If it had not been for Gu Ruochu, Ning Tangxi and Ning Zongxuan would not have had to stay in Zhang Yuan's ward all day. They were trying to repair their relationship with their mother.
After some thought, Ning Tangxi dialed another number.
"..."
Cheng Xi's operation was about to begin. When Gu Ruochu saw him lying on the hospital bed that morning, her heart began to ache.
"Aunt, I'll be fine."
Cheng Xi was calm as he comforted Gu Ruochu. "When I feel better, I'll play with the airplane model you brought me."
Despite the complexity of the surgery, Cheng Xi appeared to be in high spirits.
Gu Ruochu felt sorry for the child.
The doctor had informed her and Huo Nanchen that the success rate for Cheng Xi's type of surgery was only forty percent.
Gu Ruochu's heart had sank after receiving the news.
"Mmm. You'll be fine. I will play with you after you feel better." Gu Ruochu held his little hand and watched as the doctors entered the room and prepared to push Cheng Xi's bed out of the ward and towards the operating room.
Cheng Xi's hand slipped from Gu Ruochu's hand after the doctors began pushing his bed out of the ward.
Huo Nanchen held Gu Ruochu's shoulder, and they followed the doctors along the hospital corridor.
After the doctors got into the operating room, Gu Ruochu and Huo Nanchen sat in the waiting area. The doctors operated on Cheng Xi for two hours. Once the light on the operating table was extinguished, one of the doctors came out of the operating room. He was still dressed in a dark green sterile gown, and he walked slowly towards the couple.
When the doctor informed them that the operation had failed, Gu Ruochu's heart sank in despair.
The failed operation meant that Cheng Xi's hand was completely untreatable.
When she saw Huo Nanchen's disappointed expression, Gu Ruochu felt sad.
"I'll go and talk to the doctor. You should go to Cheng Xi's room and see him."
Huo Nanchen instructed Gu Ruochu before turning around and leaving with the doctor.
"Young Madam."
"Let's go see Cheng Xi first." Gu Ruochu followed the nurse to Cheng Xi's room with a heavy heart. The anesthetic had not completely worn off, so he was still in a deep sleep.
Gu Ruochu stood by the side and looked at the child's face. Her heart was full of pity.
Ning Tangxi had not been by Cheng Xi's side during his surgery.
Gu Ruochu was afraid that Cheng Xi would hold a grudge against his mother when he grew up.
Ning Tangxi had left the country without giving much thought to her child's well being.
Gu Ruochu and Huo Nanchen had been staying at the hotel for the past few days. However, Huo Nanchen always went out early in the morning and returned to the hotel late at night. Sometimes, he did not even return overnight.
Sometimes, when Gu Ruochu woke up in the middle of the night, she felt as if she had been alone the whole time. After receiving the news about Cheng Xi's failed operation, Huo Nanchen seemed to have returned to his cold and gloomy self, and he was emotionally distant.
Gu Ruochu still visited Cheng Xi during the day, but she did not see Huo Nanchen much.
However, Gu Ruochu did not pester him. She wanted to give him time to get over the bad news.
Even after his failed operation, Cheng Xi was still jovial and charming. He kept pestering Gu Ruochu to tell him stories and play with his model airplane.
Gu Ruochu would spend most of her days with Cheng Xi.
She felt that Huo Nanchen needed time to be alone and calm so that he would accept the fact that Cheng Xi's arm was irreparable.
However, whenever she thought about the complicated and gradually cold gaze Huo Nanchen gave her during their time together, she would always feel a sense of loss.
It was as if the sweet and lingering memories they had shared were just a dream. For Gu Ruochu, the more things changed, the more things remained the same.
"Cheng Xi! Cheng Xi..."
Gu Ruochu was sitting beside Cheng Xi's bed and telling him a story when Ning Tangxi's heart-wrenching voice came through the door.
"Mommy!"