doctor came to check on her, telling them that the anesthesia had worn off and she could sleep now. However, the family member had to remain vigilant and watch the tubes and bags on her. If there were any problems, they should call the doctor immediately and remember to assist with urination within six hours.

Meng Zhengyue looked at the tubes on her.

This was the most embarrassing and uncomfortable moment for Yun Zhixue. She was so thirsty, and her stomach was bloated and painful. All of this was happening right under Meng Zhengyue’s nose.

“Go to sleep.”

Meng Zhengyue turned off the lights. Whether it was her imagination or not, Yun Zhixue felt that Meng Zhengyue was still watching her. She desperately wanted to get up and go to the bathroom, but the pain in her body forced her to lie rigidly. All her emotions surged up. She felt so miserable and wanted to cry. The woman next to her was silently scrutinizing her, and she felt incredibly small, a patient. The woman could turn on the lights at any moment and humiliate her.

A few minutes later, Meng Zhengyue raised the bed a little, and her hand rested on Yun Zhixue’s lower abdomen, massaging it to help her urinate. Her fingers were slender and bony, and the circular motions felt very ticklish.

Yun Zhixue couldn’t move. Her body trembled faintly. She closed her eyes in despair as the liquid slowly flowed from her. She heard Meng Zhengyue’s voice say, “Such a good girl.”

Meng Zhengyue was so, so cruel. She hated her.

…

The next day, when Yun Zhixue woke up, Meng Zhengyue was sitting by the cabinet, her hand propped under her chin, her eyes half-closed. Her voice was lazy. “You’re awake?”

Yun Zhixue’s eyelids fluttered. Her head wasn’t as heavy anymore, and most importantly, the burning sensation in her throat was gone. Her eyes flickered. Meng Zhengyue looked even more beautiful as a blurry shape. Meng Zhengyue took a cotton swab from the cabinet and dipped it in water.

“The nurse will probably be here at eight. When the doctor comes later, please cooperate with her. Answer whatever she asks.” Meng Zhengyue’s voice was a little hoarse, lower than before, which sounded gentle. She gently touched the cotton swab to Yun Zhixue’s nose. “Did you hear me?”

Yun Zhixue blinked. Though she was reluctant, she nodded. A drop of water rolled down her nose and stopped on her nostril.

Meng Zhengyue smiled. “You’re so cute.”

She threw the cotton swab into the trash can. Yun Zhixue’s eyes followed it. The trash can contained no fewer than ten cotton swabs.

The nurse came first. She replaced Yun Zhixue’s drainage bag and reminded Meng Zhengyue that if the patient was uncomfortable, she could be given a simple wipe-down but not a full bath. Meng Zhengyue pulled open the nearby drawer, poured a cup of water, and then took out a toothbrush and gave it to Yun Zhixue. “Rinse your mouth.”

Yun Zhixue let her feed her the water. After taking a mouthful, she started to rinse. She remembered she could hold the cup herself and immediately reached for it, but the foam in her mouth accidentally got on Meng Zhengyue’s hand. The white foam was glaringly obvious. After she finished rinsing, Meng Zhengyue took a tissue, wiped it off, and went to the bathroom.

Yun Zhixue could hear the sound of the running water. She guessed that Meng Zhengyue was probably scrubbing her hands fiercely with all kinds of disinfectants… She must be so disgusted by her. When Meng Zhengyue came out, Yun Zhixue felt utterly hopeless and dared not look at her, turning her head away.

“Turn your head back,” Meng Zhengyue’s voice was a little commanding.

Yun Zhixue didn’t want to move.

Meng Zhengyue tapped her finger on the table, and Yun Zhixue turned to look at her. Meng Zhengyue used another cotton swab to dab her lips twice. Meng Zhengyue said, “You’re just a child. It’s normal.”

Thinking back to what happened last night, she felt even more humiliated. Yun Zhixue was so ashamed she wished she had a terminal illness. Meng Zhengyue didn’t leave. She then helped Yun Zhixue wipe her face and neck. Yun Zhixue buried her face in the handkerchief and couldn’t help but let out a sob.

Yun Zhixue fantasized that this was just a dream and that when she woke up, everything would be back to the way it was. She would have known she had appendicitis and gone to the hospital on her own, and she would have never met Meng Zhengyue at home.

“I’ll give you candy later,” Meng Zhengyue said as if she were哄her. “Don’t cry.”

At eight in the morning, two female caregivers arrived. Meng Zhengyue spoke to them at the door, going over the details. The caregivers, who were professionally trained, said they understood. Meng Zhengyue said, “I’m not talking about that. The child gets shy and is stubborn. You’ll need to ask her things more than once.”

When Meng Zhengyue left, she took the school uniform jacket with her. Yun Zhixue quickly had the caregivers open the window to get rid of her scent. She borrowed a phone from the caregiver to call Yun Jing, but the call was first answered by a gentle voice saying, “Ms. Yun, a call for you,” before it was passed to her mother.

Yun Zhixue rarely called Yun Jing, so the call fell into silence. Yun Zhixue gritted her teeth and said, “I hate her.”

Yun Jing’s voice was cold. “Why?”

Why? Yun Zhixue thought about it. Because of her looks? Her personality? Neither of those reasons would work. Meng Zhengyue was beautiful; no one disliked her pretty face. Could she say that Meng Zhengyue would affect her studies? Yun Zhixue was about to speak, but Yun Jing spoke first: “Because she removed your appendix?”

Instantly, a surge of anger seized her throat. Yun Jing’s voice was impatient. “I have already arranged for someone to take care of you, and a tutor will come as well. I hope you two can get along, and I don’t want your grades to drop.”

“I just don’t like her.”

“I can like her, so why can’t you?” Yun Jing’s retort was like a slap. She then hung up the phone decisively. Yun Zhixue was so angry she wanted to throw the phone.

“Click!”

The sound of a lighter made Yun Zhixue jump. She looked up sharply. Meng Zhengyue had returned at some point and was leaning against the wall, an unlit cigarette between her teeth, her eyes filled with an amused smile. Her expression seemed to say, Oh, you poor thing, your struggle is so futile.

Was she laughing at her?

Yun Zhixue’s protest was directly rejected by Yun Jing. It was a feeling of helplessness and embarrassment. Her arms trembled slightly, and she glared fiercely at Meng Zhengyue. If she had any backbone, she would point to the door and tell her to get out. But that wasn’t about backbone; it was about getting angry and becoming an impotent maniac.

Meng Zhengyue smiled. “You look quite cute when you’re all puffed up. Be more fierce.”