Her Wild Rose - Chapter 44

Chapter 44: A Gamble Lost Willingly

Leisurely days always passed too quickly. In the blink of an eye, it was just one day before they had to return to filming the variety show.

Tang Tang lay lazily on the blanket by the floor-to-ceiling window, basking in the sunlight while scooping ice cream with a small spoon. Originally, Su Qian didn’t allow her to eat it, but Tang Tang’s skill in acting cute had improved drastically, enough to make Su Qian surrender in her arms.

“We’re going back to work tomorrow.”

The midday sun was warm, and Tang Tang couldn’t help but squint her eyes. Her fair face bathed in sunlight gave her elegant features a soft glow. As soon as she tested the waters with this sentence, she turned her head to sneak a glance at Su Qian’s reaction. Seeing no noticeable change in her expression, she continued.

“Su Qian, how about we go out for a walk?”

Of course—this had clearly been planned for a while.

Su Qian chuckled to herself, though her face remained nonchalant. She tapped the back of her tablet with a finger, her voice carrying its usual lazy drawl. “Silly girl, just say it. Where do you want to go this time?”

“Knew you’d figure it out.”

Tang Tang was delighted inside, but still pouted and complained, “You’re like a worm in my stomach. Nothing’s a surprise with you.”

“Then next time, I’ll pretend I have to guess?”

Su Qian set aside her tablet and looked at the girl sulking in front of her, her smile so bright it almost drowned Tang Tang. “Or maybe I’ll pretend to be dumb—would that make you happy?”

Her voice carried a carefree laughter that made it obvious how content she had been lately.

Well, it made sense. She’d gotten rid of the constant troublemaker Tian Qingqing, and Chen Shen wouldn’t be discharged anytime soon. With a beauty by her side and no need to work to support a household, Su Qian was living a pretty ideal life.

But still…

For some reason, once she had free time, that name kept flashing through her mind, making her feel uneasy.

They say bad things come in threes—could there really be a third person who would try to get between her and Tang Tang?

“Pfft, don’t jinx it. Saying dumb things right before the New Year? That’s bad luck.”

Tang Tang covered Su Qian’s mouth and glared at her. “If you don’t know what to say, then don’t say anything. I won’t take you for a mute.”

Su Qian raised an eyebrow and mischievously pretended to be mute—only for Tang Tang to pinch her arm just seconds later.

“Su Qian, do you even have a heart? Why are you ignoring me!”

“Then tell me, where should we go?” Seeing the displeasure creep onto Tang Tang’s face, Su Qian finally got serious. As she turned to look at her, she suddenly felt that going back to work tomorrow might have been a bit rushed.

They should at least celebrate the Little New Year together.

And who knows—maybe something special could happen.

“How about… we visit Chen Shen? I heard from the nurse yesterday that he might be discharged next week.”

That suggestion didn’t surprise Su Qian at all. Rather than seeing Chen Shen as a love rival, she viewed him as a mirror for Tang Tang—someone through whom she learned to recognize herself in love.

“Sure,” Su Qian nodded. She grabbed the documents in her folder and handed Tang Tang the down jacket hanging by the coat rack. “Let’s go. Wait for me in the garage.”

The quiet afternoon in Liao’an returned to its usual calm. Sitting in the passenger seat, Tang Tang stared out at the snowy scenery, momentarily lost in thought.

She was feeling conflicted. Part of her looked forward to seeing Chen Shen, yet another part was afraid. She wasn’t sure what she was afraid of, only able to convince herself it was the trauma left from the drowning incident.

“We’re here.”

Su Qian brought the car to a steady stop. Sensing Tang Tang’s nervousness, she reached out and wrapped her icy fingers in her own warm palm.

The doctor had said Chen Shen needed a quiet environment to recover. Su Qian had weighed the options between Liangcheng and Liao’an and ultimately brought him back here, placing him in the best convalescent home in the city.

She didn’t do this to play the saint—she just thought, they were both unfortunate people; why make things harder than they already were?

“What do you think Chen Shen will be like when we see him?”

The lobby of the wellness center was bathed in sunlight, warm enough to make anyone want to stretch. Tang Tang loved places like this. As soon as she stepped in, she squinted contentedly.

“Probably not too bad off.”

Su Qian gently squeezed her fingers, trying to reassure her. “Didn’t the doctor say he’s made good progress? Then she wouldn’t lie to you.”

“Are you Ms. Tang and Ms. Su?” A young nurse in a pink uniform came up to them, beaming. “Dr. Li is already in the office. Please follow me.”

Tang Tang nodded and exchanged a glance with Su Qian before following the nurse into the doctor’s office. Like the rest of the building, the office had a cozy pink theme. Sitting behind the desk was a middle-aged man in a light blue shirt—presumably Dr. Li, Chen Shen’s attending physician.

“Hello, I’m Li Ye. You can just call me Dr. Li,” he said, pushing up his glasses and smiling warmly. “You must be Chen Shen’s friends. There’s something I’d like to discuss with you both.”

Though polite, Tang Tang quickly picked up that this Dr. Li might not be easy to deal with.

“Alright, please go ahead.”

She bit her lip and nodded. She and Su Qian had spent days searching for Chen Shen’s family, only to find that his parents felt he had shamed them. Not only did they refuse to see him—they practically moved overnight. Frustrated, Tang Tang and Su Qian had resolved to help him recover first before letting him choose his next steps.

“At the moment, the patient is improving significantly. He’s responsive to his surroundings and can communicate well. However…” Dr. Li hesitated and seemed a bit uncomfortable. “He’s recently started resisting our treatment. I fear the current domestic methods may not be enough for full recovery.”

Dr. Li chose his words carefully. While Chen Shen’s condition was genuine, he had his own motives—he wanted to take Chen Shen abroad, to have him under his care alone.

“Well, that decision has to come from Chen Shen himself.”

Su Qian smiled. She looked up and met Dr. Li’s gaze, as if seeing right through him. “We’re just his friends. The choice has to be his.”

“Of course,” Dr. Li nodded. “Then please help me pass on the message—if he’s willing, I’d be happy to go overseas with him.”

Tang Tang studied Dr. Li’s face and suddenly realized there was more to his concern than professional duty. She pulled Su Qian out of the office in a near-panic.

“Did you notice anything strange about how Dr. Li talks about Chen Shen?” she burst out. “He’s basically proposing marriage!”

“Well, that’s Chen Shen’s business now. He’s lucid enough to decide for himself.”

Su Qian smoothed down Tang Tang’s messy bangs with a fond smile. “Alright, don’t overthink it. Let’s go see him.”

Right. No matter how much she speculated, it wouldn’t mean anything until they saw him.

Tang Tang nodded and, suppressing her complicated emotions, followed Su Qian to the hospital room door.

They peered in through the window and saw Chen Shen sitting dazed on the bed, staring into space. He looked much thinner than the last time they’d seen him.

Something caught in Tang Tang’s throat, and for a moment she felt the urge to flee.

“You… why are you here?” Chen Shen saw them and stood to open the door, letting them in. “I’m sorry for hurting you both, and now you’re still helping me recover…”

“How have you been lately?” Tang Tang didn’t want to revisit that chaotic night. Seeing his pale face, she couldn’t help but ask, “The doctor says you’re almost ready to be discharged in a few weeks.”

“I’m doing fine.” Chen Shen looked down at his hospital gown with a bitter smile. In the past few days alone, he’d had a lot of time to reflect—and only now realized just how recklessly he had loved Li Xiang. He gave a soft laugh and finally asked, “Is Li Xiang… is he doing alright?”

“…He…” Tang Tang hadn’t expected him to still care. She paused, then forced herself to tell the truth. “He got exposed for keeping boys and girls as mistresses. His company went bankrupt… last we heard, he’s probably getting drunk somewhere.”

Her account was vague, but enough for Chen Shen to piece together Li Xiang’s fall from grace. His head drooped and his eyes reddened. “He’s such a proud person… I wouldn’t be surprised if he wanted to die after this.”

“And you? Are you going to stand up and accuse him for what he’s done?”

Su Qian was far more rational. She lifted her gaze to meet Chen Shen’s, trying to read him. Among all of Li Xiang’s so-called ‘canaries,’ Chen Shen had had it the easiest. One girl had even lost her ability to bear children because of him.

“Me?” Chen Shen let out a self-deprecating laugh. “I think I’ll pass. But if he broke the law, I’d never hesitate to testify.”

“Dr. Li said he wants to take you abroad for treatment. What do you think?”

What did he think?

Chen Shen looked up at Su Qian, his pale face showing a strange expression. “I want to go. But I’d like a few days to prepare.”

“Prepare for what?” Tang Tang asked curiously. “Don’t tell me you really haven’t noticed what Dr. Li is trying to do?”

“What he wants?” Chen Shen’s odd smile deepened. “As long as it gets me out of this hellhole, I don’t care if it’s a knife mountain or sea of fire.”

…

After leaving Chen Shen’s room, Tang Tang couldn’t relax. Walking behind Su Qian, her mind kept replaying his words.

There was no doubt Chen Shen loved Li Xiang. But in the end, he willingly chose to go with Dr. Li instead of waiting for Li Xiang to make a comeback.

Tang Tang couldn’t tell—had he moved on? Or had he simply given up?

“Su Qian,” she called softly, unable to hold it in, “what do you think Chen Shen’s kind of love is?”

“It’s willing to lose the gamble,” Su Qian replied calmly.

“And yours for me?”

“I’m willing to bet… but I won’t accept losing. I love you, Tang Tang.”