CHAPTER 668: SAVE ME...

In the empty hallway.

After a period of silence, Li Meihua's uncontrollable sobbing broke through.

Her face, roughened by life's hardships, was buried deep in her palms.

Murky tears continuously seeped through her fingers.

Qiuqiu just watched her quietly, watching this woman reveal such a wretched and vulnerable appearance before her for the first time.

Her feelings were indescribably complex.

She suddenly remembered.

During her sophomore summer vacation, her mother had indeed subtly asked for her ID card, saying she needed to handle some procedures.

But back then, filled with resentment and distance toward this woman, she hadn't wanted to exchange more than a few words with her.

After staying less than a week in that cold "home," she made an excuse about needing to work and hurriedly left.

In her persistent impression.

Her mother was just a miser, a shrew—strong-willed, unreasonable, and hopeless.

She had never truly cared about her.

All her childhood sorrows, the helplessness when bullied at school, all the troubles of adolescence...

Were all lightly dismissed with phrases like "it's just a small matter."

Later, when Grandma passed away in the hospital because they couldn't afford treatment, it made her resent this woman from the bottom of her heart.

From that point on, she never spoke to her calmly again.

When her mother wanted her to study education and become a teacher, she insisted on studying art.

When her mother wanted her to work in Rongcheng, she insisted on staying in distant Yancheng.

She used every means to resist, to escape.

But now, hearing her mother's broken sobs, Qiuqiu seemed to understand her just a little.

Her mother's experience of Father's death seemed far from as easy as she had imagined.

She still hadn't gotten over it even now.

Just as she said, she couldn't keep her husband, so she couldn't afford to lose her only daughter too.

Qiuqiu bit her lower lip hard, struggling to keep the tears welling in her eyes from falling.

After a long silence, she looked at Li Meihua, her voice trembling:

"If you wanted to buy me a house, why didn't you do it earlier? Why wait until prices skyrocketed like this? In the end, it's still because you were reluctant to spend the money." ꞦÄ𐌽Ő𝐁ËS

Li Meihua wiped her face roughly on her hospital gown and looked up.

Her eyes filled with endless shame and regret.

"Yes, yes, I was stupid! I had no ability! But I, I had no choice back then either!"

Then, through her stumbling narrative.

The crazy resentment and anger in Qiuqiu's heart gradually faded away with her tears.

This was the first time she heard this stubborn mother, who had been strong all her life, admit her mistakes voluntarily.

It was also the first time she learned those never-spoken details from over the years.

In 2006, Li Meihua and her husband worked day and night on construction sites in Rongcheng, leaving their 3-year-old daughter Qiuqiu in their hometown.

They wholeheartedly believed that once they saved enough for a down payment, when Qiuqiu started elementary school, they would bring her to the city.

But then, her husband fell from the scaffolding and died under unclear circumstances.

She saw that cold, mangled corpse with her own eyes.

Because they hadn't purchased workers' compensation insurance, and the developer was powerful, she—a rural woman from out of town who understood nothing—could only accept it under their threats.

In the end, they settled privately for just eighty thousand yuan.

Actually, back then, housing prices in Rongcheng were only around three thousand.

A two-bedroom apartment would cost just over two hundred thousand.

But how could she think about buying a house then?

Her husband's death had almost drained all her spirit and energy.

She spent two muddled years accompanying Qiuqiu in their hometown, but without a man, in that son-preference village, only she knew how difficult life was for a widow and her child.

And she didn't want Qiuqiu to end up like her;

she wanted her to study and grow up in a big city, to be an urban child.

Eventually, she hardened her resolve and returned to Rongcheng.

The absurd thing was, housing prices in Rongcheng had risen to nearly six thousand by then—doubled.

With this change, it wasn't even enough for a down payment.

She didn't dare gamble, nor did she want to.

So she could only grit her teeth, put that eighty thousand into a fixed deposit, and work desperately in restaurant kitchens, trying to earn another down payment with her own hands.

Who would have thought she'd run headfirst into China's craziest golden decade for real estate?

Starting from 2008, housing prices began soaring wildly;

her money-making speed couldn't keep up with the rising prices.

The more this happened, the more she cherished that "death compensation," and the more reluctant she became to use it for buying a house.

Until 2014, to give her middle school-aged Qiuqiu a stable place to live.

She rented a two-bedroom apartment in their current neighborhood and brought her daughter over.

To earn more money, while still working in restaurant kitchens, she also rented a small storefront and started her own snack business.

She was busy every day, and thus completely neglected the sensitive Qiuqiu during her adolescence.

But housing prices continued to soar.

Especially in 2017, when housing prices across Rongcheng surged again;

looking at the numbers in the newspaper, she felt as if her heart were being sliced by a knife.

Just at this moment, Qiuqiu's grandmother became seriously ill and was admitted to the ICU.

Instead, they all coveted that "compensation" in her hands, coveting the hard-earned money she had saved in Rongcheng.

But her money was reserved for buying her daughter a house.

Especially with housing prices rising daily, asking her to take out money to gamble on a slim chance even doctors said was hopeless—she naturally couldn't agree.

Moreover, Qiuqiu's grandmother had said not to waste any more money.

After that, mother and daughter became completely estranged and turned against each other.

Her fear of her daughter not returning to Rongcheng reached its peak.

She was afraid this daughter, whom she had failed her whole life, would truly disappear like a kite with a broken string.

So, she finally abandoned all her persistence, almost at the peak of housing prices, exhausted her life's savings, and bought that Harmony Elegant Residence apartment under her daughter's name.

The contract clearly stated that the apartment would be delivered before Qiuqiu graduated.

She fantasized that this brand-new apartment, belonging to her daughter, would be the biggest bargaining chip to make her return to Rongcheng for work.

But who knew the delivery would be repeatedly delayed?

Because of this, she lost all motivation to run her snack shop.

She directly sold the business and started going to the construction site and sales office daily with other homeowners, demanding explanations from that damned [Xuyuan Real Estate].

This was why, even though she knew Qiuqiu was struggling alone in Yancheng and worried about her daughter, she never went to see her.

Until a few days ago, when [Xuyuan Real Estate] completely collapsed.

Banks withdrew loans, the company neared bankruptcy, all projects stalled, and delivery seemed far away with no end in sight.

A single grain of sand from the era falling on every ordinary person's shoulders becomes an insurmountable mountain.

Unbeknownst to her, tears had already streamed down her face.

Her mind went completely blank.

Li Meihua's crying gradually stopped;

she just leaned against the wall, her eyes empty.

The hallway became completely quiet.

She didn't know how much time had passed.

Li Meihua immediately reined in all her emotions, wiping her face roughly.

Around thirty years old, tall and straight, wearing a white coat, he looked refined and elegant with extraordinary presence.

Su Wenxuan approached them, first glancing at Qiuqiu's red, swollen eyes, a trace of heartache in his gaze.

Then he said: "The developer sent people;

they're in the office downstairs. This time, the person in charge of their security company came too, saying they want to negotiate compensation. The police will arrive soon."

Because Li Meihua insisted she was pushed and injured by the developer's security personnel, indicating clear "third-party liability."

She couldn't normally get reimbursement through urban and rural resident medical insurance.

But since her body had basically recovered, the hospital couldn't let her stay indefinitely.

So, they called the police again in the afternoon, hoping to coordinate a resolution quickly.

Hearing the developer had finally sent people, Li Meihua seemed instantly injected with adrenaline, immediately standing up from the chair.

"I'm going right now. I want to see what tricks those turtle eggs want to play today!"

Qiuqiu silently lowered her head and followed behind her mother.

Su Wenxuan walked to her side, taking a pack of clean tissues from his white coat pocket.

He said softly with concern: "Here, wipe your tears."

Qiuqiu instinctively dodged, shook her head, pulled a crumpled tissue from her pants pocket, wiped her tears, blew her nose, her eyes red.

As Li Meihua's attending physician, he naturally interacted with Cheng Qiuqiu frequently.

He had an excellent impression of this great beauty with a "manga figure," an icy-cold demeanor, who somewhat resembled Su Yu.

But this Miss Cheng was just too aloof.

Even when speaking with him, her attending physician, she was always sparing with words.

Nearby, Li Meihua watched this scene, her eyes flickering, wanting to speak but hesitating, but ultimately closed her mouth.

Entering, they saw two men sitting there.

One tall and thin, wearing glasses, looking very refined;

The other dark and fat, wearing a gold chain thick enough to leash a dog around his neck, looking very intimidating.

The moment Li Meihua saw the dark, fat man, her face instantly changed.

This was the person in charge who directed security to push them during the rights defense scene that day.

Su Wenxuan looked at them, gave Qiuqiu a few instructions, then excused himself to make rounds and left first.

The dark, fat Manager Zhang glanced at them, his gaze settling on Cheng Qiuqiu, eyes filled with undisguised amazement and greed.

"Hehe, hello, I'm Zhang Zhanpeng from Lion Security."

Noticing his gaze, Li Meihua's anger instantly flared;

she pulled her daughter behind her.

Pointing at him, she scolded: "It's you, you turtle egg! That day, you were the one who told those beasts to make a move..."

"Hey hey hey, watch your words," Zhang Zhanpeng's face immediately darkened. "Our people are all professionals;

we would never do anything illegal. Clearly, you got too emotional and fell accidentally. Moreover, you even hit one of our colleagues;

we haven't held you accountable for that yet!"

The lawyer Zhou beside them remained calm throughout, waiting until she tired herself out from cursing before opening his briefcase.

"Ms. Li, please calm down first. We fully understand your feelings right now, but we still hope to discuss the issue within the legal framework.

First, regarding your injury yesterday. According to Article 23 of the 'Public Security Administration Punishment Law,' if the rights defense behavior itself disrupts the normal office order of the enterprise, it already constitutes suspected illegal activity.."

Finally, Zhou Yan pushed his glasses and said leisurely: "So, Ms. Li. We came today with great sincerity, hoping to first help you resolve the most practical 'accidental injury' problem at hand."

Li Meihua's face flushed red;

she hemmed and hawed, not knowing how to refute.

Living at the bottom, she was merely feisty but also feared the law.

But facing this seemingly refined yet solemn-speaking lawyer, she momentarily lost confidence.

"Thump—"

Zhang Zhanpeng also took a document from his bag and tossed it on the table.

He said in a muffled voice: "Our [Lion Security] and Xuyuan Real Estate are two separate companies. Seeing you're not well-off, sign this 'Accident Compensation Agreement,' and our company, out of humanitarian spirit, will cover all your hospitalization costs that can't be reimbursed. This is our utmost sincerity."

"Medical expenses..." Li Meihua pursed her lips.

Due to recent prolonged rights defense, poor eating and sleeping, her body already had many issues, so this hospitalization cost over ten thousand in total.

After medical insurance reimbursement, she still had to pay at least four to five thousand herself.

For her current situation, this was no small amount.

Nearby, Zhou Yan, seeing this, said temptingly: "Ms. Li, our company is just temporarily facing difficulties and is actively communicating for self-rescue. How about this: as long as you sign this agreement, promising not to cause trouble at the construction site anymore. Our Xuyuan Real Estate is willing to additionally compensate you for lost wages and mental distress. Let's make it a round number—twenty thousand yuan, given to you in one lump sum."

Twenty thousand... twenty thousand...

Cheng Qiuqiu, who had been silent all along, picked up the document first.

Zhou Yan smiled confidently.

He immediately struck while the iron was hot, started explaining the current tense situation from various aspects, persuading them to "consider the bigger picture," not to let one person's issue affect the "self-rescue" hopes of hundreds of homeowners in the entire complex.

Just then.

"Riiip—"

The sound of paper tearing abruptly echoed in the quiet office.

She looked up, her red eyes filled with stubborn determination.

"We don't accept this! You injured my mother;

we will pursue this matter to the end! And the house, we will hire the best lawyer to sue you. Until we get back every cent that belongs to us!"

Two million yuan!

In that sum was the hard-earned money this woman saved penny by penny, working early and late, enduring kitchen fumes for over ten years.

Moreover, in that sum was the last bit of inheritance left to them after the grandmother passed away.

Seeing this girl who had been like an invisible person suddenly go crazy,

Li Meihua instinctively pulled Qiuqiu's arm, muttering: "Qiuqiu, what are you doing.."

Qiuqiu shook off her hand, staring fixedly at the two men opposite.

"Beauty, you sure have guts. I'm only sitting here talking 'humanitarianism' calmly with you out of respect for the police. Since you don't appreciate the courtesy, then forget it, hehe."

He picked up the half-torn agreement on the table, flicked it lightly with his fingers, tossed it into the trash can, and looked at them with fierce eyes.

Qiuqiu's eye twitched;

she felt instinctively timid inside but still stared at him coldly.

Nearby, Zhou Yan also shed his refined facade, saying with a gloomy expression: "Miss Cheng, I advise you to calm down. Tearing the agreement solves nothing;

it only makes things worse.

Our patience is limited. Let's end it here today;

I think you need time to think it over carefully."

After speaking, he and Zhang Zhanpeng turned and left directly.

"Bang—" The door was slammed shut forcefully.

The office instantly returned to quiet.

Li Meihua turned to look at her daughter. "Qiuqiu..."

Cheng Qiuqiu shook her head. "It's okay... Mom, I have a job now... we... we'll take it slow;

there will be a way."

Her words still carried a slight tremble from lingering fear.

But that deliberately feigned calmness was like a beam of light shining into Li Meihua's despairing heart.

Li Meihua's cloudy eyes moistened again.

After a moment of silence, Qiuqiu averted her gaze. "Let's go back. Your body already has some neurasthenia;

just take these two days to recuperate here."

Returning to the ward, Qiuqiu tucked her mother in, poured a cup of warm water, and placed it by the bedside.

Outside, the sky had long turned completely dark.

Rongcheng's myriad lights connected into a sparkling sea of light in the distance.

Nurses came in on time for rounds, taking temperatures, replacing IV bags.

Time passed bit by bit.

The ward lights turned off on schedule.

Qiuqiu looked at her mother, who had fallen asleep at some point, took her blanket, and walked out of the ward.

She lay down on the public caregiver bed in the hallway.

The motion-sensor lights in the hallway had long turned off;

everything around was deathly silent.

Taking out her phone, opening WeChat.

She stared for a long time at that profile picture she had pinned.

In the end, she still didn't send any message.

In the darkness, she bit her lip, stuffed the phone under the pillow.

Closed her eyes.

Cold and loneliness, like boundless seawater, completely engulfed her.

Above her head, the [Dream Flower Seed] erupted with intense light, its branches and leaves wildly unfurling, emerald green light enveloping her entire person.

.....

Yanjing Tiancheng, Sky Penthouse.

Tang Song, after showering, walked into the bedroom naked, carrying warmth and moisture.

He immediately saw the beautician half-leaning against the headboard, struggling to support herself.

That pretty face usually full of charming vitality now etched with fatigue,

Seeing Tang Song approach, the beautician struggled to sit up straighter, opening her slender, soft arms.

Her voice soft and sticky, "Brother... hug..."

Then steadily placed her back under the covers.

"Sleep early, Qianqian, good night."

The bedroom lights turned off accordingly.

Zhao Yaqian lay contentedly in his arms, feeling that sense of security belonging solely to her, and soon fell into deep sleep.

Tang Song took out his phone, turned the screen brightness to minimum, quickly replied to several unread messages.

Outside the window, cold moonlight filtered through thin curtains, casting mottled and quiet light and shadow on the floor.

Consciousness gradually blurred;

Tang Song's ears began to hear some suppressed sounds,

The sounds sometimes near, sometimes far.

On a public caregiver bed with blue disinfectant sheets, a familiar figure curled up into a ball, trembling.

"Qiuqiu..."

Tang Song instantly realized she was having nightmares again.

Hearing his familiar call, the trembling figure on the bed suddenly turned over.

Revealing a face he knew well—a restrained, mature beauty's face with a somewhat cold and distant aura.

Her orange-brown long hair casually scattered, her beautiful face filled with timidity and helplessness.

Qiuqiu rushed straight over, tightly hugging him, burying her face in his chest.